THINGS TO DO IN MARYLAND

Demographics

Statehood: April 28, 1788, the 7th state

Capital: Annapolis

Total Area: 42nd among states, 31,849 sq km (12,297 sq mi)

Water Area: 6,532 sq km (2,522 sq mi)

Highest Point: Backbone Mountain, 1,024 m (3,360 ft)

Total Population:   19th among states
2000 census -  5,296,486
2005 estimate -  9,012,978

Population Density in 2000: 166 people per sq km (431 per sq mi)

Distribution in 1990: 81% Urban, 19% Rural

Economy:
Gross State Product - $212 billion (2003)
Personal income per Capita - $37,446 (2003)

Largest cities in 2000:
Baltimore: 651,154
Gaithersburg: 58,091
Rockville: 57,100

King Williams School, the first school in the United States, opened in 1696.
The first dental school in the United States opened at the University of Maryland.
Baltimore was home to the nation’s first umbrella factory, the first coal-burning steam engine in 1830, and elevated electric railway in 1893.
On June 24, 1784, from Baltimore, 13-year-old Edward Warren flew in the first successful manned balloon launch in the United States.
The Maryland State House is the oldest state capitol still in continuous legislative use.
Maryland was the first state to enact Workmen’s compensation laws in 1902.
The first practical refrigerator was invented in Baltimore in 1803.
Channel 67 broadcast the state’s first public television programs on October 5, 1969.
The 1,200-foot Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is the second longest continuous truss bridge in the nation.
Baltimore is named after Cecil Calvert who received the Maryland Colony from King Charles I. His title was “Lord Baltimore.”
The marshes of the Chesapeake Bay area, which lies in the Atlantic Flyway, harbor numerous migratory and resident waterfowl.
Annapolis, home of the U.S. Naval Academy, has served as the state capital of Maryland since 1694 and is one of the oldest settlements in Maryland.
Fort McHenry in Baltimore inspired the writing of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
The Mason-Dixon Line, named after the British surveyors who mapped it between 1763 and 1767, marks the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania.

State Facts