Statehood The 38th state Mar. 15, 1820 Captial Augusta State Motto I direct. Origin of State Name The name probably originated as the word used by English explorers to refer to the mainland. It may also be derived from the Maine region of France. State Nickname The Pine Tree State The nickname is derived from the state tree. Interesting Facts More than nine-tenths of Maine's total land area is forested, the highest percentage of forest coverage of any state. One of Maine's most important industries, cotton and woolen textiles, emerged in the 1840s in towns along the Androscoggin and Kennebec rivers. American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow spent much of his childhood in Portland. Maine's coastal waters attract a steadily increasing number of saltwater sports fishing enthusiasts.