Template:US City infobox Baltimore is an independent city located in the U.S. state of Maryland on the eastern coast of the United States of America. As of 2005, the population was 641,943, up from 636,251 in 2004. The population of the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, as of 2005, was estimated to be 8,052,496, up from 7.6 million in 2000. Baltimore is the largest city in Maryland and serves as the state's major cultural and industrial center. The city is named after the founding proprietor of the Maryland Colony, Lord Baltimore. Baltimore became the second leading port of entry for immigrants to the United States during the 1800s. The city is a major U.S. seaport, situated closer to major midwestern markets than any other major seaport on the East Coast. Baltimore Harbor is one of the best protected deepwater seaports in the world, with the Delmarva Peninsula shielding the area from most hurricanes and tropical storms, and the Appalachian Mountains protecting the city from much of the winter cold that would freeze the waters of the harbor.
After New York City, Baltimore was the second city in the United States to reach the 100,000 plateau in terms of population, (followed by New Orleans and Philadelphia). Baltimore remained one of the 10 largest cities in the United States from 1790 until about 1980. The city and metropolitan area currently rank in the top 20 in terms of population, and city population is once again rising.
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.
History
During the 17th century, various towns called "Baltimore" were founded as commercial ports at various locations on the upper Chesapeake Bay. The present city dates from July 30, 1729, and is named after Lord Baltimore, who was the first Proprietary Governor of the Province of Maryland. Baltimore grew swiftly in the mid- to late 18th century as the granary for sugar-producing colonies in the Caribbean. The profit from sugar encouraged the maximum possible cultivation of cane and the importation of food. The relatively shorter distance between Baltimore and the Caribbean colonies allowed swift transport and minimized the spoilage of flour.
One of Baltimore's greatest moments occurred during the War of 1812 with the British, who had declared Baltimore "A nest of Pirates." Baltimore's Fort McHenry came under attack by British forces near the harbor after the British had burned Washington, D.C.. Known today as the Battle of Baltimore, American forces won the decisive battles by repulsing a joint land and naval attack by the British forces. They fought to a stalemate at the Battle of North Point after killing the British commander General Ross. British reinforcements were not possible after the British Navy was repulsed by the defenders of the fort, and all forces then withdrew. It was the naval engagement that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem "The Star-Spangled Banner," the lyrics to the United States' national anthem. The battle was memorialized in the Battle Monument which is on the city seal.
Baltimore is also the site of the first architectural monument honoring George Washington, a 178-foot Doric column erected in 1829 and designed by Robert Mills, who later designed the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.
Baltimore became an independent city in 1851, being detached from Baltimore County at that time.
Prior to the Civil War, Maryland was a southern slave state. During the Civil War, Maryland was officially part of the Union but kept slavery legal. Most people in Baltimore at the time were sympathetic to the Confederacy. Pro-Southern sentiment led to the Baltimore riot of 1861, when Union soldiers marched through the city. After the riot, Union troops occupied Baltimore, and Maryland came under direct federal administration — in part, to prevent the state from seceding — until the end of the war in April 1865. This was considered a necessary move by the Union to prevent Washington, D.C., from being completely surrounded by seceded Confederate territory. The case Ex parte Merryman, written by Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney, dealt with the habeas corpus rights of Marylanders jailed by the Abraham Lincoln Administration and strongly rebuked Lincoln for his actions.
The Great Baltimore Fire on February 7, 1904, destroyed over 1,500 buildings in 30 hours and forced most of the city to rebuild. Immediately afterward, Mayor Robert McLane was quoted in the Baltimore News as saying, "To suppose that the spirit of our people will not rise to the occasion is to suppose that our people are not genuine Americans. We shall make the fire of 1904 a landmark not of decline but of progress." He then refused assistance, stating "As head of this municipality, I cannot help but feel gratified by the sympathy and the offers of practical assistance which have been tendered to us. To them I have in general terms replied, 'Baltimore will take care of its own, thank you.'" (McLane committed suicide on May 30.) Two years later, on September 10, 1906, the Baltimore-American reported that the city had risen from the ashes and "One of the great disasters of modern time had been converted into a blessing."
Baltimore is the location of the Baltimore World Trade Center, the world's tallest equilateral five-sided building (the five-sided JPMorganChase Tower in Houston, Texas is taller but has unequal sides).
Baltimore is also the location of Pimlico Race Course, the home of the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. The Preakness has been run since 1873.
