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Maine
Where would you go to find rocky cliffs
pounded by waves, sandy beaches, snug harbors, old lighthouses, lobster boats,
and picturesque fishing villages? For all of these, you would head to Maine.
Facts About Maine
|
|
Capital
|
Augusta
|
Population
|
1,320,000
people
|
Rank
among states in population
|
40th
|
Major
cities
|
Portland,
Lewiston, Bangor
|
Area
|
35,400
square miles
91,600 square kilometers |
Rank
among states in area
|
39th
|
Statehood
|
March
15, 1820, the 23rd state
|
State
nickname
|
The
Pine Tree State
|
Name
for residents
|
Mainers
|
State
bird
|
Black-Capped
Chickadee
|
State
flower
|
White
Pine Cone and Tassel
|
State
tree
|
White
Pine
|
Abbreviation
|
ME
|
BIGGEST NEW ENGLAND STATE
Maine is the easternmost state in the United
States. It’s one of the six New England states, along with Connecticut,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Maine covers nearly as
big an area as the other five New England states put together. But Maine
doesn’t have many more people than the smallest state, Rhode Island.
Maine fills up in summer. That’s when tourists
arrive. The coast along the Atlantic Ocean is Maine’s biggest tourist
attraction. Forested islands lie off the coast. Inland is a rugged wilderness
dotted with lakes.
Tourists come to Maine to hike, sail, enjoy the
beaches, and eat lobster. They also watch plays at Maine’s summer theaters.
Artists come to paint and sketch. There are artist colonies along the coast in
Ogunquit, York, and Monhegan Island.
Maine also has mountains. The White Mountains, part
of the Appalachians, extend into southern and central Maine. Skiing is popular
in winter at Sugarloaf Mountain and other resorts.
LOBSTERS
Maine is world-famous for its lobsters. Many people
consider the sweet, white meat of the lobster a delicious food. They dip it in
melted butter. Every summer, Rockville, Maine, holds its Lobster Festival.
There are many more activities than eating lobster, but the food is the
festival’s big treat.
Fishing has been an important activity in
Maine since colonial times. Lobster is the most important catch. Fishing boats
set out lobster traps with bait inside in the waters along Maine’s coast.
THE PINE TREE STATE
Maine is nicknamed the Pine Tree State. Forests
cover 90 percent of the state’s land. No other state is so heavily forested.
Many of Maine’s industries have made use of the plentiful timber.
In colonial times, wood from Maine’s forests was
sent to England and used for masts and other parts of ships. Maine started its
own shipbuilding industry in the 1700s. Until 1900, Maine led the states in
producing wooden ships. It made nearly half of the oceangoing vessels in the
United States. But shipbuilding grew less important in the state during the
1900s, because steel replaced wood for ships.
Today, most of the trees cut down in Maine are
used to make paper. The manufacture of paper and paper products is Maine’s
leading industry.
MOUNT DESERT ISLAND
More than 1,300 rocky islands lie off Maine’s
coast. Mount Desert Island is the largest and best known. Acadia National Park
occupies much of the island. The park combines seacoast and mountains, two
features that are rarely found together. It also has lakes for boating and
trails for hiking and bicycling.
Bar Harbor is a fancy resort on the island.
Many wealthy people built summer homes here in the early 1900s.
INTERNATIONAL PARK
Campobello Island off Maine’s coast has an international
park run by Canada and the United States. It’s called the Roosevelt Campobello
International Park. The park preserves the home where former United States
president Franklin D. Roosevelt spent summer vacations. Roosevelt was
vacationing here in 1921 when he developed polio. The disease left him unable
to walk without help. But he went on to be elected president four times.
A bridge links the Campobello Island with the
Maine mainland. But the island belongs to the Canadian province of New
Brunswick.
PUFFIN COLONIES
Maine is as far south as seabirds called
puffins nest along North America’s Atlantic Coast. The islands off the coast of
Maine once had puffin colonies. But by the early 1900s, only one pair of
puffins was left.
Project Puffin began in 1973 to bring the birds
back to Maine’s islands. Young puffins were brought in from Canada. Wooden
decoy puffins were placed on the islands to attract the young birds. Tape
recorders played puffin courtship calls. The effort succeeded. Puffins now
breed on several Maine islands. Tour boats take visitors to view the puffin
colonies from the water.
EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT
English explorer John Cabot may have landed on the Maine
coast in 1497. The records aren’t clear. Italian explorer Giovanni da
Verrazzano definitely came in 1524. He described the land and its people. Other
explorers followed.
Both France and England sent people to settle in
Maine. But the first settlements failed because of Maine’s long, cold winters.
Later in the 1600s, settlers in Maine lived by fishing, fur trading, and
logging.
STATEHOOD
Maine belonged to Massachusetts until 1820. But
Maine began to press for independence from Massachusetts soon after the
American Revolution ended in 1783. During the War of 1812, it became clear that
Massachusetts would not protect settlements in Maine. British ships captured
four ports along the coast of Maine in this war.
Maine’s desire for statehood grew stronger after
the War of 1812. On March 15, 1820, Maine became the 23rd state. Augusta is the
capital of Maine. Portland is the state’s largest city.
Portland grew as a shipbuilding center. It’s
still a busy port on the Atlantic Ocean. It’s the northernmost and easternmost
port on the Atlantic Coast. Portland is also the U.S. port closest to Europe.
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