Wikijunior:North America/United States/Maryland

Maryland is a state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east. The state capital is Annapolis and its largest city is Baltimore.

History
Maryland was originally founded as an English Colony by George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, who sought to establish a sanctuary for Catholics persecuted in England. In 1632, King Charles I of England granted Lord Baltimore a colonial charter, which was then passed on to his son, Cecil Calvert. The first settlers, lead by Cecil's brother Leonard, arrived on March 25, 1634. Throughout the 17th century, Maryland faced religious conflict between Catholics and Puritans. Maryland's current boundaries were established in 1760 after a long-running border dispute with neighboring Pennsylvania. Although few battles were fought in the state during the American Revolution, many of Maryland's citizens joined the Continental Army. Maryland officially became a state on April 28, 1788. Although it was a slave state at the time, Maryland chose to remain with the Union during the Civil War.

Geography
Maryland has a total area of 12,406.88 square miles (32,133.2 km2). It is comparable in size to the European country of Belgium. It is bordered by Virginia and the District of Columbia to the south, West Virginia to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Included in its boundaries is the Chesapeake Bay, which is one of the most productive estuaries in the world.

People
In 2020, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of Maryland was 6,185,278. In 2020, 58.5% of people in Maryland were White/Caucasian, 31.1% were Black, 6.7% were Asian, and 0.6% were Native American.

State Symbols

 * The state nicknames are The Old Line State, The Free State, Little America, and America in Miniature
 * The state motto is "Fatti maschii, parole femine". It is Latin for "Strong Deeds, Gentle Words".
 * The state bird is the Baltimore oriole
 * The state boat is the skipjack
 * The state cat is the calico cat
 * The state crustacean is the blue crab
 * The state dessert is Smith Island Cake
 * The state dinosaur is the Astrodon
 * The state dog is the Chesapeake Bay Retriever
 * The state drink is milk
 * The state exercise is walking
 * The state fish is the rockfish
 * The state flower is the black-eyed Susan
 * The state folk dance is the square dance
 * The state fossil is Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae
 * The state gem is the Patuxent River stone
 * The state horse is the Thoroughbred horse
 * The state insect is the Baltimore checkerspot butterfly
 * The state reptile is the diamondback terrapin
 * The state sports are jousting and lacrosse
 * The state tree is the white oak
 * The state theater is Center Stage
 * The state summer theater is the Onley Theater Center