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Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC; منظمة التعاون الإسلامي; Organisation de la coopération islamique), formerly the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1969. It consists of 57 member states, 48 of which are Muslim-majority. The organisation claims to be "the collective voice of the Muslim world" and works to "safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony".

OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union. Its official languages are Arabic, English, and French. It operates affiliated, specialized, and subsidiary organs within the framework of OIC Charter.

Member states had a collective population of over 1.8 billion as of 2015, accounting for just under a quarter of the world's population. The collective area is 31.66 m km2.

History
On 21 August 1969, a fire was started in the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Amin al-Husseini, the former Mufti of Jerusalem, called the arson a "Jewish crime" and called for all Muslim heads of state to convene a summit. The fire, which "destroyed part of the old wooden roof and an 800-year-old pulpit" was blamed on the mental illness of perpetrator Australian Christian fundamentalist Denis Michael Rohan—by Israel, and on Zionists and Zionism by the Islamic conference.

On 25 September 1969, an Islamic Conference, a summit of representatives of 24 Muslim majority countries (most representatives were heads of state), was held in Rabat, Morocco. A resolution was passed stating:

"Muslim governments would consult with a view to promoting among themselves close cooperation and mutual assistance in the economic, scientific, cultural and spiritual fields, inspired by the immortal teachings of Islam."

In March 1970, the First Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In 1972, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference was founded.

While the al-Aqsa fire is regarded as one of the catalysts, many Muslims aspired to a pan-Islamic institution that would serve the common political, economic, and social interests of the ummah (Muslim community) beginning in the 19th century. In particular, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the Caliphate after World War I left a vacuum.

According to its charter, the OIC aims to preserve Islamic social and economic values; promote solidarity amongst member states; increase cooperation in social, economic, cultural, scientific, and political areas; uphold international peace and security; and advance education, particularly in science and technology.

The OIC emblem contains three main elements that reflect its vision and mission as incorporated in its Charter: the Kaaba, the Globe, and the Crescent.

On 5 August 1990, 45 foreign ministers of the OIC adopted the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam to provide guidance in matters of human rights in as much as they are compatible with Sharia (Quranic Law).

The Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUOICM) was established in Iran in 1999, and its head office is situated in Tehran. Only OIC members are entitled to membership in the union.

In March 2008, the OIC revised its charter to promote human rights, fundamental freedoms, and good governance in member states. The revisions removed any mention of the Cairo Declaration. Within the revised charter, the OIC supported the Charter of the United Nations and international law, without mentioning the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

On 28 June 2011, during the 38th Council of Foreign Ministers meeting (CFM) in Astana, Kazakhstan, the organisation changed its name from Organisation of the Islamic Conference (منظمة المؤتمر الإسلامي; Organisation de la Conférence Islamique) to its current name. The OIC also changed its logo at this time.

According to the UNHCR, OIC countries hosted 18 million refugees by the end of 2010. OIC members continued to absorb refugees from other conflicts, including 2011 uprising in Syria. In May 2012, the OIC addressed these concerns at the "Refugees in the Muslim World" conference in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

On 27 June 2007, then-United States President George W. Bush announced that the United States would delegate an envoy to the OIC. Bush said of the envoy, "Our special envoy will listen to and learn from representatives from Muslim states, and will share with them America's views and values." , Arsalan Suleman is acting special envoy. He was appointed on 13 February 2015. In an investigation of the accuracy of a series of chain emails, Snopes.com reported that during the October 2003 – April 2004 session of the General Assembly, 17 individual members of the OIC voted against the United States 88% of the time.

Members
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has 57 members, 56 of which are also member states of the United Nations. The exception is Palestine. Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Central African Republic, Thailand, Russia, and Northern Cyprus (under the name "Turkish Cypriot State") are observer states, and other organisations and groups participate as observers.

Africa
• 🇩🇿 Algeria

• 🇧🇯 Benin

• 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso

• 🇨🇲 Cameroon

• 🇹🇩 Chad

• 🇰🇲 Comoros

• 🇩🇯 Djibouti

• 🇪🇬 Egypt

• 🇬🇦 Gabon

• 🇬🇲 Gambia

• 🇬🇳 Guinea

• 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau

• Ivory Coast

• 🇱🇾 Libya

• 🇲🇱 Mali

• 🇲🇷 Mauritania

• 🇲🇦 Morocco

• 🇲🇿 Mozambique

• 🇳🇪 Niger

• 🇳🇬 Nigeria

• 🇸🇳 Senegal

• 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

• 🇸🇴 Somalia

• 🇸🇩 Sudan

• 🇹🇬 Togo

• 🇹🇳 Tunisia

• 🇺🇬 Uganda

Asia
• 🇦🇫/🇦🇫 Afghanistan

• 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

• 🇧🇭 Bahrain

• 🇧🇩 Bangladesh

• Brunei

• 🇮🇩 Indonesia

• 🇮🇷 Iran

• 🇮🇶 Iraq

• 🇯🇴 Jordan

• 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

• 🇰🇼 Kuwait

• 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

• 🇱🇧 Lebanon

• 🇲🇾 Malaysia

• 🇲🇻 Maldives

• 🇴🇲 Oman

• 🇵🇰 Pakistan

• Palestine

• 🇶🇦 Qatar

• 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

• Syria (Suspended)

• 🇹🇯 Tajikistan

• 🇹🇷 Turkey

• 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

• 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

• 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

• 🇾🇪 Yemen

Europe
• 🇦🇱 Albania

Americas
• 🇬🇾 Guyana

• 🇸🇷 Suriname

Fitna
The OIC, on 28 March 2008, joined the criticism of the film Fitna by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders, which features disturbing images of violent acts juxtaposed with alleged verses from the Quran.

Houthis
In March 2015, the OIC announced its support for the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen against the Shia Houthis.

Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The OIC supports a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

The OIC calls for a boycott of Israeli products in an effort to pressure Israel into ending the occupation of the Palestinian territories.

At a 2013 meeting in Conakry, Guinea, Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said that foreign ministers would discuss the possibility of cutting ties with any state that recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel or that moves its embassy to its environs.

At a December 2017 extraordinary meeting held in response US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem, the "Istanbul Declaration on Freedom for Al Quds". was adopted.

In September 2019, the OIC condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to annex the eastern portion of the occupied West Bank known as the Jordan Valley. In January 2024, the OIC expressed support for South Africa's ICJ genocide case against Israel.

India
Islam is the second-largest religion in India after Hinduism. Over 200 million Muslims constitute approximately 15% of the country's population. India has the largest Muslim population other than Muslim-majority or Islamic states. However, India's relationship with Pakistan (an Islamic state), has featured hostilities and armed conflict since the 1947 Partition of India. The poor relationship between them impacted India–OIC relations due to Pakistan's status as a founding member. India pushed for the OIC to accept it as a member state, arguing that Indian Muslims comprise 11% of the world's Muslim population; Pakistan has staunchly opposed this.

Pakistan cites its conflict with India over the Kashmir region as its rationale. It frequently accuses India of perpetrating human rights abuses against Kashmiris in the Indian-administered territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The region has experienced an ongoing militant uprising since the 1980s. The OIC has been urged to press India on the Kashmir dispute, and has faced pushback from Indian officials for occasional references to Jammu and Kashmir. Historically, the Muslim world has largely lent its support to Pakistan on the issue.

The first OIC summit held in 1969 in Rabat did not address the dispute, while granting India membership was discussed. The head of the Indian delegation addressed the summit. The erstwhile President of Pakistan, Yahya Khan, reportedly expressed mixed views. The Indian delegation, led by then Indian President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad, was scheduled to attend the summit but ultimately was not allowed in due to Pakistan's controversial boycott threat. Differences between the two states led Pakistan to keep India out for the final session of the 1969 conference and all OIC subsequent summits.

2019 Pulwama attack and India–Pakistan standoff
On 14 February 2019, a suicide-bombing attack by a Muslim militant in Jammu and Kashmir killed over 40 Indian soldiers, for which responsibility was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based terrorist group. In March 2019, India conducted airstrikes in Pakistani territory, which subsequently led to the 2019 India–Pakistan military standoff.

After these events, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj was invited to participate in an OIC summit. However, Pakistan protested this development and demanded that India be blocked from the event, accusing the latter of an unprovoked violation of Pakistani airspace while Indian officials claimed that the strike was carried out on terrorist-training camps. Following requests by Pakistan shortly after the 14 February attack, the OIC held an emergency meeting on 26 February. The organization subsequently condemned India's military response to the attack and advised both sides to exercise restraint.

For the first time in five decades, the United Arab Emirates invited India as a "guest of honour" to attend the inaugural plenary 46th meeting of OIC foreign ministers in Abu Dhabi on 1 and 2 March 2019, overriding protests by Pakistan. In response Pakistan boycotted the meeting. Indian Foreign Minister Swaraj headed the Indian delegation at the summit.

On 18 April 2020, OIC issued a statement, urging the Modi administration of India to take urgent steps to "stop the growing tide of Islamophobia", citing attacks by Hindu nationalists against Indian Muslims and the allegation against Muslims of spreading COVID-19 in the country.

Cartoons of Muhammad
Cartoons of Muhammad, published in a Danish newspaper in September 2005, offended a number of Muslims. The Third Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference in December 2005 condemned publication of the cartoons, resulting in broader coverage of the issue by news media in Muslim countries. Subsequently, violent demonstrations throughout the Islamic world resulted in multiple deaths.

Human rights
OIC created the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam. Proponents claim it is not an alternative to the UDHR, but rather complementary to it. Article 24 states that "all the rights and freedoms stipulated in this Declaration are subject to the Islamic Shari'ah" and Article 25 follows with "the Islamic Shari'ah is the only source of reference for the explanation or clarification of any of the articles of this Declaration." Attempts to have it adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council met criticism, because of its contradiction of the UDHR, including from liberal Muslim groups. Critics of the CDHR state bluntly that it is "manipulation and hypocrisy," "designed to dilute, if not altogether eliminate, civil and political rights protected by international law" and attempts to "circumvent these principles [of freedom and equality]."

