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Maryland
The heart of Maryland is Chesapeake Bay. Most of
the state is within about 50 miles (80 kilometers) of the bay. The bay is
famous for shellfish, such as oysters, clams, and crabs. People all over the
country eat shellfish from Chesapeake Bay every day!
Maryland lies on the East Coast of the United
States. It was one of the original 13 British colonies. On April 28, 1788,
Maryland became the seventh state to join the United States.
Only eight U.S. states are smaller than Maryland.
At its narrowest point, Maryland is only about two miles wide!
Facts About Maryland
|
|
Capital
|
Annapolis
|
Population
|
5,620,000
people
|
Rank
among states in population
|
19th
|
Major
cities
|
Baltimore,
Frederick, Gaithersburg
|
Area
|
12,400
square miles
32,100 square kilometers |
Rank
among states in area
|
42nd
|
Statehood
|
April
28, 1788, the 7th state
|
State
nickname
|
The Old
Line State
|
Name
for residents
|
Marylanders
|
State
bird
|
Baltimore
Oriole
|
State
flower
|
Black-Eyed
Susan
|
State
tree
|
White
Oak
|
Abbreviation
|
MD
|
AROUND THE BAY
Eastern Maryland, on the eastern side of Chesapeake
Bay, forms part of the Delmarva Peninsula. Off the coast of the peninsula
you’ll find Assateague Island National Seashore. The island is home to wild
ponies and lots of waterfowl.
Maryland’s capital and its largest city both lie on
Chesapeake Bay. Annapolis is the capital of Maryland. The U.S. Naval Academy is
located in Annapolis. Most U.S. Navy officers are graduates of the academy.
Baltimore is the state’s biggest city and the industrial, financial, and
cultural center of Maryland.
BALTIMORE
Nearly half of Maryland’s residents live in and
around Baltimore. Its location on Chesapeake Bay has made the city one of the
busiest ports on the East Coast.
If you visit Baltimore, there are plenty of things
to do. You like baseball? Then go see a game in Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The Baltimore Orioles play there. The park is considered one of the best
ballparks in all of baseball.
Baltimore’s Inner Harbor along Chesapeake Bay is a
popular area of shops and restaurants. The Maryland Science Center and the
National Aquarium are both located in the Inner Harbor.
The Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters Art
Gallery lie just north of the Inner Harbor. The Maryland Historical Society
also has a museum in Baltimore. If you like music, the city has both a symphony
and an opera company.
Horses are bred in Maryland. The state is home
to numerous racetracks. The Preakness Stakes is held each year at Pimlico Park
in Baltimore. This race is the third jewel of racing’s Triple Crown, along with
the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes.
CAPITAL NEIGHBOR
Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States,
borders on Maryland. It is the only American city that is not part of a state.
But the land on which Washington, D.C., stands was once part of Maryland. In
1790, this land was set aside to become the capital of the new country.
The capital has a big influence on Maryland.
Several government buildings are located in Maryland. Many national leaders and
government workers live in Maryland but work in Washington, D.C.
Presidents often go to northern Maryland when they
want to get away from the capital. Camp David, located on Maryland’s Catoctin
Mountain, is a special retreat for the president. The president can work,
relax, or greet foreign officials there.
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
“The Star-Spangled Banner” is the national song, or
anthem, of the United States. You’ve surely heard it. It begins “Oh, say can
you see, by the dawn’s early light.…” The “Star-Spangled Banner” was written in
Maryland!
During the War of 1812, British ships
bombarded Baltimore’s Fort McHenry. Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and poet from
Baltimore, watched the 25-hour bombardment. When morning came, the American
flag—the star-spangled banner—was still flying over the fort!
Key was so moved he wrote a poem about
the flag. Later he set the poem to the music of another song. In 1931, the
United States Congress made the “Star-Spangled Banner” the national anthem of
the United States.
BORDER STATE
In 1861, 11 Southern states seceded
(broke away) from the United States and formed a separate country, the
Confederate States of America. The states of the Confederacy allowed slavery.
They seceded because they feared that the country would eventually outlaw
slavery. The Confederacy and the remaining United States, also known as the Union,
fought a war that lasted four years. This was the American Civil War
(1861-1865).
Maryland was one of the states on the border
between the Confederacy and the Union during the war. It stayed with the Union,
but it had strong ties to the Confederacy. Many Marylanders who owned slaves
wanted to join the Confederacy. Others just opposed the war. Things were so
restless in Maryland that Union troops had to occupy Baltimore to keep the
peace.
Three major Civil War battles were fought in
Maryland. The biggest, in September 1862, was the Battle of Antietam. It was
the bloodiest single day in the whole war. More than 20,000 soldiers were
killed or wounded. Today the area around Antietam Creek is a national
battlefield.
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