What are the Key Facts of Maine?

State	Maine
State Capital	Augusta
Largest City	Portland
Coordinates	45.5°N 69°W
Nickname(s)	“The Pine Tree State”, “Vacationland”
Postal Abbreviation	ME
Area	35,385 sq. mi (91,646 sq. km)
Highest Point	Mount Katahdin, 5,270 ft (1,606.4 m)
Number of Counties	16
Neighboring States	New Hampshire
Population	1,338,404 (July 1, 2018)
Date of Entering the Union	March 15, 1820
State Anthem	“State of Maine”
Governor	Janet Mills (Democratic Party)
Senate President	Troy Jackson (Democratic Party)
U.S. Senators	Susan Collins (Republican), Angus King (Independent)
U.S. House Delegation	Chellie Pingree (Democratic Party), Jared Golden (Democratic Party)
GDP (Millions of Dollars)	64856
Demonym	Mainer
Time Zones	UTC-05:00 (Eastern), Summer (DST) UTC-04:00 (EDT)

Where is Maine?

Maine (the 23rd state admitted to the union on March 15, 1820) is located in the northeastern US. It is the northern-most state in the New England area and is located to the east of the Great Lakes. Among the contiguous USA, it is the easternmost state. Maine shares its border with only one US state, which is New Hampshire (to the west). It is the only state in the United States that shares its border with only one state. However, to the northeast and northwest, this state shares its border with New Brunswick and Québec provinces of Canada respectively. The Atlantic Ocean borders the southeast of Maine.

What is the Geography of Maine?

Maine is spread across a total area of 35,385 sq. mi (91,646 sq. km), making it the 12th smallest state of the US. Out of the total area, the land area is spread across 30,862 sq. mi (80,005 sq. km) and the water area across 4,523 sq. mi (11,724 sq. km). Water bodies occupy 12.8% of the total area.

Maine is around 320 mi (515 km) long and 190 mi (305.8 km) wide. Its mean elevation is 600 ft (182.9 m) above sea level. While Mount Katahdin is the highest elevation point of the state at 5,276 ft (1,608 m) above sea level, the Atlantic Ocean is the lowest elevation point at 0 ft (0 m).

The significant mountains in Maine are Mount Katahdin, Sugarloaf Mountain, Old Speck Mountain, Crocker Mountain, Bigelow Mountain, North Brother Mountain, Saddleback Mountain, Mount Abram, The Horn and Mount Redington.

There are many rivers and lakes in the state. Some of the main rivers in Maine are Saint John River, Androscoggin River, Kennebec River, Saco River, West Branch Penobscot River, Aroostook River, Penobscot River, Moose River, East Branch Penobscot River and Saint Francis River.

The largest lakes in Maine are Moosehead Lake, Sebago Lake, Chesuncook Lake, Flagstaff Lake, Pemadumcook Chain of Lakes, Spednic Lake, Mooselookmeguntic Lake, East Grand Lake, West Grand Lake and Chamberlain Lake.

In the New England region, Maine is the largest state. Its geographic land area can be divided into three segments: Coastal Lowlands, Eastern New England Uplands, and the White Mountains.

The Coastal Lowlands along the Atlantic Ocean stretches inland for 10-40 mi (16-64 km). This lowland is characterized by flat, sandy beaches in the south. Small inlets having sandy beaches are also found in the north between the higher cliffs.

There are more than 400 islands off the coast of Maine having hilltops, which were formed during the ice-age. The largest mountain on these islands is the Mount Desert, thereby creating the base of Cadillac Mountain, having a height of 1,530 ft (466.3 m) above sea level. Salt marshes and tidal creeks are found on the Coastal Lowlands, located especially to the west of the beaches as well as the coast.

The second important geographic region is the Eastern New England Uplands. It starts from Canada and stretches to Connecticut. It is 20-50 mi (32-80.5 km) wide, and in the west, the land rises to around 2,000 ft (609.6 m). The Aroostook Plateau is found in the north of the New England Uplands. This plateau is known as good farmland for growing potatoes. Lakes and fast streams are found to the south of the Aroostook Plateau. Through the central part of this geographic region, the Longfellow Mountains are located.

The third important region is the White Mountains, which covers the northwest part of the state. It is 30 mi (48.3 km) wide in the south and 5 mi (8 km) wide in the north. The highest elevation point in this region is Mount Katahdin. Ten mountains are more than 4,000 ft (1,219.2 m) high, and 97 mountains are more than 3,000 ft (914.4 m) high.

What is the Climate of Maine?

A humid continental climate is found in Maine that is characterized by warm and humid summers and cold and very snowy winters. The winters get severely cold in the northern and western parts of the state. The coastal areas get slightly milder winters because of the effects of the Atlantic Ocean. The summers too remain cooler in coastal Maine than other parts of the state.

In July, the daytime highs range within 75-80 °F (24-27 °C), and the nighttime lows reach 50s °F (around 15 °C). During January, the temperature in the southern coast revolves around 30 °F (−1 °C), and in the far north, it remains below 0 °F (−18 °C). The average monthly temperature ranges within a high of 78.9 °F (26.1 °C) to a low of 11.9 °F (-11.2 °F).

The rainfall level remains evenly distributed around the year. The late-spring and summer months are the driest months while Presque Isle gets around 909 mm (35.8 in) of annual average rainfall, Acadia National Park receives around 1,441 mm (56.7 in).

Maine gets fewer thunderstorms than other states in the region. It gets around 20-days of storms every year. Tornadoes rarely occur in Maine. The average occurrence of tornadoes is less than four per year. However, this number is increasing.

What is the Economy of Maine?