Human Rights Watch says that OIC "fought doggedly" and successfully within the United Nations Human Rights Council to shield states from criticism, except criticism of Israel. For example, when independent experts reported violations of human rights in the 2006 Lebanon War, "state after state from the OIC took the floor to denounce the experts for daring to look beyond Israeli violations to discuss Hezbollah's as well. OIC demands that the council "should work cooperatively with abusive governments rather than condemn them." HRW responded that this works with those who are willing to cooperate; others exploit the passivity.

OIC has been criticised for failing to discuss the treatment of ethnic minorities within member countries, such as the oppression of the Kurds in Syria and Turkey, the Ahwaz in Iran, the Hazaras in Afghanistan, the 'Al-Akhdam' in Yemen, or the Berbers in Algeria.

Along with OIC's 2008 charter revisions, the member states created the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC). The IPHRC is an advisory body, independent from OIC, composed of eighteen individuals from diverse educational and professional backgrounds. IPHRC has the power to monitor human rights within the member states and facilitates the integration of human rights into all OIC mandates. IPHRC also aids in the promotion of political, civil, and economic rights in all member states.

In September 2017, the Independent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the OIC strongly condemned the human rights violations against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

In December 2018, the OIC tentatively raised the issue of China's Xinjiang re-education camps and human rights abuses against the Uyghur Muslim minority. The OIC reversed its position after a visit to Xinjiang, and in March 2019, the OIC issued a report on human rights for Muslim minorities that praised China for "providing care to its Muslim citizens" and looked forward to greater cooperation with the PRC. In December 2020 a coalition of American Muslim groups criticized OIC for failing to speak up to prevent the abuse of the Uyghurs and accused member states of being influenced by Chinese power. The groups included the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

LGBT rights
In March 2012, the United Nations Human Rights Council held its first discussion of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, following the 2011 passage of a resolution supporting LGBT rights proposed by the Republic of South Africa. Pakistan's representative addressed the session on behalf of the OIC, denouncing the discussion and questioning the concept of sexual orientation, which he said promoted "licentious behaviour ... against the fundamental teachings of various religions, including Islam". He stated that the council should not discuss the topic again. Most Arab countries and some African countries walked out of the session.

Nonetheless, OIC members Albania, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Suriname and Sierra Leone signed a 2011 UN declaration supporting LGBT rights in the General Assembly. Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan and Turkey legalized homosexuality.

In May 2016, 57 countries including Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation requested the removal of LGBT associations from 2016 High Level Meeting on Ending AIDS, sparking protests by the United States, Canada, the European Union and LGBT communities.

Astana Declaration
The Astana Declaration is a policy guidance adopted by OIC members at the Astana Summit. The Astana Declaration commits members to increase investment in science and technology, education, eradicate extreme poverty, and implement UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Non-state terrorism
In 1999, OIC adopted the OIC Convention on Combatting International Terrorism. Human Rights Watch reported that the definition of terrorism in article 1 describes "any act or threat of violence carried out with the aim of, among other things, imperiling people’s honour, occupying or seizing public or private property, or threatening the stability, territorial integrity, political unity or sovereignty of a state." HRW described this as vague, ill-defined, and including much that is outside the generally accepted concept of terrorism. In HRW's view, it labels, or could easily be used to label, as terrorist actions, acts of peaceful expression, association, and assembly.

Legal scholar Ben Saul argued that the definition is subjective and ambiguous and concluded that it left a "serious danger of the abusive use of terrorist prosecutions against political opponents" and others.

HRW is concerned by OIC's apparent unwillingness to recognise as terrorism acts that serve causes endorsed by their member states. Article 2 reads: "Peoples' struggle including armed struggle against foreign occupation, aggression, colonialism, and hegemony, aimed at liberation and self-determination." HRW suggested that OIC embrace "longstanding and universally recognised international human rights standards", a request that has not led to any results.

During a meeting in Malaysia in April 2002, delegates discussed terrorism but failed to reach a definition of it. They rejected, however, any description of the Palestinian fight with Israel as terrorism. Their declaration was explicit: "We reject any attempt to link terrorism to the struggle of the Palestinian people in the exercise of their inalienable right to establish their independent state with Al-Quds Al-Shrif (Jerusalem) as its capital." In fact, at the outset of the meeting, the OIC countries signed a statement praising the Palestinians and their "blessed intifada." The word terrorism was restricted to describe Israel, whom they condemned for "state terrorism" in their war with the Palestinian people.

At the 34th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM), an OIC section, in May 2007, the foreign ministers termed Islamophobia "the worst form of terrorism".

Dispute with Thailand
Thailand responded to OIC criticism of human rights abuses in the Muslim majority provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat in the south of the country. In a statement issued on 18 October 2005, secretary-general Ihsanoglu vocalised concern over the continuing conflict in the south that "claimed the lives of innocent people and forced the migration of local people out of their places". He stressed that the Thai government's security approach to the crisis would aggravate the situation and lead to continued violence.

On 18–19 April 2009, exiled Patani leader Abu Yasir Fikri was invited to the OIC to speak about the conflict and present a proposal to end the violence between the Thai government and the ethnically Malay Muslims living in the neglected south. The group has been struggling against Thai assimilation policy and for self governance since the area was annexed by Thailand in 1902. Fikri presented a six-point solution at the conference that included obtaining the same basic rights as other groups when it came to rights of language, religion, and culture. He suggested that Thailand give up its discriminatory policies against the Patani people and allow Patani to at least be allowed the same self-governing rights as other regions in Thailand, citing that this does not go against the Thai constitution since it had been done in other parts of Thailand. He criticised the Thai government's escalation of violence by arming and creating Buddhist militia groups and questioned their intentions. He added that Thai policies of not investigating corruption, murder, and human rights violations perpetrated by Bangkok-led administration and military personnel was an obstacle for achieving peace and healing the deep wounds of "third-class" citizens.

Thai foreign minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon said in response: "We have made it clear to the OIC several times that the violence in the deep South is not caused by religious conflict and the government grants protection to all of our citizens no matter what religion they embrace." The Foreign Ministry issued a statement dismissing the OIC's criticism and accusing it of disseminating misperceptions and misinformation about the situation in the southern provinces. "If the OIC secretariat really wants to promote the cause of peace and harmony in the three southern provinces of Thailand, the responsibility falls on the OIC secretariat to strongly condemn the militants, who are perpetrating these acts of violence against both Thai Muslims and Thai Buddhists." HRW and Amnesty International offsered the same concerns as OIC, rebuffing Thailand's attempts to dismiss the issue.

Notable meetings
Various OIC meetings have attracted global attention.

Ninth meeting of PUOICM
The ninth meeting of Parliamentary Union of the OIC member states (PUOICM) was held on 15 and 16 February 2007 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The speaker of Malaysia's House of Representatives, Ramli bin Ngah Talib, spoke at the inaugural ceremony. One main agenda item was stopping Israel from continuing its excavation at the Western Wall of the Temple Mount / Masjid Al-Aqsa, Islam's third holiest site. OIC also discussed how it might send peacekeeping troops to Muslim states, as well as the possibility of a name change and charter changes. Return of the sovereignty right to the Iraqi people along with withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq was another one of the main agenda items.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri stated on 14 February that the secretary general of OIC and foreign ministers of seven "like-minded Muslim countries" would meet in Islamabad on 25 February following meetings of President Musharraf with the heads of Muslim countries to discuss "a new initiative" for the resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

IPHRC trip to Washington DC
In December 2012, IPHRC met in Washington, D.C. for the first time. The IPHRC held meetings at the National Press Club, Capitol Hill, and Freedom House discussing the issues of human rights in the OIC member states. During their roundtable discussion with Freedom House, the IPHRC emphasised the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the rejection of the Cairo Declaration by the OIC.

Observer status dispute
The September 2014's high-level Summit of the OIC, in New York, ended without adopting any resolutions or conclusions, for the first time in several years, due to a dispute regarding the status of one of its Observer states. Egypt, Iran and the United Arab Emirates demanded that the OIC remove the term 'Turkish Cypriot State' in reference to the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which had observer status within the organization. Egypt's president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi insisted that any reference to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus or Turkish Cypriot State" was unacceptable and was ultimately the reason for the OIC not adopting any resolutions or conclusions in the 2014 summit.

Emergency meeting on Hamas-Israeli war
On November 11, 2023 the group and the Arab League met in Riyadh for a special summit on the Gaza humanitarian situation created by the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.

Structure and organisation

The OIC is headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with regional offices in New York, Geneva, Brussels, Iraq, Kabul, and Indonesia.

The OIC system consists of:

Islamic Summit
The largest meeting, attended by the heads of state and government of the member states, convenes every three years. The Islamic Summit takes policy decisions and provide guidance on all issues pertaining to the realisation of the objectives as provided in the Charter and consider other issues of concern to the Member States and the Ummah.

Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers
Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers meets once a year to examine a progress report on the implementation of its decisions taken within the framework of the policy defined by the Islamic Summit.

Universities
The OIC sponsors four universities: the Islamic University of Technology, a subsidiary organ; and three affiliated institutions; the Islamic University in Uganda; the Islamic University of Niger; and the International Islamic University Malaysia.

Secretary General
The Secretary General is elected by the Council of Foreign Ministers for a term of five years, with a maximum of two terms. The Secretary-General is elected from among nationals of the Member States in accordance with the principles of equitable geographical distribution, rotation and equal opportunity for all Member States with due consideration to competence, integrity and experience.

Permanent Secretariat
The Permanent Secretariat is the executive organ of the Organisation, entrusted with the implementation of the decisions of the two preceding bodies, and is located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Subsidiary organisations

 * The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries, in Ankara, Turkey
 * The Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), located in Istanbul, Turkey
 * The Islamic University of Technology, located in Dhaka, Bangladesh
 * The Islamic Centre for the Development of Trade, located in Casablanca, Morocco
 * The Islamic Fiqh Academy, located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
 * The Islamsate Islamic Network, located at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
 * The Executive Bureau of the Islamic Solidarity Fund and its Waqf, located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
 * The Islamic University in Niger, located in Say, Niger.
 * The Islamic University in Uganda, located in Mbale, Uganda.
 * The Tabriz Islamic Arts University, located in Tabriz, Iran.

