The State of Maine is a state in the New England region of the north eastern United States of America. The territory that is now Maine was part of Massachusetts until 1820. Maine is the northernmost portion of New England and is the easternmost state in the contiguous United States. It is known for its scenery, a 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 Indian attacks wiped out many of them over the years. As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen settlements still survived. American and British forces contended for the territory during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Because it was physically separated from the rest of Massachusetts and because it was growing in population at a rapid rate, Maine became the 23rd state on March 15, 1820, as a component of the Missouri Compromise.
To the south and east is the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and north east is New Brunswick, a province of Canada. The Canadian province of Quebec is to the north west. Maine is both the northernmost state in New England and the largest, accounting for nearly half the region's entire land area. Maine also has the distinction of being the only state to border just one other state (New Hampshire to the west). The municipalities of Eastport and Lubec are, respectively, the easternmost city and town in the United States. Moosehead Lake is the largest lake wholly in New England (New York's Lake Champlain being partially in Vermont) A number of other Maine lakes, such as South Twin Lake, are described by Thoreau. Mount Katahdin is both the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, which extends to Springer Mountain, Georgia, and the southern terminus of the new International Appalachian Trail which, when complete, will run to Belle Isle, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Maine also has several unique geographical features. Machias Seal Island and North Rock, off its easternmost point, are claimed by both the U.S. and Canada and are within one of four areas between the two countries whose sovereignty is still in dispute, but is the only one of the disputed areas containing land. Also in this easternmost area is the Old Sow, the largest tidal whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere.
Maine is the most sparsely populated state east of the Mississippi River. It is called the Pine Tree State; ninety percent of its land is forested. In the forested areas of the interior lies much sparsely settled land, some with as little population as one person for every 100 square miles.
Maine is equally well known for its ocean scenery, with almost 3,500 miles (5,600 km) of shoreline. West Quoddy Head is the easternmost piece of land in the United States. Along the famous rock-bound coast of Maine are lighthouses, beaches, fishing villages, and thousands of offshore islands, including the Isles of Shoals, which straddle the New Hampshire border. Jagged rocks and cliffs and thousands of bays and inlets add to the rugged beauty of the coast. Just inland, by contrast, are lakes, rivers, forests, and mountains.
Geologists describe this type of landscape as a drowned coast, where a rising sea level has invaded former land features, creating bays out of valleys and islands out of mountain tops.A rise in the elevation of the land due to the melting of heavy glacier ice caused a slight rebounding effect of underlying rock; this land rise, however, was not strong enough to eliminate all the effect of the rising sea level and its invasion of former land features.
Much of unique geography of Maine was created by heavy glacial activity at the end of the last ice age. Prominent glacial features include Somes Sound and Bubble Rock. Carved by glaciers, Somes Sound is considered to be the only fjord on the eastern seaboard and reaches depths of 175 feet (53 m). The extreme depth and steep drop-off allow large ships to navigate almost the entire length of the sound. These features also have made it attractive for boat builders, such as the prestigious Hinkley Yachts. Bubble Rock is what is known as a "glacial erratic" and is a large boulder perched on the edge of Bubble Mountain in Acadia National Park. By analysing the type of granite, geologists were able to discover that glaciers carried Bubble Rock to its present location from the town of Lucerne, 30 miles away.
Millions of people have enjoyed this coastal scenery at Maine's Acadia National Park, the only national park in New England.
Areas under the protection and management of the National Park Service include:
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Acadia National Park near Bar Harbour
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Appalachian National Scenic Trail
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Maine Acadian Culture in St. John Valley
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Roosevelt Campobello International Park near Lubec
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Saint Croix Island International Historic Site at Calais
Maine experiences a humid continental climate with warm (although generally not hot), humid summers. Winters are cold and snowy throughout the state, and are especially severe in the northern parts of Maine. Coastal areas are moderated somewhat by the Atlantic Ocean. Daytime highs are generally in the 75-80 °F (24-27 °C) range throughout the state in July, with overnight lows in the high 50s°F (around 15 °C). January temperatures range from highs near 32 °F (0 °C) on the southern coast to overnight lows below 0 °F (-18 °C) in the far north
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Maine is generally safe from hurricanes and tropical storms. By the time they reach the state, many have become extra tropical and few hurricanes have made landfall in Maine. Maine has fewer days of thunderstorms than any other state east of the Rockies, with most of the state averaging less than 20 days of thunderstorms a year. Tornadoes are rare in Maine with the state averaging fewer than two per year, mostly occurring in the southern part of the state.
Text from Wikipedia Maine where additional general information can be found. Please share your knowledge by editing the pages of Wikitravel.
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