40 Fun Facts About Maine: How Much Do You Know About The Pine Tree State?

Located in North America, the United States of America is made up of 50 states, all with their own unique history, landmarks and cultures.

Whilst some states in the country are well known, such as Texas for its size or California for its sunny beaches, many of the other states go under the radar slightly, but they all have fascinating pasts and are interesting places to visit. This article focuses entirely on Maine, the northeasternmost state in the country, and is packed full of fun Maine facts and history.

These interesting facts about Maine will help you learn more about this small American state and give you a great all-round knowledge of Maine trivia, which will no doubt come in handy for any family quiz night!

1. Maine is the 12th smallest US state by area, with a total land area of 30,862 sq mi (79932.2 sq km).

2. Wondering about the US states that border Maine? There is only one: New Hampshire. The other Maine-bordering states aren't actually US states at all, but the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick.

3. Maine has a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean spanning 3,478 mi (5597.2 km).

4. Maine's state nickname is The Pine Tree State. The true origins of Maine's nickname are unknown, but it is presumed to be because the state has so many pine trees! In fact, it's the official state tree.

5. Maine was established as the 23rd state on March 15, 1820, as part of the Missouri compromise.

6. There is no definite proof of the origins of the name Maine in the USA but it is thought to have been named after Maine in France.

7. Maine is located in New England, which is one of the six regions of the United States. It is the largest of the six states in New England.

8. The capital city of Maine state is Augusta, which has a population of approximately 18,681.

Maine state history spans several centuries and is full of people and events that are sure to make you say 'wow!' Read this section to discover some fascinating historical facts about Maine.

9. The Vikings are believed to have first discovered Maine around 1,000 years ago.

10. York, Maine became the first chartered city in America in 1641. York was earlier called Agamenticus, and in 1642 it was renamed Gorgeana, and in 1652 it was reincorporated as York.

11. Due to a long stretch of drought that began in 1947, more than 200,000 acres (809.3 sq km) were destroyed by fires and it became known as 'the year Maine burned'.

12. In 2011, more than 100 million lb (45.3 million kg) of lobster was caught off the coast of Maine.

13. Burt's Bees, the popular skincare brand, was founded in Maine by photojournalist Burt Schavitz in 1984.

14. Founded in 1987, the University of Maine has a Lobster Institute that is dedicated to learning more about the crustacean.

15. Until 2003, Strong in Maine was known as 'the toothpick capital of the world' and it once produced 95% of the country's toothpicks.

16. Maine used to be part of Massachusetts and campaigned for independence for many years following the American Revolution.

Maine is known for its jagged and rocky coastline but it has plenty other jaw-dropping areas of scenery and captivating landscapes too.

17. Maine has 3,166 coastal islands and many are accessible all year round.

18. Acadia National Park has over two million visitors a year, making it one of the most visited US national parks.

19. Maine is approximately 320 mi (514.9 km) long and 210 mi (337.9 km) wide.

20. Maine's highest mountain is Mount Katahdin at 1605.6 m (5,268 feet) and it was first climbed in 1804.

21. Maine has over half a million acres of state and national parks.

22. 90% of Maine is forested, which makes it one of the world's best producers of paper.

23. There are many rivers in Maine; the state has 73 rivers that are 20 mi (32.1 km) long or more.

24. Due to its landscape, Maine attracts many visitors for skiing, hiking and kayaking.

Now that we have learnt about Maine's history, Maine's geography and Maine's landforms, we think it's time to uncover some cool facts about Maine that are sure to surprise you.

25. Maine is most well known for its lobster and harvests most of the country's lobster supply at nearly 96 million lb (43.5 million kg).

26. Of all 50 US states, Maine is the only one with a one-syllable name.

27. Maine's state bird is the chickadee which is a small, cute member of the tit family.

28. Maine is one the largest producer of wild blueberries grown in the US. The national blueberry month is celebrated in July.

29. When Acadia National Park first opened in 1916, it was called Sieur de Monts National Monument.

30. In the spring, Maine is the USA's second coldest state, with only Alaska being colder. The lowest ever recorded temperate in the state was a chilling -50 F (-45 C) and it occurred on January 16, 2009.

31. Maine is the first state in America to see the sunrise each day but depending on the time of year, it occurs in different places. For a few weeks around the equinoxes, the best place to see the sun come up is West Quoddy Head in Lubec. For the rest of the spring and summer, the sun rises first on Mars Hill.

32. Maine's official state animal is the moose and it has the largest population of them in the country.

You might now feel like you know all about Maine but what about its most heavily populated city, Portland? This section digs deeper into Maine facts and looks specifically at this bustling city, with tons of Portland Maine fun facts.

33. Horror author Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947. As a world-known writer, Stephen King is responsible for many great yet terrifying reads including 'It', 'The Shining' and 'Carrie', all of which have been turned into movies.

34. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet born in Portland. The most popular poet of the 19th century, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote 'The Song Of Hiawatha' and 'Paul Revere's Ride'.

35. Portland was Maine's first state capital until it was changed to Augusta in 1832.

36. Native Americans originally called the Portland peninsula 'Machigonne' which translates to 'Great Neck'.

37. Portland in Oregon is named after Portland in Maine. It was founded by two New Englanders, Asa Lovejoy and Francis Pettygrove and they flipped a coin to decide who got to name the city. The winner, Pettygrove, named it after his hometown.

38. Portland Headlight (which is actually located in Cape Elizabeth, Maine) is one of the most iconic lighthouses in the world.

39. Portland Headlight was commissioned by President George Washington.

40. The Portland Museum of Art contains more than 18,000 objects dating from the 18th century to the present day.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy!