Maine: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|U.S. state}} |
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{{About|the U.S. state}} |
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{{use American English|date=August 2019}} |
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{{US state |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}} |
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| Name = Maine |
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{{Infobox U.S. state |
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| Fullname = State of Maine |
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| name = Maine |
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| image_flag = State of Maine Flag.svg |
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| flag_link = Flag of Maine |
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| image_seal = Seal of Maine.svg |
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| anthem = [[State of Maine (song)|State of Maine]]<br />[[File:"State of Maine" - Regional anthem of Maine.ogg|center]] |
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| Nickname = "The Pine Tree State" |
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| image_map = Maine in United States.svg |
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| Demonym = Mainer<ref name=mainer_definition /> |
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| population_demonym = Mainer |
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| Motto = "[[Dirigo]]" (Latin for "I lead" "I guide" or "I direct") |
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| motto = "[[Dirigo]]"<br />(Latin for "I lead", "I guide", or "I direct") |
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| Former = District of Maine |
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| Former = Part of [[Massachusetts]] ([[District of Maine]]) |
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| State number = 23rd state |
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| seat = [[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]] |
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| LargestCity = [[Portland, Maine|Portland]] |
| LargestCity = [[Portland, Maine|Portland]] |
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| LargestMetro = [[Portland |
| LargestMetro = [[Portland metropolitan area, Maine|Portland]] |
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| LargestCounty = [[Cumberland County, Maine|Cumberland]] |
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| Governor = [[Paul LePage]] (R) |
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| Governor = {{nowrap|[[Janet Mills]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])}} |
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| Lieutenant Governor = [[Justin Alfond]] (D)<ref>In the event of a vacancy in the office of Governor, the President of the [[Maine Senate|State Senate]] is first in line for succession.</ref> |
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| Lieutenant Governor = {{nowrap|[[Mattie Daughtry]] (D)}}{{#tag:ref|In the event of a vacancy in the office of governor, the president of the [[Maine Senate|State Senate]] is first in line for succession.|group="nb"}} |
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| Lieutenant Governor_alt = President of the Senate |
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| Lieutenant Governor_alt = [[List of presidents of the Maine Senate|Senate President]] |
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| Legislature = [[Maine Legislature]] |
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| Legislature = [[Maine State Legislature|State Legislature]] |
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| Upperhouse = [[Maine Senate|Senate]] |
| Upperhouse = [[Maine Senate|Senate]] |
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| Lowerhouse = [[Maine House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] |
| Lowerhouse = [[Maine House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] |
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| Judiciary = [[Maine Supreme Judicial Court]] |
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| Senators = [[Susan Collins]] (R) <br> [[Angus King]] (I) |
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| Senators = {{nowrap|[[Susan Collins]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])}}<br />{{nowrap|[[Angus King]] ([[Independent politician|I]])}} |
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| Representative= [[Chellie Pingree]] (D)<br />[[Michael Michaud]] (D) |
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| Representative = {{nowrap|[[Maine's 1st congressional district|1]]. [[Chellie Pingree]] (D)}}<br />{{nowrap|[[Maine's 2nd congressional district|2]]. [[Jared Golden]] (D)}} |
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| PostalAbbreviation = ME |
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| postal_code = ME |
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| OfficialLang = '''[[De jure]]''': None <br /> '''De facto''': English & French |
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| TradAbbreviation = Me. |
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| AreaRank = 39th |
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| Languages = * [[English language|English]]: 92.91% |
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| TotalAreaUS = 35,385 |
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* [[French language|French]]: 3.93%{{#tag:ref|Maine is the U.S. state with the highest percentage of [[French language in the United States|French-speaking population]].<ref name="MLA Data">{{cite web|url=https://apps.mla.org/map_data_results&SRVY_YEAR=2010&geo=state&state_id=23&county_id=&mode=geographic|title=Data Center Results|publisher=[[Modern Language Association]]|access-date=November 3, 2023|archive-date=November 3, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103022712/https://apps.mla.org/map_data_results&SRVY_YEAR=2010&geo=state&state_id=23&county_id=&mode=geographic|url-status=live}}</ref>|group="nb"}} |
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| TotalArea = 91,646 |
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* Other: ≤ 3.16% |
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| LandAreaUS = 30,862 |
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| area_rank = 39th |
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| area_total_sq_mi = 35,385<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/2010/geo/state-area.html|title=State Area Measurements and Internal Point Coordinates|website=Census.gov}}</ref> |
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| WaterAreaUS = 4,523 |
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| area_total_km2 = 91,646 |
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| area_land_sq_mi = 30,862 |
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| PCWater = 13.5 |
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| area_land_km2 = 80,005 |
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| area_water_sq_mi = 4,523 |
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| 2010Pop = 1,329,192 (2012 est)<ref name=PopEstUS/> |
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| area_water_km2 = 11,724 |
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| DensityRank = 38th |
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| area_water_percent = 13.5 |
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| population_as_of = 2020 |
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| 2000Density = 16.6 |
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| population_rank = 42nd |
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| 2010Pop = 1,362,359 |
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| population_density_rank = 38th |
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| 2000DensityUS = 43.8 |
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| 2000Density = 16.9 |
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| MedianHouseholdIncome = $56,277<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kff.org/other/state-indicator/median-annual-income/?currentTimeframe=0|website=The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation|title=Median Annual Household Income|access-date=December 9, 2016|date=September 22, 2017}}</ref> |
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| IncomeRank = [[List of U.S. states and territories by income#States and territories ranked by median household income|35th]] |
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| AdmittanceOrder = 23rd |
| AdmittanceOrder = 23rd |
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| AdmittanceDate = |
| AdmittanceDate = {{start date and age|1820|3|15}} |
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| timezone1 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern]] |
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| utc_offset1 = −05:00 |
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| Longitude = 66° 57′ W to 71° 5′ W |
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| timezone1_DST = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]] |
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| utc_offset1_DST = −04:00 |
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| Longitude = 66° 57′ W to 71° 5′ W ({{Coord|45|-69|dim:300000_region:US-ME_type:adm1st|display=title, inline}}) |
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| Latitude = 42° 58′ N to 47° 28′ N |
| Latitude = 42° 58′ N to 47° 28′ N |
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| width_mi = 205 |
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| width_km = 330 |
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| length_mi = 320 |
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| length_km = 515 |
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| elevation_max_point = [[Mount Katahdin]]<ref>{{cite ngs|id=QG1451|designation=Katahdin 2|access-date=October 20, 2011}}</ref><ref name=USGS>{{cite web|url=http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html|title=Elevations and Distances in the United States|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|year=2001|access-date=October 21, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015012701/http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html|archive-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|Elevation adjusted to [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988]].|group="nb"}} |
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| elevation_max_ft = 5,270 |
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| elevation_max_m = 1606.4 |
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| elevation_ft = 600 |
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| elevation_m = 180 |
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| elevation_min_point = [[Atlantic Ocean]]<ref name=USGS /> |
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| elevation_min_ft = 0 |
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| elevation_min_m = 0 |
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| iso_code = US-ME |
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| website = maine.gov |
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| Capital = Augusta |
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| ElectoralVotes = 4 |
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| Representatives = |
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| nicknames = The Pine Tree State<br />Vacationland<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://traveltips.usatoday.com/maine-vacation-57068.html|title=Maine for Vacation|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=August 5, 2013|quote=There's a reason it's called "Vacationland"{{spaces}}...}}</ref> |
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{{Infobox region symbols|country=United States |
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|state = Maine |
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|image_flag = Flag of Maine.svg |
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|image_seal = Seal of Maine.svg |
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|bird = [[Black-capped chickadee]] |
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|butterfly = [[Colias interior|Pink-edged Sulphur]] |
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|cat = [[Maine Coon]] |
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|crustacean = [[American lobster|Lobster]] |
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|fish = [[Atlantic salmon|Landlocked Atlantic salmon]] |
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|flower = [[Pinus strobus|White pine cone and tassel]] |
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|insect = [[Western honey bee|Honey bee]] |
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|mammal = [[Moose]] |
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|tree = [[Eastern white pine|White pine]] |
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|beverage = [[Moxie]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/1/title1sec224.html|title=Title 1, §224: State soft drink|website=legislature.maine.gov}}</ref> |
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|food = [[Blueberry pie]]<br>[[Whoopie pie]] |
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|fossil = [[Pertica|''Pertica quadrifaria'']] |
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|gemstone = [[Tourmaline]] |
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|slogan =The Way Life Should Be |
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|soil = Chesuncook soil |
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|image_route = MA Route 11.svg |
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|image_quarter = 2003 ME Proof.png |
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|quarter_release_date = 2003 |
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| ship = [[Bowdoin (Arctic schooner)|''Bowdoin'']] |
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| song = {{Plain list| |
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* "[[State of Maine (song)|State of Maine]]" |
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* "The Dirigo March" |
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* "The Ballad of the 20th Maine" |
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}} |
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| motto = [[Seal of Maine|Dirigo]] |
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| plant = [[Gaultheria procumbens|Wintergreen]] |
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| fruit = [[Vaccinium angustifolium|Wild blueberry]] |
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| rock = Granitic [[pegmatite]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=269&snum=131|title=LD 269, SP 128, Text and Status, 131st Legislature, First Regular Session}}</ref>}} |
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'''Maine''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-Maine-pronunciation.ogg|m|eɪ|n}} {{respell|MAYN}})<ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Maine|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref> is a [[U.S. state|state]] in the [[New England]] region of the [[United States]], and the northeastern most state in the [[Lower 48]]. It borders [[New Hampshire]] to the west, the [[Gulf of Maine]] to the southeast, and the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian provinces]] of [[New Brunswick]] and [[Quebec]] to the northeast and northwest, and shares a maritime border with [[Nova Scotia]]. Maine is the largest [[U.S. state|state]] in New England by total area, nearly larger than the combined area of the remaining five states. Of the [[List of states and territories of the United States|50 U.S. states]], it is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|12th-smallest by area]], the [[List of U.S. states and territories by population|9th-least populous]], the [[List of U.S. states by population density|13th-least densely populated]], and the most rural.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wickenheiser|first=Matt|date=March 26, 2012|title=Census: Maine most rural state in 2010 as urban centers grow nationwide|url=http://bangordailynews.com/2012/03/26/news/census-maine-most-rural-state-in-2010-as-urban-centers-grow-nationwide/|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423053340/https://www.bangordailynews.com/2012/03/26/news/census-maine-most-rural-state-in-2010-as-urban-centers-grow-nationwide/|archive-date=April 23, 2021|access-date=September 20, 2021|website=Bangor Daily News|language=en-US}}</ref> Maine's [[List of capitals in the United States|capital]] is [[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]], and its [[List of municipalities in Maine|most populous city]] is [[Portland, Maine|Portland]], with a total population of 68,408, as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]. |
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'''Maine''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=en-us-Maine.ogg|ˈ|m|eɪ|n}}; {{lang-fr|État du Maine}}) is a [[U.S. state|state]] in the [[New England]] region of the [[northeastern United States|northeastern]] [[United States]], bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, [[New Hampshire]] to the west, and the [[Canadian]] provinces of [[Quebec]] to the northwest and [[New Brunswick]] to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost portion of New England. It is known for its scenery—its jagged, mostly rocky coastline, its low, rolling mountains, its heavily forested interior and picturesque waterways—as well as for its seafood cuisine, especially [[American lobster|lobsters]] and [[clam]]s. |
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The territory of Maine has been inhabited by [[Native Americans in the United States|Indigenous populations]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indigenous Peoples of North America|url=https://www.gale.com/c/indigenous-peoples-north-america-part-i|access-date=December 17, 2023|website=www.gale.com|language=en}}</ref> for about 12,000 years,<ref>{{cite web|title=Wabanaki Nations|url=https://www.nps.gov/acad/learn/historyculture/wabanaki.htm|website=National Park Service|access-date=August 26, 2024}}</ref> after the glaciers retreated during the [[Last Glacial Period|last ice age]]. At the time of European arrival, several [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]]-speaking nations governed the area and these nations are now known as the [[Wabanaki Confederacy]]. The first European settlement in the area was by the French in 1604 on [[Saint Croix Island, Maine|Saint Croix Island]], founded by [[Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons]]. The first English settlement was the short-lived [[Popham Colony]], 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 and conflict with the local [[Indigenous people]] caused many to fail. As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen European settlements had survived. [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalist]] and [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriot]] forces contended for Maine's territory during the [[American Revolution]]. During the [[War of 1812]], the largely undefended eastern region of Maine was occupied by British forces with the goal of annexing it to [[British North America|Canada]] via the [[New Ireland (Maine)|Colony of New Ireland]], but returned to the United States following failed British offensives on the northern border, mid-Atlantic and south which produced a [[Treaty of Ghent|peace treaty]] that restored the pre-war boundaries. Maine was part of the [[Commonwealth of Massachusetts]] until 1820 when it voted to secede from Massachusetts to become a separate state. On March 15, 1820, under the [[Missouri Compromise]], Maine was [[Admission to the Union|admitted to the Union]] as the 23rd state. |
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Today, Maine is known for its jagged, rocky [[Atlantic Ocean]] and bay-shore coastlines, mountains, heavily [[forest]]ed interior, and its cuisine, particularly [[Vaccinium angustifolium|wild lowbush blueberries]] and [[seafood]] such as [[American lobster|lobster]] and [[clam]]s. Coastal and [[Down East Maine]] have emerged as important centers for the [[creative economy]],<ref name="MaineCreativeEconomy">{{cite web|title=Maine's Creative Economy|url=https://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/General/Maines-Creative-Economy|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005073335/https://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/General/Maines-Creative-Economy|archive-date=October 5, 2021|access-date=October 5, 2021|website=Maine Arts Commission}}</ref> especially in [[Portland metropolitan area, Maine|the vicinity of Portland]], which has also brought [[gentrification]] to the city and its metropolitan area.<ref name="MaineGentrification">{{cite web|last=Currie|first=Ron|date=January 16, 2017|title=Welcome to Portlyn|url=https://downeast.com/issues-politics/welcome-to-portlyn/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006195006/https://downeast.com/issues-politics/welcome-to-portlyn/|archive-date=October 6, 2021|access-date=October 6, 2021|website=Down East Magazine}}</ref> |
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As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen European settlements survived. [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriot]] and British forces contended for Maine's territory during the [[American Revolution]] and the [[War of 1812]]. Maine was part of the [[Commonwealth of Massachusetts]] until 1820, when it voted to secede from Massachusetts. On March 15, 1820, it was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state under the [[Missouri Compromise]]. Maine is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|39th most extensive]] and the [[List of U.S. states and territories by population|41st most populous]] of the [[50 United States]]. |
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==History== |
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{{Main|History of Maine}} |
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[[File:The_Maine_State_Capitol_building_in_Augusta.jpg|thumb|[[Maine State House]], designed by [[Charles Bulfinch]], built 1829–1832]] |
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[[File:Brooklyn Museum - Misty Morning, Coast of Maine - Arthur Parton - overall.jpg|thumb|''Misty Morning, Coast of Maine''{{br}}Arthur Parton (1842–1914). Between 1865 and 1870, [[Brooklyn Museum]].]] |
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The earliest known inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were Algonquian-speaking Wabanaki peoples, including the [[Passamaquoddy]], [[Maliseet]], [[Penobscot people|Penobscot]], [[Androscoggin people|Androscoggin]], and Kennebec. During the later [[King Philip's War]], many of these peoples would merge in one form or another to become the [[Wabanaki Confederacy]], aiding the [[Wampanoag]] of [[Massachusetts]] and the [[Mahican]] of [[New York (state)|New York]]. Afterwards, many of these people were driven from their natural territories, but most of Maine's tribes continued, unchanged, until the [[American Revolution]]. Before this point, however, most of these people were considered separate nations. Many had adapted to living in permanent, [[Iroquois]]-inspired settlements, while those along the coast tended to move from summer villages to winter villages on a yearly cycle. They would usually winter inland and head to the coasts by summer.<ref>{{cite web|archive-date=March 3, 2013|url-status=live|url=http://www.celebrateboston.com/history/native-americans.htm|title=Native Americans or Indians in the Eastern United States in 1600|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130303052614/http://www.celebrateboston.com/history/native-americans.htm|website=CelebrateBoston.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tolatsga.org/aben.html|title=Abenaki|website=tolatsga.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411025556/http://www.tolatsga.org/aben.html|archive-date=April 11, 2010}}</ref> |
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[[European exploration of North America|European contact]] with what is now called Maine may have started around 1200 CE when [[Norse colonization of North America|Vikings]] are believed to have interacted with the native [[Penobscot]] in present-day [[Hancock County, Maine|Hancock County]], most likely through trade. If confirmed, this would make Maine the site of the earliest European discovery in the entire US. About 200 years earlier, from the settlements in [[Iceland]] and [[Greenland]], the Norse [[Norse colonization of the Americas|first identified America]] and [[L'Anse aux Meadows|attempted to settle]] areas such as [[Newfoundland]], but failed to establish a permanent settlement. Archeological evidence suggests that [[Vikings in Greenland]] returned to North America for several [[Century|centuries]] after the initial discovery to trade and collect timber, with the most relevant evidence being the [[Maine penny|Maine Penny]], an 11th-century Norwegian coin found at a Native American dig site in 1954.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,919916,00.html|title=Science: Bye, Columbus|date=December 11, 1978|magazine=Time|url-status=live|archive-date=September 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925062930/https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,919916,00.html}}</ref> |
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The first European confirmed settlement in modern-day Maine was in 1604 on [[Saint Croix Island, Maine|Saint Croix Island]], led by French explorer [[Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons]]. His party included [[Samuel de Champlain]], noted as an explorer. The French named the entire area [[Acadia]], including the portion that later became the state of Maine. The [[Plymouth Company]] established the first English settlement in Maine at the [[Popham Colony]] in 1607, the same year as the settlement at [[Jamestown, Virginia]]. The Popham colonists returned to [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Britain]] after 14 months.<ref>[http://www.mpbn.net/homestom/p9pophamcolony.html MPBN, "Rolling Back the Frontier"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704053256/http://www.mpbn.net/homestom/p9pophamcolony.html |date=July 4, 2011 }}, ''The Story of Maine''; accessed January 3, 2011</ref> |
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The French established two [[Jesuit]] missions: one on [[Penobscot Bay]] in 1609, and the other on [[Mount Desert Island]] in 1613. The same year, [[Claude de Saint-Étienne de la Tour|Claude de La Tour]] established [[Castine, Maine|Castine]]. In 1625, [[Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour]] erected [[Fort Pentagouet]] to protect Castine. The coastal areas of eastern Maine first became the [[Province of Maine]] in a 1622 land patent. The part of western Maine north of the [[Kennebec River]] was more sparsely settled and was known in the 17th century as the [[Territory of Sagadahock]]. A second settlement was attempted in 1623 by English explorer and naval Captain [[Christopher Levett]] at a place called [[York, Maine|York]], where he had been granted {{convert|6000|acre|km2}} by [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] of England.<ref name="Society1884">{{cite book|author=Massachusetts Historical Society|title=Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bx4XAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA339|year=1884|publisher=The Society|pages=339–}}</ref> It also failed. |
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The 1622 patent of the Province of Maine was split at the [[Piscataqua River]] into the [[Province of New Hampshire]] to the south and [[New Somersetshire]] to the north. A disputed 1630 patent split off the area around present-day [[Saco, Maine|Saco]] as [[Lygonia]]. Justifying its actions with a 1652 geographic survey that showed an overlapping patent, the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] had seized New Somersetshire and Lygonia by force by 1658. The [[Territory of Sagadahock]] between the [[Kennebec River]] and [[St. Croix River (Maine–New Brunswick)|St. Croix River]] notionally became [[Cornwall County, Province of New York]] under a 1664 grant from [[Charles II of England]] to his [[James II of England|brother James]], at the time the [[Duke of York]]. Some of this land was claimed by [[New France]] as part of [[Acadia]]. All of the English settlements in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Province of New York became part of the [[Dominion of New England]] in 1686. All of present-day Maine was unified as [[York County, Massachusetts]] under a 1691 royal patent for the [[Province of Massachusetts Bay]]. |
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Central Maine was formerly inhabited by the [[Androscoggin tribe]] of the [[Abenaki|Abenaki nation]], also known as Arosaguntacook. They were driven out of the area in 1690 during [[King William's War]]. They were relocated to [[Saint-François-du-Lac, Quebec|St. Francis]], Canada, which was destroyed by [[Rogers' Rangers]] in 1759, and is now [[Odanak]]. The other Abenaki tribes suffered several severe defeats, particularly during [[Dummer's War]], with the capture of [[Norridgewock]] in 1724 and the defeat of the [[Pequawket]] in 1725, which significantly reduced their numbers. They finally withdrew to [[Canada]], where they were settled at [[Bécancour, Quebec|Bécancour]] and [[Sillery, Quebec City|Sillery]], and later at St. Francis, along with other refugee tribes from the south.<ref>Bruce G. Trigger (ed.): ''[[Handbook of North American Indians]]. Vol. 15. Northeast''. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. 1978 {{ISBN|0-16-004575-4}}</ref> |
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Maine was much fought over by the [[French colonial empire|French]], English, and allied natives during the 17th and 18th centuries. These natives conducted raids against settlers and each other, taking captives for ransom or, in some cases, kidnapped for adoption by [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribes. A notable example was the early 1692 [[Abenaki]] [[Raid on York (1692)|raid on York]], where about 100 English settlers were killed and another estimated 80 taken hostage.<ref>"[http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20010201/NEWS/302019986 York commemorates Candlemas Raid] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181202070544/http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20010201%2FNEWS%2F302019986 |date=December 2, 2018 }}". ''[[The Portsmouth Herald]]''. February 1, 2001.</ref> The [[Abenaki]] took captives taken during raids of [[Massachusetts]] in [[Queen Anne's War]] of the early 1700s to [[Kahnewake]], a Catholic [[Mohawk nation|Mohawk]] village near [[Montreal]], where some were adopted and others ransomed.<ref>John Demos, ''The Unredeemed Captive: A Family Story from Early America'', New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994, pp. 186 and 224</ref><ref>[http://www.wampumchronicles.com/history.html Darren Bonaparte, "The History of Akwesasne"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008101830/http://www.wampumchronicles.com/history.html |date=October 8, 2011 }}, ''The Wampum Chronicles'', accessed February 1, 2010</ref> |
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After the British defeated the French in Acadia in the 1740s, the territory from the [[Penobscot River]] east fell under the nominal authority of the [[Nova Scotia|Province of Nova Scotia]], and together with present-day New Brunswick formed the Nova Scotia county of [[Sunbury County, Nova Scotia|Sunbury]], with its court of general sessions at Campobello. American and British forces contended for Maine's territory during the American Revolution and the War of 1812, with the British occupying eastern Maine in both conflicts via the [[New Ireland (Maine)|Colony of New Ireland]].<ref>{{cite news|title=New Ireland: How Maine almost became part of Canada at the end of the War of 1812|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/new-ireland-how-maine-almost-became-part-of-canada-at-the-end-of-the-war-of-1812|newspaper=[[National Post]]|date=September 3, 2014}}</ref><ref>Woodard, Colin. [http://www.colinwoodard.com/lobstercoast ''The Lobster Coast''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219044647/http://www.colinwoodard.com/lobstercoast |date=February 19, 2012 }}. New York. Viking/Penguin, {{ISBN|0-670-03324-3}}, 2004, pp. 139–140, 150–151</ref> The territory of Maine was confirmed as part of Massachusetts when the United States was formed following the [[Treaty of Paris (1783)|Treaty of Paris]] ending the revolution, although the final border with [[British North America]] was not established until the [[Webster–Ashburton Treaty]] of 1842. |
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Maine was physically separate from the rest of Massachusetts. Longstanding disagreements over land speculation and settlements led to Maine residents and their allies in Massachusetts proper forcing an 1807 vote in the Massachusetts Assembly on permitting Maine to secede; the vote failed. Secessionist sentiment in Maine was stoked during the [[War of 1812]] when Massachusetts pro-British merchants opposed the war and refused to defend Maine from British invaders. In 1819, Massachusetts agreed to permit secession, sanctioned by voters of the rapidly growing region the following year. |
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{{Anchor|Statehood}}<!-- Link from Missouri Compromise --> |
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===Statehood and Missouri Compromise=== |
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Formal secession from Massachusetts and admission of Maine as the 23rd state occurred on March 15, 1820, as part of the [[Missouri Compromise]], which geographically restricted the spread of [[slavery]] and enabled the admission to statehood of [[Missouri]] the following year, keeping a balance between [[slave state|slave]] and free states.<ref>Woodard, Colin. "Parallel 44: Origins of the Mass Effect", ''The Working Waterfront'', August 31, 2010. [http://www.workingwaterfront.com/columns/Parallel-44-Origins-of-the-Mass-Effect/14024/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523025705/http://www.workingwaterfront.com/columns/Parallel-44-Origins-of-the-Mass-Effect/14024/|date=May 23, 2011}}</ref><ref>Woodard, Colin. ''The Lobster Coast: Rebels, Rusticators and the Forgotten Frontier'' (2004) Penguin Books. {{ISBN|0-670-03324-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maine.gov/legis/senate/statehouse/history/hstry5.htm|title=Maine History (Statehood)|publisher=www.maine.gov|access-date=April 13, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504060335/http://www.maine.gov/legis/senate/statehouse/history/hstry5.htm|archive-date=May 4, 2008}}</ref> |
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Maine's original state capital was Portland, Maine's largest city, until it was moved to the more central Augusta in 1832. The principal office of the [[Maine Supreme Judicial Court]] remains in Portland. |
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The [[20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment]], under the command of Colonel [[Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain]], prevented the [[Union Army]] from being flanked at [[Little Round Top]] by the [[Confederate Army]] during the [[Battle of Gettysburg]]. |
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Four [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] ships have been named [[USS Maine|USS ''Maine'']], most famously the [[armored cruiser]] {{USS|Maine|ACR-1}}, whose sinking by an explosion on February 15, 1898, precipitated the [[Spanish–American War]]. |
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==Geography== |
==Geography== |
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{{Anchor|Coast of Maine}} |
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{{Redirect|Maine Coast|the painting|Maine Coast (painting)}} |
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{{Redirect|Coast of Maine|the skin spot noted for its jagged edges|Coast of Maine café-au-lait macule}} |
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{{Further|List of counties in Maine|List of Maine rivers|List of lakes in Maine|Geology of Maine|Geology of New England}} |
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[[File:National-atlas-maine.png|thumb|upright=2.05|A map of Maine showing its famed jagged coast]] |
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To the south and east is the [[Gulf of Maine]], and to the west is the state of [[New Hampshire]]. The Canadian province of [[New Brunswick]] is to the north and northeast, and the province of [[Quebec]] is to the northwest. Maine is the northernmost and largest state in New England, accounting for almost half of the region's entire land area. Maine is the only state to border exactly one other American state. Approximately half the area of Maine lies on each side of the [[45th parallel north]] in [[latitude]]. |
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{{See also|List of counties in Maine|List of Maine rivers|List of lakes in Maine}} |
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[[File:National-atlas-maine.png|thumb|450px|A map of Maine and surrounding region]] |
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To the south and east is the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and to the north and northeast is [[New Brunswick]], a province of Canada. The Canadian province of [[Quebec]] is to the northwest. Maine is both the northernmost state in [[New England]] and the largest, accounting for nearly half the region's entire land area. Maine is the only state to border exactly one other state ([[New Hampshire]] to the west). |
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Maine is the easternmost state in the United States both in its extreme points and its geographic center. The |
Maine is the easternmost state in the [[Contiguous United States]] both in its extreme points and its geographic center. The town of [[Lubec, Maine|Lubec]] is the easternmost organized settlement in the United States. Its Quoddy Head Lighthouse is also the closest place in the United States to Africa and Europe. [[Estcourt Station, Maine|Estcourt Station]] is Maine's northernmost point, as well as the northernmost point in New England. (For more information see [[extreme points of the United States]]) |
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Maine's [[Moosehead Lake]] is the largest lake wholly in New England, |
Maine's [[Moosehead Lake]] is the largest lake wholly in New England, since [[Lake Champlain]] is located between [[Vermont]], [[New York (state)|New York]], and [[Quebec]]. A number of other Maine lakes, such as [[South Twin Lake (Maine)|South Twin Lake]], are described by [[Thoreau]] in ''The Maine Woods'' (1864). [[Mount Katahdin]] is the northern terminus of the [[Appalachian Trail]], which extends southerly to [[Springer Mountain]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and the southern terminus of the new [[International Appalachian Trail]] which, when complete, will run to [[Belle Isle (Newfoundland and Labrador)|Belle Isle]], [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]. |
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[[Machias Seal Island]] and [[North Rock]], off the state's Downeast coast, are claimed by both [[Canada]] and the Maine town of [[Cutler, Maine|Cutler]], and are within one of [[List of areas disputed by Canada and the United States|four areas between the two countries whose sovereignty is still in dispute]], but it is the only one of the disputed areas containing land. Also in this easternmost area in the [[Bay of Fundy]] is the [[Old Sow]], the largest [[Tide|tidal]] [[whirlpool]] in the [[Western Hemisphere]]. |
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Maine is the least densely populated |
Maine is the least densely populated state east of the [[Mississippi River]]. It is called the [[List of U.S. state and territory nicknames|Pine Tree State]] due to its largest distribution and presence of [[pine]], including [[Pinus strobus]] and [[Pinus resinosa]]. Over 80% of its total area is forested or unclaimed,<ref name="forest">{{cite journal|last1=Nowak|first1=David J.|last2=Greenfield|first2=Eric J.|title=Tree and impervious cover in the United States|journal=Landscape and Urban Planning|date=July 2012|volume=107|issue=1|pages=21–30|doi=10.1016/j.landurbplan.2012.04.005|bibcode=2012LUrbP.107...21N|s2cid=9352755|url=http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/jrnl/2012/nrs_2012_nowak_002.pdf|access-date=March 12, 2014|archive-date=March 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312212331/http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/jrnl/2012/nrs_2012_nowak_002.pdf|url-status=dead|issn=0169-2046}}</ref> [[Forest cover by state and territory in the United States|the most forest cover of any U.S. state]]. In the wooded areas of the interior lies much uninhabited land, some of which does not have formal political organization into local units (a rarity in New England). The [[Northwest Aroostook, Maine|Northwest Aroostook]] [[unincorporated area#U.S. Census Bureau|unorganized territory]] in the northern part of the state, for example, has an area of {{convert|2668|sqmi|km2}} and a population of 10, or one person for every {{convert|267|sqmi|km2}}. |
