Most vacationers come to the state of Maine in the north-east of the United States because of the landscape. Most of the Maine is covered by forests, which is rather unusual for the USA, as otherwise mountains or wide plains predominate.
According to ebizdir, the Acadia National Park is particularly popular in Maine and is one of the 10 most popular national parks in the United States. The park is located on an island surrounded by lakes and mountains. But also the coasts in Maine with their long sandy beaches attract visitors. Since the temperatures in summer are usually around 25 ° C, a swim in the sea is of course a good idea. Not to be forgotten are the numerous small islands which are located off the coast and some of which can be visited by boat. In addition to the beautiful landscape and forests, Maine is of course also great for shopping, especially in the larger cities like Portland. Maine is a diverse state, from cultural sights to natural attractions, everything is there, so that the vacation can be varied.
Maine – key data
Land area: 86,542 sq km (39th place of all US states)
Share of water surface: 13.5%
Population: 1.32 million people (2008 estimate, ranked 40th of all states in the USA)
Population density: 15.2 residents per square kilometer (38th of all states in the USA)
Member of the United States since: March 15, 1820
Capital: Augusta (18,560 residents, 2000)
Largest city: Portland (64,249 residents, 2000, metropolitan area 489,343 residents)
Highest point: 1,606 m, Mount Katahdin
Lowest point: 0 m, Atlantic Ocean
Governor: John Baldacci (Democrat)
Local time: CET -6 h. From the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November: CET -5 h.
The time difference to Central Europe is -6 h in both winter and summer.
Postal abbreviation: ME
Maine Geography and Map
Maine is a state in the extreme northeast of the United States and belongs to the New England region. The states of New England also include New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Vermont. These states formed the origin of the English colonization of North America.
Maine is the largest of the New England states. Its area extends over an area of 86,542 square kilometers. About 13 percent of it is covered by water. The north-south extension of the national territory is 515 kilometers. Meine extends from east to west for about 305 kilometers.
On average, the state territory of Maine is around 180 meters above sea level. The lowest point of the state is at sea level on the Atlantic Ocean, the highest point of Maine is Mount Katahdin, 1,606 meters high, in the northern foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
Maine borders Canada to the north – Quebec Province to the northwest and New Brunswick Province to the northeast. The Atlantic Ocean delimits the state to the east and south-east; its western neighbor is the US state New Hampshire. This makes Maine the only state in the United States that borders only one other state.
It’s in Maine easternmost city in the United States : Eastport. The state also has West Quoddy Head, the easternmost landmark in the country. Estcourt Station is not only the northernmost point of Maine but also the northernmost point in New England.
One of Maine’s lakes is the Mooseheadsee. It is the largest lake entirely within the New England states. In addition to a large number of rivers, Maine is of course also home to numerous other lakes. One of the most famous is, for example, the South Twin Lake.
Maine is famous for its unmistakable landscape : its rugged, mostly rocky, elongated coastal region with many bays and islands, its numerous lakes, its hilly and mountainous regions and its extensive forests. Maine has the largest proportion of forest in the United States. About 90 percent of the area of Main is covered by forest. Since mainly pine trees grow in the forest areas, Maine was nicknamed the Pine Tree State. There are extensive uninhabited tracts of land in the forest areas in the interior of the state. Maine is the most sparsely populated state east of the Mississippi River.
Its delightful landscape attracts numerous tourists every year. The only national park in the area, Acadia National Park, is also one of the ten most visited in the United States.
Maine Landmarks
Maine is known by tourists for its beautiful nature, many lakes, forests and mountains.
There are some interesting national parks to visit here, such as Acadia National Park. Because the park is on the state’s coast, it is known for its rugged rocky coastline and rugged landscape with mountains and lakes. It is the only park in the whole of the USA that can boast more than two million visitors annually.
Bathers in particular should not miss the beaches of the holiday resort Kennebunkport. Goochs Beach and Kennebunk Beach are definitely worth a visit.
Monhegan Island is an interesting island with the highest coastal cliffs in the whole country. Both the Black Head and White Cliff are nearly fifty feet tall.
From Mount Battle, a mountain in Camden Hillst State Park, you have a wonderful view over Penobscot Bay.
The Wadsworth Longfellow House is also worth seeing. It is the former home of the famous American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who lived there in the 18th century. Even today you can visit the facility and the personal belongings of his family there.
From the Portland Obersvatory Tower, a lookout tower in Portland, you have a wonderful view of the area.
It is considered Maine’s most beautiful lighthouse, Portland Head Light, built on Cape Elizabeth in 1790.
Museum lovers don’t miss out in Maine either. A detour to the Portland Museum Art is certainly worthwhile. The building itself is worth a visit. It was built in 1882 by the architect M. Pei, and another building was added almost a hundred years later. In the museum itself you can see various works of art by American and European painters from the 19th and 20th centuries.
A visit to the Ogunquit Museum of American Art will certainly be interesting. There you can get to know modern American painting better, as well as see sculptures from the twentieth century.