Maryland Homeland Security and Emergency Services Resources

Prehistoric Indians inhabited Maryland as early as 10,000 B.C. and by 1,000 B.C. the area had about 40 different tribes of Indians totaling more than 8,000 people. Although the Spanish and some Virginian's had traveled to Maryland, the first colonial settlement was built on Kent Island in 1631.

Cecil Calvert, an English nobleman was granted the land in 1632. Calvert wanted to make the region a place where all Christians could be free to worship as they pleased and believed this would result in a quick growth and development of the colony.

Maryland became the 7th state on April 28, 1788 and the following year ceded land to the government chosen by George Washington for the creation of the nations capital, Washington D.C.. The land came from Montgomery, Fairfax, Prince George's Counties and Alexandria in Virginia. But, the portion of land in Alexandria was later receded back to Virginia.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, households in Maryland are the wealthiest in the entire country. Transportation centered around the Port of Baltimore handles numerous products including the import of petroleum, sugar, iron ore and fertilizers. It also receives several brands of imported automobiles and is the number two port in the nation.

With Maryland's close proximity to Washington D.C., a large portion of its economy is government related. The state's capital, Annapolis, is home to the United States Naval Academy. The state handles both administrative and technical tasks for the defense and aerospace industry and has several bio-research facilities as well.