Marvelous Maryland
Maryland is sometimes called the Old Line State. The nickname comes from 400 members of the 1st Maryland Regiment during the Revolutionary War, who fought bravely against the British in the Battle of Long Island. This week, The Mini Page finds out more about our seventh state.
The Chesapeake Bay State
Maryland is the ninth-smallest state in area and the 18th-largest in population, with more than 6 million people. Native Americans, mostly Algonquian peoples, lived in the area for about 10,000 years. The Italian Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first European to explore the area in the 1500s. It was later claimed by the British. When King Charles I gave George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, a charter to create the colony, Calvert named it Terra Maria, or Maryland, after the king’s wife, Henrietta Maria. Today, Baltimore, a top world port, is the biggest city, with about 600,000 people. The National Aquarium in Baltimore has more than 17,000 sea and freshwater animals, including sharks and dolphins. Annapolis, the capital, is also known as the “Sailing Capital of America.” It served as the U.S. capital from 1783 to 1784. Annapolis is also the site of the U.S. Naval Academy. The city was named for England’s Princess Anne in 1695.
Living in Maryland
Because Maryland borders Washington, D.C., the federal government is a top employer. Some government agencies there include: the National Institutes of Health, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Bureau of the Census. Food processing and the manufacture of computer and communication equipment are top industries. Fishing is also important to the local economy. The Allegheny Mountains stretch through the western part of the state. The central portion is a region of plateaus called the Piedmont. Chesapeake Bay is along the eastern side.
Sports
The NFL’s Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders play football in Maryland. Major League Baseball’s Orioles have been in Baltimore since 1954.
Education
Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, along with the Maryland Institute College of Art, attract scientists, scholars and creative types to Maryland.
More Maryland facts
• Camp David is the official presidential retreat, named for President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s grandson.
• Francis Scott Key wrote the words for “The Star-Spangled Banner” after witnessing Fort McHenry being bombed during the War of 1812. Key watched from a boat in Baltimore Harbor, not knowing who had won until he saw the U.S. flag still flying “by the dawn’s early light.”
• Every year the Preakness Stakes, the second of three big horse races making up the Triple Crown, is held at Pimlico.
Who’s from Maryland?
• Baseball players Cal Ripken Jr. and Babe Ruth were both born in Maryland. Ruth played for the New York Yankees for 14 seasons. He still holds the record for longest home run: 575 feet. Shortstop Ripken played 21 seasons with the Orioles and holds the record for consecutive (in a row) games played: 2,632. He retired in 2001.
• Swimmer Michael Phelps was born in Baltimore in 1985. He holds the record for Olympic gold medals: 23.
Resources On the Web:
• bit.ly/MPMaryland
At the library:
• “Maryland” by Julie Murray
• “What’s Great About Maryland?” by Anita Yasuda