Pennsylvania is a state on the Atlantic coast of the United
States of America. Pennsylvania is bordered by New York State to
the north, New Jersey to the east,
Delaware to the southeast,
Maryland to the south,
West Virginia to the southwest, and
Ohio
to the west. In the northwest, Pennsylvania has a stretch of
coast on Lake Erie, the center of which forms the border with
Canada. Pennsylvania is a state in the eastern United States. It
is known for its Revolutionary War-era historic sites like
Valley Forge, its large cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh,
its agricultural areas (inhabited by the Amish), and its (once)
strong industrial history. Pennsylvania is not only vast, rich
and varied in its fields and mountains, but its cities and towns
as well.
Pennsylvania is geographically diverse, with
great lakes on one shore and major ports on the other.
Pennsylvania's climate is pleasant, with cold and often snowy
winters, mild to hot and humid summers, beautiful green foliage
in the spring, and colorful fall foliage in the fall.
Pennsylvania has many important cities, from Pittsburgh to
Philadelphia. Philadelphia, the largest city in the state, is
home to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. The interior of
the state has many subcultures worth exploring, including the
famous Amish country towns.
Pennsylvania is also home to
a diverse population, with ethnic neighborhoods of Black,
Hispanic, and Southeast Asian descent in major cities. Culture
also varies by region, with the eastern region around
Philadelphia having a strong Mid-Atlantic character and the
western region around Pittsburgh having a strong Midwestern
character. The Appalachian region has a culture similar to that
of West Virginia in the south.
Pennsylvania is also
diverse, with the eastern and southeastern parts of the state
being urban and densely populated, while the rest of the state
is rural and mountainous. Pennsylvania is a presidential
electoral swing state.
It is bordered by New Jersey, New
York, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Ohio. Philadelphia
and Pittsburgh are the state's two largest cities, followed by
Allentown, Reading, and Erie. Other cities include Bethlehem and
Scranton.
Pennsylvania is the second oldest state, after
Delaware.
Philadelphia Region
Alleghenies and Susquehanna Valley
Erie Region
Pennsylvania Wilds
Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Pittsburgh Region
Poconos and Endless Mountains
1 Philadelphia. The city is located on the Delaware River in
Philadelphia County. Largest city in Pennsylvania with over 1.6 million
people.
2 Pittsburgh
3
Allentown
4 Erie
5
Reading
6
Scranton
7 Bethlehem
8
Lancasters
9 Harrisburg. Capital of
Pennsylvania since 1812. The city is located on the Susquehanna River in
Dauphin County. It became world-famous in 1979 due to an accident in a
neighboring nuclear power plant.
10 Altoona
11 Williamsport
Eastern State Penitentiary that once served as a prison for Al Capone today is abandoned, but many claim paranormal encounters within its walls.
Gettysburg National Military Park is a site of the largest battle that was fought during Civil War.
Pennhurst State Hospital & School is one of the largest abandoned hospitals that is said to be haunted by the disturbed spirits.
Fallingwater (Mill Run, 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh): Designed
by Frank Lloyd Wright and built literally on top of a waterfall in
1935-1937, this home is one of the most famous in the country. A true
cult site of modern architecture that can be visited as part of guided
tours. See Laurel Highlands. Wikipedia
Lancaster County: A county in
southeastern Pennsylvania famous for its high percentage of Amish (aka
Pennsylvania Dutch), a Protestant minority whose members often practice
18th-century lifestyles. Although most Amish live in more or less
seclusion, others are in daily contact with the outside world, trading
in Amish products (mainly wood products and groceries) or running
restaurants. You can learn even more about the Amish in the area's
museums.
On September 11, 2001, the fourth plane hijacked by
terrorists crashed near the 245-strong village of Shanksville after a
prisoner revolt. To commemorate the 44 fatalities, a memorial was
erected at the site of the accident, which is to become a national
monument under the administration of the US National Park Service.
Unlike the assassination sites in Washington and New York City, this is
about history, not patriotism. The inner circle is only accessible to
family members of the victims.
There is much to see and do in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia is a
historic city with many 18th- and early 19th-century downtown buildings,
and it was the nation's capital before Washington, D.C., was built, so
it has historic buildings to match. It is also home to world-class
museums, Fairmount Park, a huge park designed by Vaux and Olmsted, who
also New York's Central Park, and is generally a great city.
On
the other side of the state, Pittsburgh has a stunning skyline,
world-class art and science museums, including the Carnegie Museum,
which houses the world's finest collection of dinosaur holotypes,
including a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and the most beautiful university
buildings in the nation, and three rivers Its geographic location at the
confluence of three rivers, with hills rising steeply from its banks, is
quite impressive. Drake Wells and the surrounding area in Titusville are
remnants of the site where the first oil was drilled in the United
States and where the world's first oil rigs were discovered.
Near
the center of the state, Harrisburg is a much smaller city with pleasant
buildings and a wonderful capitol building with a park next to it. Not
far from there is the battlefield of Gettysburg. In the southeastern
part of the state, between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, is Pennsylvania
Dutch Country, an Amish agricultural town.
Pennsylvania is also a
rural state with many small towns, forests, and some gorgeous
waterfalls. Those who count the distance between New York and
Philadelphia strictly in miles may be shocked at how wild the
northeastern part of the state is.
On Monday, April 8, 2024, a
total solar eclipse will be visible around Erie, crossing the northwest
corner of the state at about 3:15 p.m. local time. The path of the total
eclipse will travel northeast from Mexico and Texas, through Ohio, and
across the Canadian and New England borders.
Itinerary
From
Plymouth to Hampton Roads - A journey through colonial times and the
antebellum North.
U.S. Industrial Tour - Pennsylvania was the center
of the Industrial Revolution and is home to the massive steel mills of
Bethlehem and Pittsburgh.
Subway Railroad - follow in the footsteps
of Harriet Tubman and ride the legendary Freedom Train north into
Canada. For slaves fleeing Delaware and elsewhere, Philadelphia was the
first step on the road to freedom.
Pennsylvania is one of the 13 founding states of the United States of America and has been inhabited by settlers since 1643. Almost 130 years later, the Declaration of Independence was signed here and the US Constitution was adopted. Almost 100 years later, the Battle of Gettysburg took place here, which marked the turning point of the American Civil War.
