| Maine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the U.S. State. For other uses, see Maine (disambiguation).
State of Maine


Flag of Maine
Seal
Nickname(s): The Pine Tree State
Motto(s): "Dirigo" ("I lead")

Official language(s)
None
(English de facto)
Demonym
Mainer
Capital
Augusta
Largest city
Portland
Largest metro area
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford
Area
Ranked 39th in the US
- Total
33,414 sq mi
(86,542 km?)
- Width
210 miles (338 km)
- Length
320 miles (515 km)
- % water
13.5
- Latitude
42°?58' N to 47°?28' N
- Longitude
66°?57' W to 71°?5' W
Population
Ranked 40th in the US
- Total
1,274,923
- Density
41.3/sq mi
15.95/km? (38th in the US)
Elevation
- Highest point
Mount Katahdin[1]
5,268 ft (1,606 m)
- Mean
591 ft (180 m)
- Lowest point
Atlantic Ocean[1]
0 ft (0 m)
Admission to Union
March 15, 1820 (23rd)
Governor
John Baldacci (D)
Lieutenant Governor
None[2]
U.S. Senators
Olympia Snowe (R)
Susan Collins (R)
Congressional Delegation
List
Time zone
Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Abbreviations
ME US-ME
Website
www.maine.gov
The State of Maine (IPA: /'me?n/) is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The territory that is now Maine was part of Massachusetts until 1820. Maine is the northernmost portion of New England and is the easternmost state in the contiguous United States. It is known for its scenery ? its jagged, mostly rocky coastline; its low, rolling mountains; and its heavily forested interior ? as well as for its seafood cuisine, especially lobsters and clams.
The original inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were Algonquian-speaking peoples. The first European settlement in Maine was in 1604 by a French party. The first English settlement in Maine, the short-lived Popham Colony, was established by the Plymouth Company in 1607. A number of English settlements were established along the coast of Maine in the 1620s, although the rugged climate, deprivations, and Indian attacks wiped out many of them over the years. As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen settlements still survived. American and British forces contended for Maine's territory during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Because it was physically separated from the rest of Massachusetts (properly speaking, the Department of Maine was an exclave of Massachusetts) and because it was growing in population at a rapid rate, Maine became the 23rd state on March 15, 1820, as a component of the Missouri Compromise.
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