The State of Maine (IPA: /'me?n/)
is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United
States of America. The territory that is now Maine was at one time
a part of Massachusetts. Maine is the northernmost portion of New
England. It is known for its scenery — its jagged, mostly
rocky coastline, its low, rolling mountains, and its heavily forested
interior — as well as for its seafood cuisine, especially
lobsters and clams.
The original inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were
Algonquian-speaking peoples. The first European settlement in Maine
was in 1604 by a French party. The first English settlement in Maine,
the short-lived Popham Colony, was 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, deprivations,
and Indian attacks wiped out many of them over the years. As Maine
entered the 18th century only a half dozen settlements still survived.
American and British forces contended for Maine's territory during
the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Because it was physically
separated from the rest of Massachusetts (properly speaking, the
Department of Maine was an exclave of Massachusetts) and because
it was growing in population at a rapid rate, Maine became the 23rd
state on March 15, 1820 as a component of the Missouri Compromise.
Contents [hide]
1 Origin of the name
2 Geography
2.1 Climate
3 History
4 Demographics
4.1 Race, ancestry, and language
4.2 Religion
5 Economy
6 Transportation
6.1 Airports
6.2 Highways
6.3 Rail
6.3.1 Passenger
6.3.2 Freight
7 Law and government
7.1 State and local politics
7.2 Federal politics
8 Municipalities
8.1 Organized municipalities
8.2 Unorganized territory
8.3 Most populous cities and towns
9 Education
9.1 Public Schools
9.2 Private Schools
9.3 Magnet Schools
9.4 Colleges and universities
10 Professional sports teams
11 Miscellaneous topics
11.1 State symbols
11.2 Maine in fiction
11.2.1 Literature
11.2.2 Film
11.2.3 Television
11.3 Famous Mainers
12 See also
13 References
14 External links
[edit] Origin of the name
There continues to be much interest in the origin of the name of
Maine as there is not a definitive answer. The Maine legislature
in 2002 adopted a resolution establishing Franco-American Day which
stated that the state was named after the ancient French province
of Maine.[2] Other theories mention earlier places with similar
names, or claim it's a nautical reference to the mainland.[3] Whatever
the origin, the name was fixed in 1665 when the King's Commissioners
ordered that the "Province of Maine" be entered from then
on in official records.[4]
[edit] Geography
See also: List of counties in Maine and List of Maine rivers
To the south and east is the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and
northeast is New Brunswick, a province of Canada. The Canadian province
of Quebec is to the northwest. Maine is both the northernmost state
in New England and the largest, accounting for nearly half the region's
entire land area. Maine also has the distinction of being the only
state to border just one other state (New Hampshire to the west).
The municipalities of Eastport and Lubec are, respectively, the
easternmost city and town in the 48 contiguous states. Maine's Moosehead
Lake is the largest lake in New England (Vermont's Lake Champlain
being partially in New York). Mount Katahdin is both the northern
terminus of the Appalachian Trail, which extends to Springer Mountain,
Georgia, and the southern terminus of the new International Appalachian
Trail which, when complete, will run to Belle Isle, Newfoundland
and Labrador.
MaineMaine also has several unique geographical features. Machias
Seal Island and North Rock, off its easternmost point, are claimed
by both the U.S. and Canada and are within one of four areas between
the two countries whose sovereignty is still in dispute, but is
the only one of the disputed areas containing land. Also in this
easternmost area is the Old Sow, the largest tidal whirlpool in
the Western Hemisphere.
Maine is the most sparsely populated state east of the Mississippi
River. It is called the Pine Tree State; ninety percent of its land
is forested. In the forested areas of the interior there is much
uninhabited land, some of which does not have formal political organization
into local units. The Northwest Aroostook, Maine unorganized territory
in the northern part of the state, for example, has an area of 2,668
square miles (6,910 km²) and a population of 27, or one person
for every 100 square miles (255 km²).
The rocky coast around Kennebunk.Maine is equally well known for
its ocean scenery, with almost 3,500 miles (5,600 km) of shoreline[2].
West Quoddy Head is the easternmost piece of land in the contiguous
48 United States. Along the famous rock-bound coast of Maine are
lighthouses, beaches, fishing villages, and thousands of offshore
islands, including the Isles of Shoals, which straddle the New Hampshire
border. Jagged rocks and cliffs and thousands of bays and inlets
add to the rugged beauty of Maine's coast. Just inland, by contrast,
are lakes, rivers, forests, and mountains. This visual contrast
of forested slopes sweeping down to the sea has been aptly summed
up by American poet Edna St. Vincent Millay of Rockland and Camden,
Maine in "Renascence":
"All I could see from where I stood
was three long mountains and a wood
I turned and looked the other way
and saw three islands in a bay"
More prosaic geologists describe this type of landscape as a drowned
coast, where a rising sea level has invaded former land features,
creating bays out of valleys and islands out of mountain tops.[5]
A rise in the elevation of the land due to the melting of heavy
glacier ice caused a slight rebounding effect of underlying rock;
this land rise, however, was not strong enough to eliminate all
the effect of the rising sea level and its invasion of former land
features.
