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<div id="siteNotice"><script type='text/javascript'>if (wgNotice != '') document.writeln(wgNotice);</script></div> <h1 class="firstHeading">Maryland</h1>
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<h3 id="siteSub">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</h3>
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<div class="dablink">This article is about the U.S. State. For other uses, see <a href="/wiki/Maryland_(disambiguation)" title="Maryland (disambiguation)">Maryland (disambiguation)</a>.</div>
<div class="dablink">"The Free State" redirects here. For the former state of Ireland, see <a href="/wiki/Irish_Free_State" title="Irish Free State">Irish Free State</a>.</div>
<table class="infobox geography vcard">
<tr>
<td class="fn org" colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; padding: 0 0 .1em 0;"><b>State of Maryland</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="maptable" align="center" colspan="2" style="padding: 0.4em 0.8em 0.4em 0.8em;">
<table style="text-align:center; background: none;">
<tr>
<td style="width: 130px; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Maryland.svg" class="image" title="Flag of Maryland"><img alt="Flag of Maryland" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Flag_of_Maryland.svg/125px-Flag_of_Maryland.svg.png" width="125" height="83" border="0" class="thumbborder" /></a></td>
<td style="width: 130px; vertical-align: middle;"><a href="/wiki/Image:Great_Seal_of_Maryland_reverse.png" class="image" title="State seal of Maryland"><img alt="State seal of Maryland" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ab/Great_Seal_of_Maryland_reverse.png/100px-Great_Seal_of_Maryland_reverse.png" width="100" height="98" border="0" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr style="font-size: 83%;">
<td><a href="/wiki/Flag_of_Maryland" title="Flag of Maryland">Flag of Maryland</a></td>
<td><a href="/wiki/Seal_of_Maryland" title="Seal of Maryland">Seal</a></td>
</tr>
<tr style="font-size: 83%;">
<td colspan="2"><i><a href="/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_nicknames" title="List of U.S. state nicknames">Nickname(s)</a>: <span class="nickname">Old Line State; Free State</span></i></td>
</tr>
<tr style="font-size: 83%;">
<td colspan="2"><i><a href="/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_mottos" title="List of U.S. state mottos">Motto(s)</a>: <a href="/wiki/Fatti_maschii,_parole_femine" title="Fatti maschii, parole femine">Fatti maschii, parole femine</a><br />
(Manly deeds, womanly words)</i></td>
</tr>
<tr class="maptable">
<td colspan="2">
<div class="center">
<div class="floatnone"><a href="/wiki/Image:Map_of_USA_MD.svg" class="image" title="Map of the United States with Maryland highlighted"><img alt="Map of the United States with Maryland highlighted" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Map_of_USA_MD.svg/286px-Map_of_USA_MD.svg.png" width="286" height="186" border="0" /></a></div>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b><a href="/wiki/Languages_of_the_United_States" title="Languages of the United States">Official language(s)</a></b></td>
<td>None (English, <i>de facto</i>)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedrow">
<td><b><a href="/wiki/Demonym" title="Demonym">Demonym</a></b></td>
<td>Marylander</td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow">
<td><b><a href="/wiki/List_of_capitals_in_the_United_States" title="List of capitals in the United States">Capital</a></b></td>
<td><a href="/wiki/Annapolis,_Maryland" title="Annapolis, Maryland">Annapolis</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedrow">
<td><b><a href="/wiki/List_of_U.S._states%27_largest_cities" title="List of U.S. states' largest cities">Largest city</a></b></td>
<td><a href="/wiki/Baltimore,_Maryland" title="Baltimore, Maryland" class="mw-redirect">Baltimore</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedrow">
<td><b>Largest <a href="/wiki/United_States_metropolitan_area" title="United States metropolitan area">metro area</a></b></td>
<td><a href="/wiki/Baltimore-Washington_Metropolitan_Area" title="Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area">Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow">
<td><b><a href="/wiki/Area" title="Area">Area</a></b><sup> </sup></td>
<td><a href="/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_area" title="List of U.S. states by area" class="mw-redirect">Ranked 42<sup>nd</sup> in the US</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedrow">
<td> - Total</td>
<td>12,407 sq mi<br />
(32,133 km²)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedrow">
<td> - Width</td>
<td>101 miles (145 km)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedrow">
<td> - Length</td>
<td>249 miles (400 km)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedrow">
<td> - % water</td>
<td>21</td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedrow">
<td> - Latitude</td>
<td>37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N</td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedbottomrow">
<td style="border-top: 0;"> - Longitude</td>
<td>75° 03′ W to 79° 29′ W</td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow">
<td><b><a href="/wiki/Population" title="Population">Population</a></b><sup> </sup></td>
<td><a href="/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_population" title="List of U.S. states by population">Ranked 19<sup>th</sup> in the US</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedrow">
<td> - Total</td>
<td>5,618,344 (2007 est.)<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-0" title=""><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup></td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedrow">
<td> - <a href="/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_population_density" title="List of U.S. states by population density">Density</a></td>
<td>541.9/sq mi (209.2/km²)<br />
<a href="/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_population_density" title="List of U.S. states by population density">Ranked 5<sup>th</sup> in the US</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedbottomrow">
<td> - <a href="/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States#Income_by_state" title="Household income in the United States">Median income</a><sup> </sup></td>
<td>$68,080<sup id="cite_ref-census1_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-census1-1" title=""><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a></sup> (1<sup>st</sup>)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow">
<td><b><a href="/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_elevation" title="List of U.S. states by elevation">Elevation</a></b></td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedrow">
<td> - Highest point</td>
<td><a href="/wiki/Backbone_Mountain" title="Backbone Mountain">Hoye Crest</a><sup id="cite_ref-usgs_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-usgs-2" title=""><span>[</span>3<span>]</span></a></sup><br />
3,360 ft (1,024 m)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedrow">
<td> - Mean</td>
<td>344 ft (105 m)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedbottomrow">
<td> - Lowest point</td>
<td>Atlantic Ocean<sup id="cite_ref-usgs_2-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-usgs-2" title=""><span>[</span>3<span>]</span></a></sup><br />
0 ft (0 m)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b><a href="/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_date_of_statehood" title="List of U.S. states by date of statehood">Admission to Union</a></b><sup> </sup></td>