Knoebel's Amusement Park, Route 487, Elysburg; 4 km east of the town centre. A little off the beaten track, between Harrisburg and Scranton, is one of the country's largest pay-per-ride amusement parks. While you usually only get access to such parks after paying the (rather high) entrance fee (and then you can use the rides for free), here you only pay per ride. This pays off especially for families with shy children who prefer to see the rides rather than try them out. Attractions include more than 50 rides, including two world-class roller coasters, a historic 1913 horse-drawn carriage ride and a ghost train that has been featured on the Discovery Channel. There is also a swimming pool and a golf course. Seasonally changing opening hours. The park is completely closed in autumn and winter.
Philadelphia Airport (PHL) is accessible by intercontinental flights
direct from Europe. A flight to Newark (EWR) in New Jersey is an option
if the destination is in eastern Pennsylvania (e.g. 135 km to Allentown,
140 km to Philadelphia). The second major airport in the state is
Pittsburgh (PIT) – mainly domestic flights are offered here, but at
least seasonally there are also direct connections from Europe.
Harrisburg (MDT) follows in the southeast, Allentown/Lehigh Valley (ABE)
and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AVP), which are of more regional importance.
The southeast of the state is very well developed by rail. The
so-called Northeastern Corridor Boston-New York-Philadelphia-Washington
DC runs on the one hand the high-speed train Acela Express, on the other
hand the somewhat slower Northeast Regional. From the Southern States,
the Crescent lines from New Orleans and Atlanta, Silver Service and
Palmetto lines from Savannah GA and Carolinian lines from Charlotte NC,
and the Northeast Regional lines from Norfolk or Newport News VA. The
Keystone line connects New York with Philadelphia and Harrisburg several
times a day. The Pennsylvanian continues to Pittsburgh once a day. From
Chicago and Cleveland in the Midwest, take the Capitol Limited to
Pittsburgh.
Furthermore, all major cities can be reached by
long-distance buses.
By Car
Entering Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) is
an addition to the interstate highways that run through the state:
The Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) is a major east-west route between
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, a toll freeway through the state capital,
Harrisburg. Note the four tunnels through the Appalachian ridge.
The
turnpike "Northeast Extension" (I-476, also tolled) runs north from
Philadelphia to Allentown and Scranton. There is another tunnel along
it.
U.S. Route 322 runs diagonally from the Philadelphia area to just
below Erie. Although much of it has been converted to a freeway,
numerous small towns still lie directly in the middle.
U.S. Route 22
is a more mountainous alternative that runs west through Altoona and
Johnstown to Pittsburgh.
U.S. Route 6 is a long, rural drive across
the "Northern Tier" of Pennsylvania. It heads west from the northern
Poconos, through Scranton and nearby valleys, along the Susquehanna
River through the "endless mountains," through state and national
forests for three hours, and ends near Lake Erie.
U.S. Route 30, also
known as the Lincoln Highway, was part of America's first coast-to-coast
paved highway. The highway is especially great in central Pennsylvania,
passing through agricultural areas and serving as the main street for
many small historic towns. Many of these towns have tried to take
advantage of their location along the Lincoln Highway by preserving
original structures and opening them as visitor centers.
Interstate
80 runs east-west through the northern part of the state.
There
is also an extensive network of state and city roads, mostly forested
and agricultural. The mountainous areas within these regions have
winding, narrow, and steep roads (or all three!). ), so tourists should
pass through with caution.
Speed limit signs are almost always
posted in miles per hour (mph). Wearing a seat belt is mandatory, and
anyone caught speeding or otherwise not wearing one will receive a
second ticket and a fine. Pennsylvania has not yet enacted a ban on cell
phone use while driving, except for commercial truck drivers. The cities
of Philadelphia, Allentown, Bethlehem, Erie, Harrisburg, and
Wilkes-Barre have enacted bans. Texting while driving is illegal
statewide.
According to an old joke, Pennsylvania has two
seasons: winter and construction. In the rural areas that make up most
of the state, very small roads become impassable after a heavy snowfall,
but major highways such as interstate highways are relatively well
plowed and salted. Still, winter driving requires extreme caution,
especially if one is unfamiliar with the area.
Likewise, the joke
applies to the rest of the year. Be aware that the freeway will
occasionally undergo paving, line-painting, and road-widening projects
that will limit travel to one lane. Bridge repairs and major redesigns
may require detours, which are usually clearly marked. Speed limits in
work zones are constantly being lowered, and state troopers will impose
double fines for violations; PennDOT (State Department of
Transportation) workers are easily spotted by their fluorescent yellow
attire, so proceed carefully around them.
Wildlife, especially
deer, can be a problem when driving on rural interstates and highways.
Deer are overabundant in Pennsylvania, so try to avoid them when
crossing roads. Deer are unpredictable animals and will panic if
frightened, so it is usually best to stop until you have crossed the
road.
Hitchhiking
Although not uncommon, hitchhiking has quite
a reputation, especially in the countryside. Hitchhiking on
pedestrianized highways is illegal, so it is best to find a rest stop or
gas station just off the highway.
If you ever visit the state of Pennsylvania, you should do your textile shopping right here, because there is no extra tax on textiles, as is usual in the United States. Elsewhere you get a small surprise at the checkout of about 5% to about 10% tax surcharge! The shops do this consciously to show that the state actually makes everything so expensive!
Grace Buffet & Grill, 811 N Loyalsock Ave, Montoursville. Fans of all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurants will find one of the largest and best buffets in Pennsylvania. Open: Sun-Thu 10:30-21:30, Fri+Sat 10:30-22:30. Price: evenings $11.99 (Fri-Sun evenings and Sun noon $13.99), Mon-Sat noon $8.29; Depending on their age, children are significantly cheaper.
Birch beer and sarsaparilla (soft drink).
Yuengling The oldest
brewery in the U.S. still produces the locally loved beer that bears the
name. Yuengling is available at most bars and beer outlets in the state,
but is rarely found outside of the Mid-Atlantic region. The brewery in
Pottsville offers tours. Locals traditionally order Yuengling lager by
the word "lager." It is one of the best domestic macrobrews available in
the United States. Yuengling also produces several other beers that are
worth trying.
But Pennsylvania is home to many other beers as well.
It is also the birthplace of Rolling Rock "#33". But serious beer
drinkers will know that Pennsylvania is home to a number of craft
breweries. Hundreds of fine ales are produced each year. Yards, Sly Fox,
Victory, Lancaster, Troggs, Philadelphia Brewing Company, and Stouts are
just a few of the brands you should try when visiting Pennsylvania.
