MAINEMaine is a state in northern New England in the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. To the southwest is New Hampshire and to the southeast is the Atlantic Ocean. Maine entered the Union on March 15, 1820, when it was separated from Massachusetts to form the 23rd state. Augusta is the capital of Maine. Portland is the largest city. Its nickname is “the Pine State”. Maine's motto is Dario (I lead). The state song is called “State of Maine Song.” Maine ranks 39th among the states, with an area of ​​33,741 square miles. The area includes 2,263 square miles of inland waters and 613 square miles of coastal waters over which it has jurisdiction. It is by far the largest state in New England and is almost equal in size to all the other New England states combined. The longest east-west distance in the state is 202 miles; the greatest north-south distance is 500 km. The average elevation is about 600 feet. All of Maine was once covered in glaciers, the last of which retreated about 10,000 years ago. Due to glaciers, much of Maine is covered in stones, boulders, and clays. Many hills and mountains were rounded, lakes were formed, and the courses of rivers were changed. Although glaciers cover all of Maine, there are nevertheless substantial physiographic differences across regions of the state. Maine can be divided into three major natural regions: the White Mountain Section, the New England Highlands, and the Coastal Lowlands. These three regions are part of the New England province, which in turn is part of the Appalachian region. Maine has a humid continental climate with a moderate summer and a long winter. The climate is generally milder along the coast, particularly in winter. Average January temperatures in Maine range from about 10°F in the northern part of the state to about 24°F along the coast. Average temperatures in July range from 62° to 70° F, with the southern interior being the warmest and the east coast and north being the coolest. However, summer daytime temperatures can reach the lower 90s F and winter temperatures have fallen as low as -48 F indoors. Maine's population in 2000 was 1,274,923, according to the national census, ranking it 40th among the states..