View source for Maine

{{Short description|U.S. state}}
{{About|the U.S. state}}
{{Distinguish|Main}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox U.S. state
| name                    = Maine
| image_flag              = Flag of the State of Maine.svg
| flag_link               = Flag of Maine
| image_seal              = Seal of Maine.svg
| anthem                  = [[State of Maine (song)|State of Maine]]<br />[[File:"State of Maine" - Regional anthem of Maine.ogg|center]]
| image_map               = Maine in United States.svg
| population_demonym      = Mainer
| motto                   = "[[Dirigo]]"<br />(Latin for "I lead", "I guide", or "I direct")
| Former                  = Part of [[Massachusetts]] ([[District of Maine]])
| seat                    = [[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]]
| LargestCity             = [[Portland, Maine|Portland]]
| LargestMetro            = [[Portland metropolitan area, Maine|Portland]]
| LargestCounty           = [[Cumberland County, Maine|Cumberland]]
| Governor                = {{nowrap|[[Janet Mills]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])}}
| Lieutenant Governor     = {{nowrap|[[Mattie Daughtry]] (D)}}{{#tag:ref|In the event of a vacancy in the office of governor, the president of the [[Maine Senate|State Senate]] is first in line for succession.|group="nb"}}
| Lieutenant Governor_alt = [[List of presidents of the Maine Senate|Senate President]]
| Legislature             = [[Maine State Legislature|State Legislature]]
| Upperhouse              = [[Maine Senate|Senate]]
| Lowerhouse              = [[Maine House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
| Judiciary               = [[Maine Supreme Judicial Court]]
| Senators                = {{nowrap|[[Susan Collins]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])}}<br />{{nowrap|[[Angus King]] ([[Independent politician|I]])}}
| Representative          = {{nowrap|[[Maine's 1st congressional district|1]]. [[Chellie Pingree]] (D)}}<br />{{nowrap|[[Maine's 2nd congressional district|2]]. [[Jared Golden]] (D)}}
| postal_code             = ME
| TradAbbreviation        = Me.
| OfficialLang = None<ref name="auto" />
| Languages               = * [[English language|English]]: 92.91%
* [[French language|French]]: 3.93%{{#tag:ref|Maine is the U.S. state with the highest percentage of [[French language in the United States|French-speaking population]].<ref name="MLA Data">{{cite web|url=https://apps.mla.org/map_data_results&SRVY_YEAR=2010&geo=state&state_id=23&county_id=&mode=geographic|title=Data Center Results|publisher=[[Modern Language Association]]|access-date=November 3, 2023|archive-date=November 3, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103022712/https://apps.mla.org/map_data_results&SRVY_YEAR=2010&geo=state&state_id=23&county_id=&mode=geographic|url-status=live}}</ref>|group="nb"}}
* Other: ≤ 3.16%
| area_rank               = 39th
| area_total_sq_mi        = 35,385<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/2010/geo/state-area.html|title=State Area Measurements and Internal Point Coordinates|website=Census.gov}}</ref>
| area_total_km2          = 91,646
| area_land_sq_mi         = 30,862
| area_land_km2           = 80,005
| area_water_sq_mi        = 4,523
| area_water_km2          = 11,724
| area_water_percent      = 13.5
| population_rank         = 42nd
| population_as_of        = 2024
| 2010Pop                 = {{IncreaseNeutral}} 1,405,012<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/ME/PST045224|accessdate=January 9, 2025|title= United States Census Quick Facts Maine}}</ref>
| population_density_rank = 38th
| 2000DensityUS           = 43.8
| 2000Density             = 16.9
| MedianHouseholdIncome   = ${{round|73733|-2}} (2<span>0</span>23)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/acsbr-023.pdf|title=Household Income in States and Metropolitan Areas: 2023|accessdate=January 12, 2025}}</ref>
| IncomeRank              = [[List of U.S. states and territories by income#States and territories ranked by median household income|35th]]
| AdmittanceOrder         = 23rd
| AdmittanceDate          = {{start date and age|1820|3|15}}
| timezone1               = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset1             = −05:00
| timezone1_DST           = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = −04:00
| Latitude                = 42° 58′ N to 47° 28′ N
| Longitude               = 66° 57′ W to 71° 5′ W ({{Coord|45|-69|dim:300000_region:US-ME_type:adm1st|display=title, inline}})
| width_mi                = 205
| width_km                = 330
| length_mi               = 320
| length_km               = 515
| elevation_max_point     = [[Mount Katahdin]]<ref>{{cite ngs|id=QG1451|designation=Katahdin 2|access-date=October 20, 2011}}</ref><ref name="USGS">{{cite web|url=https://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html|title=Elevations and Distances in the United States|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|year=2001|access-date=October 21, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015012701/http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html|archive-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|Elevation adjusted to [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988]]|group="nb"}}
| elevation_max_ft        = 5,270
| elevation_max_m         = 1606.4
| elevation_ft            = 600
| elevation_m             = 180
| elevation_min_point     = [[Atlantic Ocean]]<ref name="USGS" />
| elevation_min_ft        = 0
| elevation_min_m         = 0
| iso_code                = US-ME
| website                 = maine.gov
| Capital                 = Augusta
| Representatives         = 
| nicknames               = The Pine Tree State<br />Vacationland<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://traveltips.usatoday.com/maine-vacation-57068.html|title=Maine for Vacation|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=August 5, 2013|quote=There's a reason it's called "Vacationland"{{spaces}}...}}</ref>
}}
{{Infobox region symbols
| country              = United States
| state                = Maine
| image_flag           = Flag of Maine.svg
| image_seal           = Seal of Maine.svg
| image_arms           = Coat of arms of Maine.svg
| bird                 = [[Black-capped chickadee]]
| butterfly            = [[Colias interior|Pink-edged Sulphur]]
| cat                  = [[Maine Coon]]
| crustacean           = [[American lobster|Lobster]]
| fish                 = [[Atlantic salmon|Landlocked Atlantic salmon]]
| flower               = [[Pinus strobus|White pine cone and tassel]]
| insect               = [[Western honey bee|Honey bee]]
| mammal               = [[Moose]]
| tree                 = [[Eastern white pine|White pine]]
| beverage             = [[Moxie]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/1/title1sec224.html|title=Title 1, §224: State soft drink|website=legislature.maine.gov}}</ref>
| food                 = [[Blueberry pie]]<br />[[Whoopie pie]]
| fossil               = ''[[Pertica|Pertica quadrifaria]]''
| gemstone             = [[Tourmaline]]
| slogan               = The Way Life Should Be
| soil                 = Chesuncook soil
| image_route          = MA Route 11.svg
| image_quarter        = 2003 ME Proof.png
| quarter_release_date = 2003
| ship                 = ''[[Bowdoin (Arctic schooner)|Bowdoin]]''
| song                 = {{Plain list|
* "[[State of Maine (song)|State of Maine]]"
* "The Dirigo March"
* "The Ballad of the 20th Maine"
}}
| motto                = [[Seal of Maine|Dirigo]]
| plant                = [[Gaultheria procumbens|Wintergreen]]
| fruit                = [[Vaccinium angustifolium|Wild blueberry]]
| rock                 = Granitic [[pegmatite]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=269&snum=131|title=LD 269, SP 128, Text and Status, 131st Legislature, First Regular Session}}</ref>
}}

'''Maine''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-Maine-pronunciation.ogg|m|eɪ|n}} {{respell|MAYN}})<ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Maine|accessdate=March 8, 2024}}</ref> is a [[U.S. state|state]] in the [[New England]] region of the [[United States]], and the northeasternmost state in the [[contiguous United States]]. It borders [[New Hampshire]] to the west, the [[Gulf of Maine]] to the southeast, and the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian provinces]] of [[New Brunswick]] and [[Quebec]] to the northeast and northwest, and shares a maritime border with [[Nova Scotia]]. It is the only state to border only one other state. Maine is the largest [[U.S. state|state]] in New England by total area, almost as large as the combined area of the remaining five states. Of the [[List of states and territories of the United States|50 U.S. states]], it is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|12th-smallest by area]], the [[List of U.S. states and territories by population|9th-least populous]], the [[List of U.S. states by population density|13th-least densely populated]], and the most rural.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wickenheiser|first=Matt|date=March 26, 2012|title=Census: Maine most rural state in 2010 as urban centers grow nationwide|url=http://bangordailynews.com/2012/03/26/news/census-maine-most-rural-state-in-2010-as-urban-centers-grow-nationwide/|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423053340/https://www.bangordailynews.com/2012/03/26/news/census-maine-most-rural-state-in-2010-as-urban-centers-grow-nationwide/|archive-date=April 23, 2021|access-date=September 20, 2021|website=Bangor Daily News|language=en-US}}</ref> As of 2024, Maine's population stood at a Census-estimated 1,405,012, the state's highest-ever population estimate. Maine's capital is [[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]], while its most populous city is [[Portland, Maine|Portland]].

The territory of Maine has been inhabited by [[Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands|Indigenous populations]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indigenous Peoples of North America|url=https://www.gale.com/c/indigenous-peoples-north-america-part-i|access-date=December 17, 2023|website=www.gale.com|language=en}}</ref> for about 12,000 years,<ref>{{cite web|title=Wabanaki Nations|url=https://www.nps.gov/acad/learn/historyculture/wabanaki.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160213175921/http://www.nps.gov/acad/learn/historyculture/wabanaki.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 13, 2016|website=National Park Service|access-date=August 26, 2024}}</ref> after the glaciers retreated during the [[Last Glacial Period|last ice age]]. At the time of European arrival, several [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]]-speaking nations governed the area and these nations are now known as the [[Wabanaki Confederacy]]. The first European settlement in the area was by the French in 1604 on [[Saint Croix Island, Maine|Saint Croix Island]], founded by [[Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons]]. The first English settlement was the short-lived [[Popham Colony]], established by the [[Plymouth Company]] in 1607. A number of Irish and  English settlements were established along the coast of Maine in the 1620s, although the rugged climate and conflict with the local [[Indigenous people]] caused many to fail. As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen European settlements had survived. [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalist]] and [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriot]] forces contended for Maine's territory during the [[American Revolution]]. During the [[War of 1812]], the largely undefended eastern region of Maine was occupied by British forces with the goal of annexing it to [[British North America|Canada]] via the [[New Ireland (Maine)|Colony of New Ireland]], but returned to the United States following failed British offensives on the northern border, mid-Atlantic and south which produced a [[Treaty of Ghent|peace treaty]] that restored the pre-war boundaries. Maine was part of the [[Commonwealth of Massachusetts]] until 1820 when it voted to secede from Massachusetts to become a separate state. On March 15, 1820, under the [[Missouri Compromise]], Maine was [[Admission to the Union|admitted to the Union]] as the 23rd state.

Today, Maine is known for its jagged, rocky [[Atlantic Ocean]] and bay-shore coastlines, mountains, heavily [[forest]]ed interior, and its cuisine, particularly [[Vaccinium angustifolium|wild lowbush blueberries]] and [[seafood]] such as [[American lobster|lobster]] and [[clam]]s. Coastal and [[Down East Maine]] have emerged as important centers for the [[creative economy]],<ref name="MaineCreativeEconomy">{{cite web|title=Maine's Creative Economy|url=https://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/General/Maines-Creative-Economy|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005073335/https://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/General/Maines-Creative-Economy|archive-date=October 5, 2021|access-date=October 5, 2021|website=Maine Arts Commission}}</ref> especially in [[Portland metropolitan area, Maine|the vicinity of Portland]], which has also brought [[gentrification]] to the city and its metropolitan area.<ref name="MaineGentrification">{{cite web|last=Currie|first=Ron|date=January 16, 2017|title=Welcome to Portlyn|url=https://downeast.com/issues-politics/welcome-to-portlyn/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006195006/https://downeast.com/issues-politics/welcome-to-portlyn/|archive-date=October 6, 2021|access-date=October 6, 2021|website=Down East Magazine}}</ref>

{{TOC limit|3}}

==History==
{{Main|History of Maine}}
[[File:The Maine State Capitol building in Augusta.jpg|thumb|[[Maine State House]], designed by [[Charles Bulfinch]], built 1829–1832]]
[[File:Brooklyn Museum - Misty Morning, Coast of Maine - Arthur Parton - overall.jpg|thumb|''Misty Morning, Coast of Maine''{{br}}Arthur Parton (1842–1914). Between 1865 and 1870, [[Brooklyn Museum]].]]