State Liquor Laws
Pennsylvania's liquor laws are not only
restrictive but also confusing. There is a good reason why liquor stores
are usually the last stop before driving across the state line from most
neighboring states.
The drinking age is 21, as in other states.
Since Pennsylvania is a liquor control state, all hard liquor is sold in
state-operated stores, and most wine is also sold in state-operated
stores (wineries in the state can sell directly to tourists). Outside of
the metropolitan areas of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, liquor stores are
often only found in areas such as county seats, and most residents of
small towns have to drive significant distances (which is, of course,
important). The unions representing liquor stores are a powerful
political force in the state and have worked hard to frustrate attempts
to privatize liquor stores, even partially, much less to abolish liquor
control altogether.
Buying beer is particularly complicated because
it depends on how much you order: if you have less than 12 bottles, you
can buy them at any bar or restaurant with a carryout license (not all
bars and restaurants that serve beer have carryout licenses), but to buy
more than that To do so, you must leave the establishment with the beer,
load it into your car (or in some cases, take it home or pretend to take
it home), and re-enter the establishment to buy up to 12 more bottles.
If they want a case or keg with a minimum of 24 bottles, they must
purchase from a licensed beer distributor. Again, you can only purchase
up to two cases at a time, and you must exit and re-enter to buy more.
However, buying in large quantities this way is often cheaper than
buying at a bar or restaurant. Convenience stores and drugstores cannot
sell beer at all, as is the case in most neighboring states. However,
some convenience stores and drugstores have "café" areas that are
legally separate from their stores and sell beer.
This is further
complicated by additional restrictions that counties and municipalities
can impose, and often do. The S.N.P.J. borough near the Ohio border in
Lawrence County was specifically created to allow members of a local
fraternal organization to obtain a liquor license for their fraternity
house and to serve liquor on Sundays. As a result of a combination of
state laws and these local regulations, much of the interior of the
state, especially the north-central region, is at or near liquor free.
Pennsylvania has many country inns in the northeast and grand, well-established hotels in large cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Of course, branches of national chain hotels and motels are also located throughout the state, in a variety of price ranges. Since there are many colleges and universities in the state, you may want to inquire if you can stay in a dormitory between semesters or during summer vacations.
The dialects of western Pennsylvania ("Pittsburgh dialect"), central
Pennsylvania, northeastern Pennsylvania, and southeastern Pennsylvania
(primarily Pennsylvania Dutch Country, which is strongly influenced by
this language. Those from the Appalachian Mountains speak with a
distinctive accent that resembles a southern accent Travelers may notice
these differences in speech, but a practical level of English
proficiency is unlikely to hinder communication. Many of these accents
are becoming obsolete, and younger people tend to speak with a common
American accent.
Redding, Allentown, and Philadelphia all have
large Spanish-speaking populations, while Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
have Asian, European, and other languages. Again, this will not be a
problem for English-speaking travelers, as most people speak English in
addition to their native language.
Finally, Pennsylvania remains
home to the majority of speakers of Pennsylvania Dutch (Pennsilfaanisch
Deitsch), a well-known German dialect, although it now exists on a
smaller scale in other states. around 1950, non-Amish people The
widespread use of Pennsylvania Dutch by the non-Amish declined, but
today there is a smattering of young people learning Pennsylvania Dutch
to preserve their heritage.
Outside of Greater Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and the Lehigh Valley,
crime is not a major problem in Pennsylvania. Gang activity is more
prevalent in large cities such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown,
and Reading. Graffiti, abandoned houses and vehicles, and shoes thrown
over power lines called "shoefitties" indicate that you are in a rough
neighborhood. Street drag racing and prostitution are also problems in
the state's urban areas.
As in other parts of the U.S.,
automobile accidents are a major cause of death and injury in
Pennsylvania. Drivers are downright hostile on notorious urban freeways
such as the Schuylkill Expressway in Philadelphia (which is usually a
parking lot), Route 22 in Allentown, 376 in Pittsburgh, and Interstate
95 in the southeastern part of the state. Pennsylvania's roads are
notorious, so beware.
Stay out of the left lane if you are
unfamiliar with the freeway system, as getting lost can be a problem
during rush hour. The key to safe driving is to be defensive. You are in
an unfamiliar place and may feel you have been treated unfairly, but
that may be normal.
Helmets are not required for motorcyclists in
Pennsylvania, but it is still recommended that they be worn.
Rural mountain roads are sometimes steep and can be impassable during
heavy snowfalls. In many parts of the state, especially around
Pittsburgh, there are steep cliffs adjacent to major roads and, although
rare, the rocks can be slippery. It is best to use major roads and
highways when traveling west of the central part of the state. Take
necessary precautions when canoeing, skiing, or other outdoor
activities.
Stay away from abandoned mines and quarries. As this
industry has declined from the state economy, mines and quarries have
been left abandoned. When exploring, there are hazards such as unstable
supports; unstable ground rats, snakes, and other animals; forgotten
explosives; blasting caps; explosive methane gas; and "black dumps,"
pockets of air without enough oxygen to sustain life.
Deer and
other wildlife are abundant, making it dangerous to explore the forest
alone. Use insect repellent to avoid disease, wear long-sleeved
clothing, and avoid wandering onto other people's property.
Flooding and snow are the most common natural hazards. Flash floods can
be a problem. Tornadoes are rare but experienced, and earthquakes are
almost unheard of. Hurricanes coming from the Atlantic can strike, so be
prepared. Summer temperatures can reach 100 degrees in some places, so
bring water and sunscreen. Thunderstorms are common in the summer.
Non-Pennsylvanians may purchase 1.4g (Class C /Consumer Grade)
fireworks at outlets to take out of state, but Pennsylvania residents
may only purchase "Safe and Sane" (not off the ground or explosive)
fireworks without a permit. cannot be purchased. All brick-and-mortar
locations will have additional information, but tents and other
temporary sales locations may or may not have the correct information.
Laws vary widely from region to region, and many campgrounds prohibit
their use altogether, so you must check before using them in the state.
Fireworks stores and tents can be found throughout the state, although
they tend to be more common in border areas.
