Maine

State of Maine

ORIGIN OF STATE NAME: Derived either from the French for a historical district of France, or from the early use of "main" to distinguish coast from islands.

NICKNAME: The Pine Tree State.

CAPITAL: Augusta.

ENTERED UNION: 15 March 1820 (23rd).

SONG: "State of Maine Song."

MOTTO: Dirigo ("I direct" or "I lead").

COAT OF ARMS: A farmer and sailor support a shield on which are depicted a pine tree, a moose, and water. Under the shield is the name of the state; above it are the state motto and the North Star.

FLAG: The coat of arms is on a blue field, with a yellow fringed border surrounding three sides.

OFFICIAL SEAL: Same as the coat of arms.

BIRD: Chickadee.

FISH: Landlocked salmon.

FLOWER: White pine cone, tassel; wintergreen (herb).

TREE: White pine.

LEGAL HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January; Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., 3rd Monday in January; Washington's Birthday, 3rd Monday in February; Patriots' Day, 3rd Monday in April; Memorial Day, last Monday in May; Independence Day, 4 July; Labor Day, 1st Monday in September; Columbus Day, 2nd Monday in October; Veterans Day, 11 November; Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thursday in November and day following; Christmas Day, 25 December.

TIME: 7 AM EST = noon GMT.

LOCATION, SIZE, AND EXTENT

Situated in the extreme northeastern corner of the United States, Maine is the nation's most easterly state, the largest in New England, and 39th in size among the 50 states.

The total area of Maine is 33,265 sq mi (86,156 sq km), including 30,995 sq mi (80,277 sq km) of land and 2,270 sq mi (5,879 sq km) of inland water. Maine extends 207 mi (333 km) e-w; the maximum n-s extension is 322 mi (518 km).

Maine is bordered on the n by the Canadian provinces of Quebec (with the line passing through the St. Francis River) and New Brunswick (with the boundary formed by the St. John River); on the e by New Brunswick (with the lower eastern boundary formed by the Chiputneticook Lakes and the St. Croix River); on the se and s by the Atlantic Ocean; and on the w by New Hampshire (with the line passing through the Piscataqua and Salmon Falls rivers in the sw) and Quebec.

Hundreds of islands dot Maine's coast. The largest is Mt. Desert Island; others include Deer Isle, Vinalhaven, and Isle au Haut. The total boundary length of Maine is 883 mi (1,421 km).

The state's geographic center is in Piscataquis County, 18 mi (29 km) n of Dover-Foxcroft. The easternmost point of the United States is West Quoddy Head, at 66°57′w.

TOPOGRAPHY

Maine is divided into four main regions: coastal lowlands, piedmont, mountains, and uplands.

The narrow coastal lowlands extend, on average, 10-20 mi (16-32 km) inland from the irregular coastline, but occasionally disappear altogether, as at Mt. Desert Island and on the western shore of Penobscot Bay. Mt. Cadillac on Mt. Desert Island rises abruptly to 1,532 ft (467 m), the highest elevation on the Atlantic coast north of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The transitional hilly belt, or piedmont, broadens from about 30 mi (48 km) wide in the southwestern part of the state to about 80 mi (129 km) in the northeast.

Maine's mountain region, the Longfellow range, is at the northeastern end of the Appalachian Mountain system. This zone, extending into Maine from the western border for about 150 mi (250 km) and averaging about 50 mi (80 km) wide, contains nine peaks over 4,000 ft (1,200 m), including Mt. Katahdin, which at 5,267 ft (1,606 m) is the highest point in the state. The summit of Katahdin marks the northern terminus of the 2,000-mi (3,200-km) Appalachian Trail. Maine's uplands form a high, relatively flat plateau extending northward beyond the mountains and sloping downward toward the north and east. The mean elevation of the state is approximately 600 ft (183 m). The eastern part of this zone is the Aroostook potato-farming region; the western part is heavily forested.

Of Maine's more than 2,200 lakes and ponds, the largest are Moosehead Lake, 117 sq mi (303 sq km), and Sebago Lake, 13 mi (21 km) by 10 mi (16 km). Of the more than 5,000 rivers and streams, the Penobscot, Androscoggin, Kennebec, and Saco rivers drain historically and commercially important valleys. The longest river in Maine is the St. John, but it runs for most of its length in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The lowest point of the state is at sea level at the Atlantic Ocean.

CLIMATE

Maine has three climatic regions: the northern interior zone, comprising roughly the northern half of the state, between Quebec and New Brunswick; the southern interior zone; and the coastal zone. The northern zone is both drier and cooler in all four seasons than either of the other zones, while the coastal zone is more moderate in temperature year-round than the other two.

The annual mean temperature in the northern zone is about 40°f (5°c); in the southern interior zone, 44°f (7°c); and in the coastal zone, 46°f (8°c). Record temperatures for the state are −48°f (−44°c), registered at Van Buren on 19 January 1925, and 105°f (41°c) at North Bridgton on 10 July 1911. The mean annual precipitation increases from 40.2 in (102 cm) in the north to 41.5 in (105 cm) in the southern interior and 45.7 in (116 cm) on the coast. Average annual precipitation at Portland is about 43.6 in (110 cm); average annual snowfall is 70.5 in (179 cm).

FLORA AND FAUNA

Maine's forests are largely softwoods, chiefly red and white spruces, balsam fir (Abies balsamea), eastern hemlock, and white and red pine. Important hardwoods include beech, yellow and white birches, sugar and red maples, white oak, black willow, black and white ashes, and American elm, which has fallen victim in recent years to Dutch elm disease. Maine is home to most of the flowers and shrubs common to the north temperate zone, including an important commercial resource, the low-bush blueberry. Maine has seventeen rare orchid species. Two species, the small whorled pogonia and the eastern prairie fringed orchid, were classified by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as threatened as of April 2006; the furbish lousewart was classified as endangered that year.

About 30,000 white-tailed deer are killed by hunters in Maine each year, but the herd does not appear to diminish. Moose hunting was banned in Maine in 1935; however, in 1980, 700 moose-hunting permits were issued for a six-day season, and moose hunting has continued despite attempts by some residents to ban the practice. Other common forest animals include the bobcat, beaver, muskrat, river otter, mink, fisher, raccoon, red fox, and snowshoe hare. The woodchuck is a conspicuous inhabitant of pastures, meadows, cornfields, and vegetable gardens. Seals, porpoises, and occasionally finback whales are found in coastal waters, along with virtually every variety of North Atlantic fish and shellfish, including the famous Maine lobster. Coastal waterfowl include the osprey, herring and great black-backed gulls, great and double-crested cormorants, and various duck species. Matinicus Rock, a small uninhabited island about 20 mi (32 km) off the coast near the entrance to Penobscot Bay, is the only known North American nesting site of the common puffin, or sea parrot.

Eleven Maine animal species (vertebrates and invertebrates) were classified as threatened or endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2006, including the bald eagle, piping plover, Atlantic Gulf of Maine salmon, two species of whale, and leather-back sea turtle.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

The Department of Environmental Protection administers laws regulating the development of large residential, commercial, and industrial sites; the protection and improvement of air and water quality; the prevention and cleanup of oil spills; the control of hazardous wastes; the licensing of oil terminals; the protection of state-significant natural resources (including wetlands, rivers, streams and brooks, and fragile mountain areas); and mining. The Land Use Regulation Commission, established in 1969, extends the principles of town planning and zoning to Maine's 411 unorganized townships, 313 "plantations," and numerous coastal islands that have no local government and might otherwise be subject to ecologically unsound development. About 25% of the state contains wetlands; these generally owned by private landowners, timber companies, or other individuals.

In 2003, 9.3 million lb of toxic chemicals were released in the state. Also in 2003, Maine had 59 hazardous waste sites listed in the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) database, 12 of which were on the National Priorities List as of 2006, including Brunswick Naval Station, Loring Air Force Base, and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In 2005, the EPA spent over $1.7 million through the Superfund program for the cleanup of hazardous waste sites in the state. The same year, the state received about $2 million in other federal EPA grants.

POPULATION

Maine ranked 40th in population in the United States with an estimated total of 1,321,505 in 2005, an increase of 3.7% since 2000. Between 1990 and 2000, Maine's population grew from 1,227,928 to 1,274,923, an increase of 3.8%. The population is projected to reach 1.38 million by 2015 and 1.41 million by 2025. The population density in 2004 was 42.7 persons per sq mi.

In 2004 the median age was 40.7, the highest median in the nation. Persons under 18 years old accounted for 21.4% of the population while 14.4% was age 65 or older.

The area that now comprises the state of Maine was sparsely settled throughout the colonial period. At statehood, Maine had 298,335 residents. The population doubled by 1860, but then grew slowly until the 1970s, when its growth rate went above the national average.

More than half the population lives on less than one-seventh of the land, within 25 mi (40 km) of the Atlantic coast, and almost half of the state is virtually uninhabited. Although almost half of Maine's population is classified as urban; much of the urban population lives in towns and small cities. The state's major cities, all with populations under 100,000, are Portland, Bangor, and Lewiston-Auburn. The Portland metropolitan area had an estimated population of 510,791 in 2004. The Bangor metropolitan area had an estimated 148,196 people and the Lewiston-Auburn area had 107,022.

ETHNIC GROUPS

Maine's population is primarily Yankee, both in its English and Scotch-Irish origins and in its retention of many of the values and folkways of rural New England. The largest minority group consists of French-Canadians. Among those reporting at least one specific ancestry group in 2000, 274,423 claimed English ancestry; 181,663 French (not counting 110,344 who claimed Canadian or French-Canadian); and 192,901 Irish. There were 36,691 foreign-born residents. The population of Hispanics and Latinos in 2000 was 9,360, less than 1% of the state total. In 2004, 0.9% of the population was or Hispanic or Latino origin.

The most notable ethnic issue in Maine during the 1970s was the legal battle of the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Indians—living on two reservations covering 27,546 acres (11,148 hectares)—to recover 12,500,000 acres (5,059,000 hectares) of treaty lands. A compromise settlement in 1980 awarded them $81.5 million, two-thirds of which went into a fund enabling the Indians to purchase 300,000 acres (121,000 hectares) of timberland. In 1995, Maine's American Indian population included the following groups living on or near reservations (with population estimates): the Penob-scot Tribe (1,206); the Aristook Band of Micmac (1,155); Pleasant Point (878); the Passamaquoddy (722); and the Houlton Band of Maliseets (331). The Indian population as a whole was reported as 7,098 in 2000. In 2004, 0.6% of the population was composed of American Indians.

As of 2000, Maine had 6,760 black residents and 9,111 Asians, including 2,034 Chinese, 1,159 Filipinos, and 1,021 Asian Indians. Pacific Islanders numbered 382. In 2004, 0.7% of the population was black and 0.8% Asian. That year, 0.9% of the population reported origin of two or more races.

LANGUAGES

Descendants of the Passamaquoddy and Penobscot Indians of the Algonkian family who inhabited Maine at the time that European settlers arrived still lived there in the mid-1980s. Algonkian place-names abound: Saco, Millinocket, Wiscasset, Kennebec, Skowhegan.

Maine English is celebrated as typical Yankee speech. Final /r/ is absent, a vowel sound between /ah/ and the /a/ in cat appears in car and garden, aunt and calf. Coat and home have a vowel that to outsiders sounds like the vowel in cut. Maple syrup comes from rock or sugar maple trees in a sap or sugar orchard ; cottage cheese is curd cheese; and pancakes are fritters.

In 2000, 92.2% of Maine residents five years old or older reported speaking only English in the home, up from 90.8% in 1990.

The decline of parochial schools and a great increase in the number of young persons attending college have begun to erode the linguistic and cultural separateness that marks the history of the Franco-American experience in Maine.

The following table gives selected statistics from the 2000 Census for language spoken at home by persons five years old and over. The category "Other Native North American languages" includes Apache, Cherokee, Choctaw, Dakota, Keres, Pima, and Yupik. The category "Other Indo-European languages" includes Albanian, Gaelic, Lithuanian, and Rumanian. The category "Scandinavian languages" includes Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish.

RELIGIONS

Maine had about 217,676 Roman Catholics in 2004 and an estimated 8,290 Jews in 2000. The leading Protestant denominations are the United Methodist Church, with 31,689 adherents (in 2000); the American Baptists USA, 26,259 (in 2000); and the United Church of Christ, 23,086 (in 2005). The Muslim community had about 800 members. Over 800,000 people (about 63.6% of the population) were not counted as members of any religious organization.

TRANSPORTATION

Railroad development in Maine, which reached its peak in 1924, has declined rapidly since World War II (1939–45), and passenger service has been dropped altogether. Although Maine had no Class I railroads in 2003, seven regional and local railroads operated on 1,148 rail mi (1,848 km) of track. As of 2006, Amtrak provided service to four stations in Maine via its north-south Downeaster train from Portland to Boston.

About three-quarters of all communities and about half the population depend entirely on highway trucking for the overland transportation of freight. In 2004, Maine had 22,748 mi (36,624 km) of public roads. In that same year, there were 1.086 million registered motor vehicles and 984,829 licensed drivers in the state. The Maine Turnpike and I-95, which coincide between Portland and Kittery, are the state's major highways.

River traffic has been central to the lumber industry. Only since World War II has trucking replaced seasonal log drives downstream from timberlands to the mills, a practice that is now outlawed for environmental reasons. Maine has 10 established seaports, with Portland and Searsport being the main depots for overseas shipping. In 2004, Portland harbor handled 29.709 million tons, and Searsport handled 1.832 million tons. Crude oil, fuel oil, and gasoline were the chief commodities. In 2004, Maine had 73 mi (117 km) of navigable inland waterways. In 2003, waterborne shipments totaled 31.698 million tons.

In 2005, Maine had a total of 153 public and private-use aviation-related facilities. This included 103 airports, 13 heliports, and 37 seaplane bases. Portland International Jetport is the largest and most active airport in Maine. In 2004, Portland International had 687,344 passengers enplaned.

HISTORY

The first inhabitants of Maine—dating from 3000 to 1000 bc—are known to archaeologists as the Red Paint People because of the red ocher that has been found in their graves. This Paleolithic group had evidently disappeared long before the arrival of the Algonkian-speaking Abnaki (meaning "living at the sunrise"), or Wabanaki. Just at the time of European settlement, an intertribal war and a disastrous epidemic of smallpox swept away many of the Abnaki, some of whom had begun peaceful contacts with the English. After that, most Indian contacts with Europeans were with the French.

The first documented visit by a European to the Maine coast was that of Giovanni da Verrazano during his voyage of 1524, but one may infer from the record that the Abnaki he met there had encountered white men before. Sometime around 1600, English expeditions began fishing the Gulf of Maine regularly. The first recorded attempts to found permanent colonies, by the French on an island in the St. Croix River in 1604 and by the English at Sagadahoc in 1607, both failed. By 1630, however, there were permanent English settlements on several islands and at nearly a dozen spots along the coast.

The first grant of Maine lands was to Sir Ferdinando Gorges from the Council from New England, a joint-stock company that received and made royal grants of New England territory and which Gorges himself dominated. He and Captain John Mason received the territory between the Merrimack River (in present-day New Hampshire and Massachusetts) and the Kennebec River in 1622. Seven years later, the two grantees divided their land at the Piscataqua River, and Gorges became sole proprietor of the "Province of Maine." The source of the name is not quite clear. It seems likely that some connection with the historical French province of the same name was intended, but the name was also used to distinguish the mainland from the islands.

Sir Ferdinando's various schemes for governing the territory and promoting a feudal-style settlement never worked. A few years after his death in 1647, the government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony began absorbing the small Maine settlements. Massachusetts purchased the title to Maine from the Gorges heirs in 1677, and Maine became a district of Massachusetts with the issuance of a new royal charter in 1691. During the first hundred years of settlement, Maine's economy was based entirely on fishing, trading, and exploitation of the forests. The origin of the Maine shipbuilding industry, the early settlement of the interior parts of southern Maine, and the beginning of subsistence farming all date from about the time that New England's supply center of white-pine masts for the Royal Navy moved from Portsmouth, N.H., to Falmouth (now the city of Portland).

The first naval encounter of the Revolutionary War occurred in Machias Bay, when, on 12 June 1775, angry colonials captured the British armed schooner Margaretta. On 8 October 1775, a British naval squadron shelled and set fire to Falmouth. Wartime Maine was the scene of two anti-British campaigns, both of which ended in failure: an expedition through the Maine woods in the fall of 1775 intended to drive the British out of Quebec, and a disastrous 1779 expedition in which a Massachusetts amphibious force, failing to dislodge British troops at Castine, scuttled many of its own ships near the mouth of the Penobscot River.

The idea of separation from Massachusetts began surfacing as early as 1785, but popular pressure for such a movement did not mount until the War of 1812. The overwhelming vote for statehood in an 1819 referendum was a victory for William King, who would become the first governor, and his fellow Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans. Admission of Maine as a free state was joined with the admission of Missouri as a slave state in the Missouri Compromise of 1820.

Textile mills and shoe factories came to Maine between 1830 and 1860 as part of the industrialization of Massachusetts. After the Civil War, the revolution in papermaking that substituted wood pulp for rags brought a vigorous new industry to Maine. By 1900, Maine was one of the leading papermaking states in the United States, and the industry continues to dominate the state as of 2005. Shipbuilding joined paper manufacturing as a leading employer in the state, enjoying a boom in government contracts in the 1980s.

In 1972, the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Indians filed a land claims suit against the federal government for property that amounted to the northern two-thirds of Maine, claiming that a 1794 treaty, under which the Passamaquoddy handed over most of its land while receiving nothing in exchange, had not been ratified by Congress, and therefore violated the Indian Non-Intercourse Act of 1790. The government settled the suit in 1980 by paying the tribes $81.5 million, which was allocated to purchase commercial and industrial properties in Maine.

The rise of tourism and the often conflicting concerns for economic development and environmental protection have been key issues in the state since the 1940s. Tourism grew substantially in the 1980s, 1990s, and into the 2000s, especially in coastal areas, where an influx of residents changed the character of many seaside towns. Former seasonal resorts were converted to year-round communities, posing new challenges for growth management. The state's environmental concerns included sewage treatment, deforestation, overfishing, and hazardous waste disposal.

Maine's economy turned in its best performance in more than a decade in 1999, with strong job growth, continued increases in retail sales, and significant improvement in nearly all other indicators. The state's income growth topped the national average from 1998 to 1999, finishing among the five fastest growing states. According to government figures, income growth in Maine, which still had the lowest per capita income in New England, was fueled by higher wages in services, construction, finance, insurance, and real estate. At the same time, there were concerns that the gain in income was the result of Maine workers holding down more than one job in order to make ends meet. Analysts also warned that the hot state economy could be threatened by a shortage of workers, since the state's population was not growing at a commensurate rate.

Maine's economy suffered with that of the nation's in the early 2000s, coming on the back of a recession in 2001. By 2003, Maine had a $24 million budget deficit. Governor John Baldacci had plans to implement a large-scale healthcare program for state employees, open it to private employers, and pay for it without increased taxes. This plan, Dirigo Health, was signed into law in June 2003. A citizen initiative set for referendum in November 2003 was to mandate a large increase in state assistance to local school systems. It was rejected.

In 2005, the state was making plans for the closing of military bases, including the Brunswick Naval Air Station. Governor Baldacci created a Maine Office of Redevelopment and Re-employment with an Advisory Council to coordinate local and statewide interests with regard to the closures.

STATE GOVERNMENT

The Maine constitution, based on that of Massachusetts but incorporating a number of more democratic features, was adopted in 1819 and amended 169 times by January 2005. (This figure does not include one amendment approved by the voters in 1967 that is inoperative until implemented by legislation.) The state constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the legislature and a majority vote at the next general election.

The bicameral legislature, consisting of a 35-member Senate and a 151-member House of Representatives, convenes biennially (in even-numbered years) in joint session to elect the secretary of state, attorney general, and state treasurer. Legislative sessions begin in December of the general election year and run into June of the following (odd-numbered year); the second session begins in January of the next even-numbered year, runs into April, and is limited to consideration of budgetary matters, legislation in the governor's call, emergency legislation, and legislation referred to committees for study. The presiding officers of each house may jointly call for a special session as long as they have the support of a majority of members of each political party in each house. All legislators, who serve two-year terms, must have been US citizens for at least five years, residents of the state for at least one year, and have lived in their district at least three months prior to election. The minimum age for representatives is 21, for senators it is 25. The legislative salary in 2004 was $11,384 for the first year and $8,302 for the second.

The governor, who serves a four-year term and is limited to two consecutive terms, is the only official elected statewide. (Rules of succession dictate that should the governor become incapacitated, he or she would be succeeded by the president of the state Senate.) A gubernatorial veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of members present and voting in each legislative chamber. An unsigned bill that is not vetoed becomes law after 10 days whether the legislature is in session or not. The governor must be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the United States for at least 15 years, and a state resident for 5 years. As of December 2004, the governor's salary was $70,000, unchanged from 1999.

To vote in Maine, one must be a US citizen, a resident of the state and municipality, and at least 18 years old. Those under guardianship because of mental illness may not vote.

POLITICAL PARTIES

Maine's two major political parties are the Democratic and the Republican, each affiliated with the national party. An independent candidate, James B. Longley, beat the candidates of both major parties in the gubernatorial election of 1974.

During the early decades of statehood, Jeffersonian and Jacksonian Democrats remained in power quite consistently. In 1854, however, reformers rallied around the new Republican Party, which dominated Maine politics for the next hundred years. Maine's strong Republican tradition continued into the middle and late 1950s, when Margaret Chase Smith distinguished herself in the US Senate as a leader of national importance. The rise of Democrat Edmund S. Muskie, elected governor in 1954 and 1956 and to the first of four terms in the US Senate in 1960, signaled a change in Maine's political complexion. Muskie appealed personally to many traditionally Republican voters, but his party's resurgence was also the result of demographic changes, especially an increase in the proportion of French-Canadian voters.

In the November 1994 elections, Independent Angus King was voted into the executive Office, and Maine became the only state in the nation with an Independent governor. King was reelected in 1998. In 2002, Democrat John Baldacci was elected governor. In 1994 Republican Olympia Snowe won the US Senate seat vacated by retiring Democrat George J. Mitchell (she was reelected in 2000); in 1996 Republican Susan E. Collins won the seat left vacant by retiring three-term senator William S. Cohen, also a Republican (Collins was reelected in 2002). In the 2000 presidential elections Democrat Al Gore won 49% of the presidential vote, Republican George W. Bush received 44%, and Green Party candidate Ralph Nader won 6%. In 2004, Democrat John Kerry won 53.4% in his challenge to incumbent President Bush, who garnered 44.6%. In 2004 elections, Maine Democrats retained control of both US House seats. Also in 2002 there were 957,000 registered voters. In 1998, 32% of registered voters were Democratic, 29% Republican, and 39% unaffiliated or members of other parties. In mid-2005, the state House of Representatives had 76 Democrats, 73 Republicans, and 2 independents, while the state Senate had 19 Democrats and 16 Republicans. The state had four electoral votes in the 2004 presidential election.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The principal units of local government in 2005 included 16 counties, 22 municipal governments, 282 public school districts and 222 special districts. Maine's counties function primarily as judicial districts. As is customary in New England, the basic instrument of town government is the annual town meeting, with an elective board of selectmen supervising town affairs between meetings; some of the larger towns employ full-time town managers. In 2002, there were 467 townships in the state.

In 2005, local government accounted for about 54,868 full-time (or equivalent) employment positions.

STATE SERVICES

To address the continuing threat of terrorism and to work with the federal Department of Homeland Security, homeland security in Maine operates under the authority of the governor; the emergency management director is designated as the state homeland security advisor.

The State Board of Education and Department of Educational and Cultural Services supervise the public education system. The Department of Transportation, established in 1972, includes divisions responsible for aviation and railroads, a bureau to maintain highways and bridges, the Maine Port Authority, the State Ferry Advisory Board, and the Maine Aeronautical Advisory Board.

Various agencies responsible for health and social welfare were combined into the Department of Human Services in 1975 (now the Department of Health and Human Services). The Maine State Housing Authority, established in 1969, provides construction loans and technical assistance and conducts surveys of the state's housing needs. The Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, an advisory and investigative body, was created in 1975 to serve as a watchdog over the legislature. Other organizations include the departments of agriculture, corrections, professional and financial legislation, and labor; and the bureaus of motor vehicles and parks and lands.

JUDICIAL SYSTEM

The highest state court in Maine is the Supreme Judicial Court, with a chief justice and six associate justices appointed by the governor (with the consent of the legislature) for seven-year terms (as are all other state judges). The Supreme Judicial Court has statewide appellate jurisdiction in all civil and criminal matters. The 16-member superior court, which has original jurisdiction in cases involving trial by jury and also hears some appeals, holds court sessions in all 16 counties. The district courts hear non-felony criminal cases and small claims and juvenile cases, and have concurrent jurisdiction with the superior court in divorce and civil cases involving less than $30,000. A probate court judge is elected in each county.

As of 31 December 2004, a total of 2,024 prisoners were held in Maine's state and federal prisons, an increase from 2,013 of 0.5% from the previous year. As of year-end 2004, a total of 125 inmates were female, up from 124 or 0.8% from the year before. Among sentenced prisoners (one year or more), Maine had an incarceration rate of 148 per 100,000 population in 2004, the lowest in the United States.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Maine in 2004, had a violent crime rate (murder/nonnegligent manslaughter; forcible rape; robbery; aggravated assault) of 103.5 reported incidents per 100,000 population (the second-lowest in the United States after North Dakota), or a total of 1,364 reported incidents. Crimes against property (burglary; larceny/theft; and motor vehicle theft) in that same year totaled 31,740 reported incidents or 2,409.6 reported incidents per 100,000 people. Maine has not had a death penalty since 1887. The state does provide for life without parole.

In 2003, Maine spent $78,866,791 on homeland security, an average of $61 per state resident.

ARMED FORCES

The largest US military installation in Maine is the Naval Air Station at Brunswick, home of a wing of anti-submarine patrol squadrons. Defense Department personnel in Maine totaled 11,051, including 4,535 active military and 5,216 civilians in 2004. State firms received over $1.5 billion in defense contracts in 2004. General Dynamics, a major defense contractor, is one of the state's largest private employers. Its Bath Iron Works division designs and builds complex, technologically advanced naval ships; another division, the Saco Operations, produces armament systems and is a leading producer of small and medium caliber machine guns, and cannon barrels, as well as, a test facility. In addition, another $805 million in defense payroll spending, including retired military pay, was paid out.

There were 143,726 veterans of US military service in Maine as of 2003, of whom 19,904 served in World War II; 16,954 in the Korean conflict; 45,061 during the Vietnam era; and 17,991 during the Gulf War. Expenditures on veterans amounted to some $503 million during 2004.

As of 31 October 2004, the Maine State Police employed 311 full-time sworn officers.

MIGRATION

Throughout the 1600s, 1700s, and early 1800s, Maine's population grew primarily by immigration from elsewhere in New England. About 1830, after agriculture in the state had passed its peak, Maine farmers and woodsmen began moving west. Europeans and French Canadians came to the state, but not in sufficient numbers to offset this steady emigration.

Net losses from migration have continued through most of this century. Between 1940 and 1970, for example, the net loss was 163,000. However, there was a net gain of about 80,000 from 1970 to 1990. From 1980 to 1990, Maine's urban population declined from 47.5% to 44.6% of the state's total. Between 1990 and 1998, the state had a net loss of 15,000 in domestic migration and a net gain of 3,000 in international migration. In 1998, Maine admitted 709 foreign immigrants. Between 1990 and 1998, the State's overall population increased 1.3%. In the period 2000–05, net international migration was 5,004 and net internal migration was 36,804, for a net gain of 41,808 people.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION

Regional agreements in which Maine participates include the Maine-New Hampshire School Compact, which authorizes interstate public school districts. Maine also takes part in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, Interstate Compact for Juveniles, Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Compact; and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control, Corrections Control, Board of Higher Education, and Radiological Health Protection compacts. In fiscal year 2005, Maine received $2.197 billion in federal grants; that figure fell to an estimated $2.125 billion in fiscal year 2006, before rising to an estimated $2.245 billion in fiscal year 2007.

ECONOMY

Maine's greatest economic strengths, as they have been since the beginning of European settlement, are its forests and waters, yielding wood products, water power, fisheries, and ocean commerce. As of 2005, paper manufacturing, for which both forests and water power are essential, was among the largest industries. However, since the 1980s manufacturing employment has dropped; and especially since 1992, services sector and trading sector employment has risen.

