Geography
See: List of Maine counties
To the south and east is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the northeast is New Brunswick, a province of Canada. The Canadian province of Quebec is to the northwest. Maine is the northernmost state in the New England region and the easternmost state in the country (the easternmost city in the United States is Eastport, Maine), bordered on the west by New Hampshire. It is the only state that borders exactly one other state. The highest mountain is Mt. Katahdin and the largest lake is Moosehead Lake.
It is the most sparsely populated state east of the Mississippi River, owing in part to its huge relative size -- its land mass exceeds that of all other New England states combined. It is appropriately called the "Pine Tree State", as 90 percent of its land is forest. West Quoddy Head is the country's easternmost piece of land. Along the famous rock-bound coast of Maine are lighthouses, sandy beaches, quiet fishing villages and thousands of offshore islands, including the Isles of Shoals, which straddles the state border. Jagged rocks and cliffs, and thousands of bays and inlets add to the rugged beauty of Maine's coast. Inland, there are sparkling lakes, rushing rivers, green forests and towering mountains. Maine's Acadia National Park is the only national park in New England, and the second most visited national park in the United States.
Economy
Maine's total gross state product for 1999 was $34 billion, placing it 43rd in the nation. Its Per Capita Personal Income for 2000 was $25,623, 36th in the nation.
Maine's agricultural outputs are seafood, poultry and eggs, dairy products, cattle, blueberries, and apples. Its industrial outputs are paper, lumber, and wood products, electronic equipment, leather products, food processing, textiles, and tourism. Aroostook County is known for its potato crops.
Demographics
As of 2000, the state's population was 1,274,923.
Important Cities and Towns