Baltimore's population peaked at 949,708 in the 1950 Census, which ranked it as the sixth-largest city in the country, behind Detroit, and ahead of Cleveland. For the next five decades, the city's population declined while its suburbs grew dramatically, bottoming out in 2000 at 636,251. In the 21st century, the city's population has stabilized and is once again rising, mostly due to revitalization efforts in many city neighborhoods.
In 1955 Flag House Courts, a public housing project made up of 3 12-story buildings, was built. The buildings were eventually demolished in 2001.
Baltimore has become a prime city for filming movies and television. Many movies, such as Hairspray, Ladder 49, Serial Mom, Eraser, Enemy of the State, Cry-baby, scenes from 12 Monkeys, True Lies, and the film Hardball, were filmed in Baltimore; in fact, many scenes from the 1972 cult classic film Pink Flamingos were shot in the city's Waverly and Hampden neighborhoods (the film was made by John Waters, a Baltimore native). Additionally, television shows such as NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street" and HBO's "The Wire" have also been filmed in the city. Television series Roc and Hot L Baltimore were set in the city. See Filmed in Baltimore for additional movies and shows filmed or set in Baltimore.
In recent years, efforts to redevelop the downtown area have led to a revitalization of the Inner Harbor. In 1979 the Baltimore Convention Center was opened and was subsequently renovated and expanded in 1996. Harborplace, a modern urban retail and restaurant complex, was opened on the waterfront in 1980, followed by the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland's largest tourist destination, in 1981. In 1992, the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball moved from Memorial Stadium to Oriole Park at Camden Yards downtown, and six years later the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League moved next door into the newly renamed M&T Bank Stadium, formerly known as PSINet Stadium until PSINet went bankrupt.
On October 2, 1996, Baltimore became the first city in the United States to adopt 311 as a non-emergency "hot line" telephone number, in order to reserve the use of 911 for genuine emergencies. The concept has been highly successful, and numerous other American municipalities have since implemented the practice.
A 60-car train derailment occurred in a tunnel in Baltimore on July 18, 2001. The derailment sparked a chemical fire that raged for six days and virtually shut down the downtown area until the heat caused a water main to rupture, largely extinguishing the fire but also causing significant flooding in the streets above. Three weeks later, manhole covers flew into the air as underground explosions along West Pratt Street followed due to residual explosive chemicals from the fire left in the sewers.
In 2003, the Baltimore Development Corporation announced that three hotel projects were being reviewed. As of 2005, the 752-room, $305 million Hilton hotel project has received a 9-6 approval vote from the Baltimore City Council on August 15th. A second approval vote is scheduled for sometime in September 2005. The hotel is expected to be built near the Baltimore Convention Center. The City of Baltimore hopes to have it finished and opened by Spring 2008. (See Baltimore Convention Center Hotel Project for more details regarding the convention center hotel.)
Also in 2003, Baltimore was affected by Hurricane Isabel from flooding as a result of tidal surge, affecting primarily the Fells Point community and the Inner Harbor and surrounding low areas. Many places were flooded, including the sports center ESPN Zone, the Baltimore World Trade Center (which remained closed for approximately a month during cleanup efforts), and most of the Inner Harbor. Water levels rose some 20 feet in areas, flooding underground parking garages and displacing thousands of cubic yards of trash and debris.
In the early part of the 21st Century, Baltimore is undergoing a major building spree in the downtown area, specifically in the Inner Harbor East district. Earning the nickname "Crane City, USA," its skyline will extend further outward and upward in the next few decades. ARC Wheeler, a Philadelphia-based developer has been approved to build a new hotel/condominium complex that will be the city's new tallest building, dubbed "10 Inner Harbor", at 59 stories and 717ft tall.
Law and government
Baltimore is an independent city — in other words, not part of any county. For most governmental purposes under Maryland law, Baltimore City is treated as a "county"-level entity. Furthermore the United States Census Bureau uses counties as the basic unit for presentation of statistical information in the United States and treats Baltimore as a county equivalent for those purposes.
Baltimore has been a Democratic stronghold for over 150 years, with Democrats dominating every level of government.
Mayor
The current mayor of Baltimore is Democrat Martin O'Malley, currently in his second term. O'Malley has maintained high approval ratings despite being slightly more conservative than conventional wisdom would suggest for a city like Baltimore. He is currently running for governor of Maryland. For a full list of mayors that served the city, see: List of Baltimore Mayors
Baltimore City Council
Grassroots pressure for reform, voiced as Question P, restructured the city council in November of 2002, against the will of the mayor, the council president, and the majority of the council. A coalition of union and community groups, organized by ACORN, backed the effort.
