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Politics of Maine

State of Maine
Flag of Maine State seal of Maine
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): "The Pine Tree State"
"Vacationland"
Motto(s): "Dirigo"
(Latin for "I lead", "I guide", or "I direct")
Map of the United States with Maine highlighted
Official language None
Spoken languages English (92%), French (5%), Other (3%)
Demonym Mainer
Capital Augusta
Largest city Portland
Largest metro Portland-South Portland-Biddeford
Area Ranked 39th
 • Total 35,385 sq mi
(91,646 km2)
 • Width 210 miles (338 km)
 • Length 320 miles (515 km)
 • % water 13.5
 • Latitude 42° 58′ N to 47° 28′ N
 • Longitude 66° 57′ W to 71° 5′ W
Population Ranked 42nd
 • Total 1,329,328 (2015 est)
 • Density 43.0/sq mi  (16.6/km2)
Ranked 38th
 • Median household income $50,756 (40th)
Elevation
 • Highest point Mount Katahdin
5,270 ft (1606.4 m)
 • Mean 600 ft  (180 m)
 • Lowest point Atlantic Ocean
sea level
Before statehood District of Maine (Massachusetts)
Admission to Union March 15, 1820 (23rd)
Governor Paul LePage (R)
President of the Senate Michael Thibodeau (R)
Legislature Maine Legislature
 • Upper house Senate
 • Lower house House of Representatives
U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R)
Angus King (I)
U.S. House delegation Chellie Pingree (D)
Bruce Poliquin (R) (list)
Time zone Eastern: UTC −5/−4
ISO 3166 US-ME
Abbreviations ME, Me.
Website www.maine.gov
Maine state symbols
Flag of Maine.svg
Seal of Maine.svg
Living insignia
Bird Chickadee
Fish Atlantic salmon
Flower White pine cone
Insect Honey bee
Mammal Moose
Tree Eastern white pine
Inanimate insignia
Beverage Moxie
Food Blueberry pie
Fossil Pertica quadrifaria
Gemstone Tourmaline
Motto Dirigo (I Lead)
Soil Chesuncook
Song "State of Maine Song"
State route marker
Maine state route marker
State quarter
Maine quarter dollar coin
Released in 2003
Lists of United States state symbols

Maine (/ˈmn/) is the northernmost state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Maine is the 39th most extensive and the 41st most populous of the U.S. states and territories. It is bordered by New Hampshire to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the north. Maine is the easternmost state in the contiguous United States, and the northernmost east of the Great Lakes. It is known for its jagged, rocky coastline; low, rolling mountains; heavily forested interior, and picturesque waterways; and also its seafood cuisine, especially clams and lobster. There is a continental climate throughout the state, even in coastal areas such as its most populous city of Portland. The capital is Augusta.

For thousands of years, indigenous peoples were the only inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine. At the time of European arrival in what is now Maine, several Algonquian-speaking peoples inhabited the area. The first European settlement in the area was by the French in 1604 on Saint Croix Island, 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, deprivations, and conflict with the local peoples caused many to fail over the years.


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