The state of Maine is the easternmost land in the United States. Maine is the greenest state in the USA Maine: creative workshops

Maine is the most northeastern and largest of all. American states, part of the New England region. In the north and east, the state borders with the Canadian province of New Brunswick, in the northwest with Quebec, in the south the state's land is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, and in the west it shares a common border area with New Hampshire. The state presumably owes its name to the English words “mainland” or “main,” which means mainland. Since 1665, it was the “Province of Maine” that appeared in the reports of English settlers.

The state's lands are divided into eight tourist areas:

• Aroostook River Valley (Crown of Maine);
• Maine Highlands;
• Eastern Acadia (Acadia and Bar Harbor National Park);
• Coast of Maine (Boothbay and Rockland),
• Greater Portland and Casco Bay,
• South Coast (Kennebunkport, Ogunquit, York and Wells)
• Lakes and mountains of western Maine
• Kennebec River Valley

The coast of the Atlantic Ocean is replete with numerous bays, and in the coastal zone there is a large number of fragments of rocky mountains that fell into the water during the convergence of glaciers. This is probably why there are 65 historic coastal lighthouses in the area.

More than 83 percent of the state is covered by forests. Maine is often called the "State of Pines," and its 542,000 acres of state and national parks prove it. The Maine forests are home to bears and deer, and the clear rivers are home to beavers.

Due to the rocky soil, large-scale agriculture is not possible, but despite this, the state ranks seventh in potato growing. Since ancient times, the main activity of the population was fishing. These days, fishing trawlers with large catches enter the harbor of the large coastal city of Portland.

Story

People have inhabited the lands of what is now the state for thousands of years. Before the arrival of Europeans, the Indian tribes of the Abnak, Mi'kmaq, Malese and Penobscot lived in the northeast. They all spoke Algonquian languages. The first European to visit these lands was the Scandinavian Viking Leif Eriksson. According to some studies, he is believed to have visited the state's coast in the 10th century. The first recorded visit of a European took place in 1524. The official championship belongs to the Italian Giovanni da Verrazzano, who at that time was serving in the French fleet, he was exploring new lands for France. The first European settlement in Maine was created by the French Samuel de Champlain and Pierre Duguay. In 1906 they founded a colony called Acadia, in parts of modern Maine and Quebec. After 3 years, the British founded their colony, calling it Popham Colony, but this attempt at settlement was unsuccessful due to the harsh conditions weather conditions and hostile Indians. In 1652 this land became part of England's Massachusetts Bay Colony. Until 1920, Maine would be considered part of Massachusetts. All these years, the French and English colonialists fought for primacy in the region. England finally gained control at the end of the French and Indian War in 1763. During the American Revolution, Maine was part of Massachusetts. Until 1783 the territories remained under British control.

The people of Maine wanted independence from Massachusetts. On March 15, 1820, they declared their desire and became the 23rd state of America.

Attractions

Maine State Museum is one of the oldest publicly funded museums in the country. Its storerooms contain more than 500 thousand items, ranging from silver spoons to a sawmill. All this is presented in the permanent exhibition. You can learn the history of the state in archival documents and photographs, see the tools of loggers and ice axes, collections of silver, ceramics, glassware, textiles, and examine artifacts related to Maine’s participation in the Civil War in the numerous halls of the museum. Museum collection of flags, times civil war the most complete and well preserved.

A stunning example of military architecture Fort Knox built between 1844 and 1869. Its strategic location on the banks of the Penobscot River allowed the fort to serve as a garrison site during various wars. Visitors can explore the inside of the fort and see a collection of Civil War weapons. Tours are offered daily during the summer season.

The state's lighthouses are of particular tourist interest. Maine. Thousands of tourists come to the state's coast to see more than 60 lighthouses.

Every tourist region Maine offers to visit its pride - national natural parks . Hundreds of kilometers walking routes By protected places, amaze with their diversity.

Transport

Airports

The state's largest and most popular international airports are located in Portland and Bangor. A network of regional airports is also developed, located in Augusta, Hancock, Knox and Presque Isle. There are small airfields for small aircraft in other cities of the state.

