Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Up with U.S. Geography: Maine

State Name:
Maine

Capital:
Augusta

Date of Entry:
March 15, 1820

Maps:
Map of USA. Maine outlined in dark ink & with
name written on it.

Close-up of Maine & its neighbors.

Neighbors:
Canada, New Hampshire

Water Borders:
St. John River, Bay of Fundy, Gulf of Maine, Atlantic Ocean

Total Area:
35,385 square miles

Five Largest Cities:
Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, South Portland, Auburn

Famous Geographical Point:
Mount Katahdin

State Nickname:
The Pine Tree State. The white pine is the state tree, and a pine tree features on the state's flag, seal, and quarter. They're big on pine trees there.

Famous Person:
Kevin Eastman, writer & artist, co-creater of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I seriously considered instead listing William Coperthwaite, who, according to Wikipedia, was an educator & "yurt advocate," simply for the novelty of anyone being known as a "yurt advocate."

Book Set In/About:
It by Stephen King

Set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine, this horror novel showcases the travails of the same seven people during two different time periods - first as children, then as adults - as they battle an alien creature that exploits their fears.

Of course I chose a Stephen King novel! Not only is he quite possibly the most famous person to have ever come out of Maine, nearly all of his books are set there.

Movie Set In/About:
"The Cider House Rules" (1999), directed by Lasse Hallstrom

A young man, raised in an orphanage & trained as an unlicensed doctor, spreads his wings by going to work at an apple farm.

Headline of the Day:
"Maine Archaeologists Find Evidence of Historic English Fort" in U.S. News & World Report.

2 comments:

Patricia said...

Maine was once a part of Massachusetts!

If I lived in the upper half of Maine, I would much rather be a resident of Canada right now. It surrounds Maine on all sides and has national health care.

I can no longer recall if I just barely stepped over the border into Maine, or wish that I had done so. I'd like to visit at some point, but only in the summer. It's very rugged and pretty there. (So I surmise from pictures I've seen)

balyien said...

From what I understand, Maine folk (Mainers? Mainites?) are pretty big into individualism, so I'm not sure they'd be down for national health care. I've never been to Maine. Since moving to SoCal, I've started fantasizing about doing a New England trip to see the Fall colors. I miss Autumn. So maybe I'll see Maine someday.