Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore is an independent city located in the state of Maryland in the United States of America. As of 2006, the population of Baltimore City was 631,366. 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 has now shifted primarily to a service sector-oriented, with its largest employer no longer Bethlehem Steel but Johns Hopkins University and The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

The Baltimore Metropolitan Area, which includes the city's surrounding suburbs, has approximately 2.6 million residents. Baltimore is also part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area (CMSA) of approximately 8.1 million residents. Baltimore is the largest city in Maryland, and 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 Cork in Ireland, which is the English transliteration of the Irish language Baile an Tí Mhoir, or "Home of The Big House". There is some controversy about this, as Baltimore was a place-name in the county of Longford at the time. This connection is tenuous, and it is more likely that the title was named after the port village in Cork. Baltimore became the second leading port of entry for immigrants to the United States during the 1800s.

Because there is also a Baltimore County surrounding (but not including) the city, it is sometimes referred to as Baltimore City when a clear distinction is desired.