Specialised institutions

 * The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO), located in Rabat, Morocco.
 * The Islamic States Broadcasting Organisation (ISBO) and the International Islamic News Agency (IINA), located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Affiliated institutions

 * Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI), located in Karachi, Pakistan.
 * World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF), located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
 * Organisation of Islamic Capitals and Cities (OICC), located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
 * Sports Federation of Islamic Solidarity Games, located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
 * Islamic Committee of the International Crescent (ICIC), located in Benghazi, Libya.
 * Islamic Shipowners Association (ISA), located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
 * World Federation of International Arab-Islamic Schools, located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
 * International Association of Islamic Banks (IAIB), located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
 * Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC), located in Istanbul, Turkey.
 * General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI), located in Manama, Bahrain.
 * Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), located in Istanbul, Turkey.

Criticism
OIC has been criticised by many Muslims for its lack of engagement and solutions for Muslim countries in crisis. It is said to have made progress in social and academic terms but not politically.

In 2020, Pakistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs SM Qureshi criticized OIC for its stand with regard to Kashmir issue.

title: Organisation of Islamic Cooperation


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Baltimore County, Maryland

Baltimore County (, locally:  or   ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area.

Baltimore County partly surrounds but does not include the independent city of Baltimore. It is part of the Northeast megalopolis, which stretches from Northern Virginia in the south to Boston in the north and includes major American population centers, including New York City and Philadelphia.

Major economic sectors in the county include education, government, and health care. As of the 2020 census, the population was 854,535. The county is home to several universities, including Goucher College, Stevenson University, Towson University, and University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

17th century
The name "Baltimore" derives from Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore (1605–1675), proprietor of the colonial-era Province of Maryland, and the town of Baltimore in County Cork, Ireland. The earliest known documentary record of the county is dated January 12, 1659, when a writ was issued on behalf of the General Assembly of Maryland to its sheriff.

The county was founded in 1659, and is now one of 23 counties in the state. The initial Baltimore County was larger geographically than it is currently, including most of northeastern Maryland, which was then the northwestern frontier of the Province and included the present-day jurisdictions of Baltimore City, Cecil and Harford Counties, and parts of Carroll, Anne Arundel, Frederick, Howard, and Kent Counties.

In 1674, a proclamation of the Proprietor established the then-extensive boundary lines for old Baltimore County. Over the next century, various segments of the old county were sliced off as population and settlements increased in fringe regions. A portion of northeastern Baltimore County, as well as a portion of northwestern Kent County, was split off to create Cecil County. In 1748, a portion of western Baltimore County, as well as a portion of Prince George's County to the south, were split off to create Frederick County. In 1773, Harford County to the east was split off, and in 1837 another part of western Baltimore County was combined with a part of eastern Frederick County to create Carroll County. After the adjustment of Baltimore County's southern boundary with Anne Arundel County, stated to be the upper Middle and Western Branches of the Patapsco River in 1727, a portion of the county's northwestern area was designated in 1838 as the "Western District" or "Howard District" of Arundel and in 1851 was officially separated to form Howard County.

Prior to 1674, Baltimore County court sessions were held in private residences, according to sketchy documentary evidence. In 1674, the General Assembly passed "An Act for erecting a Court-house and Prison in each County within this Province". The site of the courthouse, jail and county seat for Baltimore County was evidently "Old Baltimore" near the Bush River on land that in 1773 became part of Harford County.

The exact location of Old Baltimore is Chilbury Point on the north side of the Bush River owned by the Garrison of the present-day Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), a U.S. Army weapons testing facility. It is a popular spot of local boaters. APG's Cultural Resource Management Program attempted to find Old Baltimore, contracting with R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates (Goodwin). Goodwin first performed historical and archival work and coordinated with existing landscape features to locate the site of Old Baltimore. APG's Explosive Ordnance Disposal of Army personnel defused any unexploded ordnance. In 1997–1998. Goodwin dug 420 test pits, uncovering artifacts including a King Charles II farthing coin, and French and English gun flints. An unearthed brick foundation proved to be the remains of the tavern owned by colonist James Phillips. Another prominent landholder in Old Baltimore was William Osbourne, who operated the ferry across the Bush River.

In 1683, the Maryland General Assembly passed "An Act for Advancement of Trade" to "establish towns, ports, and places of trade, within the province." One of the towns established by the act was "on Bush River, on Town Land, near the Court-House". The courthouse on the Bush River referenced in the 1683 Act was in all likelihood the one created by the 1674 Act. "Old Baltimore" was in existence as early as 1674, but no documents describe what may have preceded it.

By 1695, the "Old Baltimore" courthouse had evidently been abandoned. County justices put the site up for sale. Apparently a new courthouse at "Simm's Choice" on the Baltimore County side of Little Gunpowder Falls had been under construction since 1692.

18th century
In 1700, builder Michael Judd sold it to the county justices. This change of location, away from the Bush River area, reflects the growing economic and political importance of the Gunpowder region. During the next decade, the county seat moved to Joppa.

By 1724, the legislative assembly authorized Thomas Tolley, Capt. John Taylor, Daniel Scott, Lancelot Todd, and John Stokes to purchase 20 acres from "Taylor's Choice," a tract named after John Taylor. The assembly's ordinance directed that the land be divided into 40 lots with streets and alleys to accompany the courthouse and jail erected previously. By 1750, about 50 houses (including a few large two-story brick structures), a church (St. John's Anglican Parish), a courthouse, three stone warehouses, inns, taverns, stores, a public wharf and a "gallows-tree" with an "Amen Corner" with pillories and whipping posts (now located northeast of the City of Baltimore near present-day suburban "Joppatowne" off Harford Road) existed.

A new port and wharfing site, Elkridge Landing, on the upper Patapsco River's Western Branch, became prosperous in the 18th century. It was established on the "falls" of the river, below the rapids and rocks, where the river was deep enough for loaded sailing merchantmen. The landing was a designated "port of entry" and was the terminus of several "rolling roads" on which horse or oxen-drawn hogsheads (huge barrels) packed with tobacco were wheeled down to the Landing/port to be loaded on ships sailing for London and Europe. Gradually the site silted-up from soil erosion and poor farming cultivation on the upper Patapsco, and the maritime economy of the Landing faded. In the 19th century, it became an important stop on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the main north-south East Coast highway for wagons and carriages. Still, later it was on Washington Boulevard (designated U.S. Route 1) by 1926.

With a bit of financial pressure, and after paying for the cost of a new courthouse (300 pounds sterling), dominant business, commercial and political residents of the Town of Baltimore were able to have the Maryland General Assembly relocate the county seat to their growing port town. In 1768, following receipt of petitions for and against the relocation, the General Assembly passed an Act that moved the county seat from Joppa to Baltimore. The first courthouse was constructed in 1768 at a new Courthouse Square at present-day North Calvert Street, between East Lexington and East Fayette Streets.

19th century
The city of Baltimore, Jonestown, and Fells Point were incorporated as the City of Baltimore in 1796–1797. The city remained a part of surrounding Baltimore County and continued to serve as its county seat from 1768 to 1851.

The site of the courthouse is now "Battle Monument Square", constructed 1815–1822 to commemorate the city and county defense in the War of 1812, including the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy fleet in the Patapsco River, the two-day stand-off in fortifications dug east of the city on Loudenschlager's Hill (now "Hampstead Hill" in today's Patterson Park) and the earlier Battle of North Point in "Godly Woods" on the "Patapsco Neck" peninsula in the southeastern portion of the county, during September 12–14, 1814. These events have been commemorated ever since by Defenders Day, an annual city, county, and state official holiday on September 12.

A second city-county courthouse constructed in 1805–1809 was moved to the western side of the Square at North Calvert and East Lexington. A third courthouse including the lower magistrates, commissioners, district and circuit courts, orphans (inheritances/wills) court, small claims court and the old Supreme Bench of Baltimore City was constructed on the entire western block of North Calvert, East Lexington, East Fayette and Saint Paul Streets from 1896 to 1900.

In 1816, the City of Baltimore annexed from Baltimore County several parcels of land known as the "Precincts" on its west, north, east and southwest sides. The County separated from the city (which it surrounds on the east, north, and west) on July 4, 1851, as a result of the adoption of the 1851 second state constitution. Baltimore became one of the few "independent cities" in the United States, putting it on the same level with the state's other 23 counties and granting limited "home rule" powers outside the authority of the Maryland General Assembly.

Towsontown was voted in a referendum by the voting citizens as the new "county seat" on February 13, 1854. The City of Baltimore continued annexing land from the county, extending its western and northern boundaries in 1888. The factory and business owners in the eastern industrial communities of Canton and Highlandtown resisted and opposed annexation, but were annexed 30 years later. The last major annexation took place in 1918–1919, which again took territory from the county on all three sides (west, north, and east) and to the south for the first time from Anne Arundel County, along the south shores of the Patapsco River.

20th century
A new Baltimore County Courthouse was authorized to be built facing Washington Avenue, between Chesapeake and Pennsylvania Avenues to replace the previous courthouse and governmental offices then centered for near 85 years in the city, which had been the official "county seat" since just before the American Revolution. Later surrounded by manicured flower gardens, shrubs and curved walkways, the historical landmark is built of local limestone and marble. It was completed and dedicated in 1855. Wings and annexes were added in 1910, 1923 and 1958. By the 1970s, the county's legal system and governmental offices had grown so much that a separate modernistic "County Courts Building" was erected to the west behind the old Courthouse with its annexes, separated by a paved plaza which is used for employee/visitors relaxations and official ceremonies.

A constitutional amendment to the 1867 Maryland Constitution was approved by referendum in 1948, prohibiting any future annexations without approval from residents in affected territories.