Millions of people have enjoyed this coastal scenery at Maine's
Acadia National Park, the only national park in New England.
Boothbay HarborAreas under the protection and management of the
National Park Service include:
Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Maine Acadian Culture in St. John Valley
Roosevelt Campobello International Park near Lubec
Saint Croix Island International Historic Site at Calais
[edit] Climate
Maine experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate
classification Dfb), with warm (although generally not hot), humid
summers. Winters are cold and snowy throughout the state, and are
especially severe in the northern parts of Maine. Coastal areas
are moderated somewhat by the Atlantic Ocean. Daytime highs are
generally in the 75-80 °F (24-27 °C) range throughout the
state in July, with overnight lows in the high 50s°F (around
15 °C). January temperatures range from highs near 32 °F
(0 °C) on the southern coast to overnight lows below 0 °F
(-18 °C) in the far north.
Maine, on occasion, is affected by hurricanes and tropical storms
although by the time they reach the state, many have become extratropical
and few hurricanes have made landfall in Maine. Maine has fewer
days of thunderstorms than any other state east of the Rockies,
with most of the state averaging less than 20 days of thunderstorms
a year. Tornadoes are rare in Maine with the state averaging less
than two per year, mostly occurring in the southern part of the
state.[6]
Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures (°F) For Various Maine
Cities
City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Caribou 19/0 23/3 34/15 47/29 63/41 72/50 76/55 74/53 64/44 51/34
37/24 25/8
Portland 31/12 34/16 42/25 53/35 63/44 73/53 79/59 77/57 69/48 58/37
47/30 36/19
[3]
[edit] History
Main article: History of Maine
Maine State House, designed by Charles Bulfinch, built 1829–1832The
original inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were Algonquian-speaking
Wabanaki peoples including the Abenaki, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscots.
The first European settlement in Maine was in 1604 by a French party
that included Samuel de Champlain, the noted explorer. The French
named the entire area, including the portion that later became the
State of Maine, Acadia. The first English settlement in Maine was
established by the Plymouth Company at Popham in 1607, the same
year as the settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. Both colonies were
predated by the Roanoke Colony by 22 years. Because the Popham Colony
did not survive the harsh Maine winters and the Roanoke Colony was
lost, Jamestown enjoys the distinction of being regarded as America’s
first permanent English-speaking settlement. The coastal areas of
western Maine first became the Province of Maine in a 1622 land
patent. Eastern Maine north of the Kennebec River was more sparsely
settled and was known in the 17th century as the Territory of Sagadahock.
The province within its current boundaries became part of Massachusetts
Bay Colony in 1652. Maine was much fought over by the French and
English during the 17th and early 18th centuries. After the defeat
of the French in the 1740s, the territory from the Penobscot River
east fell under the nominal authority of the Province of Nova Scotia,
and together with present day New Brunswick formed the Nova Scotia
county of Sunbury, with its court of general sessions at Campobello.
American and British forces contended for Maine's territory during
the American Revolution and the War of 1812. The treaty concluding
revolution was ambiguous about Maine's boundary with British North
America. The territory of Maine was confirmed as part of Massachusetts
when the United States was formed, although the final border with
British territory was not established until the Webster-Ashburton
Treaty of 1842. (Indeed, in 1839 Governor Fairfield declared war
on England over a boundary dispute between New Brunswick and northern
Maine[citation needed]. Known as the Aroostook War, this is the
only time a state has declared war on a foreign power[citation needed].
The dispute was settled, however, before any blood was shed.)
Because it was physically separated from the rest of Massachusetts
and was growing in population at a rapid rate, Maine became the
23rd state on March 15, 1820 through the Missouri Compromise. This
compromise allowed admitting both Maine and Missouri (in 1821) into
the union while keeping a balance between slave and free states.
Maine's original capital was Portland until 1832, when it was moved
to Augusta.
[edit] Demographics
Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1790 96,540 —
1800 151,719 57.2%
1810 228,705 50.7%
1820 298,335 30.4%
1830 399,455 33.9%
1840 501,793 25.6%
1850 583,169 16.2%
1860 628,279 7.7%
1870 626,915 -0.2%
1880 648,936 3.5%
1890 661,086 1.9%
1900 694,466 5.0%
1910 742,371 6.9%
1920 768,014 3.5%
1930 797,423 3.8%
1940 847,226 6.2%
1950 913,774 7.9%
1960 969,265 6.1%
1970 992,048 2.4%
1980 1,124,660 13.4%
1990 1,227,928 9.2%
2000 1,274,923 3.8%
Est. 2006 1,321,574 3.7%
As of 2005, Maine has an estimated population of 1,321,505, which
is an increase of 6,520, or 0.5%, from the prior year and an increase
of 46,582, or 3.7%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural
increase since the last census of 6,413 people (that is 71,276 births
minus 64,863 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 41,808
people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States
resulted in a net increase of 5,004 people, and migration within
the country produced a net increase of 36,804 people.
