The US state of Maine in the northeast of the USA is also known as the Pine Tree State because of its forested areas. The capital is the municipality of Augusta.
According to Acronymmonster, the US state of Maine is located in the extreme northeast of the United States. About 1.3 million people live in Maine, which, together with Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut, is part of the North American region of New England. With its over 91,000 km² Maine takes up about half the area of New England (about 186,000 km²). The capital of Maine is Augusta on the Kennebec River, home to about 19,000 residents. Maine’s common nickname is Pine Tree State, which refers to the prominent pine forests in Maine, about 80% of the state is considered forested. Of the US states, only New Hampshire borders Maine, but northern Maine is completely surrounded by Canada.
The historical importance of Maine
As in many North American regions, people lived as early as 11,000 BC. Paleo-Indian tribes on what is now Maine. The Abenaki, Penobscot, Mi’kmaq and Passamaquoddy are prominent indigenous tribes of the region during the European settlement phase. It is believed that the Italian explorer Giovanni Caboto was already traveling in the region between 1494 and 1499, in the 17th century King James I claimed New England for the British crown. From 1652, what is now Maine became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. After independence from Massachusetts, Maine was finally introduced as the 23rd independent state of the United States in 1820. The so-called Missouri Compromise resulted from this time, through which Maine became a slave-free state and Missouri became a slave state.
Maine forests, lakes and rocky coasts
The state of Maine is known for extensive natural scenery: In addition to large forest areas, the state has more than 2,200 lakes and a coastline of over 5,500 miles in length. The prominent rocky coast on the Atlantic is one of the tourist attractions of the USA, in particular the Arcadia National Park, founded in 1929, proves to be a tourist magnet.
Largest Counties in Maine by Area
According to Countryaah, the biggest counties in Maine are listed as below:
| Ranking | County | Area |
| 1 | Aroostook County | 17,687 km2 |
| 2 | Piscataquis County | 11,336 km2 |
| 3 | Somerset County | 10,606 km2 |
| 4 | Penobscot County | 9,210 km2 |
| 5 | Washington County | 8,430 km2 |
| 6 | Hancock County | 6,089 km2 |
| 7 | Oxford County | 5,633 km2 |
| 8 | Franklin County | 4,517 km2 |
| 9 | York County | 3,292 km2 |
| 10 | Cumberland County | 3,152 km2 |
| 11 | Knox County | 2,958 km2 |
| 12 | Kennebec County | 2,463 km2 |
| 13 | Waldo County | 2,209 km2 |
| 14 | Lincoln County | 1,813 km2 |
| 15 | Androscoggin County | 1,287 km2 |
| 16 | Sagadahoc County | 958 km2 |