<td>April 28, 1788 (7<sup>th</sup>)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow">
<td><b><a href="/wiki/Governor#United_States" title="Governor">Governor</a></b></td>
<td><a href="/wiki/Martin_O%27Malley" title="Martin O'Malley">Martin O'Malley</a> (D)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedrow">
<td><b><a href="/wiki/List_of_current_United_States_Lieutenant_Governors" title="List of current United States Lieutenant Governors" class="mw-redirect">Lieutenant Governor</a></b></td>
<td><a href="/wiki/Anthony_G._Brown" title="Anthony G. Brown">Anthony G. Brown</a> (D)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow">
<td><b><a href="/wiki/United_States_Senate" title="United States Senate">U.S. Senators</a></b></td>
<td><a href="/wiki/Barbara_Mikulski" title="Barbara Mikulski">Barbara Mikulski</a> (D)<br />
<a href="/wiki/Ben_Cardin" title="Ben Cardin">Ben Cardin</a> (D)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedbottomrow">
<td><b><a href="/wiki/United_States_Congress" title="United States Congress">Congressional Delegation</a></b></td>
<td><a href="/wiki/United_States_congressional_delegations_from_Maryland" title="United States congressional delegations from Maryland">List</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow">
<td><b><a href="/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_time_zone" title="List of U.S. states by time zone">Time zone</a></b></td>
<td><a href="/wiki/Eastern_Standard_Time_Zone" title="Eastern Standard Time Zone" class="mw-redirect">Eastern</a>: <a href="/wiki/UTC" title="UTC" class="mw-redirect">UTC</a>-5/<a href="/wiki/Daylight_saving_time" title="Daylight saving time">-4</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Abbreviations</b></td>
<td><a href="/wiki/United_States_postal_abbreviations" title="United States postal abbreviations" class="mw-redirect">MD</a> <a href="/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_traditional_abbreviation" title="List of U.S. states by traditional abbreviation"></a> <a href="/wiki/ISO_3166-2:US" title="ISO 3166-2:US">US-MD</a></td>
</tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow">
<td><b><a href="/wiki/Website" title="Website">Website</a></b></td>
<td><a href="http://www.maryland.gov/" class="external text" title="http://www.maryland.gov/" rel="nofollow">www.maryland.gov</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<p><b>Maryland</b> (<span class="IPA audiolink nounderlines" style="white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/En-us-Maryland.ogg" class="internal" title="En-us-Maryland.ogg"><span title="Representation in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)" class="IPA">/ˈmɛrələnd/</span></a></span><span class="metadata audiolinkinfo"> <small>(<a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Media_help" title="Wikipedia:Media help">help</a>·<a href="/wiki/Image:En-us-Maryland.ogg" title="Image:En-us-Maryland.ogg">info</a>)</small></span><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3" title=""><span>[</span>4<span>]</span></a></sup>) is a <a href="/wiki/U.S._state" title="U.S. state">state</a> located in the <a href="/wiki/Mid_Atlantic_States" title="Mid Atlantic States" class="mw-redirect">Mid Atlantic region</a> of the United States, bordering <a href="/wiki/Virginia" title="Virginia">Virginia</a>, <a href="/wiki/West_Virginia" title="West Virginia">West Virginia</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Washington,_D.C." title="Washington, D.C.">District of Columbia</a> to the south and west, <a href="/wiki/Pennsylvania" title="Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a> to the north, and <a href="/wiki/Delaware" title="Delaware">Delaware</a> to the east. Historically it was part of the <a href="/wiki/Chesapeake_Colonies" title="Chesapeake Colonies" class="mw-redirect">Chesapeake Colonies</a> where <a href="/wiki/Planter" title="Planter">planters</a> cultivated tobacco as a cash crop dependent on slave labor.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4" title=""><span>[</span>5<span>]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5" title=""><span>[</span>6<span>]</span></a></sup> It is comparable in size to the European country of Belgium.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6" title=""><span>[</span>7<span>]</span></a></sup> According to the <a href="/wiki/U.S._Census_Bureau" title="U.S. Census Bureau" class="mw-redirect">U.S. Census Bureau</a>, Maryland has the highest median household income of any state at $68,080 in 2007, overtaking <a href="/wiki/New_Jersey" title="New Jersey">New Jersey</a> in 2006.<sup id="cite_ref-census1_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-census1-1" title=""><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a></sup></p>
<p>It was the seventh state to ratify the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Constitution" title="United States Constitution">United States Constitution</a> and bears two nicknames, the <i>Old Line State</i> and the <i>Free State</i>. Its history as a <a href="/wiki/Border_states_(Civil_War)" title="Border states (Civil War)" class="mw-redirect">border state</a> has led it to exhibit characteristics of both the <a href="/wiki/Northern_United_States" title="Northern United States">Northern</a> and <a href="/wiki/Southern_United_States" title="Southern United States">Southern</a> regions of the United States. Generally, rural <a href="/wiki/Western_Maryland" title="Western Maryland">Western Maryland</a> resembles <a href="/wiki/West_Virginia" title="West Virginia">West Virginia</a> and <a href="/wiki/Western_Pennsylvania" title="Western Pennsylvania">Western Pennsylvania</a>,<sup class="noprint Template-Fact"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since July 2008" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a></i>]</span></sup> the <a href="/wiki/Southern_Maryland" title="Southern Maryland">Southern</a> and <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Shore_of_Maryland" title="Eastern Shore of Maryland">Eastern Shore</a> regions of Maryland emulate a <a href="/wiki/Culture_of_the_Southern_United_States" title="Culture of the Southern United States">Southern culture</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7" title=""><span>[</span>8<span>]</span></a></sup> while densely-populated Central Maryland — radiating outward from <a href="/wiki/Baltimore,_Maryland" title="Baltimore, Maryland" class="mw-redirect">Baltimore</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Washington_Beltway" title="Washington Beltway" class="mw-redirect">Washington Beltway</a> — exhibit characteristics of the <a href="/wiki/Northeastern_United_States" title="Northeastern United States">Northeast</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8" title=""><span>[</span>9<span>]</span></a></sup></p>