Maine is a popular tourist destination, but it also experiences
harsh winters, and consequently, the great temporary influx of visitors
occurs during the warmer months. Many of these visitors establish
an alternate secondary residence in Maine during some or all warm
months and then depart for their primary residence in the off-season.
These are the summer people of Maine lore. Official census figures
normally count a person as a resident only once, at the place of
the primary home. Therefore, there are some situations in which
official census figures could be misleading for Maine.[citation
needed] For example, some communities may have a much larger seasonal
retail sector than their official, small population figure would
imply.
The mean population center of Maine is located in Kennebec County,
in or near the town of Mount Vernon.[7] The Greater Portland metropolitan
area is the most densely populated with nearly 20% of Maine's population.[8]
As explained in detail under "Geography", there are large
tracts of uninhabited land in some remote parts of the interior.
Maine Population Density Map
[edit] Race, ancestry, and language
Demographics of Maine (csv)
By race White Black AIAN Asian NHPI
AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native — NHPI is Native
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
2000 (total population) 98.08% 0.77% 1.03% 0.93% 0.06%
2000 (Hispanic only) 0.66% 0.06% 0.03% 0.02% 0.01%
2005 (total population) 97.81% 1.02% 1.00% 1.06% 0.06%
2005 (Hispanic only) 0.91% 0.07% 0.03% 0.02% 0.00%
Growth 2000–2005 (total population) 3.37% 37.45% 0.77% 17.68%
2.76%
Growth 2000–2005 (non-Hispanic only) 3.09% 38.61% 0.95% 18.10%
9.48%
Growth 2000–2005 (Hispanic only) 44.03% 22.69% -5.57% -3.52%
-43.56%
The largest ancestries in the state are: English, Scottish, and
other British (30.8%), French or French Canadian (22.8%), Irish
(15.1%), American (9.4%), and German (6.7%).
Maine is second only to New Hampshire in the percentage of French
Americans among U.S. states. It also has the largest percentage
of non-Hispanic whites of any state and the highest percentage of
current French-speakers. Franco-Mainers tended to settle in rural
northern Maine (particularly Aroostook County) and the industrial
cities of inland Maine (especially Lewiston) whereas much of the
midcoast and downeast sections remain strongly Anglo. Smaller numbers
of various other groups, including Italian and Polish settled throughout
the state.
The 2000 Census reported 92.25% of Maine residents age 5 and older
speak English at home. Census figures show Maine has a greater proportion
of people speaking French at home than any other state in the nation,
a result of Maine's large French-Canadian community, who migrated
from adjacent Quebec and New Brunswick. 5.28% of Maine households
are French-speaking, compared with 4.68% in Louisiana. Spanish is
the third most spoken language at 0.79%, followed by German at 0.33%
and Italian at 0.12% [4].
[edit] Religion
The religious affiliations of the people of Maine are shown below:
Christian – 82%
Protestant – 56%
Baptist (mostly American Baptist) – 16%
Methodist – 9%
Episcopalian – 8%
United Church of Christ / Congregational – 8%
Pentecostal – 6%
Lutheran – 3%
Other Protestant or general Protestant – 10%
Roman Catholic – 25%
Other Christian – 1%
Other Religions – 1%
Non-Religious – 17%
[edit] Economy
Maine State QuarterThe Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that
Maine's total gross state product for 2003 was US$41 billion. Its
per capita personal income for 2003 was US$29,164, 29th in the nation.
Maine's agricultural outputs include poultry, eggs, dairy products,
cattle, wild blueberries, apples, maple syrup and maple sugar. Aroostook
County is known for its potato crops. Commercial fishing, once a
mainstay of the state's economy, maintains a presence, particularly
lobstering and groundfishing. Western Maine aquifers and springs
are a major source of bottled water. Maine's industrial outputs
consist chiefly of paper, lumber and wood products, electronic equipment,
leather products, food products, textiles, and bio-technology. Naval
shipbuilding and construction remain key as well, with Bath Iron
Works in Bath and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery. Naval Air
Station Brunswick is also in Maine, and serves as a large support
base for the U.S. Navy. However, the BRAC campaign recommended Brunswick's
closing, despite a recent government-funded effort to upgrade its
facilities.
Tourism and outdoor recreation play a major and increasingly important
role in Maine's economy. The state is a popular destination for
sport hunting (particularly deer, moose and bear), sport fishing,
snowmobiling, skiing, boating, camping and hiking, among other activities.
Maine's unemployment rate is 4.8%
Maine ports play a key role in national transportation. Beginning
around 1880, Portland's rail link and ice-free port made it Canada's
principal winter port, until the aggressive development of Halifax,
Nova Scotia, in the mid-1900s. In 2001, Maine's largest city of
Portland surpassed Boston as New England's busiest port (by tonnage),
due to its ability to handle large tankers. Maine's Portland International
Jetport was recently expanded, providing the state with increased
air traffic from carriers such as JetBlue.
