II.

Physical Geography

Maine ranks 39th in size among the states, with an area of 91,647 sq km (35,385 sq mi). The area includes 5,864 sq km (2,264 sq mi) of inland water and 1,588 sq km (613 sq mi) of coastal water over which it has jurisdiction. It is by far the largest state in New England and has an area nearly equal to that of all the other New England states combined. The state’s greatest east-west distance is 325 km (202 mi); the greatest north-south distance is 500 km (311 mi). The mean elevation is about 180 m (600 ft).

A.

Natural Regions

All of Maine was once covered by glaciers, the last of which receded about 10,000 years ago. Because of the glaciers, much of Maine is covered with stones, boulders, and clays. Many of the hills and mountains have been rounded, lakes have been formed, and river courses have been changed. Although glaciers covered all of Maine, there are nevertheless substantial physiographic differences in the regions of the state.

Maine can be divided into three major physiographic areas, or natural regions: the White Mountain section, the New England Upland, and the Seaboard Lowland. These three regions are part of the New England province, which in turn forms part of the Appalachian Region.

The White Mountains occupy much of the western and central parts of the state and are the most rugged and thickly forested area of Maine. Elevations of the mountains are mostly between 750 and 1,200 m (2,500 and 4,000 ft). Mount Katahdin, in the central part of the state, is Maine’s highest mountain, with an elevation of 1,605 m (5,267 ft). The mountains are composed largely of granite and have been severely worn down by glaciers or otherwise eroded. Hundreds of lakes are located within this region, and most of Maine’s rivers rise there.

The New England Upland occupies northern, eastern, and central Maine and is the largest natural region in the state. It is a rolling plateau, with elevations reaching 600 m (2,000 ft). Like the White Mountain section, this natural region is dotted with hundreds of rivers and lakes. It also has fertile soil, and state’s sizable potato crop is grown and harvested here.

The Seaboard Lowland in Maine lies between the New England Upland and the Atlantic Ocean. It varies in width from about 30 km (about 20 mi) near the New Hampshire border to about 100 km (60 mi) near the New Brunswick border. This natural region rises to about 120 to 150 m (about 400 to 500 ft) near its border with the New England Upland. The Seaboard Lowland has mostly gently rolling terrain, but in isolated spots rugged mountains and steep hills are found. An example is Cadillac Mountain (466 m/1,530 ft), on Mount Desert Island. It is the highest mountain on the Atlantic coast north of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

B.

Rivers and Lakes

Most of Maine’s large rivers rise in the mountains in the northern and western parts of the state. The Penobscot River rises in the lakes of north central Maine and flows to the east and south to empty into Penobscot Bay south of Bangor. The main tributary of the Penobscot River is the Piscataquis River, which joins the main stream just south of Howland in central Maine. The Kennebec River is the outlet of Moosehead Lake in central Maine and flows south into the Atlantic Ocean near Bath. The Androscoggin River rises at the New Hampshire border and flows southward. It joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay about 30 km (about 20 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean.

In the northern part of the state the most important river is the Saint John, which flows through northwestern Maine and along Maine’s northern border with New Brunswick before entering the Canadian province. The Allagash River is the principal tributary of the St. John in Maine, and the Aroostook River joins the St. John soon after leaving the state. The Saint Croix River forms a significant part of Maine’s eastern boundary with New Brunswick.

The largest lake in Maine is Moosehead Lake, an irregularly shaped lake that covers 300 sq km (116 sq mi) in the central part of the state. Other large lakes are Sebago, Chesuncook, Chamberlain, Grand, and Spednic lakes. The Rangeley Lakes in southwestern Maine are a popular vacation area.

C.

Coastline

The coastline of Maine extends for 367 km (228 mi). However, it is deeply indented with bays, inlets, and river estuaries, and when all these are taken into account, the shoreline is 5,597 km (3,478 mi) long. Many of the larger inlets were formed when the ocean flooded the river valleys after the glaciers melted. The largest harbor is at Portland, on the southwestern coast. Other important harbors include Boothbay, Rockland, Bar Harbor, and Eastsport.

The coast is generally rocky, but there are many miles of beaches on the southwestern coast. More than 1,300 rocky islands lie just off the coast. The largest is Mount Desert Island, much of which forms part of Acadia National Park. Other large islands are Vinalhaven Island, Islesboro, Swans Island, Deer Island, and Isle au Haut. Monhegan Island is also well known.