Maine's greatest current economic weakness is its limited access to the national transportation network that links major production and manufacturing centers with large metropolitan markets. On the other hand, this relative isolation, combined with the state's traditional natural assets, has contributed to Maine's attractiveness as a place for tourism and recreation. It also meant that the national recession in 2001 largely bypassed Maine's economy because of its limited involvement in the growth fields of information technology and equity venture capitalism. Annual growth in Maine's gross state product, which at 5.9% in both 1998 and 1999, and rising to 6.4% in 2000, did moderate to 3.2% in 2001, but employment had returned to peak levels reached before the recession by mid-2002. Tax revenue shortfalls were also less than other New England states, all more affected by the abrupt decline in capital gains income.

Maine's gross state product in 2004 totaled $43.336 billion, of which real estate was the largest component at $5.821 billion or 13.4% of GSP, followed by manufacturing (durable and nondurable goods) at $5.177 billion (11.9% of GSP), and healthcare and social assistance at $4.554 billion (10.5% of GSP). In that same year, there were an estimated 141,936 small businesses in Maine. Of the 40,304 businesses that had employees, an estimated total of 39,288 or 97.5% were small companies. An estimated 4,300 new businesses were established in the state in 2004, up 6.6% from the year before. Business terminations that same year came to 4,987, up 5.8% from 2003. There were 138 business bankruptcies in 2004, up 31.4% from the previous year. In 2005, the state's personal bankruptcy (Chapter 7 and Chapter 13) filing rate was 352 filings per 100,000 people, ranking Maine as the 44th highest in the nation.

INCOME

In 2005 Maine had a gross state product (GSP) of $45 billion which accounted for 0.4% of the nation's gross domestic product and placed the state at number 44 in highest GSP among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2004 Maine had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $30,046. This ranked 34th in the United States and was 91% of the national average of $33,050. The 1994–2004 average annual growth rate of PCPI was 4.5%. Maine had a total personal income (TPI) of $39,510,398,000, which ranked 41st in the United States and reflected an increase of 6.0% from 2003. The 1994–2004 average annual growth rate of TPI was 5.1%. Earnings of persons employed in Maine increased from $26,649,983,000 in 2003 to $28,240,580,000 in 2004, an increase of 6.0%. The 2003–04 national change was 6.3%.

The US Census Bureau reports that the three-year average median household income for 2002 to 2004 in 2004 dollars was $39,395 compared to a national average of $44,473. During the same period an estimated 12.2% of the population was below the poverty line as compared to 12.4% nationwide.

LABOR

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in April 2006 the seasonally adjusted civilian labor force in Maine numbered 716,300, with approximately 30,000 workers unemployed, yielding an unemployment rate of 4.2%, compared to the national average of 4.7% for the same period. Preliminary data for the same period placed nonfarm employment at 613,300. Since the beginning of the BLS data series in 1976, the highest unemployment rate recorded in Maine was 9% in March 1977. The historical low was 3% in January 2001. Preliminary nonfarm employment data by occupation for April 2006 showed that approximately 5% of the labor force was employed in construction; 9.7% in manufacturing; 20.4% in trade, transportation, and public utilities; 5.5% in financial activities; 8.3% in professional and business services; 18.4% in education and health services; 9.7% in leisure and hospitality services; and 17.1% in government.

The US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2005, a total of 69,000 of Maine's 582,000 employed wage and salary workers were formal members of a union. This represented 11.9% of those so employed, up from 11.3% in 2004, but still below the national average of 12%. Overall in 2005, a total of 79,000 workers (13.6%) in Maine were covered by a union or employee association contract, which includes those workers who reported no union affiliation. Maine is one of 28 states that does not have a right-to-work law.

As of 1 March 2006, Maine had a state-mandated minimum wage rate of $6.50 per hour. In 2004, women in the state accounted for 48.1% of the employed civilian labor force.

AGRICULTURE

Maine's gross farm income in 2005 was $546 million (43rd in the United States). There were 7,200 farms in 2004, with an estimated 1,370,000 acres (554,000 hectares) of land.

Maine's agriculture and food processing industries contribute over $1 billion annually to the state's economy. Maine produces more food crops for human consumption than any other New England state. Maine ranks first in the world in the production of blueberries, producing over 25% of the total blueberry crop and over 50% of the world's wild blueberries. Maine is also home to the largest bio-agricultural firm in the world, which produces breeding stock for the broiler industry worldwide. In New England, Maine ranks first in potato production and second in the production of milk and apples. Nationally, Maine ranks third in maple syrup and seventh in potatoes with 19,220,000 hundredweight. The greenhouse/nursery and wild blueberry sectors have also shown steady growth in total sales since 1990.

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

In 2005, Maine had an estimated 92,000 cattle and calves worth around $101.2 million. Dairy farmers had an estimated 35,000 milk cows, which produced 624 million lb (283.6 million kg) of milk in 2003. Poultry farmers sold an estimated 10.2 million lb (4.6 million kg) of chickens in the same year. South-central Maine is the leading poultry region.

FISHING

Fishing has been important to the economy of Maine since its settlement. In 2004, Maine landings brought a total of 208.4 million lb (84.3 million kg) with a value of $315.8 million (the third highest value in the nation). Rockland and Portland were main ports.

The most valuable Maine fishery product is the lobster. In 2004, Maine led the nation in landings of American lobster for the 23rd consecutive year, with 58.5 million lb (26.6 million kg), valued at $238.5 million. Flounder, halibut, scallops, and shrimp are also caught. Maine also was the leading state in soft clams catch, with 2.4 million lb of meats (1.1 million kg) in 2004. In 2003, there were 35 processing and 176 wholesale plants in the state, with a total of about 1,780 employees. The state commercial fleet in 2001 had 5,836 boats and 1,656 vessels.

In 2004, Maine had 15 trout farms, with sales of $363,000. Maine has nine inland fish hatcheries and hosts two national fish hatcheries. In 2004, there were 270,698 licensed sports fishing participants in the state.

FORESTRY

Maine's 17.7 million acres (7.2 million hectares) of forest in 2003 contained over 3.6 billion trees and covered 90% of the state's land area, the largest percentage for any state in the United States. About 16,952,000 acres (6,860,000 hectares) are classified as commercial timberland, over 96% of it privately owned, and half of that by a dozen large paper companies and land managing corporations. Principal commercial hardwood include ash, hard maple, white and yellow birch, beech, and oak; commercially significant softwoods include white pine, hemlock, cedar, spruce, and fir. Total lumber production in 2004 was 964 million board feet, of which 86% was softwood.

MINING

According to preliminary data from the US Geological Survey (USGS), the estimated value of nonfuel mineral production by Maine in 2003 was $100 million, only a marginal increase from 2002.

Construction minerals and materials accounted for the bulk of the state's nonfuel mineral output, by value, in 2003. According to the USGS, construction sand and gravel, and crushed stone collectively accounted for around 65% of the state's nonfuel mineral output, by value that year. According to the preliminary data, Maine produced 9.3 million metric tons of construction sand and gravel, with a value of $39.1 million, while crushed stone output stood at 4.4 million metric tons and was valued at $26 million. Portland cement and dimension granite were also important nonfuel mineral commodities produced in Maine that same year.

In 2003, Maine was ranked 12th among the 50 states in the production of gemstones by value ($262,000), according to the USGS data.

ENERGY AND POWER

As of 2003, Maine had 29 electrical power service providers, of which 4 were publicly owned and 3 were cooperatives. Of the remainder, one was investor owned, two were owners of independent generators that sold directly to customers, fourteen were generation-only suppliers and five were delivery-only providers. As of that same year there were 760,859 retail customers. Of that total, energy only suppliers had 748,446 customers, while only 33 received their power from investor-owned service providers. Cooperatives accounted for 2,402 customers, and publicly owned providers had 9,976 customers. There were only two independent generator or "facility" customers. There was no customer data on delivery-only service providers.

Total net summer generating capability by the state's electrical generating plants in 2003 stood at 4.285 million kW, with total production that same year at 18.971 billion kWh. Of the total amount generated, all of it (100%) came from independent producers and combined heat and power service providers. The largest portion of all electric power generated, 9.438 billion kWh (49.8%), came from natural gas fired plants, with plants using other renewable sources in second place with 3.909 billion kWh (20.6%) and hydroelectric plants in third place at 3.172 billion kWh (16.7%). Petroleum and coal fueled power plants accounted for 10.1% and 2% of all power generated, respectively, while "other" types of generating facilities accounted for 0.8%.

Maine no longer generates electricity through nuclear power. Citing economic and regulatory concerns, the owners of Maine's only nuclear power plant, the Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company plant in Wicasset, was shut down in 1997, and as of 2003 it was being dismantled and the site restored for other uses.

With no proven reserves or production of crude oil, coal or natural gas, all these products, must be imported into the state from either abroad or from other states. Natural gas is piped into the southwest corner of the state, and is available in Portland and the Lewiston-Auburn area.

INDUSTRY

Manufacturing in Maine has always been dependent upon the forests. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the staples of Maine industry were shipbuilding and lumber; as of 2005, papermaking and wood products, footwear, textiles and apparel, shipbuilding, and electronic components and accessories are all important industries.

Maine has the largest paper-production capacity of any state in the nation. There are large paper mills and pulp mills in more than a dozen towns and cities. As of 2004, wood-related industries—paper, lumber, wood products—accounted for about 25% of the value of all manufactured product shipments by value.

According to the US Census Bureau's Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) for 2004, Maine's manufacturing sector covered some 16 product subsectors. The shipment value of all products manufactured in the state that same year was $13.656 billion. Of that total, paper manufacturing accounted for the largest share at $3.601 billion. It was followed by transportation equipment manufacturing at $2.019 billion; food manufacturing at $1.623 billion; wood and paper product manufacturing at $1.240 billion; computer and electronic product manufacturing at $760.719 million; and fabricated metal product manufacturing at $710.573 million.

In 2004, a total of 57,901 people in Maine were employed in the state's manufacturing sector, according to the ASM. Of that total, 42,472 were actual production workers. In terms of total employment, the transportation equipment manufacturing industry accounted for the largest portion of all manufacturing employees at 9,005, with 6,618 actual production workers. It was followed by paper manufacturing at 8,454 employees (6,800 actual production workers); food manufacturing at 7,708 employees (5,206 actual production workers); wood product manufacturing at 5,700 employees (4,452 actual production workers); and fabricated metal product manufacturing with 3,996 employees (2,978 actual production workers).

ASM data for 2004 showed that Maine's manufacturing sector paid $2.316 billion in wages. Of that amount, the paper manufacturing sector accounted for the largest share at $489.690 million. It was followed by transportation equipment manufacturing at $373.078 million; food manufacturing at $251.645 million; wood product manufacturing at $183.615 million; and computer and electronic product manufacturing at $167.160 million.

COMMERCE

According to the 2002 Census of Wholesale Trade, Maine's wholesale trade sector had sales that year totaling $10.3 billion from 1,669 establishments. Wholesalers of durable goods accounted for 927 establishments, followed by nondurable goods wholesalers at 662 and electronic markets, agents, and brokers accounting for 80 establishments. Sales by durable goods wholesalers in 2002 totaled $3 billion, while wholesalers of nondurable goods saw sales of $6.7 billion. Electronic markets, agents, and brokers in the wholesale trade industry had sales of $584.3 million.

In the 2002 Census of Retail Trade, Maine was listed as having 7,050 retail establishments with sales of $16.05 billion. The leading types of retail businesses by number of establishments were: miscellaneous store retailers (943); food and beverage stores (940); gasoline stations (893); clothing and clothing accessories stores (636); and building materials/garden equipment and supplies dealers (635). In terms of sales, motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts dealers accounted for the largest share of retail sales at $3.7 billion, followed by food and beverage stores at $2.7 billion; general merchandise stores at $1.9 billion; gasoline stations at $1.49 billion; and building material/garden equipment and supplies dealers at $1.40 billion. A total of 80,251 people were employed by the retail sector in Maine that year.

Maine has shipping facilities located in Portland, Searsport, and Eastport. Exports from Maine totaled $2.3 billion in 2005. Maine's largest trading partners are Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and the UK.

CONSUMER PROTECTION

Consumer protection issues in Maine are handled by the state's Attorney General's Office and the Bureau of Financial Institutions. Under the Attorney General's Office are the Consumer Protection Division and the Office of Credit Regulation. The Consumer Protection Division is responsible for the protection of consumers through enforcement of a wide variety of laws including Maine's Unfair Trade Practices Act, and the state's merger statute, the Mini-Sherman Act. The Division also provides a consumer mediation service under its Consumer Mediation Program, which uses volunteer mediators to resolve disputes between businesses and consumers.

The second department is the Office of Consumer Credit Regulation which was established in 1974 to protect state residents from unjust and misleading consumer credit practices, particularly in relation to the federal Truth-in-Lending Act. The agency also administers state laws regulating collection agencies, credit reporting agencies, mortgage companies, loan brokers, rent-to-own companies, pawn brokers, money order issuers, check cashers, and money transmitters.

However, consumer complaints regarding credit cards and banks are the responsibility of the Bureau of Financial Institution's Consumer Outreach Program.

When dealing with consumer protection issues, the state's Attorney General's Office can initiate civil and criminal proceedings; represent the state before state and federal regulatory agencies; administer consumer protection and education programs; and exercise broad subpoena powers. In antitrust actions, the Attorney General's Office can act on behalf of those consumers who are incapable of acting on their own; initiate damage actions on behalf of the state in state courts; and initiate criminal proceedings. However, the Attorney General cannot represent counties, cities and other governmental entities in recovering civil damages under state or federal law.

The Office of Consumer Credit Regulation and the Consumer Protection Division are both located in Augusta.

BANKING

As of June 2005, Maine had 37 insured banks, savings and loans, and saving banks, plus 12 state-chartered and 63 federally chartered credit unions (CUs). Excluding the CUs, the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford market area accounted for the largest portion of the state's financial institutions and deposits in 2004, with 22 institutions and $8.021 billion in deposits. As of June 2005, CUs accounted for 7.9% of all assets held by all financial institutions in the state, or some $3.974 billion. Banks, savings and loans, and savings banks collectively accounted for the remaining 92.1% or $46.590 billion in assets held.

Regulation of Maine's state-chartered banks is the responsibility of the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation's Bureau of Banking.

INSURANCE

In 2004 there were 583,000 individual life insurance policies in force with a total value of about $43.8 billion; total value for all categories of life insurance (individual, group, and credit) was about $81 billion. The average coverage amount is $75,200 per policy holder. Death benefits paid that year totaled at about $197.4 million.

In 2003, there were 2 life and health and 23 property and casualty insurance companies were domiciled in the state. In 2004, direct premiums for property and casualty insurance totaled $1.89 billion. That year, there were 7,064 flood insurance policies in force in the state, with a total value of 1 billion.

In 2004, 51% of state residents held employment-based health insurance policies, 4% held individual policies, and 10% of residents were uninsured. In 2003, employee contributions for employment-based health coverage averaged at 18% for single coverage and 28% for family coverage. The state offers a 12-month health benefits expansion program for small-firm employees in connection with the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA, 1986), a health insurance program for those who lose employment-based coverage due to termination or reduction of work hours.

In 2003, there were 979.487 auto insurance policies in effect for private passenger cars. Required minimum coverage includes bodily injury liability of up to $50,000 per individual and $100,000 for all persons injured in an accident, as well as property damage liability of $25,000. Uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance are also mandatory. In 2003, the average expenditure per vehicle for insurance coverage was $630.79.

SECURITIES

There are no securities or commodities exchanges in Maine. In 2005, there were 300 personal financial advisers employed in the state and 850 securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents. In 2004, there were at least sixteen publicly traded companies within the state, with seven NASDAQ companies, two NYSE listings, and four AMEX listings. In 2006, the state had one Fortune 500 company, Energy East, locate in New Gloucester. Listed on the NYSE, Energy East was 405 on the list of 500 largest companies in the nation, with revenues in excess of $5.2 billion.

PUBLIC FINANCE

Maine's biennial budget is prepared by the Bureau of the Budget, within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, and submitted by the governor to the Legislature for consideration. The fiscal year (FY) extends from 1 July to 30 June.

Fiscal year 2006 general funds were estimated at $2.8 billion for resources and $2.8 billion for expenditures. In fiscal year 2004, federal government grants to Maine were $2.7 billion.

On 5 January 2006 the federal government released $100 million in emergency contingency funds targeted to the areas with the greatest need, including $1.6 million for Maine.

TAXATION

In 2005, Maine collected $3,071 million in tax revenues or $2,323 per capita, which placed it 19th among the 50 states in per capita tax burden. The national average was $2,192 per capita. Property taxes accounted for 1.4% of the total, sales taxes 30.4%, selective sales taxes 13.9%, individual income taxes 42.3%, corporate income taxes 4.4%, and other taxes 7.5%.

As of 1 January 2006, Maine had four individual income tax brackets ranging from 2.0 to 8.5%. The state taxes corporations at rates ranging from 3.5 to 8.93% depending on tax bracket.

In 2004, state and local property taxes amounted to $2,099,394,000 or $1,596 per capita. The per capita amount ranks the state sixth-highest nationally. Local governments collected $2,054,086,000 of the total and the state government $45,308,000.

Maine taxes retail sales at a rate of 5%. Food purchased for consumption off-premises is tax exempt. The tax on cigarettes is 200 cents per pack, which ranks fourth among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Maine taxes gasoline at 25.9 cents per gallon. This is in addition to the 18.4 cents per gallon federal tax on gasoline.

According to the Tax Foundation, for every federal tax dollar sent to Washington in 2004, Maine citizens received $1.40 in federal spending.

ECONOMIC POLICY

The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) encourages industrial and recreational projects by insuring mortgage loans, selling tax-exempt bonds to aid industrial development and natural-resource enterprises, authorizing municipalities to issue such revenue bonds, and guaranteeing loans to small businesses, veterans, and natural-resource enterprises. The Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), created in 1987, provides technical, financial, training, and marketing assistance for existing Maine businesses and companies interested in establishing operations in the state. The DECD offers programs in the areas of business development, international trade, tourism, film, and community development. Pine Tree Development Zone (PTDZ) legislation was enacted in 2003 and amended in 2005. The initiative supports new "qualified business activity" in Maine by offering manufacturers, financial service businesses, and targeted technology companies the chance to greatly reduce, or in some cases, virtually eliminate state taxes for up to 10 years.

HEALTH

The infant mortality rate in October 2005 was estimated at 6.1 per 1,000 live births. The birth rate in 2003 was 10.6 per 1,000 population, the lowest rate in the country for that year. The abortion rate stood at 9.9 per 1,000 women in 2000. In 2003, about 87.5% of pregnant woman received prenatal care beginning in the first trimester. In 2004, approximately 82% of children received routine immunizations before the age of three.

The crude death rate in 2003 was 9.6 deaths per 1,000 population. As of 2002, the death rates for major causes of death (per 100,000 resident population) were: heart disease, 244.9; cancer, 247.7; cerebrovascular diseases, 63.6; chronic lower respiratory diseases, 61.1; and diabetes, 31.2. Maine had the second-highest cancer death rate in the nation, following West Virginia. The mortality rate from HIV infection was not available. In 2004, the reported AIDS case rate was at about 4.6 per 100,000 population. In 2002, about 55.9% of the population was considered overweight or obese. As of 2004, about 20.9% of state residents were smokers.

In 2003, Maine had 37 community hospitals with about 3,700 beds. There were about 149,000 patient admissions that year and 6.5 million outpatient visits. The average daily inpatient census was about 2,200 patients. The average cost per day for hospital care was $1,416. Also in 2003, there were about 119 certified nursing facilities in the state with 7,552 beds and an overall occupancy rate of about 92.1%. In 2004, it was estimated that about 69.6% of all state residents had received some type of dental care within the year. Maine had 302 physicians per 100,000 resident population in 2004 and 1,009 nurses per 100,000 in 2005. In 2004, there were a total of 629 dentists in the state.

In 2003, Maine ranked first in the nation for the highest percentage of residents on Medicaid at 29%. In 2004, the state had the second-highest percentage of residents on Medicare at 18%. Approximately 10% of the state population was uninsured in 2004. In 2003, state health care expenditures totaled $2.1 million.

SOCIAL WELFARE

In 2004, about 33,000 people received unemployment benefits, with the average weekly unemployment benefit at $235. In fiscal year 2005, the estimated average monthly participation in the food stamp program included about 152,910 persons (78,170 households); the average monthly benefit was about $88.40 per person. That year, the total of benefits paid through the state for the food stamp program was about $162.2 million.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the system of federal welfare assistance that officially replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) in 1997, was reauthorized through the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. TANF is funded through federal block grants that are divided among the states based on an equation involving the number of recipients in each state. Maine's TANF work program is called Additional Support for People in Retraining and Employment (ASPIRE). In 2004, the state program had 27,000 recipients; state and federal expenditures on this TANF program totaled $87 million in fiscal year 2003.

Despite Maine's relatively low personal income and large proportion of residents below the poverty level, welfare payments per capita generally fall short of the national norms. In December 2004, Social Security benefits were paid to 265,470 Maine residents. This number included 160,320 retired workers, 25,390 widows and widowers, 43,580 disabled workers, 13,590 spouses, and 22,590 children. Social Security beneficiaries represented 20.2% of the total state population and 95.3% of the state's population age 65 and older. Retired workers received an average monthly payment of $882; widows and widowers, $856; disabled workers, $819; and spouses, $444. Payments for children of retired workers averaged $451 per month; children of deceased workers, $630; and children of disabled workers, $231. Federal Supplemental Security Income payments in December 2004 went to 31,641 Maine residents, averaging $364 a month. An additional $615,000 of state-administered supplemental payments were distributed to 32,557 residents.

HOUSING

Housing for Maine families has improved substantially since 1960, when the federal census categorized 57,000 of Maine's 364,650 housing units as deteriorated or dilapidated. Between 1970 and 1989, over 200,000 new units were built. However, as of 2004, about 31.7% of the entire housing stock was built in 1939 or earlier.

There were an estimated 676,667 housing units in Maine in 2004. Approximately 534,412 of the total units were occupied, with 72.9% being owner-occupied. About 68.9% of all units are single-family, detached homes. Fuel oils and kerosene are the primary heating fuel for most units. It was estimated that 12,214 units lacked telephone service, 3,771 lacked complete plumbing facilities, and 3,336 lacked complete kitchen facilities. The average household had 2.39 members.

In 2004, 8,800 privately owned units were authorized for construction. The median home value is $143,182. The median monthly cost for mortgage owners was $1,020. Renters paid a median of $582 per month. In September 2005, the state received grants of $548,824 from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for rural housing and economic development programs. For 2006, HUD allocated to the state over $14 million in community development block grants.

EDUCATION

In 2004, 87.1% of Maine residents age 25 and older were high school graduates; 24.2% had obtained a bachelor's degree or higher.

The total enrollment for fall 2002 in Maine's public schools stood at 204,000. Of these, 142,000 attended schools from kindergarten through grade eight, and 63,000 attended high school. Approximately 95.8% of the students were white, 1.7% were black, 0.8% were Hispanic, 1.2% were Asian/Pacific Islander, and 0.5% were American Indian/Alaskan Native. Total enrollment was estimated at 200,000 in fall 2003 and expected to be 178,000 by fall 2014, a decline of 12.8% during the period 2002 to 2014. In fall 2003 there were 20,696 students enrolled in 151 private schools. Expenditures for public education in 2003/04 were estimated at $2.2 billion or $9,534 per student. Since 1969, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has tested public school students nationwide. The resulting report, The Nation's Report Card, stated that in 2005 eighth graders in Maine scored 281 out of 500 in mathematics compared with the national average of 278.

As of fall 2002, there were 63,308 students enrolled in institutions of higher education; minority students comprised 4.9% of total postsecondary enrollment. As of 2005 Maine had 30 degree-granting institutions. Since 1968, the state's public colleges and universities have been incorporated into a single University of Maine System. The original land grant campus is at Orono; the other major campus in the system is the University of Southern Maine at Portland and Gorham. The state also operates the Maine Maritime Academy at Castine and the Maine Technical College System, comprised of seven technical colleges. Of the state's private colleges and professional schools, Bowdoin College in Bruns-wick, Colby College in Waterville, and Bates College in Lewiston are the best known.

ARTS

Maine has long held an attraction for painters and artists, Win-slow Homer and Andrew Wyeth among them. The state abounds in summer theaters, the oldest and most famous of which is at Ogunquit. The Ogunquit Playhouse is one of the nation's leading summer theaters and in 2006 it celebrated its 74th anniversary. The Portland Symphony (est. 1923) is Maine's leading orchestra and is recognized as one of the nation's top orchestras of its size. Augusta and Bangor also host symphonies. The Maine State Ballet Company is based in Westbrook. The Portland Ballet is also well known in the state. The Bossov Ballet Theatre in Pittsfield is part of a boarding school for high school students looking for rigorous preprofessional training in dance. In 2001, the Maine Grand Opera Company gave its first performances, at the Camden Opera House. There are many local theater groups.

The Arcady Summer Music Festival (est. 1980) specializes in chamber music performances. The annual Bowdoin Summer Music Festival (est. 1964), presented at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, provides programs for over 200 students—ranging from high school to graduate studies—annually.

In 1979, Maine became the first state to allow inheritance taxes to be paid with qualified artworks. The Maine Arts Commission is an independent state agency funded in part by the Maine State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts. The state Department of Educational and Cultural Services has an Arts and Humanities Bureau that provides funds to artists in residence, Maine touring artists, and community arts councils. In 2005, the Maine Arts Commission and other Maine arts organizations received 20 grants totaling $956,826 from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funds are provided from the state and other private sources.

The Maine Humanities Council (MHC), founded in 1975, provides support to approximately 100 nonprofit art organizations each year. In 2004, MHC awarded 87 grants to 81 organizations throughout the state. Several ongoing reading programs sponsored in part by MHC include "Born to Read," for children and youth; "New Books, New Readers," for adult learners; and "Let's Talk About It," for adult readers. In 2005, the state received 10 grants totaling $1,021,426 from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS

For the calendar year 2001, Maine had 273 public library systems, with a total of 280 libraries, of which there were seven branches. In that same year, the system had 5,891,000 volumes of books and serial publications, and a combined total circulation of 8,155,000. The system also had 126,000 audio and 135,000 video items, and 2,000 electronic format items (CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, and disks). Leading libraries and their book holdings in 1998 included the Maine State Library at Augusta (150,000 volumes), Bowdoin College at Brunswick (901,589), and the University of Maine School of Law (300,000). In 2001, operating income for the state's public library system was $27,985,000, which included $$1,000 in federal grants and $174,000 in state grants.

Maine has at least 121 museums and historic sites. The Maine State Museum in Augusta houses collections in history, natural history, anthropology, marine studies, mineralogy, science, and technology. The privately supported Maine Historical Society in Portland maintains a research library and the Wadsworth Longfellow House, the boyhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The largest of several maritime museums is in Bath.

COMMUNICATIONS

In 2004, 96.6% of occupied housing units had telephones. In addition, by June of that same year there were 610,533 mobile wireless telephone subscribers. In 2003, 67.8% of Maine households had a computer and 57.9% had Internet access. By June 2005, there were 176,816 high-speed lines in Maine, 165,428 residential and 11,388 for business.

Maine had 33 major commercial radio stations (5 AM, 28 FM) in 2005, along with 11 major television stations. Educational television stations broadcast from Bangor, Calais, Lewiston, Portland, and Presque Isle. By 2000, a total of 25,583 Internet domain names had been registered in Maine.

PRESS

Maine had seven daily newspapers in 2005 and four papers with Sunday editions.

The most widely read newspapers with approximate 2005 circulation numbers are as follows:

Regional interest magazines include Maine Times and Down East.

ORGANIZATIONS

In 2006, there were over 2,300 nonprofit organizations registered within the state, of which about 1,660 were registered as charitable, educational, or religious organizations. Among the organizations with headquarters in Maine are the Maine Potato Council (Presque Isle), the Maine Lobstermen's Association (Stonington), the Wild Blueberry Association of North America (Bar Harbor), and the Potato Association of America (Orono).

State and local organizations for arts and education include the Bluegrass Music Association of Maine, Maine Arts Commission, the Maine Folklife Center, the Maine Historical Society, the Maine Humanities Council, Maine Preservation, and the National Poetry Foundation, based at the University of Maine. There are a number of smaller local arts organizations and municipal and regional historical societies as well.

