Question: How many counties does the largest state in the region where the fictional Gilead in the Handmaid's Tale takes place have?

Knowledge 1: The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale is a 1985 dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. Set in a near - future New England, in a totalitarian, Christian theonomy that has overthrown the United States government, the novel explores themes of women in subjugation and the various means by which they gain individualism and independence. The novel's title echoes the component parts of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, which is a series of connected stories (``The Merchant's Tale '',`` The Parson's Tale'', etc.). [SEP] Knowledge 2: New England
The states of New England have a combined area of 71,991.8 square miles (186,458 km), making the region slightly larger than the state of Washington and larger than England. Maine alone constitutes nearly one - half of the total area of New England, yet is only the 39th - largest state, slightly smaller than Indiana. The remaining states are among the smallest in the U.S., including the smallest state -- Rhode Island. [SEP] Knowledge 3: List of counties in Maine
This is a list of the sixteen counties in the U.S. state of Maine. Before statehood, Maine was officially part of the state of Massachusetts and was called the District of Maine. Maine was granted statehood on March 15, 1820 as part of the Missouri Compromise. Nine of the sixteen counties had their borders defined while Maine was still part of Massachusetts, and hence are older than the state itself. Even after 1820, the exact location of the northern border of Maine was disputed with Britain, until the question was settled and the northern counties signed their final official form, the Webster - Ashburton Treaty, signed in 1842. Almost all of Aroostook County was disputed land until the treaty was signed.
Knowledge 1: The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale is a 1985 dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. Set in a near - future New England, in a totalitarian, Christian theonomy that has overthrown the United States government, the novel explores themes of women in subjugation and the various means by which they gain individualism and independence. The novel's title echoes the component parts of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, which is a series of connected stories (``The Merchant's Tale '',`` The Parson's Tale'', etc.). [SEP] Knowledge 2: New England
The states of New England have a combined area of 71,991.8 square miles (186,458 km), making the region slightly larger than the state of Washington and larger than England. Maine alone constitutes nearly one - half of the total area of New England, yet is only the 39th - largest state, slightly smaller than Indiana. The remaining states are among the smallest in the U.S., including the smallest state -- Rhode Island. [SEP] Knowledge 3: The Handmaid's Tale (TV series)
June Osborne, renamed Offred (Elisabeth Moss), is the Handmaid assigned to the home of the Gileadan Commander Fred Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) and his wife Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski). Offred is subject to strict rules and constant scrutiny; an improper word or deed on her part can lead to brutal punishment. Offred, who is named after her male master like all Handmaids, can remember the ``time before '', when she was married and had a daughter, a job, a bank account, and her own name and identity, but all she can safely do now is follow the rules of Gilead in hopes that she can someday live free again and be reunited with her daughter. The Waterfords, key players in the rise of Gilead, have their own conflicts with the realities of the society they have helped create.
Knowledge 1: The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale is a 1985 dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. Set in a near - future New England, in a totalitarian, Christian theonomy that has overthrown the United States government, the novel explores themes of women in subjugation and the various means by which they gain individualism and independence. The novel's title echoes the component parts of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, which is a series of connected stories (``The Merchant's Tale '',`` The Parson's Tale'', etc.). [SEP] Knowledge 2: New England
The states of New England have a combined area of 71,991.8 square miles (186,458 km), making the region slightly larger than the state of Washington and larger than England. Maine alone constitutes nearly one - half of the total area of New England, yet is only the 39th - largest state, slightly smaller than Indiana. The remaining states are among the smallest in the U.S., including the smallest state -- Rhode Island. [SEP] Knowledge 3: The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale is set in the Republic of Gilead, a theonomic military dictatorship formed within the borders of what was formerly the United States of America.

Answer: sixteen