The earliest known inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were Algonquian-speaking Wabanaki peoples, including the [[Passamaquoddy]], [[Maliseet]], [[Penobscot people|Penobscot]], [[Androscoggin people|Androscoggin]], and Kennebec. During the later [[King Philip's War]], many of these peoples would merge in one form or another to become the [[Wabanaki Confederacy]], aiding the [[Wampanoag]] of [[Massachusetts]] and the [[Mahican]] of [[New York (state)|New York]]. Afterwards, many of these people were driven from their natural territories, but most of Maine's tribes continued, unchanged, until the [[American Revolution]]. Before this point, however, most of these people were considered separate nations. Many had adapted to living in permanent, [[Iroquois]]-inspired settlements, while those along the coast tended to move from summer villages to winter villages on a yearly cycle. They would usually winter inland and head to the coasts by summer.<ref>{{cite web|archive-date=March 3, 2013|url-status=live|url=http://www.celebrateboston.com/history/native-americans.htm|title=Native Americans or Indians in the Eastern United States in 1600|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130303052614/http://www.celebrateboston.com/history/native-americans.htm|website=CelebrateBoston.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tolatsga.org/aben.html|title=Abenaki|website=tolatsga.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411025556/http://www.tolatsga.org/aben.html|archive-date=April 11, 2010}}</ref>

[[European exploration of North America|European contact]] with what is now called Maine may have started around 1000 CE when [[Norse colonization of North America|Vikings]] are believed to have interacted with the native [[Penobscot]] in present-day [[Hancock County, Maine|Hancock County]], most likely through trade. If confirmed, this would make Maine the site of the earliest European discovery in the entire US. About 200 years earlier, from the settlements in [[Iceland]] and [[Greenland]], the Norse [[Norse colonization of the Americas|first identified America]] and [[L'Anse aux Meadows|attempted to settle]] areas such as [[Newfoundland]], but failed to establish a permanent settlement. Archeological evidence suggests that [[Vikings in Greenland]] returned to North America for several [[Century|centuries]] after the initial discovery to trade and collect timber, with the most relevant evidence being the [[Maine penny|Maine Penny]], an 11th-century Norwegian coin found at a Native American dig site in 1954.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,919916,00.html|title=Science: Bye, Columbus|date=December 11, 1978|magazine=Time|url-status=live|archive-date=September 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925062930/https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,919916,00.html}}</ref>

The first European confirmed settlement in modern-day Maine was in 1604 on [[Saint Croix Island, Maine|Saint Croix Island]], led by French explorer [[Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons]]. His party included [[Samuel de Champlain]], noted as an explorer. The French named the entire area [[Acadia]], including the portion that later became the state of Maine. (It is possible that they named the region Maine after the [[Maine (province)|French province]]; however, debate exists as to the origin of the name of the state.) The [[Plymouth Company]] established the first English settlement in Maine at the [[Popham Colony]] in 1607, the same year as the settlement at [[Jamestown, Virginia]]. The Popham colonists returned to [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Britain]] after 14 months.<ref>[http://www.mpbn.net/homestom/p9pophamcolony.html MPBN, "Rolling Back the Frontier"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704053256/http://www.mpbn.net/homestom/p9pophamcolony.html |date=July 4, 2011 }}, ''The Story of Maine''; accessed January 3, 2011</ref>

The French established two [[Jesuit]] missions: one on [[Penobscot Bay]] in 1609, and the other on [[Mount Desert Island]] in 1613. The same year, [[Claude de Saint-Étienne de la Tour|Claude de La Tour]] established [[Castine, Maine|Castine]]. In 1625, [[Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour]] erected [[Fort Pentagouet]] to protect Castine. The coastal areas of eastern Maine first became the [[Province of Maine]] in a 1622 land patent. The part of western Maine north of the [[Kennebec River]] was more sparsely settled and was known in the 17th century as the [[Territory of Sagadahock]]. A second settlement was attempted in 1623 by English explorer and naval Captain [[Christopher Levett]] at a place called [[York, Maine|York]], where he had been granted {{convert|6000|acre|km2}} by [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] of England.<ref name="Society1884">{{cite book|author=Massachusetts Historical Society|title=Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bx4XAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA339|year=1884|publisher=The Society|pages=339–}}</ref> It also failed.

The 1622 patent of the Province of Maine was split at the [[Piscataqua River]] into the [[Province of New Hampshire]] to the south and [[New Somersetshire]] to the north. A disputed 1630 patent split off the area around present-day [[Saco, Maine|Saco]] as [[Lygonia]]. Justifying its actions with a 1652 geographic survey that showed an overlapping patent, the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] had seized New Somersetshire and Lygonia by force by 1658. The [[Territory of Sagadahock]] between the [[Kennebec River]] and [[St. Croix River (Maine–New Brunswick)|St. Croix River]] notionally became [[Cornwall County, Province of New York]] under a 1664 grant from [[Charles II of England]] to his [[James II of England|brother James]], at the time the [[Duke of York]]. Some of this land was claimed by [[New France]] as part of [[Acadia]]. All of the English settlements in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Province of New York became part of the [[Dominion of New England]] in 1686. All of present-day Maine was unified as [[York County, Massachusetts]] under a 1691 royal patent for the [[Province of Massachusetts Bay]].

Central Maine was formerly inhabited by the [[Androscoggin tribe]] of the [[Abenaki|Abenaki nation]], also known as Arosaguntacook. They were driven out of the area in 1690 during [[King William's War]]. They were relocated to [[Saint-François-du-Lac, Quebec|St. Francis]], Canada, which was destroyed by [[Rogers' Rangers]] in 1759, and is now [[Odanak]]. The other Abenaki tribes suffered several severe defeats, particularly during [[Dummer's War]], with the capture of [[Norridgewock]] in 1724 and the defeat of the [[Pequawket]] in 1725, which significantly reduced their numbers. They finally withdrew to [[Canada]], where they were settled at [[Bécancour, Quebec|Bécancour]] and [[Sillery, Quebec City|Sillery]], and later at St. Francis, along with other refugee tribes from the south.<ref>Bruce G. Trigger (ed.): ''[[Handbook of North American Indians]]. Vol. 15. Northeast''. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. 1978 {{ISBN|0-16-004575-4}}</ref>

Maine was much fought over by the [[French colonial empire|French]], English, and allied natives during the 17th and 18th centuries. These natives conducted raids against settlers and each other, taking captives for ransom or, in some cases, kidnapped for adoption by native tribes. A notable example was the early 1692 [[Abenaki]] [[Raid on York (1692)|raid on York]], where about 100 English settlers were killed and another estimated 80 taken hostage.<ref>"[http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20010201/NEWS/302019986 York commemorates Candlemas Raid] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181202070544/http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20010201%2FNEWS%2F302019986 |date=December 2, 2018 }}". ''[[The Portsmouth Herald]]''. February 1, 2001.</ref> The [[Abenaki]] took captives taken during raids of [[Massachusetts]] in [[Queen Anne's War]] of the early 1700s to [[Kahnewake]], a Catholic [[Mohawk nation|Mohawk]] village near [[Montreal]], where some were adopted and others ransomed.<ref>John Demos, ''The Unredeemed Captive: A Family Story from Early America'', New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1994, pp. 186 and 224</ref><ref>[http://www.wampumchronicles.com/history.html Darren Bonaparte, "The History of Akwesasne"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008101830/http://www.wampumchronicles.com/history.html |date=October 8, 2011 }}, ''The Wampum Chronicles'', accessed February 1, 2010</ref>

After the British defeated the French in Acadia in the 1740s, the territory from the [[Penobscot River]] east fell under the nominal authority of the [[Nova Scotia|Province of Nova Scotia]], and together with present-day New Brunswick formed the Nova Scotia county of [[Sunbury County, Nova Scotia|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, with the British occupying eastern Maine in both conflicts via the [[New Ireland (Maine)|Colony of New Ireland]].<ref>{{cite news|title=New Ireland: How Maine almost became part of Canada at the end of the War of 1812|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/new-ireland-how-maine-almost-became-part-of-canada-at-the-end-of-the-war-of-1812|newspaper=[[National Post]]|date=September 3, 2014}}</ref><ref>Woodard, Colin. [http://www.colinwoodard.com/lobstercoast ''The Lobster Coast''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219044647/http://www.colinwoodard.com/lobstercoast |date=February 19, 2012 }}. New York. Viking/Penguin, {{ISBN|0-670-03324-3}}, 2004, pp. 139–140, 150–151</ref> The territory of Maine was confirmed as part of Massachusetts when the United States was formed following the [[Treaty of Paris (1783)|Treaty of Paris]] ending the revolution, although the final border with [[British North America]] was not established until the [[Webster–Ashburton Treaty]] of 1842.

Maine was physically separate from the rest of Massachusetts. Longstanding disagreements over land speculation and settlements led to Maine residents and their allies in Massachusetts proper forcing an 1807 vote in the Massachusetts Assembly on permitting Maine to secede; the vote failed. Secessionist sentiment in Maine was stoked during the [[War of 1812]] when Massachusetts pro-British merchants opposed the war and refused to defend Maine from British invaders. In 1819, Massachusetts agreed to permit secession, sanctioned by voters of the rapidly growing region the following year.

{{Anchor|Statehood}}<!-- Link from Missouri Compromise -->

===Statehood and Missouri Compromise===
Formal secession from Massachusetts and admission of Maine as the 23rd state occurred on March 15, 1820, as part of the [[Missouri Compromise]], which geographically restricted the spread of [[slavery]] and enabled the admission to statehood of [[Missouri]] the following year, keeping a balance between [[slave state|slave]] and free states.<ref>Woodard, Colin. "Parallel 44: Origins of the Mass Effect", ''The Working Waterfront'', August 31, 2010. [http://www.workingwaterfront.com/columns/Parallel-44-Origins-of-the-Mass-Effect/14024/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523025705/http://www.workingwaterfront.com/columns/Parallel-44-Origins-of-the-Mass-Effect/14024/|date=May 23, 2011}}</ref><ref>Woodard, Colin. ''The Lobster Coast: Rebels, Rusticators and the Forgotten Frontier'' (2004) Penguin Books. {{ISBN|0-670-03324-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maine.gov/legis/senate/statehouse/history/hstry5.htm|title=Maine History (Statehood)|publisher=www.maine.gov|access-date=April 13, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504060335/http://www.maine.gov/legis/senate/statehouse/history/hstry5.htm|archive-date=May 4, 2008}}</ref>

Maine's original state capital was Portland, Maine's largest city, until it was moved to the more central Augusta in 1832. The principal office of the [[Maine Supreme Judicial Court]] remains in Portland.

The [[20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment]], under the command of Colonel [[Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain]], prevented the [[Union Army]] from being flanked at [[Little Round Top]] by the [[Confederate Army]] during the [[Battle of Gettysburg]].

Four [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] ships have been named [[USS Maine|USS ''Maine'']], most famously the [[armored cruiser]] {{USS|Maine|ACR-1}}, whose sinking by an explosion on February 15, 1898, precipitated the [[Spanish–American War]].

=== Political History ===
Many notable politicians have shaped the history of Maine, including many notable [[List of United States senators from Maine|senators]]. During the 19th century, [[Hannibal Hamlin]], who served as Senator and briefly Governor, was the running mate of Republican, [[Abraham Lincoln]], and served one term as vice-president from 1861 to 1865 before being replaced by [[Andrew Johnson]] of [[Tennessee]], while Senator and Congressman, [[James G. Blaine]], nicknamed the " Plumed Knight ", served many top positions such as [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] and [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]]. He was the major Republican candidate in the [[1884 United States presidential election]], losing narrowly to [[Grover Cleveland]]. In the 20th century, Republican, [[Margaret Chase Smith]] made history as the first woman to serve in both the [[United States House of Representatives|House]] and [[United States Senate|Senate]], when elected in 1948. In 1950, she delivered her famed [[Declaration of Conscience]] speech, that defended civil liberties in the wake of [[McCarthyism]], while Democrat [[Edmund Muskie]], who served as Governor and Senator, was the running mate of vice-president incumbent, [[Hubert Humphrey]] in [[1968 United States presidential election]] and briefly served as [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] in 1980 under [[Jimmy Carter]].

==Geography==
{{Anchor|Coast of Maine}}
{{Redirect|Maine Coast|the painting|Maine Coast (painting)}}
{{Redirect|Coast of Maine|the skin spot noted for its jagged edges|Coast of Maine café-au-lait macule}}
{{Further|List of counties in Maine|List of Maine rivers|List of lakes in Maine|Geology of Maine|Geology of New England}}
[[File:National-atlas-maine.png|thumb|upright=2.05|A map of Maine showing its famed jagged coast]]

To the south and east is the [[Gulf of Maine]], and to the west is the state of [[New Hampshire]]. The Canadian province of [[New Brunswick]] is to the north and northeast, and the province of [[Quebec]] is to the northwest. Maine is the northernmost and largest state in New England, accounting for almost half of the region's entire land area. Maine is the only state to border exactly one other American state. Approximately half the area of Maine lies on each side of the [[45th parallel north]] in [[latitude]].

Maine is the easternmost state in the [[contiguous United States]] both in its extreme points and its geographic center. The town of [[Lubec, Maine|Lubec]] is the easternmost organized settlement in the United States. Its Quoddy Head Lighthouse is also the closest place in the United States to Africa and Europe. [[Estcourt Station, Maine|Estcourt Station]] is Maine's northernmost point, as well as the northernmost point in New England. (For more information see [[extreme points of the United States]])

Maine's [[Moosehead Lake]] is the largest lake wholly in New England, since [[Lake Champlain]] is located between [[Vermont]], [[New York (state)|New York]], and [[Quebec]]. A number of other Maine lakes, such as [[South Twin Lake (Maine)|South Twin Lake]], are described by [[Thoreau]] in ''The Maine Woods'' (1864). [[Mount Katahdin]] is the northern terminus of the [[Appalachian Trail]], which extends southerly to [[Springer Mountain]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and the southern terminus of the new [[International Appalachian Trail]] which, when complete, will run to [[Belle Isle (Newfoundland and Labrador)|Belle Isle]], [[Newfoundland and Labrador]].

[[Machias Seal Island]] and [[North Rock]], off the state's Downeast coast, are claimed by both [[Canada]] and the Maine town of [[Cutler, Maine|Cutler]], and are within one of [[List of areas disputed by Canada and the United States|four areas between the two countries whose sovereignty is still in dispute]], but it is the only one of the disputed areas containing land. Also in this easternmost area in the [[Bay of Fundy]] is the [[Old Sow]], the largest [[Tide|tidal]] [[whirlpool]] in the [[Western Hemisphere]].

Maine is the least densely populated state east of the [[Mississippi River]]. It is called the [[List of U.S. state and territory nicknames|Pine Tree State]] due to its largest distribution and presence of [[pine]], including [[Pinus strobus]] and [[Pinus resinosa]]. Over 80% of its total area is forested or unclaimed,<ref name="forest">{{cite journal|last1=Nowak|first1=David J.|last2=Greenfield|first2=Eric J.|title=Tree and impervious cover in the United States|journal=Landscape and Urban Planning|date=July 2012|volume=107|issue=1|pages=21–30|doi=10.1016/j.landurbplan.2012.04.005|bibcode=2012LUrbP.107...21N|s2cid=9352755|url=http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/jrnl/2012/nrs_2012_nowak_002.pdf|access-date=March 12, 2014|archive-date=March 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312212331/http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/jrnl/2012/nrs_2012_nowak_002.pdf|url-status=dead|issn=0169-2046}}</ref> [[Forest cover by state and territory in the United States|the most forest cover of any U.S. state]]. In the wooded areas of the interior lies much uninhabited land, some of which does not have formal political organization into local units (a rarity in New England). The [[Northwest Aroostook, Maine|Northwest Aroostook]] [[unincorporated area#U.S. Census Bureau|unorganized territory]] in the northern part of the state, for example, has an area of {{convert|2668|sqmi|km2}} and a population of 10, or one person for every {{convert|267|sqmi|km2}}.