TOURISM, TRAVEL, AND RECREATION

In 2004, the state of Maine hosted 43 million travelers who spent $13.6 billion. About 34 million travelers were on day trips throughout the state, with nearly 71% of tourist activity involved out-of-state travelers. There were 8.9 million overnight trips. Tourism generated 176,600 jobs and created $3.8 billion in revenue. Though Maine is a year-round resort destination, 59% of travelers arrive during the months of July, August, and September. Sightseeing and outdoor activities are the primary tourist attractions.

In the summer, the southern coast offers sandy beaches, icy surf, and several small harbors for sailing and saltwater fishing. Northeastward, the scenery becomes more rugged and spectacular, and sailing and hiking are the primary activities. Hundreds of lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams offer opportunities for freshwater bathing, boating, and fishing. Whitewater canoeing lures the adventurous along the Allagash Wilderness Waterway in northern Maine. Maine has always attracted hunters, especially during the fall deer season. Wintertime recreation facilities include nearly 60 ski areas and countless opportunities for cross-country skiing.

There are 12 state parks and beaches. Baxter State Park in central Maine includes Mount Katahdin. Acadia National Park is a popular attraction, along with other wildlife areas, refuges, and forests. Aroostook, Maine's largest and northernmost county, has five state parks. The state fair is held at Bangor. The Acadia area features Acadia National Park and the site of Campobello, Franklin Delano Roosevelt's summer home. The area containing the Kennebec and Moose rivers and Lake George has three state parks. Kennebunkport on the southern coast is the site of the family home of President George H. W. Bush. Route 1, between Kittery and Fort Kent, has the largest three-dimensional model of the solar system in the world.

SPORTS

Maine has no major professional sports teams. The Portland Pirates (a minor league hockey team) of the American Hockey League play on their home ice at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland. Minor league baseball's Sea Dogs of the Double-A Eastern League play their games at Hadlock Field, which opened in 1994. Harness racing is held at Scarborough Downs and other tracks and fairgrounds throughout the state. Sailing is a popular participant sport with a Windsummer Festival held each July at Boothbay Harbor and a Retired Skippers Race at Castine in August. Joan Benoit-Samuelson, famous distance runner during the 1980s, was born in Cape Elizabeth.

FAMOUS MAINERS

The highest federal officeholders born in Maine were Hannibal Hamlin (1809–91), the nation's first Republican vice president, under Abraham Lincoln, and Nelson A. Rockefeller (1908–79), governor of New York State from 1959 to 1973 and US vice president under Gerald Ford. James G. Blaine (b.Pennsylvania, 1830–93), a lawyer and politician, served 13 years as a US representative from Maine and a term in the Senate; on his third try, he won the Republican presidential nomination in 1884 but lost to Grover Cleveland, later serving as secretary of state (1889–92) under Benjamin Harrison. Edmund S. Muskie (1914–96), leader of the Democratic revival in Maine in the 1950s, followed two successful terms as governor with 21 years in the Senate until appointed secretary of state by President Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Other conspicuous state and national officeholders have included Rufus King (1755–1827), a member of the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention and US minister to Great Britain; William King (1768–1852), leader of the movement for Maine statehood and the state's first governor; Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, (1828–1914), Civil War hero and four-term governor who established the college that eventually became the University of Maine; Thomas Bracket Reed (1839–1902), longtime speaker of the US House of Representatives; and Margaret Chase Smith (1897–1995), who served longer in the US Senate—24 years—than any other woman.

Names prominent in Maine's colonial history include those of Sir Ferdinando Gorges (b.England, 1566–1647), the founder and proprietor of the colony; Sir William Phips (1651–95), who became the first American knight for his recovery of a Spanish treasure, later serving as royal governor of Massachusetts; and Sir William Pepperrell (1696–1759), who led the successful New England expedition against Louisburg in 1745, for which he became the first American-born baronet.

Maine claims a large number of well-known reformers and humanitarians: Dorothea Lynde Dix (1802–87), who led the movement for hospitals for the insane; Elijah Parish Lovejoy (1802–37), an abolitionist killed while defending his printing press from a proslavery mob in St. Louis, Missouri; Neal Dow (1804–97), who drafted and secured passage of the Maine prohibition laws of 1846 and 1851, later served as a Civil War general, and ran for president on the Prohibition Party ticket in 1880; and Harriet Beecher Stowe (b.Connecticut, 1811–96), whose Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) was written in Maine.

Other important writers include poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82), born in Portland while Maine was still part of Massachusetts; humorist Artemus Ward (Charles Farrar Browne, 1834–67); Sarah Orne Jewett (1849–1909), novelist and short-story writer; Kate Douglas Wiggin (1856–1923), author of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm; Kenneth Roberts (1885–1957), historical novelist; and Robert Peter Tristram Coffin (1892–1955), poet, essayist, and novelist. Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869–1935) and Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892–1950) were both Pulitzer Prize-winning poets, and novelist Marguerite Yourcenar (b.Belgium, 1903–87), a resident of Mt. Desert Island, became in 1980 the first woman ever elected to the Académie Française. Winslow Homer (b.Massachusetts, 1836–1910) had a summer home at Prouts Neck, where he painted many of his seascapes.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alampi, Gary (ed.). Gale State Rankings Reporter. Detroit: Gale Research, Inc., 1994.

Beem, Edgar Allen. Maine: the Spirit of America. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2000.

Goulka, Jeremiah E. (ed.). The Grand Old Man of Maine: Selected Letters of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, 1865–1914. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2004.

Churchill, Edwin A., Joel W. Eastman, and Richard W. Judd (eds.). Maine: The Pine Tree State from Prehistory to the Present. Orono: University of Maine Press, 1995.

Cities of the United States. 5th ed. Farmington Hills: Thomson Gale, 2005.

Council of State Governments. The Book of the States, 2006 Edition. Lexington, Ky.: Council of State Governments, 2006.

FDIC, Division of Research and Statistics. Statistics on Banking: A Statistical Profile of the United States Banking Industry. Washington, D.C.: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 1993.

McAuliffe, Emily. Maine Facts and Symbols. New York: Hilltop Books, 2000.

Palmer, Kenneth T. Maine Politics & Government. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1992.

Parker, Carol Mason. Maine. Uhrichsville, Ohio: Barbour Publishing, 2005.

Potholm, Christian P. This Splendid Game: Maine Campaigns and Elections, 1940–2002. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books, 2003.

Smith, David C. Studies in the Land: The Northeast Corner. New York: Routledge, 2002.

US Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, US Census Bureau. Maine, 2000. Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics: 2000 Census of Population and Housing. Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office, 2003.

US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Digest of Education Statistics, 1993. Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office, 1993.

US Department of the Interior, US Fish and Wildlife Service. Endangered and Threatened Species Recovery Program. Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office, 1990.

Maine

■ ANDOVER COLLEGE O-3

901 Washington Ave.
Portland, ME 04103-2791

Tel: (207)774-6126

Free: 800-639-3110
Fax: (207)774-1715
Web Site: http://www.andovercollege.com/

Description:

Proprietary, 2-year, coed. Awards certificates and terminal associate degrees. Founded 1966. Setting: 2-acre urban campus. Total enrollment: 502. 103 applied, 100% were admitted. Students come from 4 states and territories, 3 other countries, 70% 25 or older. Core. Calendar: modular. Academic remediation for entering students, independent study, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, adult/continuing education programs, co-op programs and internships.

Entrance Requirements:

Open admission. Options: Common Application, early admission, deferred admission. Required: high school transcript. Recommended: interview. Entrance: noncompetitive. Application deadline: Rolling.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Social organizations: 9 open to all. Most popular organizations: Student Advisors, Andover Computer, Student Advisors Group, Andover Student Medical Assistants, C.O.P.S. Major annual events: Campus Day, Career Day, Awards Banquet. Student services: personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices. College housing not available. Andover Library with 6,500 books, 110 serials, and 59 audiovisual materials. 100 computers available on campus for general student use. Staffed computer lab on campus.

Community Environment:

Portland, located just two hours north of Boston, lies in the southern part of Maine. Southern Maine is home to some of the country's best-known companies including L.L. Bean, UNUM Insurance, J.J. Nissen Bakery, and Hannaford Brothers. These companies combine with the shipping and fishing industries to give Portland a vibrant and thriving economy. Portland also boasts some of the finest restaurants on the east coast and has a unique and charming shopping district in the old city. The city is home to a championship minor league hockey team, The Portland Pirates, an affiliate of the Washington Capitals, and one of the minor league's most successful baseball teams, The Portland Sea Dogs, an affiliate of the Florida Marlins. Portland also has a highly regarded art museum, professional stage and dance companies, public recreation facilities, and breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean. Portland is easily accessible by car, plane, or bus.

■ BATES COLLEGE M-4

Andrews Rd.
Lewiston, ME 04240-6028

Tel: (207)786-6255
Admissions: (207)786-6000
Fax: (207)786-6025

E-mail: admissions@bates.edu
Web Site: http://www.bates.edu/

Description:

Independent, 4-year, coed. Awards bachelor's degrees. Founded 1855. Setting: 109-acre small town campus. Endowment: $207.5 million. Research spending for 2004 fiscal year: $622,437. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $16,100 per student. Total enrollment: 1,730. Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 10:1. 4,356 applied, 29% were admitted. 57% from top 10% of their high school class, 91% from top quarter, 99% from top half. Full-time: 1,699 students, 51% women, 49% men. Part-time: 31 students, 58% women, 42% men. Students come from 48 states and territories, 72 other countries, 88% from out-of-state, 0.4% Native American, 2% Hispanic, 3% black, 4% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 5% international, 0.3% 25 or older, 90% live on campus. Retention: 94% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: social sciences; psychology; biological/life sciences. Core. Calendar: 4-4-1. Services for LD students, advanced placement, accelerated degree program, self-designed majors, honors program, independent study, double major, co-op programs and internships. Off campus study at American University, Williams College (Mystic Seaport Program), McGill University, Washington and Lee University, Morehouse College, Spelman College. Study abroad program.

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early admission, early decision, deferred admission, international baccalaureate accepted. Required: essay, high school transcript, 3 recommendations. Recommended: interview. Entrance: most difficult. Application deadlines: 1/1, 1/1 for nonresidents, 11/15 for early decision plan 1, 1/1 for early decision plan 2. Notification: 3/31, 3/31 for nonresidents, 12/20 for early decision plan 1, 2/15 for early decision plan 2.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $60. Comprehensive fee: $42,100.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, student-run newspaper, radio station. Social organizations: 91 open to all. Most popular organizations: Representative Assembly, International Club, Outing Club (outdoor recreation), student radio station, The Student (newspaper). Major annual events: Winter Carnival, Triad, St. Patrick's Day Puddle Jump. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling, women's center. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, student patrols, late night transport-escort service, controlled dormitory access. 1,592 college housing spaces available; 1,524 were occupied in 2003-04. Freshmen guaranteed college housing. On-campus residence required in freshman year. Options: coed, men-only, women-only housing available. Ladd Library plus 1 other with 588,211 books, 298,706 microform titles, 25,674 serials, 31,656 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $3.3 million. 1,150 computers available on campus for general student use. Computer purchase/lease plans available. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

Community Environment:

The second largest city in state, Lewiston is Maine's leading textile center. It is located on the Androscoggin River at Twin Falls, directly opposite the city of Auburn. Minimum-maximum temperatures are 0-50 degrees in the winter and 50-90 degrees in the summer. Commercial transportation is available via air and bus. The city has several churches, Ys, a public library, two hospitals, several movie theaters, and hotels and motels.

■ BEAL COLLEGE K-8

629 Main St.
Bangor, ME 04401-6896

Tel: (207)947-4591
Web Site: http://www.bealcollege.edu/

Description:

Proprietary, 2-year, coed. Awards certificates, diplomas, and terminal associate degrees. Founded 1891. Setting: 4-acre small town campus. Total enrollment: 373. Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 16:1. Full-time: 239 students, 85% women, 15% men. Part-time: 134 students, 85% women, 15% men. Students come from 2 states and territories, 0% from out-of-state, 1% Native American, 1% Hispanic, 1% black, 0% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 0% international, 54% 25 or older. Core. Calendar: modular. Academic remediation for entering students, advanced placement, accelerated degree program, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, adult/continuing education programs, internships.

Entrance Requirements:

Open admission. Option: deferred admission. Required: high school transcript. Recommended: interview. Entrance: noncompetitive. Application deadline: Rolling.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Student-run newspaper. Most popular organizations: Sophomore Travel Club, Freshman Travel Club, yearbook staff. Major annual events: Holiday Hop, Spring Fling, Christmas Buffet. College housing not available. Beal College Library with 7,275 books, 100 serials, and a Web page. 85 computers available on campus for general student use.

■ BOWDOIN COLLEGE N-4

5000 College Station
Brunswick, ME 04011

Tel: (207)725-3000
Admissions: (207)725-3958
Fax: (207)725-3003

E-mail: admissions@bowdoin.edu
Web Site: http://www.bowdoin.edu/

Description:

Independent, 4-year, coed. Awards bachelor's degrees. Founded 1794. Setting: 200-acre small town campus with easy access to Portland. Endowment: $578.2 million. Research spending for 2004 fiscal year: $2 million. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $20,262 per student. Total enrollment: 1,666. Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 10:1. 5,026 applied, 25% were admitted. 23 National Merit Scholars, 44 valedictorians. Full-time: 1,661 students, 50% women, 50% men. Part-time: 5 students, 80% women, 20% men. Students come from 49 states and territories, 29 other countries, 87% from out-of-state, 1% Native American, 7% Hispanic, 6% black, 12% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 3% international, 1% 25 or older, 93% live on campus, 0.5% transferred in. Retention: 97% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: social sciences; foreign languages and literature; biological/life sciences. Core. Calendar: semesters. Services for LD students, advanced placement, accelerated degree program, self-designed majors, independent study, double major. Off campus study at Twelve College Exchange Program. Study abroad program.

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early decision, deferred admission, international baccalaureate accepted. Required: essay, high school transcript, 3 recommendations. Recommended: interview. Entrance: most difficult. Application deadlines: 1/1, 11/15 for early decision plan 1, 1/1 for early decision plan 2. Notification: 4/5, 12/31 for early decision plan 1, 2/15 for early decision plan 2.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $60. Comprehensive fee: $41,660 includes full-time tuition ($32,650), mandatory fees ($340), and college room and board ($8670). College room only: $3900. Room and board charges vary according to board plan.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, student-run newspaper, radio station. Social organizations: 109 open to all. Most popular organizations: Outing Club, men's and women's rugby, volunteer programs, Ballroom Dance Club, Campus Activities Board. Major annual events: Common Good Day, Spring Gala, Winter's Weekend. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling, women's center. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, student patrols, late night transport-escort service, controlled dormitory access, self-defense education, whistle program. 1,597 college housing spaces available; 1,564 were occupied in 2003-04. Freshmen guaranteed college housing. On-campus residence required through sophomore year. Option: coed housing available. Hawthorne-Longfellow Library plus 6 others with 981,074 books, 110,537 microform titles, 5,665 serials, 21,992 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $4.5 million. 400 computers available on campus for general student use. Computer purchase/lease plans available. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

Community Environment:

Brunswick, a community of 20,500, is located within brief driving distance of several fine beaches and summer resort areas; skiing is available in winter. There are excellent highways and airline service to Portland, only 26 miles away. The area has several excellent motels. The town has a public library, Maine State Music Theatre, which features Broadway musicals each summer, and churches of many denominations, shopping centers and movie theaters; good restaurants. Recreational facilities include golf, hunting, boating, fishing, skiing, biking, backpacking, and other sports.

■ CENTRAL MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE M-4

1250 Turner St.
Auburn, ME 04210-6498

Tel: (207)755-5100

Free: 800-891-2002
Admissions: (207)755-5334
Fax: (207)755-5491

E-mail: admissions@cmtc.mtcs.tec.me.us
Web Site: http://www.cmcc.edu/

Description:

State-supported, 2-year, coed. Part of Maine Technical College System. Awards certificates, diplomas, transfer associate, and terminal associate degrees. Founded 1964. Setting: 135-acre small town campus. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $5515 per student. Total enrollment: 1,850. 858 applied, 54% were admitted. Students come from 5 states and territories, 1% Native American, 1% Hispanic, 1% black, 0.5% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 46% 25 or older, 11% live on campus. Retention: 77% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Core. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, ESL program, services for LD students, advanced placement, independent study, distance learning, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, adult/continuing education programs, co-op programs and internships.

Entrance Requirements:

Option: deferred admission. Required: essay, high school transcript. Recommended: minimum 2.0 high school GPA. Required for some: 2 recommendations, interview. Placement: SAT recommended; ACCUPLACER required for some. Entrance: minimally difficult. Application deadline: Rolling. Notification: continuous.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group. Social organizations: 7 open to all. Most popular organizations: Student Senate, Drama Club, Outing Club, intramural sports, Phi Theta Kappa. Major annual events: Spring Fling, NCAA Basketball Championship. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices, controlled dormitory access, night patrols by police. 130 college housing spaces available; all were occupied in 2003-04. Freshmen given priority for college housing. Options: coed, men-only, women-only housing available. Central Maine Technical College Library with 15,000 books, 240 serials, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $190,480. 150 computers available on campus for general student use. Staffed computer lab on campus.

Community Environment:

See Bates College.

■ CENTRAL MAINE MEDICAL CENTER SCHOOL OF NURSING M-4

70 Middle St.
Lewiston, ME 04240-0305

Tel: (207)795-2840
Admissions: (207)795-2868
Fax: (207)795-2849
Web Site: http://www.cmmcson.edu/

Description:

Independent, 2-year, coed. Awards certificates and terminal associate degrees. Founded 1891. Setting: urban campus. Total enrollment: 114. 252 applied, 24% were admitted. 50% from top 10% of their high school class, 50% from top quarter, 100% from top half. Full-time: 22 students, 86% women, 14% men. Part-time: 92 students, 86% women, 14% men. Students come from 2 states and territories, 1% from out-of-state, 1% Native American, 0% Hispanic, 0% black, 0% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 0% international, 84% 25 or older, 2% live on campus. Core. Calendar: semesters. Advanced placement. Off campus study at University of Maine at Augusta, University of Southern Maine.

Entrance Requirements:

Required: essay, high school transcript, 2 recommendations, SAT. Entrance: moderately difficult. Application deadline: 3/1. Notification: 3/15.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $40. Tuition: $2898 full-time, $138 per credit part-time. Mandatory fees: $1205 full-time, $20 per term part-time. College room only: $1500.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Social organizations: 3 open to all. Most popular organizations: Student Communication Council, student government, Student Nurses Association. Major annual events: Alumni Banquet, President's Breakfast, Alumni Holiday Party. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, late night transport-escort service, controlled dormitory access. 10 college housing spaces available; 6 were occupied in 2003-04. No special consideration for freshman housing applicants. Option: coed housing available. Gerrish True Health Sciences Library plus 1 other with 1,975 books, 339 serials, an OPAC, and a Web page. 10 computers available on campus for general student use. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ COLBY COLLEGE L-5

Mayflower Hill
Waterville, ME 04901-8840

Tel: (207)872-3000

Free: 800-723-3032
Admissions: (207)859-4802
Fax: (207)872-3474

E-mail: admissions@colby.edu
Web Site: http://www.colby.edu/

Description:

Independent, 4-year, coed. Awards bachelor's degrees. Founded 1813. Setting: 714-acre small town campus. Endowment: $424.2 million. Research spending for 2004 fiscal year: $1.1 million. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $16,048 per student. Total enrollment: 1,871. Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 10:1. 3,874 applied, 38% were admitted. 67% from top 10% of their high school class, 92% from top quarter, 99% from top half. 7 valedictorians. Full-time: 1,871 students, 54% women, 46% men. Students come from 45 states and territories, 66 other countries, 89% from out-of-state, 0.5% Native American, 3% Hispanic, 2% black, 6% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 6% international, 0% 25 or older, 93% live on campus, 1% transferred in. Retention: 94% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: social sciences; area and ethnic studies; biological/life sciences. Core. Calendar: 4-1-4. Services for LD students, advanced placement, self-designed majors, honors program, independent study, double major, part-time degree program, internships. Off campus study at Pomona College, Pitzer College, Howard University, Claremont McKenna College, Scripps College, Boston University (Sea Semester), Williams College (Mystic Seaport Program), Clark Atlanta University. Study abroad program. ROTC: Army (c).

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Common Application, electronic application, early admission, early decision, deferred admission, international baccalaureate accepted. Required: essay, high school transcript, 2 recommendations, SAT or ACT. Recommended: interview. Entrance: most difficult. Application deadlines: 1/1, 11/15 for early decision plan 1, 1/1 for early decision plan 2. Notification: 4/1, 12/15 for early decision plan 1, 2/1 for early decision plan 2.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $0. Comprehensive fee: $41,770.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, student-run newspaper, radio station. Social organizations: 114 open to all. Most popular organizations: Outing Club, volunteer center, WMHB-FM (College Radio Station), student government, Powder and Wig (theater). Major annual events: Family Weekend, Junior/Senior Cotillion, Foss Arts Festival. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling, women's center. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, late night transport-escort service, controlled dormitory access, campus lighting, student emergency response team, self-defense class, property id program, party monitors. 1,702 college housing spaces available; 1,696 were occupied in 2003-04. Freshmen guaranteed college housing. On-campus residence required through senior year. Option: coed housing available. Miller Library plus 2 others with 350,000 books, 301,700 microform titles, 1,850 serials, 20,645 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $4.6 million. 300 computers available on campus for general student use. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

Community Environment:

Colby, located in the Kennebec River Valley, is one mile from downtown Waterville, a regional center for industry, professional, and retail trade. Major employers in the area include Maine General Medical Center, L.L. Bean, SAPPI Fine Paper, the Chinet Co., and The State of Maine. Transportation is available to Waterville by bus from Portland or Boston. Commercial airports serve Portland, Bangor, and Augusta.

■ COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC L-9

105 Eden St.
Bar Harbor, ME 04609-1198

Tel: (207)288-5015

Free: 800-528-0025
Fax: (207)288-4126

E-mail: inquiry@coa.edu
Web Site: http://www.coa.edu/

Description:

Independent, comprehensive, coed. Awards bachelor's and master's degrees. Founded 1969. Setting: 35-acre small town campus. Endowment: $10 million. Research spending for 2004 fiscal year: $501,381. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $10,000 per student. Total enrollment: 318. Faculty: 30 (19 full-time, 11 part-time). Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 9:1. 284 applied, 66% were admitted. 36% from top 10% of their high school class, 76% from top quarter, 95% from top half. 5 National Merit Scholars, 2 class presidents, 2 valedictorians, 23 student government officers. Full-time: 296 students, 64% women, 36% men. Part-time: 14 students, 64% women, 36% men. Students come from 33 states and territories, 31 other countries, 62% from out-of-state, 0% Native American, 1% Hispanic, 0% black, 0.3% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 17% international, 5% 25 or older, 40% live on campus, 4% transferred in. Retention: 86% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Academic area with the most degrees conferred: biological/life sciences. Core. Calendar: 3 10-week terms. Academic remediation for entering students, services for LD students, advanced placement, accelerated degree program, self-designed majors, independent study, part-time degree program, co-op programs and internships, graduate courses open to undergrads. Off campus study at University of Maine, Landing School of Boatbuilding, SEA Education Association, Shoal's Marine Laboratory, Ecoleague consortium: Alaska Pacific University, Antioch College, Green Mountain College, Northland College and Prescott College. Study abroad program.

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early admission, early decision, deferred admission, international baccalaureate accepted. Required: essay, high school transcript, 3 recommendations. Recommended: minimum 3.0 high school GPA, interview, SAT or ACT. Required for some: interview. Entrance: very difficult. Application deadlines: 2/15, 12/1 for early decision plan 1, 1/10 for early decision plan 2. Notification: 4/1, 12/15 for early decision plan 1, 1/25 for early decision plan 2.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $45. Comprehensive fee: $35,675 includes full-time tuition ($27,700), mandatory fees ($375), and college room and board ($7600). College room only: $4700. Part-time tuition: $9234 per term. Part-time mandatory fees: $125 per term.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, student-run newspaper. Social organizations: 12 open to all. Most popular organizations: Outing Club, Environmental Awareness Club, Students for a Free Tibet, All-Campus Meeting, choral group. Major annual events: Beech Hill Farm Harvest, Earth Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling, women's center. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, late night transport-escort service. 103 college housing spaces available; all were occupied in 2003-04. Freshmen guaranteed college housing. Option: coed housing available. Thorndike Library with 50,000 books, 37,000 microform titles, 3,000 serials, 302,500 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $223,056. 53 computers available on campus for general student use. Computer purchase/lease plans available. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

Community Environment:

Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island's natural environment provide excellent opportunities for environmental studies. Cooperative resource sharing is available with the Jackson Laboratory, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Acadia National Park and the local school system. In the summer, Bar Harbor is supported by the tourist trade. Other businesses which provide for the local economy are boatbuilding, fishing, and lobstering. Bar Harbor is easily accessible by Bar Harbor Airlines, Greyhound Bus or automobile via State Routes 1 and 3.

■ EASTERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE K-8

354 Hogan Rd.
Bangor, ME 04401-4206

Tel: (207)974-4600
Admissions: (207)974-4680
Fax: (207)974-4683
Web Site: http://www.emcc.edu/

Description:

State-supported, 2-year, coed. Part of Maine Community College System. Awards certificates, diplomas, transfer associate, and terminal associate degrees. Founded 1966. Setting: 72-acre small town campus. Endowment: $1.5 million. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $4918 per student. Total enrollment: 1,790. 1,407 applied, 50% were admitted. Full-time: 744 students, 40% women, 60% men. Part-time: 1,046 students, 61% women, 39% men. Students come from 2 states and territories, 1% from out-of-state, 1% Native American, 0.1% Hispanic, 0.1% black, 0.3% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 26% 25 or older, 20% live on campus. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, advanced placement, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, adult/continuing education programs.

Entrance Requirements:

Option: deferred admission. Required: essay, high school transcript, recommendations, ACCUPLACER. Recommended: minimum 2.0 high school GPA. Required for some: interview, SAT. Entrance: minimally difficult. Application deadline: Rolling. Notification: continuous. Preference given to state residents.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Student-run newspaper. Social organizations: 12 open to all. Most popular organizations: Student Senate, Phi Theta Kappa, Senior Council, Resident's Council, Associated General Contractors Student Chapter. Major annual events: Technology Day, Winter Carnival, Harvest Breakfast. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: late night transport-escort service, controlled dormitory access. 185 college housing spaces available; all were occupied in 2003-04. No special consideration for freshman housing applicants. Option: coed housing available. Eastern Maine Technical College Library plus 1 other with 17,554 books, 159 serials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $144,508. 85 computers available on campus for general student use. A campuswide network can be accessed from off-campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ HUSSON COLLEGE K-8

One College Circle
Bangor, ME 04401-2999

Tel: (207)941-7000

Free: 800-4-HUSSON
Admissions: (207)941-7100
Fax: (207)941-7935

E-mail: admit@husson.husson.edu
Web Site: http://www.husson.edu/

Description:

Independent, comprehensive, coed. Awards associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees and post-master's certificates. Founded 1898. Setting: 170-acre suburban campus. Endowment: $3.6 million. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $2812 per student. Total enrollment: 2,245. Faculty: 54 (50 full-time, 4 part-time). Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 19:1. 677 applied, 95% were admitted. 11% from top 10% of their high school class, 28% from top quarter, 61% from top half. 9 class presidents, 2 valedictorians, 54 student government officers. Full-time: 1,605 students, 61% women, 39% men. Part-time: 372 students, 64% women, 36% men. Students come from 15 states and territories, 13 other countries, 12% from out-of-state, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Hispanic, 2% black, 1% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 2% international, 13% 25 or older, 56% live on campus, 5% transferred in. Retention: 66% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: business/marketing; health professions and related sciences; law/legal studies. Core. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, ESL program, services for LD students, advanced placement, self-designed majors, independent study, distance learning, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, adult/continuing education programs, co-op programs and internships, graduate courses open to undergrads. ROTC: Army (c), Naval (c).

