Maryland is one of the 50 states of the United States of North America. The state is located in the Southern region of the US and has a population of 5,828,289 (2011). The capital is Annapolis and the standard abbreviation is MD.
Maryland is bordered by the state of Pennsylvania to the north, Delaware to the east, and the District of Columbia, West Virginia, and Virginia to the south and west. In the southeast, the state lies on the Atlantic Ocean.
Many of the suburbs of Washington, the capital of the United States, are in Maryland territory.
The western part of the state belongs to the Allegheny Mountains, which are part of the Appalachian Mountains. The highest point is with an elevation of 1,024 meters Backbone Mountain.
Part of Maryland’s coastal plain, the Atlantic Plain, is separated into two parts by the deep inland pressing Chesapeake Bay.
The Eastern Shore, on the east coast, is low and flat. The Western Shore, the west coast, is like the east coast strongly articulated but more hilly and higher.
Rivers
The major rivers in Maryland are the Potomac, which flows along the state’s western border, and the Susquehanna, which traverses the northeast corner of the state.
The Potomac and the Susquehanna open into Chesapeake Bay. There are many swamps along this bay.
Climate and Vacation
Maryland has a varied climate, which varies by altitude, proximity to water, and gusts that protect an area from colder weather.
In the south and east, the climate is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, in the west by the mountains.
Major tourist attractions include the scenic areas and beaches of the Eastern Shore and the Allegheny Mountains in western Maryland.
Cities Maryland
Besides the capital Annapolis and the largest city Baltimore are a number of cities in Maryland: Frederick, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Bowie, Hagerstown, College Park, Salisbury, Laurel.
Maryland counties
The American state of Maryland is administratively subdivided into 23 counties.
In addition, there is the independent city of Baltimore, which does not belong to any county. The Baltimore administration also assumes the duties associated with a county.
Maryland
The US state of Maryland borders the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, Virginia and the District of Columbia. In the southeast, the state lies on the Atlantic Ocean.
Monocacy National Battlefield
During the American Civil War, which took place in the years 1861-1865, many bloody and difficult battles took place between the Union States and the Confederate States. This war was also sometimes referred to as the War of the North against the South, and one of the main reasons why there were numerous conflicts was the disagreement over the abolition of slavery. However, there were many reasons, mostly of a political nature, and the issue of slavery was thus only a cover.
One of the important battles of the American Civil War took place on the Monocacy River on July 9, 1864. Here, General Early’s Confederate forces defeated General Wallace’s troops, which were considerably weaker. However, it was a rather problematic victory, mainly because the day-long hard and grueling battle deprived Confederate forces of an opportunity to attack Washington DC, which was virtually undefended at the time. The only goal of the Northerners at the time was to delay the Confederate troops, and therefore the battle can also be considered a kind of victory for the Union. The attack took too much time for the Confederacy, so that it could not fulfill its goal of occupying the Union capital before the arrival of the main forces of the Northerners.
The Battle of Monocacy was also attended by the American lawyer, soldier, statesman and prominent writer General Lewis Wallace, who fought on the Union side and helped hold back the Confederate troops during the fighting. In the years 1878-1881 he was the governor of the territory of New Mexico and in the years 1881-1885 he was the ambassador of the United States of America to the then Ottoman Empire. Wallace was the author of a number of famous books, the most successful of which was the novel Ben Hur, which was published in 1880. With 50 million copies sold, it ranks among the most successful bestsellers in history. Monocacy later became a historically significant site called the Monocacy National Battlefield.
Piscataway Park
Piscataway Park is located about 20 miles southwest of Washington DC, near Accokeek. The park protects Marshall Hall, a significant historic site that once served as the stately home of the Marshall family. Dating back to the early 18th century, the house was a beautiful structure located on the banks of the Potomac River. The Marshall family was a minor noble but owned more than 80 slaves. Unfortunately, a large part of this colonial house was destroyed by fire, so only the main walls have survived to this day and the rest of the building is in ruins. In 1980, the place was nevertheless declared a nationally important historical site. Nowadays, work is being done on its restoration.
The park also includes the National Colonial Farm, which was an important tobacco factory around the 1700s. Many buildings are still open to the public today, so people can get to know an example of living history here. The barn, smokehouse, outdoor kitchen and also the residential building are accessible. Today, actors in period costumes demonstrate various techniques such as candle making, gardening or sewing.
Piscataway Park is located on the banks of the Potomac River, not far from Mount Vernon. The park has become home to many species of wild animals, especially birds such as the bald eagle or the sea eagle. Among mammals, you can see beavers, deer, squirrels and many others. The park has a diverse nature, there are wetlands, meadows and forests. Piscataway Park is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS) and is also managed by National Capital Parks – East.