<p>Maryland is a <a href="/wiki/Life_sciences" title="Life sciences" class="mw-redirect">life sciences</a> hub with over 350 biotechnology firms, making it the third-largest such cluster in the nation.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9" title=""><span>[</span>10<span>]</span></a></sup> Institutions and agencies located throughout Maryland include the <a href="/wiki/University_System_of_Maryland" title="University System of Maryland">University System of Maryland</a>, The <a href="/wiki/Johns_Hopkins_University" title="Johns Hopkins University">Johns Hopkins University</a>, <a href="/wiki/Howard_Hughes_Medical_Institute" title="Howard Hughes Medical Institute">Howard Hughes Medical Institute</a>, <a href="/wiki/Celera_Genomics" title="Celera Genomics" class="mw-redirect">Celera Genomics</a>, <a href="/wiki/Human_Genome_Sciences" title="Human Genome Sciences">Human Genome Sciences</a> (HGS), the <a href="/wiki/J._Craig_Venter_Institute" title="J. Craig Venter Institute">J. Craig Venter Institute</a> (JCVI), the <a href="/wiki/Food_and_Drug_Administration" title="Food and Drug Administration" class="mw-redirect">Food and Drug Administration</a> (FDA), <a href="/wiki/MedImmune" title="MedImmune">MedImmune</a> (recently purchased by <a href="/wiki/AstraZeneca" title="AstraZeneca">AstraZeneca</a>), the <a href="/wiki/National_Institutes_of_Health" title="National Institutes of Health">National Institutes of Health</a> (NIH), and the <a href="/wiki/National_Institute_of_Standards_and_Technology" title="National Institute of Standards and Technology">National Institute of Standards and Technology</a> (NIST).</p>
<table id="toc" class="toc" summary="Contents">
<tr>
<td>
<div id="toctitle">
<h2>Contents</h2>
</div>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#Geography"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Geography</span></a>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="#Physical_geography"><span class="tocnumber">1.1</span> <span class="toctext">Physical geography</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="#Human_geography"><span class="tocnumber">1.2</span> <span class="toctext">Human geography</span></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#Climate"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Climate</span></a>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="#Flora_and_fauna"><span class="tocnumber">2.1</span> <span class="toctext">Flora and fauna</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="#Environmental_Awareness"><span class="tocnumber">2.2</span> <span class="toctext">Environmental Awareness</span></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#History"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">History</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#Demographics"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Demographics</span></a>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="#Race"><span class="tocnumber">4.1</span> <span class="toctext">Race</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="#Religion"><span class="tocnumber">4.2</span> <span class="toctext">Religion</span></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#Economy"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">Economy</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#Transportation"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">Transportation</span></a>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="#Roads"><span class="tocnumber">6.1</span> <span class="toctext">Roads</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="#Airports"><span class="tocnumber">6.2</span> <span class="toctext">Airports</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="#Trains"><span class="tocnumber">6.3</span> <span class="toctext">Trains</span></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#Law_and_government"><span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">Law and government</span></a>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="#Politics"><span class="tocnumber">7.1</span> <span class="toctext">Politics</span></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#Education"><span class="tocnumber">8</span> <span class="toctext">Education</span></a>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="#Primary_and_secondary_education"><span class="tocnumber">8.1</span> <span class="toctext">Primary and secondary education</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="#Colleges_and_universities"><span class="tocnumber">8.2</span> <span class="toctext">Colleges and universities</span></a></li>
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</li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#Sports"><span class="tocnumber">9</span> <span class="toctext">Sports</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#See_also"><span class="tocnumber">10</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#References"><span class="tocnumber">11</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#Further_reading"><span class="tocnumber">12</span> <span class="toctext">Further reading</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#External_links"><span class="tocnumber">13</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></a></li>
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<p><a name="Geography" id="Geography"></a></p>
<h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Maryland&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Geography">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Geography</span></h2>
<p><a name="Physical_geography" id="Physical_geography"></a></p>
<h3><span class="editsection">[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Maryland&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Physical geography">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Physical geography</span></h3>
<dl>
<dd><span class="boilerplate seealso"><i>See also: <a href="/wiki/List_of_islands_in_Maryland" title="List of islands in Maryland" class="mw-redirect">List of islands in Maryland</a> and <a href="/wiki/List_of_rivers_in_Maryland" title="List of rivers in Maryland" class="mw-redirect">List of rivers in Maryland</a></i></span></dd>
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<p>Maryland possesses a great variety of <a href="/wiki/Topography" title="Topography">topography</a>, hence its nickname, "America in Miniature."<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10" title=""><span>[</span>11<span>]</span></a></sup> It ranges from sandy <a href="/wiki/Dunes" title="Dunes" class="mw-redirect">dunes</a> dotted with seagrass in the east, to low marshlands teeming with water snakes and large <a href="/wiki/Taxodium" title="Taxodium">bald cypress</a> near the bay, to gently rolling hills of <a href="/wiki/Oak" title="Oak">oak</a> forest in the <a href="/wiki/Piedmont_(United_States)" title="Piedmont (United States)">Piedmont Region</a>, and mountain <a href="/wiki/Pine" title="Pine">pine</a> groves in the west.</p>
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<div class="thumbinner" style="width:182px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:ChesapeakeTidalWetlands.jpg" class="image" title="Tidal wetlands of the Chesapeake Bay, largest freshwater estuary in the world and the largest physical feature in Maryland."><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/ChesapeakeTidalWetlands.jpg/180px-ChesapeakeTidalWetlands.jpg" width="180" height="135" border="0" class="thumbimage" /></a>
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Tidal wetlands of the Chesapeake Bay, largest freshwater estuary in the world and the largest physical feature in Maryland.</div>
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<div class="thumbinner" style="width:182px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:Marylandregions.gif" class="image" title="Geographic regions of Maryland"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/41/Marylandregions.gif" width="180" height="98" border="0" class="thumbimage" /></a>
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Geographic regions of Maryland</div>
