Maine
The
State of Maine
(
/ˈmeɪn/
(help·info)
) is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is the northernmost portion of New England and is the easternmost state in the contiguous United States. It 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 lobsters and clams.
The original inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were Algonquian-speaking peoples. The first European settlement in Maine was in 1604 by a French party. The first English settlement in Maine, the short-lived Popham Colony, was established by the Plymouth Company in 1607. A number of English settlements were established along the coast of Maine in the 1620s, although the rugged climate, deprivations, and conflict with the local peoples wiped out many of them over the years. As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen European settlements still survived. Patriot and British forces contended for Maine's territory during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Maine was an exclave of Massachusetts until 1820, when as a result of the growing population and a political agreement regarding slavery, it became the 23rd state on March 15 under the Missouri Compromise.
Maine is the only U.S. state to have a name that is one syllable long, and the only state which borders exactly one other state.
As of 2008, Maine has an estimated population of 1,321,504, 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. Immigration 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. The population density of the state is 41.3 people per square mile.
Maine is a very 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 the warm months and then depart for their primary residence in the off-season. These are the summer people of Maine lore. 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 Kennebec County, in or near the town of Mount Vernon. 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
Professional sports teams
- Lewiston Maineiacs, junior hockey, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
- Maine Red Claws, basketball, NBA Development League
- Portland Pirates, minor league hockey, American Hockey League
- Portland Sea Dogs, minor league baseball, Eastern League (U.S. baseball)
State symbols
- State berry: Wild Blueberry
- State bird: Black-capped Chickadee
- State cat: Maine Coon
- State fish: Land-locked salmon
- State flower: White Pinecone and Tassel
- State fossil: Pertica Quadrifaria
- State gemstone: Tourmaline
- State herb: Wintergreen
- State insect: European honey bee
- State mammal: Moose
- State animal: Moose
- State beverage: Moxie
- State soil: Chesuncook soil series
- State song: State of Maine Song
- State tree: Eastern White Pine
- State vessel: Arctic exploration schooner Bowdoin
- State motto: Dirigo ("I lead" or "I direct")
(See also: www.maine.gov portal.)
Maine in fiction
Literature
- Charlotte Agell lives in Maine and has several books set in Maine.
- Gerald Warner Brace (1901–1978) lived in Deer Isle. All of his novels are set in New England, some in Maine.
- The Cider House Rules , a novel by John Irving (and later a motion picture) is set in several fictional Maine towns.
- Sarah Orne Jewett (1849–1909) lived in South Berwick, Maine. Many of her novels and short stories were set in Maine.
- Robert P. T. Coffin (1892–1955) — Iconic Maine writer.
- Elijah Kellogg Jr (1813–1901) — Popular author of Horatio Alger, Jr.-style boy's books. Many of these out-of-copyright books are available online at books.google.com.
- Stephen King bases much of his fiction in Maine.
- H. P. Lovecraft, who set almost all of his stories in New England, occasionally mentions Maine.
- Robert McCloskey (1914–2003 ) — Beloved children's author.
- The Moosepath League series of books by Van Reid are humorous adventures set in 19th century Maine.
- Night Chills , a horror/suspense novel by Dean Koontz takes place in the fictional town of Black River, Maine.
- Maine is mentioned in a chapter of Henry David Thoreau's Walden, who visited the Maine woods during his stay at Walden Pond.
- Maine the subject matter of the The Maine Woods by Henry David Thoreau.
Film
- Casper , a 1996 children's film set in the town of Friendship, Maine.
- Dark Harbor , a 1998 mystery/suspense film set in an island off the coast of Maine
- Darkness Falls , a 2003 horror film, is set in the fictional Maine town of Darkness Falls but was filmed mostly in Australia.
- Empire Falls , a motion picture based on Richard Russo's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, was filmed almost entirely in Waterville and Skowhegan.
- Todd Field's 2001 Academy Award–nominated film for Best Picture, In the Bedroom , is set in many towns throughout Maine including Rockland, Owls Head, Rockport, Camden, Thomaston, Trevette and Old Orchard Beach.
- The Iron Giant , based on the novel The Iron Man by Ted Hughes, is an award-winning animated film that takes place in the fictional town of Rockwell, Maine in the 1950s.
- Lake Placid , a 1999 comedy-horror film set by a fictional lake in Maine, starring Bridget Fonda and a large man-eating crocodile.
- The Man Without a Face , a 1993 film starring Mel Gibson, was shot throughout midcoast Maine.
- Pete's Dragon , a 1977 Walt Disney live-action/animated musical set in Passamaquoddy, Maine but filmed in Morrow Bay, California.
- The Shawshank Redemption , an award-winning 1993 movie, was set in Maine.
- Storm of the Century , a miniseries based on the Stephen King novel, takes place in Maine, along with many other adaptations of his books.
- Welcome to Mooseport was a 2004 movie set in the fictional city of Mooseport, Maine.
- The Mist , a Stephen King movie, is set in Maine.
- Peyton Place , filmed in 1957, was set in New Hampshire but filmed in Camden region of Maine.
- On Golden Pond was set at Great Pond, Maine, but filmed at Squam Pond, New Hampshire.
Television
- Dark Shadows is set in the fictional coastal town of Collinsport, Maine.
- Hawkeye Pierce, a central character of the television sitcom M*A*S*H , is a resident of the fictional town of Crabapple Cove, Maine. The role of Pierce was played by Alan Alda. The series was based upon the writings of Dr. H. Richard Hornberger, who following the war resided in Pittsfield.
- Murder, She Wrote , a television series starring Angela Lansbury, is set in the fictional Maine village of Cabot Cove, but filmed in Mendocino, California.
- Murder in Small Town X was an unscripted drama series airing in 2001 with ten people competing to find a fictional killer in the town of Sunrise (Eastport, Maine)
Notable residents
A citizen of Maine is known as a "Mainer," though the term "Downeaster"