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Maryland Physical Geography
Land
Maryland has five major regions, which cross the state generally northeast-southwest. All except the Coastal Plain are parts of the Appalachian Highlands region.
The Coastal Plain occupies both shores of Chesapeake Bay and makes up more than half of the state. The section east of the bay is part of the Delmarva Peninsula and is known as the Eastern Shore; the western part is sometimes called the Western Shore. The entire region is flat and sandy; much of it lies near tidewater and is marshy. Numerous islands dot Chesapeake Bay. Long sand bars, notably Assateague Island, fringe the Atlantic coast.
The Piedmont Plateau, lying west of the Coastal Plain, is an upland region of rolling to hilly terrain. It rises from the Coastal Plain along the fall line, a belt of gently sloping land extending from Washington, D.C., through Baltimore to the head of Chesapeake Bay. Waterfalls, such as the Great Falls of the Potomac, mark its path.
The Blue Ridge is a mountainous region that rises sharply at the western edge of the Piedmont Plateau. It consists of Catoctin and South mountains, both being prongs of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The highest point is about 2,100 feet (640 m).
The Appalachian Ridge and Valley region is the heart of the Appalachian system. It stretches westward from the Blue Ridge and is made up of nearly parallel mountain ranges separated by valleys. Chief among the valleys is a portion of the Great Valley. In Maryland it is known as Hagerstown Valley; across the Potomac in Virginia it is called the Shenandoah Valley.
The Allegheny Plateau covers the western tip of Maryland. Across the plateau, and forming its eastern edge, lie some of the parallel ranges of the Alleghenies. Backbone Mountain, 3,360 feet (1,024 m) above sea level, is the highest point in the state.
Water
Maryland's inland water consists almost entirely of river estuaries and inlets on Chesapeake Bay. Except in the extreme eastern and western parts of the state, rivers drain into Chesapeake Bay. Major rivers flowing from the west include the Susquehanna, Patapsco, Patuxent, and Potomac. Of the four, the Potomac has by far the largest basin. Among the chief rivers on the Eastern Shore are the Pocomoke, Nanticoke, Choptank, and Chester.
Maryland's reservoirs, used mainly for water supply and recreation, are relatively small. There are no large natural lakes.
Climate
Maryland has a continental type of climate that varies considerably with elevation and distance from the sea. Summers in much of the state are generally warm to hot. They are often oppressively hot and humid near the coast. Average July temperatures range from about 80° F. (27° C.) in the southern part of the Eastern Shore to 68° F. (20° C.) on the Allegheny Plateau. Winters are mild except in the mountains. Average January temperatures vary from roughly 40° F. (4° C.) in the extreme southeast to 29° F. (-2° C.) in the western mountains.
Precipitation is fairly well distributed throughout the year. Most of the state receives between 40 and 46 inches (1,020 to 1,170 mm); the extreme eastern and western parts receive slightly more. Snowfall is heavy in the western mountains, averaging somewhat more than 70 inches (1,780 mm) each year. The amount decreases eastward to only 9 inches (230 mm) in the southern part of the Eastern Shore.
Natural Vegitation
Forests cover about 40 per cent of the state. Deciduous trees predominate in the mountains and on the Piedmont, where oaks, hickories, yellow poplar, beech, and black gum are the main species. Pines and other conifers intermix with the deciduous trees in some areas. The northern part of the Coastal Plain has mixed forests, while in the south conifers prevail.
Interesting facts about Maryland
* The largest white oak tree in the United States is the Wye Oak in Wye Mills. This tree is 107 feet (33 meters) tall and has a circumference of 34 1/2 feet (10.5 meters) at the base of the trunk.The tree was more than 400 years old when it was felled during a powerful thunderstorm on June 6, 2003. Some of the wood from the Wye Oak was used to make a desk for the office of the governor of Maryland.
* The first umbrella factory in the United States was established in Baltimore in 1828. The slogan "Born in Baltimore—raised everywhere" came to describe the umbrellas made there.
* The first elevated electric railway in the United States was built in Baltimore in 1893.
* Jousting is the official state sport of Maryland. Visitors may watch a form of Old English jousting in which galloping riders try to catch small rings on a spear. Several tournaments are held during the year.
* The Baltimore Department of Health is the oldest continuously operating municipal health department in the United States. It was organized in 1793 to help prevent the spreading of diseases.
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