Nov 26 (Reuters) - The United States will host a Middle East conference with Israelis and Palestinians on Tuesday aimed at pushing forward negotiations on Palestinian statehood. Here are a few facts about the city hosting the talks:

* Founded in 1649, the current capital of Maryland was originally called "Providence" when settled by the Puritans. It was renamed Annapolis to honor Princess Anne, future queen of England.

* The city of about 36,000 people is located at the site where the Severn River flows into the Chesapeake Bay. It sits about 30 miles (50 km) south of Baltimore and a similar distance east of Washington.

* It was the nation's first peacetime capital and in 1783-84 hosted the Continental Congress -- the body of delegates from the 13 colonies that governed the country.

* George Washington officially resigned here as commander in chief of the Continental Army after the Revolutionary War. The Treaty of Paris, which formally ended the Revolutionary War, also was ratified in Annapolis in 1784.

* It is home to the United States Naval Academy, the site of Tuesday's Middle East conference, as well as being a big sailing center and popular tourist site. (Reporting by Deborah Charles)

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