Maine

The State of Maine is a  in the  region of the. It is the northernmost portion of New England. The state 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 and s.

The original inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were -speaking peoples. The first European settlement in Maine was in 1604 by a French party. The first English settlement in Maine was established by the at Popham in 1607, the same year as the settlement at. Both colonies were predated by the by 22 years. Because the did not survive the harsh Maine winters and the Roanoke Colony was lost, Jamestown enjoys the distinction of being regarded as America’s first permanent English-speaking settlement. 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 and the. Because it was physically separated from the rest of (properly speaking, the Department of Maine was an  of Massachusetts) and because it was growing in population at a rapid rate, Maine became the 23rd state on,  as a component of the.

Origin of the name
There continues to be much interest in the origin of the name of Maine, as there is not a definitive answer. The Maine legislature in 2002 adopted a resolution establishing Franco-American Day which stated that the state was named after the ancient French province of Maine. Other theories mention earlier places with similar names, or claim it's a nautical reference to the mainland. Whatever the origin, the name was fixed in 1665 when the King's Commissioners ordered that the "Province of Maine" be entered from then on in official records.

Geography
To the south and east is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the north and northeast is, a province of. The Canadian province of is to the northwest. Maine is both the northernmost state in and the largest, accounting for nearly half the region's entire land area. Maine also has the distinction of being the only state to border just one other state ( to the west). The municipalities of and  are, respectively, the easternmost city and town in the 48 contiguous states. Maine's is the largest lake in New England ( being partially in ). Mount Katahdin is both the northern terminus of the, which extends to , , and the southern terminus of the new , which, when complete, will run to ,.



Maine also has several unique geographical features. and, off its easternmost point, are claimed by both the U.S. and Canada and are within one of , but is the only one of the disputed areas containing land. Also in this easternmost area is the, the largest  in the.

Maine is the most sparsely populated state east of the. It is called the ; ninety percent of its land is forested. In the forested areas of the interior there is much uninhabited land, some of which does not have formal political organization into local units. For example, the  in the northern part of the state has an area of 2,668 square miles (6,910 km²) and a population of 27, or one person for every 100 square miles (255 km²). Maine is equally well known for its dramatic ocean scenery, with almost 3500 mi of shoreline. is the easternmost piece of land in the contiguous 48 United States. Along the famous rock-bound coast of Maine are lighthouses, sandy beaches, quiet fishing villages and thousands of offshore islands, including the, which straddle the New Hampshire border. Jagged rocks and cliffs and thousands of bays and inlets add to the rugged beauty of Maine's coast. Just inland, by contrast, are sparkling lakes, rushing rivers, green forests and towering mountains. This visual contrast, forested slopes sweeping down to the sea, has been aptly summed up by American poet of Rockland and, Maine in "Renascence":
 * "All I could see from where I stood
 * was three long mountains and a wood
 * I turned and looked the other way
 * and saw three islands and a bay"

More prosaic geologists describe this type of landscape as a , where a rising sea level has invaded former land features, creating bays out of valleys and islands out of mountain tops. A rise in the elevation of the land, due to the melting of heavy glacier ice, caused a slight rebounding effect of underlying rock; however, this land rise was not strong enough to eliminate all the effect of the rising sea level and its invasion of former land features.

Millions of people have enjoyed this coastal scenery at Maine's, the only national park in New England.

Areas under the protection and management of the include:
 * Acadia National Park near
 * in St. John Valley
 * near Lubec
 * at
 * at

Climate
Maine experiences a ( Dfb), with warm (although generally not hot), humid summers. Winters are cold and snowy throughout the state, and are especially severe in the northern parts of Maine. Coastal areas are moderated somewhat by the Atlantic Ocean. Daytime highs are generally in the 75-80 °F (24-27 °C) range throughout the state in July, with overnight lows in the high 50s°F (around 15 °C). January temperatures range from highs near 32 °F, (0 °C) on the southern coast to overnight lows below 0 °F (-18 °C) in the far north.