D.

Climate

D.1.

Temperature

Maine has a humid continental climate with a moderate summer and a long winter. The climate is generally milder along the coast, particularly in the winter. Average January temperatures in Maine range from about -12°C (about 10°F) in the northern part of the state to about -4°C (about 24°F) along the coast. Average July temperatures range from 17° to 21°C (62° to 70°F) with the southern interior being the warmest and the east coast and north the coolest. However, daytime summer temperatures may reach the lower 30°s C (lower 90°s F), and temperatures in winter have fallen as low as -44°C (-48°F) in the interior.

D.2.

Precipitation

Precipitation (rainfall and snowfall) in Maine is evenly distributed throughout the year. Most areas receive from 860 to 1,020 mm (34 to 40 in) yearly, although parts of the coast are somewhat wetter. Heavy winter snowfalls are common in central and northern Maine.

D.3.

Growing Season

The growing season, or period from the last major frost in spring to the first major frost in fall, ranges from about 110 days in the north to 180 days along the southern coast. The first killing frost occurs in late September in most parts of the state, and the last killing frost usually occurs in May.

E.

Soils

Most of central and northern Maine has spodosolic soils, which are generally gray, highly acidic, and poor for farming. Southern Maine has mostly gray-brown spodosolic soils, which can be made productive with the proper use of fertilizers. Sandy soils occur in the extreme northeastern part of Maine, which is an important potato-farming region.

F.

Plant Life

Forests cover 90 percent of Maine’s total land area, the highest percentage of forest coverage of any state. The northern two-thirds is covered mostly by spruce and fir. Also in this area are maple, beech, birch, and white pine, which is the state tree. In the south are birch, beech, maple, hemlock, and white pine. Nearly all of Maine’s commercial forests are privately owned, primarily by large lumbering and paper companies.

Most of the wildflowers and shrubs common to the northeastern United States are found in Maine. Wildflowers include the lady’s slipper, black-eyed Susan, jack-in-the-pulpit, meadow lily, and arbutus. The alder, Canadian yew, witch hazel, and hawthorn are common shrubs.

G.

Animal Life

Maine has one of the most varied wildlife populations in the eastern United States. Among the larger animals are white-tailed deer, black bears, and moose. Mice, rats, voles, and rabbit are probably the most numerous mammals. Also are found the chipmunk, raccoon, beaver, lynx, bobcat, eastern coyote, muskrat, squirrel, otter, fox, mink, weasel, skunk, and porcupine.

Most of Maine’s birds are also found throughout the rest of the northeastern United States. The black-capped chickadee, which is the state bird, is common in Maine throughout the year. Grosbeaks, crossbills, sparrows, and other finches commonly nest in Maine’s woodlands, meadows, and swamps. Other birds that can be seen in Maine during parts of the year are robins and other thrushes, killdeer, bluejays, gray jays, starlings, crows, phoebes, kingfishers, common grackles, and warblers. Predatory birds found in Maine include owls and hawks, such as ospreys and red-tailed hawks. There are many sea birds, including herring gulls, cormorants, red-breasted mergansers, wood ducks, mallard ducks, terns, and herons. Game birds include ruffed grouse, woodcocks, turkeys, and pheasant. Common loons are frequently found on northern lakes and ponds. The bald eagle, whose numbers were declining, can once again be seen in most parts of the state.

The rivers and lakes of Maine contain such fish as trout, salmon, perch, bass, and pickerel. Important saltwater fish and shellfish found in Maine’s coastal waters are lobsters, clams, scallops, shrimp, sea urchins, pollack, herring, haddock, mackerel, cod, and flounder.

H.

Conservation

Maine’s primary conservation activities aim at the preservation of its forest, wildlife, and fishery resources. The Maine Department of Conservation includes the Maine Forest Service, the Bureau of Parks and Recreation, the Maine Geological Survey, the Bureau of Public Lands, and the Land Use Regulation Commission. There are a number of federal agencies that participate in Maine’s conservation activities. They include the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the Forest Service, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

In 2006 the state had 12 hazardous waste sites on a national priority list for cleanup due to their severity or proximity to people. Progress was being made in efforts to reduce pollution; during the period 1995–2000 the amount of toxic chemicals discharged into the environment was reduced by 11 percent.