Population—3,922,399 in 1970 census;
ranked 18th among the states.
Estimated Population, July 1, 1976 —
4,155,500.
Area—In square miles: land, 9,874; inland
water, 703; Chesapeake Bay, 1,726; total,
12,303. Ranks 42nd among the states.
Physiography—Divided into three provinces
with progressively higher altitudes from east
to west; Coastal Plain province extends from
Atlantic Ocean to Fall Line; Piedmont or
"Foothill," province from Fall Line to crest
of the Catoctin Mountains; Appalachian
province from crest of Catoctin Mountains
lo western boundary of State. Mean eleva-
tion, 350 feet; maximum elevation, 3,360
feet on Backbone Mountain.
Distances—Longest East-West, 198.6 miles
—Fairfax Stone to Delaware Line. North-
South, 125.5 miles—Pennsylvania line to
Virginia line at Smith Point on south-shore
mouth of the Potomac River. Shortest
North-South, 1.9 miles—Pennsylvania line
to south bank of Potomac River, near Han-
cock. Farthest points northwest corner to
southeast corner at Atlantic Ocean, 254.7
miles.
Climate—Generally moderate, the climate
varies from mild to hot in summer and in
winter from moderate in the east and south
to very cold in the mountainous region.
Average annual rainfall, 41.65"; average
annual snowfall, 26.70"; temperature aver-
age 64.4° F. maximum, 43.7° F. minimum,
and 54° F. mean.
Chesapeake Bay—195 miles long with 1,726
square miles in Maryland and 1,511 square
miles in Virginia. Varies in width from 3 to
20 miles. Navigable for ocean-going ships
and has two outlets to the Atlantic Ocean,
one through the Chesapeake and Delaware
Canal, one through the mouth of the Bay
between the Virginia capes.
Chief Rivers—Potomac, Wye, Patuxent,
Susquehanna, Choptank, Nanticoke, Elk, |
Magothy, Patapsco, Sassafras, South, Severn,
Gunpowder, Tred Avon, Bush, Miles,
Chester, Northeast, Wicomico, Pocomoke,
and Great Bohemia.
Boating Waters—Twenty-three rivers and
bays with more than 400 miles of water
tributary to the Chesapeake Bay; Chinco-
teague Bay with 35 miles of water accessible
to and from the Atlantic Ocean.
Water Frontage—Sixteen of the 23 coun-
ties and Baltimore City border on tidal
water. Length of tidal shoreline, including
islands, 3,190 miles.
Forest Area—More than 2,970,000 acres,
or approximately 47 per cent of the land
surface. Chief forest products are lumber,
pulpwood and piling. Nine State forests and
one State forest nursery cover 118,362
acres.
State Parks and Recreation Areas—Thirty-
four operational State parks covering 63,525
acres; 66 lakes and ponds open to public
fishing; 9 State forests and portions of nine
State parks open to public hunting; 31 wild-
life management areas covering 64,799
acres open to public hunting; 3 natural en-
vironment areas containing approximately
5,700 acres.
Manufactures, 1975—Number of establish-
ments, 2,471; total employees, 252,000;
total payroll, $2,521,456,380; total value
added by manufactures, $4,686,400,000.
Most important manufactures: food and
kindred products, primary metal products,
electric and electronic products; transporta-
tion equipment; chemical and allied prod-
ucts, machinery (except electrical).
Agriculture, 1974—17,600 farms covering
2,940,000 acres. Total farm receipts $621,-
919,000; Most valuable farm products:
poultry and poultry products $167,395,000;
field crops, $198,163,000; dairy products,
$130,816,000; value of crops: corn, $85,-
844,000; soybeans, $54,830,000; vegetables,
$24,872,000; tobacco, $28,556,000; fruits,
nuts and berries, $8,665,000; value of live- |