With the exception
of the city of Philadelphia, no permit is required to carry a firearm in
the state. Firearm laws are much more lax than in other states. However,
concealed carry requires a state concealed carry permit, which is issued
by the county sheriff (or city police department) with varying policies
and rigor. Non-resident licenses are also available, with Center County
being the county that most favors non-resident licenses. Carrying a
concealed handgun in a vehicle is considered concealed carry and
requires a license. If you carry a handgun, remember that New York and
New Jersey share a very long state border with Pennsylvania, and both
states have some of the strictest firearm laws in the nation.
Drugs, including marijuana, are illegal in Pennsylvania. In
Philadelphia, the fine is $25 for 30 grams or less of marijuana and $100
if smoked in public. Elsewhere, severe penalties are expected.
During hunting season, the Pennsylvania Hunting Commission recommends
that anyone entering the woods wear "blaze orange".
The length of Pennsylvania is 274 km, and the width is 455 km. Of the
total 119,282 km2, 116,075 km2 is land area, 1,269 km2 is inland water
areas, and 1,940 km2 is the water surface of Lake Erie. It is the 33rd
largest state in the United States. Pennsylvania has 82km of coastline
along Lake Erie and 92km of coastline along the Delaware River.
The state borders are the Mason-Dixon Line (39°43'N) in the south, the
Delaware River in the east, 80°31' in the west, and 42°SN in the north
except for short segments at the western end where a triangle extends
north to Lake Erie. Pennsylvania borders six states: New York to the
north, New Jersey to the east, Delaware and Maryland to the southeast,
West Virginia to the southwest, and Ohio to the west. Also, Pennsylvania
shares a water border with Canada. Of the original thirteen colonies,
Pennsylvania is the only state that does not border the Atlantic Ocean.
Among the largest cities in this state are: Philadelphia, York,
Reading, and Lanchester in the southeast, Pittsburgh in the southwest,
the three cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton in the central east
(also known as the Lehigh Valley), the three cities of Scranton,
Wilkesbarre, and Hazleton in the northeast, and Erie to the northwest.
Williamsport serves as the "hub" of the north-central region, and the
state capital is Harrisburg.
Several different climates result from Pennsylvania's varying
topology. Encompassing two larger zones, a temperate continental climate
prevails in most of the state, with the exception of the southeastern
corner. Philadelphia features a humid subtropical climate that also
covers most of Delaware and Maryland to the south.
Moving towards
the interior mountainous region of the state the climate becomes
significantly colder, the number of cloudy days increases and winter
snowfall is greater. In the western parts of the state, especially the
cities near Lake Erie, the amount of snowfall reaches 254 centimeters
per year. Also, rains are plentiful throughout the state throughout the
year.
Before the community was settled by Europeans, the area was home to
the Delaware (also known as Lenni Lenape), Susquehenoke, Iroquois, Erie,
Shaquille, and other American Indian nations. Both the Dutch and the
English claimed that both sides of the Delaware River were part of their
colonial land in America. The Dutch were the first to adopt it and have
had an influence on the history of Pennsylvania.
By June 3, 1631,
the Dutch had started from the Delmarva Peninsula to establish the
Zwanendel Colony on the side of present-day Lewis, Delaware. In 1638 the
Swedes added fuel to the already started fire by establishing a new
Swedish colony on the side of present-day Wilmington, Delaware, centered
at Fort Christina. The New Swedes mostly controlled the lower Delaware
River region (parts of present-day Delaware, New Jersey, and
Pennsylvania), but did not establish many colonies there.
On
March 12, 1664, King Charles II of England granted James, Duke of York,
a license to control the land that included the original Virginia
Company of Plymouth Grant, as well as other land. This move by Charles
was, again, disputed by the Dutch of New Netherland because it included
parts of present-day Pennsylvania.
On June 24, 1664, the Duke of
York sold a large portion of his possessions, which included the
present-day territory of New Jersey, to John Berkeley and George Cartret
in order to obtain a colony of his own. At that time the land was not in
British possession, but the sale for the portion of New Netherland, west
of the Delaware River, was made. The British conquest of New Netherland
began on August 29, 1664, when New Amsterdam was forced to surrender in
the face of the cannons of British ships in New York Harbor. This
conquest continued and was completed in October 1664, when the British
captured Fort Casmere, present-day Newcastle, Delaware.
The Peace
of Breda between England, France and the Netherlands marked the end of
the British conquest on 21 July 1667, although there were temporary
changes.
On September 12, 1672, as part of the Third Anglo-Dutch
War, the Dutch reconquered the province of New York/New Amsterdam and
established three district courts there that later became the original
counties in present-day Pennsylvania and Delaware. Later, on 9 February
1674, this was partially revised when the Treaty of Westminster ended
the Third Anglo-Dutch War and changed all political relations to the
"status quo ante bellum" (as things were before the war). The British
kept the Dutch colonies with their Dutch names. By June 11, 1674, New
York maintained control of the outlying provinces, including Upland
(then a county that would later become Pennsylvania), but names began to
be replaced by British names, which continued until November 11, 1674.
Upland was divided on November 12 1674, producing a general outline of
the present-day boundary between Pennsylvania and Delaware.
On
February 28, 1681, Charles II granted land to William Penn to pay off a
debt of $16,000 (about $2,100,000 in 2008, adjusted for real estate
inflation) owed to William's father, Admiral William Penn. This was one
of the largest transfers of property to an individual in history. The
land was called Pennsylvania. William Penn, who wanted to call it
Newells or Sylvania, was embarrassed by the change, fearing people would
think he had named it after himself, but King Charles did not want to
rename the land. Penn established a government with two innovations
largely copied from the New World: the county commission and freedom of
religious belief.
What was Upland and later became the part of
Pennsylvania that formed the border between that state and Delaware was
renamed Chester County when Pennsylvania institutionalized its colonial
government on March 4, 1681. Quaker leader William Penn signed a peace
treaty with Tammany. , the leader of the Delaware tribe, thus beginning
a long period of friendly relations between the Quakers and the Indians.
Other treaties between William Penn and other nations followed later. As
long as he was alive his contracts were never broken.
Between 1730 and 1764 this colony minted its own money to make up for
the lack of gold and silver. Parliament outlawed this with the Currency
Act in 1764. Paper money was called colonial certificates of title. The
colony also introduced "bills of credit" which were as good as gold and
silver money because of their legal status. Since they were issued by
the government and not by any banking institution, they were
free-interest offerings that largely met the government's expenses by
taxing the people. It also promoted general employment and prosperity,
which was due to the discretion used by the government and not
circulating much money that could cause inflation. Benjamin Franklin was
involved in the creation of this currency whose usefulness he said would
never be disputed, and it also comes on the heels of Adam Smith's
"cautious approval".