Maine is in the [[temperate broadleaf and mixed forests]] [[biome]]. The land near the southern and central Atlantic coast is covered by the mixed [[Quercus|oaks]] of the [[Northeastern coastal forests]]. The remainder of the state, including the [[North Maine Woods|North Woods]], is covered by the [[New England–Acadian forests]].<ref name="ecoregions">{{cite journal|author=Olson|title=Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth|journal=[[BioScience]]|year=2001|volume=51|issue=11|pages=933–938|doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2|author2=D. M|author3=E. Dinerstein|display-authors=3|issn=0006-3568|last4=Burgess|first4=Neil D.|last5=Powell|first5=George V. N.|last6=Underwood|first6=Emma C.|last7=d'Amico|first7=Jennifer A.|last8=Itoua|first8=Illanga|last9=Strand|first9=Holly E.|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Maine has almost {{convert|230|mi|km|-2}} of ocean coastline (and {{convert|3500|mi|km|-2}} of tidal coastline).<ref name="mainegovfacts">{{cite web|title=Maine.gov: Facts About Maine|url=http://www.maine.gov/portal/facts_history/facts.html|publisher=State of Maine|access-date=September 17, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114184346/http://www.maine.gov/portal/facts_history/facts.html|archive-date=November 14, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.teachervision.fen.com/maps/bodies-of-water/725.html|title=Length of the U.S. Coastline by State|website=fen.com|access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> [[West Quoddy Head]] in Lubec is the easternmost point of land in the 48 contiguous 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. There are jagged rocks and cliffs and many bays and inlets. Inland are lakes, rivers, forests, and mountains. This visual contrast of forested slopes sweeping down to the sea has been summed up by American poet [[Edna St. Vincent Millay]] of [[Rockland, Maine|Rockland]] and [[Camden, Maine|Camden]], in "Renascence":<ref>{{Cite web|last=St. Vincent Millay|first=Edna|date=|others=Edna St. Vincent Millay|title=Renascence by Edna St. Vincent Millay {{!}} Poetry Foundation|url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/55993/renascence%257Ctitle=Renascence%257Cwebsite=Poetry|access-date=October 26, 2022|website=Poetry Foundation|language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Portland-Head-Lighthouse.jpg|thumb|The Maine coast and [[Portland Head Light]]]]
[[File:Shoreline between Gorham Mountain trailhead and Sand Beach (6598fb47-208e-4940-a5fa-8f8b000b14ee).jpg|thumb|Rocky shoreline in [[Acadia National Park]]]]

{{poemquote|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.|sign=Edna St. Vincent Millay|title=Renascence}}

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.answers.com/topic/drowned-coast?cat=technology|title=Answers—The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions|website=Answers.com|access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> A rise in land elevation due to the melting of heavy glacier ice caused a slight rebounding effect of underlying rock; this land rise, however, was not enough to eliminate all the effect of the rising sea level and its invasion of former land features.

Much of Maine's geomorphology was created by extended glacial activity at the end of the [[Quaternary glaciation|last ice age]]. Prominent glacial features include [[Somes Sound]] and Bubble Rock, both part of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. Carved by glaciers, Somes Sound reaches depths of {{convert|175|ft|m|-1}}. The extreme depth and steep drop-off allow large ships to navigate almost the entire length of the sound. These features also have made it attractive for boat builders, such as the prestigious [[Hinckley Yachts]].

Bubble Rock, a [[glacial erratic]], is a large boulder perched on the edge of Bubble Mountain in [[Acadia National Park]]. By analyzing the type of granite, geologists discovered that glaciers carried Bubble Rock to its present location from near [[Lucerne, Maine|Lucerne]], {{convert|30|mi|km}} away. The [[Iapetus Suture]] runs through the north and west of the state, being underlain by the ancient [[Laurentia|Laurentian terrane]], and the south and east underlain by the [[Avalonia|Avalonian terrane]].

Acadia National Park is the only national park in New England. Areas under the protection and management of the [[National Park Service]] include:<ref>{{cite web|title=Maine|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=July 16, 2008|url=https://www.nps.gov/state/me/index.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703061048/http://www.nps.gov/state/me/|archive-date=July 3, 2008}}</ref>
* [[Acadia National Park]] near [[Bar Harbor, Maine|Bar Harbor]]
* [[Appalachian Trail|Appalachian National Scenic Trail]]
* Maine Acadian Culture in [[Saint John River (Bay of Fundy)|St. John Valley]]
* [[Roosevelt Campobello International Park]] on [[Campobello Island]] in [[New Brunswick]], Canada, operated by both the U.S. and Canada, just across the [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge]] from Lubec
* [[Saint Croix Island International Historic Site]] at [[Calais, Maine|Calais]]
* [[Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument]]

Lands under the control of the state of Maine include:
* [[List of Maine state parks|Maine State Parks]]
* [[Maine Wildlife Management Areas (WMA)]]

===Climate===
{{See also|Climate change in Maine}}[[File:Fall Foliage Buttermilk Falls Gulf Hagas.jpg|left|thumb|Autumn in the [[Hundred-Mile Wilderness]]]]
[[File:Köppen Climate Types Maine.png|thumb|[[Köppen climate classification|Köppen climate types]] of Maine, using 1991–2020 [[Climatological normal|climate normals]]]]
[[File:Bangor Maine.JPG|thumb|left|Winter in [[Bangor, Maine|Bangor]]]]

Maine has a humid continental climate ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Dfb''), with warm and sometimes humid summers, and long, cold and very snowy winters. Winters are especially severe in the northern and western parts of Maine, while coastal areas are moderated slightly by the [[Atlantic Ocean]], resulting in marginally milder winters and cooler summers than inland regions. Daytime highs are generally in the {{convert|75|–|85|F|C}} range throughout the state in July, with overnight lows in the high 50s{{spaces}}°F (around 15{{spaces}}°C). January temperatures range from highs near {{convert|30|F|C|abbr=on}} on the southern coast to overnight lows averaging below {{convert|0|F|C|abbr=on}} in the far north.<ref name="usgs_a">{{cite news|url=https://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2135|access-date=November 6, 2011|title=New All Time Low Temperature Recorded in Maine|date=February 10, 2009|last=Lent|first=Robert|agency=U.S. Geological Survey}}</ref>

The state's record high temperature is {{convert|105|°F|°C|abbr=on}}, set in July 1911, at North Bridgton.<ref name="usatoday">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/weather/wheat7.htm|access-date=February 11, 2009|title=Each state's high temperature record|date=August 2006|newspaper=[[USA Today]]}}</ref>
Precipitation in Maine is evenly distributed year-round, but with a slight summer maximum in northern/northwestern Maine and a slight late-fall or early-winter maximum along the coast due to "[[nor'easter]]s" or intense cold-season rain and snowstorms. In coastal Maine, the late spring and summer months are usually driest—a rarity across the Eastern United States. Maine has fewer days of thunderstorms than any other state east of the [[Rocky Mountains|Rockies]], with most of the state averaging fewer than twenty days of [[thunderstorm]]s a year. [[Tornado]]es are rare in Maine, with the state averaging two per year, although this number is increasing. Most severe thunderstorms and tornadoes occur in the southwestern interior portion of the state,<ref name="Annual average number of tornadoes">[http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/tornado/small/avgt5304.gif] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016174155/http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/tornado/small/avgt5304.gif|date=October 16, 2011}} NOAA National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.</ref> where summer temperatures are often the warmest and the atmosphere is thus more unstable compared to northern and coastal areas.<ref>{{cite web|title=Summary of July 1st Tornadoes in Maine|url=https://www.weather.gov/media/gyx/tornado_forweb.pdf}}</ref> Maine rarely sees the direct landfall of [[tropical cyclone]]s, as they tend to recurve out to sea or are rapidly weakening by the time they reach the cooler waters of Maine.

In January 2009, a new record low temperature for the state was set at [[Big Black River (Saint John River)|Big Black River]] of {{convert|-50|°F|°C|abbr=on}}, tying the New England record.<ref name="usgs_a" />

Annual precipitation varies from {{convert|909|mm|in|abbr=on|order=flip}} in [[Presque Isle, Maine|Presque Isle]] to {{convert|1,441|mm|in|abbr=on|order=flip}} in Acadia National Park.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=National Climatic Data Center|title=NOAA's 1981–2010 Climate Normals|url=http://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Maine/average-yearly-precipitation.php}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;"
|+Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in Maine<ref name="Maine climate averages">{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/city.php3?c=US&s=ME&statename=Maine-United-States-of-America|title=Maine climate averages|publisher=Weatherbase|access-date=November 9, 2015}}</ref>
|-
!Location
!July (°F)
!July (°C)
!January (°F)
!January (°C)
|-
|[[Portland, Maine|Portland]] || 78/59 || 26/15 || 31/13 || −0/−10
|-
|[[Lewiston, Maine|Lewiston]] || 81/61 || 27/16 || 29/11 || −2/−12
|-
|[[Bangor, Maine|Bangor]] || 79/57 || 26/14 || 27/6 || −2/−14
|-
|[[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]] || 79/60 || 26/15 || 27/11 || −2/−11
|-
|[[Presque Isle, Maine|Presque Isle]] || 77/55 || 25/13 || 20/1 || −6/−17
|}

===Flora and fauna===
{{Main|Fauna of Maine}}Maine exhibits a diverse range of flora and fauna across its varied landscapes, including forests, coastline, and wetlands. Forested areas consist primarily of coniferous and deciduous trees, such as [[Abies balsamea|balsam fir]], [[Acer saccharum|sugar maple]], and its state tree, the [[Pinus strobus|Eastern white pine]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Index of Species: Forest Trees of Maine: Handbooks & Guides: Publications: Division of Forestry: Maine ACF|url=https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/publications/handbooks_guides/forest_trees/individual_spp_index.html|access-date=February 15, 2024|website=www.maine.gov}}</ref> Coastal regions are characterized by hardy [[Lysimachia maritima|sea milkwort]], [[Suaeda|sea-blight]], [[Myrica|bayberry]], and the invasive [[Rosa rugosa|rugosa rose]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Coastal Beach|url=https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/communities/coastal_beach.pdf|access-date=February 15, 2024|website=Maine.gov}}</ref>

Maine's terrestrial fauna comprises mammals such as [[moose]], [[American black bear|black bears]], and [[white-tailed deer]], along with smaller species like [[red squirrel]]s, [[snowshoe hare]]s, and [[raccoon]]s. Maine has the largest populations of moose and black bears in the contiguous United States.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mammals: Species Information: Wildlife: Fish & Wildlife: Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife|url=https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/species-information/mammals/index.html|access-date=February 15, 2024|website=www.maine.gov}}</ref> Avian diversity is evident with migratory birds like [[piping plover]]s, [[American oystercatcher]], and [[northern harrier]], as well as resident species like [[black-capped chickadee]]s, [[Jay|blue jays]], and [[barred owl]]s. Wetlands provide habitat for amphibians such as [[spotted salamander]]s, [[wood frog]]s, and toads. Freshwater habitats support fish species like [[brook trout]], [[landlocked salmon]], and multiple [[Game fish|gamefish]].<ref name = resources>{{Cite web|title=Species Information {{!}} Department of Marine Resources|url=https://www.maine.gov/dmr/science/species-information|access-date=February 15, 2024|website=www.maine.gov}}</ref> The rivers of central and eastern Maine are home to the US' last remaining wild populations of [[Atlantic salmon]] (''Salmo salar'').<ref>{{cite web |title=Atlantic Salmon |url=https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/atlantic-salmon |website=NOAA Fisheries |date=June 6, 2025 |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=27 September 2025}}</ref> Marine life in offshore waters includes [[Atlantic puffin]]s, [[harbor seal]]s, [[minke whale]]s, and [[American lobster|lobster]]. Maine's abundance of lobster makes the state the largest producer of lobster in the United States.<ref name = resources/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Lobster {{!}} Maine Secretary of State Kids' Page|url=https://www.maine.gov/sos/kids/about/wildlife/lobster#:~:text=At%20present,%20Maine%20is%20the,producing%20state%20in%20the%20nation.|access-date=February 15, 2024|website=www.maine.gov}}</ref>

==Demographics==
===Population===
{{US Census population
|1790= 96540
|1800= 151719
|1810= 228705
|1820= 298335
|1830= 399455
|1840= 501793
|1850= 583169
|1860= 628279
|1870= 626915
|1880= 648936
|1890= 661086
|1900= 694466
|1910= 742371
|1920= 768014
|1930= 797423
|1940= 847226
|1950= 913774
|1960= 969265
|1970= 992048
|1980= 1124660
|1990= 1227928
|2000= 1274923
|2010= 1328361
|2020= 1362359
| estimate = 1405012
| estyear = 2024
| align-fn = center
|footnote=Source: 1910–2020<ref>{{cite web|title=Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020)|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html|website=Census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 1, 2021|archive-date=April 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429012609/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}
[[File:Maine population density 2020.png|thumb|left|Maine population density map]]
The [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]] estimates that the population of Maine was 1,344,212 on July 1, 2019, a 1.19% increase since the [[2010 United States Census|2010 United States census]].<ref name="PopEstUS">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/me,US/PST045218|title=QuickFacts Maine; UNITED STATES|website=2018 Population Estimates|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division|date=March 11, 2019|access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref> At the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], 1,362,359 people lived in the state. The state's population density is 41.3 people per square mile, making it the [[List of U.S. states by population density|least densely populated state]] east of the [[Mississippi River]]. As of 2010, Maine was also the most rural state in the Union, with only 38.7% of the state's population living within urban areas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.icip.iastate.edu/tables/population/urban-pct-states|title=Urban Percentage of the Population for States, Historical &#124; Iowa Community Indicators Program|website=Icip.iastate.edu|access-date=April 17, 2021}}</ref> As explained in detail under "Geography", there are large tracts of uninhabited land in some remote parts of the interior of the state, particularly in the [[North Maine Woods]].

