Official

You can tell a lot about a state by taking a look at their list of official state symbols. Here is that list for Maryland:

State Tree: White Oak, 1941
State Bird: Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula, 1947
State Boat: Skipjack, 1985
State Cat; Calico, 2001 (because they're black, orange, and white, just like the Baltimore Oriole - want one!)
State Crustacean: Blue Crab, 1989 (duh)
State Cake: Smith Island Cake, 2008
State Dinosaur: Astrodon johnstoni, 1998 (how cute is it that MD has a state dinosaur?)
State Dog: Chesapeake Bay Retriever, 1964
State Drink: Milk, 1998 (blech, seriously?). In 2009, MD had about 55,000 cows.
State Exercise: Walking, 2008. (amen, especially if of the "power" variety)
State Fish: Rockfish, 1965 (seen in a lot of menus in MD)
State Flag: 1904. This beauty is the best State flag I know. I challenge you to come up with a better US state flag than this one. It's regal, classy, yet simple. It looks European, and that's because it consists of the coat of arms of the Calvert and Crossland families (families that produced the Lords Baltimore who founded MD). The red and white represents the Crossland, and the black and yellow is the Calvert side. Very Games of Throne. Also reminds me of the Ferrari flag.


State Flower: Black-Eyed Susan, 1918
State Folk Dance: Square Dance, 1994 (guffaw)
State Fossil Shell: Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae, 1994
State Gem: Patuxent River Stone, 2004
State Horse: Thoroughbred, 2003
State Insect: Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly, 1973
State Reptile: Diamondback Terrapin, 1994 (these things are dope-looking!)

State Seal: Great Seal of Maryland, 1959
State Song: Maryland, My Maryland, 1939 (sung to the tune of "O Tannenbaum")
State Sport: Jousting, 1962 (MD was the first state to adopt an official sport. So sporty!)
State Team Sport: Lacrosse, 2004
State Theaters: Center Stage (Baltimore) and Olney Theater (Olney), 2003

I propose that Maryland add an official State Word: "Hon." Short for "honey," it's a term of endearment that has come to represent Baltimore's unique white working-class culture and special brand of hospitality.

Source: Maryland State Archives, http://msa.maryland.gov/