Extensive city-county hostilities came during the Civil Rights Movement, and by the 1980s the county's older inner suburbs faced increasing urban social ills. An atmosphere of cooperation emerged with the drawing of cross-border state assembly districts, organizing of regional government agencies, and increasing state assumption of powers.

The county has a number of properties and sites of local, state and national historical interest on the National Register of Historic Places which is maintained by the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior by the "Historic Sites Act" of August 1935.

In 1985, the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. City Circuit Courthouse was named in honor of Baltimorean and Civil Rights Movement leader Clarence M. Mitchell Jr..

Politics and government
Baltimore County has had a charter government since 1956. The government consists of a County Executive and a seven-member County Council. The County Executive and Council members are elected in years of gubernatorial elections. The County Executive may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.

Without incorporated cities or towns, the county government provides all local services to its residents, many of which are normally associated with city-type governmental agencies.

In 1956, the County adopted an "executive-council" system of government with "at large" representatives, replacing its traditional system of an elected Board of County Commissioners. Since then it has had eleven county executives and one "acting" executive, of which ten were Democrats and two were Republicans. The former Vice President of the United States, Spiro T. Agnew, served as the third executive from 1962 to 1966 and subsequently was elected Governor of Maryland, serving from 1967 to 1969. He was later accused of corruption and bribery while serving as County executive and continuing to accept bribes as the state's governor and as U.S. vice president. He pleaded "no contest" to unprecedented Federal criminal charges. He was forced to resign the Vice Presidency in 1973.

Politically, Baltimore County leans Democratic, but not as overwhelmingly as Baltimore City. In general, the northern portions of the county lean Republican, while the southern portion is more Democratic.

State's attorney
The Baltimore County State's Attorney is responsible for prosecuting the felony, misdemeanor, and juvenile cases that occur in the county. As of 2017, the State's Attorney was Scott Shellenberger (Democrat). He followed Sandra A. O'Connor, a Republican who served eight terms before retiring in 2006.

Law enforcement
The Baltimore County Police Department is responsible for police services.

Established in the mid-17th century, the Sheriff of Baltimore County was at first filled by county justices from 1662 to 1676. After 1676, the Court submitted three names from which the colonial governor chose a sheriff. Although terms of office initially varied, by 1692, a uniform two-year term was imposed. In 1699 a three-year term with separate commissions was adopted. The sheriff acted as the chief local representative of the proprietary government. His duties included the collection of all public taxes and after 1692, the collection of the yearly poll tax of forty pounds of tobacco for the support of the Anglican (Church of England) clergy and parishes. A sheriff received a percentage of collected monies, generally about five percent. He also received a yearly salary for duties such as reporting to the governor on affairs within the county, taking/estimating the census periodically, conveying official laws and proprietary requests to the county courts and selecting juries for court sessions. Along with enforcing all provincial laws, he posted new laws in public places. While his primary duty was to serve the Proprietor, the sheriff was aware of problems faced by poor planters and tradesmen. With taxes, yearly quit-rents and other costly expenditures, many of the poorer settlers were unable to pay their obligations when due. The sheriff often extended credit to these planters and paid their immediate obligations out of his own pocket. This lessened the impact of taxes for the poor, who repaid the sheriff after their harvests were brought in.

The modern Baltimore County Sheriff's Department is responsible for security of the two major County Circuit Courts buildings and various courtrooms elsewhere as well as process and warrant service. Sheriff's Deputies are sworn police officers and share the same powers of the more recently organized County Police Department. As of 2019, the Baltimore County Sheriff is a Democrat, R. J. Fisher.

The Maryland State Police is headquartered at 1201 Reisterstown Road in the Pikesville CDP.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Baltimore field office is located in Milford Mill.

Fire Department
The Baltimore County Fire Department (B.Co.F.D.) provides fire protection, emergency medical services and emergency rescue services to the county and surrounding areas, including Baltimore City, through mutual-aid pacts with those jurisdictions. The department consists of both paid and volunteer companies that provide services to overlapping territories. Twenty-five career (paid) stations and 28 volunteer stations operate there. More than 1,000 paid personnel and more than 2,000 volunteers serve in the department. The department conducts annual fire inspections on commercial properties, fire investigation and fire prevention education activities as well as water and tactical rescue.

Sworn in as fire chief on July 1, 2019, Joanne R. Rund is the first female chief to be permanently appointed to the position.

County executives
The Baltimore County Executive oversees the executive branch of the County government, which is charged with implementing County law and overseeing the government operations.

List of County Executives

 * 1956–1958, Michael J. Birmingham (D)
 * 1958–1962, Christian H. Kahl (D)
 * 1962–1966, Spiro T. Agnew (R)
 * 1966–1974, Dale Anderson (D)
 * 1974–1974, Frederick L. Dewberry (D) (acting)
 * 1974–1978, Theodore G. Venetoulis (D)
 * 1978–1986, Donald P. Hutchinson (D)
 * 1986–1990, Dennis F. Rasmussen (D)
 * 1990–1994, Roger B. Hayden (R)
 * 1994–2002, C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger III (D)
 * 2002–2010, James T. Smith Jr. (D)
 * 2010–2018, Kevin B. Kamenetz (D)
 * 2018–2018, Donald I. Mohler III (D)
 * 2018-present, John A. Olszewski Jr. (D)

Notes: Anderson resigned after being convicted of several crimes and sentenced to prison. Kamenetz died on May 10, 2018. County Administrative Officer Frederick J. Homan was acting county executive until the county council named Mohler to serve the remainder of Kamenetz's term.

County council
The County Council adopts ordinances and resolutions and holds the county's legislative powers.

, the council has 4 Democrats and 3 Republicans.

Politics
Baltimore County is somewhat of a bellwether for Maryland politics. While it leans slightly Republican compared to the state as a whole, Republicans running for statewide office must carry it solidly to win a statewide election.

After going Republican in all but one presidential election from 1944 to 1988, it has voted for the Democratic candidate for president in each election since 1992. Along with neighboring Howard County, it has voted for the state-wide presidential winner in 10 straight elections, the longest such streak in the state. However, in gubernatorial elections, it has often gone Republican (1994, 1998, 2006) even as a Democratic candidate was elected governor. In the 2014 gubernatorial election Republican Larry Hogan won Baltimore County by over 20 points (59.03% to 38.89%).

 * }

Federal government
Baltimore County is represented by Republican Andy Harris of Maryland's 1st congressional district, Democrat Dutch Ruppersberger of the 2nd district, and Democrat Kweisi Mfume of the 7th district.

Geography
According to the U.S. census bureau, the county covers 682 sqmi, 598 sqmi of which is land and 83 sqmi (12%) of which is water. It is the third-largest county in Maryland by land area. The larger portion of the terrain consists of hills often rising to a height of 800 ft above tide water.

The highest elevation is approximately 960 ft above sea level at Maryland's state border with Pennsylvania near Steltz. The lowest elevation is sea level along the shoreline of Chesapeake Bay.

Much of the county is suburban, straddling the border between the Piedmont plateau to the northwest and in the southern and southeastern regions of the county bordering the Patapsco River and the Chesapeake Bay, the Atlantic coastal plain. Northern Baltimore County is primarily rural, with a landscape of rolling hills and deciduous forests characteristic of the Southeastern mixed forests and shares the geography with its neighbors to the east and west, Carroll County and Harford County, and going north across the historic Mason–Dixon line into Adams County and York County in south central Pennsylvania.

Climate
The county has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) except in the northern tier where a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) exists. Average monthly temperatures in Towson range from 33.3 °F in January to 76.9 °F in July. The county has three hardiness zones: 6b in some higher northern areas, 7a in most of the county by area, and 7b in areas close enough to the Chesapeake Bay or the City of Baltimore.

Adjacent counties and independent city

 * York County, Pennsylvania (north)
 * Carroll County (west)
 * Harford County (east)
 * Anne Arundel County (south)
 * Kent County (Southeast)
 * Howard County (southwest)
 * Baltimore City (south)

National protected area

 * Hampton National Historic Site

State protected area

 * Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area

Transit
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) operates three rail systems—one light rail, one rapid transit, and one commuter rail—in the Baltimore area; all three systems have stations in Baltimore County. The heavy-rail Metro SubwayLink runs northwest of the city to Owings Mills; the Light RailLink system runs north of Baltimore City to Hunt Valley and south of the city through Baltimore Highlands with some routes terminating at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Maryland. Commuter MARC Train service is available in the county at Halethorpe, St. Denis, and Martin State Airport stations.

The MTA's local and regional bus services also serve Baltimore County.

Rail
Both CSX Transportation and Amtrak mainlines run through the county. Former rail lines running through the County beginning in the 19th Century were the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad (MPR) and the Northern Central Railway (previously the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad, later becoming part of the old Pennsylvania Railroad). MPR and parts of the Northern Central were abandoned. The present-day streetcar/trolley line coming north from Anne Arundel County and the International Airport through Baltimore City uses the Northern Central right-of-way south of Cockeysville and Timonium; starting slightly north of that, the right-of-way was converted into the popular hiking, biking and jogging pathway from Loch Raven to the Mason–Dixon line with Pennsylvania known now as the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail, named for a former state secretary of natural resources.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, 805,029 people, 316,715 households, and 205,113 families resided there. The population density was 1,345.5 PD/sqmi. The 335,622 housing units supported an average density of 561.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 64.6% white, 26.1% black or African American, 5.0% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 1.6% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 20.7% were German, 14.6% were Irish, 8.7% were English, 7.4% were Italian, 5.8% were Polish and 5.0% were American.

Of the 316,715 households, 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.2% were non-families, and 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age was 39.1 years.

The household median income was $63,959 and the median income for a family was $78,385. Males had a median income of $53,104 versus $43,316 for females. The per capita income for the county was $33,719. About 5.3% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Among the county's major employers are MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center on the east side in Rossville, the Social Security Administration, the national headquarters of which are in Woodlawn, and The Black & Decker Corporation, in Towson. As of 2009, the county's workforce totaled 410,100, with 25% employed in the fields of education, health and human services, 10% in retailing, and less than 1% in agriculture.

