The Pine Tree State - Maine's 1.4 Million Residents and 3,500 Miles of Coastline
Maine is the northernmost and easternmost state in New England, covering nearly 35,000 square miles - larger than the other five New England states combined in land area. Despite that size, only about 1.4 million people live here, making it one of the least densely populated states east of the Mississippi. Portland is the largest city with around 68,000 residents, though the southern coastal corridor from Kittery to Brunswick holds the greatest concentration of people. Augusta, the capital, sits inland along the Kennebec River.
The coastline is Maine's defining geographic feature. Measured with all its inlets, peninsulas, and islands, it stretches roughly 3,500 miles. Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island is the most visited attraction in the state and one of the most popular national parks in the eastern United States. The lobster industry is synonymous with Maine - the state lands more lobster than all other states combined, with annual harvests valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. Fishing villages and working harbors dot the coast from York to Eastport.
Inland Maine is defined by forests, lakes, and mountains. The northern woods cover millions of acres, much of it owned by timber companies. Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park marks the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Paper and pulp mills were once the backbone of the interior economy, though many have closed in recent decades. Tourism, healthcare, and education have partially filled the gap. Stephen King, the state's most famous living resident, has set dozens of novels in fictional and real Maine locations, creating a literary tourism niche of its own.
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Maine is the northernmost and easternmost state in New England, covering nearly 35,000 square miles - larger than the other five New England states combined in land area. Despite that size, only about 1.4 million people live here, making it one of the least densely populated states east of the Mississippi. Portland is the largest city with around 68,000 residents, though the southern coastal corridor from Kittery to Brunswick holds the greatest concentration of people. Augusta, the capital, sits inland along the Kennebec River.
The coastline is Maine's defining geographic feature. Measured with all its inlets, peninsulas, and islands, it stretches roughly 3,500 miles. Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island is the most visited attraction in the state and one of the most popular national parks in the eastern United States. The lobster industry is synonymous with Maine - the state lands more lobster than all other states combined, with annual harvests valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. Fishing villages and working harbors dot the coast from York to Eastport.
Inland Maine is defined by forests, lakes, and mountains. The northern woods cover millions of acres, much of it owned by timber companies. Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park marks the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Paper and pulp mills were once the backbone of the interior economy, though many have closed in recent decades. Tourism, healthcare, and education have partially filled the gap. Stephen King, the state's most famous living resident, has set dozens of novels in fictional and real Maine locations, creating a literary tourism niche of its own.
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