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early admission, early action, deferred admission. Required: essay, high school transcript, 1 recommendation, SAT or ACT. Recommended: interview. Required for some: 2 recommendations. Entrance: moderately difficult. Application deadlines: 9/1, 12/15 for early action. Notification: continuous, 1/2 for early action.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $25. Comprehensive fee: $17,410 includes full-time tuition ($11,130), mandatory fees ($250), and college room and board ($6030). Full-time tuition and fees vary according to class time. Part-time tuition: $371 per credit hour. Part-time tuition varies according to class time and course load.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, student-run newspaper, radio station. Social organizations: 31 open to all; national fraternities, local fraternities, local sororities; 1% of eligible men and 3% of eligible women are members. Most popular organizations: student government, Organization of Student Nurses, Organization of Physical Therapy Students, Accounting Society, Phi Beta Lambda. Major annual events: Chief Week, Spring Fling, homecoming. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols. 790 college housing spaces available; 700 were occupied in 2003-04. Freshmen guaranteed college housing. On-campus residence required through senior year. Option: coed housing available. Sawyer Library with 37,871 books, 15,147 microform titles, 500 serials, 190 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $143,239. 57 computers available on campus for general student use. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ KENNEBEC VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE K-5

92 Western Ave.
Fairfield, ME 04937-1367

Tel: (207)453-5000
Admissions: (207)453-5033
Web Site: http://www.kvcc.me.edu/

Description:

State-supported, 2-year, coed. Part of Maine Community College System. Awards certificates, diplomas, transfer associate, and terminal associate degrees. Founded 1970. Setting: 58-acre small town campus. Endowment: $229,488. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $4652 per student. Total enrollment: 1,782. Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 22:1. 476 applied, 71% were admitted. Full-time: 523 students, 65% women, 35% men. Part-time: 1,259 students, 70% women, 30% men. Students come from 4 states and territories, 1% Native American, 2% Hispanic, 0.2% black, 0.5% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 0% international, 66% 25 or older. Core. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, services for LD students, advanced placement, accelerated degree program, independent study, distance learning, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, external degree program, adult/continuing education programs, internships.

Entrance Requirements:

Open admission except for nursing, radiologic technology, physical therapy assisting, occupational therapy assisting. Options: electronic application, deferred admission. Required: essay, high school transcript. Recommended: SAT or ACT. Required for some: recommendations, interview, nursing exam, HOBET, ACCUPLACER. Entrance: minimally difficult. Application deadline: Rolling. Notification: continuous.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $20. State resident tuition: $2220 full-time, $74 per credit part-time. Nonresident tuition: $4650 full-time, $155 per credit part-time. Mandatory fees: $600 full-time.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Most popular organizations: Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA) Skills USA, Student Senate, Phi Theta Kappa, Glee Club. Student services: personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: Evening security patrol. College housing not available. Lunder Library with 19,629 books, 25,734 serials, 1,373 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $179,890. 250 computers available on campus for general student use. A campuswide network can be accessed from off-campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

Community Environment:

See Colby College.

■ MAINE COLLEGE OF ART O-3

97 Spring St.
Portland, ME 04101-3987

Tel: (207)775-3052

Free: 800-639-4808
Admissions: (207)775-5157
Fax: (207)772-5069

E-mail: admissions@meca.edu
Web Site: http://www.meca.edu/

Description:

Independent, comprehensive, coed. Awards bachelor's and master's degrees. Founded 1882. Setting: urban campus with easy access to Boston. Endowment: $3.2 million. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $9514 per student. Total enrollment: 490. Faculty: 69 (32 full-time, 37 part-time). Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 10:1. 472 applied, 69% were admitted. Full-time: 435 students, 65% women, 35% men. Part-time: 23 students, 78% women, 22% men. 0% from out-of-state, 1% Native American, 2% Hispanic, 2% black, 1% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 1% international, 25% live on campus, 11% transferred in. Academic area with the most degrees conferred: visual and performing arts. Core. Calendar: semesters. Services for LD students, self-designed majors, independent study, double major, part-time degree program, adult/continuing education programs, internships. Off campus study at Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design Mobility Program. Study abroad program.

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early admission, deferred admission, international baccalaureate accepted. Required: essay, high school transcript, 2 recommendations, portfolio, SAT or ACT. Recommended: minimum 2.0 high school GPA, interview. Entrance: moderately difficult. Application deadline: Rolling. Notification: continuous until 8/31.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $40. Comprehensive fee: $34,590 includes full-time tuition ($24,670), mandatory fees ($650), and college room and board ($9270).

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Student-run newspaper. Most popular organizations: Student Representative Association, outdoor group, The Canvas (student newspaper), Ski and Snowboard Club, Movie Club. Major annual events: Annual Meca Art Auction, Student-Alumni Sale, BFA Show. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, controlled dormitory access. 100 college housing spaces available; all were occupied in 2003-04. Freshmen given priority for college housing. Option: coed housing available. Joanne Waxman Library at the Maine College of Art with 24,609 books, 100 serials, 235 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $200,128. 57 computers available on campus for general student use. Computer purchase/lease plans available. A campuswide network can be accessed. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ MAINE MARITIME ACADEMY L-8

Castine, ME 04420

Tel: (207)326-4311

Free: 800-227-8465
Admissions: (207)326-2215
Fax: (207)326-2515
Web Site: http://www.mainemaritime.edu/

Description:

State-supported, comprehensive, coed. Awards associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees. Founded 1941. Setting: 35-acre small town campus. Endowment: $20 million. Total enrollment: 861. Faculty: 66 (50 full-time, 16 part-time). Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 12:1. 720 applied, 67% were admitted. 25% from top 10% of their high school class, 42% from top quarter, 74% from top half. Full-time: 747 students, 17% women, 83% men. Part-time: 99 students, 8% women, 92% men. Students come from 37 states and territories, 8 other countries, 65% from out-of-state, 1% Native American, 1% Hispanic, 0.3% black, 0.3% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 4% international, 18% 25 or older, 80% live on campus, 0.4% transferred in. Retention: 80% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: engineering technologies; transportation and materials moving; engineering. Core. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, advanced placement, independent study, distance learning, double major, adult/continuing education programs, internships. Off campus study at International Association of Maritime Universities. Study abroad program. ROTC: Army, Naval.

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, electronic application, early admission, early decision, deferred admission, international baccalaureate accepted. Required: high school transcript, 1 recommendation, physical examination, SAT or ACT. Recommended: interview. Entrance: moderately difficult. Application deadlines: 7/1, 12/20 for early decision. Notification: 1/1 for early decision.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $15. State resident tuition: $6380 full-time, $230 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $9570 full-time, $410 per credit hour part-time. Mandatory fees: $1240 full-time. Full-time tuition and fees vary according to program. Part-time tuition varies according to program. College room and board: $6720. College room only: $2420. Room and board charges vary according to board plan.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, marching band. Social organizations: 30 open to all. Most popular organizations: Alpha Phi Omega, Yacht Club, Outing Club, Social Council, drill team. Major annual events: Parents' Weekend, Homecoming, Ring Dance. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling, women's center. Campus security: 24-hour patrols, student patrols. College housing designed to accommodate 625 students; 650 undergraduates lived in college housing during 2003-04. Freshmen guaranteed college housing. On-campus residence required through junior year. Option: coed housing available. Nutting Memorial Library with 177,800 books, 382 serials, an OPAC, and a Web page. 40 computers available on campus for general student use. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

Community Environment:

The French erected the first fort here in 1613, but the first permanent settlement was made by the English in 1760. Fort George, partially restored, is maintained as a memorial today. Castine is on south central coast of Maine, 35 miles south of Bangor.

■ NEW ENGLAND SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS K-8

1 College Circle
Bangor, ME 04401-2999

Tel: (207)941-7176; 888-877-1876
Fax: (207)947-3987

E-mail: grantl@nescom.edu
Web Site: http://www.nescom.edu/

Description:

Independent, 4-year, coed. Awards associate and bachelor's degrees. Founded 1981. Setting: 200-acre small town campus. Total enrollment: 305. Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 18:1. 310 applied, 69% were admitted. Full-time: 295 students, 23% women, 77% men. Part-time: 10 students, 20% women, 80% men. Students come from 9 states and territories, 17% from out-of-state, 0% Native American, 0.3% Hispanic, 2% black, 1% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 0% international, 26% 25 or older, 54% live on campus, 4% transferred in. Academic area with the most degrees conferred: communication technologies. Core. Calendar: semesters. ESL program, services for LD students, advanced placement, self-designed majors, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, adult/continuing education programs, internships.

Entrance Requirements:

Open admission. Options: electronic application, early admission, deferred admission. Required: essay, high school transcript, 2 recommendations, interview, Wonderlic Scholastic Test, Wonderlic aptitude test. Recommended: SAT or ACT. Entrance: minimally difficult. Application deadline: Rolling. Notification: continuous.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $15. Comprehensive fee: $15,620 includes full-time tuition ($8890), mandatory fees ($700), and college room and board ($6030). Part-time tuition: $275 per credit.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, marching band, student-run newspaper, radio station. Social organizations: 32 open to all; national fraternities, national sororities, local fraternities, local sororities; 10% of eligible men and 10% of eligible women are members. Most popular organizations: drama, newspaper, student government, radio station. Major annual events: Greek Week, Orientation, Winter Carnival. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, late night transport-escort service. 1,200 college housing spaces available; 120 were occupied in 2003-04. Freshmen given priority for college housing. Option: coed housing available. Husson College Library plus 1 other with an OPAC and a Web page. 150 computers available on campus for general student use. Computer purchase/lease plans available. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ NORTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE D-10

33 Edgemont Dr.
Presque Isle, ME 04769-2016

Tel: (207)768-2700
Admissions: (207)768-2786
Fax: (207)768-2831

E-mail: ncasavant@nmcc.edu
Web Site: http://www.nmcc.edu/

Description:

State-related, 2-year, coed. Part of Maine Technical College System. Awards certificates, diplomas, transfer associate, and terminal associate degrees. Founded 1963. Setting: 86-acre small town campus. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $4697 per student. Total enrollment: 921. 759 applied, 52% were admitted. 75% from top half of their high school class. Full-time: 605 students, 44% women, 56% men. Part-time: 316 students, 69% women, 31% men. Students come from 5 states and territories, 1 other country, 4% from out-of-state, 4% Native American, 1% Hispanic, 1% black, 0.4% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 4% international, 45% 25 or older, 28% live on campus. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, services for LD students, advanced placement, independent study, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, adult/continuing education programs, co-op programs and internships. Off campus study at University of Maine at Presque Isle.

Entrance Requirements:

Open admission except for nursing, electrical engineering technology programs. Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early admission. Required: high school transcript, interview, ACCUPLACER. Recommended: essay, minimum 2.0 high school GPA. Required for some: recommendations, Net Test/RN. Entrance: minimally difficult. Application deadline: Rolling. Notification: continuous.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $20. Area resident tuition: $2390 full-time, $78 per credit hour part-time. State resident tuition: $115 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $4770 full-time, $159 per credit hour part-time. College room and board: $4930.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Student services: health clinic, Career Planning, Counseling, Student Employment, student email web pages st. Campus security: 24-hour patrols. Option: coed housing available. Northern Maine Technical College Library with 11,200 books, 233 serials, 250 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $124,000.

Community Environment:

See University of Maine -Presque Isle.

■ SAINT JOSEPH'S COLLEGE OF MAINE O-3

278 Whites Bridge Rd.
Standish, ME 04084-5263

Tel: (207)892-6766

Free: 800-338-7057
Admissions: (207)893-7746
Fax: (207)893-7862

E-mail: vkloskow@sjcme.edu
Web Site: http://www.sjcme.edu/

Description:

Independent, comprehensive, coed, affiliated with Roman Catholic Church. Awards bachelor's and master's degrees (profile does not include enrollment in distance learning master's program). Founded 1912. Setting: 330-acre small town campus. Endowment: $4.1 million. Research spending for 2004 fiscal year: $114,734. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $3993 per student. Total enrollment: 955. Faculty: 108 (64 full-time, 44 part-time). Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 15:1. 1,178 applied, 77% were admitted. 15% from top 10% of their high school class, 40% from top quarter, 75% from top half. 2 valedictorians. Full-time: 925 students, 64% women, 36% men. Part-time: 30 students, 70% women, 30% men. Students come from 14 states and territories, 1 other country, 40% from out-of-state, 0.1% Native American, 1% Hispanic, 2% black, 0.4% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 0% international, 3% 25 or older, 83% live on campus, 3% transferred in. Retention: 81% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: education; business/marketing; health professions and related sciences. Core. Calendar: semesters. Services for LD students, advanced placement, self-designed majors, honors program, independent study, distance learning, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, adult/continuing education programs, co-op programs and internships. Off campus study at Greater Portland Alliance of Colleges and Universities, a consortium that includes University of Southern Maine, Maine College of Art, University of New England, Southern Maine Technical College, and Saint Joseph's College. Study abroad program. ROTC: Army (c).

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early action, deferred admission. Required: essay, high school transcript, minimum 2.0 high school GPA, 2 recommendations, SAT or ACT. Recommended: interview. Entrance: moderately difficult. Application deadlines: Rolling, 11/15 for early action. Notification: continuous, 12/15 for early action.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $40. Comprehensive fee: $29,185 includes full-time tuition ($19,890), mandatory fees ($715), and college room and board ($8580). Full-time tuition and fees vary according to program. Part-time tuition: $350 per credit. Part-time mandatory fees: $125 per year. Part-time tuition and fees vary according to course load and program.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, student-run newspaper, radio station. Social organizations: 25 open to all. Most popular organizations: campus ministry, Superkids, Student Government Association and Senate, Business Club, Inter-Hall Council. Major annual events: Family Weekend, Spring Fling, Welcome Back Weekends. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, late night transport-escort service, controlled dormitory access. 829 college housing spaces available; 795 were occupied in 2003-04. Freshmen guaranteed college housing. Options: coed, men-only, women-only housing available. Wellehan Library with 98,626 books, 29,010 microform titles, 11,461 serials, 1,000 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $403,893. 102 computers available on campus for general student use. Computer purchase/lease plans available. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ SOUTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE O-4

2 Fort Rd.
South Portland, ME 04106

Tel: (207)741-5500
Admissions: (207)741-5664
Fax: (207)741-5751
Web Site: http://www.smccme.edu/

Description:

State-supported, 2-year, coed. Part of Maine Community College System. Awards certificates, diplomas, transfer associate, and terminal associate degrees. Founded 1946. Setting: 65-acre small town campus. Endowment: $513,726. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $6095 per student. Total enrollment: 4,103. Full-time: 2,135 students, 44% women, 56% men. Part-time: 1,968 students, 58% women, 42% men. Students come from 9 states and territories, 6% from out-of-state, 1% Native American, 1% Hispanic, 3% black, 1% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 0.5% international, 48% 25 or older, 10% live on campus. Core. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, ESL program, services for LD students, advanced placement, distance learning, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, co-op programs and internships. Off campus study at Great Portland Alliance of Colleges and Universities. Study abroad program.

Entrance Requirements:

Option: electronic application. Required: high school transcript. Placement: SAT recommended; ACCUPLACER required for some. Entrance: minimally difficult. Application deadline: Rolling. Notification: continuous. Preference given to state residents.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $20. State resident tuition: $2220 full-time. Nonresident tuition: $4650 full-time. College room and board: $5824. College room only: $2678.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, student-run newspaper. Most popular organizations: SEA Club, student government, Phi Theta Kappa, VICA. Major annual events: Earth Day, Awards Day. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling, women's center. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices, student patrols, late night transport-escort service. 200 college housing spaces available; all were occupied in 2003-04. Option: coed housing available. Southern Maine Community College Library with 15,000 books, 350 serials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $236,090. 200 computers available on campus for general student use. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ THOMAS COLLEGE L-5

180 West River Rd.
Waterville, ME 04901-5097

Tel: (207)859-1111

Free: 800-339-7001
Admissions: (207)859-1101
Fax: (207)859-1114

E-mail: admiss@thomas.edu
Web Site: http://www.thomas.edu/

Description:

Independent, comprehensive, coed. Awards associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees (associate). Founded 1894. Setting: 70-acre small town campus. Endowment: $5.8 million. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $3199 per student. Total enrollment: 875. Faculty: 78 (23 full-time, 55 part-time). Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 17:1. 628 applied, 73% were admitted. 11% from top 10% of their high school class, 21% from top quarter, 55% from top half. Full-time: 598 students, 46% women, 54% men. Part-time: 133 students, 73% women, 27% men. Students come from 10 states and territories, 16% from out-of-state, 1% Native American, 1% Hispanic, 1% black, 1% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 0% international, 16% 25 or older, 65% live on campus, 5% transferred in. Retention: 58% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: business/marketing; computer and information sciences; education. Core. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, advanced placement, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, adult/continuing education programs, co-op programs and internships, graduate courses open to undergrads. Off campus study at Colby College, Kennebec Valley Community College, Unity College. Study abroad program.

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early action, deferred admission, international baccalaureate accepted. Required: essay, high school transcript, 1 recommendation. Recommended: minimum 2.0 high school GPA, interview, rank in upper 50% of high school class. Required for some: SAT or ACT. Entrance: minimally difficult. Application deadlines: Rolling, 12/15 for early action. Notification: continuous, 12/31 for early action.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $50. Comprehensive fee: $25,160 includes full-time tuition ($17,280), mandatory fees ($450), and college room and board ($7430). Part-time tuition: $720 per credit hour.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, student-run newspaper. Social organizations: 17 open to all; national fraternities, national sororities, local fraternities, local sororities; 3% of eligible men and 5% of eligible women are members. Most popular organizations: Phi Beta Lambda, Students Club, GLOBE, Campus Activity Board, peer advisors. Major annual events: Homecoming, Parents' Day, Olympic Day. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, student patrols. 392 college housing spaces available; 390 were occupied in 2003-04. Freshmen guaranteed college housing. On-campus residence required through senior year. Option: coed housing available. Marriner Library with 20,000 books, 5,000 serials, 600 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $145,469. 120 computers available on campus for general student use. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ UNITY COLLEGE K-6

90 Quaker Hill Rd.
Unity, ME 04988

Tel: (207)948-3131
Fax: (207)948-6277
Web Site: http://www.unity.edu/

Description:

Independent, 4-year, coed. Awards associate and bachelor's degrees. Founded 1965. Setting: 265-acre rural campus. Endowment: $2.4 million. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $5026 per student. Total enrollment: 521. 436 applied, 88% were admitted. 8% from top 10% of their high school class, 29% from top quarter, 60% from top half. Full-time: 515 students, 36% women, 64% men. Part-time: 6 students, 17% women, 83% men. Students come from 21 states and territories, 2 other countries, 62% from out-of-state, 0% Native American, 0.4% Hispanic, 0.4% black, 0% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 1% international, 8% 25 or older, 66% live on campus, 9% transferred in. Retention: 98% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Core. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, ESL program, services for LD students, advanced placement, accelerated degree program, self-designed majors, honors program, independent study, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, co-op programs and internships. Off campus study at The Washington Center. ROTC: Army (c).

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early admission, early action, deferred admission, international baccalaureate accepted. Required: essay, high school transcript, 2 recommendations. Recommended: minimum 2.0 high school GPA, interview. Required for some: interview. Placement: SAT or ACT recommended. Entrance: moderately difficult. Application deadlines: Rolling, 1/15 for early action. Notification: 2/1 for early action.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $25. Comprehensive fee: $24,310 includes full-time tuition ($16,740), mandatory fees ($940), and college room and board ($6630). Room and board charges vary according to board plan. Part-time tuition: $630 per credit hour. Part-time tuition varies according to course load.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, student-run newspaper. Social organizations: 28 open to all. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: 24-hour patrols. College housing designed to accommodate 306 students; 312 undergraduates lived in college housing during 2003-04. On-campus residence required through sophomore year. Option: coed housing available. Dorothy Webb Quimby Library with 46,000 books, 650 serials, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $266,787. 42 computers available on campus for general student use. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

Community Environment:

Located on Lake Winnecook, which is three miles long and has excellent fishing, canoeing, and sailing, Unity has several small businesses, two churches, a public library, and several fraternal organizations. Transportation is provided by air and bus lines. The climate is cool.

■ UNIVERSITY OF MAINE J-8

Orono, ME 04469

Tel: (207)581-1110; 877-486-2364
Admissions: (207)581-1561
Fax: (207)581-1213

E-mail: um-admit@maine.edu
Web Site: http://www.umaine.edu/

Description:

State-supported, university, coed. Part of University of Maine System. Awards bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees and post-master's certificates. Founded 1865. Setting: 3,300-acre small town campus. Endowment: $159.6 million. Research spending for 2004 fiscal year: $51.9 million. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $9972 per student. Total enrollment: 11,435. Faculty: 823 (496 full-time, 327 part-time). Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 16:1. 5,702 applied, 80% were admitted. 22% from top 10% of their high school class, 52% from top quarter, 86% from top half. 2 National Merit Scholars, 37 valedictorians, 304 student government officers. Full-time: 7,617 students, 49% women, 51% men. Part-time: 1,562 students, 63% women, 37% men. Students come from 41 states and territories, 47 other countries, 13% from out-of-state, 2% Native American, 1% Hispanic, 1% black, 1% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 2% international, 21% 25 or older, 30% live on campus, 5% transferred in. Retention: 79% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: education; business/marketing; engineering; social sciences; health professions and related sciences. Core. Calendar: semesters. ESL program, services for LD students, advanced placement, accelerated degree program, self-designed majors, freshman honors college, honors program, independent study, distance learning, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, external degree program, adult/continuing education programs, co-op programs and internships. Off campus study at Bangor Theological Seminary, other institutions of the University of Maine System. Study abroad program. ROTC: Army, Naval.

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early admission, deferred admission, international baccalaureate accepted. Required: essay, high school transcript, 1 recommendation, SAT or ACT. Required for some: interview. Entrance: moderately difficult. Application deadlines: Rolling, 12/15 for early action. Notification: continuous.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $40. State resident tuition: $5520 full-time, $184 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $15,660 full-time, $522 per credit hour part-time. Mandatory fees: $1390 full-time. Full-time tuition and fees vary according to reciprocity agreements. Part-time tuition varies according to reciprocity agreements. College room and board: $6732. College room only: $3390. Room and board charges vary according to board plan and housing facility.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, marching band, student-run newspaper, radio station. Social organizations: 234 open to all; national fraternities, national sororities, local fraternities. Most popular organizations: Volunteers in Community Efforts/VOICE, Circle K, Campus Crusade for Christ, Outing Club, Wilde Stein. Major annual events: Maine Day, Bumstock, Student Organizations Fair. Student services: legal services, health clinic, personal-psychological counseling, women's center. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, late night transport-escort service, controlled dormitory access. 3,643 college housing spaces available; all were occupied in 2003-04. Freshmen guaranteed college housing. On-campus residence required in freshman year. Option: coed housing available. Fogler Library plus 2 others with 1 million books, 2.4 million microform titles, 13,041 serials, 26,647 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $7.2 million. 500 computers available on campus for general student use. Computer purchase/lease plans available. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT AUGUSTA M-5

46 University Dr.
Augusta, ME 04330-9410

Tel: (207)621-3000
Admissions: (207)621-3390
Fax: (207)621-3116

E-mail: umaar@maine.edu
Web Site: http://www.uma.maine.edu/

Description:

State-supported, 4-year, coed. Part of University of Maine System. Awards associate and bachelor's degrees (also offers some graduate courses and continuing education programs with significant enrollment not reflected in profile). Founded 1965. Setting: 159-acre small town campus. Endowment: $1.4 million. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $3668 per student. Total enrollment: 5,494. Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 19:1. 1,012 applied, 52% were admitted. Full-time: 1,544 students, 70% women, 30% men. Part-time: 3,950 students, 76% women, 24% men. Students come from 16 states and territories, 4 other countries, 1% from out-of-state, 3% Native American, 0.5% Hispanic, 1% black, 0.3% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 0.1% international, 65% 25 or older, 4% transferred in. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: health professions and related sciences; business/marketing; library science. Core. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, services for LD students, advanced placement, self-designed majors, honors program, independent study, distance learning, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, adult/continuing education programs, internships. Off campus study at other units of the University of Maine System. Study abroad program.

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early admission, deferred admission. Required: high school transcript. Recommended: essay. Required for some: recommendations, interview, music audition. Entrance: noncompetitive. Application deadline: 8/31. Notification: continuous until 9/15.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $40. State resident tuition: $4290 full-time, $143 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $10,380 full-time, $346 per credit hour part-time. Mandatory fees: $735 full-time, $24.50 per credit hour part-time. Full-time tuition and fees vary according to reciprocity agreements. Part-time tuition and fees vary according to reciprocity agreements.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Student-run newspaper. Social organizations: 5 open to all. Most popular organizations: Honors Program Student Association, Arts and Architecture Students of UMA, Student Nurse Association, Student-American Dental Hygiene Association, International Student Club. Major annual events: UMA Day, Jazz Week, Poetry Festival. Student services: personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: late night transport-escort service. College housing not available. The Bennett D. Katz Library plus 1 other with 83,766 books, 6,600 microform titles, 546 serials, 3,296 audiovisual materials, and an OPAC. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $822,318. 142 computers available on campus for general student use. Computer purchase/lease plans available. A campuswide network can be accessed from off-campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FARMINGTON K-4

224 Main St.
Farmington, ME 04938-1990

Tel: (207)778-7000
Admissions: (207)778-7087
Fax: (207)778-8182

E-mail: umfadmit@maine.edu
Web Site: http://www.umf.maine.edu/

Description:

State-supported, 4-year, coed. Part of University of Maine System. Awards bachelor's degrees. Founded 1863. Setting: 50-acre small town campus. Research spending for 2004 fiscal year: $877,000. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $5256 per student. Total enrollment: 2,452. Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 16:1. 1,602 applied, 74% were admitted. 12% from top 10% of their high school class, 38% from top quarter, 80% from top half. Full-time: 2,123 students, 66% women, 34% men. Part-time: 329 students, 70% women, 30% men. Students come from 21 states and territories, 7 other countries, 23% from out-of-state, 1% Native American, 1% Hispanic, 0.2% black, 1% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 0.4% international, 12% 25 or older, 44% live on campus, 5% transferred in. Retention: 70% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: education; English; interdisciplinary studies. Core. Calendar: semesters plus May term and 2 5-week summer terms. Academic remediation for entering students, services for LD students, advanced placement, accelerated degree program, self-designed majors, honors program, independent study, distance learning, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, internships. Off campus study at National Student Exchange, SALT Center for Documentary Field Studies, other institutions of the University of Maine System. Study abroad program.

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, electronic application, early admission, early action, deferred admission, international baccalaureate accepted. Required: essay, high school transcript, minimum 2.0 high school GPA, 1 recommendation. Recommended: interview. Required for some: minimum 2.5 GPA for elementary education majors, SAT or ACT. Entrance: moderately difficult. Application deadlines: Rolling, 12/1 for early action. Notification: continuous, 1/8 for early action.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $40. State resident tuition: $5010 full-time, $167 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $12,240 full-time, $408 per credit hour part-time. Mandatory fees: $621 full-time, $75 per term part-time. Full-time tuition and fees vary according to course load, reciprocity agreements, and student level. Part-time tuition and fees vary according to course load, reciprocity agreements, and student level. College room and board: $5984. College room only: $3200. Room and board charges vary according to board plan and housing facility.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, student-run newspaper, radio station. Social organizations: 52 open to all. Most popular organizations: Program Board, Intramural Board, Campus Residence Council, campus radio station, Commuter Council. Major annual events: Intramural All Niter, Spring Fling, Campus Residence Council Semi-Formal. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, late night transport-escort service, controlled dormitory access, safety whistles. 1,030 college housing spaces available; 1,000 were occupied in 2003-04. Freshmen guaranteed college housing. Options: coed, women-only housing available. Mantor Library with 98,248 books, 82,773 microform titles, 577 serials, 7,663 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $566,305. 175 computers available on campus for general student use. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FORT KENT B-8

23 University Dr.
Fort Kent, ME 04743-1292

Tel: (207)834-7500; 888-TRY-UMFK
Admissions: (207)834-7600
Fax: (207)834-7609

E-mail: dbarley@maine.edu
Web Site: http://www.umfk.maine.edu/

Description:

State-supported, 4-year, coed. Part of University of Maine System. Awards associate and bachelor's degrees. Founded 1878. Setting: 52-acre rural campus. Endowment: $1.5 million. Research spending for 2004 fiscal year: $2500. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $2928 per student. Total enrollment: 1,076. 394 applied, 81% were admitted. 7% from top 10% of their high school class, 20% from top quarter, 60% from top half. 10 National Merit Scholars, 4 valedictorians, 20 student government officers. Students come from 30 states and territories, 12 other countries, 4% from out-of-state, 1% Native American, 0.5% Hispanic, 1% black, 0.1% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 27% international, 36% 25 or older, 30% live on campus. Retention: 59% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Core. Calendar: semesters. ESL program, services for LD students, advanced placement, accelerated degree program, self-designed majors, honors program, independent study, distance learning, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, external degree program, internships.

