| Capital city | Annapolis |
| Population | 6.185.278 (2020) |
| Surface | 32.160 km² |
| Governor | Larry Hogan (R) |
| Member of the US since | 1788 |
A map of Maryland
Maryland is one of the fifty states of the United States. The state is located in the east of the country. It borders Pennsylvania to the north, Delaware to the east, and Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington DC to the south. Maryland’s abbreviation is MD. Its nickname is ‘The Old Line State’. That means ‘the Old Line State’. This name refers to the Mason-Dixon Line. Maryland is one of the smallest states, but still has more than 6 million inhabitants. The capital is Annapolis, but the largest city is Baltimore. Maryland was one of the original 13 British colonies. It was established as a colony in 1632 by George Calvert. He wanted to found the colony for the English Catholics. Maryland is named after the wife (Henriëtte Maria) of the then King Charles I. Incidentally, the colony was not only for Catholics. Other religions were also welcome, and Maryland was one of the first colonies to enjoy religious freedom. After independence, Maryland gave up some of its territory for the construction of Washington DC Maryland was a slave state, meaning slavery was allowed there. Yet Maryland chose during the American Civil Warsided with the Northern States and was also attacked during this war. Slavery has been abolished since the war. Today Maryland is one of the wealthiest states in the United States. The state belongs to the Mid-Atlantic States and its culture has been influenced by both the Northeast and the Southeast. Maryland is known as blue state, which means that the Democratic Party has a lot of following.
Geography
Landscape
The waterfalls on the Potomac
Maryland is one of the smallest states in the United States. Yet Maryland is almost the same size as Belgium. Despite this, Maryland has many different landscapes. That is why the state is also called America in Miniature. Maryland has a small coastline between Delaware and Virginia. In the middle of the state is the Chesapeake Bay where the Potomac flows into. The Potomac also forms part of the Virginia border. Maryland has many beaches because of all this water. Most beaches consist of sand. Western Maryland is much more mountainous. Here are the Appalachians with many forests and mountains. Maryland has a straight border to the north and east. This border is called the Mason-Dixon Line and was the boundary between the northern states and southern states. The highest mountain in Maryland is Backbone Mountain with an elevation of 1024 feet. Incidentally, this mountain is located on the border of Maryland and West Virginia.
Maryland’s Largest Cities
| Number | City | Residents | County |
| 1. | Baltimore | 585.708 | Independent city |
| 2. | Columbia | 104.681 | Howard County |
| 3. | Germantown | 91.249 | Montgomery County |
| 4. | Silver Spring | 81.410 | Montgomery County |
| 5. | Waldorf | 81.015 | Charles County |
| 6. | Frederick | 78.171 | Frederick County |
| 7. | Ellicot City | 75,947 | Howard County |
| 8. | Glen Burnie | 72.891 | Anne Arundel County |
| 9. | Gaithersburg | 69.657 | Montgomery County |
| 10. | Bethesda | 68.056 | Montgomery County |
Climate
Maryland generally has two climates. A subtropical climate prevails in the east and center. This climate is known for its warm summers and mild winters. There is also a lot of precipitation throughout the year. This is partly because Maryland is located on the water. The far west has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. However, there is also a lot of precipitation here throughout the year. Hurricanes occasionally occur in Maryland. Yet most hurricanes do not make landfall in Maryland. Snow can fall in Maryland in the winter despite the subtropical climate. This is because Maryland has to deal with offshore winds. Snow from the Appalachians can be brought in during the winter months.
Maryland’s Woods
Population
General
Maryland has just over 6 million residents. The population of the state is still increasing. This is mainly due to immigration from other states. Maryland is exactly the border between the northeastern and southeastern United States. Because of this, the culture of the state is influenced by both the culture of the Northeast and the Southeast.
The Baltimore Basilica, the first Catholic church building in the United States, stands in Maryland.
About 58% of Maryland’s residents are white. 31% are African American, 6.7% are Asian, and 0.6% are Native American. This last group are the Native American tribes who lived in Maryland before the settlers came. These include the Igbo and the Yoruba. Most Maryland residents have a German, Irish, English, Italian or Polish migration background.
Taal
Maryland has no official language under the Constitution. Yet one can say that English is the official language. English is used in politics and education. It is also used by most residents in daily life and many residents only speak English. The state’s second most widely spoken language is Spanish. Other major languages are French, Chinese, Korean, German and Tagalog.
Religion
Maryland was originally a place that many English Catholics could migrate to. England was Protestant and Catholics were undesirable. Therefore, a colony was founded where Catholics could live freely. Even after independence, many Catholics moved to the state. Incidentally, nowadays only 15% of the inhabitants are Catholic. 52% of the inhabitants are Protestant and 23% of the population have no religion. Lesser faiths include Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam.
Politics
State politics
Maryland’s Parliament Building
Like the other US states, Maryland is run by a governor. A governor serves a four-year term and is elected by direct election. A governor can only be re-elected once. The current governor of the state is Larry Hogan of the Republican Party. The governor is aided by a lieutenant governor. This one has very little power. In addition, the state has its own parliament, the Maryland General Assembly, consisting of two chambers:
- The House of Representatives, consisting of 141 members who are elected every four years.
- The Senate, consisting of 41 members who are also elected every four years.
The Democratic Party has a majority in both chambers. The rest of the seats are taken by the Republicans.
Federal Politics
Maryland is a blue state. This means that the Democratic Party has a lot of following in the state. In presidential and other national elections, the Democrats usually win. The last time Maryland voted for a Republican candidate was in 1988 (for George HW Bush). Since then, Maryland has always voted for the Democratic presidential candidate with 60%. This makes Maryland a safe state for the Democrats. This means it’s pretty much clear that the Democrats are winning this state. Maryland is represented in the United States Congress by 8 delegates and 2 senators. The two Senators (Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin) are both Democrat. Of the eight delegates, seven are Democrat and only one Republican.
Administrative division
How many counties in Maryland? Maryland is divided into 24 counties, one of which (Baltimore) has independent city status. Although the name is different, Baltimore has the same powers as the other counties. This name is used as Baltimore is more urban. The 24 counties are:
- Allegany County
- Anne Arundel County
- Baltimore County
- Baltimore City
- Calvert County
- Caroline County
- Carroll County
- Cecil County
- Charles County
- Dorchester County
- Frederick County
- Garrett County
- Harford County
- Howard County
- Kent County
- Montgomery County
- Prince George’s County
- Queen Anne’s County
- Somerset County
- St. Mary’s County
- Talbot County
- Washington County
- Wicomico County
- Worcester County
Economy
Agriculture in Maryland
Maryland is one of the richest states in the United States. The median income is higher than most states; only New Jersey and Connecticut have even higher incomes. This also has to do with the fact that Maryland has many millionaires. Many people who work in Washington DC live in Maryland. In addition, many government agencies and companies that work for the government are located in Maryland. This includes a lot of biotechnology, companies that make gear for the military and aviation and various health and food safety services. Much of Maryland also falls under the Washington DCOa metropolitan area of AstraZeneca and UnitedHealthare located in the state. In the past, much coal was mined in the western part of the state. Also, there were many factories in the state. Most mines today are closed and many factories are moving to other states. Yet 20% of the population works in industry. Especially chemicals and electronics are made in the state. The Port of Baltimore is important to the state. Many fish and crabs are caught in Maryland waters. Oysters are also widely farmed. Agriculture is also important to Maryland’s economy. The soil is very fertile, making a lot of milk in the state and lots of cucumbers, beans, watermelons, corn and tomatoes.are grown.
