Bangor is a city in the U.S. state of Maine. The city proper has a population of 33,039, while the metropolitan Bangor metropolitan area has a population of 153,746.Modern Bangor was established in the mid-1800s with the lumber and shipbuilding industries. Lying on the Penobscot River, logs could be floated downstream from the Maine North Woods and processed at the city's water-powered sawmills, then shipped from Bangor's port to the Atlantic Ocean 30 miles downstream, and from there to any port in the world. Evidence of this is still visible in the lumber barons' elaborate Greek Revival and Victorian mansions and the 31 foot high statue of Paul Bunyan. Today, Bangor's economy is based on services and retail, healthcare, and education.Founded as Condeskeag Plantation, Bangor was incorporated as a New England town in 1791. The reason for the choice of name is disputed. Like the possibly eponymous Bangor, Wales, the final syllable is pronounced gor, not ger.