To the south and east is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the north and northeast is New Brunswick, a province of Canada. The Canadian province of Quebec is to the northwest. Maine is both the northernmost state in New England (U.S.)New England and the largest, accounting for nearly half the region's entire land area. Maine also has the distinction of being the only state to border just one other state (New Hampshire to the west). The municipalities of Eastport, MaineEastport and Lubec, MaineLubec are, respectively, the easternmost city and town in the 48 contiguous states. Maine's Moosehead Lake is the largest lake in New England (Lake Champlain being partially in New York). Mount Katahdin is both the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, which extends to Springer Mountain, Georgia (U.S. state)Georgia, and the southern terminus of the new International Appalachian Trail, which, when complete, will run to Belle Isle (Newfoundland and Labrador)Belle Isle, Newfoundland and Labrador. Maine also has several unique geographical features. Machias Seal Island, off its easternmost point, is claimed by both the U.S. and Canada and is one of List of areas disputed by Canada and the United Statesfive North American land areas whose sovereignty is still in dispute. Also in this easternmost area is the Old Sow, the largest tidal whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere. Maine is the most sparsely populated state east of the Mississippi River. It is called the List of U.S. state nicknamesPine Tree State; 90% of its land is forest. In the forested areas of the interior there is much uninhabited land, some of which does not even have formal political organization into local units. For example, the Northwest Aroostook, Maine unorganized territory in the northern part of the state has an area of 2,668 square miles (6,910 km sq) and a population of 27, or one person for every 100 square miles (255 km sq). Maine is equally well known for its dramatic ocean scenery. West Quoddy Head is the easternmost piece of land in the contiguous 48 United States. Along the famous rock-bound coast of Maine are lighthouses, sandy beaches, quiet fishing villages and thousands of offshore islands, including the Isles of Shoals, which straddle the New Hampshire border. Jagged rocks and cliffs and thousands of bays and inlets add to the rugged beauty of Maine's coast. Just inland, by contrast, is the view of sparkling lakes, rushing rivers, green forests and towering mountains. This visual contrast of forested slopes sweeping down to the sea has been aptly summed up by American poet Edna St. Vincent Millay of Rockland, MaineRockland and Camden, MaineCamden, Maine in "Renascence": :"All I could see from where I stood :was three long mountains and a wood :I turned and looked the other way :and saw three islands and a bay" More prosaic geologists describe this type of landscape as a drowned coast, where a rising sea level has invaded former land features, creating bays out of valleys and islands out of mountain tops. There has been a partially offsetting rise in land also, due to the melting of heavy glacier ice, which caused a rebounding effect of underlying rock; however, this land rise was not strong enough to eliminate all the effect of the rising sea level and its invasion of some former land features. Millions of people have enjoyed this coastal scenery at Maine's Acadia National Park, the only national park in New England. Areas under the protection and management of the National Park Service include: *Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor, MaineBar Harbor *Appalachian National Scenic Trail *Maine Acadian Culture in St. John Valley *Roosevelt Campobello International Park near Lubec, MaineLubec *Saint Croix Island International Historic Site at Calais, MaineCalais Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine