Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is the northernmost portion of New England and is the easternmost state in the contiguous United States. It is called the Pine Tree State because ninety percent of its land is forested. It is known for its scenery, with its jagged, rocky cliffs and thousands of bays and inlets on the coast and inland, by contrast, are lakes, rivers, forests, and mountains. Also, Maine is well known for its seafood cuisine, especially lobsters and clams. Maine has lighthouses, beaches, fishing villages, and thousands of offshore islands, including the Isles of Shoals, which straddle the New Hampshire border.

Maine experiences warm, humid summers and cold and snowy winters throughout the state, which are especially severe in the northern parts of Maine.

Maine is the most sparsely populated state east of the Misissippi River with an estimated population of 1,321,504 in 2008. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is the most densely populated with nearly 20% of Maine's population.