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Maine is in the [[temperate broadleaf and mixed forests]] [[biome]]. The land near the southern and central Atlantic coast is covered by the mixed [[Quercus|oaks]] of the [[Northeastern coastal forests]]. The remainder of the state, including the [[Maine |
Maine is in the [[temperate broadleaf and mixed forests]] [[biome]]. The land near the southern and central Atlantic coast is covered by the mixed [[Quercus|oaks]] of the [[Northeastern coastal forests]]. The remainder of the state, including the [[North Maine Woods|North Woods]], is covered by the [[New England–Acadian forests]].<ref name="ecoregions">{{cite journal|author=Olson|title=Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth|journal=[[BioScience]]|year=2001|volume=51|issue=11|pages=933–938|doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2|author2=D. M|author3=E. Dinerstein|display-authors=3|issn=0006-3568|last4=Burgess|first4=Neil D.|last5=Powell|first5=George V. N.|last6=Underwood|first6=Emma C.|last7=d'Amico|first7=Jennifer A.|last8=Itoua|first8=Illanga|last9=Strand|first9=Holly E.|doi-access=free}}</ref> |
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Maine has almost {{convert|230|mi|km|-2}} of coastline (and {{convert|3500|mi|km|-2}} of tidal coastline).<ref name="mainegovfacts">{{cite web|title=Maine.gov: Facts About Maine|url=http://www.maine.gov/portal/facts_history/facts.html|publisher=State of Maine| |
Maine has almost {{convert|230|mi|km|-2}} of ocean coastline (and {{convert|3500|mi|km|-2}} of tidal coastline).<ref name="mainegovfacts">{{cite web|title=Maine.gov: Facts About Maine|url=http://www.maine.gov/portal/facts_history/facts.html|publisher=State of Maine|access-date=September 17, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114184346/http://www.maine.gov/portal/facts_history/facts.html|archive-date=November 14, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.teachervision.fen.com/maps/bodies-of-water/725.html|title=Length of the U.S. Coastline by State|website=fen.com|access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> [[West Quoddy Head]] in Lubec is the easternmost point of land in the 48 contiguous 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. There are jagged rocks and cliffs and many bays and inlets. Inland are lakes, rivers, forests, and mountains. This visual contrast of forested slopes sweeping down to the sea has been summed up by American poet [[Edna St. Vincent Millay]] of [[Rockland, Maine|Rockland]] and [[Camden, Maine|Camden]], in "Renascence":<ref>{{Cite web|last=St. Vincent Millay|first=Edna|date=|others=Edna St. Vincent Millay|title=Renascence by Edna St. Vincent Millay {{!}} Poetry Foundation|url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/55993/renascence%257Ctitle=Renascence%257Cwebsite=Poetry|access-date=October 26, 2022|website=Poetry Foundation|language=en-US}}</ref> |
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[[File: |
[[File:Portland-Head-Lighthouse.jpg|thumb|The Maine coast and [[Portland Head Light]]]] |
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[[File:Shoreline_between_Gorham_Mountain_trailhead_and_Sand_Beach_(6598fb47-208e-4940-a5fa-8f8b000b14ee).jpg|thumb|Rocky shoreline in [[Acadia National Park]]]] |
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:"All I could see from where I stood |
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:was three long mountains and a wood |
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:I turned and looked the other way |
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:and saw three islands in a bay" |
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{{poemquote|All I could see from where I stood |
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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.<ref>[http://www.answers.com/topic/drowned-coast?cat=technology drowned coast: Definition and Much More from Answers.com]</ref> 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 enough to eliminate all the effect of the rising sea level and its invasion of former land features. |
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Was three long mountains and a wood; |
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I turned and looked the other way, |
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And saw three islands in a bay.|sign=Edna St. Vincent Millay|title=Renascence}} |
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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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.answers.com/topic/drowned-coast?cat=technology|title=Answers—The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions|website=Answers.com|access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> A rise in land elevation due to the melting of heavy glacier ice caused a slight rebounding effect of underlying rock; this land rise, however, was not enough to eliminate all the effect of the rising sea level and its invasion of former land features. |
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Much of Maine's geomorphology was created by heavy glacial activity at the end of the [[Quaternary glaciation|last ice age]]. Prominent glacial features include Somes Sound and Bubble Rock, both part of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. Carved by glaciers, [[Somes Sound]] is considered to be the only [[fjord]] on the eastern seaboard and reaches depths of {{convert|175|ft|m|-1}}. 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 [[Hinckley 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 analyzing the type of granite, geologists were able to discover that glaciers carried Bubble Rock to its present location from the town of Lucerne, Maine — {{convert|30|mi|km}} away. The [[Iapetus Suture]] runs through Maine the north and west of the state being underlain by the ancient [[Laurentia|Laurentian terrane]] and the south and east underlain by the [[Avalonia|Avalonian terrane]]. |
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Much of Maine's geomorphology was created by extended glacial activity at the end of the [[Quaternary glaciation|last ice age]]. Prominent glacial features include [[Somes Sound]] and Bubble Rock, both part of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. Carved by glaciers, Somes Sound reaches depths of {{convert|175|ft|m|-1}}. 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 [[Hinckley Yachts]]. |
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[[File:Boothbay Harbor, summer morning at low tide.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Boothbay Harbor, Maine|Boothbay Harbor]]]] |
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[[Acadia National Park]] is the only national park in New England. |
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Areas under the protection and management of the [[National Park Service]] include:<ref>{{cite web | title = Maine | publisher = National Park Service | accessdate = 2008-07-16 | url = http://www.nps.gov/state/me}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> |
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Bubble Rock, a [[glacial erratic]], is a large boulder perched on the edge of Bubble Mountain in [[Acadia National Park]]. By analyzing the type of granite, geologists discovered that glaciers carried Bubble Rock to its present location from near [[Lucerne, Maine|Lucerne]], {{convert|30|mi|km}} away. The [[Iapetus Suture]] runs through the north and west of the state, being underlain by the ancient [[Laurentia|Laurentian terrane]], and the south and east underlain by the [[Avalonia|Avalonian terrane]]. |
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Acadia National Park is the only national park in New England. Areas under the protection and management of the [[National Park Service]] include:<ref>{{cite web|title=Maine|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=July 16, 2008|url=http://www.nps.gov/state/me|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703061048/http://www.nps.gov/state/me/|archive-date=July 3, 2008}}</ref> |
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* [[Acadia National Park]] near [[Bar Harbor, Maine|Bar Harbor]] |
* [[Acadia National Park]] near [[Bar Harbor, Maine|Bar Harbor]] |
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* [[Appalachian Trail|Appalachian National Scenic Trail]] |
* [[Appalachian Trail|Appalachian National Scenic Trail]] |
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* Maine Acadian Culture in St. John Valley |
* Maine Acadian Culture in [[Saint John River (Bay of Fundy)|St. John Valley]] |
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* [[Roosevelt Campobello International Park]] |
* [[Roosevelt Campobello International Park]] on [[Campobello Island]] in [[New Brunswick]], Canada, operated by both the U.S. and Canada, just across the [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge]] from Lubec |
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* [[Saint Croix Island International Historic Site]] at [[Calais, Maine|Calais]] |
* [[Saint Croix Island International Historic Site]] at [[Calais, Maine|Calais]] |
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* [[Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument]] |
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Lands under the control of the state of Maine include: |
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* [[List of Maine state parks|Maine State Parks]] |
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* [[Maine Wildlife Management Areas (WMA)]] |
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===Climate=== |
===Climate=== |
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{{See also|Climate change in Maine}}[[File:Fall_Foliage_Buttermilk_Falls_Gulf_Hagas.jpg|left|thumb|Autumn in the [[Hundred-Mile Wilderness]]]] |
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Maine experiences a [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Dfb''), 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 {{convert|75|–|80|F|C}} range throughout the state in July, with overnight lows in the high 50s°F (around 15 °C). January temperatures range from highs near {{convert|32|F|C|abbr=on}} on the southern coast to overnight lows averaging below {{convert|0|F|C|abbr=on}} in the far north.<ref name="usgs_a"> |
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[[File:Köppen Climate Types Maine.png|thumb|[[Köppen climate classification|Köppen climate types]] of Maine, using 1991-2020 [[Climatological normal|climate normals]]]] |
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{{cite news |
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[[File:Bangor Maine.JPG|thumb|left|Winter in [[Bangor, Maine|Bangor]]]] |
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|url= http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2135 |
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|accessdate= 2011-11-06 |
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|title= New All Time Low Temperature Recorded in Maine |
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|date= 2009-02-10 |
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|last= Lent |
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|first= Robert |
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|agency= U.S. Geological Survey |
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}}</ref> |
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Maine has a humid continental climate ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Dfb''), with warm and sometimes humid summers, and long, cold and very snowy winters. Winters are especially severe in the northern and western parts of Maine, while coastal areas are moderated slightly by the [[Atlantic Ocean]], resulting in marginally milder winters and cooler summers than inland regions. Daytime highs are generally in the {{convert|75|–|85|F|C}} range throughout the state in July, with overnight lows in the high 50s{{spaces}}°F (around 15{{spaces}}°C). January temperatures range from highs near {{convert|30|F|C|abbr=on}} on the southern coast to overnight lows averaging below {{convert|0|F|C|abbr=on}} in the far north.<ref name="usgs_a">{{cite news|url=http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2135|access-date=November 6, 2011|title=New All Time Low Temperature Recorded in Maine|date=February 10, 2009|last=Lent|first=Robert|agency=U.S. Geological Survey}}</ref> |
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The state's record high temperature is {{convert|105|°F|°C|abbr=on}}, set in July 1911, at North Bridgton.<ref name="usatoday"> |
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{{cite news |
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|url= http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wheat7.htm |
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|accessdate= 2009-02-11 |
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|title= Each state's high temperature record |
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|date= August 2006 |
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|publisher= [[USA Today]] |
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}}</ref> |
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Maine has fewer days of thunderstorms than any other state east of the [[Rocky Mountains|Rockies]], with most of the state averaging less than 20 days of [[thunderstorm]]s a year. [[Tornado]]es are rare in Maine, with the state averaging fewer than two per year, mostly occurring in the southern part of the state.<ref name="Annual average number of tornadoes">[http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/tornado/small/avgt5304.gif] NOAA National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.</ref> |
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The state's record high temperature is {{convert|105|°F|°C|abbr=on}}, set in July 1911, at North Bridgton.<ref name="usatoday">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/weather/wheat7.htm|access-date=February 11, 2009|title=Each state's high temperature record|date=August 2006|newspaper=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> |
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In January 2009, a new record low temperature for the state was set at Big Black River of {{convert|-50|°F|°C|abbr=on}}, tying the New England record.<ref name="usgs_a" /> |
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Precipitation in Maine is evenly distributed year-round, but with a slight summer maximum in northern/northwestern Maine and a slight late-fall or early-winter maximum along the coast due to "[[nor'easter]]s" or intense cold-season rain and snowstorms. In coastal Maine, the late spring and summer months are usually driest—a rarity across the Eastern United States. Maine has fewer days of thunderstorms than any other state east of the [[Rocky Mountains|Rockies]], with most of the state averaging fewer than twenty days of [[thunderstorm]]s a year. [[Tornado]]es are rare in Maine, with the state averaging two per year, although this number is increasing. Most severe thunderstorms and tornadoes occur in the southwestern interior portion of the state,<ref name="Annual average number of tornadoes">[http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/tornado/small/avgt5304.gif] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016174155/http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/tornado/small/avgt5304.gif|date=October 16, 2011}} NOAA National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.</ref> where summer temperatures are often the warmest and the atmosphere is thus more unstable compared to northern and coastal areas.<ref>{{cite web|title=Summary of July 1st Tornadoes in Maine|url=https://www.weather.gov/media/gyx/tornado_forweb.pdf}}</ref> Maine rarely sees the direct landfall of [[tropical cyclone]]s, as they tend to recurve out to sea or are rapidly weakening by the time they reach the cooler waters of Maine. |
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In January 2009, a new record low temperature for the state was set at [[Big Black River (Saint John River)|Big Black River]] of {{convert|-50|°F|°C|abbr=on}}, tying the New England record.<ref name="usgs_a" /> |
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{| class="wikitable" "text-align:center;font-size:90%;"| |
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| colspan = "14" style="text-align:center;font-size:120%;background:#E8EAFA;" | Monthly normal high and low temperatures (°F) for Maine cities{{citation needed|date=March 2011}} |
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Annual precipitation varies from {{convert|909|mm|in|abbr=on|order=flip}} in [[Presque Isle, Maine|Presque Isle]] to {{convert|1,441|mm|in|abbr=on|order=flip}} in Acadia National Park.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=National Climatic Data Center|title=NOAA's 1981–2010 Climate Normals|url=http://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Maine/average-yearly-precipitation.php}}</ref> |
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;" |
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|+Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in Maine<ref name="Maine climate averages">{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/city.php3?c=US&s=ME&statename=Maine-United-States-of-America|title=Maine climate averages|publisher=Weatherbase|access-date=November 9, 2015}}</ref> |
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!Location |
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! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000; height:17px;"| City |
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!July (°F) |
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! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jan |
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!July (°C) |
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! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Feb |
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!January (°F) |
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! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Mar |
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!January (°C) |
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! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Apr |
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! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| May |
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! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jun |
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! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jul |
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! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Aug |
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! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Sep |
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! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Oct |
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! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Nov |
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! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Dec |
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! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Average |
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|- |
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|[[Portland, Maine|Portland]] || 78/59 || 26/15 || 31/13 || −0/−10 |
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! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:#000; height:16px;"| [[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]] |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00a2ff; color:#000;"| 28/10 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00c3ff; color:#000;"| 32/14 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ffea; color:#000;"| 41/24 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ff8c; color:#000;"| 53/34 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ff26; color:#000;"| 66/45 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#26ff00; color:#000;"| 75/54 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#55ff00; color:#000;"| 80/60 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#48ff00; color:#000;"| 79/58 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ff00; color:#000;"| 70/50 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ff62; color:#000;"| 58/39 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ffbb; color:#000;"| 46/30 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00d9ff; color:#000;"| 34/17 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ff7b; color:#000;"| 55/36 |
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|- |
|- |
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|[[Lewiston, Maine|Lewiston]] || 81/61 || 27/16 || 29/11 || −2/−12 |
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! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:#000; height:16px;"| [[Caribou, Maine|Caribou]] |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#0051ff; color:#000;"| 19/0 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#006fff; color:#000;"| 23/3 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00d0ff; color:#000;"| 34/15 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ffbb; color:#000;"| 47/29 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ff44; color:#000;"| 63/41 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#08ff00; color:#000;"| 72/50 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#2fff00; color:#000;"| 76/55 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#1eff00; color:#000;"| 74/53 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ff33; color:#000;"| 64/44 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ff8c; color:#000;"| 51/34 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00fffb; color:#000;"| 37/24 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#008cff; color:#000;"| 25/8 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ffae; color:#000;"| 49/30 |
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|- |
|- |
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|[[Bangor, Maine|Bangor]] || 79/57 || 26/14 || 27/6 || −2/−14 |
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! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:#000; height:16px;"| [[Portland, Maine|Portland]] |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00b7ff; color:#000;"| 31/12 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00D4ff; color:#000;"| 34/16 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ffe1; color:#000;"| 42/25 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ff88; color:#000;"| 53/35 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ff37; color:#000;"| 63/44 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#1aff00; color:#000;"| 73/53 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#4dff00; color:#000;"| 79/59 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#3cff00; color:#000;"| 77/57 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ff0d; color:#000;"| 69/48 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ff6a; color:#000;"| 58/37 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ffb7; color:#000;"| 47/30 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00eaff; color:#000;"| 36/19 |
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| style="text-align:center; background:#00ff73; color:#000;"| 56/37 |
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|- |
|- |
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|[[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]] || 79/60 || 26/15 || 27/11 || −2/−11 |
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|- |
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|[[Presque Isle, Maine|Presque Isle]] || 77/55 || 25/13 || 20/1 || −6/−17 |
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|} |
|} |
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===Flora and fauna=== |
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==History== |
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{{Main|Fauna of Maine}}Maine exhibits a diverse range of flora and fauna across its varied landscapes, including forests, coastline, and wetlands. Forested areas consist primarily of coniferous and deciduous trees, such as [[Abies balsamea|balsam fir]], [[Acer saccharum|sugar maple]], and its state tree, the [[Pinus strobus|Eastern white pine]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Index of Species: Forest Trees of Maine: Handbooks & Guides: Publications: Division of Forestry: Maine ACF|url=https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/publications/handbooks_guides/forest_trees/individual_spp_index.html|access-date=February 15, 2024|website=www.maine.gov}}</ref> Coastal regions are characterized by hardy [[Lysimachia maritima|sea milkwort]], [[Suaeda|sea-blight]], [[Myrica|bayberry]], and the invasive [[Rosa rugosa|rugosa rose]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Coastal Beach|url=https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/communities/coastal_beach.pdf|access-date=February 15, 2024|website=Maine.gov}}</ref> |
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{{Main|History of Maine}} |
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[[File:Maine state capitol.jpg|250px|thumb|[[Maine State House]], designed by [[Charles Bulfinch]], built 1829–1832]] |
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The original inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were Algonquian-speaking [[Wabanaki Confederacy|Wabanaki]] peoples including the [[Abenaki people|Abenaki]], [[Passamaquoddy]], [[Maliseet]] and [[Penobscot people|Penobscot]]. The first European settlement in what is now called Maine was in 1604 on [[Saint Croix Island, Maine|Saint Croix Island]], by [[Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons]], including [[Samuel de Champlain]], the noted explorer. The French named the entire area [[Acadia]], including the portion that later became the state of Maine. The first English settlement in Maine was established by the [[Plymouth Company]] at Popham in 1607, the same year as the settlement at [[Jamestown, Virginia]]. The Popham colonists returned to England after 14 months.<ref>[http://www.mpbn.net/homestom/p9pophamcolony.html MPBN, "Rolling Back the Frontier"], ''The Story of Maine'', accessed 3 Jan 2011</ref> |
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Maine's terrestrial fauna comprises mammals such as [[moose]], [[American black bear|black bears]], and [[white-tailed deer]], along with smaller species like [[red squirrel]]s, [[snowshoe hare]]s, and [[raccoon]]s. Maine has the largest populations of moose and black bears in the contiguous United States.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mammals: Species Information: Wildlife: Fish & Wildlife: Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife|url=https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/species-information/mammals/index.html|access-date=February 15, 2024|website=www.maine.gov}}</ref> Avian diversity is evident with migratory birds like [[piping plover]]s, [[American oystercatcher]], and [[northern harrier]], as well as resident species like [[black-capped chickadee]]s, [[Jay|blue jays]], and [[barred owl]]s. Wetlands provide habitat for amphibians such as [[spotted salamander]]s, [[wood frog]]s, and toads. Freshwater habitats support fish species like [[brook trout]], [[landlocked salmon]], and multiple [[Game fish|gamefish]], while marine life in offshore waters includes [[Atlantic puffin]]s, [[harbor seal]]s, [[minke whale]]s, and [[American lobster|lobster]]. Maine's abundance of lobster makes the state the largest producer of lobster in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Species Information {{!}} Department of Marine Resources|url=https://www.maine.gov/dmr/science/species-information|access-date=February 15, 2024|website=www.maine.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Lobster {{!}} Maine Secretary of State Kids' Page|url=https://www.maine.gov/sos/kids/about/wildlife/lobster#:~:text=At%20present,%20Maine%20is%20the,producing%20state%20in%20the%20nation.|access-date=February 15, 2024|website=www.maine.gov}}</ref> |
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Two [[Jesuit]] missions were established by the French: one on [[Penobscot Bay]] in 1609, and the other on [[Mount Desert Island]] in 1613. The same year, [[Castine, Maine|Castine]] was established by [[Claude de Saint-Étienne de la Tour|Claude de La Tour]]. In 1625, [[Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour]] erected [[Fort Pentagouet]] to protect Castine. The coastal areas of western Maine first became the [[Province of Maine]] in a 1622 land patent. Eastern Maine north of the [[Kennebec River]] was more sparsely settled and was known in the 17th century as the [[Territory of Sagadahock]]. A second settlement was attempted at a place called [[York, Maine|York]], in 1623 by English explorer and naval Captain [[Christopher Levett]], granted {{convert|6000|acre|km2}} by King [[Charles I of England]].<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=Bx4XAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA339&dq=levett&lr=&ei=ZSW7SsmYFo7-kQSkz9CODw#v=onepage&q=levett&f=false Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Vol. 20, 1882–1883, Published by the Society, Boston, 1884]</ref> That settlement also failed. |
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==Demographics== |
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Central Maine was formerly inhabited by people of the [[Androscoggin tribe]], also known as Arosaguntacook. The Androscoggin were a tribe in the Abenaki nation. They were driven out of the area in 1690 during [[King Philip's War]]. They were relocated at [[Saint-François-du-Lac, Quebec|St. Francis]], Canada, which was destroyed by [[Rogers' Rangers]] in 1759, and is now [[Odanak]]. The other Abenaki tribes suffered several severe defeats, particularly during [[Dummer's War]], with the capture of [[Norridgewock]] in 1724 and the defeat of the [[Pequawket]] in 1725, which greatly reduced their numbers. They finally withdrew to [[Canada]], where they were settled at [[Bécancour, Quebec|Bécancour]] and [[Sillery, Quebec City|Sillery]], and later at St. Francis, along with other refugee tribes from the south.<ref>Bruce G. Trigger (ed.): ''[[Handbook of North American Indians]]. Vol. 15. Northeast''. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. 1978 ISBN 0-16-004575-4</ref> |
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===Population=== |
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{{US Census population |
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The province within its current boundaries became part of [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] in 1652. Maine was much fought over by the French, English and allied natives during the 17th and early 18th centuries, who conducted raids against each other, taking captives for ransom or, in some cases, adoption by Native American tribes. For instance, in early 1692, the Abenaki [[Raid on York (1692)|raided York]], killing about 100 of the English settlers and taking another estimated 80 villagers hostage.<ref>"[http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20010201/NEWS/302019986 York commemorates Candlemas Raid]". ''[[The Portsmouth Herald]]''. February 01, 2001.</ref> The Abenaki took captives taken during raids of Massachusetts in [[Queen Anne's War]] of the early 1700s to [[Kahnewake]], a Catholic [[Mohawk nation|Mohawk]] village near [[Montreal]], where some were adopted and others ransomed.<ref>John Demos, ''The Unredeemed Captive: A Family Story from Early America'', New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994, pp. 186 and 224</ref><ref>[http://www.wampumchronicles.com/history.html Darren Bonaparte, "The History of Akwesasne"], ''The Wampum Chronicles'', accessed 1 Feb 2010</ref> |
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After the British defeated the French in Acadia in the 1740s, the territory from the [[Penobscot River]] east fell under the nominal authority of the Province of [[Nova Scotia]], and together with present-day New Brunswick formed the [[Nova Scotia]] county of [[Sunbury County, Nova Scotia|Sunbury]], with its court of general sessions at Campobello. American and British forces contended for Maine's territory during the American Revolution and the War of 1812, and British forces occupied eastern Maine in both conflicts.<ref>Woodard, Colin. [http://www.colinwoodard.com/lobstercoast ''The Lobster Coast'']. New York. Viking/Penguin, ISBN 0-670-03324-3, 2004, pp. 139–140, 150-151</ref> The treaty concluding revolution was ambiguous about Maine's boundary with [[British North America]]. The territory of Maine was confirmed as part of Massachusetts when the United States was formed, although the final border with British territory was not established until the [[Webster-Ashburton Treaty]] of 1842. |
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Maine was physically separate from the rest of Massachusetts. Long-standing disagreements over land speculation and settlements led to Maine residents and their allies in Massachusetts proper forcing an 1807 vote in the Massachusetts Assembly on permitting Maine to secede; the vote failed. Secessionist sentiment in Maine was stoked during the [[War of 1812]] when Massachusetts pro-British merchants opposed the war and refused to defend Maine from British invaders. In 1819, Massachusetts agreed to permit secession if voters in Maine approved. Due to these considerations and rapid population growth, in 1820 Maine voted to secede from Massachusetts. The secession and formation of the state of Maine as the 23rd state occurred on March 15, 1820 as part of the [[Missouri Compromise]], which geographically limited the spread of [[slavery]] and enabled the admission to statehood of [[Missouri]] the following year, keeping a balance between [[slave state|slave]] and free states.<ref>Woodard, Colin. "Parallel 44: Origins of the Mass Effect", ''The Working Waterfront'', August 31, 2010. [http://www.workingwaterfront.com/columns/Parallel-44-Origins-of-the-Mass-Effect/14024/]</ref><ref>Woodard, Colin. ''The Lobster Coast: Rebels, Rusticators and the Forgotten Frontier'' (2004) Penguin Books. ISBN 0-670-03324-3</ref><ref>{{cite web| year = | url =http://www.maine.gov/legis/senate/statehouse/history/hstry5.htm | title =Maine History (Statehood)| publisher =www.maine.gov| accessdate = April 13, 2008}}</ref> |
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Maine's original [[Capital (political)|capital]] was [[Portland, Maine|Portland]], Maine's largest city, until it was moved to [[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]] in 1832 to make it more central within the state. |
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The [[20th Maine]], under the command of Colonel [[Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain]], defended [[Little Round Top]] at the [[Battle of Gettysburg]]. Its soldiers prevented the [[Union Army]] from being flanked by the [[Confederate Army]]. |
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Four [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] ships have been named [[USS Maine|USS ''Maine'']] in honor of the state. |
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===Etymology=== |
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There is no definitive explanation for the origin of the name "Maine". The state legislature in 2001 adopted a resolution establishing Franco-American Day, which stated that the state was named after the former French [[Maine (province)|province of Maine]].<ref> |
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{{cite web |
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| url = http://www.maine.gov/legis/senate/Records/2nd120th/03-06-02R2.doc |
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| format = doc |
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| accessdate = 2007-09-20 |
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| title = Journal of the Senate |
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| publisher = State of Maine |
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| date = 2002-03-06 |
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| quote = "WHEREAS, the State of Maine is named after the Province of Maine in France..." |
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}}</ref> Other theories mention earlier places with similar names, or claim it is a nautical reference to the mainland.<ref> |
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{{cite web |
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| first = Emily A. |
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| last = Schroeder |
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| url = http://www.maine.gov/msl/services/reference/meorigin.htm |
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| accessdate = 2007-09-20 |
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| title = Origin of Maine's Name |
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| publisher = Maine State Library |
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|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070716005630/http://www.maine.gov/msl/services/reference/meorigin.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-07-16}}</ref> |
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The first known record of the name appears in an Aug. 10, 1622, land charter to Sir [[Ferdinando Gorges]] and Captain [[John Mason (c.1600-1672)|John Mason]], English [[Royal Navy]] veterans, who were granted a large tract in present-day Maine that Mason and Gorges "intend to name The Province of Maine." Mason had served in the Royal Navy in the [[Orkney Islands]] where the chief island is called [[Mainland, Orkney|Mainland]], a more likely name derivation for these English sailors than the French province.<ref>{{cite book |title=Names on the Land: A Historical Account of Place-Naming in the United States |last= Stewart|first=George |authorlink=George R. Stewart|year=1945 |publisher= Random House|location=New York |pages= 41–42}}</ref> A year later, in 1623, the English naval captain [[Christopher Levett]], exploring the New England coast, wrote: "The first place I set my foote upon in New England was the [[Isles of Shoals|Isle of Shoals]], being Ilands {{sic}} in the sea, above two Leagues from the Mayne."<ref> |
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{{cite book |
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| first = Samuella |
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| last = Shain |
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| url = http://books.google.com/?id=LB6jYtB3vlIC&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9&dq=%22christopher+levett%22+maine&q=%22christopher%20levett%22%20maine |
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| accessdate = 2010-07-03 |
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| title = The Maine Reader: The Down East Experience from 1614 to the Present |
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| publisher = David R. Godine Publisher |
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| isbn = 978-1-56792-078-9 |
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| date = 1997-08-01 |
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}}</ref> |
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Whatever the origin, the name was fixed in 1665 when the King's Commissioners ordered that the "Province of Maine" be entered from then on in official records.<ref> |
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{{cite book |
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| last = Stuart |
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| first = George R. |
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| title = Names on the Land |
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| publisher = Houghton Mifflin |
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| year = 1958 |
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| isbn = 978-0-938530-02-2 |
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}}</ref> |
