Maryland Manual 1994-1995

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; two outlets to the Atlantic Ocean: to the
north through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal
in Cecil County; and to the south through the
mouth of the Bay between the Virginia capes.

BOATING WATERS

Twenty-three rivers and bays with more than 400
miles of water tributary to the Chesapeake Bay;
Chincoteague Bay with 35 miles of water accessible
to and from the Atlantic Ocean; 23,000 wet boat
slips (1993 est.); 195 public State and local boat
ramps and access points; 180,391 State-registered
boats (174,296 pleasure boats; 3,153 commercial
fishing boats; 2,942 others); 8,856 federally docu-
mented vessels principally used in Maryland.

WATER FRONTAGE

Sixteen of the 23 counties and Baltimore City bor-
der on tidal water. Length of tidal shoreline, includ-
ing islands, 4,431 miles.

SEAFOOD PRODUCTION

Maryland is a prominent producer and processor of
seafood and a national leader in the production of
blue crabs and soft clams. In 1992, dockside value
of Maryland seafood products totaled about $32
million, which in turn created over S372 million in
value-added products and provided jobs for 14,000
people.

1992 Landings Dockside Value
Crabs ...... 31,103,000 Ibs. . . . $19,306,000
Finfish. ...... 9,250,000 Ibs. ... $ 6,482,000
Oysters ....... 197,000 bu $ 4,081,000
Soft Clams .... 30,000 bu. . . . S 1,936,000

MINERAL PRODUCTION

Stone
crushed (23,000,000 short tons) $123,500,000
dimension* (24,000 short tons) $ 1,800,000
* stone cut to size specifications
Sand/Gravel (14,000,000 short
tons) .................... $ 79,800,000
Portland Cement (1,531,000 short
tons) .................... $ 78,081,000
Clays (282,019 metric tons)
(excludes ball clav) .......... $ 1,309,000
Total value .................. $284,789,000

Fuel Minerals, 1990 Value
Bituminous Coal (3,487,000 short
tons) .................... $ 91,000,000
Natural Gas (22,000,000 cubic feet) $ 25,000

Maryland at a Glance /3

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture remains the largest single land use in
Maryland, with roughly 36% of total land area used
for farming. In 1992, the estimated 15,600 farms
in the State averaged 141 acres each. For every
on-farm job, 10 farm-dependent jobs were cre-
ated.Gross farm income for Maryland totaled a
record high of$1.58 billion in 1992.

Maryland's Top Farm Production Values, 1992
Poultry & Eggs ............... $448,200,000
broiler chickens. ............ $403,900,000
eggs ..................... $ 44,300,000
Field Crops .................. $273,500,000
soybeans................. $ 94,500,000
corn ..................... $ 94,500,000
wheat.................... $ 38,800,000
tobacco. .................. $ 20,900,000
hay ...................... $ 17,100,000
barley .................... $ 7,700,000
Greenhouse & Nursery Products . $208,700,000
Dairy Products ............... $200,800,000
Vegetables & Melons. .......... $ 67,300,000
Forest Products ............... $ 29,300,000
Fruit Nut Crops. .............. $ 13,200,000

AQUACULTURE

Aquaculture, or fish farming, is a significant industry
in Maryland. The wholesale value of aquacultural
products grown in the State totaled nearly $12.8
million in 1992. Aquaculture produces a variety of
finfish, shellfish, and aquatic specialities. "Growouts,"
young fish (fingerlings) grown to marketable size, are
the major type ofaquaculture, but fingerling or seed
production (young grown to feeding size) and hatch-
eries are also important.

MARYLAND'S ECONOMY, 1982—1992

The services sector, with 30% of the total, is the largest
employer in Maryland, followed by retail trades and
government. From 1982 to 1992, Maryland's service
industry grew at a rate of 75% , five times faster than
other industries. This sector consists mainly of estab-
lishments such as computer firms, hotels, auto repair
shops, janitorial services, and hospitals which provide
services to individuals, businesses, and government.
The largest concentration of service industries is found
in Montgomery County, where in 1992, some 36.1%
of the work force is employed in services.

Federal, State and local governments employed
394,232 in 1992 (19.3%). The State and local
government workforce was 259,943, a decline from
281,174 in 1990. Maryland now ranks 45th among
states in the number of government employees per
100,000 residents, down from 18th a decade ago.
The 85,644 State employees comprise about
21.7% of the total government workforce.

By 1992, manufacturing ranked 4th after services,
trade, and government, with 9% of total employment.