Maine, on occasion, is affected by s and tropical storms although by the time they reach the state, many have become and few hurricanes have made landfall in Maine. Maine has fewer days of thunderstorms than any other state east of the, with most of the state averaging less than 20 days of thunderstorms a year. Tornadoes are rare in Maine with the state averaging less than 2 a year, mostly occurring in the southern part of the state.

History
The original inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were Algonquian-speaking peoples including the, , and s. The first European settlement in Maine was in 1604 by a French party that included , the noted explorer. The French named the entire area, including the portion that later became the State of Maine,. English colonists sponsored by the settled in 1607. The coastal areas of western Maine first became the in a 1622 land patent. Eastern Maine north of the was more sparsely settled and was known in the 17th century as the.

The province within its current boundaries became part of Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1652. Maine was much fought over by the French and English during the 17th and early 18th centuries. After the defeat of the French in the 1740s, the territory from the Penobscot River east fell under the nominal authority of the Province of, and together with present day New Brunswick formed the Nova Scotia county of , with its court of general sessions at Campobello. American and British forces contended for Maine's territory during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. The treaty concluding revolution was ambiguous about Maine's boundary with. The territory of Maine was confirmed as part of Massachusetts when the United States was formed, although the final border with British territory was not established until the of 1842. (Indeed, in 1839 Governor Fairfield declared war on England over a boundary dispute between New Brunswick and northern Maine. Known as the, this is the only time a state has declared war on a foreign power. The dispute was settled, however, before any blood was shed.)

Because it was physically separated from the rest of Massachusetts and was growing in population at a rapid rate, Maine became the 23rd state on, through the Missouri Compromise. This compromise allowed admitting both Maine and Missouri (in 1821) into the union while keeping a balance between and free states. Maine's original was Portland until 1832, when it was moved to Augusta.

Demographics
As of 2005, Maine has an estimated population of 1,321,505, which is an increase of 6,520, or 0.5%, from the prior year and an increase of 46,582, or 3.7%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 6,413 people (that is 71,276 births minus 64,863 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 41,808 people into the state. from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 5,004 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 36,804 people.

Maine is a popular tourist destination, but it also experiences harsh winters and, consequently, the great temporary influx of visitors occurs during the warmer months. Many of these visitors establish an alternate secondary residence in Maine during some or all warm months and then depart for their primary residence in the off-season. These are the summer people of Maine lore, often referred to, along with all other out-of-staters, as "flatlanders". Official census figures normally count a person as a resident only once, at the place of the primary home. Therefore, there are some situations in which official census figures could be misleading for Maine. For example, some communities may have a much larger seasonal retail sector than their official, small population figure would imply.

The mean population center of Maine is located in, in or near the town of. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is the most densely populated with nearly 20% of Maine's population. . As explained in detail under "Geography", there are large tracts of uninhabited land in some remote parts of the interior.

Race, ancestry, and language
The largest ancestries in the state are: English, Scottish, and other (30.8%),  (22.8%),  (15.1%),  (9.4%), and  (6.7%).

Maine is second only to New Hampshire in the percentage of French Americans among U.S. states. It also has the largest percentage of non-Hispanic of any state and the highest percentage of current French-speakers. Franco-Mainers tended to settle in rural northern Maine (particularly Aroostook County) and the industrial cities of inland Maine (especially Lewiston) whereas much of the midcoast and downeast sections remain strongly Anglo. Smaller numbers of various other groups, including and  settled throughout the state.

The 2000 Census reported 92.25% of Maine residents age 5 and older speak English at home. Census figures show Maine has a greater proportion of people speaking French at home than any other state in the nation, a result of Maine's large French-Canadian community, who migrated from adjacent Quebec and New Brunswick. 5.28% of Maine households are French-speaking, compared with 4.68% in. is the third most spoken language at 0.79%, followed by at 0.33% and  at 0.12%.