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Maine is the only state whose name has exactly one syllable.<ref>;http://realfacts.snapple.com/proudtobemonosyllabic/'</ref><ref>[http://www.50states.com/facts/maine.htm#.UE0_ua562So One syllable]</ref> |
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==Demographics== |
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[[File:Maine population map.png|thumb|400px|Maine population density map]] |
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{{USCensusPop |
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|1790= 96540 |
|1790= 96540 |
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|1800= 151719 |
|1800= 151719 |
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Line 284: | Line 262: | ||
|2000= 1274923 |
|2000= 1274923 |
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|2010= 1328361 |
|2010= 1328361 |
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|2020= 1362359 |
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|estimate= 1329192 |
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| estimate = 1395722 |
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|estyear= 2012 |
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| estyear = 2023 |
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|footnote= Source: 1910-2010<ref>{{cite web|author=Resident Population Data |url=http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-pop-text.php |title=Resident Population Data - 2010 Census |publisher=2010.census.gov |date= |accessdate=2012-03-15}}</ref> |
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| align-fn = center |
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|footnote=Source: 1910–2020<ref>{{cite web|title=Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020)|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html|website=Census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 1, 2021|archive-date=April 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429012609/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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}} |
}} |
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[[File:Maine population map.png|thumb|left|Maine population density map]] |
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The [[United States Census Bureau]] estimates that the population of Maine was 1,329,192 on July 1, 2012, a 0.1% increase since the [[2010 United States Census]].<ref name=PopEstUS>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/popest/data/national/totals/2012/index.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012|format=[[comma-separated values|CSV]]|work=2012 Population Estimates|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division|date=December 2012|accessdate=December 24, 2012}}</ref> The population density of the state is 41.3 people per square mile, making it the [[List of U.S. states by population density|least densely populated state]] in New England, the [[Northeastern United States|American northeast]], the [[East Coast of the United States|eastern seaboard]], of all of the states with an Atlantic coastline and of all of the states east of the [[Mississippi River]]. |
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[[File:Ethnic Origins in Maine.png|thumb|330x330px|Ethnic origins in Maine|left]] |
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The [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]] estimates that the population of Maine was 1,344,212 on July 1, 2019, a 1.19% increase since the [[2010 United States Census|2010 United States census]].<ref name="PopEstUS">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/me,US/PST045218|title=QuickFacts Maine; UNITED STATES|website=2018 Population Estimates|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division|date=March 11, 2019|access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref> At the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], 1,362,359 people lived in the state. The state's population density is 41.3 people per square mile, making it the [[List of U.S. states by population density|least densely populated state]] east of the [[Mississippi River]]. As of 2010, Maine was also the most rural state in the Union, with only 38.7% of the state's population living within urban areas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.icip.iastate.edu/tables/population/urban-pct-states|title=Urban Percentage of the Population for States, Historical | Iowa Community Indicators Program|website=Icip.iastate.edu|access-date=April 17, 2021}}</ref> As explained in detail under "Geography", there are large tracts of uninhabited land in some remote parts of the interior of the state, particularly in the [[North Maine Woods]]. |
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The mean population center of Maine is located in [[Kennebec County, Maine|Kennebec County]], just east of |
The mean population center of Maine is located in [[Kennebec County, Maine|Kennebec County]], just east of Augusta.<ref name="mean population center">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/2010census/centerpop2010/CenPop2010_Mean_ST.txt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429025307/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/2010census/centerpop2010/CenPop2010_Mean_ST.txt|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 29, 2011|title=Population and Population Centers by State: 2010 (US Census Bureau)|access-date=April 9, 2011}}</ref> The [[Portland metropolitan area, Maine|Greater Portland metropolitan area]] is the most densely populated with nearly 40% of Maine's population.<ref name="Metropolitan populations, census.gov">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2010/cph-t/CPH-T-5.pdf|title=census.gov|access-date=August 3, 2013}}</ref> This area spans three counties and includes many farms and wooded areas; the 2016 population of Portland proper was 66,937.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/portlandcitymaine/RHI125216|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Portland city, Maine|website=Census.gov|access-date=January 15, 2018}}</ref> |
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Maine has experienced a very slow rate of population growth since the 1990 census; its rate of growth (0.57%) since the 2010 census ranks 45th of the 50 states.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.massbenchmarks.org/statedata/data/pop_est_2016a/UMDI%20State%20Pop%202016.pdf|title=Mass. Benchmarks|website=Massbenchmarks.org|access-date=April 17, 2021}}</ref> In 2021 and 2022, however, Maine had the highest proportion of arriving residents to departing residents of any state in the country, with 1.8 arrivals for every departure.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Silver|first=Nate|title=SBSQ #6: People are fleeing California and New York. Will that make other states bluer?|url=https://www.natesilver.net/p/sbsq-6-people-are-fleeing-california|access-date=March 2, 2024|website=www.natesilver.net|language=en}}</ref> The modest population growth in the state has been concentrated in the southern coastal counties; with more diverse populations slowly moving into these areas of the state. However, the northern, more rural areas of the state have experienced a slight decline in population from 2010 to 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2017/05/26/interactive-population-change-maine-towns-2010-2016/|title=Interactive: Population change in Maine towns, 2010-2016|date=May 26, 2017|work=Portland Press Herald|access-date=January 15, 2018}}</ref> |
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===Race, ancestry, and language=== |
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At the 2010 Census, 94.4% of the population was non-Hispanic White, 1.1% non-Hispanic Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% Asian, 0.1% from some other race and 1.4% of two or more races. 1.3% of Maine's population was of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin (they may be of any race).<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10_thematic/2010_Profile/2010_Profile_Map_Maine.pdf |title=2010_State_Profile_TEMPLATE |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=October 25, 2012}}</ref> |
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{{US Demographics}} |
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As of 2011, the largest ancestries in the state were estimated to be: |
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* 23.9% [[French American|French or French-Canadian]] |
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* 21.6% [[English American|English]] |
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* 17.8% [[Irish American|Irish]] |
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* 9.4% "American" |
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* 8.5% [[German American|German]] |
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* 5.8% [[Italian American|Italian]] |
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* 5.5% [[Scottish American|Scottish]] |
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* 2.1% [[Polish American|Polish]] |
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* 1.8% [[Swedish American|Swedish]] |
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* 1.7% [[Scotch-Irish American|Scotch-Irish]]<ref>{{cite web| url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/DP02/0400000US23| title=Selected Social Characteristics in the United States: 2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates (DP02): Maine| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau American Factfinder| accessdate=January 4, 2013}}</ref> |
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As of 2020, Maine has the highest population age 65 or older in the United States.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.prb.org/resources/which-us-states-are-the-oldest/|title=Which States Have the Oldest Populations|date=December 21, 2021|work=PRB|access-date=December 10, 2022}}</ref> |
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People citing that they are of "[[American ethnicity|American]]" are of overwhelmingly English descent, but have ancestry that has been in the region for so long (often since the 1600s) that they choose to identify simply as "Americans".<ref>[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SVoAXh-dNuYC&pg=PA57&dq=Sharing+the+dream:+white+males+in+multicultural+America++english+ancestry&cd=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false Sharing the Dream: White Males in a Multicultural America] By Dominic J. Pulera.</ref><ref>Reynolds Farley, 'The New Census Question about Ancestry: What Did It Tell Us?', ''Demography'', Vol. 28, No. 3 (August 1991), pp. 414, 421.</ref><ref>Stanley Lieberson and Lawrence Santi, 'The Use of Nativity Data to Estimate Ethnic Characteristics and Patterns', ''Social Science Research'', Vol. 14, No. 1 (1985), pp. 44-6.</ref><ref>Stanley Lieberson and Mary C. Waters, 'Ethnic Groups in Flux: The Changing Ethnic Responses of American Whites', ''Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science'', Vol. 487, No. 79 (September 1986), pp. 82-86.</ref><ref>Mary C. Waters, ''Ethnic Options: Choosing Identities in America'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990), p. 36.</ref><ref>French Canadian Emigration to the United States 1840-1930. Claude Bélanger, Department of History, Marianopolis College</ref><ref>French-Canadian Americans by Marianne Fedunkiw</ref> |
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According to the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], Maine has the highest percentage of non-Hispanic [[White American|White]] of any state, at 94.4% of the total population. In 2011, 89.0% of all births in the state were to non-Hispanic White parents.<ref>"[http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html Americans under age{{nbsp}}1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot]". ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. June 3, 2012.</ref> Maine also has the second-highest residential senior population.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://srcarecenter.com/data/senior-statistics/|publisher=SrCareCenter.com|title=Important Statistics On The Senior Population|date=May 22, 2019|access-date=January 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128202420/https://srcarecenter.com/data/senior-statistics/|archive-date=January 28, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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According to [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|HUD]]'s 2022 [[Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress|Annual Homeless Assessment Report]], there were an estimated 4,411 [[Homelessness in Maine|homeless]] people in Maine.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2007-2022 PIT Counts by State|url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress|url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf}}</ref> |
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The area was once known as the [[Republic of Madawaska]], before the frontier was decided in the [[Webster-Ashburton Treaty]] of 1842. Over one-quarter of the population of [[Lewiston, Maine|Lewiston]], [[Waterville, Maine|Waterville]], and [[Biddeford]] are Franco-American. Most of the residents of the midcoast and downeast sections are chiefly of British heritage. Smaller numbers of various other groups, including [[Irish American|Irish]], [[Italian American|Italian]] and [[Polish American|Polish]], have settled throughout the state since the late 19th and early 20th century [[immigration]] waves. |
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The table below shows the racial composition of Maine's population as of 2016. |
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{|class="wikitable sortable collapsible nowrap" style="font-size: 90%; text-align: right; display:inline-table;" |
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|+ '''Maine racial composition of population'''<ref name="ACS2016DEMO">{{cite web|title=2016 American Community Survey—Demographic and Housing Estimates|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_5YR/DP05/0400000US23|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 21, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213005711/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_5YR/DP05/0400000US23|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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|- |
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! Race !! Population (2016 est.) !! Percentage |
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|- |
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| style="text-align: left;" | ''Total population'' || ''1,329,923'' || ''100%'' |
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|- |
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| style="text-align: left;" | [[White American|White]] || 1,260,476 || 94.8% |
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|- |
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| style="text-align: left;" | [[African American|Black or African American]] || 16,303 || 1.2% |
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|- |
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| style="text-align: left;" | [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian and Alaska Native]] || 8,013 || 0.6% |
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|- |
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| style="text-align: left;" | [[Asian American|Asian]] || 14,643 || 1.1% |
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|- |
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| style="text-align: left;" | [[Pacific Islander American|Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander]] || 211 || 0.0% |
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|- |
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| style="text-align: left;" | [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Some other race]] || 3,151 || 0.2% |
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|- |
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| style="text-align: left;" | [[Multiracial American|Two or more races]] || 27,126 || 2.0% |
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|} |
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According to the 2016 [[American Community Survey]], 1.5% of Maine's population were of [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] origin (of any race): [[Mexican American|Mexican]] (0.4%), [[Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]] (0.4%), [[Cuban American|Cuban]] (0.1%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (0.6%).<ref name="ACS2016DEMO"/> The six largest ancestry groups were: [[English American|English]] (20.7%), [[Irish American|Irish]] (17.3%), [[French American|French]] (15.7%), [[German American|German]] (8.1%), [[American ancestry|American]] (7.8%) and [[French-Canadian Americans|French Canadian]] (7.7%).<ref>{{cite web|title=2016 American Community Survey—Selected Social Characteristics|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_5YR/DP02/0400000US23|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 21, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213005513/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_5YR/DP02/0400000US23|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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People citing that they are [[American ethnicity|American]] are of overwhelmingly English descent, but have ancestry that has been in the region for so long (often since the 17th century) that they choose to identify simply as Americans.<ref name="Pulera2004">{{cite book|author=Dominic Pulera|title=Sharing the Dream: White Males in Multicultural America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SVoAXh-dNuYC&pg=PA57|date=October 20, 2004|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=978-0-8264-1643-8|pages=57–}}</ref><ref>Stanley Lieberson and Lawrence Santi, "The Use of Nativity Data to Estimate Ethnic Characteristics and Patterns", ''Social Science Research'', Vol. 14, No. 1 (1985), pp. 44–6.</ref><ref>Stanley Lieberson and Mary C. Waters, "Ethnic Groups in Flux: The Changing Ethnic Responses of American Whites", ''Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science'', Vol. 487, No. 79 (September 1986), pp. 82–86.</ref><ref>Mary C. Waters, ''Ethnic Options: Choosing Identities in America'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990), p. 36.</ref><ref>''French Canadian Emigration to the United States 1840–1930''. Claude Bélanger, Department of History, Marianopolis College, {{when|date=September 2022}}</ref><ref>''French-Canadian Americans'' by Marianne Fedunkiw, {{when|date=September 2022}}</ref>{{Excessive citations inline|date=April 2023}} |
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Maine has the highest percentage of [[French Americans]] of any state. Most of them are of [[French Canadian American|Canadian]] origin, but in some cases have been living there since prior to the [[American Revolutionary War]]. There are particularly high concentrations in the northern part of Maine in [[Aroostook County, Maine|Aroostook County]], which is part of a cultural region known as [[Acadia]] that goes over the border into [[New Brunswick]]. Along with the [[Acadians|Acadian]] population in the north, many French-Canadians came from [[Quebec]] as immigrants between 1840 and 1930. |
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The upper [[Saint John River (Bay of Fundy)|Saint John River]] valley area was once part of the so-called [[Republic of Madawaska]], before the frontier was decided in the [[Webster-Ashburton Treaty]] of 1842. Over a quarter of the population of Lewiston, [[Waterville, Maine|Waterville]], and [[Biddeford]] are Franco-American. Most of the residents of the [[Mid Coast]] and [[Down East]] sections are chiefly of British heritage. Smaller numbers of various other groups, including [[Irish American|Irish]], [[Italian American|Italian]], [[Swedish Americans|Swedish]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Bringing in the Swedes|url=https://www.mainememory.net/sitebuilder/site/795/page/1205/display|website=Maine History Online|date=2010|access-date=January 8, 2024}}</ref> and [[Polish American|Polish]], have settled throughout the state since the late 19th and early 20th century [[immigration]] waves. |
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Today there are four [[List of federally recognized tribes by state|federally recognized]] tribes in Maine, including the [[Mi'kmaq Nation]]. In 2020, 7,885 identified as being Native American alone, and 25,617 did in combination with one or more other races.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Race and Ethnicity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census|url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/race-and-ethnicity-in-the-united-state-2010-and-2020-census.html}}</ref> |
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====Birth data==== |
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''Note: Births in table do not sum to 100% because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race.'' |
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{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" |
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|+Live births by single race/ethnicity of mother |
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|- |
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! [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Race]] |
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! 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_01.pdf|title=Births: Final Data for 2013|website=cdc.gov}}</ref> |
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! 2014<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_12.pdf|title=Statistics|website=cdc.gov}}</ref> |
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! 2015<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf|title=Statistics|website=cdc.gov}}</ref> |
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! 2016<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf|title=National Vital Statistics Reports|website=cdc.gov|date=January 31, 2018|access-date=July 11, 2018}}</ref> |
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! 2017<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_08-508.pdf|title=Births: Final Data for 2017|volume=67|number=8|website=cdc.gov|date=November 7, 2018|access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref> |
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! 2018<ref> |
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{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13-508.pdf|title=Data|website=Cdc.gov|access-date=December 2, 2019}}</ref> |
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! 2019<ref> |
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{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-02-508.pdf|title=Data|website=Cdc.gov|access-date=March 29, 2021}}</ref> |
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! 2020<ref> |
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{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-17.pdf|title=Data|website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=February 20, 2022}}</ref> |
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! 2021<ref> |
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{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-01.pdf|title=Data|website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=February 3, 2022}}</ref> |
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! 2022<ref> |
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{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr73/nvsr73-02.pdf|title=Data|website=www.cdc.gov|access-date=April 5, 2024}}</ref> |
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|- |
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| [[White Americans|White]]: |
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| 11,950 (93.5%) |
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| 11,842 (93.2%) |
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| 11,805 (93.6%) |
|||
| ... |
|||
| ... |
|||
| ... |
|||
| ... |
|||
| ... |
|||
| ... |
|||
| ... |
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|- |
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| > [[Non-Hispanic White]] |
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| 11,774 (92.1%) |
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| 11,654 (91.8%) |
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| 11,563 (91.7%) |
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| 11,484 (90.4%) |
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| 10,958 (89.1%) |
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| 11,022 (89.5%) |
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| 10,401 (88.3%) |
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| 10,231 (88.7%) |
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| 10,619 (88.4%) |
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| 10,640 (88.0%) |
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|- |
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| [[African Americans|Black]] |
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| 455 (3.6%) |
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| 450 (3.5%) |
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| 473 (3.7%) |
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| 411 (3.2%) |
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| 545 (4.4%) |
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| 546 (4.4%) |
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| 541 (4.6%) |
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| 514 (4.5%) |
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| 551 (4.6%) |
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| 679 (5.6%) |
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|- |
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| [[Asian Americans|Asian]] |
|||
| 253 (2.0%) |
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| 248 (1.9%) |
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| 186 (1.5%) |
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| 192 (1.5%) |
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| 219 (1.8%) |
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| 202 (1.6%) |
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| 217 (1.8%) |
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| 195 (1.7%) |
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| 197 (1.6%) |
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| 163 (1.3%) |
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|- |
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| [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]] |
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| 118 (0.9%) |
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| 158 (1.2%) |
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| 143 (1.1%) |
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| 97 (0.7%) |
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| 88 (0.7%) |
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| 99 (0.8%) |
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| 96 (0.8%) |
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| 85 (0.7%) |
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| 71 (0.6%) |
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| 82 (0.7%) |
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|- |
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| ''[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]'' (of any race) |
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| ''172'' (1.3%) |
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| ''200'' (1.6%) |
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| ''251'' (2.0%) |
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| ''238'' (1.9%) |
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| ''229'' (1.9%) |
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| ''224'' (1.8%) |
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| ''257'' (2.2%) |
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| ''258'' (2.2%) |
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| ''305'' (2.5%) |
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| ''338'' (2.8%) |
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|- |
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| '''Maine Total''' |
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| '''12,776''' (100%) |
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| '''12,698''' (100%) |
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| '''12,607''' (100%) |
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| '''12,705''' (100%) |
|||
| '''12,298''' (100%) |
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| '''12,311''' (100%) |
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| '''11,779''' (100%) |
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| '''11,539''' (100%) |
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| '''12,006''' (100%) |
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| '''12,093''' (100%) |
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|} |
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* Since 2016, data for births of [[White Hispanic and Latino Americans|White Hispanic]] origin are not collected, but included in one ''Hispanic'' group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. |
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In 2018, The top countries of origin for Maine's immigrants were [[Canada]], the [[Philippines]], [[Germany]], [[India]] and [[Korea]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/immigrants_in_maine.pdf|title=Immigrants in Maine}}</ref> |
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===Language=== |
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Maine does not have an official language,<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/north-america/united-states-of-america/maine/history-language-culture/|title=Maine—World Travel Guide|work=World Travel Guide|access-date=July 20, 2018}}</ref> but the most widely spoken language in the state is English. The 2010 census reported 92.91% of Maine residents aged five and older spoke only English at home. French-speakers are the state's chief linguistic minority; census figures show that Maine has the highest percentage of people speaking French at home of any state: 3.93% of Maine households are French-speaking, compared with 3.45% (including Cajun and [[Louisiana Creole|Creole]]) in [[Louisiana]], which is the second highest state.<ref name="MLA Data"/> Spanish is the third-most-common language in Maine, after English and French.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/states/Maine-Languages.html|title=Languages—Maine|website=City-data.com}}</ref> |
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===Religion=== |
===Religion=== |
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The religious affiliations of the people of Maine are shown below: |
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* [[Christianity|Christian]] – 82% |
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** [[Protestantism|Protestant]] – 45% |
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*** [[Baptist]] (mostly [[American Baptist Churches USA|American Baptist]]) – 16% |
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*** [[Methodism|Methodist]] (mostly [[United Methodist Church]] with 31,689 members)<ref name="thearda.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/state/23_2000.asp|title=State Membership Report - Maine|publisher=[[Association of Religion Data Archives]]}}</ref> – 9% |
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*** [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal]] – 8% |
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*** [[United Church of Christ]] (29,122 members)<ref name="thearda.com"/> / Congregational – 8% |
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*** [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] – 6% |
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*** [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] – 3% |
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*** Other Protestant or general Protestant – 10% |
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** [[Roman Catholicism in the United States|Roman Catholic]] (283,024 members)<ref name="thearda.com"/> – 37% |
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** Other Christian – 1% |
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* Other religions – 1% |
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* Non-religious – 17% |
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{{Pie chart |
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In 2010, a study said Maine was the least religious state in the United States.<ref name="Hendrickson">{{cite web|url=http://www.mpbn.net/News/MPBNNews/tabid/1159/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3763/ItemId/12694/Default.aspx|title=The Role of Religion in Maine|last=Hendrickson|first=Dyke|date=August 19, 2010|publisher=[[Maine Public Broadcasting Network]]|accessdate=19 October 2011}}</ref> |
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| thumb = right |
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| caption = Religious self-identification, per [[Public Religion Research Institute]]'s 2022 ''American Values Survey''<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|date=February 24, 2023|title=PRRI – American Values Atlas: Religious Tradition in Maine|url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2022/States/religion/m/US-ME|access-date=April 3, 2023|website=[[Public Religion Research Institute]]}}</ref> |
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| label1 = [[Protestantism in the United States|Protestantism]] |
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| value1 = 41 |
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| color1 = Blue |
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| label2 = [[Catholic Church in the United States|Catholicism]] |
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| value2 = 21 |
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| color2 = Purple |
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| label3 = [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]]/[[Unitarian Universalism|Universalist]] |
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| value3 = 1 |
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| color3 = Teal |
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| label4 = [[Irreligion in the United States|Unaffiliated]] |
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| value4 = 30 |
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| color4 = White |
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| label5 = [[Judaism in the United States|Judaism]] |
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| value5 = 5 |
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| color5 = Pink |
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| label6 = [[New Age]] |
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| value6 = 1 |
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| color6 = Red |
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| label7 = Other |
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| value7 = 1 |
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| color7 = Black |
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}}According to the [[Pew Research Center]] in 2014, the religious affiliations of Maine were: [[Protestant]] 37% (in particular: [[Evangelical Protestant]] 14%, [[Mainline Protestant]] 21%, [[Black church|Historical Black Protestant]] 2%), [[Atheism]] or [[Agnosticism]] 6%, Nothing in Particular 26%, [[Catholic Church in the United States|Roman Catholic Church]] 21%, other Christians 5%, non-Christian religions including [[Hinduism]], [[Islam]], [[Buddhism]] and [[Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼí]] 7%, and [[Paganism|Pagans]] and [[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarians]] 5%. |
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In 2014, the Roman Catholic Church was the largest religious denomination and the [[Baptists]] (7% Evangelical and 5% Mainline) were the state's largest Protestant denomination, followed by the [[Methodism|Methodists]] (6%) and the [[Congregational church|Congregationalists]] (5%). The atheists and the agnostics are only 6% of the state, but 26% of Mainers said that they "Believe in God but they are Unaffiliated." Eighty-one percent of Mainers believed in God, while 3% did not know and 16% did not believe in God. Thirty-four percent of Mainers thought that religion was "very important" and 29% said that it was "important", while 21% said that religion was not important.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Religions in Maine|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/state/maine/}}</ref> |
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According to a survey through the [[Public Religion Research Institute]] in 2020, approximately 62% of the population were Christian; the religiously unaffiliated slightly increased to 33% from the separate 2014 study by the Pew Research Center.<ref>{{Cite web|title=PRRI – American Values Atlas|url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-ME|access-date=September 17, 2022|website=ava.prri.org}}</ref> In a 2022 study by the Public Religion Research Institute, 63% of the population were Christian, and 30% were religiously unaffiliated. Among the non-Christian population in 2022, 1% were [[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarian Universalist]], 5% [[Jews|Jewish]], and 1% [[New Age]]r. |
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According to the [[Association of Religion Data Archives]] in 2020, with Christianity as the dominant faith, the largest denominations by number of adherents were Catholicism (219,233 members), non-denominational Protestantism (45,364), and United Methodists (19,686).<ref>{{Cite web|title=2020 Congregational Membership|url=https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregational-membership?y=2020&y2=0&t=1&c=23|access-date=April 15, 2023|website=www.thearda.com}}</ref> According to the same study, there were an estimated 16,894 [[Islam in the United States|Muslims]] in the state. |
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==Economy== |
==Economy== |
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{{See also|Maine locations by per capita income}} |
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[[File:Maine quarter, reverse side, 2003.jpg|thumb|200px|Maine [[50 State Quarters|State Quarter]]]] |
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[[File:Biw aerial.jpg|250px|thumb|250px|[[Bath Iron Works]] naval shipbuilding]] |
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{{See also|Maine locations by per capita income|List of power stations in Maine}} |
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The [[Bureau of Economic Analysis]] estimates that Maine's total gross state product for 2010 was $52 billion.<ref>{{cite web|title=GDP by State|url=http://greyhill.com/gdp-by-state|publisher=Greyhill Advisors|accessdate=13 September 2011}}</ref> Its per capita personal income for 2007 was US$33,991, 34th in the nation. As of October 2010, Maine's unemployment rate is 7.4%.<ref>[http://www.bls.gov/lau/ BLS.gov - Local Area Unemployment Statistics]</ref> |
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[[File:Bird's_Eye_View_(27235581434).jpg|thumb|[[Bath Iron Works]] naval shipbuilding]] |
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Total employment (May 2024): |
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* 674,900<ref>{{Cite web|title=Maine Economy at a Glance|url=https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.me.htm#eag_me.f.1|access-date=July 11, 2024|website=Bureau of Labor Statistics|language=en}}</ref> |
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Total employer establishments (2021): |
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* 42,519<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Maine?g=040XX00US23|access-date=July 11, 2024|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> |
