Fun Easy English - Travel the United States of America

CAPITAL CITY: Annapolis

BACKGROUND

It's believed that Lord Baltimore, who received a charter for the land in 1632, named the state after Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I. One of the original 13 states to join the Union (in 1788), Maryland is in the middle of the Eastern Seaboard. The Mason and Dixon line - marking the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland - was drawn in the 1760s to settle a dispute between the Penn and Calvert families. In addition it is the traditional boundary between the North and the South. Chesapeake Bay, which cuts deep into Maryland, provides the state with several excellent harbors including Baltimore and Annapolis, the home of the United States Naval Academy.

The long Chesapeake Bay shoreline offers opportunities for boating, fishing and swimming. Old mansions and historic sites throughout the state appeal to visitors. One of Maryland's most famous annual events is the Preakness Stakes, a horse race run each May at the Pimlico race track in Baltimore.

QUICK FACTS

Nickname: Old Line State / Free State

Motto: Fatti Maschii Parole Femine
(Manly deeds, womanly words)

Statehood: April 28, 1788 (7th)

Origin of State's Name: Named to honor Henrietta Maria, wife of England's King Charles I.

Largest Cities: Baltimore, Columbia, Silver Spring, Dundalk, Wheaton-Glenmont, Ellicott City

Border States: Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia

Land Area: 9,775 sq. mi., 42nd largest

State Bird: Baltimore Oriole

State Flower: Black-Eyed Susan (rudbeckia hirta)

State Tree: White Oak

State Song: Maryland, My Maryland

USEFUL LINKS

Miscellaneous

Travel and tourism site for Maryland - This state travel and territorial tourism site provides ideas for your vacations, meetings, and more.