The mean population center of Maine is located in [[Kennebec County, Maine|Kennebec County]], just east of Augusta.<ref name="mean population center">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/2010census/centerpop2010/CenPop2010_Mean_ST.txt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429025307/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/2010census/centerpop2010/CenPop2010_Mean_ST.txt|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 29, 2011|title=Population and Population Centers by State: 2010 (US Census Bureau)|access-date=April 9, 2011}}</ref> The [[Portland metropolitan area, Maine|Greater Portland metropolitan area]] is the most densely populated with nearly 40% of Maine's population.<ref name="Metropolitan populations, census.gov">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2010/cph-t/CPH-T-5.pdf|title=census.gov|access-date=August 3, 2013}}</ref> This area spans three counties and includes many farms and wooded areas; the 2016 population of Portland proper was 66,937.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/portlandcitymaine/RHI125216|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Portland city, Maine|website=Census.gov|access-date=January 15, 2018}}</ref>

Maine has experienced a very slow rate of population growth since the 1990 census; its rate of growth (0.57%) since the 2010 census ranks 45th of the 50 states.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.massbenchmarks.org/statedata/data/pop_est_2016a/UMDI%20State%20Pop%202016.pdf|title=Mass. Benchmarks|website=Massbenchmarks.org|access-date=April 17, 2021}}</ref> In 2021 and 2022, however, Maine had the highest proportion of arriving residents to departing residents of any state in the country, with 1.8 arrivals for every departure.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Silver|first=Nate|title=SBSQ #6: People are fleeing California and New York. Will that make other states bluer?|url=https://www.natesilver.net/p/sbsq-6-people-are-fleeing-california|access-date=March 2, 2024|website=www.natesilver.net|language=en}}</ref> The modest population growth in the state has been concentrated in the southern coastal counties; with more diverse populations slowly moving into these areas of the state. However, the northern, more rural areas of the state have experienced a slight decline in population from 2010 to 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2017/05/26/interactive-population-change-maine-towns-2010-2016/|title=Interactive: Population change in Maine towns, 2010-2016|date=May 26, 2017|work=Portland Press Herald|access-date=January 15, 2018}}</ref>

As of 2020, Maine has the highest population age 65 or older in the United States.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.prb.org/resources/which-us-states-are-the-oldest/|title=Which States Have the Oldest Populations|date=December 21, 2021|work=PRB|access-date=December 10, 2022}}</ref>

According to the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], Maine has the highest percentage of non-Hispanic [[White American|White]] of any state, at 94.4% of the total population. In 2011, 89.0% of all births in the state were to non-Hispanic White parents.<ref>"[http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html Americans under age{{nbsp}}1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot]". ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. June 3, 2012.</ref> Maine also has the second-highest residential senior population.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://srcarecenter.com/data/senior-statistics/|publisher=SrCareCenter.com|title=Important Statistics On The Senior Population|date=May 22, 2019|access-date=January 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128202420/https://srcarecenter.com/data/senior-statistics/|archive-date=January 28, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|HUD]]'s 2022 [[Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress|Annual Homeless Assessment Report]], there were an estimated 4,411 [[Homelessness in Maine|homeless]] people in Maine.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2007-2022 PIT Counts by State|url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress|url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf}}</ref>

=== Race and ethnicity ===
The table below shows the racial and ethnic composition of Maine's population as of 2016.
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible nowrap" style="font-size: 90%; text-align: right; display:inline-table;"
|+ '''Maine racial and ethnic composition of population'''<ref name="ACS2016DEMO">{{cite web|title=2016 American Community Survey—Demographic and Housing Estimates|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_5YR/DP05/0400000US23|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 21, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213005711/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_5YR/DP05/0400000US23|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
! Race !! Population (2016 est.) !! Percentage
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | ''Total population'' || ''1,329,923'' || ''100%''
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | [[White American|White]] || 1,260,476 || 94.8%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | [[African American|Black or African American]] || 16,303 || 1.2%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian and Alaska Native]] || 8,013 || 0.6%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | [[Asian American|Asian]] || 14,643 || 1.1%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | [[Pacific Islander American|Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander]] || 211 || 0.0%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Some other race]] || 3,151 || 0.2%
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | [[Multiracial American|Two or more races]] || 27,126 || 2.0%
|}[[File:Ethnic Origins in Maine.png|thumb|330x330px|Ethnic origins in Maine]]According to the 2016 [[American Community Survey]], 1.5% of Maine's population were of [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] origin (of any race): [[Mexican American|Mexican]] (0.4%), [[Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]] (0.4%), [[Cuban American|Cuban]] (0.1%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (0.6%).<ref name="ACS2016DEMO" /> The six largest ancestry groups were: [[English American|English]] (20.7%), [[Irish American|Irish]] (17.3%), [[French American|French]] (15.7%), [[German American|German]] (8.1%), [[American ancestry|American]] (7.8%) and [[French-Canadian Americans|French Canadian]] (7.7%).<ref>{{cite web|title=2016 American Community Survey—Selected Social Characteristics|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_5YR/DP02/0400000US23|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 21, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213005513/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_5YR/DP02/0400000US23|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

People citing that they are [[American ethnicity|American]] are of overwhelmingly English descent, but have ancestry that has been in the region for so long (often since the 17th century) that they choose to identify simply as Americans.<ref name="Pulera2004">{{cite book|author=Dominic Pulera|title=Sharing the Dream: White Males in Multicultural America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SVoAXh-dNuYC&pg=PA57|date=October 20, 2004|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=978-0-8264-1643-8|pages=57–}}</ref><ref>Stanley Lieberson and Lawrence Santi, "The Use of Nativity Data to Estimate Ethnic Characteristics and Patterns", ''Social Science Research'', Vol. 14, No. 1 (1985), pp. 44–6.</ref><ref>Stanley Lieberson and Mary C. Waters, "Ethnic Groups in Flux: The Changing Ethnic Responses of American Whites", ''Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science'', Vol. 487, No. 79 (September 1986), pp. 82–86.</ref><ref>Mary C. Waters, ''Ethnic Options: Choosing Identities in America'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990), p. 36.</ref><ref>''French Canadian Emigration to the United States 1840–1930''. Claude Bélanger, Department of History, Marianopolis College.{{when|date=September 2022}}</ref><ref>''French-Canadian Americans'' by Marianne Fedunkiw.{{when|date=September 2022}}</ref>{{Excessive citations inline|date=April 2023}}

Maine has the highest percentage of [[French Americans]] of any state. Most of them are of [[French Canadian American|Canadian]] origin, but in some cases have been living there since prior to the [[American Revolutionary War]]. There are particularly high concentrations in the northern part of Maine in [[Aroostook County, Maine|Aroostook County]], which is part of a cultural region known as [[Acadia]] that goes over the border into [[New Brunswick]]. Along with the [[Acadians|Acadian]] population in the north, many French-Canadians came from [[Quebec]] as immigrants between 1840 and 1930.

The upper [[Saint John River (Bay of Fundy)|Saint John River]] valley area was once part of the so-called [[Republic of Madawaska]], before the frontier was decided in the [[Webster-Ashburton Treaty]] of 1842. Over a quarter of the population of Lewiston, [[Waterville, Maine|Waterville]], and [[Biddeford]] are Franco-American. Most of the residents of the [[Mid Coast]] and [[Down East]] sections are chiefly of British heritage. Smaller numbers of various other groups, including [[Irish American|Irish]], [[Italian American|Italian]], [[Swedish Americans|Swedish]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Bringing in the Swedes|url=https://www.mainememory.net/sitebuilder/site/795/page/1205/display|website=Maine History Online |first1=Candace |last1=Kanes |access-date=January 8, 2024}}</ref> and [[Polish American|Polish]], have settled throughout the state since the late 19th and early 20th century [[immigration]] waves.

Today there are four [[List of federally recognized tribes by state|federally recognized]] tribes in Maine, including the [[Mi'kmaq Nation]]. In 2020, 7,885 identified as being Native American alone, and 25,617 did in combination with one or more other races.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Race and Ethnicity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census|url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/race-and-ethnicity-in-the-united-state-2010-and-2020-census.html |date= August 12, 2021 |website=U.S. Census Bureau }}</ref>

====Birth data====
''Note: Births in table do not sum to 100% because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race.''
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
|+Live births by single race/ethnicity of mother
|-
! [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Race]]
! 2013<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_01.pdf|title=Births: Final Data for 2013|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |journal =National Vital Statistics Reports |volume =64|issue=1 |date=January 15, 2015 |first1=Joyce A. |last1=Martin|first2=Brady E. |last2=Hamilton|first3=Michelle J.K. |last3=Osterman|first4=Sally C. |last4=Curtin|first5=T.J. |last5=Mathews |pages=1–65 |pmid=25603115 }}</ref>
! 2014<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_12.pdf |title=Births: Final Data for 2014 |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |journal =National Vital Statistics Reports |volume =64|issue=12 |date=December 23, 2015  |first1=Joyce A. |last1=Martin|first2=Brady E. |last2=Hamilton|first3=Michelle J.K. |last3=Osterman|first4=Sally C. |last4=Curtin|first5=T.J. |last5=Mathews |pages=1–64 |pmid=26727629 }}</ref>
! 2015<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf |title=Births: Final Data for 2015 |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |journal =National Vital Statistics Reports |volume =66 |issue=1 |date=January 5, 2017 |first1=Joyce A. |last1=Martin|first2=Brady E. |last2=Hamilton|first3=Michelle J.K. |last3=Osterman|first4=Anne K.  |last4=Driscoll |first5=T.J. |last5=Mathews |page=1 |pmid=28135188 }}</ref>
! 2016<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf |title=Births: Final Data for 2016|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |journal =National Vital Statistics Reports |volume =67 |issue=1 |date=January 31, 2018 |first1=Joyce A. |last1=Martin|first2=Brady E. |last2=Hamilton|first3=Michelle J.K. |last3=Osterman|first4=Anne K.  |last4=Driscoll |first5=Patrick |last5=Drake |pages=1–55 |pmid=29775434 }}</ref>
! 2017<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_08-508.pdf|title=Births: Final Data for 2017|volume=67|number=8 |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |journal =National Vital Statistics Reports |first1=Joyce A. |last1=Martin|first2=Brady E. |last2=Hamilton|first3=Michelle J.K. |last3=Osterman|first4=Anne K.  |last4=Driscoll |first5=Patrick |last5=Drake |date=November 7, 2018|pages=1–50 |pmid=30707672 |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
! 2018<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13-508.pdf|title=Births: Final Data for 2018|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=December 2, 2019}}</ref>
! 2019<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-02-508.pdf|title=Births: Final Data for 2019|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=March 29, 2021}}</ref>
! 2020<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-17.pdf|title=Births: Final Data for 2020|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=February 20, 2022}}</ref>
! 2021<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-01.pdf|title=Births: Final Data for 2021|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=February 3, 2022}}</ref>
! 2022<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr73/nvsr73-02.pdf|title=Births: Final Data for 2022|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=April 5, 2024}}</ref>
! 2023<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr74/nvsr74-1.pdf|title=Births: Final Data for 2023|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|access-date=April 11, 2025}}</ref>
|-
| > [[Non-Hispanic White|White]]
| 11,774 (92.1%)
| 11,654 (91.8%)
| 11,563 (91.7%)
| 11,484 (90.4%)
| 10,958 (89.1%)
| 11,022 (89.5%)
| 10,401 (88.3%)
| 10,231 (88.7%)
| 10,619 (88.4%)
| 10,640 (88.0%)
| 10,015 (86.1%)
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]]
| 455 (3.6%)
| 450 (3.5%)
| 473 (3.7%)
| 411 (3.2%)
| 545 (4.4%)
| 546 (4.4%)
| 541 (4.6%)
| 514 (4.5%)
| 551 (4.6%)
| 679 (5.6%)
| 790 (6.8%)
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
| 253 (2.0%)
| 248 (1.9%)
| 186 (1.5%)
| 192 (1.5%)
| 219 (1.8%)
| 202 (1.6%)
| 217 (1.8%)
| 195 (1.7%)
| 197 (1.6%)
| 163 (1.3%)
| 199 (1.7%)
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]]
| 118 (0.9%)
| 158 (1.2%)
| 143 (1.1%)
| 97 (0.7%)
| 88 (0.7%)
| 99 (0.8%)
| 96 (0.8%)
| 85 (0.7%)
| 71 (0.6%)
| 76 (0.7%)
| 70 (0.6%)
|-
| ''[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]'' (of any race)
| ''172'' (1.3%)
| ''200'' (1.6%)
| ''251'' (2.0%)
| ''238'' (1.9%)
| ''229'' (1.9%)
| ''224'' (1.8%)
| ''257'' (2.2%)
| ''258'' (2.2%)
| ''305'' (2.5%)
| ''338'' (2.8%)
| ''334'' (2.9%)
|-
| '''Total'''
| '''12,776''' (100%)
| '''12,698''' (100%)
| '''12,607''' (100%)
| '''12,705''' (100%)
| '''12,298''' (100%)
| '''12,311''' (100%)
| '''11,779''' (100%)
| '''11,539''' (100%)
| '''12,006''' (100%)
| '''12,093''' (100%)
| '''11,627''' (100%)
|}

* Since 2016, data for births of [[White Hispanic and Latino Americans|White Hispanic]] origin are not collected, but included in one ''Hispanic'' group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

In 2018, the top countries of origin for Maine's immigrants were [[Canada]], the [[Philippines]], [[Germany]], [[India]] and [[Korea]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/immigrants_in_maine.pdf|title=Immigrants in Maine}}</ref>