Top employers
According to the county's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the county are concentrated in the government, medical and educational fields. The only commercial entity is Erickson Living:

Agriculture
The University of Maryland Extension system provides for the county. The state Farm Bureau oversees the here.

(Panicum virgatum) is a potential energy crop and soil improver however it does not compete well with some warm-season annual grass weeds and broadleaf weeds here. Sadeghpour et al., 2014 finds that various winter cereals including oat and rye are helpful covers for weed control, rye moreso than oat. However they still found that herbicide (specifically atrazine or quinclorac) is needed as supplemental weed control. Osipitan et al., 2018 believe this result generalizes to early season cover cropping for weed control in general.

Colleges and universities
The University System of Maryland maintains two universities in Baltimore County:
 * Towson University in Towson, (founded 1866 as Maryland State Normal School in Baltimore City; renamed Maryland State Teachers College at Towson, 1935; Towson State College, 1963; Towson State University, 1976, Towson University, 1997).
 * University of Maryland, Baltimore County in Catonsville, founded 1966.

The two private colleges in Baltimore County are:
 * Goucher College (in Towson), founded as Women's College of Baltimore, 1885.
 * Stevenson University, formerly Villa Julie College (campuses in Stevenson and Owings Mills).

Other schools with a campus in Baltimore County:
 * Loyola College in Maryland (in Hunt Valley, main campus in Baltimore at North Charles Street and East Cold Spring Lane, [formerly Loyola College, founded 1852]).
 * The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), with campuses in Catonsville, Essex, and Dundalk.

Public schools
All public schools in Baltimore County are operated by Baltimore County Public Schools, the sole school district in the county, with the exception of the Imagine Me Charter School, which opened August 2008.

Private schools
Baltimore County has a number of private schools at the K-12 grade levels. Among them are:

 * Arlington Baptist High School
 * Baltimore Actors Theatre Conservatory
 * Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School
 * The Boys' Latin School of Maryland
 * Calvert Hall College High School
 * Cambridge School of Baltimore
 * Concordia Preparatory School
 * Garrison Forest School
 * Immaculate Conception School
 * Jemicy School
 * Loyola Blakefield
 * Maryvale Preparatory School
 * McDonogh School
 * Mount de Sales Academy
 * Notre Dame Preparatory School
 * Oldfields School (all-girls')
 * Our Lady of Grace School
 * Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
 * The Park School
 * St. James Academy in Monkton
 * St. Paul's School & St. Paul's School for Girls
 * St. Timothy's School (all-girls')

Census-designated places
All areas in Baltimore County are unincorporated and have no legal jurisdiction over their area.

The following census-designated places recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau:

 * Arbutus
 * Baltimore Highlands
 * Bowleys Quarters
 * Carney
 * Catonsville
 * Cockeysville
 * Dundalk
 * Edgemere
 * Essex
 * Garrison
 * Hampton
 * Kingsville
 * Lansdowne
 * Lochearn
 * Lutherville
 * Mays Chapel
 * Middle River
 * Milford Mill
 * Overlea
 * Owings Mills
 * Parkville
 * Perry Hall
 * Pikesville
 * Randallstown
 * Reisterstown
 * Rosedale
 * Rossville
 * Timonium
 * Towson (county seat)
 * White Marsh
 * Woodlawn

Unincorporated communities
Although not formally Census-Designated Places, these other communities are known locally and, in many cases, have their own post offices and are shown on roadmaps:

 * Baldwin
 * Boring
 * Bradshaw
 * Brooklandville
 * Butler
 * Chase
 * Fork
 * Fort Howard
 * Germantown
 * Glen Arm
 * Glencoe
 * Glyndon
 * Halethorpe
 * Hereford
 * Hunt Valley
 * Hydes
 * Jacksonville
 * Long Green
 * Maryland Line
 * Monkton
 * Nottingham
 * Oella
 * Parkton
 * Phoenix
 * Ruxton
 * Sparks
 * Sparrows Point
 * Stevenson
 * Trump
 * Turners Station
 * Upper Falls
 * Upperco
 * White Hall

Notable people

 * Spiro Agnew, former Vice President of the United States, Baltimore County Executive, and governor of Maryland
 * Holmes Alexander (1906–1985), historian, journalist, columnist, and member of the Maryland House of Delegates
 * All Time Low, punk-rock band, formed in 2003
 * Peter Angelos, prominent attorney and owner, Baltimore Orioles
 * Brian Balmages, composer
 * Mario Dewar Barrett, famous R&B singer
 * Mark Belanger, former Oriole shortstop
 * Ryan Boyle, professional lacrosse player
 * A. J. Burnett, MLB pitcher
 * David Byrne, lead singer Talking Heads
 * Tom Clancy, well-known author of political thrillers
 * Kevin Clash, puppeteer most famous for Sesame Street's Elmo
 * Louis S. Diggs, Baltimore County historian
 * Samuel Durrance, astronaut/physicist
 * Robert Ehrlich, 60th Governor of Maryland
 * Jane Frank (1918–1986) artist (born in Baltimore, lived in Owings Mills and Towson most of her adult life)
 * Cinder Road. Band named after a road in Lutherville
 * Lee Gatch, artist (born in a small rural community near Baltimore)
 * Jim Gentile, former Oriole and Dodger first baseman
 * Conor Gill, professional lacrosse player
 * Ira Glass, host and producer of This American Life
 * Elaine Hamilton-O'Neal, abstract expressionist artist and Fulbright scholar
 * William H. Harrison (USMC), brigadier general in the Marine Corps during World War II
 * Emily Spencer Hayden, photographer
 * Billy Hunter, former major league baseball shortstop and manager
 * Foxhall P. Keene, horse breeder and Olympic gold medalist polo player
 * Stacy Keibler, actress and model
 * Harvey Ladew, designer of Ladew Topiary Gardens
 * Bucky Lasek, famous vert ramp skateboarder, from Dundalk
 * Hae Min Lee, Murder victim
 * G. E. Lowman, clergyman and early radio evangelist
 * Carol Mann, golfer
 * Jamie Miller, drummer Bad Religion
 * Jim McKay, ABC-TV sportscaster
 * Sid Meier, businessman and computer programmer.
 * John Merryman, Civil War militia officer, Maryland politician, and subject of the landmark habeas corpus case, Ex parte Merryman
 * Glenn Milstead, known as the actor "Divine"
 * Mo'Nique, American comedian and actress
 * Jim Palmer, former Baltimore Oriole and Hall of Fame pitcher
 * Michael Phelps, Olympic Gold-Medalist swimmer
 * Rosa Ponselle, opera singer
 * Robin Quivers, radio personality
 * Ross Rawlings, pianist, composer, conductor, and music director
 * Angel Reese, women's basketball player
 * Charles Carnan Ridgely (1760–1829), governor of Maryland and master of the Hampton estate
 * Eliza Ridgely (1803–1867), third mistress of the Hampton estate and the subject of the well-known portrait painting Lady with a Harp
 * Brooks Robinson, former Baltimore Oriole and Hall of Fame third baseman
 * Mike Rowe, TV show host for Dirty Jobs
 * Don Shula, Former Baltimore Colts player and later coach of the Miami Dolphins
 * Dick Szymanski, former Colts player
 * Pam Shriver, professional tennis player, Olympic Gold Medalist in tennis
 * Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, politician and member of the Kennedy family
 * Gus Triandos, former Baltimore Oriole
 * Bob Turley, former major league baseball pitcher
 * Johnny Unitas, former Baltimore Colt and Hall of Fame quarterback
 * Nikolai Volkoff, former professional wrestler and member of the WWE Hall of Fame
 * Daniel Bashiel Warner, third President of Liberia
 * John Waters, filmmaker
 * Cheryl Wheeler, singer-songwriter
 * Ella B. Ensor Wilson (1838-1913), social reformer

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Baltimore County, Maryland


text:
Talk:Standard Model

Diagram of Standard Model particles and interactions
A recent edit removed the following image (below). Is this image worth restoring? Isambard Kingdom (talk) 19:23, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

 * It is an extremely busy diagram, and definitely should not be in the lead, where it was. The simpler diagram that is still there (File:Standard Model of Elementary_Particles.svg) is more interpretable.  Without formal training I cannot even comment on the value of the removed diagram.  Another diagram (File:Standard Model.svg) I find similarly inscrutable, and its value here could also be debated.  —Quondum 03:35, 13 July 2015 (UTC)

 * The one here looks clear and correct to me (not 100% about the "left-handed" parts for the spin-1/2 particles). M∧Ŝc2ħεИτlk 10:54, 13 July 2015 (UTC)

 * I'm the one who removed it. It is too busy, like User:Quondum said. Also, the image is low quality Buckbill10 (talk) 13:51, 13 July 2015 (UTC)
 * I agree with Buckbill and Quondum. The diagram is too busy. I also find File:Standard Model.svg inscrutable. It's extremely hard to see what it's even about and I'm not even sure it's technically right. Headbomb {talk / contribs / physics / books} 14:01, 13 July 2015 (UTC)
 * While I agree that the image is too busy, or technical for a lead, I think an alternative should have been found by now. It's been over a year, apparently.
 * I recall maybe 15 years ago, before LHC was even online, there was a really nice, clean graphic that displayed the particles almost as a periodic table. With rows for leptons, bosons, and quarks, organized by mass and spin.
 * Of course, with the addition of the higgs, it is no longer accurate. But, it was really a fantastic resource because you could intuitively understand it at a glance.
 * I think if there is an updated version of this table, it would be a terrific replacement for the original lead image.
 * The image may even still exist on Wikimedia. In which case, one could conceivably add the extra box for the higgs in the appropriate spot. If one were so inclined. Unfortunately my photo editing skills don't go beyond MS Paint. Or I would do it myself.
 * I h VoidHalo (talk) 17:17, 22 October 2023 (UTC)

 * For some reason, the JPG file failed to render, and I kinda figured that it was the servers that failed to create the thumbnails. So I downloaded the image, coverted it into a PNG file, uploaded it, and marked the .jpg image as superseded. Because PNG is a lossless format, thumbnails of PNG files won't appear distorted. - Mardus /talk 05:03, 24 December 2015 (UTC)

