Maine
Maine (/meɪn/ ⓘ MAYN)[10] is the easternmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. 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, respectively. Maine is the largest state in New England by total area. 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.[11] Maine's capital is Augusta, and its most populous city is Portland, with a total population of 68,408, as of the 2020 census.
This article is about the U.S. state. For other uses, see Maine (disambiguation).
Maine
Part of Massachusetts (District of Maine)
March 15, 1820 (23rd)
Janet Mills (D)
1. Chellie Pingree (D)
2. Jared Golden (D) (list)
35,385[2] sq mi (91,646 km2)
30,862 sq mi (80,005 km2)
4,523 sq mi (11,724 km2) 13.5%
320 mi (515 km)
205 mi (330 km)
600 ft (180 m)
5,270 ft (1,606.4 m)
0 ft (0 m)
1,362,359
43.8/sq mi (16.9/km2)
$56,277[5]
- Mainer
None[6]
Me.
42° 58′ N to 47° 28′ N
66° 57′ W to 71° 5′ W (45°N 69°W / 45°N 69°W)
The Way Life Should Be
- "State of Maine"
- "The Dirigo March"
- "The Ballad of the 20th Maine"
Chesuncook soil
The territory of Maine has been inhabited by Indigenous populations[12] for thousands of years 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, it was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state.
Today, Maine is known for its jagged, rocky Atlantic Ocean and bayshore 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 is also bringing gentrification to the area.[14]
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.[124]
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.[125][126] The revival of grain farming and milling in Maine has led to the creation of other businesses, including bakeries and malthouses.[127]
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.[128]
Maine is home to the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association and had 535 certified organic farms in 2019.[129]
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.[130][131][132]
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.[133] In 2018, HealthIQ.com named Maine the 3rd most vegan-friendly state.[134] Biddeford was selected by Food & Wine in 2022 as one of America's next great food cities.[135] Maine food shares many ingredients with Wabanaki cuisine, including corn, beans, squash, wild blueberries, maple syrup, fish, and seafood.[136]
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.[137] From 1913 until 2021, baked beans were canned on the Portland waterfront at the B&M Baked Beans factory.
