The Different Regions of Maryland - Military Personnel and Spouses Relocating to Maryland - PROVET

• Western Region
• Capital Region
• Central Region
• Eastern Region

This is mountain country, and it's perfect for anyone with a passion for the Great Outdoors. State parks pepper the region and offer an abundance of opportunities for hiking, biking, fishing, bird watching, and boating. Swing by Washington Monument State Park in Washington County to see the first-ever monument erected to George Washington. Travel to Cumberland and Allegany County to hop aboard the historic Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. The old steam engine navigates the hills and valleys of this beautiful region. Garrett County is the home of Deep Creek Lake, Maryland's largest freshwater lake and a four-season getaway for outdoor enthusiasts.

The rolling Appalachian mountains of Western Maryland are fresh-air havens for hiking, hunting, camping, skiing and fishing. You can climb Maryland's highest mountain, swim in numerous lakes, hike the Appalachian Trail, brave whitewater rapids or enjoy all kinds of winter sports from skiing to ice fishing. The three counties of Western Maryland, where fall foliage arrives first and winter usually stays the longest, were Maryland's last frontier. This part of the state is in the Appalachian Mountain region, where apples, peaches, maple syrup, honey and lumber are abundant.

Maryland's Capital Region is the area that directly surrounds Washington, D.C. The Capital Region's history spans three centuries of Maryland and American life, from the earliest colonists to the pioneers in space flight. Here you'll find peaceful farmland as well as bustling cities and suburbs. In 1791, Maryland donated land from Montgomery and Prince George's counties to be used for the nation's new capital city, Washington, D.C.

This region is where Francis Scott Key practiced law before earning fame as the writer of the Star-Spangled Banner. It is also home to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, a one-of-a-kind facility that documents medical advancements during that tumultuous time in American history. You can hike through fabulous state or national parks, spend some time antiques shopping, or visit Antietam National Battlefield, site of the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. You can also simulate flight at a new museum on the grounds of the oldest airport in the United States (it's where the Wright brothers taught others how to fly!) or admire the beautiful artwork on a bridge that has become the focus of national attention. Once an important farming area, the Capital Region is known today for its many high-tech industries and research centers in the fields of telecommunications, electronics, computers, health and medicine.

The area surrounding the cities of Baltimore and Annapolis is called Central Maryland. The area varies from the state's historic capital, Annapolis, to its largest city, Baltimore, from waterfront villages and mill towns to the gently rolling hills of horse country and the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Horse farms dot the landscape, and old mill towns like Ellicott City and Savage have been transformed into meccas for antiques lovers. This is wine country, too. When in Baltimore County, drive along the stretches of pasture surrounded by white fences and see where thoroughbred horses are raised. In Howard County, stop by the historic Ellicott City B&O Railroad Station Museum to learn more about the railroad made famous by the Monopoly board game, or simply stroll that town's Main Street, taking in the array of merchandise in the boutiques or eyeing down the perfect donut at the neighborhood bakery.

In the Central Region, you can visit Fort McHenry, birthplace of the "Star-Spangled Banner," or take in a ballgame at the world-famous Oriole Park at Camden Yards. In Annapolis, you can take sailing lessons, walk along the history-packed streets of this "museum without walls" or get a little misty-eyed when the Naval Academy band strikes up "Anchors Aweigh."

This area is part of two geographic regions, the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the Piedmont Plateau, so the variety of industries in this area ranges from mining marble, granite and other stones to harvesting fish and seafood. This is where some of the most important events in state and national history took place and where people are still making history.

People sometimes forget that the Chesapeake Bay has a western shore, too. That's why Southern Maryland is one of the state's best-kept secrets. In Calvert County, you can tour a lighthouse, take a boat cruise or organize a fossil-hunting expedition at a nearby beach. Charles County is a fisherman's paradise; many anglers swear that they've never seen waters more bountiful than those of the Potomac River. Neighboring St. Mary's County is home to the state's original capital. Historic St. Mary's City is now a living history museum at which costumed interpreters demonstrate the 17th-century way of life. Maryland was one of the 13 original U.S. colonies and a visit to this region gives you a glimpse into the lives of its first settlers.

In St. Mary's, Calvert and Charles counties, there are landmarks that help you learn about earlier - even prehistoric - times. These three counties are located in the Atlantic Coastal Plain and are easy to reach by water. Many of the people who live there still farm tobacco, corn, wheat and soybeans, and harvest fish and shellfish from the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac and Patuxent rivers.

Maryland's Eastern Shore is nearly separated from the rest of the state by the expansive Chesapeake Bay. Historic villages like Chesapeake City, Chestertown and St. Michaels combine colonial charm with waterside wonders on the Upper Shore, while such Lower Shore towns as Cambridge and Crisfield provide colorful glimpses into the life of Chesapeake Bay watermen. Wicomico County on the lower shore is home to the Salisbury Zoo, one of the finest small zoos in the country, and to the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, a showcase for the fine art of decoy carving. Crabs are prevalent, as you'll certainly find, but this area is also a haven for birds of all kinds. Visit the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge or canoe along the Pocomoke River to catch glimpses of creatures you'd never see elsewhere.

The Eastern Shore is in the Atlantic Coastal Plain region, between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean and is part of the Delmarva Peninsula. It is mostly flat farmland where wheat, corn, tomatoes and other crops grow, and where poultry and cattle are raised. If you head all the way down the Eastern Shore, you'll end up in Ocean City, Maryland's beach resort, where sand and sun combine for vacation fun. Or you can hop on a ferry boat and head for a remote island whose inhabitants still speak with a slight Elizabethan accent, or drive to nearby Assateague Island National Seashore and spend some time with the famous wild ponies there.

Updated October 7, 2009