Railway stations

Rail service connects Brunswick to North Boston Station. Along the route, the train stops in major cities such as Freeport, Portland, Old Orchard Beach, Saco and Wells.

Car roads

I-95 passes through Maine, US 1 begins in Fort Kent and leads to Florida. US 2 starts in Houlton, Aroostook County, runs near the Canadian border to New Brunswick and goes to Rouses Point, New York. US 2A connects Old city with Orono, primarily suitable for travel to the University of Maine. Maine Roads 6 and 9 are used by motorists on their way to the coastal areas and serve as the shortest route to central Canada.

The Maine state flag is a symbol of power and sovereignty and a source of pride for its people. The Maine flag is placed on all government buildings, as expected, slightly lower than the flag of the United States of America.

The state flag of Maine was adopted in 1909. The state coat of arms is located in the center of the blue cloth. In the center of the coat of arms is a shield with an image of an elk resting under a pine tree, against the backdrop of forest and water. The shield is supported by a farmer with a scythe and a sailor with an anchor. Above the shield is written the motto, translated from Latin meaning “I lead” and the North Star. Moose represents rich animal world Maine, the pine symbolizes the importance of timber to the development of the state's shipbuilding industry, forests and rivers show wealth natural resources state, the farmer is a symbol of the agricultural roots, the sailor represents the strong ties to the sea and the critical role of maritime trade in the state's economy. The North Pole Star symbolizes the state's northernmost position. Alaska only displaced Maine from its northernmost position in 1949.

Small in area, but very important in its significance for the country, Maine attracts thousands of tourists every year. And this despite the rather harsh climatic conditions. What's the secret? Maine is simply rich in nature, architecture and events.

Story

Entered Maine state 23rd in a row, in mid-March 1820. He was originally called free, i.e. Slavery was not developed here. This is easily explained by the location of the territory - on the map of the country it is the northeast (upper right) corner. The capital is Augusta. The largest cities in Maine are Portland and Lewiston.

The first settlement of immigrants from Europe was founded here at the beginning of the 17th century. The French and British were very active in capturing this territory, which was due to the presence large quantity mineral resources and close location to the ocean.

In addition, a feature that also gave rise to the modern nickname for the state of Maine played a significant role. It is called the Maine state "Vacationland" for its large amount of forests - a valuable source of timber for Europeans in the 17th century.

Relief and climate

The state of Maine is located on the Atlantic coast. More than 80% of its territory is covered with forests, dominated by coniferous species: spruce, pine, fir. The rest of the relief is represented by rivers and streams, lakes, and spurs of the Appalachian mountains.

The climate here is quite cool. Winters are harsh and snowy. And summer is not particularly hot: the highest temperatures are observed in July. Thermometers can reach 27°C, but the average temperature is only 15-18°C. But hurricanes and tornadoes are very rare in the state, which significantly increases its attractiveness.

Population and religion

The population in Maine is quite diverse. These are mainly immigrants from England (over 30%). Many local Americans are of French Canadian descent (25%) - this state leads in the number of French-speaking people. Residents with Italian, Irish and German roots are well represented.

African Americans, Asians and Indians also live here, but their numbers are much smaller than in other US territories. The main religion is Protestantism (Baptism).

Economy

The leading position among all sectors of the economy is occupied by Agriculture. The state of Maine is the main source of potatoes for the entire country; it ranks 1st in the collection of this plant.

Farming has been significantly developed - cattle breeding and dairy products production.

Maine's natural environment also contributed significantly to the development of its economy. The territory is rich in mineral resources (clay, limestone, sand, peat, lead, precious stones, etc.) and forest resources (wood processing, pulp and paper industries).

Hydroelectric power plays a significant role - almost all cities in Maine are “powered” by the rivers and lakes located here.

Education

The largest university is the University of Maine state. It was founded in 1865, and today educates about 11 thousand students from all over the state.

