Facts About Maine

Maine, state in northern New England in the United States. It is bounded by the Canadian provinces of Québec on the northwest and New Brunswick on the northeast. To the southwest lies New Hampshire, and to the southeast, the Atlantic Ocean. Maine entered the Union on March 15, 1820, when it was separated from Massachusetts to form the 23rd state. The name Maine probably originated as the word used by English explorers to refer to the mainland; it may also be derived from the province and region of Maine in northwestern France. Augusta is Maine's capital. Portland is the largest city.

Maine ranks 39th in size among the states, with an area of 87,389 sq km (33,741 sq mi). The area includes 5,861 sq km (2,263 sq mi) of inland water and 1,588 sq km (613 sq mi) of coastal water over which it has jurisdiction. It is by far the largest state in New England and has an area nearly equal to that of all the other New England states combined. The state's greatest east-west distance is 325 km (202 mi); the greatest north-south distance is 500 km (311 mi). The mean elevation is about 180 m (600 ft).

All of Maine was once covered by glaciers, the last of which receded about 10,000 years ago. Because of the glaciers, much of Maine is covered with stones, boulders, and clays. Many of the hills and mountains have been rounded, lakes have been formed, and river courses have been changed. Although glaciers covered all of Maine, there are nevertheless substantial physiographic differences in the regions of the state.

• The Maine Highlands: The Maine Highlands is a region of superlatives. Here you will find the most plentiful moose and deer in Maine; more parkland than anywhere else in the state, including 200,000-acre Baxter State Park; Moosehead Lake, the largest in the Northeast; and mile-high Mt. Katahdin, the tallest peak in Maine.
• Aroostook County: In Aroostook, Maine's largest and northernmost county, you'll find an abundance of natural, cultural and recreational resources that will make for a memorable vacation in any season. In "The County," you can bike along endless fields of potato blossoms; canoe and fish in one of the area's 2000 lakes, rivers and streams; hike along glorious wooded trails; or cross-country ski and snowmobile through the beautiful winter landscape.
• Southern Maine Coast: Breathtaking coastal scenery, broad beaches of pure white sand, and quaint, picturesque New England villages mark the Southern Maine Coast. This Maine includes the historic coastal towns of Kittery, The Yorks, Wells, Ogunquit, The Kennebunks, and Old Orchard Beach.

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