| The Pine Tree State |
| Maine is recognized as one of the most healthful states in the
nation with summer temperatures averaging 70F and winter temperatures
averaging 20 F. It has 5,500 miles of coastline, is about 320
miles long and 210 miles wide, with a total area of 33,215 square
miles or about as big as all of the other five New England States
combined. It’s comprised of 16 counties with 22 cities, 435 towns,
33 plantations, 424 unorganized townships and 3 Indian reservations. |
| Maine abounds in natural assets - 542,629 acres of state and national
parks, including the 92-mile Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Acadia
National Park (one of the top ten most visited national parks
in the United States), and Baxter State Park (location of Mt.
Katahdin and the northern end of the Appalachian Trail). It has
one county (Aroostook) so big (6,453 square miles) that it actually
covers an area greater than the combined size of Connecticut and
Rhode Island. Maine has one mountain which is approximately one
mile high - Mt. Katahdin (5,271 ft. above sea level) and also
claims America’s first chartered city: York, 1641. |
| Maine produces 99% of all the blueberries in the country making
it the single largest producer of blueberries in the United States.
Potatoes rank 7th in acreage and 10th in annual production. Maine
is nationally famed for its shellfish; over 47 million pounds
of lobster were harvested in 1998. The total of all shellfish
and fin fish harvested was approximately 247 million pounds with
a total value of $277 million in 1998. |
|
|
| Maine . . . |
| • |
Capital: Augusta |
| • |
Population: Approximately 1.2 million |
| • |
Gemstone: Tourmaline |
| • |
Fossil: Pertica quadrifaria |
| • |
Cat: Maine Coon Cat |
| • |
Insect: Honeybee |
| • |
Animal: Moose |
| • |
Fish: Landlocked Salmon |
| • |
Bird: Chickadee (Parus atricapillus) Adopted by the Legislature of
1927. |
| • |
Tree: White Pine, adopted by the Legislature of 1945 |
| • |
Floral Emblem: White pine cone and tassel (Pinus strobus, linnaeus). Adopted
by the Legislature of 1895 |
| • |
Flag: The coat of arms of the State of Maine is placed on a blue field
of the same shade of blue in the flag of the United States. Adopted
by the Legislature of 1909. |
| • |
Motto: Dirigo (I lead) |
|
|
| Climate |
Maine’s four seasons offer a healthy, invigorating environment
for the traveler. The state has one of the most comfortable summer
climates in the U.S., with daytime temperatures averaging about
70F (21C) and occassionally hitting the 90s. (32C). Summer nights
are usually cool and comfortable. In winter, temperatures average
about 22F (-5.5C), but prolonged cold spells are rare. A total
winter snowfall averages between 60 inches (152cm) and 90 inches
(228cm), making the state very popular with skiers and other winter
sports enthusiasts.
|
|
|
| This article is an excerpt from The Maine Office of Tourism. |
|
|