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early admission, early decision, deferred admission. Required: essay, high school transcript. Recommended: recommendations, SAT and SAT Subject Tests or ACT. Required for some: interview, SAT, SAT and SAT Subject Tests or ACT. Entrance: moderately difficult. Application deadline: Rolling. Notification: continuous.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group. Social organizations: 12 open to all; national fraternities, national sororities; 5% of eligible men and 5% of eligible women are members. Most popular organizations: Performing Arts Club, Student Teachers Educational Professional Society, Student Nurses Organization, Diversity Club, Dorm Council. Major annual events: Quebec City Carnival Field Trip, Open Mic Nights, Spring Formal. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: controlled dormitory access, 8-hour night patrols by security personnel 11pm-7am. 300 college housing spaces available; 250 were occupied in 2003-04. No special consideration for freshman housing applicants. Option: coed housing available. Waneta Blake Library plus 1 other with 69,189 books, 335 serials, 4,254 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $246,483. 100 computers available on campus for general student use. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT MACHIAS K-11

9 O'Brien Ave.
Machias, ME 04654-1321

Tel: (207)255-1200; 888-GOTOUMM
Admissions: (207)255-1318
Fax: (207)255-1363

E-mail: ummadmissions@maine.edu
Web Site: http://www.umm.maine.edu/

Description:

State-supported, 4-year, coed. Part of University of Maine System. Awards bachelor's degrees. Founded 1909. Setting: 42-acre rural campus. Endowment: $1 million. Research spending for 2004 fiscal year: $268,937. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $5302 per student. Total enrollment: 1,149. Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 14:1. 374 applied, 83% were admitted. 9% from top 10% of their high school class, 25% from top quarter, 64% from top half. Full-time: 462 students, 66% women, 34% men. Part-time: 687 students, 79% women, 21% men. Students come from 26 states and territories, 16 other countries, 23% from out-of-state, 4% Native American, 2% Hispanic, 1% black, 1% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 5% international, 27% 25 or older, 42% live on campus, 3% transferred in. Retention: 67% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: business/marketing; interdisciplinary studies; biological/life sciences. Core. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, services for LD students, advanced placement, self-designed majors, honors program, independent study, distance learning, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, external degree program, adult/continuing education programs, co-op programs and internships. Off campus study. Study abroad program.

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early admission, early action, deferred admission. Required: essay, high school transcript, 1 recommendation, SAT or ACT. Recommended: 2 recommendations, interview. Required for some: minimum 2.0 high school GPA, interview. Entrance: moderately difficult. Application deadlines: 8/15, 12/15 for early action. Notification: continuous, 1/15 for early action.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $40. State resident tuition: $4290 full-time, $143 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $11,640 full-time, $388 per credit hour part-time. Mandatory fees: $555 full-time, $17.50 per credit hour part-time, $45 per term part-time. College room and board: $5678. College room only: $2858. Room and board charges vary according to housing facility.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, student-run radio station. Social organizations: 25 open to all; national fraternities, national sororities, local fraternities, local sororities; 8% of eligible men and 4% of eligible women are members. Most popular organizations: Student Senate, 100% Society, International Club, MRPASS, Softball Club. Major annual events: homecoming, Winter Carnival, Spring Weekend. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices, late night transport-escort service, controlled dormitory access, night security guard until 3:00 a.m., day security 8-5 p.m. 353 college housing spaces available; 309 were occupied in 2003-04. No special consideration for freshman housing applicants. Option: coed housing available. Merrill Library plus 1 other with 82,664 books, 4,750 microform titles, 316 serials, 3,647 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $269,894. 185 computers available on campus for general student use. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT PRESQUE ISLE D-10

181 Main St.
Presque Isle, ME 04769-2888

Tel: (207)768-9400
Admissions: (207)768-9453
Fax: (207)768-9608

E-mail: benson@umpi.maine.edu
Web Site: http://www.umpi.maine.edu/

Description:

State-supported, 4-year, coed. Part of University of Maine System. Awards associate and bachelor's degrees. Founded 1903. Setting: 150-acre small town campus. Endowment: $1.1 million. Research spending for 2004 fiscal year: $7820. Total enrollment: 1,548. Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 16:1. 480 applied, 87% were admitted. 8% from top 10% of their high school class, 23% from top quarter, 51% from top half. Full-time: 1,112 students, 63% women, 37% men. Part-time: 436 students, 73% women, 27% men. Students come from 17 states and territories, 4 other countries, 2% from out-of-state, 4% Native American, 1% Hispanic, 1% black, 1% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 9% international, 31% 25 or older, 28% live on campus, 15% transferred in. Retention: 55% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: liberal arts/general studies; education; business/marketing. Core. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, services for LD students, advanced placement, accelerated degree program, self-designed majors, honors program, independent study, distance learning, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, adult/continuing education programs, co-op programs and internships. Off campus study at Tri-Campus Exchange. Study abroad program.

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Common Application, electronic application, early admission, early action, deferred admission, international baccalaureate accepted. Required: essay, high school transcript, minimum 2.0 high school GPA, recommendations. Required for some: 1 recommendation, interview. Entrance: minimally difficult. Application deadlines: Rolling, 10/31 for early action. Notification: continuous, 4/1 for early action.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $40. State resident tuition: $4290 full-time, $143 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $10,680 full-time, $356 per credit hour part-time. Mandatory fees: $530 full-time, $19 per credit hour part-time. Full-time tuition and fees vary according to course load and reciprocity agreements. Part-time tuition and fees vary according to course load and reciprocity agreements. College room and board: $5246. College room only: $3000. Room and board charges vary according to board plan.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, student-run newspaper, radio station. Social organizations: 25 open to all; national fraternities, national sororities; 1% of eligible men and 1% of eligible women are members. Most popular organizations: Student Senate, OAPI-Outdoor Adventure Program International, Student Activities Board, Student Organization of Social Work, Campus Crusade for Christ. Major annual events: Spring Fest, Winter Blast, Spring Ball. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: student patrols, late night transport-escort service, crime prevention programs, lighted pathways. College housing designed to accommodate 361 students; 368 undergraduates lived in college housing during 2003-04. Option: coed housing available. UMPI Library with 455,372 books, 440,453 microform titles, 2,500 serials, 1,281 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $447,582. 82 computers available on campus for general student use. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND P-3

Hills Beach Rd.
Biddeford, ME 04005-9526

Tel: (207)283-0171

Free: 800-477-4UNE
Admissions: (207)283-0170

E-mail: admissions@une.edu
Web Site: http://www.une.edu/

Description:

Independent, comprehensive, coed. Awards associate, bachelor's, master's, and first professional degrees and post-master's certificates. Founded 1831. Setting: 410-acre small town campus. Endowment: $22.5 million. Research spending for 2004 fiscal year: $1 million. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $9375 per student. Total enrollment: 3,312. Faculty: 241 (137 full-time, 104 part-time). Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 11:1. 2,055 applied, 92% were admitted. 17% from top 10% of their high school class, 49% from top quarter, 86% from top half. Full-time: 1,519 students, 77% women, 23% men. Part-time: 217 students, 76% women, 24% men. Students come from 35 states and territories, 3 other countries, 59% from out-of-state, 0.2% Native American, 1% Hispanic, 1% black, 1% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 0.2% international, 13% 25 or older, 61% live on campus, 9% transferred in. Retention: 75% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: health professions and related sciences; biological/life sciences; psychology. Core. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, services for LD students, advanced placement, accelerated degree program, self-designed majors, independent study, distance learning, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, co-op programs and internships, graduate courses open to undergrads. Off campus study at Greater Portland Alliance of Colleges and Universities. Study abroad program. ROTC: Army (c).

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, deferred admission. Required: high school transcript, SAT or ACT. Recommended: essay, interview. Required for some: interview. Entrance: moderately difficult. Application deadline: Rolling. Notification: continuous.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $40. Comprehensive fee: $31,005 includes full-time tuition ($21,540), mandatory fees ($735), and college room and board ($8730). Room and board charges vary according to housing facility. Part-time tuition: $775 per credit.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Social organizations: 44 open to all. Most popular organizations: Student Government, Outing Club, Campus Programming Board, Earth's Eco, Dance Team. Major annual events: homecoming, Jam Fest, Winter Fest. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, late night transport-escort service, controlled dormitory access. College housing designed to accommodate 881 students; 909 undergraduates lived in college housing during 2003-04. Freshmen guaranteed college housing. On-campus residence required through junior year. Options: coed, women-only housing available. Ketchum Library plus 1 other with 142,181 books, 6,281 microform titles, 2,443 serials, 9,879 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $1.6 million. 150 computers available on campus for general student use. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

Community Environment:

On the Saco River, the University of New England is located outside the small City of Biddeford (pop. 25,000) on the coast of Southern Maine, two hours from Boston and 25 minutes from Portland, Maine's largest city. Part-time work is available for students. Biddeford city services include hospital, churches, library, and Chamber of commerce. Recreational facilities good, with beaches of Biddeford Pool, Kennebunk, and Old Orchard; golf, fishing, swimming, skiing, are within easy reach.

■ UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE O-3

96 Falmouth St., PO Box 9300
Portland, ME 04104-9300

Tel: (207)780-4141

Free: 800-800-4USM
Admissions: (207)780-5670
Fax: (207)780-5640

E-mail: usmadm@usm.maine.edu
Web Site: http://www.usm.maine.edu/

Description:

State-supported, comprehensive, coed. Part of University of Maine System. Awards associate, bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and first professional degrees and post-master's certificates. Founded 1878. Setting: 144-acre suburban campus. Endowment: $16.7 million. Research spending for 2004 fiscal year: $65.6 million. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $7072 per student. Total enrollment: 10,944. Faculty: 704 (402 full-time, 302 part-time). Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 13:1. 3,599 applied, 79% were admitted. 10% from top 10% of their high school class, 31% from top quarter, 71% from top half. 4 valedictorians. Full-time: 4,788 students, 58% women, 42% men. Part-time: 3,834 students, 61% women, 39% men. Students come from 33 other countries, 8% from out-of-state, 2% Native American, 1% Hispanic, 1% black, 1% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 0.01% international, 32% 25 or older, 40% live on campus, 9% transferred in. Retention: 57% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: health professions and related sciences; social sciences; business/marketing. Core. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, ESL program, services for LD students, advanced placement, accelerated degree program, self-designed majors, honors program, independent study, distance learning, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, external degree program, adult/continuing education programs, co-op programs and internships, graduate courses open to undergrads. Off campus study at National Student Exchange. Study abroad program. ROTC: Army (c), Air Force (c).

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early admission, deferred admission, international baccalaureate accepted. Required: essay, high school transcript, SAT or ACT. Recommended: minimum 2.8 high school GPA, 1 recommendation, interview. Required for some: interview, auditions for music majors. Entrance: moderately difficult. Application deadline: 2/15. Notification: continuous.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $40. State resident tuition: $4980 full-time, $166 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $13,800 full-time, $460 per credit hour part-time. Mandatory fees: $926 full-time. Full-time tuition and fees vary according to course load, degree level, and reciprocity agreements. Part-time tuition varies according to course load, degree level, and reciprocity agreements. College room and board: $6755. College room only: $3586. Room and board charges vary according to board plan, housing facility, and location.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, student-run newspaper, radio station. Social organizations: 100 open to all; national fraternities, national sororities, local fraternities, local sororities; 2% of eligible men and 2% of eligible women are members. Most popular organizations: Outing and Ski Clubs, Gorham Events Board, Commuter Student Group, Circle K. Major annual events: Spring Fling, Winter Weekend, theatre and music performers. Student services: legal services, health clinic, personal-psychological counseling, women's center. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, student patrols, late night transport-escort service, controlled dormitory access, security lighting, preventive programs within residence halls. College housing designed to accommodate 1,551 students; 1,599 undergraduates lived in college housing during 2003-04. Freshmen given priority for college housing. Option: coed housing available. University of Southern Maine Library plus 4 others with 545,246 books, 1 million microform titles, 2,585 serials, 2,705 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $3.4 million. 485 computers available on campus for general student use. Computer purchase/lease plans available. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ WASHINGTON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE I-12

RR No. 1, Box 22C River Rd.
Calais, ME 04619

Tel: (207)454-1000
Fax: (207)454-1026
Web Site: http://www.wccc.me.edu/

Description:

State-supported, 2-year, coed. Part of Maine Technical College System. Awards certificates, diplomas, transfer associate, and terminal associate degrees. Founded 1969. Setting: 40-acre rural campus. Total enrollment: 350. 273 applied, 98% were admitted. 1% from top quarter of their high school class, 24% from top half. 2 student government officers. Students come from 12 states and territories, 1 other country, 4% from out-of-state, 59% 25 or older, 22% live on campus. Calendar: semesters. Academic remediation for entering students, services for LD students, advanced placement, independent study, distance learning, double major, part-time degree program, external degree program, adult/continuing education programs, co-op programs and internships. Off campus study. Study abroad program.

Entrance Requirements:

Open admission. Options: Peterson's Universal Application, deferred admission. Required: essay, high school transcript, interview. Recommended: minimum 2.0 high school GPA, recommendations. Placement: ACT ASSET required. Entrance: noncompetitive. Application deadline: Rolling. Notification: continuous.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Choral group. Social organizations: 2 open to all. Most popular organizations: Hiking Club, Native American Club. Major annual events: Technology Fair, Christmas Party, graduation. Student services: personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices. Option: coed housing available. Washington County Technical College Library with 26,370 books, 232 serials, and 50 audiovisual materials. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $104,175. 100 computers available on campus for general student use. A campuswide network can be accessed from off-campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

■ YORK COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE P-3

112 College Dr.
Wells, ME 04090

Tel: (207)646-9282

Free: 800-580-3820
Fax: (207)641-0837

E-mail: admissions@yctc.net
Web Site: http://www.yccc.edu/

Description:

State-supported, 2-year, coed. Part of Maine Technical College System. Awards certificates, transfer associate, and terminal associate degrees. Founded 1994. Setting: 84-acre small town campus with easy access to Boston. Educational spending for 2005 fiscal year: $3161 per student. Total enrollment: 990. 216 applied, 90% were admitted. Students come from 3 states and territories, 1% from out-of-state. Calendar: semesters. Accelerated degree program, independent study, distance learning, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, co-op programs and internships.

Entrance Requirements:

Open admission. Required: essay, high school transcript. Placement: SAT recommended. Entrance: noncompetitive. Application deadline: Rolling.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Student-run newspaper. Social organizations: 4 open to all. Most popular organizations: Student Senate, Veteran's Club, Early Childhood Education Club, Skills-USA Club. Major annual events: family Homecoming events, Holiday Party, Spring Fling. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices. College housing not available. Library and Learning Resource Center plus 1 other with 4,000 books, 75 serials, 200 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending for 2004 fiscal year: $110,582. 35 computers available on campus for general student use. A campuswide network can be accessed. Staffed computer lab on campus.

Maine

1 Location and Size

2 Topography

3 Climate

4 Plants and Animals

5 Environmental Protection

6 Population

7 Ethnic Groups

8 Languages

9 Religions

10 Transportation

11 History

12 State Government

13 Political Parties

14 Local Government

15 Judicial System

16 Migration

17 Economy

18 Income

19 Industry

20 Labor

21 Agriculture

22 Domesticated Animals

23 Fishing

24 Forestry

25 Mining

26 Energy and Power

27 Commerce

28 Public Finance

29 Taxation

30 Health

31 Housing

32 Education

33 Arts

34 Libraries and Museums

35 Communications

36 Press

37 Tourism, Travel & Recreation

38 Sports

39 Famous Mainers

40 Bibliography

State of Maine

ORIGIN OF STATE NAME: Derived either from the French for a historical district of France, or from the early use of “main” to distinguish coast from islands.

NICKNAME : The Pine Tree State.

CAPITAL: Augusta.

ENTERED UNION: 15 March 1820 (23rd).

OFFICIAL SEAL: Same as the coat of arms.

FLAG: The coat of arms is on a blue field, with a yellow fringed border surrounding three sides.

COAT OF ARMS: A farmer and sailor support a shield on which are depicted a pine tree, a moose, and water. Under the shield is the name of the state; above it are the state motto and the North Star. MOTTO: Dirigo (“I direct” or “I lead”).

SONG: “State of Maine Song.”

FLOWER: White pine cone, tassel; wintergreen (herb).

TREE: White pine.

ANIMAL: Moose.

BIRD: Chickadee.

FISH: Landlocked salmon.

CRUSTACEAN: Blue crab.

INSECT: Honeybee.

MINERAL: Tourmaline.

LEGAL HOLIDAYS: New Year’s Day, 1 January; Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., 3rd Monday in January; Washington’s Birthday, 3rd Monday in February; Patriots’ Day, 3rd Monday in April; Memorial Day, last Monday in May; Independence Day, 4 July; Labor Day, 1st Monday in September; Columbus Day, 2nd Monday in October; Veterans Day, 11 November; Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thursday in November and day following; Christmas Day, 25 December.

TIME: 7 AM EST = noon GMT.

1 Location and Size

Situated in the extreme northeastern corner of the United States, Maine is the nation’s most easterly state, the largest in New England, and 39th in size among the 50 states. The total area of Maine is 33,265 square miles (86,156 square kilometers), including 30,995 square miles (80,277 square kilometers) of land and 2,270 square miles (5,879 square kilometers) of inland water. Maine extends 207 miles (333 kilometers) east-west and 322 miles (518 kilometers) north-south. Hundreds of islands dot Maine’s coast. The largest is Mt. Desert Island. Others include Deer Isle, Vinalhaven, and Isle au Haut. Maine’s total boundary length is 883 miles (1,421 kilometers).

2 Topography

Maine is divided into four main regions: coastal lowlands, the piedmont, mountains, and uplands. Maine’s mountain region, the Longfellow range, is at the northeastern end of the Appalachian Mountain system. This zone contains nine peaks over 4,000 feet (1,200 meters), including Mt. Katahdin, which at 5,267 feet (1,606 meters) is the highest point in the state. The summit of Katahdin marks the northern terminus of the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) Appalachian Trail. Maine’s uplands form a high, relatively flat plateau. The eastern part of this zone is the Aroostook potato-farming region and the western part is heavily forested.

Of Maine’s more than 2,200 lakes and ponds, the largest are Moosehead Lake, 117 square miles (303 square kilometers), and Sebago Lake, 13 miles (21 kilometers) by 10 miles (16 kilometers). Of the more than 5,000 rivers and streams, the Penobscot, Androscoggin, Kennebec, and Saco rivers are the most important. The longest river in Maine is the St. John, but it runs for most of its length in the Canadian province of New Brunswick.

3 Climate

Maine has three climatic regions: the northern interior zone, comprising roughly the northern half of the state between Quebec and New Brunswick; the southern interior zone; and the coastal zone. The northern zone is both drier and cooler in all four seasons than either of the other zones, while the coastal zone is more moderate

Maine Population Profile

Population by Age Group

in temperature year-round than the other two. Annual mean temperatures range from about 40°f (5°c) in the northern zone to 44°f (7°c) in the southern interior and 46°f (8°c) in the coastal zone. Record temperatures for the state are -48°f (-44°c) registered at Van Buren on 19 January 1925, and 105°f (41°c), registered at North Bridgton on 10 July 1911. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 40.2 inches (102 centimeters) in the north to 41.5 inches (105 centimeters) in the southern interior and 45.7 in (116 cm) on the coast. Average annual snowfall is 78 inches (198 centimeters).

4 Plants and Animals

The trees in Maine’s forests are largely softwoods, such as red and white spruces, eastern hemlock, and white and red pine. Important hardwoods include beech, white oak, and black willow. Maine is home to most of the flowers and shrubs common to the north temperate zone, including an important commercial resource, the low-bush blueberry. Maine has 17 rare orchid species. Two species, the small whorled pogonia and the eastern prairie fringed orchid, were classified as threatened plant species as of April 2006. The furbish lousewart was classified as endangered that year.

About 30,000 white-tailed deer are killed by hunters in Maine each year, but the herd does not appear to diminish. Moose hunting was banned in Maine in 1935. Other common forest animals include the bobcat, beaver, mink, red fox, and snowshoe hare. Seals and porpoises are found in

Maine Population by Race

Census 2000 was the first national census in which the instructions to respondents said, “Mark one or more races.” This table shows the number of people who are of one, two, or three or more races. For those claiming two races, the number of people belonging to the various categories is listed. The U.S. government conducts a census of the population every ten years.

coastal waters, along with practically every variety of North Atlantic fish and shellfish, including the famous Maine lobster. Coastal waterfowl include the osprey, great and double-crested cormorants, and herring and great black-backed gulls. Matinicus Rock, an island near Penobscot Bay, is the only known North American nesting site of the common puffin, or sea parrot.

In 2006, a total of 11 Maine animal species were classified as threatened or endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, including the bald eagle, piping plover, Atlantic Gulf of Maine salmon, two species of whale, and the leather-back sea turtle.

5 Environmental Protection

The Department of Environmental Protection is the primary state agency for environmental concerns. The Land Use Regulation Commission extends the principles of town planning and zoning to unorganized townships, “plantations,” and numerous coastal islands that have no local government and might otherwise be subject to ecologically unsound development. In 2003, Maine had 59 hazardous waste sites listed in the Environmental Protection Agency’s database, 12 of which were on the National Priorities List as of 2006.

6 Population

In 2005, Maine ranked 40th in population in the United States with an estimated total of 1,321,574 residents. The population is projected to grow to 1.41 million by 2025. The population density for 2004 was 42.7 persons per square mile (16.48 persons per square kilometer). More than half the population lives on less than one-seventh of the land within 25 miles (40 kilometers) of the Atlantic coast, and almost half the state is virtually uninhabited. In 2004, the median age was 40.7 years, the highest median in the country. In 2005, of all Maine residents, 14% were age 65 or older, while 22% were 18 or younger. The largest cities are Portland, Bangor, and Lewsiton-Auburn, all of which have populations under 100,000.

7 Ethnic Groups

Maine’s population is primarily Yankee, both in its English and Scotch-Irish origins and in its retention of many of the values and folkways of rural New England. As of the 2000 census, a total of 274,423 claimed English ancestry, followed by 192,901 claiming Irish ancestry, 181,663 claiming French ancestry and 110,344 who claimed Canadian or French-Canadian ancestry. The population of Hispanics and Latinos was 9,360. In 2006, Hispanics and Latinos accounted for 0.9% of the population. The Native American population included 7,098 residents. In 2006, Native Americans accounted for 0.5% of the state’s population. The leading tribes were the Penobscot, the Aristook Band of Micmac, the Passamaquoddy, and the Houlton Band of Maliseets. Maine in 2000 had 6,760 black American residents and 9,111 Asians, including 2,034 Chinese, 1,159 Filipinos, and 1,021 Asian Indians. Pacific Islanders numbered 382. There were 36,691 foreign-born residents in the state.

8 Languages

Maine English is celebrated as typical Yankee speech. The final /r/ is often absent form a word. A vowel sound between /ah/ and the /a/ is used in words such as car and garden. Maple syrup comes from rock or sugar maple trees in a sap or sugar orchard. Cottage cheese is called curd cheese and pancakes are fritters. Native Algonkian place-names abound, including Saco, Kennebec, and Skowhegan.

In 2000, of all Maine residents five years old or older, 92.2% reported speaking only English in the home. About 63,640 residents, or 5.3%, spoke French.

9 Religions

In 2004, Maine had about 217,676 Roman Catholics, and an estimated 8,290 Jews in 2000. Leading Protestant denominations were the United Methodist Church, with 31,689 adherents, and the American Baptists USA, with 26,259 members (both as of 2000), and the United Church of Christ with 23,060 followers, as of 2005. The Muslim community had about 800 members. Over 800,000 people (about 63.6% of the population) were not counted as members of any religious organization.

10 Transportation

Railroad development in Maine has declined rapidly since World War II, while passenger service has been nearly dropped altogether. Although Maine had no Class I railroads in 2003, there

were 7 regional and local railroads that operated on 1,148 miles (1,848 kilometers) of railroad track. As of 2006, Amtrak provided service to four stations in Maine via its Downeaster train that ran from Portland to Boston.

About three-quarters of all communities and about half the population depend entirely on highway trucking for the overland transportation of freight. In 2004, Maine had 22,748 miles (36,624 kilometers) of public roads. There were 1.086 million registered motor vehicles, and 984,829 licensed drivers in the same year. The Maine Turnpike and I-95 are the major highways.

River traffic has been central to the lumber industry. Maine has 10 established seaports, with Portland and Searsport being the main depots for overseas shipping. Portland International Jetport is the largest and most active airport in Maine. In 2004, it had 687,344 passenger boardings. In 2005, Maine had 103 airports, 13 heliports and 37 seaplane bases.

11 History

Sometime around 1600, English expeditions began fishing the Gulf of Maine regularly. By 1630, however, there were permanent English settlements on several islands and at nearly a dozen spots along the coast. In 1652, the government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony began absorbing the small Maine settlements, and in

Maine Governors: 1820–2007

1691, Maine became a district of Massachusetts. During the first hundred years of settlement, Maine’s economy was based on farming, fishing, trading, and exploitation of the forests.

The first naval encounter of the Revolutionary War occurred in Machias Bay, when, on 12 June 1775, angry colonials captured the British armed schooner Margaretta. An expedition through the Maine woods in the fall of 1775 intended to drive the British out of Quebec, but this failed.

Another disaster was a 1779 expedition in which Massachusetts forces, failing to dislodge British troops at Castine, abandoned many of its own ships near the Penobscot River. Popular pressure for separation from Massachusetts mounted after the War of 1812. Admission of Maine to the Union as a free state was joined with the admission of Missouri as a slave state in the Missouri Compromise of 1820.

Textile mills and shoe factories came to Maine between 1830 and 1860. After the Civil War, the revolution in papermaking that substituted wood pulp for rags brought a vigorous new industry to the state. By 1900, Maine was one of the leading papermaking states in the United States, and the industry continues to dominate the state today. The rise of tourism and the conflict between economic development and environmental protection have been central in the postwar period.

In the 1980s, the state government paid $81.5 million to the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy tribes. This settled a suit claiming that a 1794 treaty under which the Passamaquoddy handed over most of its land—amounting to the northern two-thirds of Maine—was illegal and had never been ratified by Congress.

In the late 1990s, Maine’s economy experienced strong growth, but in the early 2000s, the state’s economy was troubled. By 2003, the state budget was showing a deficit of $24 million. Despite the state’s economic woes, in June 2003, Maine’s governor signed into law a statewide health plan called Dirigo Health.

By 2005, plans were being made by the state to deal with the closing of military bases, including the Brunswick Naval Air Station.

12 State Government

Maine’s constitution was adopted in 1819, and had been amended 169 times as of January 2005. The document sets up a two-house legislature, consisting of a 35-member Senate and a 151-member House of Representatives. The legislature convenes every two years in joint session to elect the secretary of state, attorney general, auditor, and state treasurer. The governor is the

Maine Presidential Vote by Major Political Parties, 1948–2004

only official elected statewide. The governor is limited to two four-year terms. The governor’s veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of members present and voting in each legislative chamber.

The legislative salary in 2004 was $11,384 for the first year and $8,302 for the second. The governor’s salary as of December 2004 was $70,000.

13 Political Parties

The Republican Party dominated Maine politics for 100 years after its formation in the 1850s. The rise of Democrat Edmund S. Muskie, elected governor in 1954 and 1956, and to the first of four terms in the US Senate in 1960, signaled a change. Muskie appealed personally to many traditionally Republican voters, but his party’s revival was also the result of demographic changes, especially an increase in the proportion of French-Canadian voters. In 2002 there were 912,092 registered voters. In 1998, of all registered voters in Maine, 32% were Democrats, 29% Republicans, and 39% unaffiliated or members of other parties.

In 2002, Democrat John Baldacci was elected governor; he was reelected in 2006. In 2006 Republican Olympia Snowe won reelection in the US Senate. Republican Susan E. Collins won the seat left vacant by retiring three-term senator William S. Cohen in 1996 (Collins was reelected in 2002). Cohen, a Republican, went on to serve Democratic president Bill Clinton as Secretary of Defense. Both of Maine’s seats in the US House of Representatives were held by Democrats following the 2006 midterm elections. In 2000, Democrat Al Gore won 49% of the presidential vote and Republican George W. Bush received 44%. In the 2004 election, Democrat John Kerry received 53.4% of the presidential vote to George W. Bush’s 44.6%. Following the 2006 elections, the state house of representatives had 89 Democrats, 60 Republicans, and 2 independents, while the state senate had 18 Democrats and 17 Republicans. Forty-three women were elected in the state legislature in 2006, or 23.1%.

