subject: Where Is Baltimore [print this page] Baltimore is the largest city in the state of Maryland, and the sixth-largest in the United States, with nearly a million people living there. It is situated at the mouth of the Patapsco River, near where the river flows into Chesapeake Bay. The harbor of Baltimore is one of the busiest and most important in the United States. Ships from all over the world bring cargoes to Baltimore, and carry goods away from it. Baltimore is also a great railroad center. Almost every kind of manufacturing is done in Baltimore, including shipbuilding, food processing, oyster packing, copper refining, and airplane manufactur ing. The people make many other products. The largest spice factory in the world is in Baltimore. The city is also famous for its many universities and its medical school. One of the first things you would notice if you visited Baltimore are the rows and rows of houses that look exactly alike. The houses are of red brick and each has a tiny white stoop, or set of steps, in front of it. You can also see Druid Hill Park, one of the finest parks in the United States, and the Washington Monument, 164 feet high, which was built in honor of George Washington. The city has so many monuments that it has been called "the Monumental City." Baltimore was settled more than two hundred years ago, and many important events have taken place there. In the War of 1812, Baltimore was bravely defended against a British attack. During the bombardment of Fort McHenry, near Baltimore, Francis Scott Key wrote the words of The Star Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States. The first railroad in the United States, the Baltimore & Ohio, was started in the city. The "Baltimore Clipper," a famous type of sailing vessel used more than a hundred years ago, was built in the Baltimore shipyards. The first electric telegraph line was built from Baltimore to Washington.