 * According to my friend with a PhD in physics, this diagram is correct. My opinion is that it ought to be in the article, since it's perfectly relevant to the subject matter; I am re-adding it. jp×g 19:08, 11 May 2021 (UTC)
 * It is completely unintelligible without already knowing everything on it (and even then it is extremely difficult to follow and low quality), and it does not provide anything at all that isn't explained much better in the article/other images already. I am removing it as was already agreed.2001:56A:F343:2700:4917:1B72:E9E7:80C0 (talk) 13:01, 30 May 2021 (UTC)

I also have a minor problem with the current diagram. It shows the charged leptons above the neutrinos. I think it should be vice versa to reflect their order in the corresponding weak isospin doublets. I'm not sure if the current image can easily be modified to fit this because of the grouping that's shown in the background of the image. I could offer a diagram I made myself a couple of years ago (below the other one on the right). I can also upload it as svg if that's preferred Acrux13 (talk) 17:30, 20 December 2021 (UTC)

 * Another problem is that in reality, lepton and quark sectors are completely analogous versus weak interactions:
 * down-type quarks transform into up-type ones, each with definite mass, with probabilities encoded in CKM matrix
 * "down type leptons" (charged leptons) transform into "up-type leptons" (neutrinos), each with definite mass, with probabilities encoded in PNMS matrix.
 * But the diagrams usually show "electron neutrinos" which are supposedly the result of electron's transformation. It is not. Electron transforms into one of three mass eigenstate neutrinos. When this neutrino is detected through some interaction, it transforms back to either electron, muon, or tau. But when it is in flight, it's NOT "electron" or "muon" or "tau". If the distance from the source is very large (e.g. billion of light years) and if we'd be able to know when exactly neutrinos are emitted, time of arrival would be usable to determine which mass eugenstate was in flight.
 * (The "oscillations" are observed for neutrinos but not quarks because neutrinos are very light, travel very close to the speed of light, so the wave packets of three mass eigenstate neutrinos drift apart very slowly, interfering with each other and resulting in easily detectable distance-dependent probability patterns in neutrino beam from e.g. muon neutrino factory. Whereas quark masses are noticeably different, so interference pattern is lost quickly, and quarks also hadronize (they are not in free flight on a straight path).) 193.165.237.43 (talk) 21:29, 4 April 2024 (UTC)

 * I always thought it was arranged by mass, so the higher mass are higher on the chart. There should be enough WP:RS showing a similar chart to find out what is usually done. Gah4 (talk) 23:27, 20 December 2021 (UTC)
 * Oh, I see. I never noticed that this representation actually aligns with the order of masses. However, the masses are already explicitly stated in the corresponding fields, so ordering them like that seems a bit redundant. So, we might as well use this degree of freedom to implicitly express the isospin structure. A quick google search tells me, that the usual diagrams are split on this issue. Although, the diagrams I've seen in theses usually follow the pattern I suggested. Acrux13 (talk) 08:18, 21 December 2021 (UTC)
 * Though current diagram may be not ideal, it's still more readable and looks better. Maybe it can be just updated with whatever the consesus would be, rather that substituted? I can follow it, but the previous (current) one are easier for understanding. (I'm not a practicing physicist, though I've studied physics for 5+ years at uni.) Artem.G (talk) 10:01, 21 December 2021 (UTC)
 * I agree. Updating the current one would be ideal, but it's something I can't do myself. However, I just discovered that there is a talk page for that picture as well, so I just offered an updated version of the image there. I apologise if I should have gone there directly, I'm still new to this... Acrux13 (talk) 13:35, 21 December 2021 (UTC)
 * I agree. Updating the current one would be ideal, but it's something I can't do myself. However, I just discovered that there is a talk page for that picture as well, so I just offered an updated version of the image there. I apologise if I should have gone there directly, I'm still new to this... Acrux13 (talk) 13:35, 21 December 2021 (UTC)

Who coined the term "Standard Model"
I added a sentence saying Steven Weinberg claims he came up with the term for what we call today the Standard Model and added this: Although according to Steven Weinberg he came up with the term ref1: This World and the Universe, Steven Weinberg, Talks at Google https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnk0rnBQrR0&t=1080s ref2: World Science Festival 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-y3DPJRVhE but for some reason somebody reverted it. Why? Steven Weinberg is definitely an authority on the subject and I didn't say "SW came up with the term" but rather "SW claims he came up with the term" which is apparently correct, given his claims in the two videos. Shouldn't we have these in the history section? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2001:4C4E:2042:6B00:2B3A:6ADB:93AA:BFAD (talk) 20:06, 21 November 2021 (UTC)
 * Claims are not facts, and lengthy interviews are not very reliable sources. If you know any paper from the 70s (probably) where Weinberg used the term 'SM', it can be mentioned. But right now it's just useless, as anyone, even great physicists, can claim any thing they want. And besides, Weinberg is mentioned above in the article, in the same History section. Artem.G (talk) 07:23, 22 November 2021 (UTC)

 * Claims are indeed not facts that is why the extra sentence never said SW came up with the term. But he does appear to claim he did, which is absolutely relevant as far as history of science goes. Again, I'm not advocating to include "SW came up with the term" but rather "SW claims he came up with the term". SW is not an arbitrary person in a random youtube video, but one of the key figures in the development of the SM. The sources, with specific time marks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-y3DPJRVhE&t=435s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnk0rnBQrR0&t=1080s I'd say these are sufficient to include the extra sentence.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 157.181.170.114 (talk) 10:37, 22 November 2021 (UTC)
 * The YouTube videos do show that Weinberg asserted that he invented the term. They are not unreliable sources and the flag for that should be removed. The question of whether Weinberg's claim belongs in the historical account is another issue. Weinberg was a prominent spokesman who presented topics in physics to the general public and his belief is worth reporting. What is really needed is well researched article in some journal that looks at where it first appeared in print or in a recording of a presentation. But Wikipedia is not the place to do such original research. Rmrwiki (talk) 06:21, 24 January 2023 (UTC)
 * In the cited YouTube video, Weinberg makes a number of interesting points relevant possibly to the Introduction of this Wikipedia article. Here is the transcript as a basis for further editorial work: 2A00:23C6:54AD:5701:610A:7E9C:A09C:4125 (talk) 13:52, 10 January 2024 (UTC)

Weinberg: We have a very good theory of all the particles and forces that we can study in the laboratory which I gave the name "The Standard Model", erm, which seemed to me not excessively immodest, I mean. Biologists have something called the Central Dogma and I was trying to avoid that [Host interrupts: The Weinberg Protocol?] Ha ha ha. Well I wouldn't say that either. But it works, and in an almost boringly repetitive way we keep testing it. The discovery of the Higgs boson a few years ago turned out to just fit what was expected. The Standard Model predicts all of its properties except its mass, and it was found, with all those properties, and now we know the mass experimentally. Erm. It would be tragic if the only thing we did, at the large Hadron Collider or anywhere else, was to go on elaborating the verification of the Standard Model. And... The Standard Model is certainly not the end of the story, no-one thinks it is. It has a lot of unexplained features like numerical quantities, ratios of masses, we don't know where they come from. It doesn't include gravitation, which is a big thing not to include. Erm. And we are not, we are happy with it as far as it goes. We desperately want to go beyond it. And erm we may not be able to, in our lifetimes.
 * And here is the interiew with Weinberg published in the cited physics journal:

Host: When did people start calling the whole thing the standard model? Weinberg: I don’t know exactly, but I remember using the name in 1973 during a talk in Aix-en-Provence in France. I wanted to point out to my audience that we physicists had a pretty good picture of elementary particles by then, and we could use this “standard model” as a device for interpreting experiments. Host: Did having “standard” in the name imply certainty for you? Weinberg: I was confident that the theory was right, but my confidence was partly shaken by data from a number of experiments in 1976 and 1977 that were hard to make sense of within the standard model. In the spring of 1977, I ended up canceling a trip I had planned with my wife and daughter to go to Yosemite. Instead, I spent that time working with my friend Ben Lee trying to find an alternative theory that could account for the experiments. I’m proud to say we failed, as it later turned out that the experiments were wrong. In the end, the issue was settled by a 1978 experiment at SLAC that confirmed the prediction of parity violation in the interaction of electrons with nuclei. After that, I think everyone was convinced that the standard model was correct.

i note that Weinberg's terminology evolves with physicists' increasing confidence: First he says "physicists had a pretty good picture of elementary particles", this picture he calls a standard model which he explains is 'a device for interpreting exeriments and in the next sentence he calls it a theory. Picture > model/device > theory. Worth a comment in a future terminology section. 2A00:23C6:54AD:5701:4A2:E31C:DC2F:45F8 (talk) 17:28, 10 January 2024 (UTC)

Unintelligible Image With No Explanatory Caption
What is File:Standard Model Forces.png meant to even show? It is completely unintelligible. I will be removing it again if no one explains (both here and in the text of the article) why it is useful here. 81.107.39.90 (talk) 22:21, 27 November 2021 (UTC)
 * I agree. I can see what it's trying to depict but it's doing so in a poor way. --mfb (talk) 00:44, 28 November 2021 (UTC)
 * Agree. The image is confusing, and I removed it. Artem.G (talk) 09:06, 28 November 2021 (UTC)
 * The discussion on the image was here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File_talk:Standard_Model_Forces.png --Efa (talk) 14:45, 15 January 2022 (UTC)

Four kinds: 1, 2, and 3 -- should be "Three kinds"
There's a mistake in the "Elementary particles" chart. Under Gauge Bosons, it has the header "Four kinds", but under that header it gives three items numbered 1, 2, and 3. Compare the nearly identical chart, in which there is an item 4, graviton, in the article Elementary_particle Evidently graviton was removed in this article since gravitons are not part of the Standard Model, but then there are only three kinds and the chart should be revised accordingly. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.10.180.57 (talk) 20:30, 16 April 2022 (UTC)

 * The template shows the Graviton only outside the SM context. I changed the template to adjust the caption. ♆ CUSH ♆ 10:16, 24 January 2023 (UTC)

Number of bosons
The article currently contains the sentence "The Standard Model includes 12 elementary particles of spin 1⁄2, known as fermions." I'd like to see a similar statement somewhere in the article about how many bosonic elementary particles there are, if counted in the same physics-meaningful way. Thank you — Q uantling (talk | contribs) 18:35, 5 October 2023 (UTC)

Move page to "Standard model of particle physics"
This page should be moved to Standard model of particle physics. This is the full name of the topic of this article so this should be the title.