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<p>Maryland is bounded on the north by <a href="/wiki/Pennsylvania" title="Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a>, on the west by <a href="/wiki/West_Virginia" title="West Virginia">West Virginia</a>, on the east by <a href="/wiki/Delaware" title="Delaware">Delaware</a> and the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south, across the <a href="/wiki/Potomac_River" title="Potomac River">Potomac River</a>, by <a href="/wiki/West_Virginia" title="West Virginia">West Virginia</a> and <a href="/wiki/Virginia" title="Virginia">Virginia</a>. The mid-portion of this border is interrupted on the Maryland side by <a href="/wiki/Washington,_DC" title="Washington, DC" class="mw-redirect">Washington, DC</a>, which sits on land that was originally part of Maryland. The <a href="/wiki/Chesapeake_Bay" title="Chesapeake Bay">Chesapeake Bay</a> nearly bisects the state, and the counties east of the bay are known collectively as the <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Shore_of_Maryland" title="Eastern Shore of Maryland">Eastern Shore</a>. Most of the state's waterways are part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, with the exceptions of a portion of <a href="/wiki/Garrett_County,_Maryland" title="Garrett County, Maryland">Garrett County</a> (drained by the <a href="/wiki/Youghiogheny_River" title="Youghiogheny River">Youghiogheny River</a> as part of the watershed of the <a href="/wiki/Mississippi_River" title="Mississippi River">Mississippi River</a>), the eastern half of Worcester County (which drains into Maryland's Atlantic coastal bays), and a small portion of the state's northeast corner (which drains into the <a href="/wiki/Delaware_River" title="Delaware River">Delaware River</a> watershed). So prominent is the Chesapeake in Maryland's geography and economic life that there has been periodic agitation to change the state's official nickname to the "Bay State," a name currently used by <a href="/wiki/Massachusetts" title="Massachusetts">Massachusetts</a>.</p>
<p>The highest point in Maryland is <a href="/wiki/Backbone_Mountain" title="Backbone Mountain">Hoye Crest on Backbone Mountain</a>, in the southwest corner of <a href="/wiki/Garrett_County,_Maryland" title="Garrett County, Maryland">Garrett County</a>, near the border with West Virginia and near the headwaters of the North Branch of the Potomac River. Maryland's only ski area, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Wisp_Resort&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Wisp Resort (page does not exist)">Wisp</a>, is located close to Backbone Mountain. Close to the small town of <a href="/wiki/Hancock,_Maryland" title="Hancock, Maryland">Hancock</a>, in western Maryland, about two-thirds of the way across the state, the state is only about 1-mile (2 km) wide. This geographical curiosity makes Maryland the narrowest state, bordered by the <a href="/wiki/Mason-Dixon_Line" title="Mason-Dixon Line">Mason-Dixon Line</a> to the north, and the north-arching Potomac River to the south.</p>
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<div class="thumbinner" style="width:182px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:Maryland.JPG" class="image" title="Maryland state welcome sign"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Maryland.JPG/180px-Maryland.JPG" width="180" height="186" border="0" class="thumbimage" /></a>
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Maryland state welcome sign</div>
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<p>Portions of Maryland are included in various official and unofficial geographic regions. For example, the <a href="/wiki/Delmarva_Peninsula" title="Delmarva Peninsula">Delmarva Peninsula</a> comprises the Eastern Shore counties of Maryland, the entire State of Delaware, and the two counties that make up the <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Shore_of_Virginia" title="Eastern Shore of Virginia">Eastern Shore of Virginia</a>, while the westernmost counties of Maryland are considered part of <a href="/wiki/Appalachia" title="Appalachia">Appalachia</a>. Much of the Baltimore-Washington corridor lies just south of the piedmont in the Coastal Plain,<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11" title=""><span>[</span>12<span>]</span></a></sup> though it straddles the border between the two regions.</p>
<p>A quirk of Maryland's geography is that the state contains no natural lakes.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12" title=""><span>[</span>13<span>]</span></a></sup> During the last <a href="/wiki/Ice_Age" title="Ice Age" class="mw-redirect">Ice Age</a>, glaciers did not reach as far south as Maryland, and therefore did not carve out deep natural lakes as exist in northern states. There are numerous man-made lakes, the largest being <a href="/wiki/Deep_Creek_Lake" title="Deep Creek Lake" class="mw-redirect">Deep Creek Lake</a>, a reservoir in <a href="/wiki/Garrett_County" title="Garrett County" class="mw-redirect">Garrett County</a>. The lack of glacial history also accounts for Maryland's soil, which is more sandy and muddy than the rocky soils of <a href="/wiki/New_England" title="New England">New England</a>.</p>
<p><a name="Human_geography" id="Human_geography"></a></p>
<h3><span class="editsection">[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Maryland&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Human geography">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Human geography</span></h3>
<dl>
<dd><span class="boilerplate seealso"><i>See also: <a href="/wiki/List_of_counties_in_Maryland" title="List of counties in Maryland">List of counties in Maryland</a>, <a href="/wiki/List_of_incorporated_places_in_Maryland" title="List of incorporated places in Maryland">List of incorporated places in Maryland</a>, and <a href="/wiki/List_of_census-designated_places_in_Maryland" title="List of census-designated places in Maryland">List of census-designated places in Maryland</a></i></span></dd>
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Maryland counties</div>
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<p>The majority of Maryland's population is concentrated in the cities and suburbs surrounding <a href="/wiki/Washington,_DC" title="Washington, DC" class="mw-redirect">Washington, DC</a> and Maryland's most populous city, <a href="/wiki/Baltimore,_Maryland" title="Baltimore, Maryland" class="mw-redirect">Baltimore</a>. Historically, these and many other Maryland cities developed along the <a href="/wiki/Fall_line" title="Fall line">fall line</a>, the point at which rivers are no longer navigable from sea level due to the presence of rapids or waterfalls. Maryland's capital, <a href="/wiki/Annapolis,_Maryland" title="Annapolis, Maryland">Annapolis</a>, is one exception to this rule, lying along the <a href="/wiki/Severn_River_(Maryland)" title="Severn River (Maryland)">Severn River</a> close to where it empties into the Chesapeake Bay. Other major population centers include suburban hubs <a href="/wiki/Columbia,_Maryland" title="Columbia, Maryland">Columbia</a> in <a href="/wiki/Howard_County,_Maryland" title="Howard County, Maryland">Howard County</a>, <a href="/wiki/Silver_Spring,_Maryland" title="Silver Spring, Maryland">Silver Spring</a>, <a href="/wiki/Rockville,_Maryland" title="Rockville, Maryland">Rockville</a> and <a href="/wiki/Gaithersburg,_Maryland" title="Gaithersburg, Maryland">Gaithersburg</a> in <a href="/wiki/Montgomery_County,_Maryland" title="Montgomery County, Maryland">Montgomery