Maine has very few large companies that maintain headquarters in
the state, and fewer than before due to consolidations and mergers,
particularly in the pulp and paper industry. Some of the larger
companies that do maintain headquarters in Maine include Fairchild
Semiconductor in South Portland; IDEXX Laboratories, in Westbrook;
Unum, in Portland; L.L. Bean in Freeport; and Delorme, in Yarmouth.
Maine is also the home of The Jackson Laboratory, the world's largest
non-profit mammalian genetic research facility and the world's largest
supplier of genetically purebred mice.
Maine has an income tax structure containing 4 brackets, which
range from 2% to 8.5% of personal income. Maine's general sales
tax rate is 5%. The state also levies charges of 7% on lodging and
prepared food and 10% on short-term auto rentals. Commercial sellers
of blueberries, a Maine staple, must keep records of their transactions
and pay the state 1.5 cents per pound ($1.50 per 100 pounds) of
the fruit sold each season. All real and tangible personal property
located in the state of Maine is taxable unless specifically exempted
by statute. The administration of property taxes is handled by the
local assessor in incorporated cities and towns, while property
taxes in the unorganized territories are handled by the State Tax
Assessor.
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Airports
Maine receives passenger jet service at its two largest airports,
the Portland International Jetport in Portland, and the Bangor International
Airport in Bangor. Both are served daily by many major airlines
to destinations such as New York, Atlanta, and Orlando. Essential
Air Service also subsidizes service to a number of smaller airports
in Maine, bringing small turboprop aircraft to regional airports
such as the Augusta State Airport, Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport,
Knox County Regional Airport, and the Northern Maine Regional Airport
at Presque Isle. These airports are served by US Airways Express
with small 19 to 30 seat planes. Many smaller airports are scattered
throughout Maine, only serving general aviation traffic.
[edit] Highways
Penobscot Narrows Bridge, carrying U.S. 1Interstate 95 runs through
Maine, as well as its easterly branch I-295. In addition, U.S. Route
1 starts in Fort Kent and runs to Florida. The eastern terminus
of the eastern section of U.S. Route 2 starts in Houlton, near the
New Brunswick, Canada border to Rouses Point, New York, at US 11
. There is also another US 2A connecting Old Town and Orono, Maine,
primarily serving the University of Maine campus. U.S. Route 2,
Route 6 and Route 9 are often used by truckers and other motorists
of the Maritime Provinces en route to other destinations in the
United States or as a short cut to Central Canada.
[edit] Rail
[edit] Passenger
The DowneasterThe Downeaster passenger train, operated by Amtrak,
provides passenger service between Portland and Boston's North Station,
with stops in Old Orchard Beach, Saco, and Wells. The Downeaster
makes five southbound trips and five northbound trips every day.
Seasonal passenger excursions between Brunswick and Rockland are
operated by the Maine Eastern Railroad, which leases the state-owned
Rockland Branch rail corridor.
[edit] Freight
Freight service throughout the state is provided by a handful of
regional and shortline carriers: Pan Am Railways (formerly known
as Guilford Rail System), which operates the former Boston &
Maine and Maine Central railroads; St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad;
Maine Eastern Railroad; Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway; and
New Brunswick Southern Railway.
See also: List of Maine railroads
[edit] Law and government
See also: List of Governors of Maine, U.S. Senators from Maine,
List of Maine State Senators, and As Maine goes, so goes the nation
The Maine Constitution structures Maine's state government, composed
of three co-equal branches - the executive, legislative, and judicial
branches. The state of Maine also has three Constitutional Officers
(the Secretary of State, the State Treasurer, and the State Attorney
General) and one Statutory Officer (the State Auditor).
The legislative branch is the Maine Legislature, a bicameral body
composed of the Maine House of Representatives, with 151 members,
and the Maine Senate, with 35 members. The Legislature is charged
with introducing and passing laws.
The executive branch is responsible for the execution of the laws
created by the Legislature and is headed by the Governor of Maine
(currently John Baldacci, a Democrat). The Governor is elected every
four years; no individual may serve more than two consecutive terms
in this office. The current attorney general of Maine is G. Steven
Rowe. As with other state legislatures, the Maine Legislature can
by a two-thirds majority vote from both the House and Senate override
a gubernatorial veto.
The judicial branch is responsible for interpreting state laws.
The highest court of the state is the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.
The lower courts are the District Court, Superior Court and Probate
Court. All judges except for probate judges serve full-time; are
nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Legislature for terms
of seven years. Probate judges serve part-time and are elected by
the voters of each county for four-year terms.
[edit] State and local politics
In state general elections, Maine voters tend to accept independent
and third-party candidates more frequently than most states. Maine
has had two independent governors recently (James B. Longley, 1975–1979
and Angus King, 1995–2003). The Green Party candidate won
nine percent of the vote in the 2002 gubernatorial election, more
than in any election for a statewide office for that party until
the 2006 Illinois gubernatorial election. The locally organized
Maine Green Independent Party also elected John Eder to the office
of State Representative in the Maine House of Representatives, the
highest elected Green official nationwide. Pat LaMarche, 2004 Green
Party vice-presidential candidate, resides in the southern coastal
town of Yarmouth. Maine state politicians, Republicans and Democrats
alike, are noted for having more moderate views than many in the
national wings of their respective parties.
