Maryland (ˈmɛri-lənd) is a U.S. state located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east. Maryland was the seventh state to ratify the United States Constitution, and has three occasionally used nicknames: the Old Line State, the Free State, and the Chesapeake Bay State.

Maryland is one of the smallest states in terms of area, but it remains one of the most populous and the most densely populated states of the United States. The state's largest city is Baltimore, and its capital is Annapolis. Although the state is officially claimed to be named after Queen Henrietta Maria, many historians believe Maryland was named after Mary, the mother of Jesus by George Calvert, prior to his death in 1632. The original intent may never be known.
Maryland has the highest median household income, making it the wealthiest state in the nation.

Ethnically, the majority of Marylanders are of German and Irish ancestry, though the state has a large group of African Americans.