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Maryland Facts

Maryland Facts
The State of Maryland is located in the Mid-Atlantic United States region. It shares state borders with West Virginia, Virginia, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania and Delaware. Maryland is the 42nd largest state with only 12,407 square miles. It is ranked the 19th most populated with more than 5.9 million residents. Although a small state in size, it is the 5th most densely populated U.S. state. Maryland was settled in the 1600s by English Catholics who sought a refuge for those who did not conform to England's Anglicanism. Conflicts for Maryland's land, religions, and slavery ensued, but in 1788 the state became the 7th U.S. state to join the Union.
Interesting Maryland Facts:
One belief is that Maryland's name was chosen to honor King Charles I's wife Queen Henrietta Maria. The other belief is that the name was chosen in honor of Jesus Christ's mother Mary.
Maryland's capital city is Annapolis, and its largest city is Baltimore.
Maryland residents are called Marylanders.
The state nickname for Maryland is the 'Old Line State'.
Maryland's state motto is 'Fatti Maschii, Parole Femine' which means 'Manly Deeds, Womanly Words'.
Maryland's state song is 'Maryland, My Maryland'.
Maryland's state flag is the only U.S. state flag to be based on the coats of arms of noble British families. It was adopted in 1904.
Maryland's state bird is the Baltimore oriole.
The state fish is the rockfish, and the state reptile is the diamondback terrapin.
Maryland's state crustacean is the Maryland blue crab.
Maryland has a state dinosaur, the Astrodon johnstoni, whose fossils were found in 1858 in Maryland. Priconodon and Pleurocoelus fossils have also been found in Maryland.
Maryland's state dog is the Chesapeake Bay retriever.
The state tree is the white oak, and the official state tree is a 460-year-old white oak.
The state flower is the black-eyed Susan.
Maryland's major rivers include Susquehanna River, Patuxent River, Patapsco River and the Potomac River.
Maryland's major lakes include Loch Raven Reservoir, Prettyboy Reservoir, Deep Creek Lake and Lake Oakland.
Maryland borders both the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay.
Maryland's major agriculture includes corn, dairy products, soybeans, poultry and tobacco. Maryland's state beverage is milk.
Maryland's major industry includes fishing, food products, communications equipment, mining, steel, and government services.
In 1845, the United States Naval Academy was founded in Annapolis, Maryland.
The first school in the United States was King Williams School. It opened in 1696 in Maryland.
Maryland is also home to the first dental school in the United States.
Baltimore, Maryland's Inner Harbor is home to the U.S. National Aquarium.
The sailing Capital of the world is considered to be Annapolis, Maryland.
Maryland's antique capital is considered to be New Market.
The founder of the American Red Cross was Clara Barton, and the Clara Barton Historic Site in Glen Echo was once both her home and the American Red Cross headquarters.
On Assateague Island there is a population of wild and rare horses. Each year, in order to control the island's horse population, some of the horses are captured and sold at auction in Virginia.


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