Maine is an Alcoholic beverage control state.
See also: Maine gubernatorial election, 2006
[edit] Federal politics
Maine's federal politics are notable and are dramatic for several
reasons. In the 1930s, it was one of very few states which remained
dominated by the Republican Party. In the 1936 Presidential election,
Franklin D. Roosevelt received the electoral votes of every state
other than Maine and Vermont. In the 1960s, Maine began to lean
toward the Democrats, especially in Presidential elections. In 1968,
Hubert Humphrey became just the second Democrat in half a century
to carry Maine thanks to the presence of his running mate, Maine
Senator Edmund Muskie. Maine has since become a left-leaning swing
state and has voted Democratic in four successive Presidential elections,
casting its votes for Bill Clinton twice, Al Gore in 2000 and John
Kerry (with 53.6% of the vote) in 2004. Republican strength is greatest
in Washington and Piscataquis counties. Though Democrats have carried
the state in presidential elections in recent years, Republicans
have largely maintained their control of the state's U.S. Senate
seats, with Ed Muskie, William Hathaway and George Mitchell being
the only Maine Democrats serving in the U.S. Senate in the past
fifty years.
The Reform Party of Ross Perot achieved a great deal of success
in Maine in the presidential elections of 1992 and 1996: in 1992
Perot came in second to Bill Clinton, despite the longtime presence
of the Bush family summer home in Kennebunkport, and in 1996, Maine
was again Perot's best state.
Since 1969, two of Maine's four electoral votes are awarded based
on the winner of the statewide election. The other two go to the
highest vote-winner in each of the state's two congressional districts.
2004's presidential race saw reports that the campaign of President
George W. Bush had made the calculation to devote attention to one
of Maine's two Congressional Districts with the possibility of carrying
the district's vote for an Electoral Vote in a close national race.
Famous politicians from Maine include James Blaine, Thomas Brackett
Reed, Edmund Muskie, Margaret Chase Smith, William Cohen, George
J. Mitchell, Olympia Snowe, Hannibal Hamlin, Susan Collins, Owen
Brewster, and Percival Baxter.
Maine's U.S. senators are Republicans Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.
Maine's Senators Snowe and Collins were among the group of 10 and
then five Republican U.S. Senators to vote with 45 Democratic Senators
in February 1999's vote of acquittal in the impeachment of President
Bill Clinton. The state's two members of the U.S. House of Representatives
are Democrats Tom Allen and Mike Michaud.
[edit] Municipalities
[edit] Organized municipalities
An organized municipality has a form of elected local government
which administers and provides local services, keeps records, collects
licensing fees, and can pass locally binding ordinances among other
responsibilities of self-government. The governmental format of
most organized towns and plantations is the Town Meeting while the
format of most cities is the Council-Manager form. As of 2007 the
organized municipalities of Maine consists of 22 cities, 432 towns,
and 34 plantations. Collectively these 488 organized municipalities
cover less than half of the state's territory. Maine also has 3
Reservations: Indian Island, Indian Township Reservation, and Pleasant
Point Indian Reservation.[9]
The largest municipality in Maine, by population, is the city of
Portland (pop. 64,249).
The smallest city by population is Eastport (pop. 1,640).
The largest town by population is Brunswick (pop. 21,172).
The smallest town by population is Frye Island, a resort town which
reported zero year-round population in the 2000 Census; one plantation,
Glenwood Plantation, Maine, also reported a permanent population
of zero.
In the 2000 Census, the smallest town aside from Frye Island was
Centerville with a population of 26, but since that Census, Centerville
voted to disincorporate and therefore is no longer a town. The next
smallest town with a population listed in that Census is Beddington,
(pop. 29).
The largest municipality by land area is the town of Allagash (128
square miles).
The smallest municipality by land area is the plantation of Monhegan
Island (0.86 square miles).
[edit] Unorganized territory
Unorganized territory has no local government. Administration, services,
licensing, and ordinances are handled by the State Government. The
Unorganized Territory of Maine consists of over 400 townships (towns
are incorporated, townships are unincorporated), plus many coastal
islands that do not lie within any municipal bounds. The UT land
area is slightly over one half the entire area of the State of Maine.
