One of the Mid-Atlantic states, Maryland is located on the East Coast. Its nature is characterized by the Appalachian Mountains in the west, the Piedmont Plateau in the center and the Chesapeak Bay on the coast. Due to its climatic and geographical diversity, Maryland has been nicknamed "America in miniature".

At the arrival of Europeans, Maryland was inhabited mostly by Algonquian and Iroquoian speaking peoples, including the Susquehannock, Tuscarora, Tockwogh, Piscataway and Nanticoke. In 1632, English settlers founded the colony of Maryland and named it after Queen Consort Henrietta Maria. It was one of the Thirteen Colonies and became the seventh state to join the Union in 1788. During the Revolutionary War, the Maryland regiment was considered one of the most experienced in the Continental Army, which is why George Washington called it his "Old Line." Maryland's nickname, the "Old Line State," originated from one of regiment‘s victories against a numerically superior British force. In 1790, the U.S. capitol Washington D.C. was formed from parts of Maryland and Virginia. The Italian state motto "Fatti maschii, parole femine" literally means "Deeds are males, words are females". However, the official government translation is "Strong deeds, gentle words". It is the only Italian state motto.

Baltimore not only boasts an impressive skyline. With more than 65,000, no other U.S. city has more historic buildings listed on the National Register. These include, for example, the Federal Hill Historic District and the Baltimore Basilica, which was the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in the United States. In addition, the city in home to the oldest research university in the western hemisphere, Johns Hopkins University, founded in 1876.

Back to United States of America