MAINEMaine is a state in northern New England in the United States. It borders 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 separated from Massachusetts to form the 23rd state. Augusta is the capital of Maine. Portland is the largest city. Its nickname is “The Pine Tree State”. Maine's motto is Dario (I lead). The state song is titled "State of Maine Song". Maine ranks 39th in size among 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 has an area nearly equal to that of all the other New England states combined. The state's greatest east-west distance is 202 miles; the maximum north-south distance is 311 miles. The average altitude is approximately 600 feet. All of Maine was once covered by glaciers, the last of which retreated about 10,000 years ago. Due to glaciers, much of Maine is covered in stone, boulders, and clay. Many hills and mountains have been rounded, lakes have formed and river courses have been changed. Although glaciers cover all of Maine, there are nevertheless substantial physiographic differences in regions of the state. Maine can be divided into three major natural regions: the White Mountain section, the New England Upland, and the Seaboard Lowland. These three regions are part of the province of New England, which in turn is part of the Appalachian region. Maine has a humid continental climate with a moderate summer and long winter. The climate is generally milder along the coast, especially 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 July temperatures range from 18°C ​​to 22°C, with the southern interior being the warmest and the east coast and north the coolest. However, daytime summer temperatures can reach 35° F, while in winter temperatures have dropped as low as -48° F in inland areas. Maine's population in 2000 was 1,274,923, according to the national census, ranking it 40th among states.