The Baltimore city council is now made up of 14 single member districts and one elected at-large council president. Sheila Dixon is the current council president. On November 2, 2004, Dixon won re-election in a two-way contest; Joan Floyd, a Green Party candidate, was the only challenger; the Republicans did not field a candidate.
State Government
Baltimore and its suburbs were long underrepresented in the Maryland General Assembly, while rural areas were heavily overrepresented. Since Baker v. Carr in 1969, however, the Baltimore and Washington suburbs account for a substantial majority of seats in the state legislature.
Baltimore dominated state politics for a long time before 1969, however; most of the state's highest elected officials come from the Baltimore area.
Federal Government
Baltimore is split between three congressional districts--the 2nd, represented by Dutch Ruppersberger; the 3rd, represented by Ben Cardin; and the 7th, represented by Elijah Cummings. All three are Democrats; a Republican has not represented a significant portion of Baltimore in decades.
Both of Maryland's Senators, Paul Sarbanes and Barbara Mikulski, are from Baltimore. Sarbanes is not running for reelection in 2006; both of the main Democratic candidates for his seat, Cardin and former 7th District Congressman Kwesi Mfume, are from Baltimore as well.
Crime
According to crime statistics there were 269 murders in Baltimore in 2005. Though this is significantly lower than the record-high 353 murders in 1993, the murder rate in Baltimore is nearly seven times the national rate, six times the rate of New York City, and three times the rate of Los Angeles.
While murders have been relatively static, other categories of crime in Baltimore have been declining. The rate of forcible rapes has fallen below the national average in recent years. However, Baltimore still has much higher-than-average rates of aggravated assault, burglary, robbery, and theft. Though the crime situation in Baltimore is considered one of the worst in the nation, city officials are quick to point out that most violent crimes, particularly murders, are committed by people who know their victims and who are often associated with the illegal drug trade.
Statistics compiled by independent groups indicate that many young men in the city are under the supervision of the criminal justice system. While racial disparities in arrest and incarceration rates exist in Baltimore, both young white and black men in the city are arrested and incarcerated at relatively high rates.
In an infamous case, community activist Angela Dawson and her family were murdered by firebomb in their Baltimore home on October 16, 2002, in retaliation for Dawson's reporting of criminal activity.
In late 2004, Baltimore drug dealers shocked the city when they released an underground DVD titled Stop Snitching, in which they threatened with violence any citizen of Baltimore who interfered with their business. A strange twist emerged after it was discovered that NBA star Carmelo Anthony, who plays for the Denver Nuggets and had lived in Baltimore as a boy, was featured in the video while visiting his old neighborhood. A few months later, in early 2005, the Baltimore Police Department responded to Stop Snitching with a video titled Keep Talking, in which they urged the public to continue to report illicit activity and announced the arrest of at least two participants in the making and filming of the original DVD.
Geography and climate
Geography
Baltimore is in the north central part of the state of Maryland, on the Patapsco River, not far from the Chesapeake Bay. It is on the western edge of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, with low hills rising in the western part of the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 238.5 km² (92.1 mi²). 209.3 km² (80.8 mi²) of it is land and 29.2 km² (11.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 12.240 percent water.
The Baltimore-Washington Metroplex Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is the 4th largest in the United States, with an estimated population of 8,052,496.
Climate
Baltimore has a coastal temperate climate, with moderating influence from its relative proximity to the ocean. It gets relatively hot, humid summers and chilly, rainy winters, although these seasons are not as extreme as those in many other American cities at similar latitudes inland.
July is typically the hottest month of the year, with an average high temperature of 33°C (91°F) and an average low of 23°C (73°F). January is the coldest month, with an average high of 7°C (44°F) and an average low at -2°C (29°F). These do not compare to the extreme temperatures of inland U.S. cities like Kansas City and Denver, which can get down below -10°C quite often in winter and often rise above 38°C (100°F) in the summer. The record high of 42°C (108°F) for Baltimore is easily eclipsed by cities like St. Louis whose record is 43°C (109°F), and the record low of -22°C (-7°F), set in 1937, is higher than that of Atlanta, which is -9°F, set in 1982. The USDA's 2003 cold hardiness map rates the city of Baltimore as zone 8, with a minimum winter temperature average of -11°C (12.3°F). Due to a strong urban heat island effect in the downtown area, temperatures in outlying and inland parts of the Baltimore area are usually several degrees cooler than those in the city; In the summer, some inland areas can be warmer than areas near the harbor.
Precipitation is very evenly spread throughout the year, with the wettest month of May delivering about 106.2 mm (4 inches) of rain and the driest month of April bringing 77.7 mm (3 inches) on average. Snow occurs in Baltimore occassionally, with an average annual total of 45 cm (18 inches) in the city. That amount increases considerably to the north and west of the city.
