Maine is the most eastern land of the USA

Maine belongs to the region of New England and is the easternmost land of the United States. The first memory of the settlement here of the Europeans dates back to 1604. Then on the island of the Holy Cross landed a French expedition, headed by Samuel de Champlain. Three years later, a British settlement was established here by the Plymouth company. Initially, the territory of Maine was part of Massachusetts, but on March 15, 1820, it separated and became the 23rd state by the state.

Geographical features

The region borders on the southwestern part of New Hampshire, in the northwest - with the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick. The whole southeastern border of Maine is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The total area of the state is 91.6 thousand square kilometers. Moreover, more than 13% of its territory is covered with water. In addition, a significant part of it is a spur of the Appalachian Mountains. The highest point here is the Katahdin, and the largest lake is Muzhed. In the eastern part of the state there are the islands of North Rock and Makias. True, there is one nuance here. It is that until now between Canada and the United States has not resolved the issue of their belonging.

The state of Maine has a continental climate, which is expressed in snowy, cold winter and not very hot in the summer. During the year, the air temperature fluctuates from -18 to +27 degrees. Tropical storms, hurricanes, tornadoes and thunderstorms in the region are extremely rare.

origin of name

To this day, researchers have not come to a consensus as to why Maine got this name. For the first time in history, the name occurs in one of the documents of 1622. According to him, Captain John Mason and Sir Ferdinand Gorgez received as a gift a plot of land, which they intended to call the "Province of Maine". In 2001, local authorities decided to establish a holiday - the Day of Franco-Americans. The corresponding written order indicates that the state received its current name in honor of the French province of the same name.

Population

The population of the State of Maine is just over 1.3 million people. Despite the small area, quite impressive territories remain uninhabited. This can be explained by the prevailing mountainous terrain and rather severe weather conditions. In addition, throughout the year the number of local residents varies depending on the season. The fact is that many Americans live here only in the summer, and after the end of the season they leave.

As for the origin of the inhabitants of Maine, about 22% of them are English, 15% Irish, 14.2% Canadians and French, almost 10% Americans, and 6.7% Germans. The official language in the region is English. Along with this, more than 5% of the residents communicate freely in French.

Cities

In the state, there are 488 settlements of various sizes. The largest of them is the city of Portland, whose population is about 63 thousand people. As for the smallest, it is considered to be the resort village of Frey Island, in which no one is officially registered. The capital of the state of Maine is the city of Augusta. The population of the administrative center is equal to twenty thousand inhabitants. The city is in a very favorable, from a geographical point of view, position. In connection with this, a number of agricultural and industrial enterprises operate here.

Tourism

Every year, a large number of tourists visit the state of Maine. Its attractions are concentrated mainly in Portland and Augusta. In the first of these cities, the Museum of Art, the Space Gallery and many local parks are very popular. As for the capital, it is recommended to visit the Museum of Military Historical Society, the State House and the library "Lithgow". Most of the objects, representing a cultural heritage for Americans, were erected at the very beginning of the twentieth century.

Local nature deserves special words. Thanks to the mountains, the endless forests and beautiful ponds (one of the most picturesque is the Chamberlain lake), tens of thousands of travelers from the US and other countries visit the State of Maine every year. Especially popular are the ocean landscapes, which have been vividly confirmed by the numerous easels on the ocean coast, which can be seen at any time of the year.

Economic development

The most developed industries in the state are industry and agriculture. Despite the prevalence of stony soil, potatoes, broccoli, green peas and oats are grown here in large quantities. Numerous companies specializing in the preparation of vegetables for sale, are available on the territory of Maine. Also worth noting is the fairly well developed woodworking, shipbuilding and textile industries. A separate income of Portland was fresh sea fish. However, in all the above-mentioned industries taken together, only a quarter of the local population is involved. Most of the state's residents work in the service sector and in the tourism business.