8 Fun Facts You Never Knew About Maine
All states have their quirks, and the Pine Tree State is certainly no exception.
Bone up on your Maine trivia and test your knowledge of New England's northern-most state with these 8 fun facts.
1. Maine is the only state that shares its borders with only one other US state.
Maine is bordered by New Hampshire to the west and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and northwest respectively.
2. Maine has a peak named after a car.
Well, sort of. Cadillac Mountain is named after the explorer, Antoine Laumet de la Mothe, sieur de Cadillac. The famous luxury car company is also named for him.
3. 90% of the country's lobster supply comes from Maine.
Approximately 40 million pounds of lobster is caught off the coast of Maine, accounting for nearly 90% of the country's supply.
4. Maine is the single largest producer of blueberries in the United States.
When you think of Maine, you probably think of lobster - and with good reason. But did you know that 99% if the blueberries producied in the US come from the Pine Tree State?
5. Donut holes were invented in Maine.
The first donuts in America did not have holes. They were introduced by the Dutch who fried dough in hot oil, but they often cooked unevenly with the center staying raw.
Capt. Hansen Gregory, from Rockport, Maine came up with the solution of punching a hole in the center while working as a 16-year-old crewman on a lime-trading schooner in 1847.
6. The Bean Boot outside of L.L. Bean in Freeport has an actual size.
The 16-foot rubber-bottomed boot that stands outside L.L. Bean's Freeport, Maine flagship store is an iconic tourist attraction. Believe it or not, the company has actually determined the size of the foot that could wear such a boot - it's 410!
7. Maine is the country's second coldest state in spring.
According to CurrentResults.com, Alaska outperforms all other US states when it comes to cold, but as far as the lower 48 go, Maine is in the top 10 coldest and the coldest of all during the spring. North Dakota is coldest during winter and fall while Wyoming is the chilliest state during the summer months.
8. The origin of the state's name is unclear.
Maine.gov states that the name first appeared in writing in 1622, but no one is quite sure why 'Maine' was chosen. Some believe it's named after the French province of the same name, but the prevailing theory is that it came from nautical terms used by sailors to distinguish the state from the islands off its coast. Mainland became shortened to "the main" or "Main Land", "Meyne" or "Mainland".
