ENCYCLOPÆDIA Britannica DISCOVER AMERICA Maine The Pine Tree State CHICAGO LONDON NEW DELHI PARIS SEOUL SYDNEY TAIPEI TOKYO
4 MAINE INTRODUCTION As the largest state among the six in New England Maine is something like the big fish in a small pond The state is not only the most northeastern state in New England it is the most northeastern state in the entire nation About 500 years ago Maine’s location made it a prime fishing and trading destination for explorers Today fishing is still important to the area Due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean the state has one of the largest annual ocean catches in the nation Along with the large catches off the Atlantic coast Maine is also known for its beautiful coastline which is nearly 3,500 miles long Charming fishing towns and beautiful beaches grace its shore There are also many rocky outcroppings and islands that made navigating the coast very tricky and dangerous in Maine’s early days Lighthouses were built to guide ships and today Maine has more than 60 lighthouses along its shore The Marshall Point Light marks the entrance to Port Clyde a small fishing town and former shipbuilding hub Maine’s state motto is Dirigo which is Latin for I direct Augusta is the capital of Maine It is the most eastern capital city in the United States Maine’s coast has sandy beaches tiny fishing villages and the only national park in New England Acadia National Park
INTRODUCTION 5 Maine shares more of its border with Canadian provinces than it does with other states The province of Quebec borders Maine to the northwest and the province of New Brunswick borders it to the northeast Maine shares its western border with the state of New Hampshire and its entire southern border hugs the Atlantic Ocean There are a number of ways to get to Maine The largest and busiest airport in the state is Portland International Jetport For those traveling by automobile a number of highways link the state to other parts of the country One of the busiest highways in Maine is Interstate 95 Although passenger trains do not serve Maine several bus lines including Concord Trailways and Greyhound bring passengers to various points in the state Maine can also be reached by water Ferries provide service to many of Maine’s ports along the Atlantic Ocean Maine Location Map Maine is the 39th largest state in area in the country Portland is Maine’s largest and busiest city Eastport is the most eastern city in the United States People in Eastport see the morning sun before anyone else in the country Maine is the only state in the Union that borders on only one other state New Hampshire Maine has about 23,000 miles of public roads and highways most of which are paved Maine is the only U S state whose name has just one syllable 0 0 Capital Augusta Population 1,274,923 Interstate highways 19 37 30 60 Km Mi Scale Size 33,128 square miles Highest peak Mount Katahdin 5,268 feet
