Maine, USA
The Pine Tree State (23)
Capitol: Augusta
Admitted into Union: March 15, 1820
State Flower: White pine cone and tassel
State Tree: Eastern White pine
State Bird: Chickadee
Population: 1.3 million

Sand, sea, and…butter. Ninety percent of the nation’s lobster supply—over 40 millions pounds a year—are trapped along the Maine coast. In 2000, about 53 million pounds were hauled in. Whether you’re waiting for dinner beachside or dockside, your roomy Maine Beach Tote comes complete with a complementary lobster bib.

Modern delicacy: Lobster was not always a hot menu item commanding top dollar. Indeed, it was first considered a poor man’s dish, and early Americans even used lobster as fertilizer and bait. Prisoners and slaves complained about having to eat it so often.

Talk about curves! The Maine coastline boasts so many deep harbors it’s said that “all the navies in the world” could fit in them.

Can’t see the forest? Maine is among the world’s top pulp-paper producers. Since Maine is almost 90% forested, it also supplies other wood products from boats (Bath is called the “City of Ships”) to toothpicks (90% of the US supply).

Pass the crackers: Maine produces more than 75 million tins of sardines annually, making it tops in world production.

Every day I got the blues. Maine produces 99% of all the blueberries in the United States.

Yule be sorry! In Maine, you can be charged a fine for still having your Christmas decorations up after January 14.

Unique: Maine is the only state in the Union with a one-syllable name and the only one that borders just one other state.

Girl power: Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman elected senator of the US in her own right, gave the famous “Declaration of Conscience” speech in the senate, speaking out against the McCarthy era. Smith was the first woman elected to both houses of Congress and the first female presidential candidate listed on a major party ticket (R). Her campaign featured the song “Leave it to the Girls,” calling for a female prez.

Just moosin’ around: Maine boasts a huge moose population, with an average antler span of 55” (Alaskan moose antlers can span up to 80”). Moose, who have no front teeth in their upper jaw, munch plants in marshes and ponds in summer. In winter, they eat bark, leaves, twigs, and balsam fir. Long legs help moose traverse deep snow. Moose have been spotted swimming from island to island along the coast.

Famous Mainers: Dorothea Dix, John Ford, Sarah Orne Jewett, Stephen King, Linda Lavin, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Hiram Stevens Maxim, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Edmund Muskie, George Palmer Putnam, Kenneth Roberts, Edwin Arlington Robinson, and Margaret Chase Smith.