You can find a rare population of wild horses on Assateague Island in Maryland.The first state in the nation to name a state exercise was Maryland. On October 1, 2008, walking became the state exercise.Maryland state is located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares its border with Virginia and West Virginia in the south, the District of Columbia in the West, the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware in the East, and Pennsylvania in the North. The state capital is Annapolis, and the largest city is Baltimore. Nicknames given to this state are ‘America in Miniature’, ‘Free State’, ‘Old Like State’, and ’little America’. The state is named in honor of Henrietta Maria, the English Queen popularly known as Queen Mary of England, wife of King Charles I. Maryland was occupied by many North American groups, mainly by the Algonquin and to some extent by Siouan and Iroquois, before the Europeans explored its coastline in the 16th-century. The First Baron Baltimore, George Calvert, found Maryland and made it one of England’s earliest Thirteen Colonies. Charles I, the King of England, granted a colonial charter to Lord Baltimore and named this colony after Queen Mary, his wife.Maryland’s economy also includes tourism. Tourists usually visit beaches on the Eastern Shore, Baltimore, and western Maryland. Some attractions in Baltimore are the Baltimore Aquarium, the Harborplace, Camden Yards Baseball Stadium, and Fort McHenry. The town of ocean city along the Atlantic coast is also a popular beach destination during summer. The capital city, Annapolis, has places like the waterfront.Maryland’s HistoryMaryland’s history has been recorded since explorations by the first Europeans, starting with John Cabot, a Venetian who explored the North American coast in 1498 for the Kingdom of England. Its earliest economy was based on the commodity crop tobacco, cultivated by African slave labor. It was a highly prized crop among the English. St. Mary’s City was founded in 1634. The founders then designed St. Mary’s City plan, which was the colonial capital.Captain John Smith explored the Chesapeake Bay in 1608.Archeologists found ancient objects like beads and arrowheads around Chesapeake Bay.During the American Civil war, then a slave state, Maryland stayed with the Union. Maryland became part of the industrial revolution driven by bulk migration from Europe, seaports, and railroad networks after the civil war.Francis Scott Key wrote ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ in 1812, which later became the national anthem.Numerous slaves were freed by Maryland planters during the 20 years after the Revolutionary war due to revolutionary ideas, a changing economy, and preaching by ministers.Maryland was independent of British rule in 1776.The Mason-Dixon line is located between Maryland and Pennsylvania dividing the southern and northern states. The Mason-Dixon line also served as a line dividing the free and slave states before the civil war.The largest of over 100 estuaries in the United States is the Chesapeake Bay.Religion In MarylandThroughout history, Maryland has predominantly upheld the traditions of American Catholics because George Calvert predetermined that Maryland’s English colony was a haven for English Catholics. The first place in the United States to have a seat for a Catholic bishop was Baltimore in 1789. The first Catholic University, Georgetown University, which was then part of the Maryland state, was founded in the year 1798. The first cathedral for Roman Catholics built in the U.S. was Baltimore Basilica.Many of those who immigrated from southern and eastern Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries were Catholics.The number of Catholics in Maryland state is below 20% of the national average.69% of the state’s population identify themselves as Christians, as per the Pew Research Center.Around 15% of the population in the state follow Catholicism, making it the second-largest religion followed after Protestantism.In the Cecil, St. Mary’s, and Garrett counties of Maryland, Mennonite or Amish communities are found.The largest non-Christian religion followed in Maryland is Judaism, making up around 4% of the population in Maryland.Many Jewish people living in Baltimore occupy Baltimore’s Owing’s Mills, Pikesville and the Montgomery county.Around 81,500 Jewish Americans occupy Montgomery county, which is almost 10% of the state’s total population.As per the demographics of the state, people identify with no religion or are Protestants more than Catholics.Famous Food In MarylandMaryland is known for its popular fresh blue crabs and Chesapeake Bay. There are many Mid-Atlantic dishes and other iconic dishes. Maryland has a big food-production sector. A large part of this sector is commercial fishing, with Chesapeake Bay as its center. The largest of catches as per species are oysters, blue crabs, menhaden, and striped bass. The blue crab is usually known as ‘Maryland crab’. These crabs are in season between April and November.Crustaceans in Maryland are loved for their meat. Crab restaurants and shacks across Maryland sell steamed crabs.The second way to cook crab is to make crab cakes.Crab potato chips are also popular around the state, but there is no actual crab in these chips.Smith Island Cake has been around in Maryland since the 1800s. This cake has around eight to 10 layers of yellow cake combined with chocolate fudge frosting. This cake is the official dessert of the state.Maryland’s official fish was named rockfish in 1965, as they are caught more than any other species.Lake tout has been the favorite seafood of Baltimore since the ’00s.One more way to cook crab is by making crab soup. The soup is filled with lump crabmeat and vegetables like lima beans, corn, and potatoes.Oyster farming in Maryland has significantly grown for a few years now.Henry Berger, a German immigrant, invented the vanilla cookie dipped in icing with a chocolate cap, which is called the Berger cookie.Inventions Of MarylandBaltimore, Maryland, has contributed several innovations to the world. These inventions have influenced our modern world. Maryland is also a major place for research and the development of life sciences. There are over 400 biotechnology companies in the state. This state is also the fourth largest network in this field of work in the United States.The first dredger of the world was invented in Baltimore. Andrew and John Ellicot, flour merchants and brothers, are credited for employing the first dredger.Old bay seasoning is used on all of the foods in Maryland. Gustav Brunn, a German-Jewish spice merchant, invented Old Bay in 1940.USS Constellation, one of the first ships of the United States Navy, was launched in 1797 in the inner harbor of Baltimore.The first gaslight of America lit up the Baltimore Museum in 1816. Rembrandt Peale, businessman and artist, illuminated this museum, which is now the Peale Museum.The first gas utility company to be established in America was the Baltimore gas and electric company in 1816. More than 16,000 gas lamps were installed across Baltimore by the year 1945.Baltimore city is the first place to start building railroads in America. The first common carrier rail tracks of America were built in Baltimore in 1828. The first railway station was built in the year 1830.The first working passenger balloon of the United States took flight in Baltimore city in 1784. A 13-year-old embarked on this journey as it was too small to carry the creators.Jacob Fussell, a milk dealer in Baltimore, was in charge of the dairy business, which sold a frozen blend of eggs, milk, and sugar.Fussell soon realized that he could turn the leftover product into ice cream instead of wasting it. His factory was also the first ice cream factory in Maryland.William painter invented the bottle opener and the crown cork cap in 1839.Alonzo Decker and Duncan black started the manufacturing of the first portable electric drill in the world in 1917. This drill had trigger control, was lightweight, and was easy to use with a pistol grip.
You can find a rare population of wild horses on Assateague Island in Maryland.