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Maine's total [[gross state product]] was $91.1 billion in 2023.<ref name="GDPByState">{{cite web|title=GDP by State|url=https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gdp-state|website=GDP by State | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)|publisher=Bureau of Economic Analysis|access-date=May 24, 2024}}</ref> The state's [[Per capita personal income in the United States|per capita personal income]] for 2023 was $63,117, ranking 30th in the nation, and its median gross income was $69,543.<ref name="r095">{{cite web|last=Account|first=Economic|title=Personal Income by State|website=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)|date=March 29, 2024|url=https://www.bea.gov/data/income-saving/personal-income-by-state|access-date=May 24, 2024}}</ref><ref name="u858">{{cite web|last=Bureau|first=U.S. Census|title=S1901: Income in the Past 12 Months|website=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S1901|access-date=May 24, 2024}}</ref> {{as of|2022|September}}, Maine's unemployment rate is 3.3%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEUR|title=Unemployment Rate in Maine (MEUR)|website=fred.stlouisfed.org/|access-date=November 3, 2022}}</ref> As of January 2024, Maine's [[minimum wage]] is $14.15.<ref>{{Cite web|title=MDOL: News & Events|url=https://www.maine.gov/labor/news_events/article.shtml?id=11887762|access-date=November 3, 2023|website=www.maine.gov}}</ref> |
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[[File:Old Port area of Portland, ME.jpg|thumb|250px|Old port area of [[Portland, Maine|Portland]]]] |
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[[File:Lobster_Trap.jpg|thumb|Lobstering in Portland]] |
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Maine's [[agriculture|agricultural]] outputs include poultry, eggs, dairy products, cattle, wild blueberries, apples, [[maple syrup]] and [[maple sugar]]. [[Aroostook County, Maine|Aroostook County]] is known for its [[potato]] crops. [[Commercial fishing]], once a mainstay of the state's economy, maintains a presence, particularly lobstering and groundfishing. Western Maine aquifers and springs are a major source of bottled water. |
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Maine's [[agriculture|agricultural]] outputs include poultry, eggs, dairy products, cattle, wild blueberries, apples, [[maple syrup]], and [[maple sugar]]. [[Aroostook County, Maine|Aroostook County]] is known for its [[potato]] crops. Potatoes make the state $166,672,000 a year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://economic-impact-of-ag.uada.edu/maine/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20Maine%20generated%20around,percent%20of%20total%20state%20GDP.|title=Maine Economic Contribution and Impact Research|publisher=University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture|access-date=March 27, 2023}}</ref> [[Commercial fishing]], once a mainstay of the state's economy, maintains a presence, particularly [[lobster fishing|lobstering]] and [[groundfishing]]. While lobster is the main seafood focus for Maine, the harvest of both oysters and seaweed are on the rise. In 2015, 14% of the Northeast's total oyster supply came from Maine. In 2017, the production of Maine's seaweed industry was estimated at $20 million per year. The shrimp industry of Maine is on a government-mandated hold. With an ever-decreasing Northern shrimp population, Maine fishermen are no longer allowed to catch and sell shrimp. The hold began in 2014 and is expected to continue until 2021.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Losneck|first=Caroline|date=April 2019|title=NORTHEAST: Oyster, seaweed industries continue rise in Maine; Northern shrimp shutdown extends 3 years; scup and squid try to find strong markets.|journal=National Fisherman}}</ref> Western Maine aquifers and springs are a source of bottled water for companies like [[Poland Spring]]. |
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Maine's industrial outputs consist chiefly of paper, lumber and wood products, electronic equipment, leather products, food products, textiles, and bio-technology. Naval shipbuilding and construction remain key as well, with [[Bath Iron Works]] in Bath and [[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]] in Kittery |
Maine's industrial outputs consist chiefly of paper, lumber and wood products, electronic equipment, leather products, food products, textiles, and bio-technology. Naval shipbuilding and construction remain key as well, with [[Bath Iron Works]] in Bath and [[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]] in Kittery. |
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Brunswick Landing, formerly [[Naval Air Station Brunswick]], is also in Maine. Formerly a large support base for the U.S. Navy, the [[Base Realignment and Closure|BRAC]] campaign initiated the Naval Air Station's closing, despite a government-funded effort to upgrade its facilities. The former base has since been changed into a civilian business park, as well as a new satellite campus for [[Southern Maine Community College]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mrra.us/brunswick-landing/|title=Brunswick Landing—Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority|website=Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority|access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> |
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Maine is the number one exporter of [[blueberry|blueberries]]. The largest toothpick manufacturing plant in the United States used to be located in [[Strong, Maine]]. The Strong Wood Products plant produced 20 million toothpicks a day. It closed in May, 2003. |
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[[File:Bundle_of_Blueberries_(Unsplash).jpg|thumb|Wild low-bush blueberries are only produced commercially in Maine.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Maine's blueberry crop faces climate change peril|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/maines-blueberry-crop-faces-climate-change-peril-78101765|access-date=June 7, 2021|website=ABC News|language=en}}</ref>]] |
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Maine is the top U.S. producer of [[Vaccinium angustifolium|low-bush blueberries]]. Preliminary data from the [[USDA]] for 2012 also indicate Maine was the largest blueberry producer of the major blueberry producing states, with a total production of 91,100,000 lbs.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/ers/blueberry/table02.xls|title=Data|website=usda.mannlib.cornell.edu}}</ref> This data includes both low (wild) and [[Vaccinium corymbosum|high-bush (cultivated) blueberries]]. |
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[[File:Maine The Land of Remembered Vacations, 1928 (page 1 crop).jpg|thumb|150px|left|1928 ad promoting vacations in Maine]] |
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Tourism and outdoor recreation play a major and increasingly important role in Maine's economy. The state is a popular destination for sport [[hunting]] (particularly deer, moose and bear), [[sport fishing]], [[snowmobile|snowmobiling]], [[skiing]], boating, [[camping]] and [[hiking]], among other activities. |
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Tourism and outdoor recreation play a major and increasingly important role in Maine's economy. The state is a popular destination for sport [[hunting]] (particularly deer, moose, and bear), [[sport fishing]], [[snowmobile|snowmobiling]], [[skiing]], boating, [[camping]] and [[hiking]], among other activities. Along with the tourist and recreation-oriented economy, Maine has developed a burgeoning [[creative economy]], most notably centered in the [[Portland metropolitan area, Maine|Greater Portland]] vicinity.<ref name=MaineCreativeEconomy/> |
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Maine ports |
Historically, Maine ports played a key role in national transportation. Beginning around 1880, Portland's rail link and [[ice-free port]] made it Canada's principal winter port, until the aggressive development of [[Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], Nova Scotia in the mid-20th century. In 2013, 12,039,600 [[short tons]] passed into and out of Portland by sea,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navigationdatacenter.us/wcsc/webpub13/Part1_Ports_tonsbycommCY2013.htm|title=Part1_Ports_tonsbycommCY2013.htm|website=Navigationdatacenter.us}}</ref> which places it 45th of U.S. water ports.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_57.html|title=Table 1-57: Tonnage of Top 50 U.S. Water Ports, Ranked by Total Tons(a)—Bureau of Transportation Statistics|website=Rita.dot.gov|access-date=February 4, 2016|archive-date=February 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211081001/http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_57.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Portland International Jetport]] has been expanded, providing the state with increased air traffic from carriers such as [[JetBlue]] and [[Southwest Airlines]]. |
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Maine has very few large companies that maintain headquarters in the state, and |
Maine has very few large companies that maintain headquarters in the state, and that number has fallen due to consolidations and mergers, particularly in the [[pulp and paper industry]]. Some of the larger companies that do maintain headquarters in Maine include [[Covetrus]] in Portland, [[Fairchild Semiconductor]] in South Portland, [[IDEXX Laboratories]] in Westbrook, [[Hannaford Bros. Co.]] in Scarborough, [[L.L.Bean]] in [[Freeport, Maine|Freeport]], and [[Puritan Medical Products]] in [[Guilford, Maine|Guilford]]. Maine is also the home of the [[Jackson Laboratory]], the world's largest non-profit mammalian genetic research facility and the world's largest supplier of genetically purebred mice. |
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===Taxation=== |
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{{Further|State tax levels in the United States}} |
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Maine has an [[income tax]] structure containing four brackets, which range from 2% to 8.5% of personal income. Maine's general [[sales tax]] rate is 5%. The state also levies charges of 7% on lodging and prepared food and 10% on short-term auto rentals. Commercial sellers of blueberries, a Maine staple, must keep records of their transactions and pay the state 1.5 cents per pound ($1.50 per 100 pounds) of the fruit sold each season. All [[Real property|real]] and tangible [[personal property]] located in the state of Maine is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. The administration of property taxes is handled by the local assessor in incorporated cities and towns, while property taxes in the unorganized territories are handled by the State Tax Assessor. |
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Maine has an [[income tax]] structure containing two brackets, 6.5 and 7.95 percent of personal income.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://maine.gov/revenue/forms/1040/2013/1040RateSched_13RevJan13.pdf|title=Tax forms|website=maine.gov}}</ref> Before July 2013, Maine had four brackets: 2, 4.5, 7, and 8.5 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://maine.gov/revenue/forms/1040/2012/RateSched_12.pdf|title=Tax forms|website=maine.gov}}</ref> Maine's general [[sales tax]] rate is 5.5 percent. The state also levies charges of nine percent on lodging and prepared food and ten percent on short-term auto rentals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/36/title36sec1811.html|title=Title 36, §1811: Sales tax|website=legislature.maine.gov}}</ref> Commercial sellers of blueberries, a Maine staple, must keep records of their transactions and pay the state 1.5 cents per pound ($1.50 per 100 pounds) of the fruit sold each season. All [[Real property|real]] and tangible [[personal property]] located in the state of Maine is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. The administration of property taxes is handled by the local assessor in incorporated cities and towns, while property taxes in the unorganized territories are handled by the State Tax Assessor. |
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=== Shipbuilding === |
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{{Further|Bath Iron Works|Portsmouth Naval Shipyard}} |
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===Shipbuilding=== |
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Maine has a longstanding tradition of being home to many shipbuilding companies. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Maine was home to many shipyards that produced wooden sailing ships. The main function of these ships was to transport either cargoes or passengers overseas. One of these yards was located in [[Pennellville Historic District]] in what is now Brunswick, Maine. This yard, owned by the Pennell family, was typical of the many family-owned shipbuilding companies of the time period. Other such examples of shipbuilding families were the Skolfields and the Morses. During the 18th and 19th centuries, wooden shipbuilding of this sort made up a sizable portion of the economy. |
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Maine has a long-standing tradition of being home to many shipbuilding companies, such as [[Bath Iron Works]] and the [[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]]. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Maine was home to many shipyards that produced wooden sailing ships. The main function of these ships was to transport either cargos or passengers overseas. One of these yards was located in [[Pennellville Historic District]] in what is now [[Brunswick, Maine]]. This yard, owned by the Pennell family, was typical of the many family-owned shipbuilding companies of the time period. Other such examples of shipbuilding families were the Skolfields and the Morses. During the 18th and 19th centuries, wooden shipbuilding of this sort made up a sizable portion of the economy. |
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==Transportation== |
==Transportation== |
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{{see also|Public transportation in Maine}} |
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===Airports=== |
===Airports=== |
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[[File: |
[[File:KPWM_Aerial_Wiki.jpg|thumb|[[Portland International Jetport]]]] |
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Maine receives [[Jet airliner|passenger jet]] service at its two largest airports, the [[Portland International Jetport]] in Portland, and the [[Bangor International Airport]] in Bangor. Both are served daily by many major [[airline]]s to destinations such as New York, [[Atlanta]], and [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]]. [[Essential Air Service]] also subsidizes service to a number of smaller airports in Maine, bringing small [[turboprop]] aircraft to regional airports such as the [[Augusta State Airport]], [[Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport]], [[Knox County Regional Airport]], and the [[Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle]]. These airports are served by Cape Air with |
Maine receives [[Jet airliner|passenger jet]] service at its two largest airports, the [[Portland International Jetport]] in Portland, and the [[Bangor International Airport]] in Bangor. Both are served daily by many major [[airline]]s to destinations such as New York, [[Atlanta]], and [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]]. [[Essential Air Service]] also subsidizes service to a number of smaller airports in Maine, bringing small [[turboprop]] aircraft to regional airports such as the [[Augusta State Airport]], [[Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport]], [[Knox County Regional Airport]], and the [[Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle]]. These airports are served by regional providers such as [[Cape Air]] with [[Cessna 402]]s, and [[CommutAir]] with [[Embraer ERJ-145]] aircraft. |
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Many smaller airports are scattered throughout Maine, |
Many smaller airports are scattered throughout Maine, serving only [[general aviation]] traffic. The [[Eastport Municipal Airport]], for example, is a city-owned public-use airport with 1,200 general aviation aircraft operations each year from single-engine and ultralight aircraft.<ref>{{cite web|title=KEPM—Eastport, Maine—Eastport Municipal Airport|website=Great Circle Mapper|url=http://gc.kls2.com/airport/KEPM|access-date=August 9, 2009}}</ref> |
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===Highways=== |
===Highways=== |
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[[File:PenobscotNarrowsBridgeBucksport.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Penobscot Narrows Bridge]], carrying [[U.S. Route 1]] and [[Maine State Route 3]] over the [[Penobscot River]]]] |
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[[Interstate 95 in Maine|Interstate 95]] runs through Maine, as well as its easterly branch [[Interstate 295 (Maine)|I-295]] and spurs [[Interstate 195 (Maine)|195]], [[Interstate 395 (Maine)|395]] and the unsigned [[Interstate 495 (Maine)|I-495]] In addition, [[U.S. Route 1]] starts in [[Fort Kent, Maine|Fort Kent]] and runs to [[Florida]]. The eastern terminus of the eastern section of [[U.S. Route 2]] starts in Houlton, near the New Brunswick, Canada border to [[Rouses Point, New York|Rouses Point]], New York, at [[U.S. Route 11|US 11]] . There is also another [[US Route 2A in Maine|US Route 2A]] connecting Old Town and Orono, Maine, primarily serving the [[University of Maine]] campus. US Routes [[US Route 201|201]] and [[US Route 202 in Maine|202]] flow through the state. U.S. Route 2, [[Maine State Route 6|Route 6]] and [[Maine State Route 9|Route 9]] are often used by truckers and other motorists of the [[Maritime Provinces]] ''en route'' to other destinations in the United States or as a short cut to [[Central Canada]]. |
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[[File:Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Penobscot Narrows Bridge]], carrying [[U.S. Route 1]] and [[Maine State Route 3]] over the [[Penobscot River]]]] |
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In March 2011, Maine ranked amongst the top three best states in the ''American State Litter Scorecard'', for overall effectiveness and quality of its public space cleanliness—primarily roadway and adjacent litter—from state and related debris removal efforts.<ref>{{cite conference |first= Steve |last= Spacek |date= March 13, 2011 |title=American State Litter Scorecard: New Rankings for an Increasingly Environmentally Concened Populace |url= http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=stevespacek |conference= American Society for Public Administration Conference |accessdate= March 6, 2012}}</ref> |
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[[Interstate 95 in Maine|Interstate{{spaces}}95]] (I-95) travels through Maine, as well as its easterly branch [[Interstate 295 (Maine)|I-295]] and spurs [[Interstate 195 (Maine)|I-195]], [[Interstate 395 (Maine)|I-395]] and the unsigned [[Interstate 495 (Maine)|I-495]] (the Falmouth Spur). In addition, [[U.S. Route 1 in Maine|U.S. Route{{spaces}}1]] (US{{spaces}}1) starts in [[Fort Kent, Maine|Fort Kent]] and travels to [[Florida]]. The eastern terminus of the eastern section of [[U.S. Route 2 in Maine|US{{spaces}}2]] starts in Houlton, near the New Brunswick, Canada border to [[Rouses Point, New York|Rouses Point]], New York, at [[U.S. Route 11 in New York|US{{spaces}}11]]. [[U.S. Route 2A (Maine)|US{{spaces}}2A]] connects Old Town and Orono, primarily serving the [[University of Maine]] campus. [[U.S. Route 201|US{{spaces}}201]] and [[U.S. Route 202 in Maine|US{{spaces}}202]] flow through the state. US{{spaces}}2, [[Maine State Route 6]] (SR{{spaces}}6), and [[Maine State Route 9|SR{{spaces}}9]] are often used by truckers and other motorists of the [[Maritime Provinces]] ''en route'' to other destinations in the United States or as a short cut to [[Central Canada]]. |
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===Rail=== |
===Rail=== |
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[[File:Map of Electric Railway Lines in Maine c 1907.png|thumb|Map of Electric Railway Lines in Maine c 1907]] |
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{{See also|List of Maine railroads}} |
{{See also|List of Maine railroads}} |
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====Passenger==== |
====Passenger==== |
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[[File:Amtrak downeaster ocean park 2005.jpg|thumb|right|A southbound ''[[Downeaster]]'' passenger train at [[Ocean Park, Maine]], as viewed from the cab of a northbound train]] |
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The ''[[Downeaster]]'' passenger train, operated by [[Amtrak]], provides passenger service between Brunswick and Boston's [[North Station]], with stops in Freeport, Portland, Old Orchard Beach, Saco, and Wells. The Downeaster makes five daily trips, two of which continue past Portland to [[Brunswick, Maine|Brunswick]].<ref>{{cite web| title=Downeaster Schedule, effective November 1, 2012| url=http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/315/752/Downeaster-Schedule-110112.pdf| work=Amtrak Train Schedules, Timetables| publisher=[[Amtrak]]| accessdate=10 November 2012}}</ref> |
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[[File:Amtrak downeaster ocean park 2005.jpg|thumb|upright|A southbound ''[[Downeaster (train)|Downeaster]]'' passenger train at [[Ocean Park, Maine]], as viewed from the cab of a northbound train]] |
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Seasonal passenger excursions between Brunswick and Rockland are operated by the [[Maine Eastern Railroad]], which leases the state-owned [[Maine Central Railroad Rockland Branch|Rockland Branch]] rail corridor. |
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The ''[[Downeaster (train)|Downeaster]]'' passenger train, operated by [[Amtrak]], provides passenger service between Brunswick and Boston's [[North Station]], with stops in Freeport, Portland, [[Old Orchard Beach, Maine|Old Orchard Beach]], Saco, and [[Wells, Maine|Wells]]. The ''Downeaster'' makes five daily trips.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://amtrakdowneaster.com/sites/default/files/schedule/2019_SpringSchedule_8.5x11_FINAL.pdf|title=Downeaster Schedule|website=Amtrak Downeaster|date=May 20, 2019|access-date=May 10, 2019|archive-date=May 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511193330/https://amtrakdowneaster.com/sites/default/files/schedule/2019_SpringSchedule_8.5x11_FINAL.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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====Freight==== |
====Freight==== |
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Freight service throughout the state is provided by a handful of regional and shortline carriers: [[Pan Am Railways]] (formerly known as Guilford Rail System), which operates the former [[Boston and Maine Railroad|Boston |
Freight service throughout the state is provided by a handful of regional and shortline carriers: [[Pan Am Railways]] (formerly known as Guilford Rail System), which operates the former [[Boston and Maine Railroad|Boston and Maine]] and [[Maine Central Railroad|Maine Central]] railroads; [[St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad]]; [[Maine Eastern Railroad]]; [[Central Maine and Quebec Railway]]; and [[New Brunswick Southern Railway]]. |
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===Shipping=== |
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====Cargo==== |
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The International Marine Terminal in [[Portland, Maine|Portland]] provides shipping container transport. In 2021 an estimated 36,700 shipping containers moved through the terminal. In 2017, a total of 17,515 shipping containers were transported. The Icelandic shipping company [[Eimskip]] opened its United States headquarters in Portland in 2013. Its ships stop in Portland once a week in a route that includes Atlantic Canada and Iceland with connections to northern Europe and Asia.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Writer|first=Peter McGuireStaff|date=November 13, 2021|title=With other cargo ports in chaos, Portland's is sailing toward a record-breaking year|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2021/11/13/amid-chaos-at-other-ports-portlands-container-terminal-is-on-track-for-its-busiest-year-ever/|access-date=July 6, 2022|website=Press Herald}}</ref> In 2015, the terminal moved 10,500 containers. The Maine Port Authority in 2016 began a $15.5 million expansion and improvement of the terminal. The Maine Port Authority leased the International Marine Terminal from the city of Portland in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Writer|first=PENELOPE OVERTONStaff|date=July 6, 2016|title=Port of Portland approved for federal grant that will double freight capacity|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2016/07/06/port-of-portland-approved-for-7-million-grant/|access-date=July 6, 2022|website=Press Herald}}</ref> |
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==Law and government== |
==Law and government== |
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{{See also|List of Governors of Maine|List of United States Senators from Maine|List of Maine State Senators|As Maine goes, so goes the nation|Political party strength in Maine}} |
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{{See also|List of Governors of Maine|List of United States Senators from Maine|List of Maine State Senators|Electoral reform in Maine}} |
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The [[Maine Constitution]] structures Maine's state government, composed of three co-equal branches—the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The state of Maine also has three Constitutional Officers (the Secretary of State, the State Treasurer, and the State Attorney General) and one Statutory Officer (the State Auditor). |
The [[Maine Constitution]] structures Maine's state government, composed of three co-equal branches—the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The state of Maine also has three Constitutional Officers (the Secretary of State, the State Treasurer, and the State Attorney General) and one Statutory Officer (the State Auditor). |
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The [[legislative branch]] is the [[Maine Legislature]], a bicameral body composed of the [[Maine House of Representatives]], with 151 members, and the [[Maine Senate]], with 35 members. The Legislature is charged with introducing and passing laws. |
The [[legislative branch]] is the [[Maine Legislature]], a bicameral body composed of the [[Maine House of Representatives]], with 151 members, and the [[Maine Senate]], with 35 members. The Legislature is charged with introducing and passing laws. |
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The [[executive branch]] |
The [[executive branch]] is headed by the [[Governor of Maine]] (currently [[Janet Mills]]). The Governor is elected every four years; no individual may serve more than two consecutive terms in this office. The current [[attorney general of Maine]] is [[Aaron Frey]]. As with other [[State legislature (United States)|state legislatures]], the Maine Legislature can by a two-thirds majority vote from both the House and Senate override a gubernatorial veto. Maine is one of seven states that do not have a lieutenant governor. |
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[[File:Maine-gov-logo.svg|left|thumb|Maine.gov logo]] |
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The highest court in the state's [[judicial branch]] is the [[Maine Supreme Judicial Court]]. The lower courts are the District Court, [[Maine Superior Court|Superior Court]] and Probate Court. All judges except for probate judges serve full-time, are nominated by the Governor, and confirmed by the Legislature for terms of seven years. Probate judges serve part-time and are elected by the voters of each county for four-year terms. |
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In a 2020 study, Maine was ranked as the 14th easiest state for citizens to vote in.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=J. Pomante II|first1=Michael|last2=Li|first2=Quan|title=Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020|journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy|date=December 15, 2020|volume=19|issue=4|pages=503–509|doi=10.1089/elj.2020.0666|s2cid=225139517|doi-access=free}}</ref> In 2012, Maine became one of the first U.S. states to establish [[Same-sex marriage in Maine|marriage rights for same-sex couples]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Sharp|first=David|date=December 29, 2012|title=Gay marriage law goes into effect in Maine|url=https://news.yahoo.com/gay-marriage-law-goes-effect-maine-050227252.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221062217/http://news.yahoo.com/gay-marriage-law-goes-effect-maine-050227252.html|archive-date=February 21, 2013|access-date=April 13, 2013|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> |
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The [[judicial branch]] is responsible for interpreting state laws. The highest court of the state is the [[Maine Supreme Judicial Court]]. The lower courts are the District Court, [[Maine Superior Court|Superior Court]] and Probate Court. All judges except for probate judges serve full-time; are nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Legislature for terms of seven years. Probate judges serve part-time and are elected by the voters of each county for four-year terms. |
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===Politics=== |
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{{Main|Politics of Maine}} |
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Maine politics are dynamic in nature, with parties loosely hung together, governors often winning by pluralities rather than majorities, and significant turnover both in members and parties in [[Electoral district|legislative districts]]. In his 2010 article ''Maine's Paradoxical Politics'', Kenneth Palmer suggests that "Maine's political leaders find themselves as [[Centrism|centrists]], primarily because they want to find practical solutions to difficult problems."<ref>Palmer, Kenneth. "Maine's Paradoxical Politics." Maine Policy Review 19.1 (2010) : 26 -34, https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mpr/vol19/iss1/5 .</ref> |
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The results of the elections are often [[Bipartisan|varied]]. Maine is seen as a blue-leaning [[swing state]], with unusually high support for [[independent candidates]]. [[Republican Party (United States)|The Republican Party]] have won Maine in 11 out of the past 20 presidential elections, and the governorship has been won by [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] and independents three times each, and Republicans four times, since 1974.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|access-date=September 14, 2020|website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref> |
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Maine uses [[Ranked-choice voting in the United States|ranked choice voting]] in primary elections for state and federal offices, as well as in general elections for federal offices. Ranked choice voting was adopted by voters in a [[2016 Maine Question 5|2016 referendum]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions|url=https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/upcoming/rankedchoicefaq.html|access-date=September 13, 2023|website=www.maine.gov}}</ref> |
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===Counties=== |
===Counties=== |
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Maine is divided into political jurisdictions designated as [[County (United States)|counties]]. As of 1860 there were 16 counties in the state, ranging in size from {{convert|370|sqmi|km2|sigfig=2}} to {{convert|6829|sqmi|km2|sigfig=3}}. |
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{{See also|List of counties in Maine}} |
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<center> |
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{| class="wikitable collapsible" style="margin:lem; margin-top:0;" |
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Maine is divided into political jurisdictions designated as [[County (United States)|counties]]. Since 1860 there have been 16 counties in the state, ranging in size from {{convert|370|to|6829|sqmi|km2|sigfig=3}}. |
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!colspan="7" style="white-space: nowrap;" | MAINE COUNTIES |
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{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" style="margin: auto;" |
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|+ style="white-space: nowrap;" | Maine counties |
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|- |
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! scope="col" | County name |
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|County name||County seat||Year founded||2010 population<ref name=CensusQuickFacts>{{cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/23000.html|title=Maine QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau|work=State & County QuickFacts|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date=Tuesday, 17-Jan-2012 16:41:36 EST |accessdate=February 12, 2012}}</ref>||Percent of total||Area (sq. mi.)||Percent of total |
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! scope="col" | County seat |
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! scope="col" | Year founded |
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! scope="col" | Population<br /><small>2020 Census</small> |
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! scope="col" | Percent of total |
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! scope="col" | Area (sq. mi.) |
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! scope="col" | Percent of total |
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|- |
|- |
||
|[[Androscoggin County, Maine|Androscoggin]]||[[Auburn, Maine|Auburn]]||1854|| |
|[[Androscoggin County, Maine|Androscoggin]]||[[Auburn, Maine|Auburn]]||1854||111,139||8.16%||497||1.44% |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Aroostook County, Maine|Aroostook]]||[[Houlton, Maine|Houlton]]||1839|| |
|[[Aroostook County, Maine|Aroostook]]||[[Houlton, Maine|Houlton]]||1839||67,105||4.93%||6,829||19.76% |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Cumberland County, Maine|Cumberland]]||[[Portland, Maine|Portland]]||1760|| |
|[[Cumberland County, Maine|Cumberland]]||[[Portland, Maine|Portland]]||1760||303,069||22.25%||1,217||3.52% |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Franklin County, Maine|Franklin]]||[[Farmington, Maine|Farmington]]||1838|| |
|[[Franklin County, Maine|Franklin]]||[[Farmington, Maine|Farmington]]||1838||29,456||2.16%||1,744||5.05% |
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|- |
|- |
||
|[[Hancock County, Maine|Hancock]]||[[Ellsworth, Maine|Ellsworth]]||1789|| |
|[[Hancock County, Maine|Hancock]]||[[Ellsworth, Maine|Ellsworth]]||1789||55,478||4.07%||1,522||4.40% |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Kennebec County, Maine|Kennebec]]||[[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]]||1799|| |
|[[Kennebec County, Maine|Kennebec]]||[[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]]||1799||123,642||9.08%||951||2.75% |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Knox County, Maine|Knox]]||[[Rockland, Maine|Rockland]]||1860|| |
|[[Knox County, Maine|Knox]]||[[Rockland, Maine|Rockland]]||1860||40,607||2.98%||1,142||3.30% |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Lincoln County, Maine|Lincoln]]||[[Wiscasset, Maine|Wiscasset]]||1760|| |
|[[Lincoln County, Maine|Lincoln]]||[[Wiscasset, Maine|Wiscasset]]||1760||35,237||2.59%||700||2.03% |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Oxford County, Maine|Oxford]]||[[Paris, Maine|Paris]]||1805||57, |
|[[Oxford County, Maine|Oxford]]||[[Paris, Maine|Paris]]||1805||57,777||4.24%||2,175||6.29% |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Penobscot County, Maine|Penobscot]]||[[Bangor, Maine|Bangor]]||1816|| |
|[[Penobscot County, Maine|Penobscot]]||[[Bangor, Maine|Bangor]]||1816||152,199||11.17%||3,556||10.29% |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Piscataquis County, Maine|Piscataquis]]||[[Dover-Foxcroft, Maine|Dover-Foxcroft]]||1838|| |
|[[Piscataquis County, Maine|Piscataquis]]||[[Dover-Foxcroft, Maine|Dover-Foxcroft]]||1838||16,800||1.23%||4,377||12.67% |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Sagadahoc County, Maine|Sagadahoc]]||[[Bath, Maine|Bath]]||1854|| |
|[[Sagadahoc County, Maine|Sagadahoc]]||[[Bath, Maine|Bath]]||1854||36,699||2.69%||370||1.07% |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Somerset County, Maine|Somerset]]||[[Skowhegan, Maine|Skowhegan]]||1809|| |
|[[Somerset County, Maine|Somerset]]||[[Skowhegan, Maine|Skowhegan]]||1809||50,477||3.71%||4,095||11.85% |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Waldo County, Maine|Waldo]]||[[Belfast, Maine|Belfast]]||1827|| |
|[[Waldo County, Maine|Waldo]]||[[Belfast, Maine|Belfast]]||1827||39,607||2.91%||853||2.47% |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Washington County, Maine|Washington]]||[[Machias, Maine|Machias]]||1790|| |
|[[Washington County, Maine|Washington]]||[[Machias, Maine|Machias]]||1790||31,095||2.28%||3,255||9.42% |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[York County, Maine|York]]||[[Alfred, Maine|Alfred]]||1636|| |
|[[York County, Maine|York]]||[[Alfred, Maine|Alfred]]||1636||211,972||15.56%||1,271||3.68% |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|Total counties: 16|| || ||Total |
|Total counties: 16|| || ||Total 2020 population: 1,362,359|| ||Total state area: {{convert|34554|sqmi|km2|0}} |
||
|} |
|} |
||
</center> |
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=== |
===Law enforcement=== |
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{{excerpt|Maine State Police}} |
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{{See also|Maine gubernatorial election, 2006|Maine gubernatorial election, 2010|Maine Republican Party|Maine Democratic Party|Maine Green Independent Party|Libertarian Party of Maine|Electoral reform in Maine|Same-sex marriage in Maine}} |
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==Municipalities== |
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In state [[general elections]], Maine voters tend to accept [[Independent (politician)|independent]] and third-party candidates more frequently than most states. Maine has had two independent governors recently ([[James B. Longley]], 1975–1979 and [[Angus King]], 1995–2003). Maine state politicians, Republicans and Democrats alike, are noted for having more moderate views than many in the national wings of their respective parties. |
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===Organized municipalities=== |
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{{main|List of municipalities in Maine}} |
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An organized municipality has a form of elected local government which administers and provides local services, keeps records, collects licensing fees, and can pass locally binding [[municipal ordinance|ordinances]], among other responsibilities of self-government. The governmental format of most organized towns and [[Plantation (Maine)|plantations]] is the town meeting, while the format of most cities is the council-manager form. {{as of|2022}} the organized municipalities of Maine consist of 23 [[List of cities in Maine|cities]], 430 [[List of towns in Maine|towns]], and 30 [[List of plantations in Maine|plantations]]. Collectively these 483 organized municipalities cover less than half of the state's territory. Maine also has three{{contradictory inline|List of places in Maine|date=July 2021}} Reservations: [[Penobscot Indian Island Reservation|Indian Island]], Indian Township Reservation, and Pleasant Point Indian Reservation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maine.gov/local/|title=Maine.gov: Local|website=maine.gov|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=July 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721045647/http://www.maine.gov/local/|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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* The largest municipality in Maine, by population, is the city of Portland (pop. 68,408). |
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* The smallest city by population is Eastport (pop. 1,288). |
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* The largest town by population is Brunswick (pop. 21,756). |
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* The smallest town by population is [[Frye Island, Maine|Frye Island]], a resort town which reported zero year-round population in the 2000 Census; one plantation, [[Glenwood Plantation, Maine|Glenwood Plantation]], also reported a permanent population of zero. |
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* In the 2000 census, the smallest town aside from Frye Island was [[Centerville, Maine|Centerville]] with a population of 26, but since that census, Centerville voted to disincorporate and therefore is no longer a town. The next smallest town with a population listed in that census is [[Beddington, Maine|Beddington]] (pop. 60 at the 2020 census). |
