Through the years, residents and visitors alike have found the Chesapeake imposing yet hospitable. The Algonquin Indians called it "Chesepiooc," meaning great shellfish bay. Spanish explorers described Chesapeake Bay as "...the best and largest port in the world." Captain John Smith, an English explorer, extolled "The country is not mountainous nor yet low but such pleasant plain hills and fertile valleys...rivers and brooks, all running most pleasantly into a fair Bay." All were impressed with its size, navigability and abundance of wildlife and food.

Today, the Chesapeake is still one of this country's most valuable natural treasures. Even after centuries of intensive use, the Bay remains a highly productive natural resource. It supplies millions of pounds of seafood, functions as a major hub for shipping and commerce, provides natural habitat for wildlife and offers a variety of recreational opportunities for residents and visitors.

Oysters and blue crabs are famous Chesapeake Bay delicacies. From the 1920s to the 1970s, the average annual oyster catch was about 27 million pounds of meat per year. In the last 10 years, the catch has declined dramatically due to overharvesting, dis

The hospitable climate, lush vegetation and natural beauty of the Chesapeake has made it an increasingly popular recreational area. Boating, crabbing, swimming, hunting and camping are major attractions. Both power and sail boating have grown dramatically. In 1993, more than 175,000 pleasure craft were registered.

ease and loss or degradation of habitat. Chesapeake Bay blue crab production averaged 86 million pounds annually from 1983 to 1992, contributing more than half the nation's catch. Although this figure is consistent with past harvests, fishing pressure, both commercial and recreational, continues to grow. The states of Maryland and Virginia have pledged to jointly manage the Bay's blue crab harvests through pot limits, gear restrictions and license restrictions. More than half the nation's soft-shelled clams also come from the Chesapeake. An extensive finfish industry, primarily

The Chesapeake is also a key commercial waterway, with two of the nation's five major North Atlantic ports located here. The Hampton Roads Complex, which includes Portsmouth, Norfolk, Hampton and New- port News, dominates the mouth of the Bay. Hampton Roads ranks third in tonnage of foreign water-borne commerce. At the northern end, the Port of Baltimore is ranked ninth in the nation. Baltimore is the leading exporter of trucks and cars in the nation. More than 90 million tons of cargo were shipped via the Chesapeake during 1992. Both Baltimore and Hampton Roads are near the coal-producing regions of Appalachia, making them essential to exporting U. S. coal abroad. The Hampton Roads Complex already leads the nation in exporting coal and lignite.

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