MAINE, is the most northeasterly State of the United States of America and the largest State in New England. It lies between and 27' 33" N. and between 66° 56' 48" and 6' 41" W. and is bounded on the north-west by Quebec; north and east by New Brunswick; south-south-east by the Atlantic ocean; and west by New Hampshire. It has an area of 33,040 sq.m., 3,145 sq.m. being water surface. Owing to its forest, it is known as the "Pine Tree State." Physical Features.—Considering the area as a whole, the surface of Maine is a gently rolling upland, above which rise mountain peaks, isolated and in clusters and below which are numerous river valleys. The highest peak is Mt. Katandin (5,2ooft.) others being: Saddleback mountain (4,000ft.), Mt. Abraham (3,388ft.), Mt. Bigelow (3,600ft.), and Mt. Blue (3,2ooft.). A little north of this line of mountain peaks is the water-parting which divides the State into a north slope and a south slope. The north slope though quite hilly in the middle and west is so poorly drained that swamps abound in all sections. The south slope, which contains nearly all the mountains and is gen erally more hilly, has a mean descent toward the sea of about 7ft. to the mile.
After the uplift, which caused the rivers to cut below the general "uplands" and develop well-marked valleys for themselves, came the period of the great continental glaciation. The glacier or ice sheet overran all Maine, irregularly scouring out the bed rock to produce rock basins, damming up many river valleys with glacial deposits, and completely disarranging the drainage lines. When the ice melted the rock basins and the dammed-up valleys filled with water and became lakes. These lakes are more than 1,600 in number, are scattered in all parts of the State, are especially numerous at high elevations, and have an aggregate area in excess of 2,000 sq. miles. Few other regions have so many large lakes so variously situated and with such beauty of aspect and surround ings. They contribute largely to a constant supply of water power, for which the rivers of south-west Maine are exceptionally well adapted. Moosehead lake (about 120 sq.m.; 35m. long and
from arrl. to tom. wide), on the boundary between Piscataquis and Somerset counties, is the largest in Maine and the largest inland body of water wholly in New England ; the Kennebec river is its principal outlet. Mt. Kineo rises abruptly to about 1,76oft. above the sea and about 7ooft. above the lake on its eastern shore. Other lakes, such as the Rangeley lakes, Chesun cook and Twin lakes on the Penobscot, and the Grand or Schoodic lakes, on the eastern boundary at the head waters of the St. Croix river, equal or surpass Moosehead in picturesqueness. Glaciation is responsible for the poor soil of most of the State; for, although the rocks are the same crystallines that give good soils farther south in unglaciated regions, glacial erosion has removed decayed portions of the Maine rocks, revealing fresh, barren rock over great areas, and in other places hardpan or boulder clay has been deposited as a thin coating.
After the uplift came a period of subsidence, during which this region sank one or more thousand feet, allowing the sea to en croach on the land and run far inland into the previously made river valleys. This depression probably occurred during the glacial period, perhaps toward its close, and is responsible for the second most important feature of Maine physiography, the embayed coast. To this subsidence are due the picturesque coastal scenery, the numerous islands and bays, the good harbours and the peculiar coast line. The shortest distance between the north-east and south-west extremities of the coast is only 225I11., but, on account of projections and indentations, the coast line measures not less than 2,500 miles. The headlands, the deep indentations and the numerous islands in the bays and beyond produce a beautiful mingling of land and sea, and give to the whole ocean front the appearance of a fringed and tasselled border. West of the mouth of the Kennebec river are a marshy shore and many low grassy islands; but east of this river the shore becomes more and more bold, rising in the precipitous cliffs and rounded summits of Mt.