Portland, Coastal city in Maine, United States
Portland is a coastal city in southern Maine along the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the seat of Cumberland County. The harbor holds fishing boats, cargo ships, and pleasure craft, while residential and commercial neighborhoods spread across the surrounding hills.
British colonists established a fishing outpost at this location in 1632, which grew into the primary harbor of Maine over the following centuries. Several fires in the nineteenth century destroyed large sections of downtown, but the city rebuilt after each one and continued to expand.
Restaurants near the waterfront serve lobster and other seafood brought in from the docks each morning, while breweries across town offer locally made beers. On summer evenings, residents and visitors gather in public squares for outdoor concerts and community festivals.
An international airport serves the city with flights to larger cities along the East Coast, while ferries depart for nearby islands and Nova Scotia. The historic Old Port district offers shops, restaurants, and pedestrian streets that extend from the waterfront into adjacent blocks.
More than two hundred small islands lie offshore, accessible by ferry and boat, and some of them hold permanent resident communities. The Eastern Promenade offers an elevated view of Casco Bay and is popular with walkers and cyclists.
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