Year round residents in the UT number approximately 9,000, about
1.3% of the state's total population, with many more people residing
only seasonally within the UT. Only four of Maine's sixteen counties
are entirely incorporated, although a few others are nearly so,
and most of the unincorporated area is in the vast and sparsely
populated Great North Woods of Maine.[10]
[edit] Most populous cities and towns
Fact Finder US Census Maine Portland:
The 49 most populous cities and towns as of the year 2000 US Census
[2006 Estimate in brackets] Portland
(64,249)
[63,011] Lewiston
(35,690)
[35,734] Bangor
(31,473)
[31,008] South Portland
(23,324)
[23,784] Auburn
(23,203)
[23,156] Brunswick
(21,172)
[21,915] Biddeford
(20,942)
[21,898]
Sanford
(20,806)
[21,534] Augusta
(18,560)
[18,560] Scarborough
(16,970)
[18,880] Saco
(16,822)
[18,289] Westbrook
(16,142)
[16,201] Waterville
(15,605)
[15,639] Windham
(14,904)
[16,546]
Gorham
(14,141)
[15,402] York
(12,854)
[13,302] Kennebunk
(10,476)
[11,505] Falmouth
(10,310)
[10,557] Kittery
(9,543)
[10,495] Presque Isle
(9,511)
[9,253] Wells
(9,400)
[10,038]
Standish
(9,285)
[9,832] Bath
(9,266)
[9,184] Orono
(9,112)
[9,712] Topsham
(9,100)
[9,940] Lisbon
(9,077)
[9,419] Cape Elizabeth
(9,068)
[8,826] Brewer
(8,987)
[9,079]
Old Orchard Beach
(8,856)
[9,349] Skowhegan
(8,824)
[8,876] Yarmouth
(8,360)
[8,132] Caribou
(8,312)
[8,283] Old Town
(8,130)
[7,723] Freeport
(7,800)
[8,151] Winslow
(7,743)
[7,944]
Rockland
(7,609)
[7,578] Buxton
(7,452)
[8,171] Farmington
(7,410)
[7,580] Cumberland
(7,159)
[7,653] Gray
(6,820)
[7,420] South Berwick
(6,671)
[7,252] Fairfield
(6,573)
[6,787]
Houlton
(6,476)
[6,283] Rumford
(6,472)
[6,409] Ellsworth
(6,456)
[7,075] Belfast
(6,381)
[6,803] Berwick
(6,353)
[7,403] Hampden
(6,327)
[6,771] Winthrop
(6,232)
[6,475]
Throughout Maine, many municipalities, although each separate governmental
entities, never-the-less form portions of a much larger population
base. There are many such population clusters throughout Maine,
but some examples from the municipalities appearing in the above
listing are:
Portland, South Portland and several other surrounding communities
Lewiston and Auburn
Bangor, Orono, Brewer, Old Town, and Hampden
Biddeford and Saco
Brunswick and Topsham
Waterville and Winslow
[11]
[edit] Education
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Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources.
Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008)
[edit] Public Schools
See also: List of school districts in Maine
Maine has four types of school departments: the first is a local
school, one which serves only one municipality, and is headed by
a superintendent. Usually, it serves kindergarten through grade
12, although some only go to grade 8. Usually, independent school
districts which do not have a high school are not totally independent;
they are part of a school union, the second type of school district.
A school union is two or more school departments that share a superintendent
but nothing else; each town has an independent school board. Usually,
only one of the schools in the school union has a high school, but
unlike MSADs (discussed below), students in the whole school union
are not compelled to attend that school. School union students are
given a choice of neighboring school districts, and the school union
pays for the student's tuition.
The third type is a MSAD (Maine School Administrative District).
This is a regional school district that incorporates two or more
towns into one school department with one high school and middle
school. These towns do not have independent school boards, but instead
have one central board governing the entire district. Students are
obligated to attend the central high school. Usually, a MSAD is
comprised of one larger town and one or more smaller towns. The
larger town is equipped with a high school and middle school, while
the surrounding towns have elementary schools as well, but no secondary
schools. The elementary schools usually cut off after grade 5 or
grade 6. Sometimes, towns in a MSAD do not have an elementary school
but posses a high school and/or middle school, whereas the surrounding
towns have the elementary schools.
The last type of school district is a CSD (Community School District,
sometimes called a Consolidated School District). This usually (but
not always) exists in school districts with such a small student
population between several towns that the school district cannot
justify an elementary school outside the largest town in the district.
In rare cases a CSD refers to only a high school of a school union.
Sometimes, in towns geographically isolated (such as island towns)
the entire student population attends one school grades PK-12.
Students can choose to attend a school in another district if the
parents agree to pay the school tuition. Vocational centers are
usually regional, so one school department will administer a technical
center but other school districts will transport their students
there to take classes.
[edit] Private Schools
Private schools are less common than public schools. A large number
of private elementary schools with under 20 students exist, but
most private high schools in Maine are actually semi-private high
schools. This means that while it costs money to send children there,
towns will make a contract with a school to take children from a
town or MSAD at a slightly reduced rate. Often this is done when
it is deemed cheaper to subsidize private tuition than build a whole
new school when a private one already exists.
[edit] Magnet Schools
Maine has one major magnet school: The Maine School of Science and
Mathematics in Limestone. Another specialty public school exists
in Portland: the Maine School of Performing Arts.
[edit] Colleges and universities
Bangor Theological Seminary
Bates College
Beal College
Bowdoin College
Colby College
College of the Atlantic
Husson College
Maine College of Art
Maine Community College System
Central Maine Community College
Kennebec Valley Community College
Eastern Maine Community College
Northern Maine Community College
Southern Maine Community College
Boat School at Eastport (a branch of Husson College)
Washington County Community College
York County Community College
Maine Maritime Academy
St. Joseph's College
Thomas College
Unity College
University of Maine System
University of Maine at Augusta
University of Maine at Farmington
University of Maine at Fort Kent
University of Maine at Machias
University of Maine
University of Maine at Presque Isle
University of Maine School of Law
University of Southern Maine
University of New England
[edit] Professional sports teams
Portland Sea Dogs, minor league baseball, Eastern League (U.S. baseball)
Portland Pirates, minor league hockey, American Hockey League
Lewiston MAINEiacs, junior hockey, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
[edit] Miscellaneous topics
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and
removing inappropriate ones.
