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Southern Maryland is composed of the state's three southernmost counties on the "Western Shore." These counties are Calvert County, Charles County, and St. Mary's County.

Southern Maryland has traditionally been a rural and agricultural region, but over the past few decades has experienced some suburban development as the Washington suburbs expand southward. This has primarily taken place around Waldorf (Charles County), Lexington Park (St. Mary's County), and Prince Frederick (Calvert County).

Southern Maryland has many unique and interesting colloquialisms.

Southern Maryland is home to many types of wildlife.

Geography

It is bordered on the north by Prince George's County and Anne Arundel County. Its eastern border is the Chesapeake Bay and its southern and western border is the Potomac River, Maryland's border with Virginia.

Local Government

Local government is managed primarily at the county level. Each county has a board of elected commissioners. State representation is handled by a Senator for each district. Each district is further subdivided into sub-districts, which are represented by an elected delegate to the State House.

There are only two incorporated towns in the tri-county area that are governed by a mayor, Leonardtown and North Beach.

Towns and Places in Southern Maryland

Key Towns and Places in Southern Maryland include the following (See Category:Towns for the complete list).

Calvert County:

• Dunkirk
• Huntingtown
• North Beach
• Prince Frederick (county seat)
• Solomons

St. Mary's County:

• Leonardtown (county seat)
• Lexington Park
• St. Mary's City

Charles County:

• Indian Head
• La Plata (county seat)
• Waldorf
• St. Charles

Military in Southern Maryland

The military has a large presence in the tri-county area and employs many people. Military establishments in the area and nearby include:

• Naval Air Station Patuxent River
• Indian Head Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center
• Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren, Va.
• Andrews Air Force Base

Major Employers in Southern Maryland

The biggest employers in Southern Maryland include:

• Naval Air Station Patuxent River
• Indian Head Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center
• BAE Systems
• Lockheed Martin
• Northrop Grumman
• Eagan, McAllister Associates, Inc.

Higher Education in Southern Maryland

Colleges in Southern Maryland include:

• The College of Southern Maryland, a community college, with campuses in all three counties
• St. Mary's College of Maryland, a state-owned public "honors" college.

Media Outlets

• Southern Maryland Online
• Calvert Recorder
• Calvert Independent
• County Times
• Enterprise
• Maryland Independent
• St. Mary's Today
• Tester
• Washington Post
• Southern Maryland Radio

Notable Southern Marylanders

• Famous author Dashiell Samuel Hammett was born in St. Mary's County, Maryland.

• Famous author Tom Clancy was born in and lives in Calvert County, Maryland.

• One-time anchor of the ABC Nightline news magazine, Ted Koppel maintains a home in St. Inigoes, Maryland.

• House of Representatives Minority Whip Steny Hoyer represents Southern Maryland as the representative for Maryland's Fifth Congressional District. Hoyer resides on the waterfront in Mechanicsville, Maryland.

• Two former first ladies hail from Southern Maryland: Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, wife of John Quincy Adams, and Margaret Mackall Smith Taylor, wife of Zachary Taylor.

• Longtime Maryland State Comptroller Louis Goldstein was from Calvert County.

• Noted television and film screenwriter and producer Alfred Gough hails from Leonardtown in St. Mary's County.

• Former CIA Director William E. Colby maintained a house at Rock Point on Cobb Island in Charles County.

For a complete list of notable southern Marylanders, see Notable People and for a complete list of people who held political office, past and present, see Politicians.

External links

• Southern Maryland Online