===Language===
Maine does not have an official language,<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/north-america/united-states-of-america/maine/history-language-culture/|title=Maine—World Travel Guide|work=World Travel Guide|access-date=July 20, 2018}}</ref> but the most widely spoken language in the state is English. The 2010 census reported 92.91% of Maine residents aged five and older spoke only English at home. French-speakers are the state's chief linguistic minority; census figures show that Maine has the highest percentage of people speaking French at home of any state: 3.93% of Maine households are French-speaking, compared with 3.45% (including Cajun and [[Louisiana Creole|Creole]]) in [[Louisiana]], which is the second highest state.<ref name="MLA Data" /> Spanish is the third-most-common language in Maine, after English and French.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/states/Maine-Languages.html|title=Languages—Maine|website=City-data.com}}</ref>

===Religion===
{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = Religious self-identification, per [[Public Religion Research Institute]]'s 2022 ''American Values Survey''<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|date=February 24, 2023|title=PRRI – American Values Atlas: Religious Tradition in Maine|url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2022/States/religion/m/US-ME|access-date=April 3, 2023|website=[[Public Religion Research Institute]]}}</ref>
| label1 = [[Protestantism in the United States|Protestantism]]
| value1 = 41
| color1 = Blue
| label2 = [[Catholic Church in the United States|Catholicism]]
| value2 = 21
| color2 = Purple
| label3 = [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]]/[[Unitarian Universalism|Universalist]]
| value3 = 1
| color3 = Teal
| label4 = [[Irreligion in the United States|Unaffiliated]]
| value4 = 30
| color4 = White
| label5 = [[Judaism in the United States|Judaism]]
| value5 = 5
| color5 = Pink
| label6 = [[New Age]]
| value6 = 1
| color6 = Red
| label7 = Other
| value7 = 1
| color7 = Black
}}
According to the [[Pew Research Center]] in 2014, the religious affiliations of Maine were: [[Protestant]] 37% (in particular: [[Evangelical Protestant]] 14%, [[Mainline Protestant]] 21%, [[Black church|Historical Black Protestant]] 2%), [[Atheism]] or [[Agnosticism]] 6%, Nothing in Particular 26%, [[Catholic Church in the United States|Roman Catholic Church]] 21%, other Christians 5%, non-Christian religions including [[Hinduism]], [[Islam]], [[Buddhism]] and [[Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼí]] 7%, and [[Paganism|Pagans]] and [[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarians]] 5%.

In 2014, the Roman Catholic Church was the largest religious denomination and the [[Baptists]] (7% Evangelical and 5% Mainline) were the state's largest Protestant denomination, followed by the [[Methodism|Methodists]] (6%) and the [[Congregational church|Congregationalists]] (5%). The atheists and the agnostics are only 6% of the state, but 26% of Mainers said that they "Believe in God but they are Unaffiliated." Eighty-one percent of Mainers believed in God, while 3% did not know and 16% did not believe in God. Thirty-four percent of Mainers thought that religion was "very important" and 29% said that it was "important", while 21% said that religion was not important.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Religions in Maine|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/state/maine/}}</ref>

According to a survey through the [[Public Religion Research Institute]] in 2020, approximately 62% of the population were Christian; the religiously unaffiliated slightly increased to 33% from the separate 2014 study by the Pew Research Center.<ref>{{Cite web|title=PRRI – American Values Atlas|url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-ME|access-date=September 17, 2022|website=ava.prri.org}}</ref> In a 2022 study by the Public Religion Research Institute, 63% of the population were Christian, and 30% were religiously unaffiliated. Among the non-Christian population in 2022, 1% were [[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarian Universalist]], 5% [[Jews|Jewish]], and 1% [[New Age]]r.

According to the [[Association of Religion Data Archives]] in 2020, with Christianity as the dominant faith, the largest denominations by number of adherents were Catholicism (219,233 members), non-denominational Protestantism (45,364), and United Methodists (19,686).<ref>{{Cite web|title=2020 Congregational Membership|url=https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregational-membership?y=2020&y2=0&t=1&c=23|access-date=April 15, 2023|website=www.thearda.com}}</ref> According to the same study, there were an estimated 16,894 [[Islam in the United States|Muslims]] in the state.

==Economy==
{{See also|Maine locations by per capita income|List of power stations in Maine}}
[[File:Bird's Eye View (27235581434).jpg|thumb|[[Bath Iron Works]] naval shipbuilding]]
Total employment (May 2024):
* 674,900<ref>{{Cite web|title=Maine Economy at a Glance|url=https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.me.htm#eag_me.f.1|access-date=July 11, 2024|website=Bureau of Labor Statistics|language=en}}</ref>
Total employer establishments (2021):
* 42,519<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Maine?g=040XX00US23|access-date=July 11, 2024|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

Maine's total [[gross state product]] was $91.1 billion in 2023.<ref name="GDPByState">{{cite web|title=GDP by State|url=https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gdp-state|website=GDP by State &#124; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)|publisher=Bureau of Economic Analysis|access-date=May 24, 2024}}</ref> The state's [[Per capita personal income in the United States|per capita personal income]] for 2023 was $63,117, ranking 30th in the nation, and its median gross income was $69,543.<ref name="r095">{{cite web|last=Account|first=Economic|title=Personal Income by State|website=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)|date=March 29, 2024|url=https://www.bea.gov/data/income-saving/personal-income-by-state|access-date=May 24, 2024}}</ref><ref name="u858">{{cite web|publisher=United States Census Bureau|title=S1901: Income in the Past 12 Months|website=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S1901|access-date=May 24, 2024}}</ref> {{as of|2024|December}}, Maine's unemployment rate is 3.2%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/laus.html|title=Unemployment & Labor Force|website=www.maine.gov|access-date=February 3, 2025}}</ref> {{as of|2025|January}}, Maine's [[minimum wage]] is $14.65.<ref>{{Cite web|title=MDOL: New Minimum Wage Increases|url=https://www.maine.gov/labor/labor_laws/minimumwagefaq/|access-date=February 3, 2025|website=www.maine.gov}}</ref>
[[File:Lobster Trap.jpg|thumb|Lobstering in Portland]]
[[Commercial fishing]], once a mainstay of the state's economy, maintains a presence, particularly [[lobster fishing|lobstering]] and [[groundfishing]]. While lobster is the main seafood focus for Maine, the harvest of both oysters and seaweed are on the rise. In 2015, 14% of the Northeast's total oyster supply came from Maine. The shrimp industry of Maine is on a government-mandated hold. With an ever-decreasing Northern shrimp population, Maine fishermen are no longer allowed to catch and sell shrimp. The hold began in 2014, but a pilot program allowing limited shrimp fishing began in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 22, 2025 |title=7 Maine fishermen will soon go shrimping for first time in a decade |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2025/01/22/7-maine-fishermen-will-go-shrimping-for-first-time-in-decade/ |access-date=April 29, 2025 |website=Press Herald}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Losneck|first=Caroline|date=April 2019|title=NORTHEAST: Oyster, seaweed industries continue rise in Maine; Northern shrimp shutdown extends 3 years; scup and squid try to find strong markets.|journal=National Fisherman}}</ref> Western Maine aquifers and springs are a source of bottled water for companies like [[Poland Spring]].

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.

Brunswick Landing, formerly [[Naval Air Station Brunswick]], is also in Maine. Formerly a large support base for the U.S. Navy, the [[Base Realignment and Closure|BRAC]] campaign initiated the Naval Air Station's closing, despite a government-funded effort to upgrade its facilities. The former base has since been changed into a civilian business park, as well as a new satellite campus for [[Southern Maine Community College]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mrra.us/brunswick-landing/|title=Brunswick Landing—Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority|website=Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority|access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Bundle of Blueberries (Unsplash).jpg|thumb|Wild low-bush blueberries are only produced commercially in Maine.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Maine's blueberry crop faces climate change peril|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/maines-blueberry-crop-faces-climate-change-peril-78101765|access-date=June 7, 2021|website=ABC News|language=en}}</ref>]]Historically, Maine ports played 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 Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], Nova Scotia in the mid-20th century. In 2013, 12,039,600 [[short tons]] passed into and out of Portland by sea,<ref>{{cite web |title=Part1_Ports_tonsbycommCY2013.htm |url=http://www.navigationdatacenter.us/wcsc/webpub13/Part1_Ports_tonsbycommCY2013.htm |website=Navigationdatacenter.us}}</ref> which places it 45th of U.S. water ports.<ref>{{cite web |title=Table 1-57: Tonnage of Top 50 U.S. Water Ports, Ranked by Total Tons(a)—Bureau of Transportation Statistics |url=http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_57.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211081001/http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_57.html |archive-date=February 11, 2016 |access-date=February 4, 2016 |website=Rita.dot.gov}}</ref> [[Portland International Jetport]] has been expanded, providing the state with increased air traffic from carriers such as [[JetBlue]] and [[Southwest Airlines]].

Maine has very few large companies that maintain headquarters in the state, and that number has fallen due to consolidations and mergers, particularly in the [[pulp and paper industry]]. Some of the larger companies that do maintain headquarters in Maine include [[Covetrus]] in Portland; [[Fairchild Semiconductor]] in South Portland; [[IDEXX Laboratories]] in Westbrook; [[Hannaford Bros. Co.]] in Scarborough; [[L.L.Bean]] in [[Freeport, Maine|Freeport]]; and [[Puritan Medical Products]] in [[Guilford, Maine|Guilford]]. 

[[File:Maine The Land of Remembered Vacations, 1928 (page 1 crop).jpg|thumb|150px|left|1928 ad promoting vacations in Maine]]

===Tourism===
Tourism and outdoor recreation play a major and increasingly important role in Maine's economy. In 2023, 15,267,000 visitors spent more than $9 billion in Maine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=2023 MAINE OFFICE OF TOURISM HIGHLIGHTS |url=https://motpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/MOT_GovCon_HighlightSheet_2023_Printed-Paper_FNL-0430.pdf |access-date=June 14, 2025 |website=Maine Office of Tourism}}</ref> An estimated 14% of the housing stock in Maine is used as vacation homes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-25 |title=Maine property taxes are high. What can lawmakers do about it? |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2025/09/25/maine-property-taxes-are-high-what-can-lawmakers-do-about-it/ |access-date=2025-09-26 |website=The Portland Press Herald |language=en-US}}</ref> In the late 19th century, artist colonies developed in [[Ogunquit, Maine|Oqunquit]] and on [[Monhegan, Maine|Monhegan]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelleher |first=Katy |date=August 18, 2020 |title=Maine has inspired artists for 200 years |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/artists-find-centuries-of-inspiration |access-date=June 14, 2025 |website=National Geographic |language=en}}</ref> [[Acadia National Park]] became part of the national park system in 1929.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |first2= |title=Founding Acadia - Acadia National Park (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/acad/learn/historyculture/founding.htm |access-date=July 9, 2025 |website=National Park Service |language=en}}</ref> The park is one of the most popular national parks in the United States. It attracts more than 4 million visitors each year. In 2024, visitors spent $475 million in the [[Bar Harbor, Maine|Bar Harbor]] area where the park is located.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 8, 2025 |title=Will Trump's planned price hike for Acadia's foreign visitors hurt Maine tourism? |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2025/07/08/will-trumps-planned-price-hike-for-acadias-foreign-visitors-hurt-maine-tourism/ |access-date=July 9, 2025 |website=Press Herald}}</ref> The flagship [[L.L.Bean|L.L. Bean]] store in [[Freeport, Maine|Freeport]] attracts more than 3 million visitors each year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Danziger |first=Pamela N. |title=L.L. Bean Continues To Expand Its National Footprint, Totaling 60 Stores This Year |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamdanziger/2024/08/14/ll-bean-continues-to-expand-its-national-footprint-totaling-60-stores-this-year/ |access-date=July 14, 2025 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>

Summer visitors and tourism began before the Civil War. After the Civil War, the number of visitors increased significantly.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Summer Folk: The Postcard View |url=https://www.mainememory.net/sitebuilder/site/2464/page/3950/display?use_mmn=1 |access-date=June 14, 2025 |website=Maine Memory Network |language=en}}</ref> This was when a growing urban middle class wanted to leave cities in the summer to seek Maine's coast, lakes, woods, and mountains. Maine's fresh air, pure water, and local food were additional attractions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Poland Spring: Summering in Fashion |url=https://www.mainememory.net/sitebuilder/site/304/page/570/display?use_mmn=1 |access-date=June 14, 2025 |website=Maine Memory Network |language=en}}</ref> 

Many notable persons have drawn attention to Maine's natural attractions. In 1846, [[Henry David Thoreau]] came to Maine to climb [[Mount Katahdin|Katahdin]] and came back two more times to explore other trails and waterways.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Henry David Thoreau's travels in the Maine woods, 1846, 1853, 1857 |url=https://tildesites.bowdoin.edu/~smcmahon/courses/hist247/readingguide/files/thoreautravels.pdf |website=Bowdoin College}}</ref> His book ''The Maine Woods'' was published in 1864 recounting his journeys in Maine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 13, 2004 |title=The Maine Woods {{!}} Princeton University Press |url=https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691118772/the-maine-woods |access-date=August 26, 2025 |website=press.princeton.edu |language=en}}</ref> As early as 1878, [[Theodore Roosevelt]] visited Maine. Roosevelt explored what is now designated the [[Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument]] with legendary [[Maine Guide|Maine guide]] William Wingate Sewall and stayed at the [[William Sewall House]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=November 13, 2014 |title=Roosevelts in Maine {{!}} Maine: An Encyclopedia |url=https://maineanencyclopedia.com/roosevelts-in-maine/ |access-date=August 11, 2025 |website=Maine An Encyclopedia |language=en-US}}</ref> American businessman [[William Henry Vanderbilt]] first vacationed with his family in Bar Harbor in the early 1880s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Emerson |first=Brad |date=February 24, 2011 |title=VANDERBILTS UNDER THE PINES |url=https://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/vanderbilts-under-the-pines/ |access-date=August 11, 2025 |website=New York Social Diary |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1910, businessman [[John D. Rockefeller Jr.]] purchased a summer home in [[Mount Desert, Maine|Seal Harbor]] and later spent $3.5 million developing the [[Acadia National Park carriage paths, bridges and gatehouses|Carriage Roads]] of what is now Acadia National Park.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2024 |title=John D. Rockefeller & the Carriage Roads |url=https://visitmaine.com/articles/john-d-rockefeller-the-carriage-roads/ |access-date=August 11, 2025 |website=Visit Maine |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1997, TV personality and businesswomen [[Martha Stewart]] purchased Skylands in Seal Harbor, featuring the estate regularly in national media outlets.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bilhuber |first=Jeffrey |date=July 1, 2015 |title=Martha Stewart's Maine Estate Is Testament to Tradition and Natural Beauty |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/martha-stewart-skylands-maine-homes-article |access-date=August 11, 2025 |website=Architectural Digest |language=en-US}}</ref>

The state is a popular destination for sport [[hunting]] (particularly deer, moose, and bear), [[sport fishing]], [[snowmobile|snowmobiling]], [[skiing]], boating, [[camping]] and [[hiking]], among other activities.

