The state of Maine belongs to the New England region and is the easternmost land of the United States. The first memory of Europeans settling here dates back to 1604. Then a French expedition, led by Samuel de Champlain, landed on the island of the Holy Cross. Three years later, the Plymouth Company established a British settlement here. Maine was originally part of Massachusetts, but on March 15, 1820, it separated and became the 23rd state of the state.
Geographic features
The region borders the state of New Hampshire in the southwest, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick in the northwest. The entire southeastern border of Maine is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The total area of the state is 91.6 thousand square kilometers. At the same time, more than 13% of its territory is covered with water. In addition, a significant part of it is the spurs of the Appalachian mountain range. The highest point here is Katahdin, and the largest lake is Muzkhed. In the eastern part of the state are the islands of North Rock and Macias. True, herethere is one caveat. It lies in the fact that the issue of their ownership has not yet been settled between Canada and the United States.
Maine has a continental climate with snowy, cold winters and cool summers. Throughout the year, the air temperature here ranges from -18 to +27 degrees. Tropical storms, hurricanes, tornadoes and thunderstorms are extremely rare in the region.
Origin of the name
To this day, researchers have not come to a consensus as to why the state of Maine received such a name. For the first time in history, the name is found in one of the documents of 1622. According to it, Captain John Mason and Sir Ferdinand Gorges received a piece of land as a gift, which they intended to call the Province of Maine. In 2001, the local authorities decided to establish a holiday - the Day of the Franco-Americans. The corresponding written order states that the state received its current name in honor of the French province of the same name.
Population
The population of Maine is just over 1.3 million. Despite the small area, rather impressive territories remain uninhabited. This can be explained by the prevailing mountainous terrain and rather harsh weather conditions. In addition, throughout the year the number of local residents varies depending on the season. The fact is that many Americans live here only in the summer, and leave at the end of the season.
As for originof residents inhabiting the state of Maine, then approximately 22% of them are British, 15% are Irish, 14.2% are Canadians and French, almost 10% are Americans, 6.7% are Germans. The official language in the region is English. At the same time, more than 5% of residents are fluent in French.
Cities
There are 488 settlements of various sizes in the state. The largest of them is the city of Portland, whose population is about 63 thousand people. As for the smallest, the resort village of Fry Island is considered to be such, in which not a single person is officially registered. The capital of Maine is Augusta. The population of the administrative center is twenty thousand inhabitants. The city is in a very advantageous position from a geographical point of view. In this regard, a number of agricultural and industrial enterprises operate here.
Tourism
Every year a large number of tourists visit Maine. Its sights are concentrated mainly in Portland and Augusta. In the first of these cities, the Art Museum, the Space Gallery and many local parks are especially popular. As for the capital, it is recommended to visit the Museum of the Military Historical Society, the State House and the Lithgow Library. Most of the objects that represent the cultural heritage for Americans were built at the very beginning of the twentieth century.
Local nature deserves special words. Thanks to the mountains, endless forests and beautiful ponds (oneof the most picturesque is Chamberlain Lake) Maine is visited by tens of thousands of travelers from the US and other countries every year. Ocean landscapes are especially popular, as a vivid confirmation of which are the numerous easels on the ocean coast, which can be seen at any time of the year.
Economic Development
The most developed industries in the state are industry and agriculture. Despite the predominance of rocky soil, potatoes, broccoli, green peas and oats are grown here in large volumes. Numerous firms specializing in the preparation of vegetables for sale are available in Maine. It should also be noted that the woodworking, shipbuilding and textile industries are quite developed. Fresh sea fish has become a separate item of Portland's income. Be that as it may, only a quarter of the local population is involved in all the above-mentioned industries combined. Most of the state's residents work in the service and tourism industries.
