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Maine - The Pine Tree State.

Maine

Maine was admitted to the Union on the 15th of March 1820, becoming the 23rd state of the USA>

The author Stephen King was born in Maine in 1947. Other famous Mainers include the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the film director John Ford and the musician Patty Griffin>

Maine is the 39th largest US state with an area of around 35,000 square miles or 91,000 square km. Despite this it is still almost large enough to fit the other 4 states of New England (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut) into.

West Quoddy Head near the town of Lubec, Maine, is the Easternmost place in the USA. It is less than 3,000 miles or 4,800 km from the coast of Europe.

Eastport in Maine was taken by British soldiers during the War of 1812. It remained under British rule until 1818 when control was given back to the USA.

The state gem of Maine is tourmaline. During the first decades of the 20th century Maine and California were the world's largest producers of the gem. Maine tourmaline can be either pink or green.

Maine has approximately 1,328,300 inhabitants, making it the 41st most populous of the 50 US states.

The first naval battle to take place during the American Revolution happened off the coast of Maine. The Battle of Machias was fought between 40 Royal Navy seamen aboard HMS Margaretta and 55 militia aboard two sloops. The British lost 5 men and one ship whilst the Americans lost 10 men. It was a victory for the Revolutionaries.

The first ship to be built by English colonists in America was constructed in Maine. The Virginia of Sagadahoc was built in 1608 in the short lived Popham Colony, the first colony in New England.

Play this fun yet interesting quiz and test your knowledge of the Lumber State.

For a closer look at the pictures please click on them to enlarge.

1 .

This is a picture of Maine's capital city which was named after the daughter of the American politician and soldier, Henry Dearborn. What is it called?

Julia

Martha

Augusta

Joanna

What is now known as Augusta was first colonised by the English in 1629. It was called Cushnoc, a Native American word meaning 'tide's head'. Cushnock was abandoned for a while before being resettled in the 18th century. It was named 'Harrington' in 1797, only to be renamed 'Augusta' six months later.

Maine's original capital was its largest city, Portland, but Augusta was chosen to replace it in 1827 and it officially took over as Maine's seat of government in 1832

2 .

What is the state bird of Maine (pictured)?

The Elegant Tit

The Black-Bibbed Tit

The Eastern Goldfinch

The Black-Capped Chickadee

The black-capped chickadee can be found throughout the northern parts of the USA and the southern parts of Canada. It was chosen as the state bird of Maine in 1927 and is also the state bird of Massachusetts.

Chickadees and tits are birds in the same genus as one another. Ones found in North America are called chickadees and elsewhere they are called tits

3 .

Acadia National Park (pictured) is in Maine. It is the home of the tallest mountain on the East Coast of the USA. The mountain shares its name with which make of car?

Ford

Cadillac

Dodge

Bentley

Cadillac Mountain is 1,528 feet or 466 metres high. It was originally called Green Mountain but it was renamed in 1918 in honour of the French explorer, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac.

As well as Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park is also home to a number of islands including Mount Desert Island. The park was founded in 1919 with the name Lafayette National Park. It was renamed Acadia in 1929, taking the name of the old French colony of which Maine was once a part

4 .

The flag of Maine features the state's coat of arms on a blue background. On the coat of arms is the state motto, Dirigo written in Latin. What does Dirigo mean in English?

I Lead

Hope

Friendship

Industry

As well as the motto the coat of arms also features a shield on which is a landscape containing a moose and a pine tree, both residents of Maine. Either side of the shield stand a farmer (symbolising the state's agriculture) and a sailor (representing Maine's maritime history).

There are no colours officially designated for the coat of arms so flags of Maine differ depending on who manufactures them. Only the background blue is formalised. It is the same blue as is used in the flag of the United States of America

5 .

Which animal is Maine's official state mammal?

The Moose

The Bison

The Elk

The Buffalo

Approximately 76,000 moose live in the state of Maine and it was chosen as the state animal in 1979. The moose can also be found in Europe but outside of North America it is called are called an elk.

One other mammal is symbolic of Maine. The Maine Coon (also called the American Longhair) is the largest breed of domestic cat and it was chosen as Maine's state cat in 1985

6 .

Maine is the United States' largest supplier of lobsters. How much lobster was caught in Maine in 2010, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources?

26,500 tons or 26,925 tonnes

31,500 tons or 32,005 tonnes

36,500 tons or 37,086 tonnes

41,500 tons or 42,165 tonnes

Not many lobsters survive to old age. Of all those born only 1% survive to reach adulthood and of those that do 9 out of every 10 will end up on someone's dinner plate. Because of this the lobster industry is highly regulated in Maine. Lobsters which are too small or too large must be released back into the sea in order to maintain a breeding stock

7 .

What is the state fruit of Maine, seen here being gathered?

The Boysenberry

The Blueberry

The Blackberry

The Bilberry

Maine produces approximately one quarter of all the blueberries in North America. It has over 60,000 acres (24,000 hectares) put aside for their cultivation.
Maine's state dessert is blueberry pie made, of course, with Maine blueberries!

8 .

Portland Head Light is the oldest lighthouse in Maine. Its was constructed on the order of George Washington in which year?

In 1771

In 1781

In 1791

In 1801

Work on the building was started in 1787 and was completed on the 10th of January 1791. The lighthouse burnt whale oil in lamps in those early days. In the 202 years that followed there were 33 lighthouse keepers before it was automated in 1989. The keepers' former house is now a maritime museum

9 .

This man (seen here in conversation with President Johnson) was born in the town of Bar Harbor, Maine in 1908. He went on to become the 41st Vice President of the USA when he served under President Ford from 1974 - 1977. What is his name?

Walter Mondale

Spiro Agnew

Nelson Rockefeller

Hubert Humphrey

In his time Rockefeller was also the Governor of New York; the Under Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare; and the Assistant Secretary of State for American Republic Affairs, in addition to being a businessman and philanthropist.

Nelson came from the Rockefeller dynasty which made its money through the oil business. The Rockefellers are thought of as the most powerful family in the history of the USA

10 .

A plate full of Maine's state treat. What is it called?

Whoopie Pie

Cheery Cake

Please Pudding

Yay Cookie

Whoopie pies are made from two layers of (usually chocolate) cake sandwiched together with a creamy of iced filling. They are also known by many other names, including black moons, bobs, black and whites, devil dogs, twins, hucklebucks and creamy turtles.

Legend has it that they got the name whoopee pie because farmers who found them in their lunchboxes packed by their wives would shout "Whoopie!" in delight

Author: Graeme Haw