The Appalachian Mountains protect central Maryland from much of the harsh northern winds and accompanying lake effect weather that bring subzero temperatures and heavy snows to the Great Lakes region, and the Delmarva Peninsula protects Baltimore from many of the tropical storms and hurricanes that affect the immediate coast (although inland-moving storms do affect the area from time to time).
- Average Monthly Temperatures and Precipitation for Downtown Baltimore
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high [°C](°F) | 7 (44) | 8 (47) | 14 (57) | 20 (68) | 25 (77) | 30 (86) | 33 (91) | 31 (88) | 27 (81) | 21 (70) | 15 (59) | 9 (49) | 20 (68) |
| Avg low temperature [°C](°F) | -2 (29) | -1 (31) | 4 (39) | 9 (48) | 14 (58) | 20 (68) | 23 (73) | 22 (71) | 18 (64) | 11 (52) | 6 (42) | 1 (33) | 10 (51) |
| Rainfall (millimeters)(inches) | 88.4 (3.48) | 78.0 (3.07) | 104.6 (4.12) | 77.7 (3.06) | 106.2 (4.18) | 83.3 (3.28) | 100.6 (3.96) | 102.9 (4.05) | 103.1 (4.06) | 81.0 (3.19) | 87.6 (3.45) | 93.7 (3.60) | 1107.1 (43.59) |
Transportation
Public transit in Baltimore City is provided by the Maryland Transit Administration. Baltimore City has many bus routes, a light rail system, and a subway line. Additionally, MARC commuter rail connects Washington, D.C.'s Union Station with the city's two main intercity rail stations, Camden Station and Penn Station. In recent months there has been serious consideration to extending both Baltimore's light rail and subway lines. A proposed Red Line would link the Social Security Administration to Fells Point and possibly out to the Dundalk/Essex communities. Other possible commuter rail routes are being considered. The major highways serving the city are I-695 (the Baltimore Beltway), I-95, I-83 (the Jones Falls Expressway), and I-70 (the eastern terminus of which is just beyond the city limits). Freeways I-95, I-83, and I-70 are not directly connected because of freeway revolts in the City of Baltimore led by Barbara Mikulski, which resulted in the abandoment of the original plan. There are two twin-bore tunnels traversing the Baltimore harbor within the city limits: the Fort McHenry Tunnel (served by I-95) and the Harbor Tunnel (served by I-895).
Passenger rail
Baltimore is a major stop for Amtrak. Named passenger trains which serve Baltimore include Acela Express, Palmetto, Carolinian, Silver Star, Silver Meteor, Vermonter, Crescent, and Amtrak's Regional trains.
Airports
- Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport - Located in neighboring Anne Arundel County
- Martin State Airport - (general aviation) - Located in Baltimore County
Demographics
| City of Baltimore Population by year [1] | |
|
1790 - 13,503 | |
In the 1830, 1840, and 1850 censuses of the United States of America, Baltimore was the second-largest city in population. It was among the top 10 cities in population in the United States in every census up to the 1980 census.
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 651,154 people, 257,996 households, and 147,057 families residing in the city. The population density is 3,111.5/km² (8,058.4/mi²). There are 300,477 housing units at an average density of 1,435.8/km² (3,718.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 31.63% White, 64.34% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.53% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. 1.70% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 257,996 households out of which 25.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.7% are married couples living together, 25.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% are non-families. 34.9% of all households are made up of individuals, and 11.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.42, and the average family size is 3.16.
In the city the population is spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 82.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $30,078, and the median income for a family is $35,438. Males have a median income of $31,767 versus $26,832 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,978. 22.9% of the population and 18.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 30.6% of those under the age of 18 and 18.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Baltimore Metropolitan Area
The Baltimore Metropolitan Area currently includes Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll|, Harford, Howard and Queen Anne's counties, as well as the city itself. As of 2005 the region was home to more than 2.6 million individuals. As the Washington region has prospered, Baltimore and its suburbs have prospered as well. Howard and Anne Arundel counties have become very affluent and rank nationally in terms of per capita family and personal income. Pockets of wealth exist within the Northern sections of the city, as well as parts of Baltimore County. In addition home prices as well as demand have risen significantly throughout the region attracting several prominent high-tech firms. Currently Johns Hopkins University is the largest single employer in the Baltimore region.