Four U.S. Navy ships have been named USS Maine in honor of the
state.
The noted American ecologist Rachel Carson did much of her research
at one of the Maine seacoast's most characteristic features, a tide
pool for her classic "The Edge of the Sea." The spot where
she conducted observations is now preserved as the Rachel Carson
Salt Pond Reserve at Pemaquid Point.
George Lorenzo Noyes, known as the thoreauvian of Maine is a noted
state naturalist, mineralogist, development critic, writer and landscape
artist. He lived a devout wilderness lifestyle in the mountains
of Norway, Maine, expressing in his paintings his spiritual reverence
for nature and writing of the values of a simple life of sustainable
living.
Maine is the only U.S. state to have a name one syllable long; all
other 49 states have at least two syllables.
Maine is the only U.S. state to only be bordered by one state (New
Hampshire); all other 49 states have multiple or zero bordering
states.
The town of Lubec, Maine is the eastern-most point within the contiguous
United States - for more information see extreme points of the United
States. Eastport, Maine is the eastern-most city in the United States.
Estcourt Station is Maine's northernmost point and also the northernmost
point in the New England region of the United States.
Maine is the number one exporter of blueberries and toothpicks.
The largest toothpick manufacturing plant in the United States is
located in Strong, Maine. The Strong Wood Products Incorporated
plant produces twenty million toothpicks a day.[12]
Cadillac Mountain in Bar Harbor, Mt. Katahdin in Baxter State Park,
and Mars Hill Mountain in the town of Mars Hill each battle to be
the first site in the contiguous United States to see the morning's
sunlight. [5]Maine's first light depends on the time of year, as
the sunrise moves from South to North. From October 7 to March 6,
Cadillac Mountain is first. From March 7 to March 24, West Quoddy
Head is first in the country. Warmer months, March 25 to September
18, Mars Hill sees first light. Then, when the sun starts getting
lower in the sky, The country's day begins between September 19
to October 6 back at West Quoddy Head.
Harvard Quarry at the summit of Noyes Mountain in Greenwood provides
an excellent panoramic view and is a popular destination for rock
and mineral collectors.
Maine has 62 lighthouses, of which more than 50 are still in use.
Maine has traditionally been a source for Maine Salmon, however
economic considerations and environmental activism have caused some
of the industry to move to Canada.
[edit] State symbols
State berry: Wild Blueberry
State bird: Black-capped Chickadee
State cat: Maine Coon
State fish: Land-locked salmon
State flower: White Pinecone and Tassel
State fossil: Pertica Quadrifaria
State gemstone: Tourmaline
State herb: Wintergreen
State insect: European honey bee
State mammal: Moose
State animal: Moose
State beverage: Moxie
State soil: Chesuncook soil series
State song: State of Maine Song
State tree: Eastern White Pine
State vessel: Arctic exploration schooner Bowdoin
State motto: Dirigo ("I lead" or "I direct")
(See also: www.maine.gov portal.)
[edit] Maine in fiction
[edit] Literature
H. P. Lovecraft, who set almost all of his stories in New England,
occasionally mentions Maine.
Stephen King bases much of his fiction in Maine.
The Cider House Rules, a novel by John Irving (and later a motion
picture) is set in several fictional Maine towns.
Night Chills, a horror/suspense novel by Dean Koontz takes place
in the fictional town of Black River, Maine.
Charlotte Agell lives in Maine and has several books set in Maine
[edit] Film
"Darkness Falls", a 2003 horror film, is set in the fictional
Maine town of Darkness Falls but was filmed mostly in Australia.
Empire Falls, a motion picture based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning
novel of the same name, was filmed almost entirely in Waterville
and Skowhegan.
"Welcome to Mooseport" is a 2004 movie set in the fictional
city of Mooseport, Maine.
"In the Bedroom", a 2001 Academy Award-nominated film,
takes place in Camden, Maine.
"Casper" The 1996 kids film is set in the town of Friendship,
Maine.
"The Shawshank Redemption" The award winning 1993 movie
took place in Maine.
[edit] Television
Murder, She Wrote, a television series starring Angela Lansbury,
is set in the fictional Maine village of Cabot Cove.
"M*A*S*H", the television sit-com (1972-1983) set in the
Korean War has one of its central characters, Hawkeye Pierce (Alan
Alda), as a resident of Crabapple Cove, Maine.
"Dark Shadows" is set in the fictional coastal town of
Collinsport, Maine.
[edit] Famous Mainers
A citizen of Maine is known as a "Mainer," though the
term "Downeaster" may be applied to residents of the northeast
coast of the state.