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* The largest municipality by land area is the town of [[Allagash, Maine|Allagash]], at {{convert|128|sqmi|km2|0}}. |
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* The smallest municipality by land area is [[Monhegan, Maine|Monhegan Island]], at {{convert|0.86|sqmi|km2|sigfig=2}}. The smallest municipality by area that is not an island is [[Randolph, Maine|Randolph]], at {{convert|2.23|sqmi|km2|0}}. |
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===Unorganized territory=== |
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Maine is an [[alcoholic beverage control state]]. On May 6, 2009, Maine became the fifth state to legalize [[Same-sex marriage in Maine|same-sex marriage]]; however, the law was repealed by voters on November 3, 2009.{{citation needed|date=August 2012}} |
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{{main|List of unorganized territories in Maine}} |
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[[Unincorporated area#U.S. Census Bureau|Unorganized territory]] (UT) has no local government. Administration, services, licensing, and ordinances are handled by the state government as well as by respective county governments who have townships within each county's bounds. The unorganized territory of Maine consists of more than 400 townships (in Maine, towns are incorporated, townships are unincorporated), plus many coastal islands that do not lie within any municipal bounds. The UT land area is slightly over half the entire area of the State of Maine. Year-round residents in the UT number approximately 9,000 (about 1.3% of the state's total population), with many more people staying there only seasonally. Only four of [[List of counties in Maine|Maine's sixteen counties]] (Androscoggin, Cumberland, Waldo and York) are entirely incorporated, although a few others are nearly so, and most of the unincorporated area is in the vast and sparsely populated [[Maine North Woods|Great North Woods of Maine]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maine.gov/revenue/propertytax/unorganizedterritory/unorganized.htm|title=Unorganized Territory|website=maine.gov|access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> |
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===Most populous cities and towns=== |
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On November 6, 2012, Maine, along with Maryland and Washington, became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage at the ballot box.<ref>"[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/maine-gay-marriage-question-1-results_n_2050863.html Maine Passes Gay Marriage in Historic 'Question 1' Vote]". ''[[The Huffington Post]]''. November 7, 2012.</ref> |
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{{Largest cities |
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| country = Maine |
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| stat_ref = 2020 U.S. Census populations<ref>{{cite web|title=QuickFacts|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/US|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 9, 2023}}</ref> |
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| list_by_pop = |
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| div_name = |
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| div_link = List of counties in Maine{{!}}County |
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| city_1 = Portland, Maine{{!}}Portland |
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| div_1 = Cumberland County, Maine{{!}}Cumberland |
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| pop_1 = 68,408 |
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| img_1 = Portland Waterfront.jpeg |
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| city_2 = Lewiston, Maine{{!}}Lewiston |
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| div_2 = Androscoggin County, Maine{{!}}Androscoggin |
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| pop_2 = 37,121 |
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| img_2 = Lew2maine.jpg |
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| city_3 = Bangor, Maine{{!}}Bangor |
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| div_3 = Penobscot County, Maine{{!}}Penobscot |
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| pop_3 = 31,753 |
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| img_3 = BANGOR ME.jpg |
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| city_4 = South Portland, Maine{{!}}South Portland |
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| div_4 = Cumberland County, Maine{{!}}Cumberland |
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| pop_4 = 26,498 |
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| img_4 = Southern Maine Community College, South Portland, ME - IMG 8172.JPG |
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| city_5 = Auburn, Maine{{!}}Auburn |
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| div_5 = Androscoggin County, Maine{{!}}Androscoggin |
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| pop_5 = 24,061 |
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| city_6 = Biddeford, Maine{{!}}Biddeford |
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| div_6 = York County, Maine{{!}}York |
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| pop_6 = 22,552 |
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| city_7 = Scarborough, Maine{{!}}Scarborough |
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| div_7 = Cumberland County, Maine{{!}}Cumberland |
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| pop_7 = 22,135 |
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| city_8 = Sanford, Maine{{!}}Sanford |
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| div_8 = York County, Maine{{!}}York |
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| pop_8 = 21,982 |
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| city_9 = Brunswick, Maine{{!}}Brunswick |
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| div_9 = Cumberland County, Maine{{!}}Cumberland |
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| pop_9 = 21,756 |
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| city_10 = Westbrook, Maine{{!}}Westbrook |
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| div_10 = Cumberland County, Maine{{!}}Cumberland |
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| pop_10 = 20,400 |
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}} |
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Throughout Maine, many municipalities, although each separate governmental entities, nevertheless form portions of a much larger population base. There are many such population clusters throughout Maine, but some examples from the municipalities appearing in the above listing are: |
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===Federal politics=== |
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* Portland, South Portland, [[Cape Elizabeth, Maine|Cape Elizabeth]], Westbrook, Scarborough, and [[Falmouth, Maine|Falmouth]] |
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{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em; font-size:95%;" |
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* Lewiston and Auburn |
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|+ '''Presidential election results'''<ref>{{cite web|title = Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections | accessdate = 2011-06-11 | url = http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20110604224433/http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/| archivedate= 4 June 2011 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> |
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* Bangor, [[Orono, Maine|Orono]], [[Brewer, Maine|Brewer]], [[Old Town, Maine|Old Town]], and [[Hampden, Maine|Hampden]] |
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|- style="background:lightgrey;" |
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* Biddeford, Saco and [[Old Orchard Beach, Maine|Old Orchard Beach]] |
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! Year |
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* Brunswick and [[Topsham, Maine|Topsham]] |
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! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] |
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* [[Waterville, Maine|Waterville]], [[Winslow, Maine|Winslow]], [[Fairfield, Maine|Fairfield]], and [[Oakland, Maine|Oakland]] |
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! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] |
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* [[Presque Isle, Maine|Presque Isle]] and [[Caribou, Maine|Caribou]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=16000US2360545&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US23%7C16000US2360545&_street=&_county=portland&_cityTown=portland&_state=04000US23&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=040|title=Fact Finder US Census Maine Portland|access-date=November 4, 2006|archive-date=February 12, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212052528/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=16000US2360545&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US23%7C16000US2360545&_street=&_county=portland&_cityTown=portland&_state=04000US23&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=040|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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|- style="text-align:center;" |
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| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2012|2012]] |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|'''56.27%''' ''401,306 |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|40.98% ''292,276 |
|||
|- style="text-align:center;" |
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| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2008|2008]] |
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| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|'''57.71%''' ''421,923 |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|40.38% ''295,283 |
|||
|- style="text-align:center;" |
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| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004]] |
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| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|'''53.57%''' ''396,842 |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|44.58% ''330,201 |
|||
|- style="text-align:center;" |
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| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2000|2000]] |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|'''49.09%''' ''319,951 |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|43.97% ''286,616 |
|||
|- style="text-align:center;" |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1996|1996]] |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|'''51.62%''' ''312,788 |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|30.76% ''186,378 |
|||
|- style="text-align:center;" |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1992|1992]] |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|'''38.77%''' ''263,420 |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|30.39% ''206,504 |
|||
|- style="text-align:center;" |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1988|1988]] |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|43.88% ''243,569 |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|'''55.34%''' ''307,131 |
|||
|- style="text-align:center;" |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1984|1984]] |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|38.78% ''214,515 |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|'''60.83%''' ''336,500 |
|||
|- style="text-align:center;" |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1980|1980]] |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|42.25% ''220,974 |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|'''45.61%''' ''238,522 |
|||
|- style="text-align:center;" |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1976|1976]] |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|48.07% ''232,279 |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|'''48.91%''' ''236,320 |
|||
|- style="text-align:center;" |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1972|1972]] |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|38.48% ''160,584 |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|'''61.46%''' ''256,458 |
|||
|- style="text-align:center;" |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1968|1968]] |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|'''55.30%''' ''217,312 |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|43.07% ''169,254 |
|||
|- style="text-align:center;" |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1964|1964]] |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|'''68.84%''' ''262,264 |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|31.16% ''118,701 |
|||
|- style="text-align:center;" |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1960|1960]] |
|||
| style="background:#f0f0ff;"|42.95% ''181,159 |
|||
| style="background:#fff3f3;"|'''57.05%''' ''240,608 |
|||
|- style="text-align:center;" |
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|} |
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[[File:SMCandOJS.jpg|thumb|In 2010, Maine's two U.S. senators were [[Susan Collins]], left, and [[Olympia Snowe]].]] |
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In the 1930s, Maine was one of very few states which retained [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] sentiments. In the [[United States presidential election, 1936|1936 presidential election]], [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] received the [[Electoral College (United States)|electoral votes]] of every state other than Maine and [[Vermont]]; these were the only two states in the nation that never voted for Roosevelt in any of his presidential campaigns, though Maine was closely fought in [[United States presidential election, 1940|1940]] and [[United States presidential election, 1944|1944]]. In the 1960s, Maine began to lean toward the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], especially in [[President of the United States|presidential]] elections. In [[United States presidential election, 1968|1968]], [[Hubert Humphrey]] became just the second Democrat in half a century to carry Maine, thanks to the presence of his running mate, Maine Senator [[Edmund Muskie]], although the state voted Republican in every presidential election in the 1970s and 1980s. |
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==Education== |
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Maine has voted for the Democratic candidate in six successive presidential elections, casting its votes for [[Bill Clinton]] twice, [[Al Gore]] in [[United States presidential election, 2000|2000]], [[John Kerry]] (with 53.6% of the vote) in [[United States presidential election, 2004|2004]], and [[Barack Obama]] in [[United States presidential election, 2008|2008]] and [[United States presidential election, 2012|2012]]. Although Democrats have carried the state in presidential elections in recent years, Republicans have largely maintained their control of the state's [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] seats, with Edmund Muskie, [[William Hathaway]] and [[George J. Mitchell]] being the only Maine Democrats serving in the U.S. Senate in the past fifty years. |
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{{Further| List of colleges and universities in Maine|Education in Maine|List of high schools in Maine|List of school districts in Maine}} |
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In the 2010 midterm elections, Republicans made major gains in Maine. They captured the governor's office as well as majorities in both chambers of the state legislature for the first time since the early 1970s. However, in 2012 elections Democrats managed to recapture both houses of [[Maine Legislature]], and through the election of former governor Angus King at the Senate seat vacated by Olympia Snowe, obtained an additional caucus member reaching 55 seats. |
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[[File:UMaine StevensHall.jpg|thumb|The [[University of Maine]] is the state's only research university.]] |
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There are thirty institutions of [[Higher education|higher learning]] in Maine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/classification_descriptions/basic.php|title=Carnegie Classifications {{!}} Basic Classification|website=carnegieclassifications.iu.edu|access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref> These institutions include the [[University of Maine]], which is the oldest, largest and only [[University|research university]] in the state. UMaine was founded in 1865 and is the state's only [[land grant]] and [[sea grant]] college. The University of Maine is located in the town of [[Orono, Maine|Orono]] and is the flagship of Maine. There are also branch campuses in [[University of Maine at Augusta|Augusta]], [[University of Maine at Farmington|Farmington]], [[University of Maine at Fort Kent|Fort Kent]], [[University of Maine at Machias|Machias]], and [[University of Maine at Presque Isle|Presque Isle]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://umaine.edu/about/|title=About UMaine|publisher=Umaine.edu|access-date=July 18, 2016}}</ref>[[File:Bowdoin_College_Chapel_-_Bowdoin_College_-_IMG_7793.JPG|thumb|[[Colby College|Colby]], [[Bates College|Bates]], and [[Bowdoin College|Bowdoin]] (pictured) Colleges form the [[Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium]]]] |
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[[Bowdoin College]] is a liberal arts college founded in 1794 in Brunswick, making it the oldest institution of higher learning in the state. [[Colby College]] in Waterville was founded in 1813 making it the second oldest college in Maine.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About|url=https://www.colby.edu/about/|access-date=August 19, 2016|website=colby.edu}}</ref> [[Bates College]] in Lewiston was founded in 1855 making it the third oldest institution in the state and the oldest [[Mixed-sex education|coeducational]] college in New England.<ref name=":31">{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/colleges/bates-college/|title=Bates College|website=Forbes|access-date=June 16, 2016|quote=[Bates College] was the first coeducational college in New England.}}</ref> The three colleges collectively form the [[Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium]] and are ranked among the best colleges in the United States; often placing in the top 10% of all liberal arts colleges.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges?int=a73d09|title=National Liberal Arts College Rankings {{!}} Top Liberal Arts Colleges {{!}} US News Best Colleges|website=colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com|access-date=August 12, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012042527/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges?int=a73d09|archive-date=October 12, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://washingtonmonthly.com/college-guide/college-guide-rankings-2015-liberal-arts/|title=College Guide Rankings 2015—Liberal Arts Colleges|website=Washington Monthly|date=May 26, 2016|access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/list/|title=America's Top Colleges|website=[[Forbes]]|access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref> |
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Maine's per-student public expenditure for elementary and secondary schools was 21st in the nation in 2012, at $12,344.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/29/how-states-are-spending-money-in-education|title=How States Are Spending Money in Education|last1=Bidwell|first1=Allie|website=[[U.S. News & World Report]]—News|access-date=May 5, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505044339/http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/29/how-states-are-spending-money-in-education|archive-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> |
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[[Ross Perot]] achieved a great deal of success in Maine in the presidential elections of [[United States presidential election, 1992|1992]] and [[United States presidential election, 1996|1996]]. In 1992 as an [[Independent (politician)|independent candidate]], Perot came in second to Democrat Bill Clinton, despite the longtime presence of the [[Bush family]] summer home in [[Kennebunkport, Maine|Kennebunkport]]. In 1996, as the nominee of the [[Reform Party (United States)|Reform Party]], Perot did better in Maine than in any other state. |
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The collegiate system of Maine also includes numerous [[Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education|baccalaureate]] colleges such as: the [[Maine Maritime Academy]] (MMA), [[College of the Atlantic]], [[Unity College (Maine)|Unity College]], and [[Thomas College]]. There is only one medical school in the state, ([[University of New England (United States)|University of New England]]'s [[University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine|College of Osteopathic Medicine]]) and only one law school (The [[University of Maine School of Law]]). There is one art school in the state, [[Maine College of Art & Design|Maine College of Art]], along with a private graduate school, [[Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts]], which offers a [[Doctor of Philosophy]] to visual artists. |
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Since 1969, two of Maine's four electoral votes are awarded based on the winner of the statewide election. The other two go to the highest vote-winner in each of the state's two congressional districts. Every other state except [[Nebraska]] gives all of its electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote in the state at large, without regard to performance within districts. |
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The [[Maine Community College System]], founded in 1985 also serves "to provide associate degree, diploma and certificate programs directed at the educational, career and technical needs of the State's citizens and the workforce needs of the State's employers."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Title 20-A, §12703: Mission and goals|url=http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/20-a/title20-Asec12703.html|access-date=October 26, 2022|website=Maine Legislature}}</ref> This system includes [[Southern Maine Community College]] (SMCC), [[York County Community College]] (YCCC), [[Central Maine Community College]] (CMCC), [[Eastern Maine Community College]] (EMCC), [[Kennebec Valley Community College]] (KVCC), [[Northern Maine Community College]] (NMCC), and [[Washington County Community College]] (WCCC).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Our Colleges|url=https://www.mccs.me.edu/our-colleges/|access-date=October 26, 2022|website=Maine Community College System|language=en}}</ref> |
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Famous politicians from Maine include [[Percival Baxter]], [[James Blaine]], [[Owen Brewster]], [[William Cohen]], [[Susan Collins]], [[Hannibal Hamlin]], George J. Mitchell, Edmund Muskie, [[Thomas Brackett Reed]], [[Margaret Chase Smith]], [[Olympia Snowe]], and [[Wallace H. White, Jr.]] |
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Private schools in Maine are funded independently of the state and its furthered domains. Private schools are less common than public schools. A large number of private elementary schools with under 20 students exist, but most private high schools in Maine can be described as "semi-private". |
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Maine's U.S. senators are Republican Susan Collins and Independent Angus King. The governor is Republican [[Paul LePage]]. The state's two members of the [[United States House of Representatives]] are Democrats [[Chellie Pingree]] and [[Mike Michaud]]. |
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Maine also has Vocational Schools, such as the [[Biddeford Regional Center of Technology]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Biddeford Regional Center of Technology|url=https://www.biddefordschools.me/o/brct|access-date=February 4, 2023|website=www.biddefordschools.me|language=en}}</ref> and Sanford Regional Technical Center<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sanford Regional Technical Center|url=https://www.sanford.org/o/sanford-regional-technical-center|access-date=February 4, 2023|website=www.sanford.org|language=en}}</ref> that teach trades such as welding, construction and vehicle repair to students. |
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==Municipalities== |
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===Organized municipalities=== |
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An organized municipality has a form of elected local government which administers and provides local services, keeps records, collects licensing fees, and can pass locally binding [[municipal ordinance|ordinances]] among other responsibilities of self-government. The governmental format of most organized towns and [[Plantation (Maine)|plantations]] is the Town Meeting, while the format of most cities is the Council-Manager form. As of 2013 the organized municipalities of Maine consist of 23 [[List of cities in Maine|cities]], 431 [[List of towns in Maine|towns]], and 34 [[List of plantations in Maine|plantations]]. Collectively these 488 organized municipalities cover less than half of the state's territory. Maine also has 3 Reservations: [[Penobscot Indian Island Reservation|Indian Island]], Indian Township Reservation, and Pleasant Point Indian Reservation.<ref>[http://www.maine.gov/local/ Maine City and Town Index]</ref> |
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==Culture== |
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* The largest municipality in Maine, by population, is the city of [[Portland, Maine|Portland]] (pop. 64,249). |
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===Agriculture=== |
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* The smallest city by population is [[Eastport, Maine|Eastport]] (pop. 1,640). |
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* The largest town by population is [[Brunswick, Maine|Brunswick]] (pop. 20,278). |
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* The smallest town by population is [[Frye Island, Maine|Frye Island]], a resort town which reported zero year-round population in the 2000 Census; one plantation, [[Glenwood Plantation, Maine]], also reported a permanent population of zero. |
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* In the 2000 census, the smallest town aside from Frye Island was [[Centerville, Maine|Centerville]] with a population of 26, but since that census, Centerville voted to disincorporate and therefore is no longer a town. The next smallest town with a population listed in that census is [[Beddington, Maine|Beddington]] (pop. 50 at the 2010 census). |
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* The largest municipality by land area is the town of [[Allagash, Maine|Allagash]], at {{convert|128|sqmi|km2|0}}. |
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* The smallest municipality by land area is the plantation of [[Monhegan, Maine|Monhegan Island]], at {{convert|0.86|sqmi|km2|sigfig=2}}. |
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Maine was a center of agriculture before it achieved statehood. Prior to colonization, [[Wabanaki Confederacy|Wabanaki]] nations farmed large crops of corn and other produce in southern Maine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2020/02/16/colony-chapter-i-dawnland/|title=Colony, Chapter I: Dawnland|last=Woodard|first=Colin|date=February 16, 2020|website=Press Herald|access-date=March 5, 2020}}</ref> |
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===Unorganized territory=== |
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[[Unorganized territory]] has no local government. Administration, services, licensing, and ordinances are handled by the state government. The Unorganized Territory of Maine consists of over 400 townships (towns are incorporated, townships are unincorporated), plus many coastal islands that do not lie within any municipal bounds. The UT land area is slightly over one half the entire area of the State of Maine. Year-round residents in the UT number approximately 9,000, about 1.3% of the state's total population, with many more people residing only seasonally within the UT. Only four of [[List of counties in Maine|Maine's sixteen counties]] (Androscoggin, Cumberland, Waldo, and York) are entirely incorporated, although a few others are nearly so, and most of the unincorporated area is in the vast and sparsely populated [[Maine North Woods|Great North Woods of Maine]].<ref>[http://www.maine.gov/revenue/propertytax/unorganizedterritory/unorganized.htm Maine Township Listing (Unorganized Territories)]</ref> |
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Maine was a center of grain production in the 1800s, until grain production moved westward. However, in the early 2000s the local food movement spurred renewed interested in locally grown grains. In 2007, the Kneading Conference was founded. In, 2012, the [[Skowhegan, Maine|Skowhegan]] grist mill Maine Grains opened.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brozek|first=Kathy O.|date=November 19, 2014|title=An artisan grain industry takes root in Maine|url=http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/nov/19/maine-local-food-farming-grains|access-date=April 6, 2022|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Wu|first=Tim|date=July 24, 2020|title=Opinion {{!}} That Flour You Bought Could Be the Future of the U.S. Economy|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/24/opinion/us-grain-industry.html|access-date=April 6, 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The revival of grain farming and milling in Maine has led to the creation of other businesses, including bakeries and malthouses.<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 28, 2021|title=A Grainshed Rises in the Northeast|url=https://modernfarmer.com/2021/02/a-grainshed-rises-in-the-northeast/|access-date=April 6, 2022|website=Modern Farmer|language=en-US}}</ref> |
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===Most populous cities and towns=== |
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[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=16000US2360545&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US23%7C16000US2360545&_street=&_county=portland&_cityTown=portland&_state=04000US23&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=040 Fact Finder US Census Maine Portland]: |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|+ The 49 most populous cities and towns as of the year 2010 US Census |
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|- style="text-align:center;" |
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| style="width:125pt;"| [[Portland, Maine|Portland]]<br /> (66,194)<br /> |
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| style="width:125pt;"| [[Lewiston, Maine|Lewiston]]<br /> (41,592)<br /> |
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| style="width:125pt;"| [[Bangor, Maine|Bangor]]<br /> (35,473) <br /> |
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| style="width:125pt;"| [[South Portland, Maine|South Portland]]<br /> (25,002)<br /> |
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| style="width:125pt;"| [[Auburn, Maine|Auburn]]<br /> (23,055) <br /> |
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| style="width:125pt;"| [[Biddeford, Maine|Biddeford]]<br /> (21,277)<br /> |
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| style="width:125pt;"| [[Sanford, Maine|Sanford]]<br /> (20,798)<br /> |
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|- style="text-align:center;" |
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| [[Brunswick, Maine|Brunswick]]<br /> (20,278) <br /> |
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| [[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]]<br /> (19,136)<br /> |
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| [[Scarborough, Maine|Scarborough]]<br /> (18,919) <br /> |
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| [[Saco, Maine|Saco]]<br /> (18,482)<br /> |
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| [[Westbrook, Maine|Westbrook]]<br /> (17,494) <br /> |
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| [[Windham, Maine|Windham]]<br /> (17,001)<br /> |
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| [[Gorham, Maine|Gorham]]<br /> (16,381) <br /> |
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|- style="text-align:center;" |
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| [[Waterville, Maine|Waterville]]<br /> (15,722) <br /> |
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| [[York, Maine|York]]<br /> (12,529) <br /> |
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| [[Falmouth, Maine|Falmouth]]<br /> (11,185)<br /> |
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| [[Kennebunk, Maine|Kennebunk]]<br /> (10,798) <br /> |
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| [[Orono, Maine|Orono]]<br /> (10,362)<br /> |
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| [[Standish, Maine|Standish]]<br /> (9,874)<br /> |
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| [[Presque Isle, Maine|Presque Isle]]<br /> (9,692)<br /> |
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|- style="text-align:center;" |
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| [[Wells, Maine|Wells]]<br /> (9,589)<br /> |
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| [[Kittery, Maine|Kittery]]<br /> (9,490) <br /> |
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| [[Brewer, Maine|Brewer]]<br /> (9,482) <br /> |
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| [[Buxton, Maine|Buxton]]<br /> (9,093) <br /> |
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| [[Cape Elizabeth, Maine|Cape Elizabeth]]<br /> (9,015) <br /> |
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| [[Lisbon, Maine|Lisbon]]<br /> (9,009) <br /> |
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| [[Topsham, Maine|Topsham]]<br /> (8,794) <br /> |
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|- style="text-align:center;" |
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| [[Old Orchard Beach, Maine|Old Orchard Beach]]<br /> (8,624) <br /> |
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| [[Skowhegan, Maine|Skowhegan]]<br /> (8,589)<br /> |
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| [[Bath, Maine|Bath]]<br /> (8,514)<br /> |
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| [[Yarmouth, Maine|Yarmouth]]<br /> (8,349) <br /> |
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| [[Caribou, Maine|Caribou]]<br /> (8,189) <br /> |
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| [[Freeport, Maine|Freeport]]<br /> (7,879) <br /> |
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| [[Old Town, Maine|Old Town]]<br /> (7,840) |
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|- style="text-align:center;" |
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| [[Winslow, Maine|Winslow]]<br /> (7,794) <br /> |
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| [[Gray, Maine|Gray]]<br /> (7,761) <br /> |
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| [[Farmington, Maine|Farmington]]<br /> (7,760) <br /> |
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| [[Ellsworth, Maine|Ellsworth]]<br /> (7,741) <br /> |
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| [[Waterboro, Maine|Waterboro]]<br /> (7,693)<br /> |
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| [[Rockland, Maine|Rockland]]<br /> (7,297) <br /> |
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| [[Hampden, Maine|Hampden]]<br /> (7,257)<br /> |
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|- style="text-align:center;" |
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| [[Berwick, Maine|Berwick]]<br /> (7,246)<br /> |
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| [[South Berwick, Maine|South Berwick]]<br /> (7,220) <br /> |
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| [[Cumberland, Maine|Cumberland]]<br /> (7,211) <br /> |
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| [[Fairfield, Maine|Fairfield]]<br /> (6,735) <br /> |
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| [[Belfast, Maine|Belfast]]<br /> (6,668)<br /> |
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| [[Oakland, Maine|Oakland]]<br /> (6,240)<br /> |
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| [[Eliot, Maine|Eliot]]<br /> (6,204)<br /> |
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|} |
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<center><gallery> |
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File:Augusta, Maine 2.jpg|[[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]] |
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File:BangorSkyline.jpg|[[Bangor, Maine|Bangor]] |
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File:Bath city hall Maine USA.jpg|[[Bath, Maine|Bath]] |
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File:City_Hall_Biddeford,_ME_2005.jpg|[[Biddeford, Maine|Biddeford]] |
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File:Lew2maine.jpg|[[Lewiston, Maine|Lewiston]] |
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File:Oldtown ME Mainstreet.jpg|[[Old Town, Maine|Old Town]] |
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File:DowntownPortlandMe1.jpg|[[Portland, Maine|Portland]] |
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File:Saco_Maine_Street.jpg|[[Saco, Maine|Saco]] |
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</gallery></center> |
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Maine has many vegetable farms and other small, diversified farms. In the 1960s and 1970s, the book "[[Living the Good Life]]" by [[Helen Nearing]] and [[Scott Nearing]] caused many young people to move to Maine and engage in small-scale farming and homesteading. These [[Back-to-the-land movement|back-to-the-land]] migrants increased the population of some counties.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Curtis|first=Abigail|date=April 1, 2014|title=The Good Life: The movement that changed Maine|url=http://external.bangordailynews.com/projects/2014/04/goodlife|access-date=April 20, 2020|website=Bangor Daily News}}</ref> |
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Throughout Maine, many municipalities, although each separate governmental entities, nevertheless form portions of a much larger population base. There are many such population clusters throughout Maine, but some examples from the municipalities appearing in the above listing are: |
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Maine is home to the [[Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association]] and had 535 certified organic farms in 2019.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Staff|url=https://www.mainebiz.biz/article/report-maines-organic-farms-encompass-less-acreage-but-yield-higher-sales|title=Report: Maine's organic farms encompass less acreage, but yield higher sales|date=April 30, 2019|work=Maine Biz|access-date=March 5, 2020}}</ref> |
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* Portland, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Westbrook, Scarborough, and Falmouth</li> |
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* Lewiston and Auburn</li> |
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* Bangor, Orono, Brewer, Old Town, and Hampden</li> |
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* Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach</li> |
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* Brunswick and Topsham</li> |
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* Waterville, Winslow, Fairfield, and Oakland</li> |
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* Presque Isle and Caribou</li><ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=16000US2360545&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US23%7C16000US2360545&_street=&_county=portland&_cityTown=portland&_state=04000US23&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=040 Fact Finder US Census Maine Portland]</ref> |
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== |
=== Festivals === |
