Maine is the Pine Tree State

The State of Maine is in the far northeast corner of the United States in a region that is commonly referred to New England. With 3,500 miles of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean and 33,215 square miles of land, the state is bordered by Canada to the north and the state of New Hampshire to the southwest.

Nicknamed the Pine Tree State, Maine is the most eastern state in the contiguous United States and is known for its scenery, including a rocky coastline, mountains and hundreds of acres of forest. While the largest city is Portland, the capital of Maine is Augusta.

History
Maine was originally inhabited by Algonquians. The first Europeans to settle the territory were the French in 1604, followed by the English in 1607. It became the 23rd state in 1820. Today, nearly 1.3 million people are residents of the state. Its French origins remain today, being second only to the state of New Hampshire in the percentage of French Americans who are residents. The state also has a significant number of descendants from English, Italian and Polish settlers.

Industry
Commercial fishing was at one time the primary industry of Maine and while it is no longer the area’s driving economic force, Maine lobster is still favored throughout the country. In fact, some McDonald’s restaurants in the state feature a lobster sandwich to celebrate its popularity. Maine produces 25 percent of the blueberries in North America, which makes it the largest producer of the berries in the world. Other agricultural products include poultry, dairy, cattle, apples and maple syrup.

The springs and aquifers in the western part of the state provide a significant amount of bottled water. Other products that come from Maine rely on the forests with paper, lumber and other wood products. The state is also a producer of leather products, textiles, bio-technology and Naval ships. Although very few large companies are headquartered in Maine, there are a few of note, such as L.L. Bean, IDEXX Laboratories, TD Bank and the Jackson Laboratory.

Education
In addition to a fine public school system throughout the state, there are also private and charter schools serving students in grades K -12. Post-secondary educational opportunities abound with a number of colleges and universities, including the Maine Maritime Academy, the University of Maine and its eight campuses, the Maine College of Art and a number of other community and private colleges.

Maine’s State Symbols
Nickname: The Pine Tree State, Vacationland
State bird: Black-capped Chickadee
State tree: Eastern White Pine
State flower: White Pinecone and Tassel
State gemstone: Tourmaline
State animal: Moose

The State’s Claims to Fame
Although Maine doesn’t have any nationally known professional sports teams there are minor league teams. The lack of big sports is made up for by the number of major films that have been shot in Maine, including Dark Harbor, The Iron Giant, Casper, Lake Placid, The Main without a Face, Shawshank Redemption, The Mist and On Golden Pond to name just a few.

Maine has also produced a number of noteworthy individuals a few of whom include L.L. Bean the clothing maker and retailer, Milton Bradley the game inventory, Patrick Dempsey and Liv Tyler both actors, Dan Fogelberg the singer/songwriter and Bob Marley of comedic fame.