Annapolis. The main city of the state is also called the “sailing capital of America”. You can see many yachts and sailboats in its bay, and there are different boat shows almost every day. A special architectural pride of Annapolis is the colonial-style W. Paca House and the park around it, as well as the Maryland State House, the Hammond-Harwood House, and St. Anne’s Church. The state capital is home to interesting museums – the U.S. Naval Academy, the Naval and Cryptologic Museums. Citizens and visitors enjoy spending time on the beautiful city beaches.

Baltimore. The largest city of the state. The main city attractions are located around the famous inner harbor Inner Harbor – the octagonal Charles Center Office Tower, the World Trade Center, the National Aquarium of Baltimore. Museum ships are moored on the harbor’s western shore, including the famous Baltimore Maritime Museum. Don’t miss the chance to admire the oldest Catholic church in the United States, the Baltimore Basilica. Explore unique pieces of art at the Walters Art Museum and the American Museum of Visual Arts.

Frederick. The second most populous city in the state is drowned in lush greenery. Its main attraction is the beautiful waterfront, a favorite promenade spot for residents and visitors. In the center of Frederick there is a magnificent park with a clear lake and a graceful bridge over it. If you enjoy hiking in scenic areas, visit Catoctin Mountain Park or the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. They are located in the suburbs of Frederick.

Salisbury. A small city that is known for its harbor. Its main historic landmark is Poplar Hill Mansion. The majestic building in colonial style was erected at the end of the XVIII century. One of the most popular recreational spots for Salisbury residents and visitors is the University Arboretum, where you can admire hundreds of species of rare plants. Another place to visit is the Salisbury Zoo.

Ocean City. A small resort town is spread out on a sand spit on the Atlantic Ocean coast. Vacation here is ideal for families with children and those looking for peace and tranquility. The central place of the city – the promenade, which stretches for 4 km along the coast. It is lined with cafes and restaurants, stores, hotels and entertainment centers. Walk along the streets of Ocean City and admire the Victorian-style mansions built in the early XX century. In addition to beach vacations, the resort town offers exciting fishing. The waters here are famous for rare species such as whitefin tuna and blue marlin.

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Sand dunes dotted with seaweed in the east, wild swampy lowlands and huge cypresses by the bay, rounded hills with oak forests in the north and pine groves in the mountains in the west…. Forests are the main wealth of the state, it is considered one of the most environmentally friendly in America. Characteristically, the rest of the space (in the northern and western parts) is occupied by cities, between which it is difficult to distinguish the boundaries. For a long time the largest city in the state, Baltimore, and 12 other Maryland counties make up a single agglomeration with the capital of the United States, Washington, D.C., which is home to more than 8 million people. This figure includes the bulk of Maryland’s population, who have places to work and places to relax.

Wonderful conditions for recreation offer sea resorts located in the area of Ocean City on the Atlantic Ocean, where tourists come from other American states, as well as an artificial lake Deep Creek on the western tip of the state. A surprising feature of Maryland is that it has no natural lakes, but many artificial reservoirs.

Maryland is located on the east coast of the United States. It is bordered by the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the District of Columbia metropolitan area. Most of the state is occupied by the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. There are no other major cities in the state.

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The state’s history began in 1632 when George Calvert, 1st Lord Baltimore, received a Royal Charter from Charles I to settle the lands that were to become the English province of Maryland. The baron, who had sought to establish a refuge for Catholics in the New World, died that same year, but the patent was rewritten to his son Cecil. Cecil organized an expedition under the leadership of his younger brother Leonard, and on March 25, 1634, the ships Ark and Dove, with the first group of settlers, consisting of 17 gentlemen and their wives, reached the coveted shore. This day is considered the date of the founding of the province of Maryland, named in honor of Charles I’s wife Queen Henrietta Maria.

Instead of a Catholic paradise, the land became a haven for representatives of various Christian denominations, and most importantly, for tens of thousands of English convicts. In 1949, the province passed a religious tolerance law, one of the first in America, but it did not save Maryland from the subsequent violent struggle between Catholics and Protestants.

On April 28, 1788, Maryland became the seventh state of the United States. In December 1790, the state set aside land for the seat of George Washington’s federal government, where the District of Columbia was formed.

During the Civil War between the North and South, despite sympathizing with the Confederacy (southern states), the state aligned itself with the Union (northern states) because of its proximity to Washington. In addition, Maryland at that time had half of its black population already free. However, 23% of the military fought on the Confederate side.

Maryland’s loyalty to the center was once again called into question in 1919 when Washington enacted a statewide ban on alcohol. Residents of the state opposed Prohibition. It was for this, oddly enough, that Maryland earned the nickname “Free State.”

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Maryland’s GDP in 2005 was $246 billion (15th among the states). To a great extent, Maryland’s modern economy depends on the service, transportation, construction and information technology industries (the proximity to the state capital and the presence of major seaports are influential. In addition, Maryland is home to many federal organizations, including NASA, the National Security Agency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and others.

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