County</a>, <a href="/wiki/Frederick,_Maryland" title="Frederick, Maryland">Frederick</a> in <a href="/wiki/Frederick_County,_Maryland" title="Frederick County, Maryland">Frederick County</a> and <a href="/wiki/Hagerstown,_Maryland" title="Hagerstown, Maryland">Hagerstown</a> in <a href="/wiki/Washington_County,_Maryland" title="Washington County, Maryland">Washington County</a>. The eastern, southern, and western portions of the state tend to be more rural, although they are dotted with cities of regional importance such as <a href="/wiki/Salisbury,_Maryland" title="Salisbury, Maryland">Salisbury</a> and <a href="/wiki/Ocean_City,_Maryland" title="Ocean City, Maryland">Ocean City</a> on the <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Shore_of_Maryland" title="Eastern Shore of Maryland">Eastern Shore</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lexington_Park,_Maryland" title="Lexington Park, Maryland">Lexington Park</a> and <a href="/wiki/Waldorf" title="Waldorf">Waldorf</a> in <a href="/wiki/Southern_Maryland" title="Southern Maryland">Southern Maryland</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Cumberland,_Maryland" title="Cumberland, Maryland">Cumberland</a> in <a href="/wiki/Western_Maryland" title="Western Maryland">Western Maryland</a>.</p>
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<p><a href="/wiki/Annapolis,_Maryland" title="Annapolis, Maryland">Annapolis</a></p>
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<div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:City_Hall_from_Utz_Bldg.jpg" class="image" title="City Hall from Utz Bldg.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b1/City_Hall_from_Utz_Bldg.jpg/120px-City_Hall_from_Utz_Bldg.jpg" width="120" height="81" border="0" /></a></div>
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<p><a href="/wiki/Baltimore,_Maryland" title="Baltimore, Maryland" class="mw-redirect">Baltimore</a></p>
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<p><a href="/wiki/Bethesda,_Maryland" title="Bethesda, Maryland">Bethesda</a></p>
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<div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:2008_01_02_-_MD564_@_Chapel_Ave_03.JPG" class="image" title="2008 01 02 - MD564 @ Chapel Ave 03.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/2008_01_02_-_MD564_%40_Chapel_Ave_03.JPG/120px-2008_01_02_-_MD564_%40_Chapel_Ave_03.JPG" width="120" height="90" border="0" /></a></div>
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<p><a href="/wiki/Bowie,_Maryland" title="Bowie, Maryland">Bowie</a></p>
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<p><a href="/wiki/College_Park,_Maryland" title="College Park, Maryland">College Park</a></p>
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<p><a href="/wiki/Cumberland,_Maryland" title="Cumberland, Maryland">Cumberland</a></p>
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<div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:Ellicott_City_Main_Street.jpg" class="image" title="Ellicott City Main Street.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/81/Ellicott_City_Main_Street.jpg/120px-Ellicott_City_Main_Street.jpg" width="120" height="88" border="0" /></a></div>
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<p><a href="/wiki/Ellicott_City,_Maryland" title="Ellicott City, Maryland">Ellicott City</a></p>
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<div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:2008_03_28_-_Frederick_-_City_Hall_2.jpg" class="image" title="2008 03 28 - Frederick - City Hall 2.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/2008_03_28_-_Frederick_-_City_Hall_2.jpg/120px-2008_03_28_-_Frederick_-_City_Hall_2.jpg" width="120" height="44" border="0" /></a></div>
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<p><a href="/wiki/Frederick,_Maryland" title="Frederick, Maryland">Frederick</a></p>
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<div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:Gaithersburg_City_Hall_1.jpg" class="image" title="Gaithersburg City Hall 1.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Gaithersburg_City_Hall_1.jpg/120px-Gaithersburg_City_Hall_1.jpg" width="120" height="80" border="0" /></a></div>
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<p><a href="/wiki/Gaithersburg,_Maryland" title="Gaithersburg, Maryland">Gaithersburg</a></p>
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<div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:GreenbeltRooseveltCtr1.jpg" class="image" title="GreenbeltRooseveltCtr1.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/GreenbeltRooseveltCtr1.jpg/91px-GreenbeltRooseveltCtr1.jpg" width="91" height="120" border="0" /></a></div>
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<p><a href="/wiki/Greenbelt,_Maryland" title="Greenbelt, Maryland">Greenbelt</a></p>
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<div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:Hagerstown_Downtown_Potomac_St.JPG" class="image" title="Hagerstown Downtown Potomac St.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/56/Hagerstown_Downtown_Potomac_St.JPG/120px-Hagerstown_Downtown_Potomac_St.JPG" width="120" height="90" border="0" /></a></div>
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<p><a href="/wiki/Hagerstown,_Maryland" title="Hagerstown, Maryland">Hagerstown</a></p>
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<div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:LaurelMuseum.jpg" class="image" title="LaurelMuseum.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b2/LaurelMuseum.jpg/120px-LaurelMuseum.jpg" width="120" height="90" border="0" /></a></div>
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<p><a href="/wiki/Laurel,_Maryland" title="Laurel, Maryland">Laurel</a></p>
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<div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:Ocean_City_Maryland_aerial_view_north.jpg" class="image" title="Ocean City Maryland aerial view north.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Ocean_City_Maryland_aerial_view_north.jpg/120px-Ocean_City_Maryland_aerial_view_north.jpg" width="120" height="80" border="0" /></a></div>
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<p><a href="/wiki/Ocean_City,_Maryland" title="Ocean City, Maryland">Ocean City</a></p>
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<div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:Rockvillemd.jpg" class="image" title="Rockvillemd.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7d/Rockvillemd.jpg/120px-Rockvillemd.jpg" width="120" height="80" border="0" /></a></div>
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<p><a href="/wiki/Rockville,_Maryland" title="Rockville, Maryland">Rockville</a></p>
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<div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:Ellsworth-ssmd.png" class="image" title="Ellsworth-ssmd.png"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Ellsworth-ssmd.png/120px-Ellsworth-ssmd.png" width="120" height="90" border="0" /></a></div>
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<p><a href="/wiki/Silver_Spring,_Maryland" title="Silver Spring, Maryland">Silver Spring</a></p>
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<p><a name="Climate" id="Climate"></a></p>
<h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Maryland&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Climate">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Climate</span></h2>
