Maryland - The Old Line State 2

Maryland – The Old Line State

Introduction:

Maryland is located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. To the south and west Maryland borders Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington DC.  To the north is Pennsylvania and to the east is Delaware.

Maryland - The Old Line State 3
Maryland in the United States

Maryland may well be the narrowest state due to the constriction of the borders near the western town of Hancock at which point the distance between the northern and southern borders is only 1.83 miles. These narrow borders are the result of the Mason-Dixon line to the north and the Potomac River, which curves strongly north at this point, to the south.

The population is approximately six million residents.

As of 2015, Maryland had the highest median household income of any state.

The largest city in the state is Baltimore while the capital is Annapolis.

Maryland - The Old Line State 4
Baltimore

The state’s most common nickname is the Old Line State, the origin of which we will discuss later in this post.

Maryland is named after the English queen Henrietta Maria of France.

Maryland ratified the new Constitution of the United States of America on 28 April 1788.

Geography:

For the 9th smallest state, roughly comparable to the size of Hawaii, Maryland has a diverse range of geographic types. In the east, Maryland features sandy dunes with seagrass, giving way to low marshlands

Maryland - The Old Line State 5
Tidal Wetlands

with a large biodiversity profile among bald cypresses near the Chesapeake Bay. Further west are the gently rolling hills of oaks in the Piedmont

Maryland - The Old Line State 6
Potomac River Falls

and farther to the west, to the border with West Virginia as pine groves in the mountains.

Maryland - The Old Line State 7

The influence and importance of the Chesapeake Bay cannot be overstated when it comes to Maryland life and geography. Sixteen of Maryland’s twenty three counties border on the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay estuary and its many tributaries, which combined total more than 4,000 miles of the shoreline. Most of the state’s waterways are part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Maryland - The Old Line State 8
Freshwater Tidal Lake

The highest point in Maryland, with an elevation of 3,360 feet (1,020 m), is Hoye Crest on Backbone Mountain, in the southwest corner of Garrett County, near the border with West Virginia, and near the headwaters of the North Branch of the Potomac River.

The majority of Maryland’s population is concentrated in the cities and suburbs surrounding Washington, D.C., as well as in and around Maryland’s most populous city, Baltimore. The Eastern Shore is less populous and more rural, as are the counties of western Maryland. The two westernmost counties of Maryland, Allegany and Garrett, are mountainous and sparsely populated, resembling West Virginia and Appalachia more than they do the rest of Maryland.

Maryland - The Old Line State 9
Regional Map of Maryland

History:

Maryland is considered the birthplace of religious freedom in America. Maryland was founded by George Calvert, 1st Lord Baltimore. Calvert was a trusted foreign minister and personal friend of King James I. When Calvert converted to Catholicism in 1625 he was automatically disqualified from holding public office, however his friendship with King James remained. Calvert had had an early interest in the administration of colonial affairs and petitioned James for a charter to provide a religious haven for Catholics persecuted in England as well as to extend the territories of the English Empire. Consequently, in 1632 James’s son, Charles, granted Calvert a charter to settle lands in America held by the Crown. Unfortunately, the first Lord Baltimore died before the colony could be founded, so the charter was granted to his son, Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore on June 20, 1632.

Scroll to Top