Maine State Facts, Symbols and History

Maine Fast Facts

Capital: Augusta, 18,367 (2008 est.)

Maine population: 1,329,192 ( 2012 est.) (41st)

Maine population: ( per square mile)

US State Population: ( all states)

Currency: US dollar (exchange rates) all US currency (banknotes)

Maine Quarter : The Maine Quarter is the third quarter of 2003 and the 23rd quarter released in the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters® Program. Maine was admitted to the Union on March 15, 1820, becoming our Nation’s 23rd state. Called the “Pine State”, the Maine quarter features a Pemaquid Point Light (beacon) on a granite coast and a schooner at sea. The schooner is reminiscent of the Victory Chimes, the last three-masted schooner of the Windjammer Fleet.

Language: English, others

Largest Cities: (by population) Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, South Portland, Auburn, Biddeford

Name: The name Maine is thought to have originated for practical navigational purposes – “primary”, “main land” to distinguish it from offshore islands. There is also speculation that Maine was named after Queen Henrietta Maria, owner of the Maine region in France.

Statehood: March 15, 1820 (23rd state)

Maine symbols

• Bird: titmouse
• Fish: landlocked salmon
• Flag of Maine
• Flower: White Pine cone
• Gemstone: tourmaline
• Insect: honey bee
• Motto: “Dirigo” (I lead)
• Nicknames: (most used) Pine State
• Song: “Maine Song”
• State seal
• Tree: White Pine

Maine is a state in the northeastern United States. Population 1,329,192 (2012 data). The capital is Augusta, the largest city is Portland. See cities and towns in Maine.

The official nickname is The Pine State.

Maine covers an area of 86,542 km (39th among the states).

European settlement of Maine began in 1607 under the control of the Plymouth Company. The land patent of 1622 regulated the creation of the Province of Maine. The name presumably comes from the name of the French province of Maine.

During the Revolutionary War and the Anglo-American War, Maine was controlled by the British. As a separate state of Maine, it has existed since 1820, before that its territories were part of the state of Massachusetts.

• AbbreviationFinder: Demonstrates how the two-letter acronym of ME stands for Maine and a list of frequently used abbreviations related to the state of Maine.

Area 86,000 sq. km. The administrative center is the city of Augusta. Most of the territory is occupied by the spurs of the Appalachians (up to 1606 m high – Mount Katahdin). The climate is temperate humid. The average temperature in January is about 5°C, in July 15-18°C. Precipitation is about 1000 mm per year.

More than half of the state is covered by forests (mostly secondary). There are many lakes and rapids rich in hydropower (the capacity of power stations was over 1.5 GW in 1973). An important industry is agriculture. Farms, mostly small, occupy 18% of the territory.

Maine occupies the 1st place in the United States in terms of potato collections (the main area is the Aroostook River Valley). Logging, woodworking, and especially the pulp and paper industry are of great importance. The leather and footwear, textile, clothing industries, the production of textile and shoe machines are also developed. Shipbuilding.

Augusta

The capital of the Pine State began as a trading post, first inhabited by English settlers from Plymouth Colony in 1625. Although Portland was the capital of the original state, Augusta adopted the name in 1832.

Augusta is located on the banks of the Kennebec River in the south central part of the state, with the city of Portland and New Hampshire to the south, the Canadian Provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the north.

Augusta offers a lot of entertainment and culture, including the Augusta Civic Center featuring headline music, comedy and theatrical productions; tours of the Governor’s Mansion, great golf courses and the Pine State Arboretum. The city is surrounded by pine forests, parks, rivers and lakes for hiking, boating, camping and river rafting.

• Augusta is the easternmost capital on the American Map.
• Elvis Presley was scheduled to appear at the Augusta Civic Center two days after he died.
• Born to Caribou, Maine native and world weightlifting champion John B. Gagnon was the unofficial strongest man in the world in the 1930s.

Old Fort Western
Old Fort Western sets the country’s oldest wooden military buildings and is a National Historic Landmark. The fort dates back to 1754 and the workers dress in period costume. Visitors can watch live demonstrations of old-fashioned pebble making, weaving, and fire cooking.

Benedict Arnold staged his attack on Quebec from here during the American Revolution. Other notable revolutionaries stationed at Fort Western included Aaron Burr, Daniel Morgan, and Henry Dearborn. The Fort has an on-site gift shop, and hosts families and school field trips year-round.

Maine State Museum 
The Maine State Museum focuses on the natural history of Maine, with vibrant exhibits of wildlife, native peoples, local industry, culture and the state’s landscape. Enjoy textile art made by local Wabanaki people; moose and caribou dioramas; 1700s three-story woodworking plant; prehistoric indigenous mammal fossils and an extensive artefact collection of Maine history.

At the top of the list for family things to do on a Maine vacation, the museum also maintains a close relationship with the Augusta community and school system through regular field trips and interactive programs.

Maine State House
Looking over the city from Weston Hill on the north bank of the Kennebec River, the Maine State House had its cornerstone laid on July 4th, 1829, with full Masonic ceremony. Renowned New England architect Charles Bulfinch was contracted to help design the building.

Large quantities of local Maine granite were quarried for construction purposes. Extensive renovations around 1910 gave the Capitol Building its modern exterior, with a much larger central dome and long wings.

Historic portraits and artwork line the graceful interior spaces. The State House is fronted by over 20 acres of lawn and botanical gardens. The tour is available and visitors are always welcome.