This page should instead redirect to Standard model (disambiguation). EDIT: To preserve existing links it's better to make Standard model redirect to the new page name.

The term "Standard Model" is very general. It can be use and is used to refer to a lot of different things in different contexts. Having this term as the title of this page is confusing to readers. Liiiii (talk) 10:01, 4 February 2024 (UTC)

 * oppose, that's unnecessary, and it's clearly the main thing called the "standard model".
 * Artem.G (talk) 10:27, 4 February 2024 (UTC)

 * It is clearly the the main thing in the field of fundamental physics. I understand that people who are familiar with that topic think that this is how all readers see it. But Wikipedia in not an encyclopedia for only physics.

 * But readers who are not familiar with this topic and see this title in a different context will get no indication what this article is about.

 * Titles should give and indication about the topic of an article also in context outside the topic of the article.

 * Think about it: There is no clue in the phrase "standard model" that indicate that the topic is about physics.

 * The term "Standard model" is an abbreviation that is understandable only in the context of a certain topic. "Standard model of particle physics" is the full term. Therefore this should be the title of an article in a general encyclopedia.
 * Liiiii (talk) 11:07, 4 February 2024 (UTC)
 * well, but that logic we should rename all wikipedia articles. Lambda-CDM model (another entry from standard model disambig page), for example, is not understandable to people who've no idea what's Lambda and what's CDM, but that's not a good reason to invent new name. Artem.G (talk) 14:03, 4 February 2024 (UTC)
 * Is there a conflict ... what other article of similar or greater importance might we be tempted to name "Standard Model"? — Q uantling (talk | contribs) 21:36, 4 February 2024 (UTC)

The following is an answer to all the various comments. Thank you everyone for your opinions! Please look at the top of the article. It has a template with the title "Standard model of particle physics".

That's the full formal name of the theory. "Standard model" a shortened term that is used colloquially mainly within the field of particle physics. The title of an encyclopedic article should be the full name. Using the colloquial term as the title is wrong and confusing.

"Standard model" is a general term that has a general meaning and is used in a lot of different fields. The following is a list of a just a few examples:

 * 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretation_(logic)#Intended_interpretations
 * 2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_model_(cryptography)
 * 3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_model_(set_theory)
 * 4) https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Standard_Model_of_Cosmology&redirect=no
 * 5) https://www.unescap.org/resources/standard-model-logistics-information-system
 * 6) https://www.cdsmodel.com/
 * 7) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31556341/
 * 8) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11752479/

The "Standard model" part of the name "Standard model of particle physics" refers to this general concept of a standard model. This general concept is the main meaning of the term. It is wrong and confusing to have an article about a particle physics theory to have this name.

I hope that this convinces you about what the most appropriate name for this article is. I will go ahead and perform the rename shortly if I don't receive any other objections.

Liiiii (talk) 11:16, 25 May 2024 (UTC)

 * No, it is wholly inappropriate in every instance on Wikipedia to receive editorial objections from other editors, and respond with "I'll be doing it anyway unless someone else stops me". Plus, what does "full formal name" mean? We don't care about formal names, we care about common names. When "Standard Model" is used by itself in the English language, this is usually what is being referred to. That's how we decide what articles are titled. Please consult our relevant policy, which you have not yet demonstrated any familiarity with, before unilaterally making any decisions like this. Remsense  诉  12:30, 25 May 2024 (UTC)
 * Oppose – Standard Model is the WP:COMMONNAME. There are certainly other ones out there, but when talking about the 'Standard Model', this is the one that's typically being referred to. Sgubaldo (talk) 13:36, 25 May 2024 (UTC)
 * Strong Oppose – as per above, Standard Model is the WP:COMMONNAME IlkkaP (talk) 13:39, 25 May 2024 (UTC)

Shortcomings: neutrino oscillations
In the introductory section, where the Standard Model's shortcomings are listed, I noticed the following statement: It also does not incorporate neutrino oscillations and their non-zero masses. I think this sentence might be partially incorrect. As I understand it, the Pontecorvo–Maki–Nakagawa–Sakata matrix, which describes neutrino oscillations, is in fact just part of the Standard Model. Should this be changed or am I wrong about something? KeelyMcBonk (talk) 12:04, 17 June 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Standard Model


text:
Allegany County, Maryland

Allegany County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 68,106. Its county seat is Cumberland. The name Allegany may come from a local Lenape word, welhik hane or oolikhanna, which means 'best flowing river of the hills' or 'beautiful stream'. Alleghany, or as some prefer to write it, Allegheny,—the Algonkin name of the Ohio River, but now restricted to one of its branches,—is probably (Delaware) welhik-hanné or [oo]lik-hanné, 'the best (or, the fairest) river.' Welhik (as Zeisberger wrote it) is the inanimate form of the adjectival, meaning 'best,' 'most beautiful.' In his Vocabulary, Zeisberger gave this synthesis, with slight change of orthography, as "Wulach'neü" [or [oo]lakhanne[oo], as Eliot would have written it,] with the free translation, "a fine River, without Falls." The name was indeed more likely to belong to rivers 'without falls' or other obstruction to the passage of canoes, but its literal meaning is, as its composition shows, "best rapid-stream," or "finest rapid-stream;" "La Belle Riviere" of the French, and the Oue-yo´ or O hee´ yo Gä-hun´-dä, "good river" or "the beautiful river," of the Senecas. For this translation of the name we have very respectable authority,—that of Christian Frederick Post, a Moravian of Pennsylvania, who lived seventeen years with the Muhhekan Indians and was twice married among them, and whose knowledge of the Indian languages enabled him to render important services to the colony, as a negotiator with the Delawares and Shawanese of the Ohio, in the French war. In his "Journal from Philadelphia to the Ohio" in 1758, after mention of the 'Alleghenny' river, he says: "The Ohio, as it is called by the Sennecas. Alleghenny is the name of the same river in the Delaware language. Both words signify the fine or fair river." La Metairie, the notary of La Salle's expedition, "calls the Ohio, the Olighinsipou, or Aleghin; evidently an Algonkin name,"—as Dr. Shea remarks. Heckewelder says that the Delawares "still call the Allegany (Ohio) river, Alligéwi Sipu,"—"the river of the Alligewi" as he chooses to translate it. In one form, we have wulik-hannésipu, 'best rapid-stream long-river;' in the other, wuliké-sipu, 'best long-river.' Heckewelder's derivation of the name, on the authority of a Delaware legend, from the mythic 'Alligewi' or 'Talligewi,'—"a race of Indians said to have once inhabited that country," who, after great battles fought in pre-historic times, were driven from it by the all-conquering Delawares,—is of no value, unless supported by other testimony. A number of counties and a river in the Appalachian region of the U.S. are named Allegany, Allegheny, or Alleghany. Allegany County is part of the Cumberland metropolitan area. It is a part of the Western Maryland "panhandle".

History
The western part of Maryland (including the present Allegany County) was originally part of Prince George's County when Maryland was formed in 1696. This county included six current counties, and by repeated splitting, new ones were generated: Frederick from Prince George's in 1748; and Montgomery and Washington from Frederick in 1776.

Allegany County was formed in 1789 by the splitting of Washington County. At the time it was the westernmost county in Maryland, but a split in 1872 produced Garrett County, the current westernmost county. Prior to 1789, the Virginia Commonwealth claimed the area of present-day Garrett and Allegany Counties, of Maryland. A 1771–1780 map of Virginias counties, shows Hampshire County, but the Virginia State boundary has Hampshire outside that boundary line. When conducting genealogical research, it is possible to find tax records for Hampshire County, Virginia included in Maryland records, and Maryland records in Hampshire County... Hampshire County was formed in 1758 by the Virginia Commonwealth and at its founding, included the present day counties of Garrett and Allegany Counties in Maryland, and Hardy, Grant, Mineral, and part of Morgan Counties in what is now West Virginia.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 430 sqmi, of which 424 sqmi is land and 5.8 sqmi (1.3%) is water.

Allegany County lies primarily in the Ridge-and-Valley Country of the Appalachian Mountains. It is bordered to the north by the Mason–Dixon line with Pennsylvania, to the south by the Potomac River and West Virginia, to the east by Sideling Hill Creek and Washington County, Maryland, and to the west by a land border with Garrett County, Maryland. The western part of the county contains a portion of the steep Allegheny Front, which marks the transition to the higher-elevation Appalachian Plateau and Allegheny Mountain region. The town of Frostburg is located west of the Front at an elevation of nearly 2,100 feet above sea level, while the county seat of Cumberland, only eight miles away, has an elevation of only 627 feet.

Mountains

 * Breakneck Hill (1,872 ft)
 * Collier Mountain (1,460 ft)
 * Dans Mountain (2,898 ft)
 * Evitts Mountain (1,959–2,260 ft.)
 * Green Ridge Mountain
 * Haystack Mountain (1,240+ ft.)
 * Irons Mountain
 * Martin Mountain (1,974 ft)
 * Nicholas Mountain (1,760 ft)
 * Piney Mountain
 * Polish Mountain (1,783 ft)
 * Ragged Mountain (1,740 ft)
 * Town Hill (2,039 ft)
 * Warrior Mountain (2,185 ft)
 * Wills Mountain (1,960+ ft.)