It is famous for its library, which has collected millions of books, including rare ones. This is where the famous writer Stephen King studied.

Attractions

The capital of Maine invites travelers to visit a wooden fort fort western(one of the few surviving in the United States) and the Capitol building.

In this small town monument to Samantha Smith– an American schoolgirl who wrote a letter to Andropov Yu.V. during the Cold War. It is the only one in the whole world.

It will also be interesting for tourists to see life artist communities on the Monhegan Islands, visit museum fine arts (Rockland).

One of the most significant attractions of the state is a desert area located right in the middle of a pine forest ( Freeport). Here you can take unique photos and buy souvenirs.

Fort Western
Deserts of Freeport
Capitol

And, of course, Maine can offer scenic beauty and a visit to the local small farms that are the mainstay of the state's economy and showcase American life in the northwest.

Watch a film about Maine:

On the first day we lost a lot of time in Niagara Falls, America, since I ordered new tires in the States with delivery to service center there. Alas, it was not possible to make an appointment early, I had to go at 10:00 and spend almost two more hours waiting while the car was changed and the wheel alignment was adjusted. As a result, we arrived in Portland in the dark, checked into a hotel and went to bed. The first day of the journey was truly ahead.

Day one (about 130 km):
Portland - Cape Elizabeth - Freeport - Harpswell - Brunswick

Half a day was spent walking around Portland - a large port, a fishing quay, docks, an observatory, wonderful parks. These phones are on every corner. I have no idea where they are calling.
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Typical coastal development is old houses occupied by various fishing, crab and lobster companies.
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Cape Elizabeth is a suburb of Portland. There are parks, marinas and lighthouses.
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I can’t imagine how you can not love lighthouses and not want to go around them all. There are about 70 lighthouses in Maine alone. This is our first Maine Lighthouse - Portland's premier lighthouse and the oldest lighthouse in Maine. I will definitely dedicate a separate post to lighthouses.
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Our first Maine lobster. We stayed in South Freeport on the ocean. In general, during this trip we ate only lobster and tried to do it not in decent restaurants, but in authentic and home-made eateries, cafes, snack bars - where the romance of fishing life is much more clearly felt :) No matter how hard it is to guess, the state of Maine lives off lobster . It’s scary to imagine the quantities in which they are bred and caught from the waters of the ocean, but lobster dishes are the main and sometimes the only item on the menu of any food establishment.
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And here is one of the attractions of Freeport. It's not easy to guess what's so special about this cute building. It’s just that McDonald’s is located here, which allowed this branch of the global chain to be included in the list of the most unusual McDonald’s. Did you know that during certain seasons you can order a McLobster sandwich at Atlantic McDonald's?

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Next we headed to Brunswick, where we had planned to spend the night, but it was still not very dark, although very cloudy. We didn't really see any rain the first day. If we had known that it was on this evening that a light drizzle would begin, turning into a heavy drizzle and periodically turning into a natural rain shower, which would not stop until the very end of the trip, then perhaps we would not have changed anything in our plans. So, after leaving our things at the hotel, we decided to go to the rugged coast of the town of Harpswell, or rather to the very tip of Bailey Island. There the road ends in the ocean.
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Day two (approximately 330 km):
Brunswick - Woolwich - Busbay Harbor - Pemaquid Point - Port Clyde - Bangor

