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Geography - Frequently Asked Questions

Elevation

Rivers and Lakes

General Geography

Geographic Names

Elevation

Q1. What's the highest mountain in Maine?     Back

Elevation (feet)Mountain
5267Katahdin
4237Sugarloaf
4180Old Speck
4168Crocker
4150Bigelow
4143North Brother
4116Saddleback
4049Abraham
4023The Horn

Source: Length and Breadth of Maine, by S.B. Attwood, 1977, University of Orono Press, Orono, Maine.

Mount Ktaadn from W. Butterfield's (Oct. 8th 1836) Near the Grand Schoodic Lake

Mount Katahdin

Q2. What is the highest point in each county?     Back

Maine County High Points, benchmark data

Rivers and Lakes

Q3. What are the lengths of some of Maine's major rivers?     Back

RiverLength
St. John331 with southwest branch
325 with southeast branch
Penobscot240 miles with west and north branches
Androscoggin174
Kennebec170 miles with West Outlet
Saco121
Aroostook100
Allagash69 miles

Source: Length and Breadth of Maine, by S.B. Attwood, 1977, University of Orono Press, Orono, Maine.

Q4. What is Maine's biggest lake?     Back

  • 1. Moosehead Lake - 117 square miles
  • 2. Sebago Lake - 45 square miles
  • 3. Chesuncook Lake - 36 square miles
  • 4. Mooselookmeguntic Lake - 26 square miles

Source: Length and Breadth of Maine, by S.B. Attwood, 1977, University of Orono Press, Orono, Maine.

Q5. What is the difference between a lake and a pond, river, stream, and brook?     Back

  • Lake - an inland body of water occupying a depression in the earth's surface, generally of appreciable size
  • Pond - a natural body of standing water, occupying a small surface depression, usually smaller than a lake.
  • River - a natural freshwater surface stream of considerable volume and a permanent or seasonal flow.
  • Stream - any body of moving water that moves under gravity to progressively lower levels, in a relatively narrow but clearly defined channel on the surface of the ground.
  • Brook - a small stream or rivulet, commonly swiftly flowing in rugged terrain, of lesser length and volume than a creek. A term used in England and New England for any tributary to a small river or to a larger stream.

Source: Glossary of Geology, R.L. Bates and J.A. Jackson (eds.), 1987, American Geological Institute, Third Edition.

General Geography

Q6. What's the geographic center of Maine?     Back

Brownville Junction -- 18 miles north of Dover-Foxcroft

Q7. How long is Maine's coastline?     Back

Maine has approximately 3478 miles (5600 kilometers) of tidally-influenced shoreline.

Geographic Names

Q8. What do the township abbreviations in Maines unorganized towns stand for?     Back

BKPBinghams Kennebec Purchase
BPPBinghams Penobscot Purchase
EDEast Division
EKREast of the Kennebec River
MDMiddle Division
NBKPNorth of Binghams Kennebec Purchase
NBPPNorth of Binghams Penobscot Purchase
NDNorth Division
NWPNorth of the Waldo Patent
PLTPlantation
SDSouth Division
TSTitcomb Survey
TWPTownship
WELSWest of the Easterly Line of the State
WBKPWest of Binghams Kennebec Purchase
WKRWest of the Kennebec River

Source: Length and Breadth of Maine, by S.B. Attwood, 1977, University of Orono Press, Orono, Maine.

Q9. I want to name a geographical feature. Whom should I contact?     Back

There is no State of Maine geographic names authority. Name changes should be submitted to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

Q10. How can I locate a specific geographic feature or place in Maine?     Back

Online, try out the U.S. Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System. Or you can refer to the Length and Breadth of Maine, by Stanley Bearce Attwood, University of Maine at Orono Press, 2004.

Q11. Do geographic names have any geologic meaning?     Back

Geologically Speaking, What's in a Place Name?

Last updated on April 9, 2012