Baltimore, Maryland, United States. History, Economy, Climate
Baltimore is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maryland. Baltimore was established by the Constitution of Maryland and is an independent city that is not part of any county. Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States.
LOCATION
Baltimore lies in an arm of the Chesapeake Bay, the third largest estuary in the world. The eastern two-thirds of the metropolitan area lie on the Atlantic Coastal Plain, between 15 and 50 feet above sea level, and contain many peninsulas jutting out into the bay. The western third of the city slowly rises into rolling hills, and leads to the piedmont region. It is located about 40 miles from Washington, D.C., and approximately 100 miles from Philadelphia. The Atlantic Ocean lies about 2 hours to the southeast.
HISTORY
European colonization of Maryland began with the arrival of an English ship at St. Clement's Island in the Potomac River.Europeans began to settle the area further north, beginning to populate the area of Baltimore County.
Baltimore has a long and rich history. It is very well-known for being the site of the historic Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. Over the course of the battle, British invaders bombed Fort McHenry with rockets as Francis Scott Key wrote what would become the American national anthem. Baltimore was also the site of the first casualty of the American Civil War.
POPULATION
Baltimore is the 30th-most populous city in the United States. A little under half (47%) of people in Baltimore report affiliating with a religion. Catholicism is the largest religious affiliation.
EDUCATION
Baltimore is also home to Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, University of Baltimore, Loyola University, Goucher College, and the Notre Dame of Maryland University.
CLIMATE
Baltimore lies within the humid subtropical climate zone. Winters are chilly to mild but variable, with sporadic snowfall: January has a daily average of 2.1 °C though temperatures reach 10 °C rather often and drop below −7 °C when Arctic air masses affect the area. The average seasonal snowfall is 20.1 inches.
Spring and autumn are warm, with spring being the wettest season in terms of the number of precipitation days. Summers are hot and humid with a daily average in July of 27.1 °C, and the combination of heat and humidity leads to rather frequent thunderstorms.
COMMUNICATION
The Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) is located a few miles outside of the city and is accessible by car or light rail. Shuttles connect BWI to an Amtrak train station just off the airport grounds.
There are non-stop flights to BWI from just about every major airport in the country.
Buses are an affordable way to to get in to Baltimore if you are already in the Eastern Seaboard, especially if you are coming from New York or Philadelphia.
ARCHITECTURE
The city is rich in architecturally significant buildings in a variety of styles. Baltimore exhibits examples from each period of architecture over more than two centuries, and work from many famous architects such as Benjamin Latrobe, George A. Frederick, John Russell Pope, Mies van der Rohe and I. M. Pei.
ECONOMY
Baltimore's economy based on steel processing, shipping, auto manufacturing (General Motors Baltimore Assembly), and transportation.
The center of international commerce for the region is the World Trade Center Baltimore. It houses the Maryland Port Administration and U.S. headquarters for major shipping lines.
Baltimore's history and attractions have allowed the city to become a strong tourist destination on the East Coast.
TOURISM
Baltimore is a popular tourist destination in Maryland, in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Today it has become a major center for tourism and travel. Baltimore possesses a vibrant arts scene with the largest free arts festival in the US occurring annually in July.