14 Local Government

The principal units of local government in 2005 included 16 counties, 22 cities, 282 public school districts, and 222 special districts. In 2000, there were 467 townships. As is customary in New England, the basic instrument of town government is the annual town meeting, with an elective board of selectmen supervising town affairs between meetings. Some of the larger towns employ full-time town managers. Maine’s counties function primarily as judicial districts.

15 Judicial System

The highest state court is the Supreme Judicial Court, which has statewide appeals jurisdiction in all civil and criminal matters. The 16-member Superior Court has original jurisdiction in cases involving trial by jury and also hears some appeals. The district courts hear non-felony criminal cases and small claims and juvenile cases. In 2004, Maine’s violent crime rate (murder/nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault) was 103.5 incidents per 100,000 persons (the second-lowest in the United States after North Dakota). As of 31 December 2004, there were 2,024 state and federal prisoners held in Maine. The state has not had a death penalty since 1887, but does provide for a life sentence without parole.

16 Migration

Throughout the colonial and early national periods, Maine’s population grew primarily by immigration from elsewhere in New England. About 1830, after agriculture in the state had passed its peak, Maine farmers and woodsmen began moving west. Europeans and French Canadians came to the state at about that time.

Between 1990 and 1998, the state had a net loss of 15,000 in domestic migration and a net gain of 3,000 in international migration. In the period 2000–05, some 5,004 people moved into the state from other countries, while 36,804 moved into the state from other states, for a net gain of 41,808 people.

17 Economy

Maine’s greatest economic strengths are its forests and waters, yielding wood products, water power, fisheries, and ocean commerce. As of 2005, among the largest industries in the state was paper manufacturing, for which both forests and water power are essential. Maine’s greatest current economic weakness is its limited access to the national transportation network that links major production and manufacturing centers with large metropolitan markets. On the other hand, this relative isolation, combined with the state’s traditional natural assets, has contributed to Maine’s attractiveness as a place for tourism and recreation.

Maine’s gross state product (GSP) in 2004 totaled $43.336 billion, of which the real estate sector accounted for the largest portion, by value, at 13.4%, followed by manufacturing at 11.9% of GSP. Of the 40,304 businesses that had employees, an estimated 97.5% were small companies.

18 Income

In 2004, Maine ranked 34th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia with a per capita (per person) income of $30,046, compared to the national average of $33,050. For the three-year period 2002 through 2004, the state’s median household income was $39,395, compared to the national average of $44,473. For the same period, 12.2% of the state’s residents lived below the federal poverty level, as compared to 12.4% nationwide.

19 Industry

Manufacturing in Maine has always been related to the forests. From the 17th century through much of the 19th, the staples of Maine industry were shipbuilding and lumber. As of 2005, it was papermaking and wood products, but footwear, textiles and apparel, shipbuilding, and electronic components and accessories are also important items.

Maine has the largest paper-production capacity of any state in the nation. There are large papermills and pulpmills in more than a dozen towns and cities. As of 2004, wood-related industries (paper, lumber, wood products) accounted for about 25% of the value of all manufactured product shipments. In 2004, the shipment value of all products manufactured in the state was $13.656 billion. Of that total, paper manufacturing accounted for the largest share at $3.601 billion, followed by transportation equipment at $2.019 billion. In that same year, a total of 57,901 people were employed in the state’s manufacturing sector.

20 Labor

In April 2006, the civilian labor force in Maine numbered 716,300, with approximately 30,000 workers unemployed, yielding an unemployment rate of 4.2%, compared to the national average of 4.7% for the same period. In April 2006, early nonfarm employment data indicated that about 5% of the labor force was employed in construction; 9.7% in manufacturing; 20.4% in trade, transportation, and public utilities; 5.5% in financial activities; 8.3% in professional and business services; 18.4% in educational and health services; 9.7% in leisure and hospitality services; and 17.1% in government.

In 2005, a total of 69,000 of Maine’s 582,000 employed wage and salary workers were members of a union. This represented 11.9% of those so employed, and below the national average of 12%.

21 Agriculture

Maine’s gross farm income in 2005 was $546 million (43rd in the United States). There were 7,200 farms in 2004, with an estimated 1.37 million acres (554,000 hectares) of land.

Maine produces more food crops for human consumption than any other New England state. Maine ranks first in the world in the production of blueberries, producing over 25% of the total blueberry crop and over 50% of the world’s wild blueberries. Maine is also home to the largest bioagricultural firm in the world, which produces breeding stock for the broiler industry worldwide. In New England, Maine ranks first in potato production and second in the production of milk and apples. Nationally, Maine ranks third in maple syrup and seventh in potatoes. The greenhouse/nursery and wild blueberry sectors have also shown steady growth in sales since 1990.

22 Domesticated Animals

In 2005, Maine had an estimated 92,000 cattle and calves worth around $101.2 million. Dairy farmers had an estimated 35,000 milk cows, which produced 624 million pounds (283.6 million kilograms) of milk in 2003. Poultry farmers sold an estimated 10.2 million pounds (4.6 million kilograms) of chickens in the same year. South-central Maine is the leading poultry region.

23 Fishing

Fishing has been important to the economy of Maine since its settlement. In 2004, Maine landings brought a total of 208.4 million pounds (84.3 million kilograms) with a value of $315.8 million (the third highest value in the nation). Rockland and Portland were main ports.

The most valuable Maine fishery product is the lobster. In 2004, Maine led the nation in landings of American lobster for the 23rd consecutive year, with 58.5 million pounds (26.6 million kilograms). Flounder, halibut, scallops, and shrimp were also caught. Maine also was the leading state in soft clams catch, with 2.4 million pounds of meats (1.1 million kilograms) in 2004. In 2003, there were 35 processing and 176 wholesale plants in the state, with a total of about 1,780 employees. The state commercial fleet in 2001 had 5,836 boats and 1,656 vessels.

In 2004, Maine had 15 trout farms. The state also has nine inland fish hatcheries and hosts two national fish hatcheries. In 2004, there were 270,698 licensed sports fishing participants in the state.

24 Forestry

Maine’s 17.7 million acres (7.2 million hectares) of forest in 2003 contained over 3.6 billion trees and covered 90% of the state’s land area, the largest percentage for any state in the United States. About 16,952,000 acres (6,860,000 hectares) are classified as commercial timberland, over 96% of it privately owned, and half of that by a dozen large paper companies and land managing corporations. Principal commercial hardwood include ash, hard maple, white and yellow birch, beech, and oak; commercially significant softwoods include white pine, hemlock, cedar, spruce, and fir. Total lumber production in 2004 was 964 million board feet, of which 86% was softwood.

25 Mining

The value of nonfuel mineral production in Maine in 2003 was estimated to be $100 million. The mining and production of construction materials accounted for the vast majority of the state’s nonfuel mineral production. Construction sand and gravel, and crushed stone, together accounted for about 65% of total nonfuel mineral output by value that year. According to preliminary data, output of construction sand and gravel totaled 9.3 million metric tons, worth $37.9 million, while crushed stone production came to 4.4 million metric tons, and was valued at $26 million. In 2003, portland cement, and dimension granite were also important nonfuel minerals produced in Maine. Gemstone production that same year was valued at $262,000.

26 Energy and Power

In 2003, Maine had a total net summer generating capacity of 4.285 million kilowatts, with output that same year of 18.971 billion kilowatt hours. Natural gas-fueled power plants accounted for 49.8% of all power generated, followed by other renewable sources at 20.6% and hydroelectric plants at 16.7%. Maine no longer generates electricity through nuclear power. As of 2003, Maine’s only nuclear plant, the Maine Yankee Atomic Power plant in Wiscasset, was being dismantled after being closed down in 1997.

Maine has no proven reserves or production of crude oil, coal, or natural gas.

27 Commerce

In 2002, Maine’s wholesale trade sector had sales of $10.3 billion, while the state’s retail sector in that same year had sales of $16.05 billion. Motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts dealers accounted for the largest portion of retail sales at $3.7 billion, followed by food and beverage stores at $2.7 billion. The value of Maine’s exports amounted to $2.3 billion in 2005.

28 Public Finance

Maine’s biennial budget is prepared by the Bureau of the Budget and submitted by the governor to the legislature for consideration. The fiscal year extends from 1 July to 30 June.

Total revenues for 2004 were $8.3 billion, while total expenditures were $7.3 billion. The largest general expenditures were for public welfare ($2.286 billion), education ($1.65 billion), and highways ($536 million). The state had a total debt of about $4.6 billion, or $3,531.55 per capita (per person).

29 Taxation

As of 1 January 2006, the state’s individual income tax had four brackets ranging from 2% to 8.5%. The corporate income tax ranges from 3.5% to 8.93%. The state sales tax is 5% on most goods, although basic foods are tax exempt if consumed off premises (such as at home). Cigarettes and gasoline are subject to state excise taxes

In 2005, Maine collected $3.071 billion in tax revenues, or $2,323 per person, placing the state 19th out of the 50 states in per capita tax burden, compared to the national average of $2,192 per person. Of the tax revenues raised, 42.3% was generated by the state income tax, followed by sales taxes at 30.4%, and state excise taxes at 13.9%. The state’s corporate income tax accounted for 4.4% of all tax revenues collected.

30 Health

In 2003, Maine’s crude death rate was 9.6 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. As of October 2005, the state’s infant mortality rate was estimated at 6.1 per 1,000 live births. In 2004, about 20.9% of the state’s population were smokers. Maine’s reported AIDS case rate in 2004 stood at around 4.6 per 100,000 people. The death rates from major causes of death in 2002 (per 100,000 people) were: heart disease at 244.9; cancer at 247.7; cerebrovascular disease at 63.6; chronic lower respiratory diseases at 61.1; and diabetes at 31.2.

Maine’s 37 community hospitals had about 3,700 beds in 2003. There were 1,009 nurses per 100,000 people in 2005, while in 2004 there were 302 physicians per 100,000 population in 2004. In that same year, Maine had 629 dentists. The average expense for community hospital care was $1,416 per day in 2003. In 2004, about 10% of the state’s population was uninsured.

31 Housing

There were an estimated 676,667 housing units in Maine in 2004. Approximately 534,412 of the total units were occupied, with 72.9% being owner-occupied. About 68.9% of all units are single-family, detached homes. Fuel oils and kerosene are the primary heating fuel for most units. It was estimated that 12,214 units lacked telephone service, 3,771 lacked complete plumbing facilities, and 3,336 lacked complete kitchen facilities. The average household size was 2.39 people.

In 2004, a total of 8,800 privately owned units were authorized for construction. The median home value is $143,182. The median monthly cost for mortgage owners was $1,020. Renters paid a median of $582 per month.

32 Education

Maine has a long and vigorous tradition of education at all levels, both public and private. In 2004, of Maine residents age 25 and older, 87.1% were high school graduates, and 24.2% had obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Total public school enrollment was estimated at 200,000 in fall 2003, and was expected to drop to 178,000 by fall 2014. Enrollment in nonpublic schools in fall 2003 was 20,696. Expenditures for public education in 2003/2004 were estimated at $2.2 billion.

As of fall 2002, there were 63,308 students enrolled in institutions of higher education. As of 2005, Maine had 30 degree-granting institutions. Since 1968, the state’s public colleges and universities have been incorporated into a single University of Maine System. The original land grant campus is at Orono. The other major campus in the system is the University of Southern Maine at Portland and Gorham. The state also operates the Maine Maritime Academy at Castine and the Maine Technical College System, comprised of seven technical colleges. Of the state’s private colleges and professional schools, Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Colby College in Waterville, and Bates College in Lewiston are the best known.

33 Arts

Maine has long held an attraction for painters and artists, including Winslow Homer and Andrew Wyeth. The state has many summer theaters, the oldest and most famous of which is at Ogunquit, which celebrated its 74th anniversary in 2006.

The Portland Symphony (est. 1923) is Maine’s leading orchestra. Augusta and Bangor also host symphonies. The Maine State Ballet Company is based in Westbrook. The Portland Ballet is also well known in the state. The Bossov Ballet Theatre in Pittsfield is part of a boarding school for high school students looking for rigorous pre-professional training in dance. One of the newest additions to Maine’s cultural life is the Maine Grand Opera Company (est. 2001), based at the Camden Opera House. There are many local theater groups.

Some well-known festivals include the Arcady Summer Music Festival (est. 1980), specializing in chamber music, and the annual Bowdoin Summer Music Festival (est. 1964), presented at Bowdoin College in Brunswick.

The Maine Arts Commission is an independent state agency funded in part by the Maine State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts. The state Department of Educational and Cultural Services has an Arts and Humanities Bureau that provides funds to artists in residence, Maine touring artists, and community arts councils. The Maine Humanities Council, founded in 1975, provides support to about 100 nonprofit art organizations each year. Several ongoing reading programs sponsored in part by MHC include Born to Read, for children and youth; New Books, New Readers, for adult learners; and Let’s Talk About It, for adult readers.

34 Libraries and Museums

In 2001, Maine had 280 public libraries, of which 7 were branch libraries. In that same year, the state’s libraries had 5,891,000 volumes and a combined circulation of 8,155,000. Leading libraries included the Maine State Library at Augusta, Bowdoin College at Brunswick, and the University of Maine School of Law. Maine has at least 121 museums and historic sites. The Maine State Museum in Augusta houses collections in history, natural history, anthropology, marine studies, mineralogy, science, and technology. The privately supported Maine Historical Society in Portland maintains a research library and the Wadsworth Longfellow House, the boyhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The largest of several maritime museums is in Bath.

35 Communications

In 2004, a total of 96.6% of occupied housing units had telephones, while as of June 2004, there were 610,533 mobile telephone service subscribers. In 2003, of all households in the state, 67.8% had a computer, while 57.9% had access to the Internet. Maine had 33 major commercial radio stations (5 AM, 28 FM) in 2005, along with 11 major television stations. Educational television stations broadcast from Augusta, Biddeford, Calais, Orono, and Presque Isle.

By 2000, a total of 25,583 Internet domain names had been registered in Maine.

36 Press

In 2005, Maine had seven daily newspapers and four Sunday editions. The most widely read newspapers (with their 2005 circulation) were the Bangor Daily News (mornings, 62,462; weekend, 74,754) and the Portland Press Herald (mornings, 77,788). Maine’s largest Sunday newspaper is the Portland Sunday Telegram (125,858). The capital is served by the Augusta Kennebec Journal (15,167 daily; 14,422 Sundays). Regional interest magazines include Maine Times and Down East

37 Tourism, Travel & Recreation

In 2004, the state of Maine hosted 43 million travelers who spent $13.6 billion dollars. Though Maine is a year-round resort destination, 59% of travelers arrive during the months of July, August, and September.

Sightseeing and outdoor activities are the primary tourist attractions. In the summer, the southern coast offers sandy beaches, icy surf, and several small harbors for sailing and saltwater fishing. Northeastward, the scenery becomes more rugged and spectacular, and sailing and hiking are the primary activities. Hundreds of lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams offer opportunities for freshwater bathing, boating, and fishing. Whitewater canoeing lures the adventurous along the Allagash Wilderness Waterway in northern Maine. Maine has always attracted hunters, especially during the fall deer season. Wintertime recreation facilities include nearly 60 ski areas and countless opportunities for cross-country skiing.

There are 12 state parks and beaches. Acadia National Park is a popular attraction, along with other wildlife areas, refuges, and forests. The state fair is held at Bangor.

38 Sports

Maine has no major league professional sports team. The Portland Pirates (a minor league hockey team) of the American Hockey League play on their home ice at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland. Minor league baseball’s Sea Dogs of the AA Eastern League play their games at Hadlock Field, which opened in 1994.

Harness racing is held at Scarborough Downs and other tracks and fairgrounds throughout the state. Sailing is a popular participant sport with a Windsummer Festival held each July at Boothbay Harbor and a Retired Skippers Race at Castine in August.

39 Famous Mainers

The highest federal officeholders born in Maine were Hannibal Hamlin (1809–1891), the nation’s first Republican vice-president, under Abraham Lincoln; and Nelson A. Rockefeller (1908–1979), governor of New York State from 1959 to 1973 and US vice-president under Gerald Ford. Margaret Chase Smith (1897–1995) served longer in the US Senate—24 years—than any other woman.

Maine claims a large number of well-known reformers and humanitarians: Dorothea Lynde Dix (1802–1887), who led the movement for hospitals for the insane; Elijah Parish Lovejoy (1802–1837), an abolitionist killed while defending his printing press from a proslavery mob in St. Louis, Missouri; and Harriet Beecher Stowe (b.Connecticut, 1811–1896), whose novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) was written in Maine. Other important writers include poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) and Kate Douglas Wiggin (1856–1923), author of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869–1935) and Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892–1950) were both Pulitzer Prize-winning poets. E. B. (Elwyn Brooks) White (1899–1985), New Yorker essayist and author of the children’s classic Charlotte’s Web, maintained a home in Maine, which inspired much of his writing. Winslow Homer (b.Massachusetts, 1836–1910) had a summer home at Prouts Neck, where he painted many of his seascapes. Joan Benoit-Samuelson (b.1957), famous distance runner during the 1980s, was born in Cape Elizabeth.

40 Bibliography

BOOKS

Beem, Edgar Allen. Maine: the Spirit of America. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2000.

Bristow, M. J. State Songs of America. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000.

Brown, Jonatha A. Maine. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens, 2007.

Dornfeld, Margaret. Maine. New York: Benchmark Books, 2001.

Gale, Robert L. A Sarah Orne Jewett Companion. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999.

McAuliffe, Emily. Maine Facts and Symbols. Rev. ed. Mankato, MN: Capstone, 2003.

Murray, Julie. Maine. Edina, MN: Abdo Publishing, 2006.

WEB SITES

Official Website of the State of Maine. Maine.gov. www.state.me.us (accessed March 1, 2007).

Visit New England. Maine. www.visit-maine.com (accessed March 1, 2007).

Maine

ANDOVER COLLEGE

901 Washington Ave.
Portland, ME 04103-2791
Tel: (207)774-6126
Free: 800-639-3110
Fax: (207)774-1715
Web Site: http://www.andovercollege.com/
President/CEO: Mark E. Jenkins
Registrar: Celia Dobson
Admissions: David Blessing
Financial Aid: Adrienne Amari
Type: Two-Year College Sex: Coed Admission Plans: Open Admission; Early Admission; Deferred Admission Application Fee: $25.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Miscellaneous, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 490, PT 12 Faculty: FT 12, PT 24 Student-Faculty Ratio: 19:1 Library Holdings: 6,500 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 60 credit hours, Associates

BATES COLLEGE

Andrews Rd.
Lewiston, ME 04240-6028
Tel: (207)786-6255
Admissions: (207)786-6000
Fax: (207)786-6025
E-mail: admissions@bates.edu
Web Site: http://www.bates.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. Donald W. Harward
Registrar: Meredith H. Braz
Admissions: Wylie L. Mitchell
Financial Aid: Leigh P. Campbell
Type: Four-Year College Sex: Coed Scores: 100% SAT V 400+; 100% SAT M 400 + % Accepted: 29 Admission Plans: Early Admission; Early Decision Plan; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: January 01 Application Fee: $60.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED not accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $60. Comprehensive fee: $42,100. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Miscellaneous, Summer Session Not available Enrollment: FT 1,699, PT 31 Faculty: FT 164, PT 23 Student-Faculty Ratio: 10:1 % Receiving Financial Aid: 40 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 90 Library Holdings: 588,211 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 32 courses and 2 short terms, Bachelors Intercollegiate Athletics: Badminton M & W; Baseball M; Basketball M & W; Crew M & W; Cross-Country Running M & W; Equestrian Sports M & W; Fencing M & W; Field Hockey W; Football M; Golf M & W; Ice Hockey M & W; Lacrosse M & W; Rugby M & W; Sailing M & W; Skiing (Cross-Country) M & W; Skiing (Downhill) M & W; Soccer M & W; Softball W; Squash M & W; Swimming and Diving M & W; Tennis M & W; Track and Field M & W; Ultimate Frisbee M & W; Volleyball M & W; Water Polo M & W

BEAL COLLEGE

629 Main St.
Bangor, ME 04401-6896
Tel: (207)947-4591
Web Site: http://www.bealcollege.edu/
President/CEO: Allen T. Stehle
Registrar: Darin Pridham
Admissions: Catherine Haskell
Financial Aid: Diane Willett
Type: Two-Year College Sex: Coed Admission Plans: Open Admission; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: Rolling Application Fee: $25.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Miscellaneous, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 239, PT 134 Faculty: FT 6, PT 10 Student-Faculty Ratio: 16:1 Library Holdings: 7,275 Credit Hours For Degree: 72 credit hours, Associates Professional Accreditation: ACICS, AAMAE

BOWDOIN COLLEGE

5000 College Station
Brunswick, ME 04011
Tel: (207)725-3000
Admissions: (207)725-3958
Fax: (207)725-3003
E-mail: admissions@bowdoin.edu
Web Site: http://www.bowdoin.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. Barry Mills
Registrar: Dr. Christine A. Brooks Cote
Admissions: Richard Steele
Financial Aid: Stephen H. Joyce
Type: Four-Year College Sex: Coed Scores: 100% SAT V 400+; 100% SAT M 400 + % Accepted: 25 Admission Plans: Early Decision Plan; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: January 01 Application Fee: $60.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED not accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $60. Comprehensive fee: $41,660 includes full-time tuition ($32,650), mandatory fees ($340), and college room and board ($8670). College room only: $3900. Room and board charges vary according to board plan. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Not available Enrollment: FT 1,661, PT 5 Faculty: FT 157, PT 37 Student-Faculty Ratio: 10:1 % Receiving Financial Aid: 49 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 93 Library Holdings: 981,074 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 32 courses, Bachelors Intercollegiate Athletics: Baseball M; Basketball M & W; Crew M & W; Cross-Country Running M & W; Field Hockey W; Football M; Golf M & W; Ice Hockey M & W; Lacrosse M & W; Rugby M & W; Sailing M & W; Skiing (Cross-Country) M & W; Soccer M & W; Softball W; Squash M & W; Swimming and Diving M & W; Tennis M & W; Track and Field M & W; Ultimate Frisbee M & W; Volleyball W; Water Polo M & W

CENTRAL MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

1250 Turner St.
Auburn, ME 04210-6498
Tel: (207)755-5100
Free: 800-891-2002
Admissions: (207)755-5334
Fax: (207)755-5491
E-mail: admissions@cmtc.mtcs.tec.me.us
Web Site: http://www.cmcc.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. Scott E. Knapp
Registrar: Ronald Bolstridge
Admissions: Elizabeth Oken
Financial Aid: Michael Roy
Type: Two-Year College Sex: Coed Affiliation: Maine Technical College System Scores: 69% SAT V 400+; 73% SAT M 400 + Admission Plans: Deferred Admission Application Fee: $20.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Faculty: FT 53, PT 82 Student-Faculty Ratio: 15:1 Exams: Other, SAT I % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 11 Library Holdings: 15,000 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 66 credits, Associates Professional Accreditation: ABET, ACBSP, NAACLS, NLN Intercollegiate Athletics: Baseball M; Basketball M & W; Soccer M & W; Softball W

CENTRAL MAINE MEDICAL CENTER SCHOOL OF NURSING

70 Middle St.
Lewiston, ME 04240-0305
Tel: (207)795-2840
Admissions: (207)795-2868
Fax: (207)795-2849
Web Site: http://www.cmmcson.edu/
President/CEO: Sharon Kuhrt
Registrar: Kathleen C. Jacques
Admissions: Lucille Webber
Financial Aid: Keith Bourgault
Type: Two-Year College Sex: Coed Scores: 100% SAT V 400+; 100% SAT M 400 + Application Fee: $40.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $40. Tuition: $2898 full-time, $138 per credit part-time. Mandatory fees: $1205 full-time, $20 per term part-time. College room only: $1500. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Not available Enrollment: FT 22, PT 92 Faculty: FT 9, PT 3 Student-Faculty Ratio: 5:1 Exams: SAT I % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 2 Library Holdings: 1,975 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 69 credits, Associates Professional Accreditation: NLN

COLBY COLLEGE

Mayflower Hill
Waterville, ME 04901-8840
Tel: (207)872-3000
Free: 800-723-3032
Admissions: (207)859-4802
Fax: (207)872-3474
E-mail: admissions@colby.edu
Web Site: http://www.colby.edu/
President/CEO: William D. Adams
Registrar: George L. Coleman, II
Admissions: Parker Beverage
Financial Aid: Lucia Whittelsey
Type: Four-Year College Sex: Coed Scores: 100% SAT V 400+; 100% SAT M 400+; 2% ACT 18-23; 57% ACT 24-29 % Accepted: 38 Admission Plans: Early Admission; Early Decision Plan; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: January 01 Application Fee: $0.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent not required Costs Per Year: Application fee: $0. Comprehensive fee: $41,770. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: 4-1-4, Summer Session Not available Enrollment: FT 1,871 Faculty: FT 161, PT 64 Student-Faculty Ratio: 10:1 Exams: SAT I or ACT % Receiving Financial Aid: 38 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 93 Library Holdings: 350,000 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 128 semester hours, Bachelors ROTC: Army Intercollegiate Athletics: Badminton M & W; Baseball M; Basketball M & W; Crew M & W; Cross-Country Running M & W; Equestrian Sports M & W; Fencing M & W; Field Hockey W; Football M; Golf M & W; Ice Hockey M & W; Lacrosse M & W; Rugby M & W; Sailing M & W; Skiing (Cross-Country) M & W; Skiing (Downhill) M & W; Soccer M & W; Softball W; Squash M & W; Swimming and Diving M & W; Tennis M & W; Track and Field M & W; Ultimate Frisbee M & W; Volleyball M & W; Water Polo M & W

COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC

105 Eden St.
Bar Harbor, ME 04609-1198
Tel: (207)288-5015
Free: 800-528-0025
Fax: (207)288-4126
E-mail: inquiry@coa.edu
Web Site: http://www.coa.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. Steven K. Katona
Registrar: David Baldwin
Admissions: Sarah G. Baker
Financial Aid: Sarah Baker
Type: Comprehensive Sex: Coed Scores: 100% SAT V 400+; 96% SAT M 400+; 27% ACT 18-23; 59% ACT 24-29 % Accepted: 66 Admission Plans: Early Admission; Early Decision Plan; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: February 15 Application Fee: $45.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $45. Comprehensive fee: $35,675 includes full-time tuition ($27,700), mandatory fees ($375), and college room and board ($7600). College room only: $4700. Part-time tuition: $9234 per term. Part-time mandatory fees: $125 per term. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Miscellaneous, Summer Session Not available Enrollment: FT 296, PT 14, Grad 8 Faculty: FT 19, PT 11 Student-Faculty Ratio: 9:1 Exams: SAT I or ACT % Receiving Financial Aid: 93 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 40 Library Holdings: 50,000 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 36 credits, Bachelors Intercollegiate Athletics: Soccer M & W

EASTERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

354 Hogan Rd.
Bangor, ME 04401-4206
Tel: (207)974-4600
Admissions: (207)974-4680
Fax: (207)974-4683
Web Site: http://www.emcc.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. Joyce B. Hedlund
Registrar: Candace Ward
Admissions: Veronica Delcort
Financial Aid: Candace Ward
Type: Two-Year College Sex: Coed Affiliation: Maine Community College System Admission Plans: Preferred Admission; Deferred Admission Application Fee: $20.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 744, PT 1,046 Faculty: FT 54, PT 88 Student-Faculty Ratio: 11:1 Exams: Other, SAT I % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 20 Library Holdings: 17,554 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 62 credit hours, Associates Professional Accreditation: JRCERT, NLN Intercollegiate Athletics: Basketball M; Soccer M & W

