| Maryland
. . .
The flag of Maryland was adopted
in 1904. Maryland's flag is
the only US state flag based
on British heraldry, the coats
of arms of noble families. The
flag's design was based on the
coat of arms adopted by George
Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore.
Maryland was founded as an English
colony in 1634 by Cecil Calvert,
the second Lord Baltimore. The
alternating yellow and black
are from Lord Calvert's family
shield; the red and white design
is either from Calvert's maternal
family, the Crosslands, or his
wife's family, the Mynnes.
Maryland was admitted as a
state on April 28, 1788 as the
7th state. The capital city
is Annapolis and largest city
is Baltimore. Maryland is bordered
by the Chesapeake Bay, Pennsylvania
on the north, Virginia on the
south. Maryland is bordered
on the east by the Atlantic
Ocean and Delaware. On the west
Maryland is borderes by West
Virginia and Virginia.
Maryland produces more seafood,
oysters, crabs, clams and fin
fish. Agriculture in Maryland
is the largest single land use
with more than 2,000,000 acres
of farms and more than 32% of
total land area used for farming.
Important agricultural products
are greenhouse and nursery products,
broiler chickens , dairy products,
hogs and pigs, eggs, and soybeans.
Stone, coal, sand, gravel, cement,
and clay are the chief mineral
products. Manufacturing industries
include food products, chemicals,
computer and electronic products,
transportation equipment, and
primary metals.
Maryland enjoys four seasons.
Summers are generally warm with
averages in the 80's and milder
days and cooler nights along
the coastal areas. Snow is heavy
and winters cold, with the greatest
snow accumulations in the mountains.
Lows in the winter are quite
often below zero temperatures.
Annual precipitation averages
near 45 inches.
Maryland has 24 counties:
Allegany
Anne Arundel Baltimore
Calvert Caroline
Carroll Cecil Charles
Dorchester
Frederick Garrett
Harford Howard Kent
Montgomery
Prince George's Queen
Anne's St. Mary's Somerset
Talbot Washington
Wicomico Worcester
Baltimore City
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state - Maryland