===Creative economy & the arts===
Maine has developed a burgeoning [[creative economy]], most notably centered in the [[Portland metropolitan area, Maine|Greater Portland]] vicinity.<ref name="MaineCreativeEconomy" /> In 2022, Portland's nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $86 million in economic activity, according to a survey by [[Americans for the Arts]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Creative Portland - Economic Impact Studies |url=https://www.creativeportland.com/economic-impact-studies-105 |access-date=June 22, 2025 |website=www.creativeportland.com}}</ref> The foundation of Maine's creative economy is its long tradition of fine arts. It also includes craftsmen, historic sites, museums, and cultural attractions.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=April 17, 2010 |title=Gov. Baldacci addresses Maine's 'Creative Economy' |url=https://www.bates.edu/news/2010/04/17/gov-baldacci-address/ |access-date=June 22, 2025 |website=Bates College |language=en}}</ref>

===Agriculture===
Maine's [[agriculture|agricultural]] outputs include potatoes, poultry, eggs, dairy products, cattle, wild blueberries, apples, [[maple syrup]], [[maple sugar]], and seaweed. [[Aroostook County, Maine|Aroostook County]] is known for its [[potato]] crops. Potatoes make the state $166,672,000 a year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Maine Economic Contribution and Impact Research |url=https://economic-impact-of-ag.uada.edu/maine/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20Maine%20generated%20around,percent%20of%20total%20state%20GDP. |access-date=March 27, 2023 |publisher=University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture}}</ref> Maine is the top U.S. producer of [[Vaccinium angustifolium|low-bush blueberries]]. Preliminary data from the [[USDA]] for 2012 also indicate Maine was the largest blueberry producer of the major blueberry producing states, with a total production of 91,100,000 lbs. This data includes both low (wild) and [[Vaccinium corymbosum|high-bush (cultivated) blueberries]].<ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=Data |url=https://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/ers/blueberry/table02.xls |website=usda.mannlib.cornell.edu}}</ref> In 2017, the production of Maine's seaweed industry was estimated at $20&nbsp;million per year. In 2022, Maine seaweed farmers harvested over 1 million pounds of seaweed, which was predicted to rise to 4.1 million pounds by 2025. Sixty percent of American seaweed comes from Maine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 29, 2025 |title=Most Americans haven't tried seaweed, Maine study shows |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2025/04/29/most-americans-havent-tried-seaweed-maine-study-shows/ |access-date=July 14, 2025 |website=Press Herald}}</ref> Maine is home to the [[Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association]] and had 535 certified organic farms in 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Staff |date=April 30, 2019 |title=Report: Maine's organic farms encompass less acreage, but yield higher sales |url=https://www.mainebiz.biz/article/report-maines-organic-farms-encompass-less-acreage-but-yield-higher-sales |access-date=March 5, 2020 |work=Maine Biz}}</ref>

===Shipbuilding===
Maine has a long-standing tradition of being home to many shipbuilding companies, such as [[Bath Iron Works]] and the [[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]]. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Maine was home to many shipyards that produced wooden sailing ships. The main function of these ships was to transport either cargos or passengers overseas. One of these yards was located in [[Pennellville Historic District]] in what is now [[Brunswick, Maine]]. This yard, owned by the Pennell family, was typical of the many family-owned shipbuilding companies of the time period. Other such examples of shipbuilding families were the Skolfields and the Morses. During the 18th and 19th centuries, wooden shipbuilding of this sort made up a sizable portion of the economy.

===Taxation===
{{Further|State tax levels in the United States}}

Maine has an [[income tax]] structure containing two brackets, 6.5 and 7.95 percent of personal income.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://maine.gov/revenue/forms/1040/2013/1040RateSched_13RevJan13.pdf|title=Tax forms|website=maine.gov}}</ref> Before July 2013, Maine had four brackets: 2, 4.5, 7, and 8.5 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://maine.gov/revenue/forms/1040/2012/RateSched_12.pdf|title=Tax forms|website=maine.gov}}</ref> Maine's general [[sales tax]] rate is 5.5 percent. The state also levies charges of nine percent on lodging and prepared food and ten percent on short-term auto rentals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/36/title36sec1811.html|title=Title 36, §1811: Sales tax|website=legislature.maine.gov}}</ref> 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 property|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.

==Transportation==
{{see also|Public transportation in Maine}}

===Airports===
[[File:KPWM Aerial Wiki.jpg|thumb|[[Portland International Jetport]]]]
Maine receives [[Jet airliner|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 [[airline]]s to destinations such as New York, [[Atlanta]], and [[Orlando, Florida|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 regional providers such as [[Cape Air]] with [[Cessna 402]]s, and [[CommutAir]] with [[Embraer ERJ-145]] aircraft.

Many smaller airports are scattered throughout Maine, serving only [[general aviation]] traffic. The [[Eastport Municipal Airport]], for example, is a city-owned public-use airport with 1,200 general aviation aircraft operations each year from single-engine and ultralight aircraft.<ref>{{cite web|title=KEPM—Eastport, Maine—Eastport Municipal Airport|website=Great Circle Mapper|url=http://gc.kls2.com/airport/KEPM|access-date=August 9, 2009}}</ref>

===Highways===
[[File:Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Penobscot Narrows Bridge]], carrying [[U.S. Route&nbsp;1]] and [[Maine State Route&nbsp;3]] over the [[Penobscot River]]]]

[[Interstate 95 in Maine|Interstate{{spaces}}95]] (I-95) travels through Maine, as well as its easterly branch [[Interstate 295 (Maine)|I-295]] and spurs [[Interstate 195 (Maine)|I-195]], [[Interstate 395 (Maine)|I-395]] and the unsigned [[Interstate 495 (Maine)|I-495]] (the Falmouth Spur). In addition, [[U.S. Route 1 in Maine|U.S. Route{{spaces}}1]] (US{{spaces}}1) starts in [[Fort Kent, Maine|Fort Kent]] and travels to [[Florida]]. The eastern terminus of the eastern section of [[U.S. Route 2 in Maine|US{{spaces}}2]] starts in Houlton, near the New Brunswick, Canada border to [[Rouses Point, New York|Rouses Point]], New York, at [[U.S. Route 11 in New York|US{{spaces}}11]]. [[U.S. Route 2A (Maine)|US{{spaces}}2A]] connects Old Town and Orono, primarily serving the [[University of Maine]] campus. [[U.S. Route 201|US{{spaces}}201]] and [[U.S. Route 202 in Maine|US{{spaces}}202]] flow through the state. US{{spaces}}2, [[Maine State Route&nbsp;6]] (SR{{spaces}}6), and [[Maine State Route 9|SR{{spaces}}9]] are often used by truckers and other motorists of the [[The Maritimes|Maritime Provinces]] ''en route'' to other destinations in the United States or as a short cut to [[Central Canada]].

===Rail===
[[File:Map of Electric Railway Lines in Maine c 1907.png|thumb|Map of Electric Railway Lines in Maine c 1907]]

{{See also|List of Maine railroads}}

====Passenger====
[[File:Amtrak downeaster ocean park 2005.jpg|thumb|upright|A southbound ''[[Downeaster (train)|Downeaster]]'' passenger train at [[Ocean Park, Maine]], as viewed from the cab of a northbound train]]

The ''[[Downeaster (train)|Downeaster]]'' passenger train, operated by [[Amtrak]], provides passenger service between Brunswick and Boston's [[North Station]], with stops in Freeport, Portland, [[Old Orchard Beach, Maine|Old Orchard Beach]], Saco, and [[Wells, Maine|Wells]]. The ''Downeaster'' makes five daily trips.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://amtrakdowneaster.com/sites/default/files/schedule/2019_SpringSchedule_8.5x11_FINAL.pdf|title=Downeaster Schedule|website=Amtrak Downeaster|date=May 20, 2019|access-date=May 10, 2019|archive-date=May 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511193330/https://amtrakdowneaster.com/sites/default/files/schedule/2019_SpringSchedule_8.5x11_FINAL.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====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 and Maine Railroad|Boston and Maine]] and [[Maine Central Railroad|Maine Central]] railroads; [[St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad]]; [[Maine Eastern Railroad]]; [[Central Maine and Quebec Railway]]; and [[New Brunswick Southern Railway]].

===Shipping===
====Cargo====
The International Marine Terminal in [[Portland, Maine|Portland]] provides shipping container transport. In 2021 an estimated 36,700 shipping containers moved through the terminal. In 2017, a total of 17,515 shipping containers were transported. The Icelandic shipping company [[Eimskip]] opened its United States headquarters in Portland in 2013. Its ships stop in Portland once a week in a route that includes Atlantic Canada and Iceland with connections to northern Europe and Asia.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Writer|first=Peter McGuireStaff|date=November 13, 2021|title=With other cargo ports in chaos, Portland's is sailing toward a record-breaking year|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2021/11/13/amid-chaos-at-other-ports-portlands-container-terminal-is-on-track-for-its-busiest-year-ever/|access-date=July 6, 2022|website=Press Herald}}</ref> In 2015, the terminal moved 10,500 containers. The Maine Port Authority in 2016 began a $15.5 million expansion and improvement of the terminal. The Maine Port Authority leased the International Marine Terminal from the city of Portland in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Writer|first=PENELOPE OVERTONStaff|date=July 6, 2016|title=Port of Portland approved for federal grant that will double freight capacity|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2016/07/06/port-of-portland-approved-for-7-million-grant/|access-date=July 6, 2022|website=Press Herald}}</ref>

==Law and government==
{{See also|List of Governors of Maine|List of United States Senators from Maine|List of Maine State Senators|Electoral reform in Maine}}

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 headed by the [[Governor of Maine]] (currently [[Janet Mills]]). 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 [[Aaron Frey]]. As with other [[State legislature (United States)|state legislatures]], the Maine Legislature can by a two-thirds majority vote from both the House and Senate override a gubernatorial veto. Maine is one of seven states that do not have a lieutenant governor.
[[File:Maine-gov-logo.svg|left|thumb|Maine.gov logo]]
The highest court in the state's [[judicial branch]] is the [[Maine Supreme Judicial Court]]. The lower courts are the District Court, [[Maine Superior 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.

In a 2020 study, Maine was ranked as the 14th easiest state for citizens to vote in.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=J. Pomante II|first1=Michael|last2=Li|first2=Quan|title=Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020|journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy|date=December 15, 2020|volume=19|issue=4|pages=503–509|doi=10.1089/elj.2020.0666|s2cid=225139517|doi-access=free}}</ref> In 2012, Maine became one of the first U.S. states to establish [[Same-sex marriage in Maine|marriage rights for same-sex couples]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Sharp|first=David|date=December 29, 2012|title=Gay marriage law goes into effect in Maine|url=https://news.yahoo.com/gay-marriage-law-goes-effect-maine-050227252.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221062217/http://news.yahoo.com/gay-marriage-law-goes-effect-maine-050227252.html|archive-date=February 21, 2013|access-date=April 13, 2013|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

===Politics===
{{Main|Politics of Maine}}

Maine politics are dynamic in nature, with parties loosely hung together, governors often winning by pluralities rather than majorities, and significant turnover both in members and parties in [[Electoral district|legislative districts]]. In his 2010 article "Maine's Paradoxical Politics", Kenneth Palmer suggests that "Maine's political leaders find themselves as [[Centrism|centrists]], primarily because they want to find practical solutions to difficult problems."<ref>Palmer, Kenneth. [https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mpr/vol19/iss1/5 "Maine's Paradoxical Politics"]. ''Maine Policy Review'' 19.1 (2010): 26–34.</ref>

The results of the elections are often [[Bipartisan|varied]]. Maine is seen as a blue-leaning [[swing state]], with unusually high support for [[independent candidates]]. The [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] has won Maine in 11 out of the past 20 presidential elections, and the governorship has been won by [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] and independents three times each, and Republicans four times, since 1974.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|access-date=September 14, 2020 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>

Maine uses [[Ranked-choice voting in the United States|ranked choice voting]] in primary elections for state and federal offices, as well as in general elections for federal offices. Ranked choice voting was adopted by voters in a [[2016 Maine Question 5|2016 referendum]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions |url=https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/upcoming/rankedchoicefaq.html |website=www.maine.gov |access-date=September 13, 2023}}</ref>

