Maine

Capital	Augusta
Population	1,274,923 Source: U.S. Census Bureau GCT-PH1-R. Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density (geographies ranked by total population): 2000 Data Set: Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data
Governor	John Baldacci (D, to January 2011)
Entered the Union	March 15, 1820 as the 23rd state
Motto	Dirigo (I direct)
Nickname	Pine Tree state
Flower	White Pine cone and tassel
Bird	Chickadee
Song	State of Maine Song
Sports Teams (sport listing policy)
Origin of Name	Originally used to distinguish the mainland from the offshore islands. Considered a compliment to Henrietta Maria, Queen of Charles I of England. She was said to have owned the province of Mayne in France
Major Industries	Banking, insurance, tourism, manufacturing, agriculture, ocean products, wood pulp and paper products
Historical Sites	Wadsworth-Longfellow House, Fort Edgecomb, Fort Halifax, Fort Kent, Fort Knox, Fort McClary, Fort O'Brien, Fort Point, Fort Popham, Eagle Island, Arnald Trail
Points of Interest	Bar Harbor, Allagash National Wilderness Waterway, Roosevelt Campobello International Park, and the St. Croix Island National Monument
Bordering States	Maine borders the state of New Hampshire, the country of Canada, and the Atlantic Ocean.
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Follow these links to read articles about Maine from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:

• Encarta Concise Encyclopedia
• Columbia Encyclopedia
• Information Please Almanac

• Maine.gov: The Official Web Site of the State of Maine
  http://www.state.me.us/
  This is the official website for the State of Maine.
• Maine State Library
  http://www.state.me.us/msl/
  Here is the homepage for the Maine State Library.
• Maine Historical Society
  http://www.mainehistory.org/
  Here is the homepage for the Maine State Historical Society.
• Maine State Museum
  http://www.state.me.us/museum/
  Here is the homepage for the Maine State Museum.
• Maine State Archives
  http://www.state.me.us/sos/arc/
  Here is the homepage for the Maine State Archives.
• Maine Department of Conservation Bureau of Parks and Lands
  http://www.state.me.us/doc/parks/
  Here is the homepage for Maine State Parks.
• It Must Be Maine: Maine Office of Tourism
  http://www.visitmaine.com/
  Here is the official state tourism website for Maine.
• Maine Secretary of State's Kids' Page
  http://www.state.me.us/sos/kids/
  The state of Maine designed this special page just for kids.

• 50states.com: Maine
  http://www.50states.com/maine.htm
  The site provides a wealth of information about Maine. It includes everything from the highest point to county profile to climate.
• Things To Do in Maine
  http://www.thingstodo.com/states/ME/index.htm
  ThingsToDo.com is an online guide to information about Maine's entertainment, recreation, and travel, and includes the state's interesting facts, famous people, and special events.
• Roadside America: Maine Attractions
  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/me.html
  Roadside America describes itself as an online guide to offbeat attractions. This site offers reviews of "weird sites along the highway" in Maine.
• GoTravelMaine
  http://www.mainesunshine.com/
  Check here for all Maine vacation travel information - lodging, attractions, recreation, restaurants and more.
• State-of-Maine.US - Your Maine Guide to the Pine Tree State
  http://www.etravelmaine.com/state/activities/tourist_attractions/tourist_attractions.htm
  This site is Maine's online travel and resource guide for tourist attractions in the state.
• Maine.Info - Resources for Maine Travel and Living
  http://www.maine.info/
  Use this comprehensive site to find out about Maine's upcoming events and festivals, to learn where to find everything from jobs to libraries, to choose activities from birding to sight-seeing, and to discover Maine's adventures from dining to white-water rafting.
• FedStats: MapStat: United States: Maine
  http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/23000.html
  Fast access to statistics from more than 100 federal agencies on "economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, farm production and more" in Maine.

• Maine has 62 lighthouses. One of the most famous is Portland Head Light, which was commissioned by President George Washington.
• Almost 89% of Maine is forested.
• Nearly 90 percent of the nation's lobster supply is caught off the coast of Maine, approximately 40 million pounds. Other ocean products are sardines and Atlantic salmon.
• Maine produces 98% of the nation's low-bush blueberries. Other agricultural and farm products include apples, potatoes, dairy products, vegetables, poultry and eggs.
• The state fish of Maine is the Landlocked salmon, state animal is the Moose, state fossil is Pertica quadrifaria, state insect is the Ho neybee, state tree is the White pine tree and the state mineral is Tourmaline.
• There is evidence that Native Americans were living in Maine more than 2000 years ago.

• Joshua L. Chamberlain (1828 - 1914), Civil War general, governor of Maine, president of Bowdoin College.
• Dorothea Dix (1802 - 1887), humanitarian and social reformer.
• Stephen King, writer whose novels often are made into motion pictures. Some works include The Shining, Salem's Lot, Carrie, Pet Sematary, and Midnight Shift.
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882), poet and scholar.
• George Putnam, publisher.
• Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811 - 1896), abolitionist and humanitarian, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.