HUSSON COLLEGE

One College Circle
Bangor, ME 04401-2999
Tel: (207)941-7000
Free: 800-4-HUSSON
Admissions: (207)941-7100
Fax: (207)941-7935
E-mail: admit@husson.husson.edu
Web Site: http://www.husson.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. William H. Beardsley
Registrar: Donna Townsend
Admissions: Jane Goodwin
Financial Aid: Linda Conant
Type: Comprehensive Sex: Coed Scores: 84.5% SAT V 400+; 83.5% SAT M 400+; 38% ACT 18-23 % Accepted: 95 Admission Plans: Early Admission; Early Action; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: September 01 Application Fee: $25.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $25. Comprehensive fee: $17,410 includes full-time tuition ($11,130), mandatory fees ($250), and college room and board ($6030). Full-time tuition and fees vary according to class time. Part-time tuition: $371 per credit hour. Part-time tuition varies according to class time and course load. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 1,605, PT 372, Grad 268 Faculty: FT 50, PT 4 Student-Faculty Ratio: 19:1 Exams: SAT I or ACT % Receiving Financial Aid: 65 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 56 Library Holdings: 37,871 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 60 semester hours, Associates; 120 semester hours, Bachelors ROTC: Army, Navy Professional Accreditation: AACN, AOTA, APTA, NLN Intercollegiate Athletics: Baseball M; Basketball M & W; Field Hockey W; Football M; Golf M & W; Soccer M & W; Softball W; Swimming and Diving W; Volleyball W

KENNEBEC VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

92 Western Ave.
Fairfield, ME 04937-1367
Tel: (207)453-5000
Admissions: (207)453-5033
Web Site: http://www.kvcc.me.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. Barbara Woodlee
Registrar: Lisa York-Lemelin
Admissions: Jim Bourgoin
Financial Aid: Ann Connors
Type: Two-Year College Sex: Coed Affiliation: Maine Community College System % Accepted: 71 Admission Plans: Open Admission; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: Rolling Application Fee: $20.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $20. State resident tuition: $2220 full-time, $74 per credit part-time. Nonresident tuition: $4650 full-time, $155 per credit part-time. Mandatory fees: $600 full-time. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 523, PT 1,259 Faculty: FT 40, PT 176 Student-Faculty Ratio: 22:1 Exams: Other, SAT I or ACT Library Holdings: 19,629 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 61 credits, Associates Professional Accreditation: AHIMA, AOTA, APTA, ACBSP, CARC, NLN

MAINE COLLEGE OF ART

97 Spring St.
Portland, ME 04101-3987
Tel: (207)775-3052
Free: 800-639-4808
Admissions: (207)775-5157
Fax: (207)772-5069
E-mail: admissions@meca.edu
Web Site: http://www.meca.edu/
President/CEO: Christine J. Vincent
Registrar: Anne Dennison
Admissions: Karen Townsend
Financial Aid: Michelle A. Leclerc
Type: Comprehensive Sex: Coed Scores: 95.3% SAT V 400+; 88.6% SAT M 400+; 25% ACT 18-23; 25% ACT 24-29 % Accepted: 69 Admission Plans: Early Admission; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: Rolling Application Fee: $40.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $40. Comprehensive fee: $34,590 includes full-time tuition ($24,670), mandatory fees ($650), and college room and board ($9270). Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Not available Enrollment: FT 435, PT 23, Grad 32 Faculty: FT 32, PT 37 Student-Faculty Ratio: 10:1 Exams: SAT I or ACT % Receiving Financial Aid: 80 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 25 Library Holdings: 24,609 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 120 credits, Bachelors Professional Accreditation: NASAD

MAINE MARITIME ACADEMY

Castine, ME 04420
Tel: (207)326-4311
Free: 800-227-8465
Admissions: (207)326-2215
Fax: (207)326-2515
Web Site: http://www.mainemaritime.edu/
President/CEO: Leonard H. Tyler, Jr.
Registrar: Tom Sawyer
Admissions: Jeffrey C. Wright
Financial Aid: Deidra Davis
Type: Comprehensive Sex: Coed % Accepted: 67 Admission Plans: Early Admission; Early Decision Plan; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: July 01 Application Fee: $15.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $15. State resident tuition: $6380 full-time, $230 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $9570 full-time, $410 per credit hour part-time. Mandatory fees: $1240 full-time. Full-time tuition and fees vary according to program. Part-time tuition varies according to program. College room and board: $6720. College room only: $2420. Room and board charges vary according to board plan. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Not available Enrollment: FT 747, PT 99, Grad 15 Faculty: FT 50, PT 16 Student-Faculty Ratio: 12:1 Exams: SAT I or ACT % Receiving Financial Aid: 69 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 80 Library Holdings: 177,800 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 78 credit hours, Associates; 140 credit hours, Bachelors ROTC: Army, Navy Professional Accreditation: ABET Intercollegiate Athletics: Basketball M & W; Cross-Country Running M & W; Football M; Lacrosse M; Sailing M & W; Soccer M & W; Softball W; Volleyball W

NEW ENGLAND SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS

1 College Circle
Bangor, ME 04401-2999
Tel: (207)941-7176; 888-877-1876
Fax: (207)947-3987
E-mail: grantl@nescom.edu
Web Site: http://www.nescom.edu/
President/CEO: George E. Wildey
Registrar: Kim Nason
Admissions: Louise G. Grant
Financial Aid: Nicole Rediker
Type: Four-Year College Sex: Coed % Accepted: 69 Admission Plans: Open Admission; Early Admission; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: Rolling Application Fee: $15.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $15. Comprehensive fee: $15,620 includes full-time tuition ($8890), mandatory fees ($700), and college room and board ($6030). Part-time tuition: $275 per credit. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 295, PT 10 Faculty: FT 7, PT 30 Student-Faculty Ratio: 18:1 Exams: Other, SAT I or ACT % Receiving Financial Aid: 80 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 54 Credit Hours For Degree: 60 credits, Associates; 120 credits, Bachelors Professional Accreditation: ACCSCT

NORTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

33 Edgemont Dr.
Presque Isle, ME 04769-2016
Tel: (207)768-2700
Admissions: (207)768-2786
Fax: (207)768-2831
E-mail: ncasavant@nmcc.edu
Web Site: http://www.nmcc.edu/
President/CEO: Timothy Crowley
Registrar: Betsy Harris
Admissions: William G. Casavant
Type: Two-Year College Sex: Coed Affiliation: Maine Technical College System % Accepted: 52 Admission Plans: Open Admission; Early Admission Application Deadline: Rolling Application Fee: $20.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $20. Area resident tuition: $2390 full-time, $78 per credit hour part-time. State resident tuition: $115 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $4770 full-time, $159 per credit hour part-time. College room and board: $4930. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 605, PT 316 Faculty: FT 44, PT 43 Exams: Other % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 28 Library Holdings: 11,200 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 64 credit hours, Associates Professional Accreditation: ACBSP, NLN Intercollegiate Athletics: Basketball M & W; Cross-Country Running M & W; Golf M & W; Ice Hockey M & W; Soccer M & W

SAINT JOSEPH'S COLLEGE OF MAINE

278 Whites Bridge Rd.
Standish, ME 04084-5263
Tel: (207)892-6766
Free: 800-338-7057
Admissions: (207)893-7746
Fax: (207)893-7862
E-mail: vkloskow@sjcme.edu
Web Site: http://www.sjcme.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. David House
Admissions: Vincent J. Kloskowski
Financial Aid: Andrea Cross
Type: Comprehensive Sex: Coed Affiliation: Roman Catholic Church Scores: 96% SAT V 400+; 97% SAT M 400+; 50% ACT 18-23; 6% ACT 24-29 % Accepted: 77 Admission Plans: Early Action; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: Rolling Application Fee: $40.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $40. Comprehensive fee: $29,185 includes full-time tuition ($19,890), mandatory fees ($715), and college room and board ($8580). Full-time tuition and fees vary according to program. Part-time tuition: $350 per credit. Part-time mandatory fees: $125 per year. Part-time tuition and fees vary according to course load and program. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 925, PT 30 Faculty: FT 64, PT 44 Student-Faculty Ratio: 15:1 Exams: SAT I or ACT % Receiving Financial Aid: 81 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 83 Library Holdings: 98,626 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 128 credit hours, Bachelors ROTC: Army Professional Accreditation: AACN Intercollegiate Athletics: Baseball M; Basketball M & W; Cheerleading M & W; Cross-Country Running M & W; Field Hockey W; Golf M; Ice Hockey M & W; Soccer M & W; Softball W; Volleyball W

SOUTHERN MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

2 Fort Rd.
South Portland, ME 04106
Tel: (207)741-5500
Admissions: (207)741-5664
Fax: (207)741-5751
Web Site: http://www.smccme.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. James O. Ortiz
Registrar: Lisa Dolan
Admissions: David Tracy
Financial Aid: Scott MacDonald
Type: Two-Year College Sex: Coed Affiliation: Maine Community College System Admission Plans: Preferred Admission Application Fee: $20.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $20. State resident tuition: $2220 full-time. Nonresident tuition: $4650 full-time. College room and board: $5824. College room only: $2678. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 2,135, PT 1,968 Faculty: FT 89, PT 170 Student-Faculty Ratio: 18:1 Exams: Other, SAT I % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 10 Library Holdings: 15,000 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 60 credit hours, Associates Professional Accreditation: CARC, JRCERT, NLN Intercollegiate Athletics: Baseball M; Basketball M; Golf M & W; Soccer M & W; Softball W; Volleyball M & W

THOMAS COLLEGE

180 West River Rd.
Waterville, ME 04901-5097
Tel: (207)859-1111
Free: 800-339-7001
Admissions: (207)859-1101
Fax: (207)859-1114
E-mail: admiss@thomas.edu
Web Site: http://www.thomas.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. George R. Spann
Registrar: Valerie Sirois
Admissions: Wendy Martin
Financial Aid: Angela Dostie
Type: Comprehensive Sex: Coed Scores: 80% SAT V 400+; 83% SAT M 400+; 12.5% ACT 18-23; 12.5% ACT 24-29 % Accepted: 73 Admission Plans: Early Action; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: Rolling Application Fee: $50.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $50. Comprehensive fee: $25,160 includes full-time tuition ($17,280), mandatory fees ($450), and college room and board ($7430). Part-time tuition: $720 per credit hour. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 598, PT 133, Grad 144 Faculty: FT 23, PT 55 Student-Faculty Ratio: 17:1 Exams: SAT I or ACT % Receiving Financial Aid: 90 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 65 Library Holdings: 20,000 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 60 credits, Associates; 120 credits, Bachelors Intercollegiate Athletics: Baseball M; Basketball M & W; Field Hockey W; Golf M; Lacrosse M & W; Soccer M & W; Softball W; Tennis M; Volleyball W

UNITY COLLEGE

90 Quaker Hill Rd.
Unity, ME 04988
Tel: (207)948-3131
Fax: (207)948-6277
Web Site: http://www.unity.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. David C. Glenn-Lewin
Registrar: Holly Hein
Admissions: Kay Fiedler
Financial Aid: Rand Newell
Type: Four-Year College Sex: Coed Scores: 88% SAT V 400+; 85.95% SAT M 400 + Admission Plans: Early Admission; Early Action; Deferred Admission Application Fee: $25.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $25. Comprehensive fee: $24,310 includes full-time tuition ($16,740), mandatory fees ($940), and college room and board ($6630). Room and board charges vary according to board plan. Part-time tuition: $630 per credit hour. Part-time tuition varies according to course load. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 515, PT 6 Faculty: FT 32, PT 10 Student-Faculty Ratio: 13:1 Exams: SAT I or ACT % Receiving Financial Aid: 71 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 66 Library Holdings: 46,000 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 120 semester hours, Bachelors ROTC: Army Intercollegiate Athletics: Basketball M; Cross-Country Running M & W; Soccer M; Volleyball W

UNIVERSITY OF MAINE

Orono, ME 04469
Tel: (207)581-1110; 877-486-2364
Admissions: (207)581-1561
Fax: (207)581-1213
E-mail: um-admit@maine.edu
Web Site: http://www.umaine.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. Peter Hoff
Registrar: Peter Reid
Admissions: Sharon Oliver
Financial Aid: Peggy L. Crawford
Type: University Sex: Coed Affiliation: University of Maine System Scores: 99% SAT V 400+; 98% SAT M 400+; 43% ACT 18-23; 37% ACT 24-29 % Accepted: 80 Admission Plans: Early Admission; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: Rolling Application Fee: $40.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $40. State resident tuition: $5520 full-time, $184 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $15,660 full-time, $522 per credit hour part-time. Mandatory fees: $1390 full-time. Full-time tuition and fees vary according to reciprocity agreements. Part-time tuition varies according to reciprocity agreements. College room and board: $6732. College room only: $3390. Room and board charges vary according to board plan and housing facility. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 7,617, PT 1,562, Grad 2,256 Faculty: FT 496, PT 327 Student-Faculty Ratio: 16:1 Exams: SAT I or ACT % Receiving Financial Aid: 71 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 30 Library Holdings: 1,034,248 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 120 credit hours, Bachelors ROTC: Army, Navy Professional Accreditation: AACSB, ABET, AACN, ADtA, AHIMA, APA, ASLHA, AALS, CSWE, NASM, NASPAA, NCATE, SAF Intercollegiate Athletics: Baseball M; Basketball M & W; Cross-Country Running M & W; Field Hockey W; Football M; Ice Hockey M & W; Soccer M & W; Softball W; Swimming and Diving M & W; Track and Field M & W; Volleyball W

THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT AUGUSTA

46 University Dr.
Augusta, ME 04330-9410
Tel: (207)621-3000
Admissions: (207)621-3390
Fax: (207)621-3116
E-mail: umaar@maine.edu
Web Site: http://www.uma.maine.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. Charles M. Lyons
Registrar: Ann Corbett
Admissions: Sheri Cranston Fraser
Financial Aid: Lisa Bongiovanni
Type: Four-Year College Sex: Coed Affiliation: University of Maine System % Accepted: 52 Admission Plans: Early Admission; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: August 31 Application Fee: $40.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $40. State resident tuition: $4290 full-time, $143 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $10,380 full-time, $346 per credit hour part-time. Mandatory fees: $735 full-time, $24.50 per credit hour part-time. Full-time tuition and fees vary according to reciprocity agreements. Part-time tuition and fees vary according to reciprocity agreements. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 1,544, PT 3,950 Faculty: FT 95, PT 229 Student-Faculty Ratio: 19:1 % Receiving Financial Aid: 89 Library Holdings: 83,766 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 60 credits, Associates; 120 credits, Bachelors Professional Accreditation: ADA, NAACLS, NLN Intercollegiate Athletics: Basketball M & W; Soccer W

UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FARMINGTON

224 Main St.
Farmington, ME 04938-1990
Tel: (207)778-7000
Admissions: (207)778-7087
Fax: (207)778-8182
E-mail: umfadmit@maine.edu
Web Site: http://www.umf.maine.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. Theodora J. Kalikow
Registrar: Hazel Doak
Admissions: Dr. William W. Geller
Financial Aid: Ronald Milliken
Type: Four-Year College Sex: Coed Affiliation: University of Maine System Scores: 91% SAT V 400+; 90% SAT M 400 + % Accepted: 74 Admission Plans: Early Admission; Early Action; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: Rolling Application Fee: $40.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $40. State resident tuition: $5010 full-time, $167 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $12,240 full-time, $408 per credit hour part-time. Mandatory fees: $621 full-time, $75 per term part-time. Full-time tuition and fees vary according to course load, reciprocity agreements, and student level. Part-time tuition and fees vary according to course load, reciprocity agreements, and student level. College room and board: $5984. College room only: $3200. Room and board charges vary according to board plan and housing facility. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 2,123, PT 329 Faculty: FT 118, PT 57 Student-Faculty Ratio: 16:1 Exams: SAT I or ACT % Receiving Financial Aid: 67 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 44 Library Holdings: 98,248 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 120 credit hours, Bachelors Professional Accreditation: NCATE Intercollegiate Athletics: Baseball M; Basketball M & W; Cross-Country Running M & W; Field Hockey W; Golf M & W; Ice Hockey M; Lacrosse M; Soccer M & W; Softball W; Volleyball W

UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FORT KENT

23 University Dr.
Fort Kent, ME 04743-1292
Tel: (207)834-7500; 888-TRY-UMFK
Admissions: (207)834-7600
Fax: (207)834-7609
E-mail: dbarley@maine.edu
Web Site: http://www.umfk.maine.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. Richard Cost
Registrar: Donald M. Raymond
Admissions: Douglas Barley
Financial Aid: Lisa Lipe
Type: Four-Year College Sex: Coed Affiliation: University of Maine System Scores: 72% SAT V 400+; 74% SAT M 400 + Admission Plans: Early Admission; Early Decision Plan; Deferred Admission Application Fee: $40.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 786, PT 290 Faculty: FT 35, PT 37 Student-Faculty Ratio: 25:1 Exams: SAT I and SAT II or ACT, SAT I % Receiving Financial Aid: 44 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 30 Library Holdings: 69,189 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 60 credit hours, Associates; 120 credit hours, Bachelors Professional Accreditation: AACN, NLN Intercollegiate Athletics: Basketball M & W; Cross-Country Running M & W; Golf M & W; Skiing (Cross-Country) M & W; Skiing (Downhill) M & W; Soccer M & W

UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT MACHIAS

9 O'Brien Ave.
Machias, ME 04654-1321
Tel: (207)255-1200; 888-GOTOUMM
Admissions: (207)255-1318
Fax: (207)255-1363
E-mail: ummadmissions@maine.edu
Web Site: http://www.umm.maine.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. Sue Ann Huseman
Registrar: Mary Stover
Admissions: Stewart Bennett
Financial Aid: Stephanie D. Larrabee
Type: Four-Year College Sex: Coed Affiliation: University of Maine System Scores: 90.7% SAT V 400+; 77.9% SAT M 400+; 35.7% ACT 18-23; 35.7% ACT 24-29 % Accepted: 83 Admission Plans: Early Admission; Early Action; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: August 15 Application Fee: $40.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $40. State resident tuition: $4290 full-time, $143 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $11,640 full-time, $388 per credit hour part-time. Mandatory fees: $555 full-time, $17.50 per credit hour part-time, $45 per term part-time. College room and board: $5678. College room only: $2858. Room and board charges vary according to housing facility. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 462, PT 687 Faculty: FT 30, PT 58 Student-Faculty Ratio: 14:1 Exams: SAT I or ACT % Receiving Financial Aid: 77 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 42 Library Holdings: 82,664 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 60 credits, Associates; 120 credits, Bachelors Professional Accreditation: NRPA Intercollegiate Athletics: Basketball M & W; Cross-Country Running M & W; Lacrosse M & W; Soccer M & W; Volleyball W

UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT PRESQUE ISLE

181 Main St.
Presque Isle, ME 04769-2888
Tel: (207)768-9400
Admissions: (207)768-9453
Fax: (207)768-9608
E-mail: benson@umpi.maine.edu
Web Site: http://www.umpi.maine.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. William A. Shields
Registrar: Sharon E. Roix
Admissions: Erin V. Benson
Financial Aid: Barbara J. Bridges
Type: Four-Year College Sex: Coed Affiliation: University of Maine System Scores: 73% SAT V 400+; 74% SAT M 400 + % Accepted: 87 Admission Plans: Early Admission; Early Action; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: Rolling Application Fee: $40.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $40. State resident tuition: $4290 full-time, $143 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $10,680 full-time, $356 per credit hour part-time. Mandatory fees: $530 full-time, $19 per credit hour part-time. Full-time tuition and fees vary according to course load and reciprocity agreements. Part-time tuition and fees vary according to course load and reciprocity agreements. College room and board: $5246. College room only: $3000. Room and board charges vary according to board plan. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 1,112, PT 436 Faculty: FT 54, PT 62 Student-Faculty Ratio: 16:1 % Receiving Financial Aid: 57 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 28 Library Holdings: 455,372 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 61 credit hours, Associates; 120 credit hours, Bachelors Professional Accreditation: CSWE, NAACLS, NRPA Intercollegiate Athletics: Baseball M; Basketball M & W; Cross-Country Running M & W; Golf M; Soccer M & W; Softball W; Volleyball W

UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND

Hills Beach Rd.
Biddeford, ME 04005-9526
Tel: (207)283-0171
Free: 800-477-4UNE
Admissions: (207)283-0170
E-mail: admissions@une.edu
Web Site: http://www.une.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. Sandra Featherman
Registrar: Mark Osborn
Admissions: Alan Liebrecht
Financial Aid: John Bowie
Type: Comprehensive Sex: Coed Scores: 97% SAT V 400+; 97% SAT M 400 + % Accepted: 92 Admission Plans: Deferred Admission Application Deadline: Rolling Application Fee: $40.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $40. Comprehensive fee: $31,005 includes full-time tuition ($21,540), mandatory fees ($735), and college room and board ($8730). Room and board charges vary according to housing facility. Part-time tuition: $775 per credit. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 1,519, PT 217, Grad 1,077 Faculty: FT 137, PT 104 Student-Faculty Ratio: 11:1 Exams: Other % Receiving Financial Aid: 83 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 60 Library Holdings: 142,181 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 68 credits, Associates; 120 credits, Bachelors ROTC: Army Professional Accreditation: AANA, ADA, AOTA, AOsA, APTA, CSWE, NLN Intercollegiate Athletics: Basketball M & W; Cross-Country Running M & W; Field Hockey W; Golf M; Lacrosse M & W; Soccer M & W; Softball W; Swimming and Diving W; Volleyball W

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE

96 Falmouth St., PO Box 9300
Portland, ME 04104-9300
Tel: (207)780-4141
Free: 800-800-4USM
Admissions: (207)780-5670
Fax: (207)780-5640
E-mail: usmadm@usm.maine.edu
Web Site: http://www.usm.maine.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. Richard L. Pattenaude
Registrar: Steven Rand
Admissions: Dee Gardner
Financial Aid: Keith DuBois
Type: Comprehensive Sex: Coed Affiliation: University of Maine System Scores: 92% SAT V 400+; 95% SAT M 400+; 55% ACT 18-23; 21% ACT 24-29 % Accepted: 79 Admission Plans: Early Admission; Deferred Admission Application Deadline: February 15 Application Fee: $40.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Costs Per Year: Application fee: $40. State resident tuition: $4980 full-time, $166 per credit hour part-time. Nonresident tuition: $13,800 full-time, $460 per credit hour part-time. Mandatory fees: $926 full-time. Full-time tuition and fees vary according to course load, degree level, and reciprocity agreements. Part-time tuition varies according to course load, degree level, and reciprocity agreements. College room and board: $6755. College room only: $3586. Room and board charges vary according to board plan, housing facility, and location. Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Enrollment: FT 4,788, PT 3,834, Grad 2,063 Faculty: FT 402, PT 302 Student-Faculty Ratio: 13:1 Exams: SAT I or ACT % Receiving Financial Aid: 65 % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 40 Library Holdings: 545,246 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 60 credit hours, Associates; 120 credit hours, Bachelors ROTC: Army, Air Force Professional Accreditation: AACSB, ABET, ACEHSA, ABA, ACA, AOTA, CORE, CSWE, JRCEPAT, NAIT, NASAD, NASM, NASPAA, NCATE, NLN Intercollegiate Athletics: Baseball M; Basketball M & W; Cheerleading M & W; Cross-Country Running M & W; Field Hockey W; Golf M & W; Ice Hockey M & W; Lacrosse M & W; Sailing M & W; Soccer M & W; Softball W; Tennis M & W; Track and Field M & W; Volleyball W; Wrestling M

WASHINGTON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

RR No. 1, Box 22C River Rd.
Calais, ME 04619
Tel: (207)454-1000
Fax: (207)454-1026
Web Site: http://www.wccc.me.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. William Flahive
Registrar: Cindy Thompson
Admissions: Kent Lyons
Financial Aid: Joyce Maker
Type: Two-Year College Sex: Coed Affiliation: Maine Technical College System Admission Plans: Open Admission; Deferred Admission Application Fee: $20.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester Faculty: FT 29, PT 10 Student-Faculty Ratio: 9:1 Exams: Other % Residing in College-Owned, -Operated, or -Affiliated Housing: 22 Library Holdings: 26,370 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 64 credits, Associates

YORK COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

112 College Dr.
Wells, ME 04090
Tel: (207)646-9282
Free: 800-580-3820
Fax: (207)641-0837
E-mail: admissions@yctc.net
Web Site: http://www.yccc.edu/
President/CEO: Dr. Patricia Ryan
Registrar: Doreen Rogan
Admissions: Leisa Collins
Financial Aid: David Daigle
Type: Two-Year College Sex: Coed Affiliation: Maine Technical College System Admission Plans: Open Admission Application Fee: $20.00 H.S. Requirements: High school diploma required; GED accepted Scholarships: Available Calendar System: Semester, Summer Session Available Faculty: FT 7, PT 60 Student-Faculty Ratio: 13:1 Exams: SAT I Library Holdings: 4,000 Regional Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges Credit Hours For Degree: 63 credit hours, Associates

Maine

Maine's historic sites, most of them coastal forts, are maintained by Maine's Bureau of Parks and Land. This state agency has pertinent information on nearly all of the historic areas concerning Maine during the American Revolution and is a practical place to begin a specific search. The feature "Find Parks and Lands" on its website is particularly useful for obtaining information. The Bureau of Parks and Land is headquartered at 22 State House Station, 18 Elkins Lane, Augusta, Maine 04333. Phone: (207) 287-3821; website: www.state.me.us/doc/parks/. Another good general source is the Maine Office of Tourism. It publishes a helpful travel guide, Maine Invites You, which is billed as the state's "official travel planner" and includes information on numerous historic areas. Phone: (888) 624-6345; website: www.visitmaine.com. The Maine Historical Society, located at 489 Congress Street in Portland, offers a wealth of information on the state's role in the Revolutionary War. It maintains a well-staffed research library and displays a variety of museum exhibits and historical programs. Phone: (207) 774-1822; website: www.mainehistory.org.

State highways, 201, 4, and 17 are now designated as National Scenic Byways and dozens of interpretive panels, most of which pertain to the American Revolution, can be viewed. Designed by Nancy Montgomery, they are usually located at rest areas and road pullouts.

There are many books written on the American Revolution in the fourteen states, such as James S. Leamon's outstanding Revolution Downeast: The War for American Independence in Maine (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1993). With Maine, however, attention has focused particularly on Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec in 1775. Kenneth Lewis Roberts, author of the popular 1933 novel Arundel, collected diaries and letters from the expedition in March to Quebec (New York: Doubleday, 1940). Stephen Clark's Following in Their Footsteps: A Travel Guide and History of the 1775 Secret Expedition to Capture Quebec (Shapleigh, Maine: Clark Books, 2003) provides a description of the landmarks and topography of Arnold's march while also providing canoeing and hiking maps for anyone willing to duplicate his incredible journey. Thomas Desjardin has written a narrative of the expedition, Through a Howling Wilderness, due from St. Martin's Press in 2006.

Agry Point

Agry Point, Kennebec River, short loop of old Maine 27 about 2 miles south of the Gardiner-Randolph bridge. The site is clearly visible from the river for those fortunate enough to have this means of sightseeing. Motorists should start at the point about 2 miles south of the Kennebec River bridge between Gardiner and Randolph. Here the landmarks are Arnold Road coming in from the east to new Maine 27 and a loop of old Maine 27 going off to the west.

Easily spotted on the right of old Route 27 as you drive north is a cemetery close to the road. The most conspicuous monument is to Major Reuben Colburn, whose home and shipyard site you will come to in a moment. He happened to be at Cambridge (Washington's headquarters during the siege of Boston) when the Arnold Expedition was planned. Within a period of eighteen days he made the trip home and had two hundred bateaux built and waiting for the Arnold Expedition when it arrived here by ship on 22 September 1775. (Another twenty were requested by Arnold after his arrival and were promptly built.) In addition, Colburn assembled flour and meat, packed these provisions in kegs, sent two scouts to reconnoiter the route, and furnished Arnold with fifty artificers to accompany the expedition.

A short distance north of the cemetery and near the road is the Colburn House on the left. Acquired by the state in 1972, it is leased by the Arnold Expedition Historical Society (AEHS) and serves as its headquarters. The AEHS is not as active nowadays as it has been in the past, but it does provide tours by appointment during the weekend in July and August. Phone: (207) 582-7080. The Colburn House, built in 1765, is a simple, two-story frame structure of traditional New England design with a central chimney, ridged roof, and large attic. The clapboard siding is painted brown, and the tall, narrow windows trimmed in white. Down the hill from the Colburn House and slightly south is a flat area along the river where the bateaux were built. The attractive little white house that looks like a national historic landmark is modern. Behind it and on somewhat higher ground is a frame building that was a tavern when the thirsty bateaux builders were at work and when Arnold's troops bivouacked here. In an overgrown area of higher ground just to the north of the tavern is a cemetery where the grave of Thomas Agry can be found.

