Machias, Maine
    
             
   

Maine is about the size of Indiana. It has 3500 miles of coastline, 2000 coastal islands, and 6000 lakes. There are about 17 million acres of forest. Thus, the state's nickname is the Pine Tree State. Machias is on an inlet about 30 miles from the border with Canada.

      
             
             
    The tallest point is Mt. Katahdin at 5300 feet. It lies in the center north in the midst of a huge region (about 1/3 of the state) that has almost no public roads or schools. The western part of the state is the northern tip of the Appalachian Mountains.      
             
   

Maine has 16 counties. It produces seafood, blueberries, potatoes, wood, and wood products. The capital is Augusta. The largest city is Portland (about the size of Redlands, CA), and the major airport is in Bangor. In the summer, coastal and lake areas get many people vacationing from out of state. Locals refer to these vacationers and other non-native residents as "people from away".

(Click on map at right to zoom in.)

      
             
    The population of Maine is about 1.2 million, about the same as the city of San Diego. Maine has 2 representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives. (For comparison, there are 53 representatives from California and 435 altogether). Satellite images of the Machias area show how undeveloped most of Maine is.