After the first congress of the American
colonies in 1765, delegate John Dickinson of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
wrote the Declaration of Rights and Grievances. The congress was the
first meeting of the thirteen columns called on the initiative of the
Massachusetts assembly, but only nine of them sent delegates. Dickinson
then wrote a letter from a farmer in Pennsylvania to residents in the
British colonies that was published in the Pennsylvania Chronicle
between December 2, 1767, and February 15, 1768.
When the
founding fathers of the United States convened in Philadelphia in 1774,
12 colonies sent representatives to the meeting. At the Second
Continental Congress, which was also held in Philadelphia (in May 1775),
the Declaration of Independence was written and signed, but when the
city was conquered by the British, the Continental Congress moved west.
After the move, the representatives met at Lanchester Court House on
Saturday, September 27, 1777, and then at York. Here they wrote the
Articles of Confederation that united 13 independent colonies into one
nation. Later, the constitution was written, and Philadelphia was again
chosen as the cradle of the new American nation.
Pennsylvania was
the second state to ratify the United States Constitution on December
12, 1787, five days after Delaware was the first to do so.
Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was the first college in
the United States. Founded in 1773, the college was ratified five days
after the Treaty of Paris on September 9, 1783. The school was founded
by Benjamin Rush and named after John Dickinson.
For half a
century, the general assembly met in various places, generally
Philadelphia, before it began to meet regularly in an independent hall
in Philadelphia for a period of 63 years. However, they needed a central
location, and the massacre of the so-called "Paxton Boys" in 1763
worried the congregation. Thus, in 1799, the general assembly moved to
the courthouse in the city of Lanchester and in 1812 moved to
Harrisburg.
The General Assembly met in the old Dauphin County
Courthouse until December 1821, when the federal-style County Hill's
Capitol (named after its builder Stephen Hills, a Lanchester architect)
was built atop a four-acre lot and reserved as the seat of state
government by the entrepreneurial son and namesake of Yorkshire-born
John Harris who established a trading post in 1705 and a ferry in 1733
on the east bank of the Susquehanna River. most likely due to a poorly
installed water heating pipe.
The General Assembly met at Grace
Methodist Church (which still stands) until the new main district was
built. There followed a large selection of architects who submitted to
the competition, among which Henry Ives Cobb, an architect from Chicago,
was selected and charged with designing and building a building to
replace the current one in which the representatives met. However, the
budget could not afford more expenses for the project, so it was roughly
finished, which is why the general assembly refused to meet there. In
1901, a new competition was announced that selected architect Joseph
Miller Houston of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who was given the task of
designing the present day Pennsylvania State Capitol. Incorporating
Cobb's work, Joseph transformed the building into an architectural
masterpiece completed in 1907.
The new assembly building received
positive reviews. The inspiration for its dome came from the dome of the
Basilica of St. Peter in Rome. President Theodore Roosevelt called it
"the most beautiful statehouse in the whole nation" and said, "it is the
handsomest building I ever saw." In 1989, The New York Times praised it
as: "a grandiose, even beautiful at times, but also a functional
building, with access to all citizens...a building that connects with
the realities of everyday life." .
Pennsylvania accounts for 9%
of the total timberland in the United States. In 1923, President Calvin
Coolidge demarcated the Allegheny National Forest, under the authority
of the Sunday Act of 1911, in the northwestern part of the state in Elk,
Forrest, McKean, and Warren counties for timber production and
protection of the Allegheny River watershed. Allegheny is the state's
only national forest.
James Buchanan of Franklin County, the only
unmarried president of the United States, is also the only president to
have been born in Pennsylvania. The Battle of Gettysburg, the great
turning point of the Civil War, was fought near Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania. Approximately 350,000 Pennsylvanians served in the Union
Army along with 8,600 African-American military volunteers.
Pennsylvania is also home to the first commercially mined oil. In 1859,
near Titusville, Edwin L. Drake successfully drilled a well that led to
the first major oil boom in United States history.
According to the US Census Bureau, in July 2011, the population of
Pennsylvania was estimated at 12,742,886, a 0.32% increase from the 2010
US Census.
Of the total number of people living in Pennsylvania,
74.5% were born in this state, 18.4% were born in another state in the
United States, 1.5% were born in Puerto Rico, the island territories of
the United States, and 5.6 % are of foreign origin.
According to
the 2010 US Census, 81.9% of the population is white (of which 79.5% is
non-Hispanic white), 10.8% is black or African American, 0.2% is
American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.7 % are Asian, 1.9% from two or
more races. 5.7% of the total population are of Hispanic or Latino
origin (they can be of any race).
Pennsylvania's Hispanic
population grew by 82.6% between 2000 and 2010, making this increase one
of the largest for the Hispanic population in the United States. The
significant increase in the Latin American population is due to
immigration to the country, especially from Puerto Rico, which is in the
territory of the United States, but also with a smaller swing from
countries such as the Dominican Republic, Mexico and other Central and
South American countries. Also, the Hispanic population living in New
York and New Jersey is leaving their homes to find a safer place to live
in Pennsylvania. The Asian population grew by nearly 60% due to
increased immigration of Indians, Vietnamese, and Chinese, as well as
Asian immigrants to Philadelphia moving from New York. Numerically, the
large increase in Asians places Pennsylvania among the top
Asian-populated states in the United States. The black and
African-American population recorded an increase of 13%, which is the
largest compared to the rest of Pennsylvania's peer states, namely New
York, New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois and Michigan. Unlike the rest, the
white population recorded a decline of 0.7%, a trend that is beginning
to appear more often in the United States. Twelve other states also saw
their white population decline.
The center of Pennsylvania's
population is located in Perry County, in Duncannon County.
As of
2006, Pennsylvania had an estimated population of 12,440,621 residents,
an increase of 35,273 from previous years and an increase of 159,567
since 2000. Net migration to other states resulted in a drop of 27,718,
while immigration from other states resulted in an increase of 127,007
residents. The migration of native Pennsylvanians resulted in a
population decline of 100,000. In 2006, 5.00% of Pennsylvanians were
foreign-born (population 621,480). The state has an estimated poverty
rate, in 2005, of 11.9%. In 2005, Pennsylvania also ranked third in the
number of elderly (65+) residents. Foreign-born Pennsylvanians are, for
the most part, from Asia (36%), Europe (35.9%), Latin America (30.6%),
Africa (5%), North America (3.1%), and Oceania (0.4).
