About Maine
Maine is the north-easternmost state in the New England region of the United States. Nicknamed 'The Pine Tree State', it is the 39th largest by area and 41st most populous state of the 50 US states. Augusta is the state capital of Maine while its most populous city is Portland.
History of Maine
Algonquian-speaking Wabanaki peoples were the original inhabitants of the present-day Maine. About 200 years before the Europeans arrived, Norwegians had discovered America but failed to settle permanently. The French explorer Pierre Dugua was the European to land in 1604. The first English settlement was made in 1607 by the Plymouth Company. Under the 1622 land patent, the region then came to be known as the Province of Maine.
In the succeeding years, a series of wars between the French and the Indian allies ensued. In 1740s, the French were defeated at the hands of the British in Acadia. When the United States was created, the territory of Maine was affirmed as a part of Massachusetts. Under the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the Congress established Maine as the 23rd state on 15 March, 1820. Today, the state is famous for agricultural produce, dairy products, and commercial fishing.
Geography of Maine
Known for rugged coastline, it borders the North Atlantic Ocean in the east and South, New Hampshire in the west, and Canada (Quebec and New Brunswick provinces) in the north. Comprising an area of 35,387 square miles, it is the easternmost US state and the largest state in New England. The state is divided into 16 counties.
The state of Maine can be broadly divided into three geographic areas—Coastal Lowlands, White Mountains, and the Eastern New England Uplands—that stretch from the east to the northwest. From the Atlantic Ocean the Coastal Lowlands extend to about ten to forty miles inland. The Eastern New England Uplands stretch from south Canada to Connecticut on the northwest of the Coastal Lowlands. Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park is the state’s highest point at 1,606 meters (5,276 feet) above the sea level. The monthly average temperature of Maine ranges from 78.9 degree to 11.9 degree Fahrenheit.
Travel Destinations in Maine
Nothing evokes the thought of Maine than ubiquitous lighthouses, picturesque waterways, and scrumptious lobsters. Tourism and outdoor recreation (sport hunting, snowmobiling, boating and camping) have an increasingly important role in the economy of Maine. Renowned for glacier-carved mountains and cobblestone beaches, Palace Playland is the country's second most visited national park. Portland Museum of Art and Colby College Museum of Art exhibit state's finest artworks.
Boothbay Harbor, Fort Knox, Aroostook State Park, Moosehead Lake, Sugarloaf Mountain, and
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens are other prominent attractions in Maine.
Transportation in Maine
By Air- Portland International Jetport (PWM) and Bangor International Airport (BGR) are served by major US airlines.
By Train- Amtrak's Downeaster makes five daily trips from North Boston Station in Massachusetts to Portland.
By Road- Interstate highway I-95 passes through Augusta, Saco, Portland, and Bangor.
Education in Maine
There are thirty institutions of higher learning in Maine. The University of Maine, located in Orono, is the Maine's oldest, largest and only research university. Bowdoin College, Colby College, and Bates College are one of the most prestigious institutions in Maine.
Facts about Maine
- It is the only state that has only one syllable in its name.
- Eastport is the easternmost city in the US.
- Mount Kineo contains one of the world's largest formations of volcanic rocks. More Facts...
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Last Updated on: August 1st, 2017
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