MARYLAND AT A GLACE
Population— 2,343,001; 24th state in rank (1950 U. S. Census).
Area—10,577 square miles (9,881 land, 696 inland water); 41st state
in size (U. S. Census).
Geophysics—Maryland is divided into three chief regions: Appala-
chian area, Piedmont Plateau, and Coastal Plain. First is moun-
tainous, Great Backbone Mountain, Garrett County, highest peak
3,360 feet. Piedmont Plateau is rich agricultural hilly land. Coastal
Plain includes south and east of "Fall Line," so-called for frequency
of waterfalls. Land drops to near sea level in Coastal Plain.
Chesapeake Bay—State's chief body of water, 180 miles long, 3 to 30
miles wide, greater producer of sea food than any comparable area.
Chief Rivers—Potomac, Susquehanna, Choptank, Nanticoke, Elk,
Patapsco, Sassafras, Magothy, Severn, Gunpowder, Bush, Miles,
and Chester.
Water Frontage—Baltimore harbor, about 40 miles; Chesapeake Bay
and estuaries, 3,600 miles. Chesapeake and Delaware Canal fur-
nishes an inland route to the sea capable of handling most mer-
chant ships.
Forest Area—2,685,000 acres, about 42 percent of the State's land
surface. Estimated value (1951) $66,000,000. State Forests—
Green Ridge 25,451 acres; Elk Neck 3,762; Doncaster 1,464; Cedar-
ville 3,510; Mt. Nebo 1,791; Potomac 12,057; Savage River 52,672;
Swallow Falls 7,458; Seth Demonstration 124; Pocomoke 12,377;
State Forest Nursery 100. Total—120,766 acres.
State Parks— Elk Neck 995 acres; Gambrill 1,088; Gathland 101
(under development); Patapsco 1,564; Wye Oak 1.5; Fort Fred-
erick 279; Fort Tonoloway (undeveloped) 20; Washington Monu-
ment 96; Sandy Point 725 (under development); Dans Mountain
100; Seneca Creek 2,000 (projected); The Rocks 928 (projected).
Total—7,897.5 acres.
Industries— Product value $1,140,000,000 (1947 U. S. Census); most
important, food and kindred products, transportation equipment,
chemicals and allied products, apparel and related products, fabri-
cated metals, printing and publishing, machinery.
Agriculture—Product value $248,816,000 (including 1950 crop value,
livestock and poultry on farms Jan. 1, 1951, and 1950 commercial
broiler production). Important products—chickens, dairy products,
corn, tobacco, vegetables, wheat. Maryland leads all States in
tomato canning.
Seafood Production—Oysters 2,702,814 bushels (1949-50 season) ; Blue
crabs 42,727,106 pounds; soft crabs 11,291,557, total value
$2,362,600 (1950 season) ; Finfish—total Maryland landings 19,914,-
696 pounds, total value $1,678,990 (1949); major species—river
herring 4,965,620 pounds; striped bass 2,608,059; croakers 2,361,485;
porgies 1,524,352; shad 1,084,579; white perch 1,099,830; fluke
727,062.
Mine Output—Coal 646,240 tons (1950); fire clay 97,612 (1950).
Baltimore's Port—Ranked second in total foreign trade tonnage
(1950), handled 2,581,415 tons of export goods and 10,797,544 tons
of imports.
Cities—(over 10,000 population) Baltimore 949,708; Cumberland
37,679; Hagerstown 36,260; Frederick 18,142; Salisbury 15,141;
Takoma Park 13,341; Hyattsville 12,308; College Park 11,170;
Mt. Rainier 10,989; Cambridge 10,351; Annapolis 10,047.
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