Maryland is one of the smallest states in the United States: it ranks 42nd in terms of area, with 21% of it being water surface. However, its topography and landscapes are so diverse that the state is often referred to as America in miniature.
Sand dunes dotted with seaweed in the east, wild swampy lowlands and huge cypresses by the bay, rounded hills with oak forests in the north and pine groves in the mountains in the west…. Forests are the main wealth of the state, it is considered one of the most environmentally friendly in America. Characteristically, the rest of the space (in the northern and western parts) is occupied by cities, between which it is difficult to distinguish the boundaries. For a long time the largest city in the state, Baltimore, and 12 other Maryland counties make up a single agglomeration with the capital of the United States, Washington, D.C., which is home to more than 8 million people. This figure includes the bulk of Maryland’s population, who have places to work and places to relax.
Wonderful conditions for recreation offer sea resorts located in the area of Ocean City on the Atlantic Ocean, where tourists come from other American states, as well as an artificial lake Deep Creek on the western tip of the state. A surprising feature of Maryland is that it has no natural lakes, but many artificial reservoirs.
Maryland is located on the east coast of the United States. It is bordered by the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the District of Columbia metropolitan area. Most of the state is occupied by the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. There are no other major cities in the state.