Maryland

Maryland is a mid-Atlantic US state defined by the Chesapeake Bay and its proximity to Washington, D.C. Its capital is Annapolis, home of the US Naval Academy, while Baltimore is the largest city. Nicknamed the Old Line State and the Free State, it is among the wealthiest and most densely populated states.

Maryland is remarkably varied for its size, from Atlantic beaches and the sprawling Chesapeake Bay estuary to rolling Piedmont and the Appalachian Mountains in the west. The bay nearly splits the state in two. The climate is humid subtropical to continental.

Maryland culture is bound to the Chesapeake Bay, famous for blue crabs and a strong maritime tradition. Baltimore offers a distinctive urban identity, and the state benefits from a highly educated population and major federal and research institutions.

Founded as an English colony and a haven for Catholics in 1634, Maryland was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and became the 7th state in 1788. It donated land for the nation's capital and remained in the Union as a border state during the Civil War.