The
reported Hispanic population in Pennsylvania, particularly among Asians,
Hawaiians, and whites, has increased significantly over the past several
years. The Hispanic population is largest in Allentown, Lanchester,
Reading, Hazleton and around Philadelphia with over 20% of the same
population. It is not clear how much of this change reflects a change in
population structure and how much reflects a willingness to determine
the status of minorities. In 2010, it was estimated that 85% of the
total Hispanic population in Pennsylvania lived within a 150-mile radius
around Philadelphia, with 20% living in the city.
Pennsylvania's
reported population is 5.9% under the age of 5, 23.8% under the age of
18, and 15.6% age 65 or older. Females make up 51.7% of the total
population. The largest ethnic groups by origin are listed below,
expressed as a percentage of the total number of people who answered
with the correct origin in the 2006-2008 census:
28.5% Germans
18.2% Irish
12.8% Italians
9.6% African American
8.5% English
7.2% Poles
4.2% French Canadians
2.9% Puerto Rican
2.2% Dutch
2.0% Slovaks
2.0% Scotch Irish
1.7% Scots
1.6% Russians
1.5%
Welsh
1.2% Hungarians
1.0% West Indians
1.0% Ukrainians
1.0%
Mexican
The five largest foreign-born ethnic groups in Pennsylvania
are: German (28.5%), Irish (18.2%), Italian (12.8%), English (8.5%), and
Polish (7.2%) .
Of all the colonies, only Rhode Island had religious freedom as
secure as Pennsylvania, and the only result was the emergence of a broad
religious and national multiculturalism that persists to this day.
The population of Pennsylvania in 2000 was 12,281,054 of which
8,448,193 were estimated to belong to an organized religion. According
to the Pennsylvania State University Association of Religious Records
Archives, there is reliable data for 7,116,348 religious adherents in
Pennsylvania in 2000 with 150 different denominations in existence.
Their associations, including the percentage of all believers, are as
follows:
Roman Catholics: 3,802,524 (53.43%)
Orthodox: 75,354
(1.06%)
Protestants: 2,140,628 (30%)
Evangelical Methodist Church:
659,350 (9.27%)
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: 611,913
(8.60%)
Presbyterian Church: 324,714 (4.56%)
United Church of
Jesus Christ: 241,844 (3.40%)
American Baptist Churches in the United
States: 132,858 (1.87%)
American Episcopal Church: 116,511 (1.64%)
Evangelical Protestants: 704,204 (10%)
General Council of the
Assemblies of God in the United States: 84,153 (1.18%)
Church of the
Brethren: 52,684 (0.74%)
Mennonite Church USA: 48,215 (0.68%)
Christian and Missionary Alliance: 45,926 (0.65%)
Southern Baptist
Convention: 44,432 (0.62%)
Independent non-charismatic churches:
42,992 (0.60%)
The rest
Jews (estimate): 283,000 (3.98%) (4th
largest in the US) (possibly as high as 350,000)
Muslims: 71,190
(1.00%)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: 31,032
(0.44%)
Unitarian Universalism: 6,778 (0.10%)
Although
Pennsylvania has a large Amish population, Holmes City, Ohio has the
largest concentration of Amish in the world. Although Pennsylvania
owes its existence to the Quakers and many other older groups of the
commonwealth now devoted to the teaching of the Religious Society of
Friends (as they are officially known), Quakers today are very few in
number.
Pennsylvania Germans
Pennsylvania Germans are among
the most important immigrant groups in this state. Their English name
Pennsylvania Dutch gives the wrong impression that they are Dutch, which
is due to the anglicization of the traditional ethnonym Deitsch
(dialectal autonym). Pennsylvania German is a descendant of the Falek
dialect of the West Middle Germanic dialect group. Although this
language is still spoken by some old Amish and Mennonites (more
specifically around Lanchester County), it has almost died out as an
everyday language. However, a few words have crossed over into English
usage.
Pennsylvania had five constitutions during its statehood: 1776, 1790,
1838, 1874 and 1968. Before that, the province of Pennsylvania was
governed for a century by the so-called framework of government
(constitution of the province of Pennsylvania) of which there were four
versions: 1682, 1683, 1696 and 1701. The capital of Pennsylvania is
Harrisburg. The legislature is located in the same city.
In
previous elections, Pennsylvania has proven to be a Democratic-leaning
state. However, in 2010, Republicans regained a seat in the Senate with
the election of Pat Tomei, as well as most of the state's congressional
seats, and control of both houses of the state legislature. As in other
offices, Republicans regained the governor's office with the election of
Tom Corbett on January 18, 2011.
Main article: List of governors of Pennsylvania
The current
governor is Tom Corbett, a former Pennsylvania attorney general. Other
elected officials who make up the executive branch are Lieutenant
Governor Jim Cowley, Attorney General Linda Kelly, Auditor Jack Wenger
and State Treasurer Robert McCord.
Pennsylvania has a bicameral legislature established by the commonwealth constitution of 1790. The original provincial constitution by William Penn had a unicameral parliament. The General Assembly includes 50 senators and 203 representatives. Joe Scarnati is the current state senate president, Dominic Pileggi is the majority leader and Jay Costa is the minority leader. Sam Smith is Speaker of the House of Representatives with Mike Turzey as Majority Leader and Frank Dermody as Minority Leader. After the 2010 elections, Republicans hold the majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Pennsylvania is divided into 60 judicial districts, most of which (except Philadelphia) have magisterial district judges (formerly called circuit judges and justices of the peace) who primarily preside over felony and misdemeanor preliminary hearings, all misdemeanors, and small civil actions. Most criminal and civil cases originate in the courts of common law, which also serve as appellate courts for district judges and local agency decisions. The Supreme Court receives all appeals from courts of common law. He has the sole right to issue wiretapping warrants. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is the final court of appeals. All judges in Pennsylvania are elected, and the chief justice is determined by seniority.
Pennsylvania has the 10th highest tax in the United States. Residents
pay a total of $83.7 billion to state and local governments, and the
average per capita amount is $6,640 annually. Residents share 76% of the
total tax burden. Many state politicians have tried to increase the
share of tax paid from sources outside the state. It is proposed to tax
sources of profit such as natural gas drilling, as Pennsylvania is the
only state that does not tax this process. Additional profitable ideas
include trying to put tolls on interstate highways, especially
Interstate 80, which is heavily used by foreign travelers.
