Maine is the northernmost state on the East Coast and the largest in New England. It covers 35,380 square miles (91,633 km²), with 80 percent of the area forested, more than in any other state. Therefore, Main is also called the "Pine Tree State" after the state tree, the white pine tree. 

Some historians suggest that Maine was the site of the first European discovery in the United States. The so-called "Maine Penny", an 11^th century Norwegian silver coin found in Brooklyn, Maine, is considered evidence that Vikings, who by this time had already settled in Greenland and Newfoundland, interacted with the natives around 1200. When the French established their first settlement on Saint Croix Island in 1604, the territory was inhabited by the Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, Penobscot, Androscoggin and Kennebec tribes, many of whom joined with other peoples to form the Wabanaki Confederacy in the late 17^th century. The first English colony was founded in 1607, and in the following centuries Maine was contested by the French, the English and the natives. From 1691, the area belonged to the Province of Massachusetts Bay, one of the Thirteen Colonies. In 1820, Maine seceded and was admitted to the Union as the 23^rd state. The state motto "Dirigo" is Latin and means "I lead". It refers to the trend in elections, as Maine used to be the only state to vote in September.

In addition to its maritime cuisine, Maine is known for its rugged and impressive nature, ranging from the unclaimed forest areas in the interior to the rocky coast with numerous inlets and islands.

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