It was pouring like buckets in the morning. Visibility - zero, humidity 146%. The dog was not happy, and we were not very happy either. Near Brunswick, we stopped to look at the 121-year-old suspension bridge, Maine's historic engineering legacy.
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A roadside lobster (I know that in Russian it is called an omar!) waves its claws in a welcoming manner and beckons you into the restaurant. But we move on. We're going to the ocean again!
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Hoping to get into a secluded and quiet fishing village we rushed to the coast and found ourselves in an area of ​​secluded and quiet boarding houses, cottages, private villas and other private properties. Access to the ocean was difficult due to signs "Private property" And "Don't wander around" .
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Having driven along private property and collided with a police patrol car, we decided not to look for adventure on our own backsides, so we headed to the famous resort town Busbay Harbor - Yalta in Maine style. Crowded, cozy, beautiful, resort-like in the best sense of the word.
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Then there were the obligatory lighthouses: magnificent and amazing. The weather severely prevented their examination.
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The lighthouse at Pemaquid Point is one of the most beautiful in terms of location. Harsh coastline, boulders and stones. And of course, the endless ocean to the very horizon (let someone try to say that in this photo it is littered).
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Oh, isn't it lovely?
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And another charming lighthouse, Marshall Point in Port Clyde - the most cinematic we have ever seen. Moreover, it is cinematic in the most literal sense, since many of you have seen it in the movies.
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Rain and fog are faithful companions on our trip.
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The most important problem of our trip happened that evening. According to the plan, an overnight stay was planned in Bangor, where we were going solely because it is the birthplace of the master of horror, the great and merciless Stephen King. It was there that I found a good-natured and hospitable host, ready to shelter us for free (thanks, couchsurfing). But the first pancake, as expected, came out lumpy. Unfortunately, we were not ready for such an ascetic lifestyle. Even for one night. And it’s not about an old, never renovated and very dirty house with holey mats on the floor, peeling wallpaper and crumbling walls, not about a rusty creaky bed from the 60s, not about the absence of any traces of cleaning or at least minimal care behind the house, not in the toilet and sink, which look worse than most public restrooms. It was the general atmosphere of uncleanliness and some kind of hopelessness in which we had to spend that night. We decisively rejected this possibility, hastily came up with a ridiculous excuse, and, wildly apologizing, ran to a nearby cheap hotel. We still gave the owner real Quebec maple syrup and a Kyiv magnet, stuck a pin in Ukraine in his geographical map, where couchsurfers who were less demanding of cleanliness and stayed in this house celebrated their homelands.

After chewing off the bad taste of the evening with a McShake and a Timhorton(!) bun, we spent the night at the hotel and the next morning we set out for Bangor in the dim, foggy, rainy light of the next day.

Day three (220 km):
Bangor - Bar Harbor - Cadillac Mountain - Seal Harbor - Bass Harbor (lighthouse) - Ellsworth

We spent the first half of the day wandering around Bangor - international capital horror. The king of horrors and nightmares, Stephen King, lived and lives (periodically) here. This is where he grew up and where he wrote much of his stories and novels. Bangor became the prototype for the fictional town of Derry, in which the events of King's most famous novel unfold "It" . Here, for example, is the same water tower described in the novel...
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And here is Mr. Stephen King's mansion.
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The Great and Terrible K.
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Well, this is one of oldest cemeteries in the States. An amazing place, not gloomy or scary.
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In general, Bangor surprised us a little. The local gay pride parade cannot be compared to Toronto's. Local “two gays in the village” walked in a cheerful group through the city center. The people hooted happily and were genuinely happy. The atmosphere was very positive and festive.
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But get out of town. Run to the ocean, run to the Atlantic. One of the nicest resort towns I've seen is Bar Harbor.
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Ships came into our harbor...
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Bar Harbor is located in one of the most picturesque corners of Maine - on the island of Mount Desert (desert mountain), on whose territory there is a beautiful national park-reserve Acadia. The highest point of the island and the park is Mount Cadillac (470m). There is a picturesque road leading up, but in the fog we couldn’t really see it. Well, from the top we saw a view that is impossible to describe in words.
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Or you might see something like this:
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At the top there was a terrible wind, slanting rain and the fog was so thick that you could hardly even see your own feet. As we made our way down to Bubble Lake, we realized that the weather was not going to improve.
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So we went for a ride around Acadia in the hope of getting to the beach and swimming in that nasty Atlantic Ocean. But it turned out that the section of the park road leading to the beautiful ocean beach requires a fee ($20 per car), and the beach is closed due to bad weather. So we had to travel further - to Seal Harbor...
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And then to Bass Harbor. There was another lighthouse there. Our motto - "Not a day without a lighthouse!"
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Typical fishing village. Typical fishing weather. Typical fishing lobster traps. Typical seagull.
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The typical landscape is Maine-style water meadows.
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Lobster on the grill. Eh, delicious! Overnight at a motel near Ellsworth, and vague plans for the last day of the trip. I wanted to catch more oceans, more lighthouses, more lobsters. I wished the weather was a little friendlier. I wanted to stay another day, or two, or a week, or...
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Day four, last (travel and pleasure - 530 km, total - 1400 km):
Ellsworth - Winter Harbor - Scudic Point - Prospect Harbor - Trenton - Augusta - White Mountains National Park - Derby (Border) - Toronto (home, suite, home).

