Interesting Facts About Maine

Did you know that the Maine coast stretches nearly 4,568 miles when all of its bays and tidal rivers are factored in AND that it has 4,613 islands that are one acre or more in size? These are just a couple of interesting facts about Maine that I uncovered while doing Great-Maine-Vacations.com research.

I thought you might be interested in more...

...so I've put together this page on Maine State facts. You may find some that amaze you, others that don't, but they are all fun Maine facts to learn about.

Maine Facts - The Basics

Maine, which has the only monosyllabic state name in the United States, became the 23rd State of the Union on March 15, 1820 and over the years has adopted its own special identity in many ways.

Maine Nickname: Pine Tree State

Maine Capitol: Augusta

Maine State Tree: White Pine Tree

Maine State Flower: White Pine Cone

Maine State Berry: Wild Blueberry

Maine State Herb: Wintergreen

Maine State Treat: Maine Whoopie Pie

Maine State Animal: Moose

Maine State Bird: Chickadee

Maine State Fish: Landlocked Salmon

Maine State Cat: Maine Coon Cat

Maine State Insect: Honeybee

Maine State Gemstone: Tourmaline

Maine State Fossil: Pertica Quadrifaria

Maine State Song: "State of Maine Song" by Roger Vinton Snow

Maine Motto: Dirigo (meaning I Direct or I Lead)

Facts about Maine State Flag: Adopted by the Legislature in 1909 the flag of Maine displays the coat of arms of the State of Maine, on a background that is the same shade of blue as that used for the United States Flag.

Facts about Maine State Seal: As described in Maine law in Title 1 Section 201: The seal of the State shall be a shield, argent, charged with a pine tree (americana, quinis ex uno folliculo setis) with a moose (cervus alces), at the foot of it, recumbent; supporters: on dexter side, a husbandman, resting on a scythe; on sinister side, a seaman, resting on an anchor.

In the foreground, representing sea and land, and under the shield, shall be the name of the State in large Roman capitals, to wit: MAINE.

The whole shall be surrounded by a crest, the North Star. The motto, in small Roman capitals, shall be in a label interposed between the shield and crest, viz.: -- DIRIGO.

The Maine govenment and the Maine Office of Tourism provide other interesting facts about the State of Maine and its people...

Population Facts of Maine

With an average summer temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit and an average winter temperature of 20 degrees Fahrenheit...

...Maine can be a relatively comfortable place to live.

However...

With a 2006 population estimate of 1.3 million, Maine is the most sparsely populated state east of the Mississippi.

The people who do live in Maine can be found in...

...16 counties, with its largest, Aroostook County, covering an area greater than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined

...22 cities, with Portland as the largest and York as the countries first chartered city, in 1641

...424 towns, and

...51 plantations.

Ask me a question - Don't be shy, if you don't see your Maine facts or Maine trivia answer here, I'll try to help. I am always up for a challenge!

You may also be interested in:
Detailed State of Maine Map
Maine Weather Forecast, or from Amazon,

Maine 101: Everything You Wanted to Know About Maine and Were Going to Ask Anyway

Land Facts on Maine

Maine is 320 miles long and 210 miles wide, covering an area of 33,215 square miles. That's a lot of land, but it's put to good use...

....542,629 acres of Maine's land are preserved as state and national park land

...forests cover 17 million acres

...90% of the countries toothpick supply is produced in Maine

...Maine utilizes 58,000 acres of land for potato production, and

...99% of the wild blueberries in the United States come from Maine. Its annual blueberry crop is valued at over seventy-five million dollars.

And, in Maine you will find the...

...only national state park in New England, Acadia National Park

...the nearly mile high Mount Katahdin at 5,271 feet

...the end of the Appalachian Trial, and

...the easternmost city in the United States, Eastport and the easternmost town in the United States, Lubec.

With New Hampshire as its only United States border, Maine is the only state in the country to have only one border state.

Facts about Maine Waterways

When all of its bays and tidal rivers are factored in Maine has 4,568 miles of coastline. It also has a remarkable 4,613 islands.

What goes on in Maine's 32,000 miles of rivers and streams, its 6,000 lakes and ponds, and the Atlantic Ocean that washes along almost 3,500 miles of shoreline?

Quite a bit.

The Maine Coastal Zone consists of 192 towns and in these areas in 2006...

...over 72.5 million pounds of lobster were harvested

...over 138 million pounds of finfish were caught, along with

...approximately 46 million pounds of shellfish.

And, a few other facts about Maine waterways...

The 92 mile Allagash Wilderness Waterway winds through northern Maine's commercial forest connecting and protecting many of the areas ponds, rivers and streams.

In addition, Maine's coast is decorated with over 60 lighthouses, and the Penobscot Narrows Observatory - the tallest public bridge observatory in the world.

Do you have any Maine trivia or facts about Maine that you would like to share? Let me know and I'll be happy to include them here!