Religion
The religious affiliations of the people of Maine are shown below:
 * – 82%
 * – 56%
 * (mostly American Baptist) – 16%
 * – 9%
 * ian – 8%
 * / Congregational – 8%
 * – 6%
 * – 3%
 * Other Protestant or general Protestant – 10%
 * – 25%
 * Other Christian – 1%
 * Other Religions – 1%
 * Non-Religious – 17%

Economy
The estimates that Maine's total gross state product for 2003 was US$41 billion. Its per capita personal income for 2003 was US$29,164, 29th in the nation.

Maine's outputs include poultry, eggs, dairy products, cattle, wild blueberries, apples,  and. is known for its crops. , once a mainstay of the state's economy, maintains a presence, particularly lobstering and groundfishing. Western Maine aquifers and springs are a major source of bottled water. Maine's industrial outputs consist chiefly of paper, lumber and wood products, electronic equipment, leather products, food products, textiles, and bio-technology. Naval shipbuilding and construction remain key as well, with in Bath and  in Kittery. is also in Maine, and serves as a large support base for the U.S. Navy. However, the campaign recommended Brunswick's closing, despite a recent government-funded effort to upgrade its facilities.

Tourism and outdoor recreation play a major and increasingly important role in Maine's economy. The state is a popular destination for sport (particularly deer, moose and bear),, , , boating,  and , among other activities.

Maine ports play a key role in national transportation. Beginning around 1880, Portland's rail link and made it Canada's principal winter port, until the aggressive development of, Nova Scotia, in the mid-1900s. In 2001, Maine's largest city of Portland surpassed as New England's busiest port (by tonnage), due to its ability to handle large tankers. Maine's was recently expanded, providing the state with increased air traffic from carriers such as.

Maine has very few large companies that maintain headquarters in the state, and fewer than before due to consolidations and mergers, particularly in the pulp and paper industry. Some of the larger companies that do maintain headquarters in Maine include in South Portland;, in Westbrook; , in Portland;  in Freeport; and , in Yarmouth. Maine is also the home of, the world's largest non-profit mammalian genetic research facility and the world's largest supplier of genetically purebred mice.

Maine has an structure containing 4 brackets, which range from 2% to 8.5% of personal income. Maine's general rate is 5%. The state also levies charges of 7% on lodging and prepared food and 10% on short-term auto rentals. Commercial sellers of blueberries, a Maine staple, must keep records of their transactions and pay the state 1.5 cents per pound ($1.50 per 100 pounds) of the fruit sold each season. All real and tangible located in the state of Maine is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. The administration of property taxes is handled by the local assessor in incorporated cities and towns, while property taxes in the unorganized territories are handled by the State Tax Assessor.

Airports
Maine receives service at its two largest airports, the  in Portland, and the  in Bangor. Both are served daily by many major s to destinations such as, , and. also subsidizes service to a number of smaller airports in Maine, bringing small aircraft to regional airports such as the, , , and the. These airports are served by with small 19 to 30 seat planes. Many smaller airports are scattered throughout Maine, only serving traffic.

Highways
runs through Maine, as well as its easterly branch. In addition, starts in Maine and runs to. The eastern terminus of the eastern section of  starts  in Houlton, near the New Brunswick, Canada border to, New York, at. There is also another US 2A connecting Old Town and Orono, Maine, primarily serving the campus. U.S. Route 2,  and  are often used by truckers and other motorists of the  en route to other destinations in the United States or as a  short cut to.

Passenger
The passenger train, operated by, provides passenger service between Portland and Boston's , with stops in Old Orchard Beach, Saco, and Wells. The Downeaster makes five southbound trips and five northbound trips every day.

Seasonal passenger excursions between Brunswick and Rockland are operated by the Maine Eastern Railroad, which leases the state-owned Rockland Branch rail corridor.

Freight
Freight service throughout the state is provided by a handful of regional and shortline carriers: (formerly known as Guilford Rail System), which operates the former  and  railroads; ; Maine Eastern Railroad; ; and.

See also: 

Law and government
The structures Maine's state government, composed of three co-equal branches - the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The state of Maine also has three Constitutional Officers (the Secretary of State, the State Treasurer, and the State Attorney General) and one Statutory Officer (the State Auditor).