The last day of the trip turned out to be the longest. The plan was to first close the last section of the path - the non-island part of Acadia Park. Then, if the weather cooperates (a little sky, a little visibility), we will definitely return to Acadia Island, to the beach and to Cadillac Mountain. I also really wanted to return to the pearls of the Gulf of Maine that we missed due to the weather - the fantastically beautiful towns of Camden, Rockport, Rockland, Owls Head. Well, after all this, we head home, spend the night somewhere after the border, and return home after lunch the next day. What happened in the end...

The off-island portion of Acadia Park is a small piece of natural wonder on the Schoodic Peninsula. Honestly, perhaps it was here that we saw the most beautiful and most majestic Atlantic Ocean. This is where you absolutely and definitely need to go.
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This is where the Atlantic shows its full power, crashing ocean waves against a harsh granite coastline dotted with ancient igneous inclusions.
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Seagulls demonstratively do not care about the beauty of nature.
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In geology there is such a concept - a dike is a crack in rocks filled (most often) with frozen magma. Almost the entire rocky coastline of the Schoodic Peninsula provides an excellent example. But I am not a geologist, I was more interested in waves. It was here, at the very extreme point of the peninsula, at Scudik Point, that the Atlantic Ocean appeared before us in all its glory. Here, probably for the first time, we were splashed not by rain, but by ocean spray from frantic and uncontrollable waves. The main task of the last day and the entire journey was completed.
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On the way back, the sun began to treacherously peek out from behind the gloomy clouds, and hope dawned that the weather would improve, giving us an additional chance. We even rushed to Mount Desert Island, but halfway there we had to turn around, as visibility dropped to zero again.
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Oh yes, the last lighthouse of the trip was the off-limits US Navy Lighthouse at Prospect Harbor. Of course, I still found an opportunity to photograph it, climbing the slippery rocks to a point where the military fence did not interfere with the view. All this will be in a separate post dedicated to Maine lighthouses.
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Last lobster meal. The province is preparing for Independence Day. We met a sailor in a snow-white dress uniform in a home diner, who, having eaten lobster, with incredible gallantry and politeness, shuffled around and flirted with the village girls and women. Really, if not for the form, I would have thought that he was a professor of literature and ethics - he used such poetic expressions.
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Epic fail trip - hopes that in the USA the post office is open on Sundays. Unfortunately no. Therefore, it was not possible to send postcard letters from the Atlantic coast.
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The way back was memorable for the not-so-obligatory stop in the state capital, the city of Augusta. Here I really wanted to take a photo hugging the monument to Samantha Smith - the same girl - ambassador of peace who appeared in newspapers and notebooks during my childhood. Unfortunately, either the information was incorrect or they didn’t search well, but we didn’t meet Samantha in Augusta, so we went home. Along the way we passed by Norway, Naples, and other world geographical toponyms. Maine loves geography. Evidence of this is this direction indicator: Paris, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Mexico, Peru, China...
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Well, at sunset we drove into the White Mountains - mountain range And national reserve, located in New Hampshire. I deliberately laid out the return route in such a way as to make a detour through these mountains - crazy Beautiful places! It is here that Mount Washington is located (the peak is 1917 meters) - a place with the most changeable weather and record-breaking strong winds (gusts of 372 km/h were recorded in 1934!!!).
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I won’t tell you that, both on the way to Maine and on the way back, we were constantly covered by stormy downpours, because of which sometimes we just had to stop on the side of the road and wait out the bad weather, because driving was simply dangerous. But after all it was fresh and very sunset...
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We decided not to spend the night anywhere and rushed straight home, reaching our home bed around 6 am. It turned out to be one long 22 hour day...