Sales
tax provides 39% of the commonwealth's revenue, income tax 34%, motor
vehicle taxes about 12% and taxes on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages
5%. The personal income tax is equal to 3.07%. Individual taxable income
is based on the following eight types of income: compensation (salary),
interest, dividends, net profit from the activities of a business,
profession or farm, net profit or income from dispositions of property,
net profit or income from rents, patents and royalties, income derived
from estates or trusts, and winnings from gambling and lotteries (other
than the Pennsylvania Lottery).
Counties, municipalities and
school districts impose property taxes. In general, the tax rate on the
total salary is limited to 1% of income, but some municipalities with
the so-called "home rule" they can charge more than 1%. 32 of the
commonwealth's 67 counties impose a personal tax on stocks, bonds and
similar assets.
Pennsylvania's two senators in the 112th Congress are Bob Kayesi Jr.
and Pat Tomei.
Pennsylvania's representatives for the term that
began in January 2011 are Bob Brady (1st), Chaka Fata (2nd), Mike Kelly
(3rd), Jason Altmire (4th), Glen Thomson (5th), Jim Jerlach (6th), Pat
Meehan ( 7), Mike Fitzpatrick (8), Bill Schuster (9), Tim Marino (10),
Lou Barletta (11), Mark Kritz (12), Alison Schwatz (13), Mike Doyley
(14), Charlie Dent (15) , Joe Pitts (16), Tim Holden (17), Tim Murphy
(18) and Todd Platts (19).
In the last decade, no political party has been strongly dominant in
Pennsylvania. This, combined with Pennsylvania's 6th largest population,
makes it one of the most important states for political gain. Democrats
dominate in Philadelphia, Delaware, Erie, Allegheny and Lackawanna
counties. Republicans overwhelmingly dominate Lanchester, York,
Franklin, Westmoreland, Butler, Blair, Lycoming and Cumberland counties.
Counties that represent a possibility for a turnaround are Lehigh,
Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Dauphin, Cambria, Beaver, Mercer and
Monroe. Overall, Democrats are strong in large metro areas, including
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, Erie, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and
Allentown, while Republicans are supported in rural areas in the central
Allegheny Mountains and northern counties.
Since 1992,
Pennsylvanians have mostly elected the Democratic representative for
president in elections (although the Pittsburgh metropolitan area opted
for the Republican representative in 2008), voting for Bill Clinton
twice by wide margins, and similarly for Al Gore in 2000. In the 2004
presidential election, Senator John F. Kerry defeated George W. Bush in
Pennsylvania by a margin of 2,938,095 (50.92%) to 2,793,847 (48.42%).
More recently, in the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama
defeated Republican John McCain in Pennsylvania by a margin of 3,184,778
(54%) to 2,584,088 (44%). The state has 20 electoral votes.
The
2010 elections witnessed Republican victories across the country. They
took control of the governor's office and both houses of the state
legislature. Republican Pat Tomei defeated Democrat Joe Sestak in the
race for the US Senate seat previously held by Democrat Arlin Specter
(Specter won the previous election as a Republican, but switched parties
in 2009). Republicans also won five previously Democratic seats in the
House of Representatives, creating a 12:7 ratio in their favor.
Pennsylvania is divided into 67 counties. Counties are further
divided into municipalities which are incorporated as cities, districts
or settlements. One of the counties, Philadelphia County, was
consolidated in 1854, stripping the cities and boroughs of all
authority.
There are a total of 56 cities in Pennsylvania that
are classified by population as first, second, or third class.
Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania, has a population of
1,547,297 and is the only Class 'A' city in the state. Pittsburgh
(305,647) and Scranton (76,072) are second class A and second class
cities.
The remaining cities, such as the third and fourth
largest, i.e. Allentown (107,815) and Erie (103,571) all the way to the
smallest city, Parker, with a population of only 738 inhabitants, are
third-class cities.
First and second class cities are governed by
a "strong mayoral" structure of mayor-councilor government, while third
class cities are governed either by a "weak mayoral" structure or by a
councilor-manager government.
Counties are generally smaller than
cities since most Pennsylvania towns were incorporated as counties
before they were incorporated as cities. There are 958 counties in
Pennsylvania and all are governed by a "weak mayor" form of
mayor-council government. Local communities are the third group of
municipalities in Pennsylvania and are classified as either first class
or second class communities. There are 1,454 local communities of the
second class and 93 of the first. The second class can become the first
if there is a population density greater than 300 inhabitants per 120
km2 and a referendum is voted on the change.
Marmot Day (Groundhog Day), which is always celebrated on February 2nd in various places in the USA and Canada, is well known. According to tradition, the marmot (more precisely: the woodchuck, engl. groundhog), which is taken out of its burrow, predicts the weather. If it sees its shadow (or if its shadow can be seen), another six weeks of winter can be expected. If it does not see its shadow (or if its shadow cannot be seen), an early spring is expected. (See also the feature film: Groundhog Day).
Pennsylvania's 2010 gross domestic product was $570 billion, ranking
the state 6th in the nation. If Pennsylvania had an independent economy,
it would rank 18th in the world. Per capita, Pennsylvania ranks 29th out
of the 50 states at $39,830.
Philadelphia on the southeast
corner, Pittsburgh on the southwest corner, Erie on the northwest
corner, Scranton-Wilkes-Barre on the northeast corner, and
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton on the east corner are urban manufacturing
centers. Most of the community is urban, this dichotomy affects the
state politics as well as the state economy. Philadelphia is home to six
Fortune 500 companies with most located in the suburbs such as King of
Prussia which is a leader in the financial and insurance industries.
Pittsburgh is home to eight Fortune 500 companies, including the
U.S. Steel", "PPG Industries" and "H.J. Transportation Systems" which is
the largest manufacturer of rolling stock in the United States.
As in the United States, as a whole, and in most states, the largest
private employer here is Wall-Mart, followed closely by the University
of Pennsylvania.
As of April 2012, the unemployment rate is 7.4%.