Arnold Trail

Arnold Trail. Many of the principal landmarks of the march led by Colonel Benedict Arnold through Maine in September and October of 1775 can be found along U.S. 201 and Maine 16 and 27. The Appalachian Trail goes by the three Carry Ponds along the general route followed by Arnold, although the portion of the hiking trail from Caratunk to the East Carry Pond was not Arnold's route. Meanwhile, the road-bound traveler must backtrack from the vicinity of Bingham, start of the Great Carry, to Solon, take Alternate U.S. 201 to North Anson, and Maine 16 north to Stratton. Here one may pick up Arnold's trail on the portion of Dead River not flooded by Flagstaff Lake, and on Maine 27 can follow the general route to the vicinity of Coburn Gore, on the Canadian border.

The line of time-worn Indian trails, portages, and waterways followed by the Arnold Expedition in 1775 had been explored by a number of men in colonial days. A British army engineer, Captain John Montresor, reconnoitered it in 1761 and submitted a report that it was a militarily feasible route. The Patriots followed Montresor's route. In retracing their steps historians have been aided by the fact that so many of Arnold's officers and men kept diaries and journals.

Washington himself conceived the plan of sending a battalion of crack Continental troops over Montresor's route to seize Quebec by a surprise attack before the British could organize its defenses and while they were coping with the major effort being made along the Lake Champlain avenue of approach into Canada. Colonel Benedict Arnold had already impressed Washington and other authorities as being the kind of leader for such a desperate venture, and events proved that he was the ideal commander in this case. But they did not give him much time for preparations before the great white cold descended. As luck would have it, a Kennebec boatbuilder named Reuben Colburn happened to be in Cambridge, Massachusetts when initial preparations were being made in Washington's headquarters, and he agreed to furnish Arnold with two hundred light bateaux on short order. (A bateaux was a flat-bottomed boat with tapering ends used on rivers for carrying heavy and bulky loads.) Colburn sped ahead to start their construction at his shipyard (see agry point).

A call for volunteers was meanwhile issued among the lines of bored Patriot troops besieging Boston, and a good many venturesome soldiers stepped forward. Washington's order specified that all volunteers be "active woodsmen and well acquainted with batteaux." As things happen in military service, many of Arnold's men did not have these qualifications, but foolish optimism was not a shortcoming of the first American commander in chief, and Washington had directed that men be ordered to fill the ranks of the expedition if not enough volunteered.

About 1,100 men sailed with Arnold from Newburyport, Massachusetts in "dirty coasters and fish boats," as one described it. After a day and a night of stormy weather they reached the mouth of the Kennebec on 20 September, picking up the pilot near Fort Popham (see fort popham historic site). Modern development has somewhat changed the 35 miles of the beautiful Kennebec River through which they wound their way to Colburn's shipyard from the way Arnold's men saw it in 1775. Yet, some of the original natural splendor remains, and visitors stand a very good chance of spotting an eagle.

At Agry Point, a short distance south of modern Gardiner, the bateaux and provisions were waiting. Subsequent landmarks of the Arnold Trail are covered under the following headings: old fort western, fort halifax, skowhegan falls, solon falls portage site, cross over place, great carry sites, cathedral pines historic site, and height of land. See arnold trail under Canada to continue the trip.

Among the landmarks obliterated by dams along the Kennebec are Ticonic Falls, Five Mile Falls, and almost all of the "fearsome" Norridgewock Falls just above Skowhegan. What the diarists and subsequent writers commonly call "falls," incidentally, were rapids rather than true falls, except at Skowhegan and Solon. A reasonable facsimile of the rapids negotiated by the Arnold Expedition is furnished by the Carrabassett River at North Anson.

As you retrace this route remember that Arnold had the misfortune not only of starting too late in the season and of underestimating his distance (see below), but also of encountering one of the most severe winters in Maine history.

Arnold had figured 180 miles from Agry Point to Quebec, whereas the route was 300 miles. He estimated that the march would take twenty days and started with food for forty-five. The expedition took forty-six days to get from Fort Western to Quebec, but because of spoilage and losses the men were on starvation rations at the end of a month. At this time, 25 October, Arnold stripped his command of all but those who could be given fifteen days' provisions. About seven hundred men made the last leg of the journey across Height of Land and on to Quebec.

The romance and travail of the Arnold Expedition can be experienced two centuries after the event because so much of the primary source material is in print and because most of the terrain is as the Patriots saw it in 1775. Literature is available from official agencies of the state of Maine. Readers with more than a casual interest should get in touch with the Arnold Expedition Historical Society (AEHS), or refer to either Desjardin's or Clark's above-mentioned books.

Cathedral Pines Historic Site

Cathedral Pines Historic Site, Arnold Trail on Dead River (Flagstaff Lake). A great stand of Norway pines overlooked a curve of Dead River when the Arnold Expedition came this way in 1775. Flagstaff Lake has flooded about 20 miles of his route along the river, including the Indian village that was the home of the mysterious Nantais. Arnold landed at the latter place and erected a flag, and the white settlement subsequently established there was named Flagstaff. A historical marker was moved about 9 miles west to New Flagstaff (part of Eustis) in 1948 when old Flagstaff village was flooded, and is now in front of the Flagstaff Memorial Chapel, just north of Cathedral Pines Park.

The latter site, about 4 miles north of Stratton on Maine 27 and about 2 miles south of Eustis, has a number of plaques commemorating the Arnold Expedition. One honors Colonel Timothy Bigelow (1739–1790), a battalion major who climbed a 4,150-foot mountain in the area for Arnold to find out whether Quebec was in sight. It wasn't, but the mountain bears Bigelow's name. The Appalachian Trail runs over the top of Mount Bigelow.

There had been 4 inches of snow around the Carry Ponds when the Patriots came through; then it started raining heavily, the temperature dropped further, and a tremendous hurricane struck on 21 October after they reached Dead River. So called because of its slow, meandering character most of the time, Dead River was flooded to a width of 200 yards soon after Arnold's men started battling their way up it.

For today's traveler, however, the most scenic portion of Arnold's trail is along Maine 27 from Cathedral Pines to the Canadian border. The highway closely parallels the historic trail, passing running water and the picturesque Chain of Ponds to the Height of Land.

Colonial Pemaquid State Historical Site

Colonial Pemaquid State Historical Site, Pemaquid River mouth, about a mile west of New Harbor, which is about 13 miles south of Damariscotta on Maine 129 and 130. A large circular stone tower was reconstructed in 1908 as a replica of the third and fourth forts (of 1692 and 1729) on this picturesque coastal point. At its top, the stone tower has, along with a gorgeous view of John's Bay, a fascinating artifact display. Around the masonry wall on the second floor are thirteen exhibits giving the history of the site and surrounding area. The center well is encircled by displays of colonial tools and utensils, including artifacts found in archaeological explorations of a settlement just north of Fort William Henry, which is now reconstructed. (Excavated cellars at the "Pemaquid Diggings" may be visited.) Some authorities believe this community dates back to about 1620, and that it achieved considerable importance. The site of Fort William Henry was first occupied by Fort Pemaquid, a stockade built around 1630 as a defense against pirates. In 1632 it was captured by the pirate Dixie Bull. The second fort, a wooden structure called Fort Charles, was put up in 1677 and destroyed in 1689 by the Penobscot Indians. Sir William Phips had Fort William Henry built in 1692, at which time it was the largest and strongest stone fort in America. French and Indian forces under Baron de Castine and d'Iberville flattened this one in 1696, their attack being supported by three men-of-war. In 1729 Fort Frederick was built on this embattled site, and the Patriots themselves destroyed this one in 1775 to keep it from being taken over by the British during the Revolution.

Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site features a recently repaired Fort House that holds an archeology lab and a research library. The site's visitors' center has a museum with hundreds of Revolutionary War and prewar artifacts. It is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Admission for adults is $2. Phone: (207) 677-2423. The site also has a public boat-launch facility.

Cross Over Place

Cross Over Place, Kennebec River. A scenic and historic site turnout and small picnic area is at the point on the Kennebec where the Arnold Expedition left the river and started the Great Carry (see great carry sites). This wayside park is midway between Bingham and Caratunk on scenic U.S. 201. A plaque erected by the DAR commemorating the episode can be found there. Approximately a mile up the highway is a rest area, and one of the interpretive panels referenced earlier can be found. Bear in mind, however, that the river as it was in 1775 has been transformed into a lake by the Wyman Dam, built in the 1920s. Also, the terrain over which the marching column of Arnold's Expedition approached the bank from the east has been altered by the construction of U.S. 201.

Fort George State Memorial

Fort George State Memorial, Penobscot Bay, Castine. The British fort of 1779, a large rectangular work covering about 3 acres (with a softball field located unceremoniously in the middle of it), is in an area of exceptional beauty and interest. The site is state owned; however, the town of Castine manages it. French, Dutch, and English flags have flown over this picturesque piece of American territory, and it was visited by famous European explorers, perhaps even the Vikings, before it became a bone of imperial contention in the Colonial Wars. During the Revolution the British built Fort George, gave the Patriots a humiliating beating in the Penobscot River, and held the fort until 1783. They reoccupied it during the War of 1812. Castine has more than one hundred historical markers and many old houses in addition to its beautiful coastal scenery and recreational facilities.

The French settlement called Pentegoet was here in 1625. The eventual name was bestowed in honor of Vincent de St. Castine, one of the many French explorers of Penobscot. When the British acquired the region by the Treaty of 1763 Castine became the northernmost settlement of any significance on the seaboard of the Thirteen Colonies.

In the summer of 1779 a British force of about 750 troops under General Francis McLean and three sloops of war arrived at Castine from Nova Scotia and started building Fort George. The area was a source of timber, which the British needed for their shipyards at Halifax. Fort George was also to be a base for the forward defense of Nova Scotia and for operations against American coastal waters. The Massachusetts authorities reacted quickly. Without consulting Congress or the Continental army they mounted the largest amphibious operation of the Revolution: about 20 fighting ships and 2,000 militia troops aboard 20 trading vessels. The roster of commanders included some of the proudest names in New England. Generals Solomon Lovell and Peleg Wadsworth (grandfather of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) commanded the militia. Lieutenant Colonel Paul Revere had charge of the American artillery. Captain Dudley Saltonstall of the Continental navy was overall naval commander.

This amateur effort failed to achieve surprise, and the God of War called Strike One. The Patriots then failed to make a coordinated attack with sea and land forces, which should have succeeded because the British had only their three sloops, and Fort George had not been completed. For almost three weeks the Patriot force made elaborate preparations to attack, and Strike Two was called. At the worst possible moment, just as the ground troops had debarked for their attack, the British relief force arrived. From Sandy Hook with 10 vessels, including a 64-gun ship, and 1,600 men came Captain Sir George Collier (1738–1795). Collier was a brilliant naval commander, but he needed no particular genius to destroy the entire American flotilla. Saltonstall, who had favored aggressive action against the three British sloops and the incomplete fort on 25 July, did not have a chance on 12 August. The troops scrambled back aboard, and the fleet made a show of resistance before heading up the river, beaching their ships, and escaping into the brush. It was Strike Three and out.

The Massachusetts legislators struck back by blaming Saltonstall for the fiasco, praising their militia generals, and putting in a claim to Congress for part of the $7 million the affair had cost them. (Congress awarded Massachusetts $2 million.) Saltonstall was dismissed from the Continental Navy and returned to his business as a privateer and merchant captain. Paul Revere was accused of disobedience, unsoldierly conduct, and cowardice. More than two years later his case was tried and the court-martial acquitted him of all charges.

During the War of 1812 the British took possession of all of the present state of Maine east of the Penobscot River. They repaired Fort George, and Castine was a popular town for the British forces and a bustling center of trade. On 25 April 1815, almost four months after the Treaty of Ghent ended the war, the British blew up the works and decamped for the last time. The Castine Historical Society serves as an additional source of this town's rich Revolutionary War past. Phone: (207) 326-4118.

Fort Halifax

Fort Halifax, Winslow, Kennebec County, on U.S. 201 a mile south of the Winslow-Waterville bridge. The oldest blockhouse standing in the United States (1754) rests where Arnold's Expedition saw it in 1775. A 1987 flood disassembled the blockhouse, but the state reassembled it one year later, piece by piece, not unlike a giant jigsaw puzzle. The quality of its reconstruction is evident by the site's ability to retain its National Historic Landmark status. The site comprises about half an acre of level grass and a steep wooded slope down to the creek. However, it is surrounded by a mostly urban setting. Fort Halifax had been established as an outpost for early warning during the French and Indian War. It was a way station for Arnold's Expedition, which took two days to pole its bateaux 18 miles up the Kennebec to this point from Fort Western. The Fort Halifax site is open free to the public from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Phone: (207) 941-4014.

Fort McClary State Memorial

Fort McClary State Memorial. Seekittery.

Fort O'Brien

Fort O'Brien. Seemachias bay and vicinity.

Fort Popham Historic Site

Fort Popham Historic Site and vicinity, near Popham Beach State Park (follow signs) about 15 miles south of Bath on Maine 209. The Arnold Expedition of 1775 picked up a pilot here for its trip up the Kennebec to Colburn's shipyard at Agry Point. Civil War Fort Popham (1861) is on the site of a Revolutionary War post at Hunniwell's Point. Whether it was fortified in 1775 is not known, but a wooden blockhouse mounting a 4-pounder, which had been an alarm gun at Fort Frankfort, was there not long after the Revolution started. Cox's Head, just to the north, and other high ground provided good lookouts to sea, and the post at Hunniwell's Point was maintained primarily to give early warning of British naval threats.

The Popham colonists of 1607 built their fort on Sabino Head, just west of Hunniwell's Point. The Popham Memorial (not to be confused with Fort Popham) marks the site of this first (although unsuccessful) English colony in New England. The settlers took formal possession on 29 August 1607 and built themselves a large earthwork of wood-revetted walls some 450 yards in total length. This was named Fort St. George. Within its walls they put up a storehouse, church, and about fifteen houses for the 120 or so men who would spend the first winter. In addition, they built a ship, the Virginia. But the fates were not kind. The weather was unusually harsh, the storehouse burned, their leader, Captain George Popham, died, and the colonists learned that their sponsor back in England, Chief Justice Sir John Popham, also was dead. The Popham colony was abandoned less than a year after its beginning.

The Kennebec River's lower portion has changed somewhat due to increased development; however, one can still get a sense of the way it appeared to the men of Arnold's Expedition. The highway south from Bath, Route 209, generally follows the river and is one of the most scenic in Maine.

Fort Pownall

Fort Pownall, Penobscot River, about 3.5 miles from Stockton Springs (U.S. 1). Governor Thomas Pownall of Massachusetts selected the location and directed the construction of this fort, which was completed in 1758 or 1759. Its purpose was not only to guard the mouth of the Penobscot north of the embattled works where the Fort George State Memorial now stands, but also to control the valuable traffic with the Indians. After French power in Canada was eliminated, the small garrison of Fort Pownall was reduced to a guard detachment. In March 1775 the British took all the heavy guns and ammunition from the place and set fire to the wooden fortification. During the fiasco of 1779 at Fort George the works were destroyed by the retreating Patriots. The earthworks have survived, and an archaeological dig uprooted many historical items, most of which are held at the Maine State Museum.

Great Carry Sites

Great Carry Sites, Arnold Trail. The Middle and West Carry Ponds are not accessible by roads open to the public. All three ponds, their natural beauty unspoiled, are on the Appalachian Trail. Moose are plentiful. The start of the Great Carry on the Kennebec at the Cross Over Place is easily reached by road, and East Carry Pond can be found by car in good weather, although at some risk to the crankcase. The roads do not show on most highway maps, having been put in by paper companies and private landowners, but at least as far as the Cross Over Place on the west bank there is a splendid highway. The entire length of the Great Carry Sites is about 12 miles, and almost all of the land is owned by a paper company.

From Bingham on the Kennebec drive west across the bridge and turn north. Almost exactly 4 miles from the bridge on this road, turn right at a junction where signs indicate that the Carry Ponds are 11 miles in that direction.

At 7.8 miles is a modern logging trail leading down the riverbank to the right (east). This is the vicinity of Carry Place Stream, where Arnold's bateaux were taken out of the Kennebec to start the carry to Dead River and where a log storehouse was built. The lower ground to the south of the modern road is where the Arnold Trail ran. It followed the ancient Indian route and was used by subsequent generations of settlers and loggers in this region after the Revolution, which is why the trace has survived the centuries.

To reach the East Carry Pond (and others when they are opened to the public), continue north for 0.9 mile and turn left. This leads to a private resort on East Carry Pond at a distance of about 2.5 miles. There is nothing wrong with the road, unless it is covered with snow, except that the clearance at many points is low. The Arnold Trail crosses back and forth across this modern route. At 1.7 miles from the road you will cross a stretch of smooth rock ledges that are mentioned in the journals of the Arnold Expedition, confirming that this is the way they came. (This rock formation is common in many other parts of the country but quite unusual in this part of Maine.) At exactly 2 miles is the junction of the Appalachian Trail and a road fork; the road to the left (west) leads to Middle Carry Pond. Taking the right branch for about 0.1 mile you come to a collection of resort cabins where Arnold launched into the first carrying pond. One of his two launching sites is at the point closest to the main house of this resort colony.

Height of Land

Height of Land, Arnold Trail, vicinity of Coburn Gore (on Canadian border). "The Terrible Carrying Place," as Arnold's men dubbed it, was a 4.25-mile portage through snow and over granite ledges to get from the Chain of Ponds to Lake Megantic. Having sent to the rear all the bateaux except one per company, the Americans headed due north from what is now called Arnold Pond, passed through a saddle of the mountain range, and then went generally westward to Great Meadows in Canada. They were following the route reconnoitered by Captain John Montresor in 1761.

Montresor's map shows "Height of Land" as a long, narrow ridge generally along the present border between Canada and Maine. The name leads one to the conclusion that it is a formidable mountain barrier, whereas the route followed through it by Arnold's men was a rather low saddle. For troops in good physical condition the Height of Land would have presented little challenge. Associates of the Forest Ranger Headquarters at Eustis, who have explored this route with members of the Arnold Expedition Historical Society, believe that Arnold's men had trouble primarily because of their starved and exhausted condition. As for physical obstacles, it is thought that they had to lift their bateaux over several rock strata and had snow to contend with, but that Montresor's route was otherwise an easy one here. People may wonder why they wouldn't have taken the route of today's highway, for it looks to be a much easier way to go. The answer probably lies in the fact that it would have been much longer, and that the route probably had many obstacles since cleared by modern construction equipment.

When you cross from Maine and look back you will see that Height of Land makes sense as a geographical term to travelers approaching it from the flat terrain of Canada, if not to those coming north through the mountains of Maine.

Arnold's exact route through Height of Land is not completely known. The region has many logging roads and trails, but, according to experts, none of these correspond with Arnold's route. It is interesting and instructive to study the modern, large-scale topographic maps of this region that are available from the United States and Canadian official map services. (The United States map sheets are the "Arnold Pond" and "Chain of Ponds" quadrangles. The Canadian maps are "21E/7 West and East WOBURN" and "21E/10 West and East MEGANTIC." See the introduction, above, for addresses and instructions on ordering.) The saddle due north of Arnold's Pond through which the expedition is believed to have passed is at coordinates 580300. Arnold's first camp due west of here was around the surviving house at coordinates 548276, northeast of Woburn; this area was known as Great Meadows or Beautiful Meadow.

Kittery

Kittery and vicinity. Just across the state line on U.S. 1 is the John Paul Jones Memorial (1924) near the place where the U.S.S. Ranger was built. Flying the new Stars and Stripes created by a congressional resolution on the day he was given command of the Ranger, Jones sailed for France from Badger's Island in early November 1777. The Ranger carried the news of Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga. On 14 February 1778 in Quiberon Bay the new American flag gained its first formal recognition by a foreign power when the French fleet there was induced to exchange salutes with the Ranger (American ships had received salutes from foreign craft since the Dutch fired a salute at St. Eustatius in the West Indies on 16 November 1776). Two months later Jones took the Ranger on an audacious and highly successful raid into British waters, giving the Stars and Stripes its baptism of fire (Quaife, Weig, Appleman, History of the U.S. Flag, pp. 29, 33, 42).

For more on the naval history of the Revolution and shipbuilding in Maine, visit the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, open daily 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at 243 Washington Street. Phone: (207) 443-1316; website: http://www.bathmaine.com.

Around Kittery Point (take Maine 103) are several homes from the colonial era. The John Bray House (1662) is the oldest in Maine. The house built in 1682 by Bray's son-in-law William Pepperrell, and birthplace of Sir William Pepperrell (1696–1759), is still standing. The house built about 1760 by Lady Pepperrell, widow of Sir William, is of particular architectural significance and qualifies as a Registered National Historic Landmark. Privately owned, it was listed for sale in 2005 by a prominent real estate company for $1.5 million. Opposite it are the First Congregational Church and old parsonage, dating from 1730.

The Fort McClary State Historical Site is on land once owned by Colonel William Pepperrell. The original fortification here, probably a breastwork on which cannons could be mounted, appears to have been erected around 1722. First named Fort William, it went through various transformations. After the Battle of Bunker Hill it was renamed for the senior officer killed in that action, Major Andrew McClary. As reconstructed, Fort McClary features a six-sided blockhouse that was reconstructed in 1986. The blockhouse features a granite base and wooden second story, as it probably looked around 1846. The site commands an impressive view of the Portsmouth Navy Yard, the Isles of Shoals (9 miles southward), the Fort Point Light, and other famous naval landmarks. The state of Maine opens the site to the public from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Phone: (207) 384-5160.

The Maine Information Center at the junction of U.S. 1 and the Maine Turnpike should have travel literature on all these places.

Machias Bay

Machias Bay and vicinity, Washington County. Near the eastern end of the Maine coast, the historic seaport of Machias started as a trading post of the French and English. Well over a century later, in 1763, an American settlement was established. An outstanding example of a colonial inn is Burnham Tavern at High and Free Streets in Machias. In good condition, it is now a museum and open to the public from the middle of June until early September. Phone: (207) 255-4432.

The spirit of revolt here was strong. Maine's first Liberty Pole is claimed by civic boosters, and Machias calls itself the birthplace of the American navy (as does Whitehall, New York). "The Lexington of the Sea" is the name that has been applied, with some exaggeration, to "the first naval battle of the American Revolution" in a portion of Machias Bay overlooked by the Fort O'Brien State Historic Memorial on Maine 92, 5 miles southeast of Machias. Only breastworks remain here of the place first called Fort Machias when erected in 1775. Although the capture of a four-gun schooner does not constitute a "battle," there was initiative, personal heroism, and historical significance aplenty in the little affair on Machias Bay, and here are the basic facts.

The British schooner Margaretta (four guns) escorted two sloops, Polly and Unity, into the port of Machias on 2 June 1775 to get lumber for the troops in Boston. The Revolution had started a few weeks earlier at Lexington and Concord (19 April), and local Patriots whipped up a scheme to capture the British ships by surprise while the captain of the Margaretta and his officers were in church, but this attempt was aborted and the three enemy ships headed for sea. Jeremiah O'Brien and Joseph Wheaton then threw together a force that pursued and captured the Unity (on 11 June) and the Margaretta (on 12 June). Total losses were seven men killed and wounded on each side.

O'Brien was given command of the Unity, renamed the Machias Liberty and armed with the Margaretta's four guns. A few weeks later he captured the British naval schooner Diligent and its tender off Machias without firing a shot. These two schooners, under O'Brien's command, became the nucleus of the Massachusetts navy (not the Continental navy), and they took a few prizes before being put out of commission in the fall of 1776. Jeremiah O'Brien (1744–1818) had been born in Kittery. He had moved with his family to Machias in 1765. After commanding privateers in the Revolution, interrupted by imprisonment and escape from British prisons, he spent his last seven years as collector of customs at Machias.

Montpelier (Knox Home) Replica

Montpelier (Knox Home) Replica, 7 miles east of Thomaston on U.S. 1. This landmark is unique in that it went from state ownership back to private ownership. The Friends of Montpelier now own and manage the site, which is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The Friends of Montpelier are a very active group and they offer a variety of special events, programs, and classes throughout the year. Phone: (207) 354-8062. The house itself is a replica of the handsome mansion built in 1793, during the ten years after the Revolution when Henry Knox was the first United States secretary of war. The original house was razed in 1871.

Old Fort Western

Old Fort Western, Augusta, east bank of the Kennebec just south of City Hall near at Bowman Street at 16 Cony Street. In a now urban setting is an unprepossessing structure of great historical significance, the surviving garrison house of the New Plymouth Trading Post. The post was established in 1626, but the building dates from 1754. A long, low structure with cedar shake siding, it is a museum depicting colonial living. A few feet in front of the building, along the high bank of the river, are two blockhouses connected by a stockade. These are replicas of the original fortifications. One touch of landscaping is provided by a marker in a small fenced area of grass, where a bronze plaque on a boulder identifies the scene. Adjacent to the site is the Augusta City Center.

The Arnold Expedition was just getting under way when it paused at Fort Western. On Maine 201 about 2 miles south of Augusta are three pictorial panels marked by a highway sign: "Historical Site, Arnold Trail." There is a good view up and down the Kennebec from this spot, and the panels give highlights of the expedition's experiences in this portion of the route. Just north of Fort Western at the fork of U.S. 201 and 202 (Bangor Street and North Belfast Avenue) is a cemetery where a few early settlers are buried. Some of these settlers' remains may have come from the Howard Cemetery, originally located on the actual fort grounds. It is presently a supermarket parking lot. In this cemetery (or possibly in the earlier mentioned cemetery, if his remains were moved) lies the grave of a soldier from the Arnold expedition named Rueben Bishop. The death of Bishop was apparently a significant event, as almost every diarist on the march made serious mention of it. A hotheaded fellow named John McCormack, who had earlier been offended for some unknown reason, burst through the door of the soldier's barracks and fired a shot. Bishop was the unlucky recipient of that ball. He died a few days later. McCormack was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to die the next day at 3 p.m. by hanging. Interestingly, minutes before his execution, Arnold pardoned the killer and sent him off to Washington, and McCormack eventually died in prison. Many of the diarists noted that Bishop died a tormented death, not because of the pain, but because he, unlike most of his comrades, had not fully embraced the ways of Calvinism, and was very agitated over his uncertain afterlife possibilities. Phone: (207) 626-2385.

Pepperrell Family Sites

Pepperrell Family Sites. Seekittery.

Skowhegan Falls

Skowhegan Falls, Kennebec River, fork of U.S. 201 and 201A. The Arnold Expedition's bateaux approached these seemingly insurmountable falls over half a mile of dangerous rapids. They then came to the small island that splits the Kennebec here, and through a crevice in the steep rock they lifted and dragged their awkward, 400-pound bateaux.

A Central Maine Power Company substation and dam has pretty well destroyed the natural features of this site, but for the informed visitor enough is left to make a short walk rewarding. You will spot the site easily while crossing the river on U.S. 201 going north. Walk to the left corner of this structure as you face it (generally behind the fire station) and a remnant of the rock ledge that formed the falls will be visible. (Skowhegan means "a place to watch" for salmon.) Blasted out and buried under the power station is the crevice through which countless generations of Indians had lifted their birch canoes and through which Arnold's men cursed their way in 1775.

Solon (Carratunkas) Falls Portage Site

Solon (Carratunkas) Falls Portage Site, Kennebec River. Solon and its dam are on the highway maps, but there are no signs pointing to the place where Arnold made his portage in this area.

On U.S. 201 just north of the main highway junction in little Solon is a white frame church with a conspicuous spire. After another 0.4 mile north, turn left (west) onto Falls Road, which goes a short distance before ending in a recreation area alongside the river where Solon Dam is located. A DAR marker is on an isolated boulder where you can readily spot it, and it carries a vague message to the effect that Arnold's Expedition passed this way in 1775.

To find the portage, walk back from the boulder about 40 yards along the road you followed in. A trail coming in to the right is probably the portage route of 1775. Follow it south about 200 yards through the woods and you will see where the ground starts dropping off to the flat stretch of riverbank where the bateaux were beached. In its undeveloped condition the area has a wild charm that could be destroyed by misguided efforts to "improve" it as a tourist attraction.

The original inhabitants of Maine were the Abnaki, almost all of whom sided with the British during the Revolution and settled permanently in Canada after the war as the United States expropriated their lands. The exception was the Penobscot of coastal Maine, who were confined to Indian Island in the Penobscot River. The Penobscot National Historical Society Museum is devoted to their history and culture. It is located on the island on Highway 2 just north of Old Town and is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Phone: (207) 827-6544.