Maryland : Geographical Features

Land

Maryland’s topography is characterized by three distinct regions. The first area falls within the Atlantic Coastal Plain which is divided by the Chesapeake Bay into the Eastern Shore and the Western Shore. Broad, rolling uplands with deep gorges characterize the Piedmont Plateau. The Appalachian Mountain region in Maryland covers the Catoctin Mountains in Frederick County to the West Virginia border. The highest point in Maryland is the Backbone Mountain in Garret County at 3,360 ft (1,025 m).

A few small islands lie in the Chesapeake Bay which is Maryland's dominant waterway. The main rivers of Maryland include the Potomac, forming much of the southern and western border; the Patapsco, which runs through Baltimore; the Patuxent, draining the Western Shore; and the Susquehanna, crossing the Pennsylvania border and emptying into the Chesapeake Bay in northeastern Maryland.