<p>Maryland has wide array of climates for a state of its size. It depends on numerous variables, such as proximity to water, elevation, and protection from colder weather due to <a href="/wiki/Katabatic_wind" title="Katabatic wind">downslope winds</a>.</p>
<p>The eastern half of Maryland lies on the <a href="/wiki/Atlantic_Coastal_Plain" title="Atlantic Coastal Plain" class="mw-redirect">Atlantic Coastal Plain</a>, with very flat topography and very sandy or muddy soil. This region has a <a href="/wiki/Humid_subtropical_climate" title="Humid subtropical climate">humid subtropical climate</a>, with hot, humid summers and a short, mild to cool winter. This region includes the cities of <a href="/wiki/Salisbury,_MD" title="Salisbury, MD" class="mw-redirect">Salisbury</a>, <a href="/wiki/Annapolis" title="Annapolis" class="mw-redirect">Annapolis</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ocean_City,_MD" title="Ocean City, MD" class="mw-redirect">Ocean City</a>, and southern and eastern greater <a href="/wiki/Baltimore" title="Baltimore">Baltimore</a>.</p>
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<div class="thumbinner" style="width:182px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:Sunset_over_the_marsh_at_Cardinal_Cove_-_NOAA.jpg" class="image" title="Sunset over a marsh at Cardinal Cove, on the Patuxent River."><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/Sunset_over_the_marsh_at_Cardinal_Cove_-_NOAA.jpg/180px-Sunset_over_the_marsh_at_Cardinal_Cove_-_NOAA.jpg" width="180" height="117" border="0" class="thumbimage" /></a>
<div class="thumbcaption">
<div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/Image:Sunset_over_the_marsh_at_Cardinal_Cove_-_NOAA.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/skins/common/images/magnify-clip.png" width="15" height="11" alt="" /></a></div>
Sunset over a marsh at Cardinal Cove, on the <a href="/wiki/Patuxent_River" title="Patuxent River">Patuxent River</a>.</div>
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<p>Beyond this region lies the <a href="/wiki/Piedmont_(United_States)" title="Piedmont (United States)">Piedmont</a> which lies in the transition between the <a href="/wiki/Humid_subtropical_climate" title="Humid subtropical climate">humid subtropical climate</a> zone and the <a href="/wiki/Humid_continental_climate" title="Humid continental climate">humid continental climate</a> zone (Köppen <i>Dfa</i>), with hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters where average annual snowfall exceeds 20 inches and temperatures below 10°F are annual occurrences. This region includes <a href="/wiki/Frederick,_MD" title="Frederick, MD" class="mw-redirect">Frederick</a>, <a href="/wiki/Hagerstown,_MD" title="Hagerstown, MD" class="mw-redirect">Hagerstown</a>, <a href="/wiki/Westminster,_MD" title="Westminster, MD" class="mw-redirect">Westminster</a>, <a href="/wiki/Gaithersburg,_MD" title="Gaithersburg, MD" class="mw-redirect">Gaithersburg</a> and northern and western greater <a href="/wiki/Baltimore" title="Baltimore">Baltimore</a>.</p>
<p>Extreme western Maryland, in the higher elevations of <a href="/wiki/Allegany_County,_Maryland" title="Allegany County, Maryland">Allegany County</a> and <a href="/wiki/Garrett_County" title="Garrett County" class="mw-redirect">Garrett County</a> lie completely in the <a href="/wiki/Humid_continental_climate" title="Humid continental climate">Humid continental climate</a> (Köppen <i>Dfa</i>) due to elevation (more typical of inland <a href="/wiki/New_England" title="New England">New England</a> and the Midwestern U.S.) with milder summers and cold, snowy winters. Some parts of extreme western Maryland possess the cool summer Humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), with summer average temperatures below 71 °F.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13" title=""><span>[</span>14<span>]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14" title=""><span>[</span>15<span>]</span></a></sup></p>
<p>Precipitation in the state is very generous, as it is on most of the East Coast. Annual rainfall ranges from 40-45 inches (1000-1150 mm) in virtually every part of the state, falling very evenly. Nearly every part of Maryland receives 3.5-4.5 inches (95-110 mm) per month of precipitation. 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.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15" title=""><span>[</span>16<span>]</span></a></sup></p>
<p>Because of its location near the <a href="/wiki/Atlantic_Coast" title="Atlantic Coast">Atlantic Coast</a>, Maryland is somewhat vulnerable to <a href="/wiki/Tropical_cyclones" title="Tropical cyclones" class="mw-redirect">tropical cyclones</a>, although the <a href="/wiki/Delmarva_Peninsula" title="Delmarva Peninsula">Delmarva Peninsula</a>, and the outer banks of <a href="/wiki/North_Carolina" title="North Carolina">North Carolina</a> to the south provide a large buffer, such that a strike from a major hurricane (category 3 or above) is not very likely. More often, Maryland might get the remnants of a tropical system which has already come ashore and released most of its energy. Maryland averages around 30-40 days of thunderstorms a year, and averages around 6 tornado strikes annually.<sup id="cite_ref-Annual_average_number_of_tornadoes_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Annual_average_number_of_tornadoes-16" title=""><span>[</span>17<span>]</span></a></sup></p>
<table class="wikitable">
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<td colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:120%;background:#E8EAFA;">Monthly normal high and low temperatures for various Maryland cities</td>
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<th style="background: #E5AFAA; color: #000000" height="17">City</th>
<th style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;">Jan</th>
<th style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;">Feb</th>
<th style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;">Mar</th>
<th style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;">Apr</th>
<th style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;">May</th>
<th style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;">Jun</th>
<th style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;">Jul</th>
<th style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;">Aug</th>
<th style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;">Sep</th>
<th style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;">Oct</th>
<th style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;">Nov</th>
