Monday, November 17, 2008

What every Mainer already knows

Maine:

-is recognized as one of the most healthful states in the nation, with summer temperatures averaging 70° F. and winter temperatures averaging 20° F.

-is about 320 miles long and 210 miles wide, with a total area of 33,215 square miles, or about as big as all of the other five New England states combined.
consists of 16 counties with 22 cities, 424 towns, 51 plantations, and 416 unorganized townships.

-claims America's first chartered town: York, 1641.

-has one county (Aroostook) so big (6,453 square miles) that it actually covers an area greater than the combined size of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

-has one mountain which is approximately one mile high - Mt. Katahdin (5,268 ft. above sea level).

-boasts of 6,000 lakes and ponds, 32,000 miles of rivers and streams, 17 million acres of forestland, and 5,500 beautiful miles of coastline, including that of its 2,000 islands.

-has 60 lighthouses including Portland Head Light, commissioned by George Washington.
-has more than 25 ski areas, including nationally known Sugarloaf USA, Saddleback, Sunday River, and others.
-abounds in natural assets, 542,629 acres of state and national parks, including the 92-mile Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Acadia National Park (second most visited national park in the United States), and Baxter State Park (location of Mt. Katahdin and the end of the Appalachian Trail).

-has estimated travel and tourist income of $2.75 billion and welcomes over 8 million visitors annually.

-is America's largest blueberry-growing state, raising 98% of the low-bush blueberries in the United States. Potatoes rank fourth in acreage and sixth in production nationally.

-is nationally famed for its shellfish; over 63 million lb. of lobster were harvested in 2007. The total of all shellfish and fin harvested was approx. 223 million lb. with a total value of approx. $636.1 million in 2007 .

The Way Life Should Be!

2 comments:

Susan G. said...

You know I could not deal with the 20° ! Great facts, sounds like a great place ! I hope to visit on day ;)

Melanie said...

me too, I hope to see it one day!