Introduction
Maine (abbreviation: ME or Me), state of the United States of America, 86,027 km2, with 1.2 million inhabitants; capital: Augusta.
Physical Geography
Maine is part of the Appalachians. Three regions can be distinguished: a. The coastal strip is strongly articulated with many peninsulas; off the coast are more than 1,300 islands. (The name Maine is derived from the English mainland [= mainland], to distinguish it from the islands.) South of Portland are sandy beaches. b. The New England Upland north of the coastal region is characterized by flat land, with hundreds of lakes, rivers and streams. c. The White Mountain area to the west extends from north-central Maine to the southwest (highest point Mount Katahdin, 1570 m) into New Hampshire. The part of this area that lies within the state of Maine has been officially called the Longfellow Mountains since 1958. From the peaks of the Longfellow Mountains, seven major river systems flow into the Atlantic Ocean: Piscataqua, Saco, Androscoggin, Kennebec, Penobscot, St Croix, St John. The climate is subject to important local differences. Due to the moderating influence of the Atlantic Ocean, winters on the coast are usually milder than in the highlands and mountains. Precipitation is high (an average of about 1045 mm per year) and largely falls in the form of snow.
Population
The average population density is 13 inhabitants. per km2. About 45% of the population lives in cities. The only major cities are Portland and Lewiston.
Economy
The main sector of the economy is industry, of which the wood industry (especially paper) is the most important industry. The state itself provides the raw material: nearly 80% of Maine is covered by forest. Other important industrial products are foodstuffs, leather goods (shoes), textiles, furniture, clothing, chemical products, ceramics, jewelry; also shipbuilding and graphic industry (publishers). In addition to industry, the service sector (including tourism) is of great importance. Agriculture mainly produces potatoes, as well as broilers, eggs and dairy products. Animal husbandry (cattle, pigs). Considerable fishing (especially lobster, also herring, shrimps, mussels). The mining industry mainly supplies granite.
Sights
With its wealth of lakes, mountains, and forests, National Recreation Areas, Acadia National Park, and many coastal tourism opportunities, Maine attracts more than four million vacationers each year. Centers are at Boothbay Harbor and, on Mount Desert Island, Bar Harbor.
History
Maine was first reached by whites in 1498 (Sebastiano Caboto). The French camped on St. Croix Island in 1604–1605. After a failed first attempt at colonization in 1607, the English made a second attempt in 1616; in 1622 Sir Ferdinando Gorges acquired rights to the area and his family held them until 1677, when Massachusetts took over all interests from the heirs. The sparse settlements that existed then had suffered greatly from King Philip’s War in 1675–1676 and were threatened for a long time afterwards by the Indians, who received support from Canada. It was not until Canada passed into English hands in 1763 that the area flourished. It took an active part in the American Revolution. In 1820, Maine was separated from Massachusetts as a separate state and admitted to the Union as the 23rd state. The border between the area and Canada had been the subject of disputes between the United States and Great Britain since 1783. After an arbitral decision by the Dutch King William I was ignored in 1829, war even threatened in 1839. In 1842 the dispute was settled by treaty. Since the American Civil War, the Republican Party has almost always dominated there. After the 1950s, thanks to the actions of Democrat ES Muskie from Maine, this changed somewhat.
National Parks Maine
Acadia National Park
The Acadia National Park consists of three parts: Mount Desert Island, Isle au Haut and the Schoodic Penensula. The landscape consists of forest-covered mountains, many granite soils and sloping mountains towards the Atlantic Ocean. Schoodic Peninsula is the only part of the park that belongs to the mainland.
The park has an area of 156 km² and because it is so small it is not allowed to camp everywhere except on the special areas for this.