The is the, a bicameral body composed of the , with 151 members, and the , with 35 members. The Legislature is charged with introducing and passing laws.

The is responsible for the execution of the laws created by the Legislature and is headed by the  (currently John Baldacci, a ). The Governor is elected every four years; no individual may serve more than two consecutive terms in this office. The current of Maine is. As with other s, the Maine Legislature can by a two-thirds majority vote from both the House and Senate override a gubernatorial veto.

The is responsible for interpreting state laws. The highest court of the state is the. The lower courts are the District Court, and Probate Court. All judges except for probate judges serve full-time; are nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Legislature for terms of seven years. Probate judges serve part-time and are elected by the voters of each county for four-year terms.

State and local politics
In state, Maine voters tend to accept and third-party candidates more frequently than most states. Maine has had two independent governors recently (, 1975–1979 and, 1995–2003). The candidate won nine percent of the vote in the 2002 gubernatorial election, more than in any election for a statewide office for that party until the 2006 Illinois gubernatorial election. The locally organized also elected  to the office of State Representative in the Maine House of Representatives, the highest elected Green official nationwide. , 2004 Green Party, resides in the southern coastal town of. Maine state politicians, Republicans and Democrats alike, are noted for having more moderate views than many in the national wings of their respective parties.

Maine is an.

Federal politics
Maine's federal politics are notable and are dramatic for several reasons. In the 1930s, it was one of very few states which remained dominated by the. In the, received the  of every state other than Maine and. In the 1960s, Maine began to lean toward the, especially in elections. In, became just the second Democrat in half a century to carry Maine thanks to the presence of his running mate, Maine Senator. Maine has since become a left-leaning and has voted Democratic in four successive Presidential elections, casting its votes for  twice,  in  and  (with 53.6% of the vote) in. Republican strength is greatest in Washington and Piscataquis counties. Though Democrats have carried the state in presidential elections in recent years, Republicans have largely maintained their control of the state's seats, with,  and  being the only Maine Democrats serving in the U.S. Senate in the past fifty years.

The of  achieved a great deal of success in Maine in the presidential elections of  and : in 1992 Perot came in second to Bill Clinton, despite the longtime presence of the Bush family summer home in, and in 1996, Maine was again Perot's best state.

Since 1969, two of Maine's four electoral votes are awarded based on the winner of the statewide election. The other two go to the highest vote-winner in each of the state's two congressional districts. 2004's presidential race saw reports that the campaign of President George W. Bush had made the calculation to devote attention to one of Maine's two Congressional Districts with the possibility of carrying the district's vote for an Electoral Vote in a close national race.

Famous politicians from Maine include, , , , , , , Susan Collins, , and.

Maine's are Republicans  and. Maine's Senators Snowe and Collins were among the group of 10 and then five Republican U.S. Senators to vote with 45 Democratic Senators in February 1999's vote of acquittal in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. The state's two members of the are Democrats  and.

Organized municipalities
An organized municipality has a form of elected local government which administers and provides local services, keeps records, collects licensing fees, and can pass locally binding ordinances among other responsibilities of self-government. The governmental format of most organized towns and is the Town Meeting while the format of most cities is the Council-Manager form. As of 2007 the organized municipalities of Maine consists of 22 432  and 34  Collectively these 488 organized municipalities cover less than half of the state's territory. Maine also has 3 Reservations: Indian Island, Indian Township Reservation, and Pleasant Point Indian Reservation.


 * The largest municipality in Maine, by population, is the city of Portland (pop. 64,249).
 * The smallest city by population is (pop. 1,640).
 * The largest town by population is Brunswick (pop. 21,172).
 * The smallest town by population is, a resort town which reported zero year-round population in the 2000 Census; one plantation, , also reported a permanent population of zero.
 * In the 2000 Census, the smallest town aside from Frye Island was with a population of 26, but since that Census, Centerville voted to disincorporate and therefore is no longer a town. The next smallest town with a population listed in that Census is Beddington, (pop. 29).
 * The largest municipality by land area is the town of (128 square miles).
 * The smallest municipality by land area is the plantation of (0.86 square miles).