Education
Colleges and universities
Baltimore is the home of several places of higher learning, both public and private. Among them are:
Private
- Baltimore Hebrew University
- Baltimore International College (BIC)
- College of Notre Dame of Maryland
- Johns Hopkins University (JHU)
- Loyola College in Maryland
- Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)
- Peabody Institute
- Sojourner-Douglass College
Public
- Baltimore City Community College (BCCC)
- Coppin State University
- Morgan State University
- University of Baltimore (UB)
- University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB, formerly UMAB)
As well as those located within the city, several are located in the suburbs that surround the city. Major ones include:
- Goucher College, in Towson (private)
- Towson University, in Towson (public)
- University of Maryland Baltimore County, in Catonsville (public)
- Villa Julie College, in Stevenson and Owings Mills (private)
Public schools
The city's public schools are operated by the Baltimore City Public School System.
Media
Although Baltimore is only 45 minutes north of Washington, it is a major media market in its own right. Its main newspaper, The Baltimore Sun, was sold by its Baltimore owners in 1988 to the Los Angeles Times, which has since been bought by the Chicago Tribune. Baltimore is the 24th-largest television market and 21st-largest radio market in the country.
Newspapers
- The Baltimore Sun
- Baltimore City Paper
- The Baltimore Afro-American
- The Baltimore Times
- The Daily Record
Baltimore Business Journal
Television
Radio
Museums and Attractions
- American Visionary Art Museum
- The Jewish Museum of Maryland
- Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum
- Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption
- Baltimore Museum of Art
- Baltimore Museum of Industry
- Baltimore Maritime Museum
- Great Blacks In Wax Museum
- B&O Railroad Museum
- Dime Museum
- Druid Hill Park
- Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum
- Fort McHenry National Monument
- Harborplace
- Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame Museum
- Maryland Science Center
- National Aquarium in Baltimore
- National Museum of Dentistry
- Pimlico Race Course
- Star Spangled Banner Flag House and 1812 Museum
- Tattoo Museum
- USS Constellation
- Walters Art Museum
- Westminster Hall and Burying Ground
Sports teams
- Baltimore Orioles (Major League Baseball)
- Baltimore Ravens (National Football League)
- Baltimore Bayhawks (Major League Lacrosse)
- Baltimore Blast - (Major Indoor Soccer League)
- Baltimore Pearls - (American Basketball Association)
Defunct (or moved) Sports Teams
Baseball
* Baltimore Orioles - (National League(former american association team), American Association(1882-1889, 1890-1891), American League( American League Orioles are now better known as the present day New York Yankees))
Football
- Baltimore Stallions - (Canadian Football League )
- Baltimore Stars - (United States Football League)
- Baltimore Colts - (National Football League)
Basketball
- Baltimore Bullets (1947-1955) - (National Basketball Association)
- Baltimore Bullets (1963-1972) - (National Basketball Association)
- Baltimore Claws - (American Basketball Association)
- Baltimore Bayrunners - (International Basketball League)
Soccer
* Baltimore Bays - (North American Soccer League)
Hockey
- Baltimore Blades - (World Hockey Association )
- Baltimore Bandits - (American Hockey League)
- Baltimore Clippers - (American Hockey League, Eastern Hockey League, Southern Hockey League)
- Baltimore Skipjacks - (American Hockey League, Atlantic Coast Hockey League)
Lacrosse
- Baltimore Thunder - (National Lacrosse League) - moved to Pittsburgh, then D.C.; now Colorado.
Sister Cities
Baltimore has ten sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI): Cadiz (Spain), Gbarnga (Liberia), Alexandria (Egypt), Genoa (Italy), Kawasaki (Japan), Luxor (Egypt), Odessa (Ukraine), Pireaus (Greece), Rotterdam (Netherlands), and Xiamen (China).
Baltimore in Fiction
- In the police procedural books and series based on the work of author and former police reporter David Simon, Homicide: Life on the Street and The Wire.
- In addition, Simon's reality-based book and TV miniseries on drug dealers, The Corner is set in Baltimore.
- Baltimore native Tom Clancy, a graduate of Loyola-Blakefield High School and Loyola College, often includes Baltimore and other parts of Maryland in his action/spy thriller novels and their corresponding feature films. In the film The Sum of All Fears, based on the Clancy novel of the same name, Baltimore is devastated by a terrorist nuclear bomb. In the book, however, the attack takes place in Denver.
- Maryland native Nora Roberts also uses Maryland and particularly parts of the Chesapeake Bay as settings for her novels. This includes Baltimore in such novels as Inner Harbor.
- John Waters' films are all set in Baltimore, and they have all premiered at the historic Senator Theatre.
See also
External links
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Media from Commons
News from Wikinews
Quotations from Wikiquote
Texts from Wikisource
Textbooks from Wikibooks
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