Why Northern Maine is Basically EMPTY!

Maine is home to over 1.3 million people — but almost none of them live in the northern half of the state. Aroostook County is larger than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined, yet holds fewer than 67,000 people. The Unorganized Territories cover nearly ten million acres and hold a permanent population of around nine thousand. So what happened? In this video, we explore the geography, history, and economic forces that turned the top half of New England's largest state into one of the emptiest places in the entire eastern United States. From the logging booms that built Bangor into the Lumber Capital of the World, to the potato harvests that once fed the entire country, to the paper mill closures that hollowed out towns in a matter of years — northern Maine has a story that most people have never heard. And understanding why it emptied out tells you a lot about how geography shapes where people choose to live. 📍 SUBSCRIBE for more geography content every week!