Unorganized territory
Unorganized territory has no local government. Administration, services, licensing, and ordinances are handled by the State Government. The Unorganized Territory of Maine consists of over 400 townships (towns are incorporated, townships are unincorporated), plus many coastal islands that do not lie within any municipal bounds. The UT land area is slightly over one half the entire area of the State of Maine. Year round residents in the UT number approximately 9,000, about 1.3% of the state's total population, with many more people residing only seasonally within the UT. Only four of Maine's sixteen counties are entirely incorporated, although a few others are nearly so, and most of the unincorporated area is in the vast and sparsely populated.

Most populous cities and towns
| Fact Finder US Census Maine Portland:

Throughout Maine, many municipalities, although each separate governmental entities, never-the-less form portions of a much larger population base. There are many such population clusters throughout Maine, but some examples from the municipalities appearing in the above listing are:


 * Portland, South Portland and several other surrounding communities
 * Lewiston and Auburn
 * Bangor, Orono, Brewer, Old Town, and Hampden
 * Biddeford and Saco
 * Brunswick and Topsham
 * Waterville and Winslow

Colleges and universities

 * Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)
 * Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)
 * Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)
 * Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)
 * Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)
 * Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)
 * Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)
 * Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)
 * Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)
 * Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)
 * Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)
 * Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)
 * Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)
 * Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)
 * Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)



Miscellaneous topics

 * Four ships have been named  in honor of the state.
 * The noted American ecologist did much of her research at one of the Maine seacoast's most characteristic features, a  for her classic "The Edge of the Sea." The spot where she conducted observations is now preserved as the Rachel Carson Salt Pond Reserve at Pemaquid Point.
 * , known as the thoreauvian of Maine is a noted state, , , writer and landscape artist. He lived a devout wilderness lifestyle in the mountains of Norway, Maine, expressing in his paintings his spiritual reverence for nature and writing of the values of a simple life of.
 * Maine is the only U.S. state to have a name one long; all other 49 states have at least two syllables.
 * Maine is the only U.S. state to only be bordered by one state (New Hampshire); all other 49 states have multiple or zero bordering states.
 * The town of Lubec, Maine is the eastern-most point within the contiguous - for more information see . Eastport, Maine is the eastern-most city in the United States.
 * is Maine's northernmost point and also the northernmost point in the New England region of the United States.
 * Maine is the number one exporter of and s.  The largest toothpick manufacturing plant in the United States is located in .  The Strong Wood Products Incorporated plant produces twenty million toothpicks a day.
 * in Bar Harbor, in, and  in the town of  each battle to be the first site in the contiguous United States to see the morning's sunlight. Maine's first light depends on the time of year, as the sunrise moves from South to North.  From October 7 to March 6, Cadillac Mountain is first.  From March 7 to March 24,  is first in the country.  Warmer months, March 25 to September 18, Mars Hill sees first light.  Then, when the sun starts getting lower in the sky, The country's day begins between September 19 to October 6 back at West Quoddy Head.
 * in, and the Harvard Quarry at its summit. Excellent panoramic views and popular destination for rock and mineral collectors.
 * Maine has 62, of which more than 50 are still in use.
 * Maine has traditionally been a source for, however economic considerations and environmental activism have caused some of the industry to move to Canada.