Summary: 3100 km. Sea An ocean of emotions and impressions. Among the things that didn’t work out, it’s worth noting: unvisited Camden, Rockport and the desert in Freeport, unfound Samantha Smith, unsuccessful couchsurfing experience, not redeemed in the Atlantic, half-eaten lobsters, unsent postcards, unseen horizons, lighthouses missed along the road and unseen due to fog... All this leaves us with a considerable stock of unfulfilled tasks that require an early return to (on this moment) the most beloved of all states is Maine.

“The Pine State” is what Maine is popularly called. It is located in the Northeast and belongs to the New England region. The forested spurs of the Appalachians, lakes and rivers create a unique landscape here.

Interesting fact: Maine is the only state that shares a border with only one American administrative division, New Hampshire. It is surrounded on three sides by Canadian lands and Atlantic waters. The state was previously part of the state of Massachusetts, but in 1820, like the state of Missouri, it became the 23rd state of the United States.

History of Maine

Before the arrival of European colonialists, this region lived several Indian tribes that made up the allied association “Wabanaki Confederation”.

The first settlement of European colonists was French - in 1604 a small village arose on the Island of the Holy Cross. Following the French, the British tried to establish a mission in this region. Joint-Stock Company"Plymouth Company", but this attempt was unsuccessful due to conflicts with the Indians, who slaughtered all European settlements.

Throughout the 17th and first half of the 18th centuries, this territory remained a constant “bone of contention” between England and France. The indigenous peoples of the state also became involved in armed conflicts. In 1763, British rule was firmly established here, but the American War of Independence soon began. The colonialists mercilessly destroyed the rebel cities (this fate befell the port of Falmouth, where Portland is now located). Maine at that time was an integral part of the state of Massachusetts, but its population constantly showed a desire for isolation, which was achieved in 1820.

Population of Maine

Maine is not a densely populated state; it is one of the ten least populated states in the United States. A little more than 1,400,000 people live here. The largest cities here are Portland (65,000 inhabitants) and Lewiston (about 40,000). The state capital, Augusta, has a population of just 20,000.

95% of Maine's population is white. African Americans make up only about 1%. The Native American communities (Indians and Eskimos) together are even smaller - only half a percent. The vast majority of Maine residents are Christians of the Protestant, Catholic and Baptist denominations. Atheists make up 17% of the population. More than 90% of the state's population speaks English, which, however, is not recorded as official language state.

Maine Landmarks

There is certainly a lot to see in Maine, both natural and historical. Among them it is worth noting the following:

• Fishing Museum. If you move along the coast from Portland to the northeast, you can see a museum dedicated to the history of fishing, and also visit an ancient, but still functioning lighthouse with observation deck. It offers a beautiful view of the ocean shore.
• The Coastal Botanical Gardens are located on the banks of the Back River and are a great place to enjoy the outdoors and experience some of the state's flora and fauna. On holidays there is a light show here.
• Rockland. Arriving in this small town, you can visit two significant museums in the state - the Farnsworth Art Collection (paintings by the most famous painters of New England are displayed here) and the Maine Lighthouse Museum.
• Carousel Musical Theater is located in Boothbay Harbor. This place can hardly be called a theater in the usual sense. Rather, it is a cabaret in retro style, with a large stage space and a restaurant hall. Good food is served here along with spiritual food. A young troupe of actors entertains visitors with lively musical performances.

Economy of Maine

One of the historically important components of Maine's economy is fishing. In addition to the supply of commercial fish, the largest quantities of lobsters and lobsters in the country are harvested here.

Shipbuilding is also developed in the state. Many US Navy ships came out of the local shipyards.

