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Penobscot County, east-central Maine, U.S.
Located in a highland region, the
county contains many lakes, rivers, and
ponds, foremost among them being the
Penobscot River, the longest in the
state; nearly all of the river's 350-mile
(560-km) course is through the county.
Timberland is primarily spruce and fir, with stands of
maple, birch, and aspen. Public lands include Scraggly Lake
Management Unit and Mattawamkeag Wilderness Park. The
county is also the home of the Penobscot Indian
Reservation.
The county was created in 1816; the name was derived from
an Abnaki Indian word meaning "rocky place." Bangor, the
county seat, is located on the west bank of the Penobscot
River, opposite its sister city, Brewer. Visited by French
explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1604 and settled in 1769,
Bangor was a boomtown by the mid-19th century as a result
of its lumber, milling, and shipbuilding industries. The
University of Maine at Orono was founded in 1865. Other
communities include Old Town, Millinocket, and Hampden.
The main economic activities are the manufacture of paper
and footwear, tourism, and agriculture, primarily hay and
corn (maize). Area 3,396 square miles (8,796 square km).
Pop. (1990) 146,601; (1996 est.) 144,989.
Weather for the County seat of Penobscot County
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