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Maine has multiple fairs and festivals that are held annually, which include [[La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival|La Kermesse]], a celebration of the state's [[France|French]] and [[French Canadians|French Canadian]] heritage, the [[Fryeburg Fair]], the [[Cumberland Fair]], the [[Union Fair]], the [[Common Ground Country Fair]], a number of [[Old Home Week|Old Home Days festivals]], and a number of [[Portland, Maine#Food festivals|Portland Food Festivals]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 9, 2022|title='Old Home Days' and other festivities kick off in Levant|url=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/old-home-days-touch-a-truck-levant-maine/97-4dbd34f8-caf3-4e45-9e5d-337fce2f3cdf|access-date=July 18, 2023|website=newscentermaine.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Fryeburg Fair|url=https://www.fryeburgfair.org/|access-date=July 18, 2023|website=www.fryeburgfair.org|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=La Kermesse|url=https://www.lakermessefestival.com/|access-date=July 18, 2023|website=www.lakermessefestival.com|language=en}}</ref> |
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{{main|Education in Maine}} |
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<!---lacking intro. This wasn't terribly well done to start with. Forked article needs help too!--> |
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<!---number the public and, I suppose, private colleges here somewhere--> |
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=== |
===Food=== |
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{{See also|List of school districts in Maine}} |
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Public schools are run by one of four types of school districts: 1) local for a single school; 2) School Union whose members share only a superintendent; 3) School Administrative District containing multiple towns and one superintendent; and 4) Community School District that has one elementary school that towns share. |
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Along with the growth of the local food movement over the last several decades, Maine has received national recognition for its food and restaurant scene. [[Portland, Maine|Portland]] was named ''[[Bon Appétit|Bon Appetit]]'' magazine's Restaurant City of the Year in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bonappetit.com/story/portland-maine-city-of-the-year-2018|title=Portland, Maine, Is the 2018 Restaurant City of the Year|last=Knowlton|first=Andrew|website=Bon Appétit|access-date=March 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920201234/https://www.bonappetit.com/story/portland-maine-city-of-the-year-2018|archive-date=September 20, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2018, HealthIQ.com named Maine the 3rd most vegan-friendly state.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wjbq.com/how-vegan-are-mainers-find-out-where-we-rank-nationally-map/|title=How Vegan Are Mainers? Find Out Where We Rank Nationally [MAP]|last=Gavin|first=Ryan|website=Q97.9|date=March 29, 2018|access-date=March 5, 2020}}</ref> [[Biddeford, Maine|Biddeford]] was selected by [[Food & Wine]] in 2022 as one of America's next great food cities.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 18, 2022|title=Biddeford's rising food scene gets national attention|url=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/life/food/biddeford-maine-recognized-by-national-magazine-food-and-wine-for-its-rising-food-and-drink-scene/97-26c6e1ee-1320-49f7-9fff-0b725ca38c47|archive-date=|access-date=October 16, 2022|website=newscentermaine.com|language=en-US}}</ref> |
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Private schools are less common than public schools. A large number of private elementary schools with under 20 students exist, but most private high schools in Maine can be perceived as "semi-private." This means that while it costs money to send children there, towns will make a contract with a school to take children from a town or School Administrative District at a slightly reduced rate. Often this is done when it is deemed cheaper to subsidize private tuition than build a whole new school when a private one already exists. |
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Maine food shares many ingredients with [[Wabanaki Confederacy#Cuisine|Wabanaki cuisine]], including corn, beans, squash, wild blueberries, maple syrup, fish, and seafood.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Schipani|first=Sam|date=January 4, 2020|title=The 7 foods that made Maine|url=http://www.bangordailynews.com/2020/01/04/bangor-metro/the-7-foods-that-made-maine/|access-date=September 11, 2022|website=Bangor Daily News|language=en-US}}</ref> By 1902, the [[Maine Italian sandwich]] had been invented in Portland. Sandwich shops across Maine serve the sandwiches.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 11, 2016|title=Video: How to Make an Authentic Maine Italian Sandwich|url=https://www.mainepublic.org/arts-and-culture/2016-07-11/video-how-to-make-an-authentic-maine-italian-sandwich|access-date=July 31, 2024|website=Maine Public|language=en}}</ref> Baked beans are a common dish in Maine, served at community suppers where the beans are sometimes cooked underground in a bean hole. In New England, Maine baked beans are one of two well-known regional styles of baked beans, the other being [[Boston baked beans]]. Maine baked beans use thicker skinned, native bean varieties such like Marafax, soldier, and yellow-eye beans.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nash|first=Elias|date=July 11, 2022|title=The Subtle Difference Between Maine And Boston Baked Beans|url=https://www.tastingtable.com/923044/the-subtle-difference-between-maine-and-boston-baked-beans/|access-date=September 16, 2022|website=TastingTable.com|language=en-US}}</ref> From 1913 until 2021, baked beans were canned on the Portland waterfront at the [[B&M Baked Beans factory]]. |
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==Culture== |
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=== Sports teams === |
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[[File:Crossinsarena.jpg|thumb|College hockey being played at the [[Cross Insurance Arena]]]] |
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=== |
==== Professional ==== |
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* [[Maine Celtics]], [[basketball]], [[NBA G League]] |
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* [[Portland Sea Dogs]], [[minor league baseball]], [[Double-A Northeast]] |
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* [[Maine Mariners (ECHL)|Maine Mariners]], [[ice hockey]], [[ECHL]] |
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==== |
==== Upcoming ==== |
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* [[ |
* [[Portland Hearts of Pine]], [[soccer]], [[USL League One]], to begin play in 2025 |
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* [[Portland Pirates]], [[minor league hockey]], [[American Hockey League]] |
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* [[Portland Sea Dogs]], [[minor league baseball]], [[Eastern League (U.S. baseball)]] |
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====Non-professional==== |
==== Non-professional ==== |
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* [[Portland Phoenix FC]], [[soccer]], [[Premier Developmental League]] |
* [[Portland Phoenix FC]], [[soccer]], [[Premier Developmental League]] |
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* [[Maine Roller Derby]], roller derby, [[Women's Flat Track Derby Association]] |
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===== [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] ===== |
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====NCAA==== |
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* [[Maine Black Bears]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=UMaine Official Athletics Website|url=https://goblackbears.com/splash.aspx?id=splash29|access-date=September 8, 2023|website=University of Maine Athletics|language=en}}</ref> |
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* [[Maine Black Bears]] |
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* [[Husson University#Athletics|Husson Eagles]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Husson University - Official Athletics Website|url=https://hussoneagles.com/|access-date=September 8, 2023|website=Husson University|language=en}}</ref> |
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* [[Maine Maritime Academy#Athletics|Maine Maritime Mariners]] |
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* [[Bates Bobcats]] |
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* [[Colby Mules]] |
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* [[Bowdoin Polar Bears]] |
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* [[University of New England (United States)#Athletics|New England Nor'easters]] |
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===== [[United States Collegiate Athletic Association|USCAA]] ===== |
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===State symbols=== |
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* [[York County Community College#Athletics|York County Community College]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Allen|first=Anna|date=June 7, 2021|title=York County to Offer Intercollegiate Athletics|url=https://yorkcountyhawks.com/sports/York_County_to_Offer_Intercollegiate_Athletics|journal=York County Hawks|language=en}}</ref> |
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[[File:Maine license plate.gif|thumb||The current [[Vehicle registration plates of Maine|state license plate]] design, introduced in 1999, depicts both the state bird and the state flower.]] |
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* [[University of Maine at Augusta#Athletics|University of Maine at Augusta]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mahoney|first=Larry|date=June 18, 2011|title=UMFK, UMPI, UMM leave NAIA for new association|url=http://www.bangordailynews.com/2011/06/17/sports/umfk-umpi-umm-leave-naia-for-new-association/|access-date=September 7, 2023|website=Bangor Daily News|language=en-US}}</ref> |
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* [[List of U.S. state fruit|State berry]]: Wild [[Blueberry]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Maine/berry_blueberry.html |title=Maine State Berry - Wild Blueberry |publisher=Statesymbolsusa.org |date= |accessdate=2012-03-15}}</ref> |
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* [[List of U.S. state birds|State bird]]: [[Black-capped Chickadee]] |
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* [[List of U.S. state cats|State cat]]: [[Maine Coon]]<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://www.maine.gov/legis/senate/statehouse/symbols/Emblems.htm |title=Maine State Symbols and Emblems| publisher=maine.gov | accessdate=2012-08-13}}</ref> |
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* [[List of U.S. state foods|State dessert]]: [[Blueberry pie]] made with wild Maine blueberries |
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* [[List of U.S. state fish|State fish]]: [[Land-locked salmon]] |
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* [[List of U.S. state flowers|State flower]]: [[Eastern White Pine|White Pinecone and Tassel]] |
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* [[State fossil]]: ''Pertica Quadrifaria'' |
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* [[State gemstone]]: [[Tourmaline]] |
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* State herb: [[Pyrolaceae|Wintergreen]]<ref name=autogenerated1 /> |
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* [[List of U.S. state insects|State insect]]: [[Western honey bee|European honey bee]] |
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* [[List of U.S. state mammals|State mammal]]: [[Moose]] |
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* [[List of U.S. state foods|State soft drink]]: [[Moxie]] |
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* [[List of U.S. state soils|State soil]]: Chesuncook soil series |
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* [[State song]]: [[State of Maine Song]] |
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* [[List of U.S. state foods|State treat]]: [[Whoopie pie]]<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.boston.com/2011-04-21/news/29460046_1_whoopie-maine-state-blueberry | work=The Boston Globe | title=Whoopie pie to become Maine state ‘treat'}}</ref> |
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* [[List of U.S. state trees|State tree]]: [[Eastern white pine|Eastern White Pine]] |
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* State vessel: Arctic exploration schooner ''Bowdoin'' |
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* [[State motto]]: Dirigo ("I lead") |
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<ref>[http://www.maine.gov/portal/facts_history/facts.html#symbols www.maine.gov portal]</ref> |
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=== |
=== Terminology === |
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Maine maintains some vernacular and terminology that is unique in comparison to the rest of the country.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Voornas|first=Lori|title=If You Are From Away, Here's the Maine Slang You Need to Know|url=https://wjbq.com/if-you-are-from-away-heres-the-maine-slang-you-need-to-know/|access-date=October 16, 2022|website=Q97.9|date=December 29, 2020|language=en}}</ref> Some of these include: |
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* "From away" - A non-native person of Maine.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=September 6, 2017|title=Your Guide to Maine Lingo {{!}} Best of {{!}} The Maine Magazine|url=https://www.themainemag.com/guide-maine-lingo/|access-date=October 16, 2022|website=The Maine Mag|language=en-US}}</ref> |
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====Literature==== |
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* "Upta camp" - Going to a more out-of-the-way, rustic place.<ref name=":2" /> Popularized by [[Bob Marley (comedian)|Bob Marley]] after his special of the same name.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Maine Notable: Maine State Library - Bob Marley|url=https://www.maine.gov/msl/maine/notdisplay.shtml?id=205855|access-date=November 8, 2023|website=www.maine.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Karen|first=Kiley|date=August 5, 2016|title=MWC Daily: Let's Go 'Upta Camp' with Comedian Bob Marley|url=https://wokq.com/mwc-daily-lets-go-upta-camp-with-comedian-bob-marley/|access-date=November 8, 2023|website=97.5 WOKQ|language=en}}</ref> |
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* [[Stephen King]], a Maine native and resident of Bangor, bases much of his fiction in Maine. |
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* "Ayuh" - An affirmative response, like "Yes".<ref name=":2" /> |
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* [[Charlotte Agell]] lives in Maine and has written several books set in Maine. |
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* [[Gerald Warner Brace]] (1901–1978) lived in Deer Isle. All of his novels are set in New England, some in Maine. |
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* [[Carolyn Chute]] (1947–) lives in Maine and set several novels in the fictional town of Egypt, Maine. |
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* [[Robert P. T. Coffin]] (1892–1955) — Iconic Maine writer. |
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* [[Terry Goodkind]]'s ''[[The Law of Nines]]'' takes place in Maine. |
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* [[John Irving]] wrote ''[[The Cider House Rules]]'', a novel (and later a [[The Cider House Rules (film)|motion picture]]), set in several fictional Maine towns. |
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* [[Sarah Orne Jewett]] (1849–1909) lived in [[South Berwick, Maine]]. Many of her novels and short stories were set in Maine. |
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* [[Elijah Kellogg]] Jr<ref>[http://www.waterborolibrary.org/maineaut/km.htm#kellogg Elijah Kellogg Jr]</ref> (1813–1901) — Popular author of [[Horatio Alger, Jr.]]-style boy's books. Many of these out-of-copyright books are available online at [http://books.google.com/books?as_q=&num=50&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_libcat=0&as_brr=0&lr=&as_vt=&as_auth=Elijah+Kellogg&as_pub=&as_sub=&as_drrb=c&as_miny=&as_maxy=&as_isbn= books.google.com]. |
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* [[John Cariani]] is an actor and playwright whose play "Almost, Maine" is set in a fictional town in the state of Maine. |
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* [[Dean Koontz]] wrote ''[[Night Chills]]'', horror/suspense novel, which takes place in the fictional town of Black River, Maine. |
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* [[H. P. Lovecraft]], who set almost all of his stories in New England, occasionally mentions Maine. |
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* [[Robert McCloskey]] (1914–2003 ) was a beloved children's author. |
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* [[Ruth Moore]]'s novels were based almost entirely in Maine, although she rejected the label of "regional writer." |
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* Van Reid wrote ''[[The Moosepath League]]'' series of books, which are humorous adventures set in 19th-century Maine. |
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* [[Harriet Beecher Stowe]] composed ''[[Uncle Tom's Cabin]]'' almost entirely in Brunswick, Maine. |
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* [[Henry David Thoreau]] wrote ''The Maine Woods'', which he visited during his stay at [[Walden Pond]]. |
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* [[Lewis Robinson]]'s novel ''Water Dogs'' and many of his short stories in ''Officer Friendly and Other Stories'' are set in Maine. |
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* [[E. B. White]] lived in Brooklin, Maine and used Maine as the setting of [[Charlotte's Web]]. He also wrote many essays about his experiences in Maine including "Once More to the Lake." |
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* [[Kenneth Roberts (author)|Kenneth Roberts]] (1885–1957) was a novelist of the [[American literary regionalism|Regionalist]] school, who wrote about Maine in works such as ''Arundel (novel)|Arundel'', ''Northwest Passage (novel)'', ''Rabble in Arms'' and ''Boon Island (novel)''. |
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* [[Janet Chapman]] writes several series of paranormal romance and contemporary romance novels set in Maine. |
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* [[John Connolly (author)|John Connolly]]'s Charlie Parker mystery series is based in and around Maine. |
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==People from Maine== |
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====Film==== |
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* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211942/ Belfast, Maine] (1999) a documentary film on the quotidian life in Belfast, Maine by Frederick Wiseman |
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* ''The Beans of Egypt, Maine'' is a 1994 film directed by [[Jennifer Warren]] and is based on the 1985 novel by Carolyn Chute. |
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* ''[[Carrie (novel)|Carrie]]'', based on the Stephen King novel, is set in Maine. |
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* ''[[Casper (film)|Casper]]'', a 1995 children's film, is set in the town of [[Friendship, Maine]]. |
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* ''[[The Cider House Rules]]'', based on the John Irving novel, is set in several fictional Maine towns. |
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* ''[[Dark Harbor]]'', a 1998 mystery/suspense film is set on an island off the coast of Maine. |
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* ''[[Darkness Falls (2003 film)|Darkness Falls]]'', a 2003 horror film, is set in the fictional Maine town of Darkness Falls, but was filmed mostly in Australia. |
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* ''[[Dreamcatcher (film)|Dreamcatcher]]'', 2003 film adaption of the Stephen King novel, is set in and around the town of Derry, Maine. |
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* ''[[Empire Falls (miniseries)|Empire Falls]]'', a motion picture based on [[Richard Russo]]'s [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning [[Empire Falls|novel of the same name]], was filmed almost entirely in [[Waterville, Maine|Waterville]] and [[Skowhegan, Maine|Skowhegan]]. |
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* [[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. |
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* ''[[The Iron Giant]]'', based on the novel ''[[The Iron Man (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. |
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* ''[[It Happened to Jane]]'', a 1959 romantic comedy, is set in the fictional town of Cape Anne, Maine and prominently features the fictional Eastern & Portland Railroad, which was based loosely on the [[Boston and Maine Corporation|Boston & Maine Railroad]] and the [[New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad|New Haven Railroad]]. |
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* ''[[Lake Placid (film)|Lake Placid]]'', a 1999 comedy-horror film, is set by a fictional lake in Maine, starring [[Bridget Fonda]] and a large man-eating crocodile. |
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* ''[[The Man Without a Face]]'', a 1993 film starring Mel Gibson, was shot throughout midcoast Maine. |
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* ''[[The Mist]]'', a Stephen King novel, is set in Maine. |
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* ''[[Pete's Dragon]]'', a 1977 Walt Disney live-action/animated musical is set in [[Passamaquoddy]], Maine<ref>But filmed in [[Morro Bay, California]]. Kyse, B. (1976, August 2). San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune: Mouse shoots dragon. Retrieved on February 13, 2010 from http://sloblogs.thetribunenews.com/slovault/files/2009/03/dragon.jpg</ref> |
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* ''[[Peyton Place (film)|Peyton Place]]'', filmed in 1957, was set in New Hampshire but filmed in Camden region of Maine. |
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* ''[[Red vs. Blue]]'', a comic science fiction video series, features a character named [[Maine (Red vs. Blue)|Maine]]. |
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* ''[[The Shawshank Redemption]]'', an award-winning 1994 movie, was set in Maine. |
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* ''[[Storm of the Century]]'', a miniseries based on the Stephen King novel, takes place in Maine, along with many other adaptations of his books. |
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* ''[[Welcome to Mooseport]]'' was a 2004 movie set in the fictional city of Mooseport, Maine. |
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* ''[[Wet Hot American Summer]]'' is set near Waterville, Maine. |
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* ''[[Rachel Nichols (actress)|Rachel Nichols]]'' Maine Native, Actress, [http://www.portlandmonthly.com/portmag/2012/11/rachel-rachel/# Interview] by [[Portland Magazine]]. |
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{{Main|List of people from Maine}} |
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====Television==== |
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*"[[Augusta, Gone]]" (2001) a television drama about a teenager's descent into drug use, is set on [[Mount Desert Island]], Maine. |
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* ''[[Dark Shadows]]'' is set in the fictional coastal town of Collinsport, Maine. |
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* Hawkeye Pierce, a central character of the television sitcom ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|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 [[Richard Hooker (author)|Dr. H. Richard Hornberger]] (writing as Richard Hooker), who following the war resided in [[Pittsfield, Maine|Pittsfield]]. |
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* ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]'', a television series starring [[Angela Lansbury]], is set in the fictional Maine village of [[Cabot Cove]], but filmed in [[Mendocino, California]]. |
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* ''[[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]]) <ref>IIMDd. (2010). Murder in Small Town X. Retrieved on February 13, 2010 from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0288379/</ref> |
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* ''[[Kingdom Hospital]]'', Stephen King's 2004 [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] mini-series, was set in [[Lewiston, Maine|Lewiston]] |
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* ''[[Haven (TV series)|Haven]]'' is set in the fictional costal town of Haven, Maine. It is based on Stephen King's book "The Colorado Kid." |
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* ''[[Passions (soap opera)|Passions]]'', a daytime soap opera is set in the fictional supernatural town of Harmony. The first two months and opening credits were filmed in Camden and Belfast, Maine. |
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* ''[[Once Upon a Time (TV series)|Once Upon a Time]]'' a television series starring [[Jennifer Morrison]], [[Ginnifer Goodwin]] and [[Robert Carlyle]] is set in the fictional town of Storybrooke in Maine. |
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<!--- Please do not add people here, use "List of people from Maine" ---> |
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====Video games==== |
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Citizens of Maine are often known as Mainers.<ref name="mainer_definition">{{cite web|title=Dictionary.com—definition of "Mainer"|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mainer|website=Dictionary.com|access-date=July 21, 2010}}</ref> The term Downeaster may be applied to residents of the northeast coast of the state. The term Mainiac is considered by some to be derogatory, but is embraced with pride by others,<ref>Louise Dickinson Rich. ''State o'Maine''. Harper & Row, 1964, p ix</ref> and is used for a variety of organizations and for events such as the YMCA Mainiac Sprint Triathlon & Duathlon.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mainiac Tri|url=http://www.ymcaofsouthernmaine.org/mainiactri|access-date=August 13, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814025258/https://www.ymcaofsouthernmaine.org/mainiactri|archive-date=August 14, 2014}}</ref> |
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* The medical simulation game ''[[Trauma Team]]'' is set at the fictional Resurgam First Care medical facility in Portland, Maine |
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* The titular town of the video game series ''[[Silent Hill|Silent Hill (series)]]'' is located in Maine. {{citation needed|date=October 2012}} |
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====Web series==== |
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* The award-winning web series ''[[Ragged Isle]]'' tells the story of a small island lobstering community located twenty-one miles off the coast of Maine. The island in the show is a fictionalized version of the real-life Maine island of [[Criehaven]]. |
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==Notable residents== |
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{{main|List of people from Maine}} |
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<!---please do not add people here. Use forked article---> |
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A citizen of Maine is known as a "Mainer,"<ref name="mainer_definition">{{cite web|title=Dictionary.com - definition of "Mainer"|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mainer|work=Dictionary.com|accessdate=21 July 2010}}</ref> though the term "Downeaster" may be applied to residents of the northeast coast of the state. |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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* [[Index of Maine-related articles]] |
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{{portal|Maine}} |
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*[[Outline of Maine]] |
* [[Outline of Maine]] |
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* '''''<small>{{portal-inline|Maine}}</small>''''' |
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*[[Index of Maine-related articles]] |
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{{clear}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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===Notes=== |
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{{reflist|2}} |
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<references group="nb" /> |
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===Citations=== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{Sister project links|voy=Maine}} |
{{Sister project links|voy=Maine}} |
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;State government |
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* [http://www.maine.gov Maine government] |
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* [http://www.visitmaine.com Maine Office of Tourism] Search for tourism-related businesses |
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* [http://www.getrealmaine.com/ Visit Maine (agriculture)] Maine fairs, festivals, etc. - Agricultural Dept. |
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===State government=== |
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*[http://www. |
* [http://www.maine.gov/ Maine government] |
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* [http://www.visitmaine.com/ Maine Office of Tourism] Search for tourism-related businesses |
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* [http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=ME U.S. EIA] Energy Profile for Maine - economic, environmental and energy data |
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* [http://www.getrealmaine.com/ Visit Maine (agriculture)] Maine fairs, festivals, etc.—Agricultural Dept. |
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===U.S. government=== |
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* [https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/states/maine/index.html Maine State Guide, from the Library of Congress] |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100212203121/http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=ME U.S. EIA] Energy Profile for Maine—economic, environmental and energy data |
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* [http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=ME U.S. Geological Survey] Real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Maine |
* [http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=ME U.S. Geological Survey] Real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Maine |
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* [http://www.ers.usda.gov/ |
* [http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=23&StateName=Maine U.S. Dept. of Agriculture] Maine State Facts—agricultural |
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* [http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/23000.html U.S. Census Bureau] Quick facts on Maine |
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120215084908/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/23000.html U.S. Census Bureau] Quick facts on Maine |
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* [http://www.portlandmonthly.com/portmag/ Portland Magazine] Editorial on Maine news, events, and people |
* [http://www.portlandmonthly.com/portmag/ Portland Magazine] Editorial on Maine news, events, and people |
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===Information=== |
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* [http://www.mainehistory.org/ Maine Historical Society] |
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* {{dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Maine}} |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130908040415/http://docs.unh.edu/towns/MaineTownList.htm Old USGS maps of Maine.] |
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* [http://www.mainehistory.org Maine Historical Society] |
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* [http://docs.unh.edu/towns/MaineTownList.htm Old USGS maps of Maine.] |
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* [http://www.davidrumsey.com/detail?id=1-1-2047-120045&name=County+Map+Of+The+State+Of+Maine. 1860 Map of Maine] by Mitchell. |
* [http://www.davidrumsey.com/detail?id=1-1-2047-120045&name=County+Map+Of+The+State+Of+Maine. 1860 Map of Maine] by Mitchell. |
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* [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/map_item.pl?data=/home/www/data/gmd/gmd373/g3734/g3734p/pm002490.jp2&style=gmd&itemLink=D?gmd:1:./temp/~ammem_K8ln::@@@mdb=gmd,klpmap,ww2map&title=Bird's%20eye%20view%20of%20the%20city%20of%20Portland,%20Maine%201876.%20Jos.%20Warner,%20artist.%20Chas.%20Shober%20%26%20Co.%20prop's%20Chicago%20Litho'g.%20Co. 1876 Panoramic Birdseye View of Portland] by Warner at LOC., |
* [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/map_item.pl?data=/home/www/data/gmd/gmd373/g3734/g3734p/pm002490.jp2&style=gmd&itemLink=D?gmd:1:./temp/~ammem_K8ln::@@@mdb=gmd,klpmap,ww2map&title=Bird's%20eye%20view%20of%20the%20city%20of%20Portland,%20Maine%201876.%20Jos.%20Warner,%20artist.%20Chas.%20Shober%20%26%20Co.%20prop's%20Chicago%20Litho'g.%20Co. 1876 Panoramic Birdseye View of Portland] by Warner at LOC., |
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* {{OSM relation|63512}} |
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* [http://www.portlandstage.com Portland Stage Company] |
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* [http://www.maine.info/media.php Comprehensive compilation of media sources in Maine.] |
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* {{osmrelation-inline|63512}} |
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{{clear}} |
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{{s-start}} |
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{{s-bef|before=[[Alabama]]}} |
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{{s-ttl|title=[[List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union]]|years=Admitted on March 15, 1820 (23rd)}} |
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{{s-aft|after=[[Missouri]]}} |
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{{s-end}} |
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{{Maine|expanded}} |
{{Maine|expanded}} |
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{{New England}} |
{{New England}} |
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{{Northeast US}} |
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{{United States political divisions}} |
{{United States political divisions}} |
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{{United States topics}} |
{{United States topics}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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{{Geographic Location (8-way) |
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| Northwest = [[Saint Lawrence River]] |
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| North = {{flag|Canada}}<br>{{flag|Quebec}} |
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| Northeast = [[Gulf of Saint Lawrence]] |
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| West = {{flag|New Hampshire}} |
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| Centre = '' Maine'': [[Outline of Maine|Outline]] • [[Index of Maine-related articles|Index]] |
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| East = {{flag|New Brunswick}}<br>[[Bay of Fundy]] |
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| Southwest = {{flag|Massachusetts}} |
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| South = [[Atlantic Ocean]] |
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| Southeast = |
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}} |
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{{Succession |
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| preceded = [[Alabama]] |
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| office = [[List of U.S. states by date of statehood]] |
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| years = Admitted on March 15, 1820 (23rd) |
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| succeeded = [[Missouri]] |
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}} |
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{{Coord|display=title|45.5|N|69|W|region:US-ME_type:adm1st_scale:3000000}} |
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[[Category:Maine| ]] |
[[Category:Maine| ]] |
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[[Category:States of the United States]] |
[[Category:States of the United States]] |
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[[Category:New England]] |
[[Category:New England states]] |
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[[Category:Northeastern United States]] |
[[Category:Northeastern United States]] |
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[[Category:States and territories established in 1820]] |
[[Category:States and territories established in 1820]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:States of the East Coast of the United States]] |
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[[Category:1820 establishments in the United States]] |
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[[Category:Contiguous United States]] |
Latest revision as of 17:14, 16 December 2024
Maine | |
---|---|
Nicknames: The Pine Tree State Vacationland[1] | |
Motto(s): "Dirigo" (Latin for "I lead", "I guide", or "I direct") | |
Anthem: State of Maine | |
Country | United States |
Before statehood | Part of Massachusetts (District of Maine) |
Admitted to the Union | March 15, 1820 | (23rd)
Capital | Augusta |
Largest city | Portland |
Largest county or equivalent | Cumberland |
Largest metro and urban areas | Portland |
Government | |
• Governor | Janet Mills (D) |
• Senate President | Mattie Daughtry (D)[nb 1] |
Legislature | State Legislature |
• Upper house | Senate |
• Lower house | House of Representatives |
Judiciary | Maine Supreme Judicial Court |
U.S. senators | Susan Collins (R) Angus King (I) |
U.S. House delegation | 1. Chellie Pingree (D) 2. Jared Golden (D) (list) |
Area | |
• Total | 35,385[2] sq mi (91,646 km2) |
• Land | 30,862 sq mi (80,005 km2) |
• Water | 4,523 sq mi (11,724 km2) 13.5% |
• Rank | 39th |
Dimensions | |
• Length | 320 mi (515 km) |
• Width | 205 mi (330 km) |
Elevation | 600 ft (180 m) |
Highest elevation | 5,270 ft (1,606.4 m) |
Lowest elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,362,359 |
• Rank | 42nd |
• Density | 43.8/sq mi (16.9/km2) |
• Rank | 38th |
• Median household income | $56,277[5] |
• Income rank | 35th |
Demonym | Mainer |
Language | |
• Spoken language | |
Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
USPS abbreviation | ME |
ISO 3166 code | US-ME |
Traditional abbreviation | Me. |
Latitude | 42° 58′ N to 47° 28′ N |
Longitude | 66° 57′ W to 71° 5′ W (45°N 69°W / 45°N 69°W) |
Website | maine |
List of state symbols | |
---|---|
Motto | Dirigo |
Slogan | The Way Life Should Be |
Song |
|
Living insignia | |
Bird | Black-capped chickadee |
Butterfly | Pink-edged Sulphur |
Cat breed | Maine Coon |
Crustacean | Lobster |
Fish | Landlocked Atlantic salmon |
Flower | White pine cone and tassel |
Fruit | Wild blueberry |
Insect | Honey bee |
Mammal | Moose |
Plant | Wintergreen |
Tree | White pine |
Inanimate insignia | |
Beverage | Moxie[7] |
Food | Blueberry pie Whoopie pie |
Fossil | Pertica quadrifaria |
Gemstone | Tourmaline |
Rock | Granitic pegmatite[8] |
Ship | Bowdoin |
Soil | Chesuncook soil |
State route marker | |
State quarter | |
Released in 2003 | |
Lists of United States state symbols |
Maine (/meɪn/ MAYN)[9] is a state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeastern most state in the Lower 48. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and northwest, and shares a maritime border with Nova Scotia. Maine is the largest state in New England by total area, nearly larger than the combined area of the remaining five states. Of the 50 U.S. states, it is the 12th-smallest by area, the 9th-least populous, the 13th-least densely populated, and the most rural.[10] Maine's capital is Augusta, and its most populous city is Portland, with a total population of 68,408, as of the 2020 census.