The agricultural sector is also one of the significant ones. Maine ranks first among US counties in potato supply. Blueberries and legumes are grown here.

Paper production plays an important role in the economic development of the state. Although Maine is not rich in mineral resources, it is worth noting the mining of semi-precious stones such as amethyst and topaz.

Maine taxes

Maine has a dual income tax of 6.5% and 7.95% of personal income. Before July 2013, the state had four rates: 2%, 4.5%, 7% and 8.5%. The state sales tax is 5.5%. The state also charges a 7% tax on lodging and prepared food purchases, and a 10% tax on short-term car rentals. Commercial blueberry sellers must keep records of their transactions and pay the state 1.5 cents per pound ($1.50 per 100 pounds) of fruit sold for the season. All real and personal property located in Maine is also subject to tax unless it is specifically exempted by state law. Administration of property taxes is carried out by the local appraiser in cities and populated areas, while property taxes in unorganized areas are administered by the State Tax Collector.

Stelmakh T.

Maine is one of the small New England states. Wild evergreen forests, lakes, mountains, rocky Coast, hundreds of convenient harbors and nearly 3,000 offshore islands can all be found in Maine.

Its area is 86 thousand km², its population is about 1.3 million people. Capital - Augusta, The largest city- Portland. In the south it borders with the state of New Hampshire, in the west with Canada. Maine is made up of 16 counties. Length coastline– 5632 km. There are more than 6,000 lakes and 17 million acres of forests on its territory. The average population density is 15.95 people/km². Most of the population is employed either in the service sector or in tourism business, which in last years is developing rapidly, despite the fact that the climate here is quite harsh: summers are short and cool, and winters are long. In the interior regions of the state there are frosts down to – 40.
The state's national animal is moose, berry is blueberry, bird is tit, stone is tourmaline, insect is bee, plant is white pine. The Maine flag features a farmer and a sailor, as well as the state's symbols: an elk and a pine tree. Maine is even called the “Pine State” because of the large number of these trees. The state motto reads: “Dirigo”, which means “I direct” in Latin.

According to one version, the name of the state comes from the name of an ancient French province. There is another version of the origin of the name of the state: Maine is translated from English as “main”, i.e. it is the main land in contrast to the many islands surrounding the state.

In 1604, a French expedition landed on one of the coastal islands of Maine. More thorough European settlement of Maine began in 1607 under the control of the Plymouth Company. On the territory of the current state, armed clashes between the French, British and Indians took place for a long time. Peace did not come until 1760, when an agreement was reached with the Native Americans. During the Revolutionary War, Maine became part of Massachusetts. Maine has existed as a separate state since 1820 (as a result of the Missouri Compromise). He joined the United States 23rd in a row.

Most of the territory is occupied by the spurs of the Appalachians (up to 1606 m high - Mount Katahdin). The state is rich water resources and forests. There are many lakes and rapids rivers rich in hydropower. An important sector in the state's economy is agriculture. Today's Maine is famous for potatoes, lobsters and submarines - an unusual combination. The first nuclear-powered military submarine, the Swordfish, was launched in Maine. The state's farmers have become famous for their magnificent “white potatoes,” for which the state ranks 1st in the United States in terms of harvest. The logging, wood processing and especially the pulp and paper industries are of great importance. The leather and footwear, textile, clothing industries, production of textile and shoe machines, and shipbuilding are also developed. All coastal cities specialize in fishing and the fish canning industry. Fishing companies and communities support the state's economy, and river fishing is a popular local sport. Local restaurants are ready to offer hundreds of different types of lobster dishes. Maine supplies the US market with 90% of its lobsters, 99% of its blueberries and 90% of its toothpicks. The city of Wilton is the only place where canned dandelions are imported.

Maine's landscapes are incredibly diverse. Connoisseurs of natural beauty may be interested in Acadia National Park, the only national park in New England and the first operating park east of the Mississippi. One of the favorite attractions of tourists is the house of the famous American writer Stephen King. In many of his works he described his native surroundings, and in some the action took place in the state.