Translation Services and City Profile of Annapolis, Maryland

Founded in 1649, Annapolis is the capital of the State of Maryland, USA, and one of the oldest cities in the United States. It is also the county seat of Anne Arundel County. Originally called “Providence”, the city used to be the capital of the USA in 1783 and 1784. Its different nicknames are “America’s Sailing Capital”, “Sailing Capital of the World”, and “Naptown”. There are about 36,000 residents in Annapolis; around 63% of them are White, 31% are Black or African American, with the rest being other races.

For a long while, the economy of Annapolis was based on federal, state, and local government thanks to the nearness of the federal capital of Washington, D.C. (around 219,000 people work for the government). However, the number of high-tech companies has increased in recent years. They focus in particular on areas of fiber optics, computer-related technologies, and environmental industries, among others. This has given rise to a substantial need for professional translation services in Annapolis.

Tourism is also a significant industry for the city. With 16,000 employees, the National Security Agency is the largest employer of the county. In order to assist new and existing businesses, the government has some incentive programs (local, state and job training programs). The Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation (AAEDC) is one of the local programs. Thanks to it, county-based or new companies that want to settle in the county can get a loan of up to US$300,000. The State of Maryland has one of the best educated and highly skilled workforces in the USA. Indeed, among the Annapolis workers, more than 82% have a high school diploma and around 39% have a college degree.

With regard to educational institutions, the United States Naval Academy and St. John’s College are in Annapolis. The first one is an undergraduate college preparing and commissioning officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The other one is a liberal arts college with one campus in Annapolis and another one in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is among the oldest institutions of higher learning in the nation.

In terms of transportation, Annapolis is the only capital city in the United States not to have a rail transport network. But the city provides bus service thanks to the Annapolis Department of Transportation (ADOT). The main local airport is the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, situated in the county in the city of Linthicum.

There are different places to see in Annapolis. For example, the Maryland State House, that is the oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use. The city also has a growing community theatre scene with companies like the Colonial Players or the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre. Several museums are located in Annapolis, such as the Banneker-Douglass Museum, where the history of African Americans in Maryland is explained. As for special events, every October there are the Annapolis Boat Shows – the two largest boat shows in the world.