State Symbols of Maine

By | Updated on January 21, 2023

Reviewed by Rittika

Maine is a constituent state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is the biggest state in New England. Due to the state’s abundance of dense white pine forests, Maine was given the nickname Pine Tree State. The White Pine is the largest conifer in the northeastern United States, and Maine is home to some of the tallest trees in eastern North America. Recognizing its significance, the Maine legislature adopted the White Pine Cone and Tassel (Pinus Strobus, Linnaeus) as the state’s official floral emblem in 1895.

In 1975, the honeybee was chosen as Maine’s official state insect. 

Since Maine has woods covering almost 90% of its land, trees are among the state’s most valuable natural resources. Some trees are utilized for wood, while others are used for maple syrup. In 2015, pure maple syrup was recognized as Maine’s official state sweetener. 

It is bordered on the west by New Hampshire, on the southeast by the Gulf of Maine, and on the northeast and northwest by the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec.

Augusta is the state’s capital, and Portland is the biggest city in the state.

The area’s first known inhabitants were Algonquian Indians. In 1603, the French added Maine to the Acadia province, and in 1606 the British included it in the territory they granted to the Plymouth Co. Britain constructed dispersed settlements in the 17th century, but the area remained a perpetual conflict until the British defeated the French in eastern Canada in 1763. From 1652 until 1820, Maine was ruled as a district of Massachusetts. This arrangement permitted Missouri to join the Union as a slave state while Maine joined as a free state.

On March 15, 1820, Maine became the 23rd state to join the Union. 

With a total area of 35,380 sq mi (91,634 sq km), Maine is the twelfth smallest by area. According to the United States Census 2020, the total population of Maine is 1,362,359, marking it the ninth least populous, and thirteenth least densely populated state in the U.S.

The interesting fact is that the famous author Stephen King was born in Maine. King’s hometown of Bangor served as an inspiration, for many of the towns, mentioned in his horror stories.

The official bird of the state of Maine is the Black-capped chickadee, and the official song is “State Song of Maine”. 

The state’s official motto is “Dirigo (I Direct)”.

Maine has no official language; however, English is the most widely spoken language (92%), followed by French (5%), with other languages accounting for the remaining 3%.

State Information

State seal

Motto of Maine

"Dirigo"

State symbols of Maine 👇

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  State capital
  Augusta
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  State bird
  Black-capped chickadee
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  State flower
  White Pine Cone
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  State fruit
  Wild Blueberry
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  State tree
  Eastern White Pine
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  State dance
  Square Dance
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  State insect
  Honey bee
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  State gemstone
  Tourmaline (Mineral)
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  State animal
  Moose
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  State dish
  Wintergreen
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  State fish
  Landlocked Atlantic salmon

State location

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