A charter for "Maryland Colony"
was granted on June 20, 1632.
The royal charter granted Maryland
the Potomac River and territory northward to the 40th parallel.
The new colony was named in honor of Henrietta Maria,
Queen Consort of Charles I.
The specific name given in the charter was phrased
"Terra Mariae, anglice, Maryland".
Maryland was one of the 13 original colonies
of the American Revolution.
On Feb 2, 1781, Maryland was the 13th state to approve
the ratification of the Articles of Confederation,
and became the 7th state admitted to the US after ratifying the
new Constitution.
December 1790, Maryland ceded land
to the federal government
to create Washington DC.
The land provided is actually sitting inside the state of Maryland.
Maryland has 2 nicknames,
the 'Old Line State' and the 'Free State'.
Maryland possesses a great variety of topography,
ranging from sandy dunes in the east,
to low marshlands near the bay, to gently rolling hills of
oak forest, to mountain pine groves in the west.
Maryland is bounded on the north by
Pennsylvania, on the west by West Virginia, on the east by
Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south,
across the Potomac River, by West Virginia and Virginia.
The mid~portion of this border is interrupted on the
Maryland side by
Washington DC, which sits on land that was originally part of Maryland.
The 'Eastern Shore' is the area containing the counties east of
Chesapeake Bay, which almost bisects the state.
Most of the state's waterways are part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Near the small town of Hancock, Maryland
is only about 1 mile (2 km) wide.
This geographical curiosity makes Maryland the narrowest state,
bordered by the Mason~Dixon Line to the north, and the north~arching
Potomac River to the south.
The state contains no natural lakes,
but there are numerous man~made lakes.
WEATHER
Maryland
has wide spectrum of climates for such a small state.
Weather depends on many local variables,
such as proximity to water, elevation,
and protection from northern weather due to downslope winds.
The eastern portion of Maryland lies on the
Atlantic Coastal Plain, with flat topography and sandy or
muddy soil. This region has a humid subtropical climate,
with hot summers and short, mild winters.
Beyond this region lies the Piedmont, which experiences
hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters.
Significant snowfall with subfreezing temperatures is
a common occurrence.
Extreme western Maryland,
in the higher elevations, gets milder summers and cold, snowy winters.
Precipitation in the state is very generous.
Annual rainfall ranges from 40~45 inches (1000~1150 mm),
distributed evenly throughout almost every part of the state.
Snowfall varies from 9 inches (23 cm) in the coastal areas
to over 100 inches (250 cm) a winter in the
western mountains of the state.
Due to the Atlantic Coast location,
Maryland is vulnerable to
stormy weather (30~40 days of thunderstorms,
and 6 tornado strikes per year).
Major hurricanesare not very likely.
Although, Maryland gets the occasional
remnants of
tropical cyclones which have already come ashore and
lost power.
ECONOMY
The Maryland Chamber of Commerce
is Maryland’s leading
statewide business advocacy organization.
Their Mission is to maximize
opportunities for its members and their
employees to grow and prosper.
Over 860 member companies employ more than
442 thousand people in the state.
The Chamber provides value to its members
by creating a strong pro-business agenda,
aggressively lobbying state government
to support Maryland’s business and industrial sectors.
They provide timely and informative
communications on the issues that impact
Maryland businesses and connect members
with business leaders and policy makers in the state.
Maryland is currently considered the richest state in the USA,
ahead of New Jersey and Connecticut (2nd and 3rd respectively).
Also, the state's poverty rate is the lowest in the country.
One major industry is transportation, centered around the
Port of Baltimore and its connected rail and trucking routes.
Typical imports are raw materials and bulk commodities,
such as iron ore, petroleum, sugar, and fertilizers,
distributed to the manufacturing centers of the inland
Midwest via overland transportation.
A second service industry takes advantage of the proximity
to the center of government in Washington DC.
Maryland is home to several large
military bases and scores of high level government jobs.
Many educational and medical research institutions are also
located within the state.
Technical and administrative positions in the defense/aerospace industry
and bio~research laboratories,
and government offices,
provide employment in the suburban Baltimore/Washington area.
Altogether, white collar technical and administrative workers comprise
25% of Maryland's labor force,
one of the highest rates in the country.
Maryland has a large food~production sector,
mostly commercial fishing,
centered in Chesapeake Bay, and off the Atlantic seacoast.
The largest catches are blue crab, oysters, striped bass, and menhaden.
The state as a whole is heavily industrialized, with a booming economy
and influential technology centers.
Its computer industries are some of the most sophisticated in the
United States, and the federal government has invested heavily in the area.
Manufacturing includes electronics, computer equipment, and chemicals.
Mining is virtually limited to coal in the
mountainous western part of the state.
SCHOOLS
Maryland has a yearly shortage of 6000 teachers.
The majority of public universities in the state are affiliated with
the 
University System of Maryland,
a public corporation and charter school system comprising
13 institutions of higher education.
Public primary and secondary education in
Maryland is
overseen by the Maryland State Department of Education.
The highest educational official in the state is the
State Superintendent of Schools.
The Maryland General Assembly gives the
Superintendent and State Board authority to make
educationally~related decisions,
limiting its own influence on the daily functions.
Each county and county~equivalent in Maryland has a
local Board of Education charged with running the
public schools in that particular jurisdiction.
Maryland law allows for the creation of publicly funded charter schools,
Such charter schools must be approved by their local
Board of Education,
and must conform to state laws on education,
including collective bargaining laws.
For more details please contact the
Maryland Department of Education.
HOSPITALITY
Behind Maryland’s deep Colonial history is a
tidewater wonderland with lighthouses standing guard.
Enjoy quiet beaches or explore woodland,
riverside and forest trails.
The Eastern Shore
has a reputation as a warm and friendly,
water~laced land that offers endless vacation opportunities.
Culture, history and homespun entertainment are everywhere.
Just around the corner from the nation’s capital,
there is an abundance of historic and cultural attractions.
See a show, visit a vineyard, cheer on your favorite team,
or thrill to white~knuckle rides at a family~friendly theme park.
For a unique camping experience in a pristine environment,
Maryland is the right place.
from tent, pop~up, travel trailer to motorhome camping.
There are wooded sites in the mountainous
western region as well as wide~open spaces close to
sandy beaches on the
Eastern Shore.
Opportunities of all shapes, sizes and price ranges abound
even tree~house camping.
For more details please contact
Maryland State Tourism.
NEWS
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