Bird • Crow • Raven • Songbird
Mahogany
People prize mahogany trees for their
hard, reddish brown wood. The most
valued species, or types, of mahogany
include the West Indies mahogany and
the big-leaf mahogany. People have cut
down so many of these trees that they
are in danger of disappearing.
Mahoganies grow in the tropical areas of
the Americas.West Indies mahoganies
grow on the islands called theWest
Indies, in the Caribbean Sea. They also
grow in the U.S. state of Florida. Bigleaf
mahoganies grow in Central and
South America.
West Indies mahoganies are usually 40
to 50 feet (12 to 15 meters) tall. Big-leaf
mahoganies may grow as high as 150
feet (45 meters). Both types have large,
green leaves made up of several parts
called leaflets. Mahoganies grow alone or
in small clusters. There are no forests of
these trees.
People value mahogany wood for its
strength and its beautiful texture and
color. They use the wood to make highquality
furniture, wood paneling, musical
instruments, and boats.
Because so many people want mahogany
wood, many of the trees have been
chopped down. The trees take a long
time to grow, so they are being lost faster
than they can be replaced. Many businesses
now use similar wood from Africa
or the Philippines instead of true
mahogany wood.
#More to explore
Tree
The beautiful, hard wood from mahogany
trees is often used to make fine furniture.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Mahogany 21
Maine
Maine is the largest of the U.S.
states in the region known as
New England. It is almost as big as the
rest of New England combined. Despite
Maine’s physical size, it has a smaller
population and fewer big cities than the
other New England states. The capital is
Augusta.
The origin of the state’s name is uncertain.
It may have been named for the
former French province of Maine. Some
historians believe that the state got its
name for being the “mainland,” as
opposed to the coastal islands. Because
of its great forests, Maine is nicknamed
the Pine Tree State.
Geography
Maine is bordered on the northwest by
the Canadian province of Quebec and
on the northeast by the Canadian
province of New Brunswick. The
Atlantic Ocean forms the southern
border. Maine’s southwestern border is
shared with the state of New
Hampshire.
Maine is known for its rugged, scenic
coast. Offshore there are about 1,200
small islands. However, most of the
state consists of a rocky plateau with
many lakes and valleys. The White
Mountains (part of the Appalachian
Mountains) extend from New
Hampshire into western Maine. The
state’s highest point is 5,269-foot
(1,606-meter) Mount Katahdin. Maine
has short summers and long, cold
winters that can be very snowy.
Maine is heavily forested and contains a
good deal of wildlife. Moose, deer, black
bears, otters, muskrats, foxes, raccoons,
and a variety of birds live there.
People
The Penobscot, the Passamaquoddy, and
other Native American groups were living
in what is now Maine when Europeans
first arrived. Members of these
groups still make up a small portion of
Maine’s population. The area was later
settled mostly by English and Scots-Irish
Protestants. Their descendants make up
the majority of the population. The second
largest group is of French heritage.
22 Maine BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Nonwhites make up less than 4 percent
of the population.
Only two fifths of Maine’s people live in
urban areas. Portland is the state’s major
seaport and its largest city. It has about
65,000 residents. Lewiston and Bangor
are the only other cities with populations
of more than 30,000.
The University of Maine is the state’s
largest public institution of higher education.
Its main campus was founded at
Orono in 1865. Some of Maine’s private
schools are Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby
colleges.
Economy
Maine’s natural resources are important
to its economy. The forests provide trees
that are harvested for wood and paper
products. Its land produces potatoes,
dairy products, and blueberries. From
the Atlantic, the state’s fishermen catch
lobsters and other seafood.
Tourism also contributes to the state’s
income. The hotels, restaurants, and
businesses that cater to tourists are part
of Maine’s service industry. Other significant
service areas are trade, government,
real estate, and health care.
History
In 1603 Maine became a part of the
French province of Acadia. During the
1600s the British also established and
maintained scattered settlements
throughout the region. The area was a
constant battleground, however, until
the British conquered the French in
eastern Canada in 1763.
Maine was governed as a district of Massachusetts
from 1652 until it entered the
Union in 1820 as the 23rd state. For
many years the United States and
Canada disagreed over the state’s northern
boundary. An 1842 treaty finally
resolved the dispute.
Maine’s economy grew steadily from
1830 to 1860, but the American Civil
War (1861–65) took workers away from
the state. In the first half of the 1900s
shipbuilding became a major industry in
Bath and Portland. Many ships were
needed duringWorldWar I andWorld
War II.
Overall, development of the state has