State symbols
(See also: www.maine.gov portal.)
 * Wild
 * Arctic exploration schooner Bowdoin
 * Dirigo ("I lead" or "I direct")
 * Arctic exploration schooner Bowdoin
 * Dirigo ("I lead" or "I direct")
 * Arctic exploration schooner Bowdoin
 * Dirigo ("I lead" or "I direct")
 * Arctic exploration schooner Bowdoin
 * Dirigo ("I lead" or "I direct")
 * Arctic exploration schooner Bowdoin
 * Dirigo ("I lead" or "I direct")
 * Arctic exploration schooner Bowdoin
 * Dirigo ("I lead" or "I direct")
 * Arctic exploration schooner Bowdoin
 * Dirigo ("I lead" or "I direct")
 * Arctic exploration schooner Bowdoin
 * Dirigo ("I lead" or "I direct")

Maine in fiction

 * , a novel by (and later a ) is based in Maine and is set in fictional Maine towns such as St. Cloud's, Heart's Haven, Heart's Rock, and Three Mile Falls. Portland, a Maine city, is also mentioned.
 * "", a 2003 horror film, is set in the fictional Maine town of Darkness Falls. While being filmed mostly in Australia, it includes some shots of Maine scenery.
 * , who set almost all of his stories in New England, occasionally mentions Maine.
 * , a motion picture based on the -winning, was filmed almost entirely in the Maine towns of Waterville and Skowhegan.
 * Stephen King bases much of his fiction in Maine.
 * , a television series starring, set in the fictional Maine village of.
 * "", the television sit-com (1972-1983) set in the Korean War has one of its central characters, Hawkeye Pierce, as a resident of Crabapple Cove, Maine.
 * "" is set in the fictional city of Mooseport, Maine.
 * "" is set in the fictional coastal town of Collinsport, Maine.

Famous Mainers
A citizen of Maine is known as a "Mainer," though the term "Downeaster" may be applied to residents of the northeast coast of the state. Citizens of Maine sometimes jokingly refer to themselves as "Maineiacs."


 * Business
 * , clothing maker and retailer
 * , board game inventor
 * , shipbuilder from Pittston, and guide for 's March to Quebec, part of the
 * and, inventors,
 * Entertainment and media
 * , actress
 * , folksinger/songwriter
 * , actor
 * , singer/songwriter
 * , actor
 * , actor
 * , co-creator of the
 * , director, actor
 * , sports broadcaster
 * , singer/songwriter
 * , musician
 * , producer
 * , singer/songwriter
 * , actress
 * , comedian
 * , actor (member of the )
 * , actress
 * , sports columnist
 * , actor
 * , actor
 * , singer/songwriter
 * , sports broadcaster
 * , actress (daughter of singer Steven Tyler)
 * , voiceover actor, best known for the opening narration of the television drama series .
 * Literature and the Arts
 * , writer
 * , writer
 * , writer
 * , artist (27 year resident)
 * , writer
 * , writer
 * , poet
 * writer
 * , poet
 * , writer
 * , writer and artist
 * , composer
 * , 19th century philosopher, writer
 * , historical novelist
 * , poet
 * , novelist & abolitionist
 * , writer (28 year resident)
 * , artist


 * Government and politics
 * , creator of the
 * , governor, creator of Baxter State Park
 * , politician, presidential candidate
 * , politician
 * , politician (former and )
 * , civil rights reformer
 * , politician ('s first Vice President)
 * , politician (former )
 * , politician, Secretary of State to, 1980
 * , politician
 * , politician, first woman elected to both houses of the
 * , "America's Youngest Ambassador"
 * , Senior Republican Senator from Maine
 * Military
 * , governor, General and hero,  recipient
 * , famous from the HBO series Band of Brothers,
 * , Medal of Honor recipient (3 Oct 1993,, Somalia)
 * , Civil War General, founder of
 * , first U.S.


 * Sports
 * , former  player and current head women's basketball coach at the
 * , fighter in  7 and was a contestant on MMA reality show  TV.
 * , NASCAR driver
 * , Olympic swimmer
 * , MMA fighter in the and was a contestant on the  on.
 * , professional wrestler formerly employed by under the ring name of 'Scotty 2 Hotty.'
 * , featured on a box of and is a  World   Champion
 * , MLB Baseball Player | SF Giants (minor leagues)
 * , former head coach of the and  Orangemen
 * , baseball coach and former manager of the
 * , owner
 * , runner
 * , first American Indian MLB baseball player
 * , former Heavyweight Champion
 * , 2006 Olympic Gold Medalist - Snowboard Cross