Maryland

It is believed that people lived in Maryland for about 12,000 years ago. The main occupations of the Indians were hunting, fishing and, to a lesser extent, agriculture. By the time the European colonization of America began, the Algonquian peoples Nantikouk (on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay), Piscataway (in the area of modern Baltimore and Washington) and Shawnee (in the west) lived here.

In 1524, the Italian Giovanni da Verrazano sailed along the Atlantic coast of America from North Carolina to Rhode Island, but he did not notice the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay.

The first capital of Maryland was the city of St. Mary City, built on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay on land bought from the Indians (in general, the inhabitants of the new colony tried to maintain good neighborly relations with the indigenous peoples in those years).

Despite the fact that Maryland was founded by Catholics, from the first days of its existence, freedom of religion was not limited in it (even on the first two ships, the majority were Protestants). However, over the following decades, it was on religious grounds that there were several conflicts both with neighboring Virginia and between the inhabitants of Maryland itself.

Maryland has long refused to ratify the "Articles of Confederation" that proclaimed the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states. The reason for this was the claims of Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York to the Northwest Territories (modern-day Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio) and the possible increase in their influence. It was only after the abandonment of these claims in favor of the federal government that Maryland on March 1, 1781, the last of the "thirteen colonies", ratified the Articles. There were no problems with the ratification of the US Constitution, the Maryland legislators passed the corresponding decision on April 28, 1788, thus making Maryland the seventh state of the United States. 

Maryland state symbols

 Wood - white oak (Quercus alba)

 Flower - hairy rudbeckia (Rudbeckia hirta)

 Dog breed - Chesapeake Bay Retriever

 Cat breed - Calico (tricolor)

 Horse breed - Thoroughbred racehorse

 Bird - Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)

 Fish - striped bayfish (Morone saxatilis)

 Reptile - tuberculate turtle (terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin)

 Insect - checkered butterfly phaeton (Euphydryas phaeton)

 Crustacean - blue crab (Callinectes sapidus)

 Dinosaur - Astrodon (Astrodon)

 Fossil - Shells of Gardner's Ecphora molluscs (Ecphora gardnerae)

 Precious (ornamental) stone - agate and "stone of the river Patuxent"

 Food item (dessert) - Smith Island Pie

 Drink - milk

 Sports - lacrosse and jousting with spears

 Dance - square dance

 Song - "Maryland, My Maryland" (Maryland, My Maryland, music by Melchior Frank, lyrics by James Randall)

National Historic Landmarks in Maryland

•  Dughregan Manor is a manor near the city of Ellicott City, where the famous politician and statesman Charles Carroll lived. Built in the twenties of the XVIII century.
•  Annapolis Colonial Historic District with about one hundred and twenty 18th-century buildings.
•  The historic district of the city of Chestertown, in which several buildings built in the middle of the 18th century have been preserved.
•  The Chase-Lloyd House in Annapolis is one of the first brick three-story Georgian mansions built in the North American colonies, and is considered one of the finest examples of this style. Built in 1759.
•  The Bryce House in Annapolis is a well-preserved Georgian house built in 1766.
•  The Star-Spangled Banner Museum is the home in Baltimore where dressmaker Mary Pickersgill made this famous US flag in 1813, commissioned by the commander of the Fort McHenry garrison. Built in 1793.
•  The Maryland State Capitol in Annapolis is the oldest state capitol building still in use in the United States. Built in 1772-1797.
•  Davidge Hall is the oldest building of the Medical College of Maryland in Baltimore, built in 1812.
•  Bridge over the Casselman River built in 1813–1814 as part of the "National Road", the first major road built by the US government.
•  The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore is the first Catholic cathedral in the United States. Built in 1806-1821.
•  The Mount Vernon Historic District in Baltimore is one of the city's oldest neighborhoods.
•  The Carrollton Viaduct near Baltimore is the first railroad viaduct in the United States and one of the oldest structures of its kind in use in the world. Built in 1829.
•  Chesapeake-Delaware Canal Lock Pumping Station in Chesapeake City. Built in 1829.
•  House-museum of the famous writer Edgar Allan Poe in Baltimore. Built in 1830. —
•  Ellicott City Station is the oldest passenger rail station in the United States and one of the oldest in the world. Built in 1830, now used as a museum.
•  The United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, built in 1845.
•  The Baltimore-Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore is one of the largest railroad museums in the world. The museum building (former railway station) was built in 1851.
•  The Ballman Bridge in Savage is one of the oldest metal railroad bridges in the United States. Built in 1852.
•  The USS Constellation is the last sailing ship built for the US Navy. Built in 1855, based in Baltimore.

The largest city in the state is Baltimore, which is home to about 620,000 people (twenty-fourth in the list of the largest cities in the United States). Maryland's other major cities are Frederick (over 65,000 people), Rockville (over 60,000 people), Gaithersburg (about 60,000 people), and Bowie (about 55,000 people). The state capital, Annapolis, has about 40,000 inhabitants.

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of Maryland:

 Germans - 15.7%

 Irish - 11.7%

 English - 9%

 Italians - 5.1%

Most of the descendants of German settlers live in the western and northern counties of Maryland, and ethnic English are the majority on the East Shore of the Chesapeake Bay and in the south of the state. The largest Hispanic populations in Maryland are Salvadorans, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans. Among Asian Americans, there are the most ethnic Koreans, Taiwanese and Filipinos.

Maryland ranks first among the US states in terms of median income per family, and two counties of Maryland are among the ten richest counties in the country. To a large extent, the welfare of the state is due to the proximity of the capital of the United States of America - Washington, but in addition, services, medicine, education, research and development, and, to a lesser extent, industry and agriculture are well developed in Maryland.

 There are practically no minerals in the state (only relatively insignificant amounts of coal mining in the western districts), but thanks to its advantageous geographical location, Maryland is an important transport hub for the United States, and the port of Baltimore is one of the largest on the east coast of America.