===Counties===
{{See also|List of counties in Maine}}

Maine is divided into political jurisdictions designated as [[County (United States)|counties]]. Since 1860 there have been 16 counties in the state, ranging in size from {{convert|370|to|6829|sqmi|km2|sigfig=3}}.
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" style="margin: auto;"
|+ style="white-space: nowrap;" | Maine counties
|-
! scope="col" | County name
! scope="col" | County seat
! scope="col" | Year founded
! scope="col" | Population<br /><small>2020 Census</small>
! scope="col" | Percent of total
! scope="col" | Area (sq. mi.)
! scope="col" | Percent of total
|-
|[[Androscoggin County, Maine|Androscoggin]]||[[Auburn, Maine|Auburn]]||1854||111,139||8.16%||497||1.44%
|-
|[[Aroostook County, Maine|Aroostook]]||[[Houlton, Maine|Houlton]]||1839||67,105||4.93%||6,829||19.76%
|-
|[[Cumberland County, Maine|Cumberland]]||[[Portland, Maine|Portland]]||1760||303,069||22.25%||1,217||3.52%
|-
|[[Franklin County, Maine|Franklin]]||[[Farmington, Maine|Farmington]]||1838||29,456||2.16%||1,744||5.05%
|-
|[[Hancock County, Maine|Hancock]]||[[Ellsworth, Maine|Ellsworth]]||1789||55,478||4.07%||1,522||4.40%
|-
|[[Kennebec County, Maine|Kennebec]]||[[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]]||1799||123,642||9.08%||951||2.75%
|-
|[[Knox County, Maine|Knox]]||[[Rockland, Maine|Rockland]]||1860||40,607||2.98%||1,142||3.30%
|-
|[[Lincoln County, Maine|Lincoln]]||[[Wiscasset, Maine|Wiscasset]]||1760||35,237||2.59%||700||2.03%
|-
|[[Oxford County, Maine|Oxford]]||[[Paris, Maine|Paris]]||1805||57,777||4.24%||2,175||6.29%
|-
|[[Penobscot County, Maine|Penobscot]]||[[Bangor, Maine|Bangor]]||1816||152,199||11.17%||3,556||10.29%
|-
|[[Piscataquis County, Maine|Piscataquis]]||[[Dover-Foxcroft, Maine|Dover-Foxcroft]]||1838||16,800||1.23%||4,377||12.67%
|-
|[[Sagadahoc County, Maine|Sagadahoc]]||[[Bath, Maine|Bath]]||1854||36,699||2.69%||370||1.07%
|-
|[[Somerset County, Maine|Somerset]]||[[Skowhegan, Maine|Skowhegan]]||1809||50,477||3.71%||4,095||11.85%
|-
|[[Waldo County, Maine|Waldo]]||[[Belfast, Maine|Belfast]]||1827||39,607||2.91%||853||2.47%
|-
|[[Washington County, Maine|Washington]]||[[Machias, Maine|Machias]]||1790||31,095||2.28%||3,255||9.42%
|-
|[[York County, Maine|York]]||[[Alfred, Maine|Alfred]]||1636||211,972||15.56%||1,271||3.68%
|-
|Total counties: 16|| || ||Total 2020 population: 1,362,359|| ||Total state area: {{convert|34554|sqmi|km2|0}}
|}

===Law enforcement===
{{excerpt|Maine State Police}}

==Municipalities==
===Organized municipalities===
{{main|List of municipalities in Maine}}
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 [[municipal ordinance|ordinances]], among other responsibilities of self-government. The governmental format of most organized towns and [[Plantation (Maine)|plantations]] is the town meeting, while the format of most cities is the council-manager form. {{as of|2022}} the organized municipalities of Maine consist of 23 [[List of cities in Maine|cities]], 430 [[List of towns in Maine|towns]], and 30 [[List of plantations in Maine|plantations]]. Collectively these 483 organized municipalities cover less than half of the state's territory. Maine also has three{{contradictory inline|List of places in Maine|date=July 2021}} Reservations: [[Penobscot Indian Island Reservation|Indian Island]], Indian Township Reservation, and Pleasant Point Indian Reservation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maine.gov/local/|title=Maine.gov: Local|website=maine.gov|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=July 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721045647/http://www.maine.gov/local/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* The largest municipality in Maine, by population, is the city of Portland (pop. 68,408).
* The smallest city by population is Eastport (pop. 1,288).
* The largest town by population is Brunswick (pop. 21,756).
* The smallest town by population is [[Frye Island, Maine|Frye Island]], a resort town which reported zero year-round population in the 2000 Census; one plantation, [[Glenwood Plantation, Maine|Glenwood Plantation]], also reported a permanent population of zero.
* In the 2000 census, the smallest town aside from Frye Island was [[Centerville, Maine|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, Maine|Beddington]] (pop. 60 at the 2020 census).
* The largest municipality by land area is the town of [[Allagash, Maine|Allagash]], at {{convert|128|sqmi|km2|0}}.
* The smallest municipality by land area is [[Monhegan, Maine|Monhegan Island]], at {{convert|0.86|sqmi|km2|sigfig=2}}. The smallest municipality by area that is not an island is [[Randolph, Maine|Randolph]], at {{convert|2.23|sqmi|km2|0}}.

===Unorganized territory===
{{main|List of unorganized territories in Maine}}
[[Unincorporated area#U.S. Census Bureau|Unorganized territory]] (UT) has no local government. Administration, services, licensing, and ordinances are handled by the state government as well as by respective county governments who have townships within each county's bounds. The unorganized territory of Maine consists of more than 400 townships (in Maine, 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 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 staying there only seasonally. Only four of [[List of counties in Maine|Maine's sixteen counties]] (Androscoggin, Cumberland, Waldo and York) are entirely incorporated, although a few others are nearly so, and most of the unincorporated area is in the vast and sparsely populated [[Maine North Woods|Great North Woods of Maine]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maine.gov/revenue/propertytax/unorganizedterritory/unorganized.htm|title=Unorganized Territory|website=maine.gov|access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>

===Most populous cities and towns===
{{Largest cities
| country = Maine
| stat_ref = 2020 U.S. Census populations<ref>{{cite web|title=QuickFacts|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/US|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 9, 2023}}</ref>
| list_by_pop =
| div_name =
| div_link = List of counties in Maine{{!}}County
| city_1 = Portland, Maine{{!}}Portland
| div_1 = Cumberland County, Maine{{!}}Cumberland
| pop_1 = 68,408
| img_1 = Portland Waterfront.jpeg
| city_2 = Lewiston, Maine{{!}}Lewiston
| div_2 = Androscoggin County, Maine{{!}}Androscoggin
| pop_2 = 37,121
| img_2 = Lew2maine.jpg
| city_3 = Bangor, Maine{{!}}Bangor
| div_3 = Penobscot County, Maine{{!}}Penobscot
| pop_3 = 31,753
| img_3 = BANGOR ME.jpg
| city_4 = South Portland, Maine{{!}}South Portland
| div_4 = Cumberland County, Maine{{!}}Cumberland
| pop_4 = 26,498
| img_4 = Southern Maine Community College, South Portland, ME - IMG 8172.JPG
| city_5 = Auburn, Maine{{!}}Auburn
| div_5 = Androscoggin County, Maine{{!}}Androscoggin
| pop_5 = 24,061
| city_6 = Biddeford, Maine{{!}}Biddeford
| div_6 = York County, Maine{{!}}York
| pop_6 = 22,552
| city_7 = Scarborough, Maine{{!}}Scarborough
| div_7 = Cumberland County, Maine{{!}}Cumberland
| pop_7 = 22,135
| city_8 = Sanford, Maine{{!}}Sanford
| div_8 = York County, Maine{{!}}York
| pop_8 = 21,982
| city_9 = Brunswick, Maine{{!}}Brunswick
| div_9 = Cumberland County, Maine{{!}}Cumberland
| pop_9 = 21,756
| city_10 = Westbrook, Maine{{!}}Westbrook
| div_10 = Cumberland County, Maine{{!}}Cumberland
| pop_10 = 20,400
}}

Throughout Maine, many municipalities, although each separate governmental entities, nevertheless 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, [[Cape Elizabeth, Maine|Cape Elizabeth]], Westbrook, Scarborough, and [[Falmouth, Maine|Falmouth]]
* Lewiston and Auburn
* Bangor, [[Orono, Maine|Orono]], [[Brewer, Maine|Brewer]], [[Old Town, Maine|Old Town]], and [[Hampden, Maine|Hampden]]
* Biddeford, Saco and [[Old Orchard Beach, Maine|Old Orchard Beach]]
* Brunswick and [[Topsham, Maine|Topsham]]
* [[Waterville, Maine|Waterville]], [[Winslow, Maine|Winslow]], [[Fairfield, Maine|Fairfield]], and [[Oakland, Maine|Oakland]]
* [[Presque Isle, Maine|Presque Isle]] and [[Caribou, Maine|Caribou]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=16000US2360545&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US23%7C16000US2360545&_street=&_county=portland&_cityTown=portland&_state=04000US23&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=040|title=Fact Finder US Census Maine Portland|access-date=November 4, 2006|archive-date=February 12, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212052528/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=16000US2360545&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US23%7C16000US2360545&_street=&_county=portland&_cityTown=portland&_state=04000US23&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=040|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Education==
{{Further| List of colleges and universities in Maine|Education in Maine|List of high schools in Maine|List of school districts in Maine}}
[[File:UMaine StevensHall.jpg|thumb|The [[University of Maine]] is the state's only research university.]]
There are thirty institutions of [[Higher education|higher learning]] in Maine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/classification_descriptions/basic.php|title=Carnegie Classifications {{!}} Basic Classification|website=carnegieclassifications.iu.edu|access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref> These institutions include the [[University of Maine]], which is the oldest, largest and only [[University|research university]] in the state. UMaine was founded in 1865 and is the state's only [[land grant]] and [[sea grant]] college. The University of Maine is located in the town of [[Orono, Maine|Orono]] and is the flagship of Maine. There are also branch campuses in [[University of Maine at Augusta|Augusta]], [[University of Maine at Farmington|Farmington]], [[University of Maine at Fort Kent|Fort Kent]], [[University of Maine at Machias|Machias]], and [[University of Maine at Presque Isle|Presque Isle]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://umaine.edu/about/|title=About UMaine|publisher=Umaine.edu|access-date=July 18, 2016}}</ref>[[File:Bowdoin College Chapel - Bowdoin College - IMG 7793.JPG|thumb|[[Colby College|Colby]], [[Bates College|Bates]], and [[Bowdoin College|Bowdoin]] (pictured) Colleges form the [[Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium]]]]
[[Bowdoin College]] is a liberal arts college founded in 1794 in Brunswick, making it the oldest institution of higher learning in the state. [[Colby College]] in Waterville was founded in 1813 making it the second oldest college in Maine.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About|url=https://www.colby.edu/about/|access-date=August 19, 2016|website=colby.edu}}</ref> [[Bates College]] in Lewiston was founded in 1855 making it the third oldest institution in the state and the oldest [[Mixed-sex education|coeducational]] college in New England.<ref name=":31">{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/colleges/bates-college/|title=Bates College|website=Forbes|access-date=June 16, 2016|quote=[Bates College] was the first coeducational college in New England.}}</ref> The three colleges collectively form the [[Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium]] and are ranked among the best colleges in the United States; often placing in the top 10% of all liberal arts colleges.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges?int=a73d09|title=National Liberal Arts College Rankings {{!}} Top Liberal Arts Colleges {{!}} US News Best Colleges|website=colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com|access-date=August 12, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012042527/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges?int=a73d09|archive-date=October 12, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://washingtonmonthly.com/college-guide/college-guide-rankings-2015-liberal-arts/|title=College Guide Rankings 2015—Liberal Arts Colleges|website=Washington Monthly|date=May 26, 2016|access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/list/|title=America's Top Colleges|website=[[Forbes]]|access-date=August 12, 2016}}</ref>

Maine's per-student public expenditure for elementary and secondary schools was 21st in the nation in 2012, at $12,344.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/29/how-states-are-spending-money-in-education|title=How States Are Spending Money in Education|last1=Bidwell|first1=Allie|website=[[U.S. News & World Report]]—News|access-date=May 5, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505044339/http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/29/how-states-are-spending-money-in-education|archive-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref>

The collegiate system of Maine also includes numerous [[Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education|baccalaureate]] colleges such as: the [[Maine Maritime Academy]] (MMA), [[College of the Atlantic]], [[Unity Environmental University]], and [[Thomas College]]. There is only one medical school in the state, ([[University of New England (United States)|University of New England]]'s [[University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine|College of Osteopathic Medicine]]) and only one law school (The [[University of Maine School of Law]]). There is one art school in the state, [[Maine College of Art & Design|Maine College of Art]], along with a private graduate school, [[Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts]], which offers a [[Doctor of Philosophy]] to visual artists.

The [[Maine Community College System]], founded in 1985 also serves "to provide associate degree, diploma and certificate programs directed at the educational, career and technical needs of the State's citizens and the workforce needs of the State's employers."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Title 20-A, §12703: Mission and goals|url=http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/20-a/title20-Asec12703.html|access-date=October 26, 2022|website=Maine Legislature}}</ref> This system includes [[Southern Maine Community College]] (SMCC), [[York County Community College]] (YCCC), [[Central Maine Community College]] (CMCC), [[Eastern Maine Community College]] (EMCC), [[Kennebec Valley Community College]] (KVCC), [[Northern Maine Community College]] (NMCC), and [[Washington County Community College]] (WCCC).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Our Colleges|url=https://www.mccs.me.edu/our-colleges/|access-date=October 26, 2022|website=Maine Community College System|language=en}}</ref>

Private schools in Maine are funded independently of the state and its furthered domains. 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 can be described as "semi-private".

Maine also has Vocational Schools, such as the [[Biddeford Regional Center of Technology]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Biddeford Regional Center of Technology|url=https://www.biddefordschools.me/o/brct|access-date=February 4, 2023|website=www.biddefordschools.me|language=en}}</ref> and Sanford Regional Technical Center<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sanford Regional Technical Center|url=https://www.sanford.org/o/sanford-regional-technical-center|access-date=February 4, 2023|website=www.sanford.org|language=en}}</ref> that teach trades such as welding, construction and vehicle repair to students.