The territory of Maine has been inhabited by Indigenous populations[11] for about 12,000 years,[12] after the glaciers retreated during the last ice age. At the time of European arrival, several Algonquian-speaking nations governed the area and these nations are now known as the Wabanaki Confederacy. The first European settlement in the area was by the French in 1604 on Saint Croix Island, founded by Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons. The first English settlement was the short-lived Popham Colony, 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 and conflict with the local Indigenous people caused many to fail. As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen European settlements had survived. Loyalist and Patriot forces contended for Maine's territory during the American Revolution. During the War of 1812, the largely undefended eastern region of Maine was occupied by British forces with the goal of annexing it to Canada via the Colony of New Ireland, but returned to the United States following failed British offensives on the northern border, mid-Atlantic and south which produced a peace treaty that restored the pre-war boundaries. Maine was part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts until 1820 when it voted to secede from Massachusetts to become a separate state. On March 15, 1820, under the Missouri Compromise, Maine was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state.
Today, Maine is known for its jagged, rocky Atlantic Ocean and bay-shore coastlines, mountains, heavily forested interior, and its cuisine, particularly wild lowbush blueberries and seafood such as lobster and clams. Coastal and Down East Maine have emerged as important centers for the creative economy,[13] especially in the vicinity of Portland, which has also brought gentrification to the city and its metropolitan area.[14]
History
[edit]The earliest known inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were Algonquian-speaking Wabanaki peoples, including the Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, Penobscot, Androscoggin, and Kennebec. During the later King Philip's War, many of these peoples would merge in one form or another to become the Wabanaki Confederacy, aiding the Wampanoag of Massachusetts and the Mahican of New York. Afterwards, many of these people were driven from their natural territories, but most of Maine's tribes continued, unchanged, until the American Revolution. Before this point, however, most of these people were considered separate nations. Many had adapted to living in permanent, Iroquois-inspired settlements, while those along the coast tended to move from summer villages to winter villages on a yearly cycle. They would usually winter inland and head to the coasts by summer.[15][16]
European contact with what is now called Maine may have started around 1200 CE when Vikings are believed to have interacted with the native Penobscot in present-day Hancock County, most likely through trade. If confirmed, this would make Maine the site of the earliest European discovery in the entire US. About 200 years earlier, from the settlements in Iceland and Greenland, the Norse first identified America and attempted to settle areas such as Newfoundland, but failed to establish a permanent settlement. Archeological evidence suggests that Vikings in Greenland returned to North America for several centuries after the initial discovery to trade and collect timber, with the most relevant evidence being the Maine Penny, an 11th-century Norwegian coin found at a Native American dig site in 1954.[17]
The first European confirmed settlement in modern-day Maine was in 1604 on Saint Croix Island, led by French explorer Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons. His party included Samuel de Champlain, noted as an explorer. The French named the entire area Acadia, including the portion that later became the state of Maine. The Plymouth Company established the first English settlement in Maine at the Popham Colony in 1607, the same year as the settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. The Popham colonists returned to Britain after 14 months.[18]
The French established two Jesuit missions: one on Penobscot Bay in 1609, and the other on Mount Desert Island in 1613. The same year, Claude de La Tour established Castine. In 1625, Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour erected Fort Pentagouet to protect Castine. The coastal areas of eastern Maine first became the Province of Maine in a 1622 land patent. The part of western Maine north of the Kennebec River was more sparsely settled and was known in the 17th century as the Territory of Sagadahock. A second settlement was attempted in 1623 by English explorer and naval Captain Christopher Levett at a place called York, where he had been granted 6,000 acres (24 km2) by King Charles I of England.[19] It also failed.
The 1622 patent of the Province of Maine was split at the Piscataqua River into the Province of New Hampshire to the south and New Somersetshire to the north. A disputed 1630 patent split off the area around present-day Saco as Lygonia. Justifying its actions with a 1652 geographic survey that showed an overlapping patent, the Massachusetts Bay Colony had seized New Somersetshire and Lygonia by force by 1658. The Territory of Sagadahock between the Kennebec River and St. Croix River notionally became Cornwall County, Province of New York under a 1664 grant from Charles II of England to his brother James, at the time the Duke of York. Some of this land was claimed by New France as part of Acadia. All of the English settlements in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Province of New York became part of the Dominion of New England in 1686. All of present-day Maine was unified as York County, Massachusetts under a 1691 royal patent for the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
Central Maine was formerly inhabited by the Androscoggin tribe of the Abenaki nation, also known as Arosaguntacook. They were driven out of the area in 1690 during King William's War. They were relocated to St. Francis, Canada, which was destroyed by Rogers' Rangers in 1759, and is now Odanak. The other Abenaki tribes suffered several severe defeats, particularly during Dummer's War, with the capture of Norridgewock in 1724 and the defeat of the Pequawket in 1725, which significantly reduced their numbers. They finally withdrew to Canada, where they were settled at Bécancour and Sillery, and later at St. Francis, along with other refugee tribes from the south.[20]
Maine was much fought over by the French, English, and allied natives during the 17th and 18th centuries. These natives conducted raids against settlers and each other, taking captives for ransom or, in some cases, kidnapped for adoption by Native American tribes. A notable example was the early 1692 Abenaki raid on York, where about 100 English settlers were killed and another estimated 80 taken hostage.[21] The Abenaki took captives taken during raids of Massachusetts in Queen Anne's War of the early 1700s to Kahnewake, a Catholic Mohawk village near Montreal, where some were adopted and others ransomed.[22][23]
After the British defeated the French in Acadia in the 1740s, the territory from the Penobscot River east fell under the nominal authority of the Province of Nova Scotia, and together with present-day New Brunswick formed the Nova Scotia county of Sunbury, with its court of general sessions at Campobello. American and British forces contended for Maine's territory during the American Revolution and the War of 1812, with the British occupying eastern Maine in both conflicts via the Colony of New Ireland.[24][25] The territory of Maine was confirmed as part of Massachusetts when the United States was formed following the Treaty of Paris ending the revolution, although the final border with British North America was not established until the Webster–Ashburton Treaty of 1842.
Maine was physically separate from the rest of Massachusetts. Longstanding disagreements over land speculation and settlements led to Maine residents and their allies in Massachusetts proper forcing an 1807 vote in the Massachusetts Assembly on permitting Maine to secede; the vote failed. Secessionist sentiment in Maine was stoked during the War of 1812 when Massachusetts pro-British merchants opposed the war and refused to defend Maine from British invaders. In 1819, Massachusetts agreed to permit secession, sanctioned by voters of the rapidly growing region the following year.
Statehood and Missouri Compromise
[edit]Formal secession from Massachusetts and admission of Maine as the 23rd state occurred on March 15, 1820, as part of the Missouri Compromise, which geographically restricted the spread of slavery and enabled the admission to statehood of Missouri the following year, keeping a balance between slave and free states.[26][27][28]
Maine's original state capital was Portland, Maine's largest city, until it was moved to the more central Augusta in 1832. The principal office of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court remains in Portland.
The 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, under the command of Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, prevented the Union Army from being flanked at Little Round Top by the Confederate Army during the Battle of Gettysburg.
Four U.S. Navy ships have been named USS Maine, most famously the armored cruiser USS Maine (ACR-1), whose sinking by an explosion on February 15, 1898, precipitated the Spanish–American War.
Geography
[edit]
To the south and east is the Gulf of Maine, and to the west is the state of New Hampshire. The Canadian province of New Brunswick is to the north and northeast, and the province of Quebec is to the northwest. Maine is the northernmost and largest state in New England, accounting for almost half of the region's entire land area. Maine is the only state to border exactly one other American state. Approximately half the area of Maine lies on each side of the 45th parallel north in latitude.
Maine is the easternmost state in the Contiguous United States both in its extreme points and its geographic center. The town of Lubec is the easternmost organized settlement in the United States. Its Quoddy Head Lighthouse is also the closest place in the United States to Africa and Europe. Estcourt Station is Maine's northernmost point, as well as the northernmost point in New England. (For more information see extreme points of the United States)
Maine's Moosehead Lake is the largest lake wholly in New England, since Lake Champlain is located between Vermont, New York, and Quebec. A number of other Maine lakes, such as South Twin Lake, are described by Thoreau in The Maine Woods (1864). Mount Katahdin is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, which extends southerly 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.
Machias Seal Island and North Rock, off the state's Downeast coast, are claimed by both Canada and the Maine town of Cutler, and are within one of four areas between the two countries whose sovereignty is still in dispute, but it is the only one of the disputed areas containing land. Also in this easternmost area in the Bay of Fundy is the Old Sow, the largest tidal whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere.
Maine is the least densely populated state east of the Mississippi River. It is called the Pine Tree State due to its largest distribution and presence of pine, including Pinus strobus and Pinus resinosa. Over 80% of its total area is forested or unclaimed,[29] the most forest cover of any U.S. state. In the wooded areas of the interior lies much uninhabited land, some of which does not have formal political organization into local units (a rarity in New England). The Northwest Aroostook unorganized territory in the northern part of the state, for example, has an area of 2,668 square miles (6,910 km2) and a population of 10, or one person for every 267 square miles (690 km2).
Maine is in the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome. The land near the southern and central Atlantic coast is covered by the mixed oaks of the Northeastern coastal forests. The remainder of the state, including the North Woods, is covered by the New England–Acadian forests.[30]
Maine has almost 230 miles (400 km) of ocean coastline (and 3,500 miles (5,600 km) of tidal coastline).[31][32] West Quoddy Head in Lubec is the easternmost point of land in the 48 contiguous 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. There are jagged rocks and cliffs and many bays and inlets. Inland are lakes, rivers, forests, and mountains. This visual contrast of forested slopes sweeping down to the sea has been summed up by American poet Edna St. Vincent Millay of Rockland and Camden, in "Renascence":[33]
All I could see from where I stood
Was three long mountains and a wood;
I turned and looked the other way,
And saw three islands in a bay.— Edna St. Vincent Millay, Renascence
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.[34] A rise in land elevation due to the melting of heavy glacier ice caused a slight rebounding effect of underlying rock; this land rise, however, was not enough to eliminate all the effect of the rising sea level and its invasion of former land features.
Much of Maine's geomorphology was created by extended glacial activity at the end of the last ice age. Prominent glacial features include Somes Sound and Bubble Rock, both part of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. Carved by glaciers, Somes Sound reaches depths of 175 feet (50 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 Hinckley Yachts.
Bubble Rock, a glacial erratic, is a large boulder perched on the edge of Bubble Mountain in Acadia National Park. By analyzing the type of granite, geologists discovered that glaciers carried Bubble Rock to its present location from near Lucerne, 30 miles (48 km) away. The Iapetus Suture runs through the north and west of the state, being underlain by the ancient Laurentian terrane, and the south and east underlain by the Avalonian terrane.
Acadia National Park is the only national park in New England. Areas under the protection and management of the National Park Service include:[35]
- Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail
- Maine Acadian Culture in St. John Valley
- Roosevelt Campobello International Park on Campobello Island in New Brunswick, Canada, operated by both the U.S. and Canada, just across the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge from Lubec
- Saint Croix Island International Historic Site at Calais
- Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
Lands under the control of the state of Maine include:
Climate
[edit]Maine has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb), with warm and sometimes humid summers, and long, cold and very snowy winters. Winters are especially severe in the northern and western parts of Maine, while coastal areas are moderated slightly by the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in marginally milder winters and cooler summers than inland regions. Daytime highs are generally in the 75–85 °F (24–29 °C) range throughout the state in July, with overnight lows in the high 50s °F (around 15 °C). January temperatures range from highs near 30 °F (−1 °C) on the southern coast to overnight lows averaging below 0 °F (−18 °C) in the far north.[36]
The state's record high temperature is 105 °F (41 °C), set in July 1911, at North Bridgton.[37] Precipitation in Maine is evenly distributed year-round, but with a slight summer maximum in northern/northwestern Maine and a slight late-fall or early-winter maximum along the coast due to "nor'easters" or intense cold-season rain and snowstorms. In coastal Maine, the late spring and summer months are usually driest—a rarity across the Eastern United States. Maine has fewer days of thunderstorms than any other state east of the Rockies, with most of the state averaging fewer than twenty days of thunderstorms a year. Tornadoes are rare in Maine, with the state averaging two per year, although this number is increasing. Most severe thunderstorms and tornadoes occur in the southwestern interior portion of the state,[38] where summer temperatures are often the warmest and the atmosphere is thus more unstable compared to northern and coastal areas.[39] Maine rarely sees the direct landfall of tropical cyclones, as they tend to recurve out to sea or are rapidly weakening by the time they reach the cooler waters of Maine.
In January 2009, a new record low temperature for the state was set at Big Black River of −50 °F (−46 °C), tying the New England record.[36]
Annual precipitation varies from 35.8 in (909 mm) in Presque Isle to 56.7 in (1,441 mm) in Acadia National Park.[40]
Location | July (°F) | July (°C) | January (°F) | January (°C) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Portland | 78/59 | 26/15 | 31/13 | −0/−10 |
Lewiston | 81/61 | 27/16 | 29/11 | −2/−12 |
Bangor | 79/57 | 26/14 | 27/6 | −2/−14 |
Augusta | 79/60 | 26/15 | 27/11 | −2/−11 |
Presque Isle | 77/55 | 25/13 | 20/1 | −6/−17 |
Flora and fauna
[edit]Maine exhibits a diverse range of flora and fauna across its varied landscapes, including forests, coastline, and wetlands. Forested areas consist primarily of coniferous and deciduous trees, such as balsam fir, sugar maple, and its state tree, the Eastern white pine.[42] Coastal regions are characterized by hardy sea milkwort, sea-blight, bayberry, and the invasive rugosa rose.[43]
Maine's terrestrial fauna comprises mammals such as moose, black bears, and white-tailed deer, along with smaller species like red squirrels, snowshoe hares, and raccoons. Maine has the largest populations of moose and black bears in the contiguous United States.[44] Avian diversity is evident with migratory birds like piping plovers, American oystercatcher, and northern harrier, as well as resident species like black-capped chickadees, blue jays, and barred owls. Wetlands provide habitat for amphibians such as spotted salamanders, wood frogs, and toads. Freshwater habitats support fish species like brook trout, landlocked salmon, and multiple gamefish, while marine life in offshore waters includes Atlantic puffins, harbor seals, minke whales, and lobster. Maine's abundance of lobster makes the state the largest producer of lobster in the United States.[45][46]
Demographics
[edit]Population
[edit]Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1790 | 96,540 | — | |
1800 | 151,719 | 57.2% | |
1810 | 228,705 | 50.7% | |
1820 | 298,335 | 30.4% | |
1830 | 399,455 | 33.9% | |
1840 | 501,793 | 25.6% | |
1850 | 583,169 | 16.2% | |
1860 | 628,279 | 7.7% | |
1870 | 626,915 | −0.2% | |
1880 | 648,936 | 3.5% | |
1890 | 661,086 | 1.9% | |
1900 | 694,466 | 5.0% | |
1910 | 742,371 | 6.9% | |
1920 | 768,014 | 3.5% | |
1930 | 797,423 | 3.8% | |
1940 | 847,226 | 6.2% | |
1950 | 913,774 | 7.9% | |
1960 | 969,265 | 6.1% | |
1970 | 992,048 | 2.4% | |
1980 | 1,124,660 | 13.4% | |
1990 | 1,227,928 | 9.2% | |
2000 | 1,274,923 | 3.8% | |
2010 | 1,328,361 | 4.2% | |
2020 | 1,362,359 | 2.6% | |
2023 (est.) | 1,395,722 | 2.4% | |
Source: 1910–2020[47] |
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the population of Maine was 1,344,212 on July 1, 2019, a 1.19% increase since the 2010 United States census.[48] At the 2020 census, 1,362,359 people lived in the state. The state's population density is 41.3 people per square mile, making it the least densely populated state east of the Mississippi River. As of 2010, Maine was also the most rural state in the Union, with only 38.7% of the state's population living within urban areas.[49] As explained in detail under "Geography", there are large tracts of uninhabited land in some remote parts of the interior of the state, particularly in the North Maine Woods.
The mean population center of Maine is located in Kennebec County, just east of Augusta.[50] The Greater Portland metropolitan area is the most densely populated with nearly 40% of Maine's population.[51] This area spans three counties and includes many farms and wooded areas; the 2016 population of Portland proper was 66,937.[52]
Maine has experienced a very slow rate of population growth since the 1990 census; its rate of growth (0.57%) since the 2010 census ranks 45th of the 50 states.[53] In 2021 and 2022, however, Maine had the highest proportion of arriving residents to departing residents of any state in the country, with 1.8 arrivals for every departure.[54] The modest population growth in the state has been concentrated in the southern coastal counties; with more diverse populations slowly moving into these areas of the state. However, the northern, more rural areas of the state have experienced a slight decline in population from 2010 to 2016.[55]
As of 2020, Maine has the highest population age 65 or older in the United States.[56]
According to the 2010 census, Maine has the highest percentage of non-Hispanic White of any state, at 94.4% of the total population. In 2011, 89.0% of all births in the state were to non-Hispanic White parents.[57] Maine also has the second-highest residential senior population.[58]
According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 4,411 homeless people in Maine.[59][60]
The table below shows the racial composition of Maine's population as of 2016.
Race | Population (2016 est.) | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Total population | 1,329,923 | 100% |
White | 1,260,476 | 94.8% |
Black or African American | 16,303 | 1.2% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 8,013 | 0.6% |
Asian | 14,643 | 1.1% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 211 | 0.0% |
Some other race | 3,151 | 0.2% |
Two or more races | 27,126 | 2.0% |
According to the 2016 American Community Survey, 1.5% of Maine's population were of Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): Mexican (0.4%), Puerto Rican (0.4%), Cuban (0.1%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (0.6%).[61] The six largest ancestry groups were: English (20.7%), Irish (17.3%), French (15.7%), German (8.1%), American (7.8%) and French Canadian (7.7%).[62]
People citing that they are American are of overwhelmingly English descent, but have ancestry that has been in the region for so long (often since the 17th century) that they choose to identify simply as Americans.[63][64][65][66][67][68][excessive citations]
Maine has the highest percentage of French Americans of any state. Most of them are of Canadian origin, but in some cases have been living there since prior to the American Revolutionary War. There are particularly high concentrations in the northern part of Maine in Aroostook County, which is part of a cultural region known as Acadia that goes over the border into New Brunswick. Along with the Acadian population in the north, many French-Canadians came from Quebec as immigrants between 1840 and 1930.
The upper Saint John River valley area was once part of the so-called Republic of Madawaska, before the frontier was decided in the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842. Over a quarter of the population of Lewiston, Waterville, and Biddeford are Franco-American. Most of the residents of the Mid Coast and Down East sections are chiefly of British heritage. Smaller numbers of various other groups, including Irish, Italian, Swedish[69] and Polish, have settled throughout the state since the late 19th and early 20th century immigration waves.
Today there are four federally recognized tribes in Maine, including the Mi'kmaq Nation. In 2020, 7,885 identified as being Native American alone, and 25,617 did in combination with one or more other races.[70]
Birth data
[edit]Note: Births in table do not sum to 100% because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race.
Race | 2013[71] | 2014[72] | 2015[73] | 2016[74] | 2017[75] | 2018[76] | 2019[77] | 2020[78] | 2021[79] | 2022[80] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White: | 11,950 (93.5%) | 11,842 (93.2%) | 11,805 (93.6%) | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
> Non-Hispanic White | 11,774 (92.1%) | 11,654 (91.8%) | 11,563 (91.7%) | 11,484 (90.4%) | 10,958 (89.1%) | 11,022 (89.5%) | 10,401 (88.3%) | 10,231 (88.7%) | 10,619 (88.4%) | 10,640 (88.0%) |
Black | 455 (3.6%) | 450 (3.5%) | 473 (3.7%) | 411 (3.2%) | 545 (4.4%) | 546 (4.4%) | 541 (4.6%) | 514 (4.5%) | 551 (4.6%) | 679 (5.6%) |
Asian | 253 (2.0%) | 248 (1.9%) | 186 (1.5%) | 192 (1.5%) | 219 (1.8%) | 202 (1.6%) | 217 (1.8%) | 195 (1.7%) | 197 (1.6%) | 163 (1.3%) |
American Indian | 118 (0.9%) | 158 (1.2%) | 143 (1.1%) | 97 (0.7%) | 88 (0.7%) | 99 (0.8%) | 96 (0.8%) | 85 (0.7%) | 71 (0.6%) | 82 (0.7%) |
Hispanic (of any race) | 172 (1.3%) | 200 (1.6%) | 251 (2.0%) | 238 (1.9%) | 229 (1.9%) | 224 (1.8%) | 257 (2.2%) | 258 (2.2%) | 305 (2.5%) | 338 (2.8%) |
Maine Total | 12,776 (100%) | 12,698 (100%) | 12,607 (100%) | 12,705 (100%) | 12,298 (100%) | 12,311 (100%) | 11,779 (100%) | 11,539 (100%) | 12,006 (100%) | 12,093 (100%) |
- Since 2016, data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in one Hispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
In 2018, The top countries of origin for Maine's immigrants were Canada, the Philippines, Germany, India and Korea.[81]
Language
[edit]Maine does not have an official language,[82] but the most widely spoken language in the state is English. The 2010 census reported 92.91% of Maine residents aged five and older spoke only English at home. French-speakers are the state's chief linguistic minority; census figures show that Maine has the highest percentage of people speaking French at home of any state: 3.93% of Maine households are French-speaking, compared with 3.45% (including Cajun and Creole) in Louisiana, which is the second highest state.[6] Spanish is the third-most-common language in Maine, after English and French.[83]
Religion
[edit]According to the Pew Research Center in 2014, the religious affiliations of Maine were: Protestant 37% (in particular: Evangelical Protestant 14%, Mainline Protestant 21%, Historical Black Protestant 2%), Atheism or Agnosticism 6%, Nothing in Particular 26%, Roman Catholic Church 21%, other Christians 5%, non-Christian religions including Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism and Baháʼí 7%, and Pagans and Unitarians 5%.
In 2014, the Roman Catholic Church was the largest religious denomination and the Baptists (7% Evangelical and 5% Mainline) were the state's largest Protestant denomination, followed by the Methodists (6%) and the Congregationalists (5%). The atheists and the agnostics are only 6% of the state, but 26% of Mainers said that they "Believe in God but they are Unaffiliated." Eighty-one percent of Mainers believed in God, while 3% did not know and 16% did not believe in God. Thirty-four percent of Mainers thought that religion was "very important" and 29% said that it was "important", while 21% said that religion was not important.[85]
According to a survey through the Public Religion Research Institute in 2020, approximately 62% of the population were Christian; the religiously unaffiliated slightly increased to 33% from the separate 2014 study by the Pew Research Center.[86] In a 2022 study by the Public Religion Research Institute, 63% of the population were Christian, and 30% were religiously unaffiliated. Among the non-Christian population in 2022, 1% were Unitarian Universalist, 5% Jewish, and 1% New Ager.
According to the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, with Christianity as the dominant faith, the largest denominations by number of adherents were Catholicism (219,233 members), non-denominational Protestantism (45,364), and United Methodists (19,686).[87] According to the same study, there were an estimated 16,894 Muslims in the state.
Economy
[edit]Total employment (May 2024):
- 674,900[88]
Total employer establishments (2021):
- 42,519[89]
Maine's total gross state product was $91.1 billion in 2023.[90] The state's per capita personal income for 2023 was $63,117, ranking 30th in the nation, and its median gross income was $69,543.[91][92] As of September 2022[update], Maine's unemployment rate is 3.3%.[93] As of January 2024, Maine's minimum wage is $14.15.[94]
Maine's agricultural outputs include poultry, eggs, dairy products, cattle, wild blueberries, apples, maple syrup, and maple sugar. Aroostook County is known for its potato crops. Potatoes make the state $166,672,000 a year.[95] Commercial fishing, once a mainstay of the state's economy, maintains a presence, particularly lobstering and groundfishing. While lobster is the main seafood focus for Maine, the harvest of both oysters and seaweed are on the rise. In 2015, 14% of the Northeast's total oyster supply came from Maine. In 2017, the production of Maine's seaweed industry was estimated at $20 million per year. The shrimp industry of Maine is on a government-mandated hold. With an ever-decreasing Northern shrimp population, Maine fishermen are no longer allowed to catch and sell shrimp. The hold began in 2014 and is expected to continue until 2021.[96] Western Maine aquifers and springs are a source of bottled water for companies like Poland Spring.
