Maryland - Political   Capital Annapolis Largest City Baltimore Major Cities Hagerstown, Frederick, Rockville Nicknames Free State, Old Line State Area 10,577 sq mi Population 5,296,468(2006)

 

Maryland - Physical features   Physical Features Appalachian Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, Allegheny Mountains, Chesapeake Bay, Delmarva Peninsula Rivers Potomac, Patuxent, Susquehenna Highest Point Backbone Mountain Islands Assateague island Bordering States Pennsylvania (north), West Virginia (south,west), Virginia (south), Delaware (east, north), District of Columbia* (south) *Not a state, but a federal district National Parks None Key Products Chickens, Dairy Products, Crabs, Oysters Natural Resources Fish

 

Maryland - History   1608 : John Smith becomes first European to chart the Chesapeake Bay 1634 First settlement established at Saint Mary’s city 1783 The Treaty of Paris signed at the Annapolis State House, thus officialy ending the Revolutionary War. Annapolis remained the United States capital for nine months after the treaty 1788 Becomes the seventh state to ratify constitution 1791 Maryland ceded land to form the District of Columbia 1814 The British attempt to bomb Fort McHenry (now Baltimore) during the War of 1812 failed, thus inspiring Francis Scott Key to write the US national anthem, the "Star-Spangled Banner". 1862 Battle of Antietam gives president Abraham Lincoln confidence to announce his Emancipation Proclamation, a document saying that slaves from the south still in rebellion shall be freed Present Day Annapolis is home to the oldest state capitol building in the US

 

Maryland - Facts   Maryland is divided collectively into two parts: the Eastern and Western shores, which in turn are divided by Chesapeake Bay The US Naval Academy is located at the delta of the Severn River as it empties into the Chesapeake Bay estuary in Annapolis The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. It took place near Sharpsburg, Maryland, located on the banks of the Potomac The Mason-Dixon line, an imaginary line seperating the southern slave states from the northern free states, ran along the border of Maryland and Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay is the United States’s largest estuary Tourists flock to Ocean City, a town located on Maryland’s Atlantic coastline, especially in the summer months to enjoy its beautiful beaches and pleasant climate. No longer a quaint resort, it still offers hundreds of thousands of vacationers an escape from their everyday lives Assateague Island, a barrier island off the coast of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, is known for its unusual herds of wild ponies. The south side of the island is part of Virginia