Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore is an independent city located in the state of Maryland in the United States of America. As of 2010, the population of Baltimore City was 620,961 and the Baltimore Metropolitan Area (MSA) had approximately 2.6 million residents in 2005. Baltimore is also part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area (CMSA) of approximately 8.1 million residents. Baltimore is the largest city in Maryland; its metropolitan area is the 19th largest in the country.

The city is named after the founding proprietor of the Maryland Colony, Lord Baltimore in the Irish House of Lords. Baltimore himself took his title from Baltimore in County Longford in Ireland, which is the English transliteration of the Irish language Baile an Tí Mór, or "Townland of the big house". Baltimore became the second leading port of entry for immigrants to the United States during the 1800s. The city was attacked by British land and sea forces in 1814, during the War of 1812. The land forces were repulsed and the British ships withdrew after a 25-hour bombardment of Fort McHenry failed to reduce the defenses. The city is a major U.S. seaport, situated closer to major Midwestern markets than any other major seaport on the East Coast. Once an industrial town with an economic base in manufacturing, Baltimore's economy is now primarily service-oriented, with its largest employer no longer Bethlehem Steel but Johns Hopkins University and The Johns Hopkins Hospital.