NAME
Maryland was named in honor of Queen Henrietta
Maria (1609-1666), wife of Charles I of England
and daughter of Henry IV of France

STATE CAPITAL

Annapolis The original capital was St Mary's
City In 1694, the General Assembly designated
Anne Arundel Town the capital After Queen
Mary's death in December 1694, Anne Arundel
Town was renamed Annapolis for Queen Mary's
sister and heiress apparent, Princess Anne The
government moved to Annapolis in February
1694/5, when the site was still known as Anne
Arundel Town

STATEHOOD

April 28,1788, the seventh state

GOVERNMENT

Executive The Governor, elected by popular vote
for a four-year term, is the chief executive of the
State Fifteen cabinet-level executive departments
oversee most State agencies

Legislative The General Assembly, Maryland's
bicameral legislature, consists of a 47-member
Senate and a 141 member House of Delegates
As of January 1991, the Senate has 38 Democrats
and 9 Republicans, the House of Delegates in-
cludes 116 Democrats and 25 Republicans An
nually, the General Assembly convenes to enact
laws on the second Wednesday in January for a
90 day session

Judicial The Judiciary consists of four court
divisions the Court of Appeals, the Court of Spe-
cial Appeals, the Circuit Courts, and the District
Court

Local Of the 50 states, Maryland is among those
with the fewest number of local governments
Local government exists in Maryland's 23 counties,
154 municipal corporations (including Baltimore
City), and special taxing districrs

LOCATION

Highway distance from Central Maryland (in
miles) Boston, 392, Chicago, 668, New York City,
196; Philadelphia, 96, Pittsburgh, 218, Richmond,
143; Washington, DC, 37

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 Potomac River, shortest
north-south, 1 9 miles—Pennsylvania line to south
bank of Potomac River near Hancock, farthest
points northwest corner to southeast corner at
Atlantic Ocean, 254 7 miles

AREA

Land 9,837 sq miles
Inland Water 623 sq miles
Chesapeake Bay 1,726 sq miles
Total 12,186sq miles
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, a natural line running from Delaware
boundary, around head of Chesapeake Bay,
through Baltimore, and southwest to
Washington, where streams drop to lower land
level, Piedmont or "Foothill" province from Fall
Line to base of Catoctin Mountains, Appalachian
province from base of Catoctin Mountains to
western boundary of State Mean elevation, 350
feet, maximum elevation, 3,360 feet at Backbone
Mountain

CLIMATE

Generally moderate, varies from mild to hot in
summer, and in winter from moderate in the east
and south to very cold in the western mountains
Average annual rainfall 41 82 inches Average
seasonal snowfall 21 6 inches, ranging from 10
inches on the southern Eastern Shore to 110
inches in Garrett County Average annual
temperature 55 1 degrees Fahrenheit, with high
temperatures in July, the warmest month, averag-
ing in the low 80s and the low temperatures in
January, the coldest month, averaging in the low
30s Duration of the freeze free period averages
185 days, ranging from 130 days in Garrett
County to 230 days in the southern Chesapeake
Bay area

FOREST AREA

More than 2,798,000 acres, or approximately 44%
of the land surface Chief forest products are lum
ber, pulpwood, and piling Nine State forests, one
State forest nursery, and four demonstration forests
cover 132,944 acres