Business
Leon Leonwood (L.L.) Bean, clothing maker and retailer
Milton Bradley, board game inventor
Reuben Colburn, shipbuilder from Pittston, and guide for Benedict
Arnold's March to Quebec, part of the Invasion of Canada (1775)
Francis Edgar Stanley and Freelan O. Stanley, inventors, Stanley
Steamer
Entertainment and media
Christopher Daniel Barnes, actor
Anna Belknap, actress
Gordon Bok, folksinger/songwriter
Ernie Coombs, actor (Mr. Dressup)
Howie Day, singer/songwriter
Patrick Dempsey, actor
Richard Dysart, actor
Kevin Eastman, co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
James Flavin, actor
Jonathan Frakes, actor
Dan Fogelberg, singer/songwriter
John Ford, director, actor
Frank Fixaris, sports broadcaster
Patty Griffin, singer/songwriter
Juliana Hatfield, musician
David E. Kelley, producer
Ray Lamontagne, singer/songwriter
Linda Lavin, actress
Bob Marley, comedian
Andrea Martin, actress, comedienne
Judd Nelson, actor (member of the Brat Pack)
Rachel Nichols, actress
Shirley Povich, Washington Post sports columnist
Victoria Rowell, actress
Tim Sample, humorist
Tony Shalhoub, actor
Andrew St. John, actor
Noel Paul Stookey, singer/songwriter
Phyllis Thaxter, actress
Gary Thorne, sports broadcaster
Liv Tyler, actress (daughter of singer Steven Tyler)
Steven Zirnkilton, voiceover actor, best known for the opening narration
of the NBC television drama series Law & Order.
Literature and the Arts
Artemus Ward, writer
Walter Van Tilburg Clark, writer
Thomas A. Desjardin, writer
Winslow Homer, artist (27 year resident)
Sarah Orne Jewett, writer
Stephen King, writer
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet
Robert McCloskey writer
Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet
Ruth Moore, writer
George Lorenzo Noyes, writer and artist
Walter Piston, composer
Phineas Quimby, 19th century philosopher, writer
Kenneth Roberts, historical novelist
Edwin Arlington Robinson, poet
Harriet Beecher Stowe, novelist & abolitionist
E.B. White, writer (28 year resident)
Andrew Wyeth, artist
Marguerite Yourcenar, writer and first female chosen for the French
Academy (Resident in Mount Desert Island, from 1950 to 1987)
Government and politics
Myron Avery, creator of the Appalachian trail
Percival P. Baxter, governor, creator of Baxter State Park
James G. Blaine, politician, presidential candidate
Owen Brewster, politician
William S. Cohen, politician (former United States Senator and Secretary
of Defense)
Dorothea Dix, civil rights reformer
Hannibal Hamlin, politician (Abraham Lincoln's first Vice President)
George J. Mitchell, politician (former U.S. Senate Majority Leader)
Edmund Muskie, politician, Secretary of State to Jimmy Carter, 1980
Thomas Brackett Reed, politician
Margaret Chase Smith, politician, first woman elected to both houses
of the United States Congress
Samantha Smith, "America's Youngest Ambassador"
Olympia Snowe, Senior Republican Senator from Maine
Sam Webb, politician, Communist Party USA Leader
Military
Joshua Chamberlain, governor, Civil War General and hero, Medal
of Honor recipient
Ronald Speirs, famous from the HBO series Band of Brothers, WW2
Gary Gordon, Medal of Honor recipient (3 October 1993, Mogadishu,
Somalia)
Oliver Otis Howard, Civil War General, founder of Howard University
Henry Knox, first U.S. Secretary of War
Sports
Cindy Blodgett, former WNBA basketball player and current head women's
basketball coach at the University of Maine
Amanda Buckner, MMA fighter in Mixed Fighting Championship 7 and
was a contestant on MMA reality show Bodogfight TV.
Ricky Craven, NASCAR driver
Ian Crocker, Olympic swimmer
Marcus Davis, MMA fighter in the UFC and was a contestant on the
Ultimate Fighter 2 on Spike TV.
Scott Garland, professional wrestler formerly employed by World
Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name of 'Scotty 2 Hotty.'
James "Chico" Hernandez, featured on a box of Wheaties
and is a FIAS World Sombo Wrestling Champion
Paul Kariya, NHL Hockey Player
Matt Kinney, MLB Baseball Player | SF Giants (minor leagues)
Dick MacPherson, former head coach of the New England Patriots and
Syracuse University Orangemen
Stump Merrill, baseball coach and former manager of the New York
Yankees
Les Otten, Boston Red Sox owner
Joan Benoit Samuelson, marathon runner
Louis Sockalexis, first American Indian (Penobscot) MLB baseball
player
Matt Stairs, MLB Baseball Player | Toronto Blue Jays
Tim Sylvia, former Ultimate Fighting Championship Heavyweight Champion
Seth Wescott, 2006 Olympic Gold Medalist - Snowboard Cross
Mike Bordick, Baseball Player for the Baltimore Orioles. Attended
Highschool and college in Maine.
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