Maine's industrial outputs consist chiefly of paper, lumber and wood products, electronic equipment, leather products, food products, textiles, and bio-technology. Naval shipbuilding and construction remain key as well, with Bath Iron Works in Bath and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery.
Brunswick Landing, formerly Naval Air Station Brunswick, is also in Maine. Formerly a large support base for the U.S. Navy, the BRAC campaign initiated the Naval Air Station's closing, despite a government-funded effort to upgrade its facilities. The former base has since been changed into a civilian business park, as well as a new satellite campus for Southern Maine Community College.[97]
Maine is the top U.S. producer of low-bush blueberries. Preliminary data from the USDA for 2012 also indicate Maine was the largest blueberry producer of the major blueberry producing states, with a total production of 91,100,000 lbs.[99] This data includes both low (wild) and high-bush (cultivated) blueberries.
Tourism and outdoor recreation play a major and increasingly important role in Maine's economy. The state is a popular destination for sport hunting (particularly deer, moose, and bear), sport fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, boating, camping and hiking, among other activities. Along with the tourist and recreation-oriented economy, Maine has developed a burgeoning creative economy, most notably centered in the Greater Portland vicinity.[13]
Historically, Maine ports played a key role in national transportation. Beginning around 1880, Portland's rail link and ice-free port made it Canada's principal winter port, until the aggressive development of Halifax, Nova Scotia in the mid-20th century. In 2013, 12,039,600 short tons passed into and out of Portland by sea,[100] which places it 45th of U.S. water ports.[101] Portland International Jetport has been expanded, providing the state with increased air traffic from carriers such as JetBlue and Southwest Airlines.
Maine has very few large companies that maintain headquarters in the state, and that number has fallen due to consolidations and mergers, particularly in the pulp and paper industry. Some of the larger companies that do maintain headquarters in Maine include Covetrus in Portland, Fairchild Semiconductor in South Portland, IDEXX Laboratories in Westbrook, Hannaford Bros. Co. in Scarborough, L.L.Bean in Freeport, and Puritan Medical Products in Guilford. Maine is also the home of the Jackson Laboratory, the world's largest non-profit mammalian genetic research facility and the world's largest supplier of genetically purebred mice.
Taxation
[edit]Maine has an income tax structure containing two brackets, 6.5 and 7.95 percent of personal income.[102] Before July 2013, Maine had four brackets: 2, 4.5, 7, and 8.5 percent.[103] Maine's general sales tax rate is 5.5 percent. The state also levies charges of nine percent on lodging and prepared food and ten percent on short-term auto rentals.[104] Commercial sellers of blueberries, a Maine staple, must keep records of their transactions and pay the state 1.5 cents per pound ($1.50 per 100 pounds) of the fruit sold each season. All real and tangible personal property located in the state of Maine is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. The administration of property taxes is handled by the local assessor in incorporated cities and towns, while property taxes in the unorganized territories are handled by the State Tax Assessor.
Shipbuilding
[edit]Maine has a long-standing tradition of being home to many shipbuilding companies, such as Bath Iron Works and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Maine was home to many shipyards that produced wooden sailing ships. The main function of these ships was to transport either cargos or passengers overseas. One of these yards was located in Pennellville Historic District in what is now Brunswick, Maine. This yard, owned by the Pennell family, was typical of the many family-owned shipbuilding companies of the time period. Other such examples of shipbuilding families were the Skolfields and the Morses. During the 18th and 19th centuries, wooden shipbuilding of this sort made up a sizable portion of the economy.
Transportation
[edit]Airports
[edit]Maine receives passenger jet service at its two largest airports, the Portland International Jetport in Portland, and the Bangor International Airport in Bangor. Both are served daily by many major airlines to destinations such as New York, Atlanta, and Orlando. Essential Air Service also subsidizes service to a number of smaller airports in Maine, bringing small turboprop aircraft to regional airports such as the Augusta State Airport, Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport, Knox County Regional Airport, and the Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle. These airports are served by regional providers such as Cape Air with Cessna 402s, and CommutAir with Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft.
Many smaller airports are scattered throughout Maine, serving only general aviation traffic. The Eastport Municipal Airport, for example, is a city-owned public-use airport with 1,200 general aviation aircraft operations each year from single-engine and ultralight aircraft.[105]
Highways
[edit]Interstate 95 (I-95) travels through Maine, as well as its easterly branch I-295 and spurs I-195, I-395 and the unsigned I-495 (the Falmouth Spur). In addition, U.S. Route 1 (US 1) starts in Fort Kent and travels to Florida. The eastern terminus of the eastern section of US 2 starts in Houlton, near the New Brunswick, Canada border to Rouses Point, New York, at US 11. US 2A connects Old Town and Orono, primarily serving the University of Maine campus. US 201 and US 202 flow through the state. US 2, Maine State Route 6 (SR 6), and SR 9 are often used by truckers and other motorists of the Maritime Provinces en route to other destinations in the United States or as a short cut to Central Canada.
Rail
[edit]Passenger
[edit]The Downeaster passenger train, operated by Amtrak, provides passenger service between Brunswick and Boston's North Station, with stops in Freeport, Portland, Old Orchard Beach, Saco, and Wells. The Downeaster makes five daily trips.[106]
Freight
[edit]Freight service throughout the state is provided by a handful of regional and shortline carriers: Pan Am Railways (formerly known as Guilford Rail System), which operates the former Boston and Maine and Maine Central railroads; St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad; Maine Eastern Railroad; Central Maine and Quebec Railway; and New Brunswick Southern Railway.
Shipping
[edit]Cargo
[edit]The International Marine Terminal in Portland provides shipping container transport. In 2021 an estimated 36,700 shipping containers moved through the terminal. In 2017, a total of 17,515 shipping containers were transported. The Icelandic shipping company Eimskip opened its United States headquarters in Portland in 2013. Its ships stop in Portland once a week in a route that includes Atlantic Canada and Iceland with connections to northern Europe and Asia.[107] In 2015, the terminal moved 10,500 containers. The Maine Port Authority in 2016 began a $15.5 million expansion and improvement of the terminal. The Maine Port Authority leased the International Marine Terminal from the city of Portland in 2009.[108]
Law and government
[edit]The Maine Constitution structures Maine's state government, composed of three co-equal branches—the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The state of Maine also has three Constitutional Officers (the Secretary of State, the State Treasurer, and the State Attorney General) and one Statutory Officer (the State Auditor).
The legislative branch is the Maine Legislature, a bicameral body composed of the Maine House of Representatives, with 151 members, and the Maine Senate, with 35 members. The Legislature is charged with introducing and passing laws.
The executive branch is headed by the Governor of Maine (currently Janet Mills). The Governor is elected every four years; no individual may serve more than two consecutive terms in this office. The current attorney general of Maine is Aaron Frey. As with other state legislatures, the Maine Legislature can by a two-thirds majority vote from both the House and Senate override a gubernatorial veto. Maine is one of seven states that do not have a lieutenant governor.
The highest court in the state's judicial branch is the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. The lower courts are the District Court, Superior Court and Probate Court. All judges except for probate judges serve full-time, are nominated by the Governor, and confirmed by the Legislature for terms of seven years. Probate judges serve part-time and are elected by the voters of each county for four-year terms.
In a 2020 study, Maine was ranked as the 14th easiest state for citizens to vote in.[109] In 2012, Maine became one of the first U.S. states to establish marriage rights for same-sex couples.[110]
Politics
[edit]Maine politics are dynamic in nature, with parties loosely hung together, governors often winning by pluralities rather than majorities, and significant turnover both in members and parties in legislative districts. In his 2010 article Maine's Paradoxical Politics, Kenneth Palmer suggests that "Maine's political leaders find themselves as centrists, primarily because they want to find practical solutions to difficult problems."[111]
The results of the elections are often varied. Maine is seen as a blue-leaning swing state, with unusually high support for independent candidates. The Republican Party have won Maine in 11 out of the past 20 presidential elections, and the governorship has been won by Democrats and independents three times each, and Republicans four times, since 1974.[112]
Maine uses ranked choice voting in primary elections for state and federal offices, as well as in general elections for federal offices. Ranked choice voting was adopted by voters in a 2016 referendum.[113]
Counties
[edit]Maine is divided into political jurisdictions designated as counties. Since 1860 there have been 16 counties in the state, ranging in size from 370 to 6,829 square miles (958 to 17,700 km2).
County name | County seat | Year founded | Population 2020 Census |
Percent of total | Area (sq. mi.) | Percent of total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Androscoggin | Auburn | 1854 | 111,139 | 8.16% | 497 | 1.44% |
Aroostook | Houlton | 1839 | 67,105 | 4.93% | 6,829 | 19.76% |
Cumberland | Portland | 1760 | 303,069 | 22.25% | 1,217 | 3.52% |
Franklin | Farmington | 1838 | 29,456 | 2.16% | 1,744 | 5.05% |
Hancock | Ellsworth | 1789 | 55,478 | 4.07% | 1,522 | 4.40% |
Kennebec | Augusta | 1799 | 123,642 | 9.08% | 951 | 2.75% |
Knox | Rockland | 1860 | 40,607 | 2.98% | 1,142 | 3.30% |
Lincoln | Wiscasset | 1760 | 35,237 | 2.59% | 700 | 2.03% |
Oxford | Paris | 1805 | 57,777 | 4.24% | 2,175 | 6.29% |
Penobscot | Bangor | 1816 | 152,199 | 11.17% | 3,556 | 10.29% |
Piscataquis | Dover-Foxcroft | 1838 | 16,800 | 1.23% | 4,377 | 12.67% |
Sagadahoc | Bath | 1854 | 36,699 | 2.69% | 370 | 1.07% |
Somerset | Skowhegan | 1809 | 50,477 | 3.71% | 4,095 | 11.85% |
Waldo | Belfast | 1827 | 39,607 | 2.91% | 853 | 2.47% |
Washington | Machias | 1790 | 31,095 | 2.28% | 3,255 | 9.42% |
York | Alfred | 1636 | 211,972 | 15.56% | 1,271 | 3.68% |
Total counties: 16 | Total 2020 population: 1,362,359 | Total state area: 34,554 square miles (89,494 km2) |
Law enforcement
[edit]Municipalities
[edit]Organized municipalities
[edit]An organized municipality has a form of elected local government which administers and provides local services, keeps records, collects licensing fees, and can pass locally binding ordinances, among other responsibilities of self-government. The governmental format of most organized towns and plantations is the town meeting, while the format of most cities is the council-manager form. As of 2022[update] the organized municipalities of Maine consist of 23 cities, 430 towns, and 30 plantations. Collectively these 483 organized municipalities cover less than half of the state's territory. Maine also has three[contradictory] Reservations: Indian Island, Indian Township Reservation, and Pleasant Point Indian Reservation.[114]
- The largest municipality in Maine, by population, is the city of Portland (pop. 68,408).
- The smallest city by population is Eastport (pop. 1,288).
- The largest town by population is Brunswick (pop. 21,756).
- The smallest town by population is Frye Island, a resort town which reported zero year-round population in the 2000 Census; one plantation, Glenwood Plantation, also reported a permanent population of zero.
- In the 2000 census, the smallest town aside from Frye Island was Centerville with a population of 26, but since that census, Centerville voted to disincorporate and therefore is no longer a town. The next smallest town with a population listed in that census is Beddington (pop. 60 at the 2020 census).
- The largest municipality by land area is the town of Allagash, at 128 square miles (332 km2).
- The smallest municipality by land area is Monhegan Island, at 0.86 square miles (2.2 km2). The smallest municipality by area that is not an island is Randolph, at 2.23 square miles (6 km2).
Unorganized territory
[edit]Unorganized territory (UT) has no local government. Administration, services, licensing, and ordinances are handled by the state government as well as by respective county governments who have townships within each county's bounds. The unorganized territory of Maine consists of more than 400 townships (in Maine, towns are incorporated, townships are unincorporated), plus many coastal islands that do not lie within any municipal bounds. The UT land area is slightly over half the entire area of the State of Maine. Year-round residents in the UT number approximately 9,000 (about 1.3% of the state's total population), with many more people staying there only seasonally. Only four of Maine's sixteen counties (Androscoggin, Cumberland, Waldo and York) are entirely incorporated, although a few others are nearly so, and most of the unincorporated area is in the vast and sparsely populated Great North Woods of Maine.[115]
Most populous cities and towns
[edit]Rank | Name | County | Pop. | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portland Lewiston |
1 | Portland | Cumberland | 68,408 | Bangor South Portland | ||||
2 | Lewiston | Androscoggin | 37,121 | ||||||
3 | Bangor | Penobscot | 31,753 | ||||||
4 | South Portland | Cumberland | 26,498 | ||||||
5 | Auburn | Androscoggin | 24,061 | ||||||
6 | Biddeford | York | 22,552 | ||||||
7 | Scarborough | Cumberland | 22,135 | ||||||
8 | Sanford | York | 21,982 | ||||||
9 | Brunswick | Cumberland | 21,756 | ||||||
10 | Westbrook | Cumberland | 20,400 |
Throughout Maine, many municipalities, although each separate governmental entities, nevertheless form portions of a much larger population base. There are many such population clusters throughout Maine, but some examples from the municipalities appearing in the above listing are:
- Portland, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Westbrook, Scarborough, and Falmouth
- Lewiston and Auburn
- Bangor, Orono, Brewer, Old Town, and Hampden
- Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach
- Brunswick and Topsham
- Waterville, Winslow, Fairfield, and Oakland
- Presque Isle and Caribou[117]
Education
[edit]There are thirty institutions of higher learning in Maine.[118] These institutions include the University of Maine, which is the oldest, largest and only research university in the state. UMaine was founded in 1865 and is the state's only land grant and sea grant college. The University of Maine is located in the town of Orono and is the flagship of Maine. There are also branch campuses in Augusta, Farmington, Fort Kent, Machias, and Presque Isle.[119]
Bowdoin College is a liberal arts college founded in 1794 in Brunswick, making it the oldest institution of higher learning in the state. Colby College in Waterville was founded in 1813 making it the second oldest college in Maine.[120] Bates College in Lewiston was founded in 1855 making it the third oldest institution in the state and the oldest coeducational college in New England.[121] The three colleges collectively form the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium and are ranked among the best colleges in the United States; often placing in the top 10% of all liberal arts colleges.[122][123][124]
Maine's per-student public expenditure for elementary and secondary schools was 21st in the nation in 2012, at $12,344.[125]
The collegiate system of Maine also includes numerous baccalaureate colleges such as: the Maine Maritime Academy (MMA), College of the Atlantic, Unity College, and Thomas College. There is only one medical school in the state, (University of New England's College of Osteopathic Medicine) and only one law school (The University of Maine School of Law). There is one art school in the state, Maine College of Art, along with a private graduate school, Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts, which offers a Doctor of Philosophy to visual artists.
The Maine Community College System, founded in 1985 also serves "to provide associate degree, diploma and certificate programs directed at the educational, career and technical needs of the State's citizens and the workforce needs of the State's employers."[126] This system includes Southern Maine Community College (SMCC), York County Community College (YCCC), Central Maine Community College (CMCC), Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC), Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC), Northern Maine Community College (NMCC), and Washington County Community College (WCCC).[127]
Private schools in Maine are funded independently of the state and its furthered domains. Private schools are less common than public schools. A large number of private elementary schools with under 20 students exist, but most private high schools in Maine can be described as "semi-private".
Maine also has Vocational Schools, such as the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology[128] and Sanford Regional Technical Center[129] that teach trades such as welding, construction and vehicle repair to students.
Culture
[edit]Agriculture
[edit]Maine was a center of agriculture before it achieved statehood. Prior to colonization, Wabanaki nations farmed large crops of corn and other produce in southern Maine.[130]
Maine was a center of grain production in the 1800s, until grain production moved westward. However, in the early 2000s the local food movement spurred renewed interested in locally grown grains. In 2007, the Kneading Conference was founded. In, 2012, the Skowhegan grist mill Maine Grains opened.[131][132] The revival of grain farming and milling in Maine has led to the creation of other businesses, including bakeries and malthouses.[133]
Maine has many vegetable farms and other small, diversified farms. In the 1960s and 1970s, the book "Living the Good Life" by Helen Nearing and Scott Nearing caused many young people to move to Maine and engage in small-scale farming and homesteading. These back-to-the-land migrants increased the population of some counties.[134]
Maine is home to the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association and had 535 certified organic farms in 2019.[135]
Festivals
[edit]Maine has multiple fairs and festivals that are held annually, which include La Kermesse, a celebration of the state's French and French Canadian heritage, the Fryeburg Fair, the Cumberland Fair, the Union Fair, the Common Ground Country Fair, a number of Old Home Days festivals, and a number of Portland Food Festivals.[136][137][138]
Food
[edit]Along with the growth of the local food movement over the last several decades, Maine has received national recognition for its food and restaurant scene. Portland was named Bon Appetit magazine's Restaurant City of the Year in 2018.[139] In 2018, HealthIQ.com named Maine the 3rd most vegan-friendly state.[140] Biddeford was selected by Food & Wine in 2022 as one of America's next great food cities.[141]
Maine food shares many ingredients with Wabanaki cuisine, including corn, beans, squash, wild blueberries, maple syrup, fish, and seafood.[142] By 1902, the Maine Italian sandwich had been invented in Portland. Sandwich shops across Maine serve the sandwiches.[143] Baked beans are a common dish in Maine, served at community suppers where the beans are sometimes cooked underground in a bean hole. In New England, Maine baked beans are one of two well-known regional styles of baked beans, the other being Boston baked beans. Maine baked beans use thicker skinned, native bean varieties such like Marafax, soldier, and yellow-eye beans.[144] From 1913 until 2021, baked beans were canned on the Portland waterfront at the B&M Baked Beans factory.
Sports teams
[edit]Professional
[edit]- Maine Celtics, basketball, NBA G League
- Portland Sea Dogs, minor league baseball, Double-A Northeast
- Maine Mariners, ice hockey, ECHL
Upcoming
[edit]- Portland Hearts of Pine, soccer, USL League One, to begin play in 2025
Non-professional
[edit]- Portland Phoenix FC, soccer, Premier Developmental League
- Maine Roller Derby, roller derby, Women's Flat Track Derby Association
- Maine Black Bears[145]
- Husson Eagles[146]
- Maine Maritime Mariners
- Bates Bobcats
- Colby Mules
- Bowdoin Polar Bears
- New England Nor'easters
Terminology
[edit]Maine maintains some vernacular and terminology that is unique in comparison to the rest of the country.[149] Some of these include:
- "From away" - A non-native person of Maine.[150]
- "Upta camp" - Going to a more out-of-the-way, rustic place.[150] Popularized by Bob Marley after his special of the same name.[151][152]
- "Ayuh" - An affirmative response, like "Yes".[150]
People from Maine
[edit]Citizens of Maine are often known as Mainers.[153] The term Downeaster may be applied to residents of the northeast coast of the state. The term Mainiac is considered by some to be derogatory, but is embraced with pride by others,[154] and is used for a variety of organizations and for events such as the YMCA Mainiac Sprint Triathlon & Duathlon.[155]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ In the event of a vacancy in the office of governor, the president of the State Senate is first in line for succession.
- ^ Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
- ^ Maine is the U.S. state with the highest percentage of French-speaking population.[6]
Citations
[edit]- ^ "Maine for Vacation". USA Today. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
There's a reason it's called "Vacationland" ...
- ^ "State Area Measurements and Internal Point Coordinates". Census.gov.
- ^ "Katahdin 2". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
- ^ a b "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ "Median Annual Household Income". The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. September 22, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
- ^ a b "Data Center Results". Modern Language Association. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "Title 1, §224: State soft drink". legislature.maine.gov.
- ^ "LD 269, SP 128, Text and Status, 131st Legislature, First Regular Session".
- ^ "Maine". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster.
- ^ Wickenheiser, Matt (March 26, 2012). "Census: Maine most rural state in 2010 as urban centers grow nationwide". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
- ^ "Indigenous Peoples of North America". www.gale.com. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ "Wabanaki Nations". National Park Service. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "Maine's Creative Economy". Maine Arts Commission. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
- ^ Currie, Ron (January 16, 2017). "Welcome to Portlyn". Down East Magazine. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "Native Americans or Indians in the Eastern United States in 1600". CelebrateBoston.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2013.
- ^ "Abenaki". tolatsga.org. Archived from the original on April 11, 2010.
- ^ "Science: Bye, Columbus". Time. December 11, 1978. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015.
- ^ MPBN, "Rolling Back the Frontier" Archived July 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, The Story of Maine; accessed January 3, 2011
- ^ Massachusetts Historical Society (1884). Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society. The Society. pp. 339–.
- ^ Bruce G. Trigger (ed.): Handbook of North American Indians. Vol. 15. Northeast. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. 1978 ISBN 0-16-004575-4
- ^ "York commemorates Candlemas Raid Archived December 2, 2018, at the Wayback Machine". The Portsmouth Herald. February 1, 2001.
- ^ John Demos, The Unredeemed Captive: A Family Story from Early America, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994, pp. 186 and 224
- ^ Darren Bonaparte, "The History of Akwesasne" Archived October 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, The Wampum Chronicles, accessed February 1, 2010
- ^ "New Ireland: How Maine almost became part of Canada at the end of the War of 1812". National Post. September 3, 2014.
- ^ Woodard, Colin. The Lobster Coast Archived February 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. New York. Viking/Penguin, ISBN 0-670-03324-3, 2004, pp. 139–140, 150–151
- ^ Woodard, Colin. "Parallel 44: Origins of the Mass Effect", The Working Waterfront, August 31, 2010. [1] Archived May 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Woodard, Colin. The Lobster Coast: Rebels, Rusticators and the Forgotten Frontier (2004) Penguin Books. ISBN 0-670-03324-3
- ^ "Maine History (Statehood)". www.maine.gov. Archived from the original on May 4, 2008. Retrieved April 13, 2008.
- ^ Nowak, David J.; Greenfield, Eric J. (July 2012). "Tree and impervious cover in the United States" (PDF). Landscape and Urban Planning. 107 (1): 21–30. Bibcode:2012LUrbP.107...21N. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2012.04.005. ISSN 0169-2046. S2CID 9352755. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 12, 2014. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
- ^ Olson; D. M; E. Dinerstein; et al. (2001). "Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth". BioScience. 51 (11): 933–938. doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0006-3568.
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- ^ "Length of the U.S. Coastline by State". fen.com. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ St. Vincent Millay, Edna. "Renascence by Edna St. Vincent Millay | Poetry Foundation". Poetry Foundation. Edna St. Vincent Millay. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
- ^ "Answers—The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions". Answers.com. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ "Maine". National Park Service. Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved July 16, 2008.
- ^ a b Lent, Robert (February 10, 2009). "New All Time Low Temperature Recorded in Maine". U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
- ^ "Each state's high temperature record". USA Today. August 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
- ^ [2] Archived October 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine NOAA National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
- ^ "Summary of July 1st Tornadoes in Maine" (PDF).
- ^ "NOAA's 1981–2010 Climate Normals". National Climatic Data Center.
- ^ "Maine climate averages". Weatherbase. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- ^ "Index of Species: Forest Trees of Maine: Handbooks & Guides: Publications: Division of Forestry: Maine ACF". www.maine.gov. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ "Coastal Beach" (PDF). Maine.gov. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ "Mammals: Species Information: Wildlife: Fish & Wildlife: Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife". www.maine.gov. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ "Species Information | Department of Marine Resources". www.maine.gov. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ "Lobster | Maine Secretary of State Kids' Page". www.maine.gov. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ "Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020)". Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ "QuickFacts Maine; UNITED STATES". 2018 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 11, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
- ^ "Urban Percentage of the Population for States, Historical | Iowa Community Indicators Program". Icip.iastate.edu. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ "Population and Population Centers by State: 2010 (US Census Bureau)". Archived from the original on April 29, 2011. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ "census.gov" (PDF). Retrieved August 3, 2013.
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Portland city, Maine". Census.gov. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- ^ "Mass. Benchmarks" (PDF). Massbenchmarks.org. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ Silver, Nate. "SBSQ #6: People are fleeing California and New York. Will that make other states bluer?". www.natesilver.net. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
- ^ "Interactive: Population change in Maine towns, 2010-2016". Portland Press Herald. May 26, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- ^ "Which States Have the Oldest Populations". PRB. December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- ^ "Americans under age 1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot". The Plain Dealer. June 3, 2012.
- ^ "Important Statistics On The Senior Population". SrCareCenter.com. May 22, 2019. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
- ^ "2007-2022 PIT Counts by State".
- ^ "The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress" (PDF).
- ^ a b "2016 American Community Survey—Demographic and Housing Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
- ^ "2016 American Community Survey—Selected Social Characteristics". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
- ^ Dominic Pulera (October 20, 2004). Sharing the Dream: White Males in Multicultural America. A&C Black. pp. 57–. ISBN 978-0-8264-1643-8.
- ^ Stanley Lieberson and Lawrence Santi, "The Use of Nativity Data to Estimate Ethnic Characteristics and Patterns", Social Science Research, Vol. 14, No. 1 (1985), pp. 44–6.
- ^ Stanley Lieberson and Mary C. Waters, "Ethnic Groups in Flux: The Changing Ethnic Responses of American Whites", Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 487, No. 79 (September 1986), pp. 82–86.
- ^ Mary C. Waters, Ethnic Options: Choosing Identities in America (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990), p. 36.
- ^ French Canadian Emigration to the United States 1840–1930. Claude Bélanger, Department of History, Marianopolis College, [when?]
- ^ French-Canadian Americans by Marianne Fedunkiw, [when?]
- ^ "Bringing in the Swedes". Maine History Online. 2010. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- ^ "Race and Ethnicity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census".
- ^ "Births: Final Data for 2013" (PDF). cdc.gov.
- ^ "Statistics" (PDF). cdc.gov.
- ^ "Statistics" (PDF). cdc.gov.
- ^ "National Vital Statistics Reports" (PDF). cdc.gov. January 31, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ^ "Births: Final Data for 2017" (PDF). cdc.gov. November 7, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "Data" (PDF). Cdc.gov. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
- ^ "Data" (PDF). Cdc.gov. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^ "Data" (PDF). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ "Data" (PDF). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ "Data" (PDF). www.cdc.gov. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ "Immigrants in Maine" (PDF).
- ^ "Maine—World Travel Guide". World Travel Guide. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ^ "Languages—Maine". City-data.com.
- ^ Staff (February 24, 2023). "PRRI – American Values Atlas: Religious Tradition in Maine". Public Religion Research Institute. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
- ^ "Religions in Maine".
- ^ "PRRI – American Values Atlas". ava.prri.org. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
- ^ "2020 Congregational Membership". www.thearda.com. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
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- ^ Account, Economic (March 29, 2024). "Personal Income by State". U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ Bureau, U.S. Census. "S1901: Income in the Past 12 Months". Explore Census Data. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
{{cite web}}
:|last=
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- ^ "MDOL: News & Events". www.maine.gov. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "Maine Economic Contribution and Impact Research". University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ Losneck, Caroline (April 2019). "NORTHEAST: Oyster, seaweed industries continue rise in Maine; Northern shrimp shutdown extends 3 years; scup and squid try to find strong markets". National Fisherman.
- ^ "Brunswick Landing—Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority". Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ "Maine's blueberry crop faces climate change peril". ABC News. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ "Data". usda.mannlib.cornell.edu.
- ^ "Part1_Ports_tonsbycommCY2013.htm". Navigationdatacenter.us.
- ^ "Table 1-57: Tonnage of Top 50 U.S. Water Ports, Ranked by Total Tons(a)—Bureau of Transportation Statistics". Rita.dot.gov. Archived from the original on February 11, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ^ "Tax forms" (PDF). maine.gov.
- ^ "Tax forms" (PDF). maine.gov.
- ^ "Title 36, §1811: Sales tax". legislature.maine.gov.
- ^ "KEPM—Eastport, Maine—Eastport Municipal Airport". Great Circle Mapper. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
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External links
[edit]State government
[edit]- Maine government
- Maine Office of Tourism Search for tourism-related businesses
- Visit Maine (agriculture) Maine fairs, festivals, etc.—Agricultural Dept.
U.S. government
[edit]- Maine State Guide, from the Library of Congress
- U.S. EIA Energy Profile for Maine—economic, environmental and energy data
- U.S. Geological Survey Real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Maine
- U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Maine State Facts—agricultural
- U.S. Census Bureau Quick facts on Maine
- Portland Magazine Editorial on Maine news, events, and people
Information
[edit]- Maine Historical Society
- Old USGS maps of Maine.
- 1860 Map of Maine by Mitchell.
- 1876 Panoramic Birdseye View of Portland by Warner at LOC.,
- Geographic data related to Maine at OpenStreetMap