The economy of Maine is a relatively poor state having the lowest per capita income in the New England region of the US. With the decline of traditional industries such as paper and paper products, Maine’s economy has become more and more dependent upon the service sector. The other major sectors of the state are agriculture, fishing, mining, and forestry.

While livestock and livestock production contributes around 60% of the total agricultural income, crops contribute just 40%. The main agricultural or dairy products of Maine are potatoes, chicken eggs, corn, hay, oats, broccoli, dry beans, peas, apple, etc. Some of the significant manufacturing sectors are paper products, computer and electronic equipment, transportation equipment, etc.

The total gross domestic product (GDP) for Maine has increased from US$49,973.8 million to US$64,856 million during 2008-2018. In terms of GDP, it is the 45th largest economy out of the 56 US states and territories.

The Median Household Income in Maine has increased from US$47,228 in 2008 to US$58,663 in 2018. The Per Capita Personal Income has also increased from US$37,054 in 2008 to US$48,905 in 2018. The economic growth rate of the state in 2018 was 1.9%. The major contributors to growth are retail sales, information companies, and real estate.

The total value of exports and imports in Maine in 2018 were US$2,836,567,855 and US$3,844,280,532 respectively, resulting in a trade balance of -$1,007,712,677. Out of the 50 states, Maine’s rank in terms of exports, imports, and trade balance was 45th, 43rd, and 18th respectively.

The major export items of Maine are Seafood, Electrical Machinery, Oil and Mineral Fuels, Aircraft, Wood, Wood Pulp, Paper, Industrial Machinery, Precision Instruments, etc. The major import items are Oil and Mineral Fuels, Industrial Machinery, Seafood, Wood Pulp, Footwear, Wood, Non-Knit Apparel, Paper, Plastics, etc.

The rate of unemployment in the state has decreased significantly in the last decade. Though it increased sharply from 4.8% in January 2008 to 8.3% in June 2009, it came down gradually to 2.8% in November 2019. The rate of poverty in Maine was 11.1% in 2018. The number of people living in poverty in 2018 was 144,012, out of total Maine’s population of 1,301,216.

What is the Transportation System of Maine?

The transportation system in Maine is dependent upon roadways, airways, and waterways.

The major US highways passing through the state are US 1, US 2, US 201, US 202, US 302, and many other alternate and auxiliary routes. The major interstate highways in Maine are I-95, I-195, I-295, I-395, and I-495. The state highways in Maine are SR 2 to SR 238, SR 701, and SR 703.

The best ports and harbors in the state are Portland Harbor (in Portland), Bar Harbor (sits on Frenchman’s Bay), Boothbay Harbor (in Lincoln County), Rockport Harbor (in Rockport), Camden Harbor (in Camden), Winter Harbor (in Hancock County), The Mud Hole (Great Wass Island), Cutler Harbor (in Washington County), Kennebunkport (Cape Porpoise), Isle au Haut, etc.

Maine’s major airports are Portland International Jetport (in Portland), Bangor International Airport (in Bangor), Knox County Regional Airport (in Rockland), Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle (in Presque Isle), Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport (in Bar Harbor), Augusta State Airport (in Augusta), etc.

Why Maine is called “The Pine Tree State”?

Extensive pine forests (including the White Pine) are found in Maine. Its importance in the state had made the administrators choose a tall pine tree in the center of the first Official Maine State Flag. While choosing the state floral emblem, Maine chose the White Pine Cone and Tassel in 1895. That’s how Maine got “The Pine Tree State” as the official nickname.

The other nicknames of the state are “The Lumber State”, “Border State”, “Old Dirigo State”, “Vacationland”, “The Switzerland of America”, “Down East”, “The Polar Star State”, etc.

What are the Popular Tourist Attractions in Maine?

Acadia National Park, Channel Islands National Park, Kennebunkport, Boothbay Harbor, Monhegan Island, Old Orchard Beach, Victoria Mansion (Portland), Portland Museum of Art, Cruising the Maine Coast, Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Old Fort Western, Farnsworth Art Museum, Nubble Lighthouse (Cape Neddick Light), Maine Maritime Museum, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (Boothbay)

Facts About Maine

1. The official dessert is the Blueberry Pie.
2. Famous personalities : Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Stephen King, Susan Collins, and Nelson Rockefeller.
3. Maine is the single largest producer of blueberries in the United States producing 99% of the total produce.
4. The nickname of Maine is “The Pine Tree State.”
5. Blockbusters such as Forrest Gump, Jumanji and Casper were shot in Maine.
6. The capital city of Maine is Augusta and the biggest city is Portland.
7. Maine was admitted to the Union on March 15, 1820, as the 23rd state of the country.
8. The official mammal is the Moose.
9. Residents of Maine are known as Mainers
10. Maine refers to the mainland as it was originally used in order to distinguish the offshore islands from the mainland.
11. Portland became the capital of Maine in 1820. In 1832, the capital was moved to Augusta.
12. Maine is the only state in the United States whose name has one syllable.
13. Maine is 39th in size among the 50 states.
14. The Algonquian-speaking people who lived in the region called it “Land of the Frozen Ground”.
15. Mainer Hanson Gregory claimed to have invented the ring-shaped doughnut.
16. With an altitude of 5,268 feet, Mount Katahdin is the tallest point in Maine.
17. Maine shares its boundaries with New Hampshire in the U.S. and New Brunswick and Quebec in Canada.
18. Maine was a district of Massachusetts before it was admitted to the Union.
19. Mainer Samantha Smith became known as America’s Youngest Ambassador. She became famous when in 1982, a 10-year-old schoolgirl wrote a letter of peace to the newly appointed CPSU General Secretary Yuri Andropov.
20. In 2009, Maine legalized same-sex marriage. Voters repealed the law in November 2009, but subsequently approved gay marriage in 2012 in a referendum.