==Culture==
===Agriculture===
Farms and farming constitute a large part of Maine's history, heritage, and culture. Family farms, homesteads, and backyard gardens are common features of the Maine landscape.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Farming in Maine |url=https://www.mainememory.net/sitebuilder/site/161/slideshow/192/display?format=list&slide_num=1 |access-date=July 15, 2025 |website=Maine History Online |language=en}}</ref>

Historically, Maine was a center of agriculture before it achieved statehood. Prior to colonization, [[Wabanaki Confederacy|Wabanaki]] nations farmed large crops of corn and other produce in southern Maine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2020/02/16/colony-chapter-i-dawnland/|title=Colony, Chapter I: Dawnland|last=Woodard|first=Colin|date=February 16, 2020|website=Press Herald|access-date=March 5, 2020}}</ref> Maine was a center of grain production in the 1800s, until grain production moved westward. However, in the early 2000s the local food movement spurred renewed interested in locally grown grains. In 2007, the Kneading Conference was founded. In, 2012, the [[Skowhegan, Maine|Skowhegan]] grist mill Maine Grains opened.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brozek|first=Kathy O.|date=November 19, 2014|title=An artisan grain industry takes root in Maine|url=http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/nov/19/maine-local-food-farming-grains|access-date=April 6, 2022|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Wu|first=Tim|date=July 24, 2020|title=Opinion {{!}} That Flour You Bought Could Be the Future of the U.S. Economy|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/24/opinion/us-grain-industry.html|access-date=April 6, 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The revival of grain farming and milling in Maine has led to the creation of other businesses, including bakeries and malthouses.<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 28, 2021|title=A Grainshed Rises in the Northeast|url=https://modernfarmer.com/2021/02/a-grainshed-rises-in-the-northeast/|access-date=April 6, 2022|website=Modern Farmer|language=en-US}}</ref>

Maine has many vegetable farms and other small, diversified farms. In the 1960s and 1970s, the book "[[Living the Good Life]]" by [[Helen Nearing]] and [[Scott Nearing]] caused many young people to move to Maine and engage in small-scale farming and homesteading. These [[Back-to-the-land movement|back-to-the-land]] migrants increased the population of some counties.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Curtis|first=Abigail|date=April 1, 2014|title=The Good Life: The movement that changed Maine|url=http://external.bangordailynews.com/projects/2014/04/goodlife|access-date=April 20, 2020|website=Bangor Daily News|archive-date=May 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531000050/http://external.bangordailynews.com/projects/2014/04/goodlife/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Festivals===
Maine has multiple fairs and festivals that are held annually. These events include [[La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival|La Kermesse]], a celebration of the state's [[France|French]] and [[French Canadians|French Canadian]] heritage, the [[Acadia Night Sky Festival]], a festival of the starlit sky, the [[Great Falls Balloon Festival]], a festival of hot air balloons, the [[Christmas Prelude]] festival in Kennebunkport, and a number of [[Portland, Maine#Food festivals|Portland Food Festivals]]. Maine is home to 25 agricultural fairs<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fair by Date – Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs |url=https://mainefairs.net/fairs/fair-calendar/ |access-date=2025-09-21 |language=en-US}}</ref> that include the [[Fryeburg Fair]], the [[Cumberland Fair]], the [[Union Fair]], and the [[Common Ground Country Fair]]. There are a number of [[Old Home Week|Old Home Days festivals]], including the [[Yarmouth Clam Festival]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 9, 2022|title='Old Home Days' and other festivities kick off in Levant|url=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/old-home-days-touch-a-truck-levant-maine/97-4dbd34f8-caf3-4e45-9e5d-337fce2f3cdf|access-date=July 18, 2023|website=newscentermaine.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Fryeburg Fair|url=https://www.fryeburgfair.org/|access-date=July 18, 2023|website=www.fryeburgfair.org|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=La Kermesse|url=https://www.lakermessefestival.com/|access-date=July 18, 2023|website=www.lakermessefestival.com|language=en}}</ref>

===Food===
Along with the growth of the local food movement over the last several decades, Maine has received national recognition for its food and restaurant scene. [[Portland, Maine|Portland]] was named ''[[Bon Appétit|Bon Appetit]]'' magazine's Restaurant City of the Year in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bonappetit.com/story/portland-maine-city-of-the-year-2018|title=Portland, Maine, Is the 2018 Restaurant City of the Year|last=Knowlton|first=Andrew|website=Bon Appétit|access-date=March 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920201234/https://www.bonappetit.com/story/portland-maine-city-of-the-year-2018|archive-date=September 20, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2018, HealthIQ.com named Maine the 3rd most vegan-friendly state.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wjbq.com/how-vegan-are-mainers-find-out-where-we-rank-nationally-map/|title=How Vegan Are Mainers? Find Out Where We Rank Nationally [MAP]|last=Gavin|first=Ryan|website=Q97.9|date=March 29, 2018|access-date=March 5, 2020}}</ref> [[Biddeford, Maine|Biddeford]] was selected by [[Food & Wine]] in 2022 as one of America's next great food cities.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 18, 2022|title=Biddeford's rising food scene gets national attention|url=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/life/food/biddeford-maine-recognized-by-national-magazine-food-and-wine-for-its-rising-food-and-drink-scene/97-26c6e1ee-1320-49f7-9fff-0b725ca38c47|access-date=October 16, 2022|website=newscentermaine.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

Maine food shares many ingredients with [[Wabanaki Confederacy#Cuisine|Wabanaki cuisine]], including corn, beans, squash, wild blueberries, maple syrup, fish, and seafood.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Schipani|first=Sam|date=January 4, 2020|title=The 7 foods that made Maine|url=http://www.bangordailynews.com/2020/01/04/bangor-metro/the-7-foods-that-made-maine/|access-date=September 11, 2022|website=Bangor Daily News|language=en-US}}</ref> By 1902, the [[Maine Italian sandwich]] had been invented in Portland. Sandwich shops across Maine serve the sandwiches.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 11, 2016|title=Video: How to Make an Authentic Maine Italian Sandwich|url=https://www.mainepublic.org/arts-and-culture/2016-07-11/video-how-to-make-an-authentic-maine-italian-sandwich|access-date=July 31, 2024|website=Maine Public|language=en}}</ref> Baked beans are a common dish in Maine, served at community suppers where the beans are sometimes cooked underground in a bean hole. In New England, Maine baked beans are one of two well-known regional styles of baked beans, the other being [[Boston baked beans]]. Maine baked beans use thicker skinned, native bean varieties such like Marafax, soldier, and yellow-eye beans.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nash|first=Elias|date=July 11, 2022|title=The Subtle Difference Between Maine And Boston Baked Beans|url=https://www.tastingtable.com/923044/the-subtle-difference-between-maine-and-boston-baked-beans/|access-date=September 16, 2022|website=TastingTable.com|language=en-US}}</ref> From 1913 until 2021, baked beans were canned on the Portland waterfront at the [[B&M Baked Beans factory]].

===Sports teams===
[[File:Crossinsarena.jpg|thumb|College hockey being played at the [[Cross Insurance Arena]]]]

====Professional====
* [[Maine Celtics]], [[basketball]], [[NBA G League]]
* [[Portland Sea Dogs]], [[minor league baseball]], [[Eastern League (1938–present)|Eastern League]]
* [[Maine Mariners (ECHL)|Maine Mariners]], [[ice hockey]], [[ECHL]]
* [[Portland Hearts of Pine]], [[soccer]], [[USL League One]]

====Non-professional====
* [[Portland Phoenix FC]], [[soccer]], [[Premier Developmental League]]
* [[Maine Roller Derby]], roller derby, [[Women's Flat Track Derby Association]]

=====NCAA=====
* [[Maine Black Bears]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=UMaine Official Athletics Website|url=https://goblackbears.com/splash.aspx?id=splash29|access-date=September 8, 2023|website=University of Maine Athletics|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Husson University#Athletics|Husson Eagles]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Husson University - Official Athletics Website|url=https://hussoneagles.com/|access-date=September 8, 2023|website=Husson University|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Maine Maritime Academy#Athletics|Maine Maritime Mariners]]
* [[Bates Bobcats]]
* [[Colby Mules]]
* [[Bowdoin Polar Bears]]
* [[University of New England (United States)#Athletics|New England Nor'easters]]

=====USCAA=====
* [[York County Community College#Athletics|York County Community College]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Allen|first=Anna|date=June 7, 2021|title=York County to Offer Intercollegiate Athletics|url=https://yorkcountyhawks.com/sports/York_County_to_Offer_Intercollegiate_Athletics|journal=York County Hawks|language=en}}</ref>
* [[University of Maine at Augusta#Athletics|University of Maine at Augusta]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mahoney|first=Larry|date=June 18, 2011|title=UMFK, UMPI, UMM leave NAIA for new association|url=http://www.bangordailynews.com/2011/06/17/sports/umfk-umpi-umm-leave-naia-for-new-association/|access-date=September 7, 2023|website=Bangor Daily News|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Terminology===
Maine maintains some vernacular and terminology that is unique in comparison to the rest of the country.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Voornas|first=Lori|title=If You Are From Away, Here's the Maine Slang You Need to Know|url=https://wjbq.com/if-you-are-from-away-heres-the-maine-slang-you-need-to-know/|access-date=October 16, 2022|website=Q97.9|date=December 29, 2020|language=en}}</ref> Some of these include:

* "Ayuh" - An affirmative response, like "Yes".<ref name=":2" />
* "Can't get there from here" - Place requires complicated instructions to reach.<ref>{{Cite web |title='You Can't Get There From Here' Meaning |url=https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/you+can%27t+get+there+from+here.html |access-date=June 23, 2025 |website=UsingEnglish.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=December 2009 |first=Andy Woodruff on 22 |title=You can't get there from here {{!}} Andy Woodruff |url=https://andywoodruff.com/blog/you-cant-get-there-from-here/ |access-date=June 23, 2025}}</ref>
* "Down cellah" - In the basement.<ref name=":3" />
* "Downeast" - The coastline of Washington and Hancock counties, including Bar Harbor.<ref name=":3" />
* "From away" - A non-native person of Maine.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=September 6, 2017|title=Your Guide to Maine Lingo {{!}} Best of {{!}} The Maine Magazine|url=https://www.themainemag.com/guide-maine-lingo/|access-date=October 16, 2022|website=The Maine Mag|language=en-US}}</ref>
* "Hard tellin' not knowin'" - Don't know.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=September 6, 2017 |title=Your Guide to Maine Lingo {{!}} Best of {{!}} The Maine Magazine |url=https://www.themainemag.com/guide-maine-lingo/ |access-date=June 23, 2025 |website=The Maine Mag |language=en-US}}</ref>
* "Puckerbrush" - Dense vegetation likely to scratch your legs.<ref name=":3" />
* "Upta camp" - Going to a more out-of-the-way, rustic place.<ref name=":2" /> Popularized by [[Bob Marley (comedian)|Bob Marley]] after his special of the same name.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Maine Notable: Maine State Library - Bob Marley|url=https://www.maine.gov/msl/maine/notdisplay.shtml?id=205855|access-date=November 8, 2023|website=www.maine.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Karen|first=Kiley|date=August 5, 2016|title=MWC Daily: Let's Go 'Upta Camp' with Comedian Bob Marley|url=https://wokq.com/mwc-daily-lets-go-upta-camp-with-comedian-bob-marley/|access-date=November 8, 2023|website=97.5 WOKQ|language=en}}</ref>

==People from Maine==
{{Main|List of people from Maine}}

<!--- Please do not add people here, use "List of people from Maine" --->
Citizens of Maine are often known as Mainers.<ref name="mainer_definition">{{cite web|title=Dictionary.com—definition of "Mainer"|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mainer|website=Dictionary.com|access-date=July 21, 2010}}</ref> The term Downeaster may be applied to residents of the northeast coast of the state. The term Mainiac is considered by some to be derogatory, but is embraced with pride by others,<ref>Louise Dickinson Rich. ''State o'Maine''. Harper & Row, 1964, p ix</ref> and is used for a variety of organizations and for events such as the YMCA Mainiac Sprint Triathlon & Duathlon.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mainiac Tri|url=http://www.ymcaofsouthernmaine.org/mainiactri|access-date=August 13, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814025258/https://www.ymcaofsouthernmaine.org/mainiactri|archive-date=August 14, 2014}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Index of Maine-related articles]]
* [[Outline of Maine]]
* '''''<small>{{portal-inline|Maine}}</small>'''''

==References==
===Notes===
<references group="nb" />

===Citations===
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=Maine}}

===State government===
* [http://www.maine.gov/ Maine government]
* [http://www.visitmaine.com/ Maine Office of Tourism] Search for tourism-related businesses
* [http://www.getrealmaine.com/ Visit Maine (agriculture)] Maine fairs, festivals, etc.—Agricultural Dept.

===U.S. government===
* [https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/states/maine/index.html Maine State Guide, from the Library of Congress]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100212203121/http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=ME U.S. EIA] Energy Profile for Maine—economic, environmental and energy data
* [https://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=ME U.S. Geological Survey] Real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Maine
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120729062142/http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=23&StateName=Maine U.S. Dept. of Agriculture] Maine State Facts—agricultural
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120215084908/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/23000.html U.S. Census Bureau] Quick facts on Maine
* [http://www.portlandmonthly.com/portmag/ Portland Magazine] Editorial on Maine news, events, and people

===Information===
* [http://www.mainehistory.org/ Maine Historical Society]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130908040415/http://docs.unh.edu/towns/MaineTownList.htm Old USGS maps of Maine.]
* [http://www.davidrumsey.com/detail?id=1-1-2047-120045&name=County+Map+Of+The+State+Of+Maine. 1860 Map of Maine] by Mitchell.
* [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/map_item.pl?data=/home/www/data/gmd/gmd373/g3734/g3734p/pm002490.jp2&style=gmd&itemLink=D?gmd:1:./temp/~ammem_K8ln::@@@mdb=gmd,klpmap,ww2map&title=Bird's%20eye%20view%20of%20the%20city%20of%20Portland,%20Maine%201876.%20Jos.%20Warner,%20artist.%20Chas.%20Shober%20%26%20Co.%20prop's%20Chicago%20Litho'g.%20Co. 1876 Panoramic Birdseye View of Portland] by Warner at LOC.,
* {{OSM relation|63512}}

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{{Maine|expanded}}
{{New England}}
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[[Category:Maine| ]]
[[Category:States of the United States]]
[[Category:New England states]]
[[Category:Northeastern United States]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1820]]
[[Category:States of the East Coast of the United States]]
[[Category:1820 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Contiguous United States]]