Adjacent counties

 * Somerset County, Pennsylvania (northwest)
 * Bedford County, Pennsylvania (north)
 * Fulton County, Pennsylvania (northeast)
 * Washington County (east)
 * Morgan County, West Virginia (southeast)
 * Hampshire County, West Virginia (south)
 * Mineral County, West Virginia (southwest)
 * Garrett County (west)

National protected areas

 * Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (part)

2020 census
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 75,087 people, 29,177 households, and 17,959 families residing in the county. The population density was 177.0 PD/sqmi. There were 33,311 housing units at an average density of 78.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 89.2% white, 8.0% black or African American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 31.8% were German, 14.6% were Irish, 11.9% were English, 11.8% were American, and 5.6% were Italian.

Of the 29,177 households, 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.4% were non-families, and 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age was 40.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,747 and the median income for a family was $52,680. Males had a median income of $42,322 versus $29,594 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,764. About 9.6% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 74,930 people, 29,322 households, and 18,883 families residing in the county. The population density was 176 /mi2. There were 32,984 housing units at an average density of 78 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 93.02% White, 5.35% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 29.0% were of German, 16.7% US or American, 12.8% Irish, 10.7% English and 5.3% Italian ancestry according to the 2000 census.

There were 29,322 households, out of which 26.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.60% were married couples living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.60% were non-families. 30.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.60% under the age of 18, 11.20% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,821, and the median income for a family was $39,886. Males had a median income of $31,316 versus $21,334 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,780. About 9.70% of families and 14.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.70% of those under age 18 and 9.50% of those age 65 or over.

, Allegany County had a racial and ethnic population composition of 88.16% Non-Hispanic whites, 8.03% Blacks, 0.14% Native Americans, 0.76% Asians, 0.04% Pacific Islanders, 0.08% Non-Hispanics who reported some other race, 1.47% Non-Hispanics who reported two or more races and 1.44% Hispanics.

Economy
According to the county's comprehensive annual financial reports, the top employers by number of employees in the county are the following. ("NR" indicates the employer was not ranked among the top ten employers that year.)

Cities

 * Cumberland
 * Frostburg

Towns

 * Barton
 * Lonaconing
 * Luke
 * Midland
 * Westernport

Census-designated places
Occupying a middle ground between incorporated and unincorporated areas are Special Tax Districts, quasi-municipal unincorporated areas created by legislation passed by the Maryland General Assembly. They lack home rule authority and must petition the General Assembly for changes affecting the authority of the district. There are eight Special Tax Districts in the county:

 * Bel Air
 * Bowling Green
 * Cresaptown
 * Ellerslie
 * La Vale
 * McCoole
 * Mount Savage
 * Potomac Park

Other census-designated places in the county include:

 * Barrelville
 * Bier
 * Borden Shaft
 * Bowmans Addition
 * Carlos
 * Clarysville
 * Corriganville
 * Danville
 * Dawson
 * Detmold
 * Eckhart Mines
 * Flintstone
 * Franklin
 * Gilmore
 * Grahamtown
 * Klondike
 * Little Orleans
 * Midlothian
 * Moscow
 * National
 * Nikep
 * Ocean
 * Oldtown
 * Pleasant Grove
 * Rawlings
 * Shaft
 * Spring Gap
 * Vale Summit
 * Woodland
 * Zihlman

Unincorporated communities

 * Amcelle
 * Dickens
 * Evitts Creek
 * George's Creek
 * Loartown
 * McKenzie
 * Narrows Park
 * Pinto
 * Town Creek

Current government
The Allegany County Government is governed by a 3-member board of County Commissioners.

Libraries
The library system was created in 1960, when libraries in Cumberland, Frostburg, LaVale, Pennsylvania Avenue School, and Westernport were merged to form a unified library system. The first of the libraries which would make up the library system was the Washington Street library, founded in 1924. The most recent addition to the library system was the Georges Creek library, which opened in March 2001. The Allegany County Library System currently has six branches: Frostburg Library, Georges Creek Library, LaVale Library, South Cumberland Library, Washington Street Library, and Westernport Library.

Infrastructure
The North Branch Correctional Institution, (opened 2003), and the earlier adjacent Western Correctional Institution are operated by the Division of Corrections of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, (with its headquarters in Baltimore) is located in an unincorporated area of Allegany County, just southwest of Cumberland. The prison housed male death row inmates, who were moved from the Maryland Correctional Adjustment Center, from June 2010 until death row was closed in 2014.

Politics

 * }

Allegany County was granted a home rule form of government in 1974. It is a strongly Republican county, the last Democrat to win a majority being Jimmy Carter in 1976. The only other Democrats to carry the county since 1880 have been Lyndon B. Johnson, Franklin D. Roosevelt (twice), and by very narrow margins Harry S. Truman in 1948 and Woodrow Wilson in 1912.

Transportation
Allegany County has been, since colonial times, an important node on the nation's transportation network as a key transition point in the movement of goods and people to and from the ports of the Mid-Atlantic and the agricultural and industrial production centers of the Ohio Valley and Midwest. The Cumberland Narrows, a naturally-occurring watergap separating Wills and Haystack Mountains, serves as one of the few passages through what is otherwise one of the steepest rushes of the Ridge and Valley province. Because of this, Cumberland has been the site of both planned and completed transportation projects focused on connecting east and west.

On his fateful march from Alexandria to Fort Duquesne in modern-day Pittsburgh during the French and Indian War, British General Edward Braddock and his men, including then-Lieutenant Colonel and Braddock's aide-de-camp George Washington, carved a road, closely following the Native American Nemacolin's Path, from the British encampment at Fort Cumberland, through the Allegheny Mountains all the way to Fort Duquesne. This road, known in early America as Braddock's Road, became the guidelines for the earliest sections of the Cumberland Road, or what later became known as the National Road. Specifically, the section on Braddock's Road from Cumberland to Uniontown, Pennsylvania was followed nearly exactly in the early construction of the National Road. A monument to the start of the National Road now stands on Greene Street in Cumberland, very near the spot Braddock and his men began their expedition.

In modern times, Allegany County is an important regional crossroads. It is crossed from east to west by Interstate 68 and US Route 40, and from north to south by US Route 220, which from Cumberland to the Mason–Dixon line is part of the Appalachian Development Highway System's Corridor O.

Major highways
US 40 Alt. U.S. Route 40 Scenic
 * I-68.svg Interstate 68
 * US 40.svg U.S. Route 40
 * Alt plate.svg
 * Scenic plate.svg
 * US 220.svg U.S. Route 220
 * MD Route 35.svg Maryland Route 35
 * MD Route 36.svg Maryland Route 36
 * MD Route 47.svg Maryland Route 47
 * MD Route 49.svg Maryland Route 49
 * MD Route 51.svg Maryland Route 51
 * MD Route 53.svg Maryland Route 53
 * MD Route 55.svg Maryland Route 55
 * MD Route 135.svg Maryland Route 135
 * MD Route 144.svg Maryland Route 144
 * MD Route 638.svg Maryland Route 638
 * MD Route 657.svg Maryland Route 657
 * MD Route 658.svg Maryland Route 658
 * MD Route 935.svg Maryland Route 935
 * MD Route 936.svg Maryland Route 936
 * MD Route 956.svg Maryland Route 956

Rail

 * Amtrak
 * Western Maryland Scenic Railroad

Public transportation

 * Allegany County Transit

Education
Public K–12 education in the county is handled by Allegany County Public Schools (ACPS). ACPS is governed by an elected, five-member Board of Education, plus an appointed superintendent. ACPS manages three high schools (grades 9–12), three middle schools (grades 6–8), 13 elementary schools (grades K–5), and one K–8 school, plus the Center for Career and Technical Education in Cresaptown, and the Eckhart Alternative School in Eckhart Mines.

Allegany County is also home to three Christian parochial schools: Bishop Walsh School (Catholic) in Cumberland, Lighthouse Christian Academy (non-denominational) in Cumberland, and Calvary Christian Academy (non-denominational) in Cresaptown.

Allegany County is home to Frostburg State University, one of the eleven member universities of the University System of Maryland, and the only public, four-year university in Maryland west of the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area. The university, founded in 1898 as the Frostburg State Normal School, FSU, as the university is known to students and alumni, now offers more than 40 undergraduate majors and has a yearly enrollment consistently over 5,000 students.

A junior college experience is available in Allegany County with the Allegany College of Maryland, located in Cumberland. Allegany College provides more than 50 associate degree programs and more than 20 certificate programs, and has more than 3,500 enrollees and more than 16,000 registrants in its Continuing Education programs. ACM also operates a satellite campus in Everett, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles north of Cumberland in Bedford County.

Natural resources
The primary mineral resources extracted for use in Allegany County are coal, iron, sandstone, and limestone. Coal-bearing formations are concentrated in the Georges Creek Basin in the western part of the county.

Notable residents

 * Thomas Cresap (c. 1702 – c. 1790), frontiersman and militia leader, who founded Oldtown and widened Nemacolin's Trail, which led west from Cumberland.
 * Michael Cresap (1742–1775), born in Allegany County, American Revolutionary War officer.
 * Patrick Hamill (1817–1895), born in Allegany County, United States Congressman from Maryland.
 * Lloyd Lowndes Jr. (1845–1905), former Governor of Maryland.
 * Lefty Grove (1900–1975), born and raised in Lonaconing; Hall of Fame baseball pitcher with the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox.
 * William H. Macy (born 1950), American actor.
 * Sam Perlozzo, former manager of the Baltimore Orioles (2005–2007).
 * Leo Mazzone, former pitching coach of the Baltimore Orioles and the Atlanta Braves.
 * Casper R. Taylor Jr., former Speaker of the House in the Maryland House of Delegates.
 * Eddie Deezen, (born 1957), American actor.
 * Ty Johnson (born 1997), running back - Detroit Lions.
 * Drew Hankinson, AKA "Luke Gallows" (born 1983), American professional wrestler
 * Bob Robertson (Born 1946) - Played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman between 1967 and 1979, most notably as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Robertson was born in Frostburg, Maryland in 1946 where he graduated from Mount Savage High School in Maryland. Robertson lives in LaVale, Maryland with his wife, Carolyn.

title: Allegany County, Maryland