About Maine

Maine occupies the northeastern corner of the United States, the farthest point from the rest of the country, bordered by only one other American state and sharing a long international border with Canada. It is a place defined by cold water, dense forest, and the rhythms of the sea. Its rocky coastline, indented with hundreds of bays and harbors, stretches longer than California's despite the state being a fraction of the size.

Maine has always been a working state. Its economy was built on timber, fishing, and shipbuilding, industries that go back to the earliest days of European settlement. Today, the lobster industry defines Maine's global identity more than any other single thing; Maine produces roughly 90% of the nation's lobster and has done so for generations. Thousands of licensed lobstermen haul traps off Maine's coast, continuing a tradition that stretches back well over a century.

Politically, Maine is one of the most independent-minded states in the country. It is one of only two states (with Nebraska) that splits its Electoral College votes by congressional district, and it has elected independent candidates to the governorship and the U.S. Senate. Maine was also the first state to adopt ranked choice voting , a reform that has influenced national discussions about elections and representation. Its politics are shaped less by ideology than by a streak of Yankee self-reliance that runs through both parties.