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Maine
Capital:
Augusta
State abbreviation/Postal code:
Maine/ME
Nickname:
Pine Tree State
Origin of name:
Assumed to be a reference to the state
region being a mainland, different from its many surrounding islands.
Briefs on Maine:
To all those who love to refresh themselves with
water sports; Maine is the right place to hit. Maine offers a variety
of water sports and activities such as sea kayaking, canoeing,
boating, sailing, windjammer cruises, whale watching tours, whitewater
rafting, saltwater and fresh water fishing etc. Visitors here can also
enjoy hiking, biking, golf, camping, moose watching, snowmobiling,
alpine and Nordic skiing.
Apart from the exciting activities Maine has much
more to offer. Maine’s Wildlife Park, white sand and ocean beaches on
the southern coast, wonderful scenic byways that include
archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic
qualities to make them worth visiting, the treasure-filled antique
shops at the Maine’s scenic highways etc. make Maine a perfect and
timeless vacation destination.
 Going to Maine and getting around there is easy.
Covering an area of 86,542 square kilometers Maine is a state in the
New England region of the United States.
The approximate population of Maine is 1,274,923.
Its capital is the beautiful city of Augusta while the largest city in
the region is the well-known American city Portland. Before 1832
Maine’s capital was Portland and not Augusta. Portland is the county
seat of Cumberland County. Portland is the main cultural and economic
hub of the state.
Looking back over the years it is revealed that
Maine has a rich historical background. The original inhabitants of
the region were Algonquian speaking people who comprised of Wabanaki,
Passamaquoddy and Penobscots. In 1604 Maine had its foremost European
settlement. They were a group of French people and prominent among
them were the famous French explorer Samuel de Champlain. The French
people used to the territory of Maine as Acadia.
In 1607 there were English colonists in the area.
They were sponsored by Plymouth Company. In 1622 the coastal areas of
western Maine were made the Province of Maine. The eastern part of the
state was categorized differently. In the 17th century the
eastern Maine north of the Kennebec River was called the Territory of
Sagadahock. But after sometime this area was too absorbed under the
Province of Maine.
During the 17th century till the
beginning of 18th century Maine was the arena of French and
English wars. The defeat of the French in the war was followed by the
territory from the east of the Penobscot River coming under the
nominal governance of the Province of Nova Scotia. The province of
Nova Scotia together with the territory of what is known as New
Brunswick today, formed, the Nova Scotia county of Sunbury.
Maine was the bone of contention during the
American Revolution and the War of 1812. The American Revolution was
taken up for the purpose of ending the two centuries old British rule
and to create a modern United States of America while the war of 1812
was also a war fought between United States and British Empire.
After the Revolution the territory of Maine was
announced to be a part of Massachusetts when the United States was
formed. But Maine’s final border with the British territory was not
confirmed till the Webster- Ashburton Treaty of 1842. This treaty
settled the issue of position of the Maine- New Brunswick border
between the United States and Canada plus the location of the border
in the westward frontier.
On 15th march 1820 Maine was declared
the 23rd state of the Union. This happened under the
Missouri Compromise.
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