<th style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;">Dec</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;">Hagerstown</th>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">38/21</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">42/23</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">52/31</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">63/41</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">74/51</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">82/60</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">86/64</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">84/62</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">77/55</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">66/43</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">54/35</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">43/27</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;">Frederick</th>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">41/25</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">46/27</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">56/35</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">67/44</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">77/54</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">85/62</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">89/67</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">87/66</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">80/59</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">68/47</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">57/38</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">46/30</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;">Baltimore</th>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">44/29</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">47/31</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">57/39</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">68/48</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">77/58</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">86/68</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">91/73</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">88/71</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">81/64</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">70/52</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">59/42</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">49/33</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;">Ocean City</th>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">44/28</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">46/30</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">53/35</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">61/44</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">70/53</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">79/62</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">84/67</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">83/67</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">78/62</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">68/51</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">58/41</td>
<td style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;">49/32</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;background:#E8EAFA;"><i><sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17" title=""><span>[</span>18<span>]</span></a></sup></i></td>
</tr>
</table>
<div style="clear:both"></div>
<p><a name="Flora_and_fauna" id="Flora_and_fauna"></a></p>
<h3><span class="editsection">[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Maryland&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Flora and fauna">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Flora and fauna</span></h3>
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<div class="thumbinner" style="width:182px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:Mdusdamap.jpg" class="image" title="The 2003 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for the state of Maryland"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8b/Mdusdamap.jpg/180px-Mdusdamap.jpg" width="180" height="121" border="0" class="thumbimage" /></a>
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<div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/Image:Mdusdamap.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/skins/common/images/magnify-clip.png" width="15" height="11" alt="" /></a></div>
The 2003 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for the state of Maryland</div>
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<p>As is typical of states on the <a href="/wiki/East_Coast_of_the_United_States" title="East Coast of the United States">East Coast</a>, Maryland's plant life is abundant and healthy. A good dose of annual precipitation helps to support many types of plants, including <a href="/wiki/Seagrass" title="Seagrass">seagrass</a> and various <a href="/wiki/Phragmites" title="Phragmites">reeds</a> at the smaller end of the spectrum to the gigantic <a href="/wiki/Wye_Oak" title="Wye Oak">Wye Oak</a>, a huge example of <a href="/wiki/White_oak" title="White oak">White oak</a>, the state tree, which can grow in excess of 70 feet (20 m) tall. Maryland also possesses an abundance of pines and <a href="/wiki/Maple" title="Maple">maples</a> among its endemic tree life. Many foreign species are cultivated in the state, some as ornamentals, others as novelty species. Included among these are the <a href="/wiki/Lagerstroemia" title="Lagerstroemia">Crape Myrtle</a>, <a href="/wiki/Italian_Cypress" title="Italian Cypress" class="mw-redirect">Italian Cypress</a>, <a href="/wiki/Live_oak" title="Live oak">live oak</a> in the warmer parts of the state,<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18" title=""><span>[</span>19<span>]</span></a></sup> and even <a href="/wiki/Hardy_palms" title="Hardy palms">hardy palm trees</a> in the warmer central and eastern parts of the state.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19" title=""><span>[</span>20<span>]</span></a></sup> USDA plant <a href="/wiki/Hardiness_zone" title="Hardiness zone">hardiness zones</a> in the state range from Zone 5 in the extreme western part of the state to 6 and 7 in the central part, and Zone 8 around the southern part of the coast, the bay area, and most of <a href="/wiki/Baltimore_Metropolitan_Area" title="Baltimore Metropolitan Area">metropolitan Baltimore</a>. Large areas of Maryland have problems with <a href="/wiki/Kudzu" title="Kudzu">kudzu</a>, an invasive plant species that chokes out growth of endemic plant life.<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20" title=""><span>[</span>21<span>]</span></a></sup> Maryland's state flower, the <a href="/wiki/Black-eyed_Susan" title="Black-eyed Susan">Black-eyed Susan</a>, grows in abundance in wild flower groups throughout the state where it often becomes a favorite of the state insect, the <a href="/wiki/Baltimore_Checkerspot_Butterfly" title="Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly">Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21" title=""><span>[</span>22<span>]</span></a></sup></p>
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<div class="thumbinner" style="width:182px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:100_2680_edited.jpg" class="image" title="Sunset over Hunt Valley, Maryland."><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1f/100_2680_edited.jpg/180px-100_2680_edited.jpg" width="180" height="135" border="0" class="thumbimage" /></a>
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<div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/Image:100_2680_edited.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/skins/common/images/magnify-clip.png" width="15" height="11" alt="" /></a></div>
Sunset over <a href="/wiki/Hunt_Valley,_Maryland" title="Hunt Valley, Maryland" class="mw-redirect">Hunt Valley, Maryland</a>.</div>
