ABOUT 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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