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<p>The state harbors a great number of <a href="/wiki/Deer" title="Deer">deer</a>, particularly in the woody and mountainous west of the state, and overpopulation can become a problem from year-to-year. The <a href="/wiki/Chesapeake_Bay" title="Chesapeake Bay">Chesapeake Bay</a> provides the state with its huge<sup class="noprint Template-Fact"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since January 2008" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a></i>]</span></sup> cash crop of <a href="/wiki/Blue_crab" title="Blue crab">blue crabs</a>, rockfish,<sup class="noprint Template-Fact"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since January 2008" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a></i>]</span></sup> and numerous seabirds.<sup class="noprint Template-Fact"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since January 2008" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a></i>]</span></sup> Mammals can be found ranging from the mountains in the west to the central areas and include bears,<sup id="cite_ref-Maryland_Wildlife_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Maryland_Wildlife-22" title=""><span>[</span>23<span>]</span></a></sup> mountain lions,<sup class="noprint Template-Fact"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since January 2008" style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a></i>]</span></sup> foxes, raccoons, and Otters.<sup id="cite_ref-Maryland_Wildlife_22-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Maryland_Wildlife-22" title=""><span>[</span>23<span>]</span></a></sup> Maryland is famous for its population of rare<sup id="cite_ref-Maryland_Wildlife_22-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Maryland_Wildlife-22" title=""><span>[</span>23<span>]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23" title=""><span>[</span>24<span>]</span></a></sup> wild horses found on <a href="/wiki/Assateague" title="Assateague" class="mw-redirect">Assateague</a> island. Every year an event occurs during which members of the horse population are captured and waded across a shallow bay to <a href="/wiki/Chincoteague" title="Chincoteague" class="mw-redirect">Chincoteague</a>, Virginia. This conservation technique ensures the tiny island is not overrun by the horses. Another purebred animal from Maryland is the Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog, which was bred specifically for water sports, hunting and search and rescue in the Chesapeake area.<sup id="cite_ref-Maryland1_24-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Maryland1-24" title=""><span>[</span>25<span>]</span></a></sup> The Chesapeake Bay Retriever was also the first breed recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1878.<sup id="cite_ref-Maryland1_24-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Maryland1-24" title=""><span>[</span>25<span>]</span></a></sup> Maryland's reptile and amphibian population is led by the <a href="/wiki/Diamondback_Terrapin" title="Diamondback Terrapin" class="mw-redirect">Diamondback Terrapin</a> turtle, which was adopted as the mascot of <a href="/wiki/University_of_Maryland,_College_Park" title="University of Maryland, College Park">University of Maryland</a>. The state also hosts the <a href="/wiki/Baltimore_Oriole" title="Baltimore Oriole">Baltimore Oriole</a>, which is the official state bird and mascot of the MLB team the <a href="/wiki/Baltimore_Orioles" title="Baltimore Orioles">Baltimore Orioles</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25" title=""><span>[</span>26<span>]</span></a></sup></p>
<p>Lawns in Maryland carry a variety of species, mostly due to its location in the Transition Zone for <a href="/wiki/Lawn" title="Lawn">lawngrasses</a>. The western part of the state is cold enough to support <a href="/wiki/Kentucky_Bluegrass" title="Kentucky Bluegrass" class="mw-redirect">Kentucky Bluegrass</a>, and Fine Fescues, which are widespread from the foothills west. The area around the <a href="/wiki/Chesapeake_Bay" title="Chesapeake Bay">Chesapeake Bay</a> is usually turfed with transition species such as <a href="/wiki/Zoysia" title="Zoysia">Zoysia</a>, Tall fescue, and <a href="/wiki/Bermudagrass" title="Bermudagrass" class="mw-redirect">Bermudagrass</a>. <a href="/wiki/St._Augustine_grass" title="St. Augustine grass">St. Augustine grass</a> can be grown in the parts of the state that are in Zone 8.</p>
<p><a name="Environmental_Awareness" id="Environmental_Awareness"></a></p>
<h3><span class="editsection">[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Maryland&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Environmental Awareness">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Environmental Awareness</span></h3>
<p>Maryland is one of the most environmentally friendly states in the country. Forbes.com rated Maryland as the 5th "Greenest" state in the country behind four of the <a href="/wiki/Pacific_States" title="Pacific States">Pacific States</a> and Vermont. Maryland ranks 40th in total energy consumption nationwide, and it managed less toxic waste per capita than all but six states in 2005.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26" title=""><span>[</span>27<span>]</span></a></sup> In April 2007 Maryland joined the <a href="/wiki/Regional_Greenhouse_Gas_Initiative" title="Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative">Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative</a> (RGGI)--a regional initiative formed by all of the Northeastern states, Washington D.C., and three Canadian provinces to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.</p>
<p><a name="History" id="History"></a></p>
<h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Maryland&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: History">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">History</span></h2>
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<dd>
<div class="noprint relarticle mainarticle"><i>Main article: <a href="/wiki/History_of_Maryland" title="History of Maryland">History of Maryland</a></i></div>
</dd>
<dd><span class="boilerplate seealso"><i>See also: <a href="/wiki/Province_of_Maryland" title="Province of Maryland">Province of Maryland</a></i></span></dd>
<dd><span class="boilerplate seealso"><i>See also: <a href="/wiki/Annapolis_Convention" title="Annapolis Convention">Annapolis Convention</a></i></span></dd>
</dl>
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<div class="thumbinner" style="width:142px;"><a href="/wiki/Image:Calvertcecil.jpg" class="image" title="Cecil Calvert, 1st Proprietor of the Maryland colony."><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Calvertcecil.jpg/140px-Calvertcecil.jpg" width="140" height="212" border="0" class="thumbimage" /></a>
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<div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/Image:Calvertcecil.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/skins/common/images/magnify-clip.png" width="15" height="11" alt="" /></a></div>
Cecil Calvert, 1st Proprietor of the Maryland colony.</div>
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<p>In 1629, <a href="/wiki/George_Calvert,_1st_Lord_Baltimore" title="George Calvert, 1st Lord Baltimore" class="mw-redirect">George Calvert, 1st Lord Baltimore</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Irish_House_of_Lords" title="Irish House of Lords">Irish House of Lords</a>, fresh from his failure further north with <a href="/wiki/Newfoundland_(island)" title="Newfoundland (island)">Newfoundland's</a> Avalon colony, applied to <a href="/wiki/Charles_I_of_England" title="Charles I of England">Charles I</a> for a new royal charter for what was to become the <a href="/wiki/Province_of_Maryland" title="Province of Maryland">Province of Maryland</a>. Calvert's interest in creating a colony derived from his <a href="/wiki/Catholicism" title="Catholicism">Catholicism</a> and his desire for the creation of a haven for Cathol