The first national, specialized, bank in the United States, the Bank of North America, was founded in 1781 in Philadelphia. After a series of mergers, Bank of North America is part of Wells Fargo. Philadelphia is also home to the first national bank chartered under the National Banking Act of 1863. That same year, the Pittsburgh Savings and Trust Company received a national charter and was renamed the First National Bank of Pittsburgh as part of the national banking law. This bank still exists as PNC Financial Services with unchanged headquarters in Pittsburgh. "PNC" is the largest bank in the country, and the sixth largest in the United States.
Pennsylvania ranks 19th in overall agricultural production, but first in mushroom production, second in apples, third in Christmas trees and eggs, fourth in horticultural nurseries and sod, milk, corn for livestock, grape growing (as well as grape juice) and in horse breeding. It also ranks 8th in wine production.
Casinos were legalized in Pennsylvania in 2004. There are currently
nine casinos across the state and three under construction or planned.
Only horse racing, slot machines, and electronic games were legal in
Pennsylvania, and the law to legalize games like poker, blackjack,
roulette, etc. was approved by the state legislature in January 2010,
and signed by the governor on the seventh of the same month. Sports
betting is illegal.
Governor Ed Rendell, in 2009, considered
legalizing video poker machines in bars and private clubs after an
estimated 17,000 illegal machines were in use across the state. Under
his plan, anyone holding a liquor license would be allowed to have up to
5 machines. The state will levy a 50% tax on the net gambling income
after the winning player has been paid. The remaining 50% would remain
with the person who owns the machines.
The Pennsylvania Film Production Tax Credit began in 2004 and has stimulated the development of the state's film industry.
Pennsylvania has 500 public school districts, thousands of private schools, state-funded colleges and universities, and over 100 private institutions of higher education.
Generally, under state law, schooling is compulsory in Pennsylvania
for children ages 8 to 17, or until graduation from an accredited high
school. As of 2005, 83.8% of Pennsylvanians aged 18 to 24 had completed
high school. Among residents aged 25 and over, 86.7% had a high school
diploma. 25.7% had enrolled in higher degree studies. State students
consistently perform well on standardized tests. In 2007, Pennsylvania
ranked 14th in math, 12th in reading and 10th in writing among eighth
graders.
In 1998, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed Act
169 which allowed parents or guardians to home school their children as
an alternative to compulsory schooling. This law specified the
requirements and responsibilities of parents and the school districts
where families live.
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education ("PASSHE") is the
state's community university system of 14 state-owned institutions. The
Community System of Higher Education is a governing body of 4
state-affiliated schools in Pennsylvania. These schools are independent
institutions that receive certain financial assistance from the state.
There are also 15 publicly funded two-year colleges and technical
schools that are separate from the PASSHE system. Additionally, there
are many private two-year and four-year technical schools, colleges and
universities.
Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania State
University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of
Pittsburgh are members of the Association of American Universities, an
invitation unique to leading research universities. The University of
Pennsylvania is considered the first university in the United States to
have established the first medical school in the United States, as well
as the only university in the state's elite school league. The
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts is the first and also the oldest art
school in the United States. The College of Pharmacy in Philadelphia,
now part of the University of Science in Philadelphia, was the first
pharmacy school in the United States.
Pennsylvania is home to the nation's first zoo, the Philadelphia Zoo.
Other highly accredited zoos include the Erie Zoo and the Pittsburgh Zoo
& PPG Aquarium. Legihg Valley Zoo and ZOOAMERICA are also notable zoos.
The community boasts some of the best museums in the state including the
Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh, the Philadelphia Museum of Fine Arts and
several others. One of the unique museums is the Houdini Museum in
Scranton, the only building in the world dedicated to the legendary
magician. Pennsylvania is also home to the National Aviary located in
Pittsburgh.
All of Pennsylvania's 121 state parks have free
admission.
Pennsylvania offers a number of significant amusement
parks, including Camel Beach, Conneaut Lake Park, Dorney Park &
Wildwater Kingdom, Dutch Wonderland, DelGrosso Amusement Park,
Hersheypark, Idlewild Park, Kennywood, Knoebels, Lakemont Park,
Sandcastle Waterpark, Sesame Place, Great Wolf Lodge and Waldameer Park.
Pennsylvania is also home to the largest indoor water park on the East
Coast, Splash Lagoon in Erie.
Pennsylvania also has notable music
festivals. Among them are Musicfest and NEARfest in Bethlehem, the
Philadelphia Folk Festival, the Creation Festival, the great Allentown
Fair and the Purple Door.
There are approximately one million
licensed hunters in Pennsylvania. White-tailed deer, rabbit, squirrel,
turkey, and grouse are the common game species. Pennsylvania is
considered one of the best states in the nation, along with Texas and
Alabama, for turkey hunting. Sport hunting in Pennsylvania provides a
major boost to a community's economy. A report from the Center for Rural
Pennsylvania (a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly)
found that hunting, fishing and tanning generate $9.6 billion.
The Boone and Crockett Club indicates that five of the ten largest (by
skull size) black bears come from the state. The state also holds the
record for largest black bear hunt in the Boone & Crockett books at 332
pounds. The largest dead bear was found in Utah in 1975, and the second
largest was illegally hunted in Pennsylvania in 1987.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation owns 64,150 km of the
state's 195,970 km of highway, which ranks it as the fifth largest state
highway system in the United States. The Pennsylvania Turnpike system is
861 km long with a main line stretching from Ohio to Philadelphia and
New Jersey. It is overseen by the Pennsylvania Highway Commission.
Another major east-west route is Interstate 80 which primarily runs in
the northern part of the state, from Ohio to New Jersey. Interstate 90
stretches the relatively short distance between Ohio and New York
through Erie County in the extreme northwest of the state.
The
primary north-south highways are Interstate 79 from its Erie terminus,
via Pittsburgh, to West Virginia, Interstate 81 from New York via
Scranton, Lackawanna, and Harrisburg to Maryland, and Interstate 476,
which begins 7 miles (11 km) north of the Delaware border, in Chester,
Delaware County, and travels 132 miles (212 km) to Clarks Summit,
Lackawanna County, where it joins Interstate 81. All but 20 miles (32
km) of Interstate 476 are part of the Northeast Extension of the
Pennsylvania Highway, while the freeway south of the main line of the
Pennsylvania Highway is officially called the "Veterans Memorial
Highway."
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Agency is
the sixth largest transit agency in the United States and operates
passenger, heavy rail, and bus transportation in the Philadelphia
metropolitan area.
Intercity passenger rail transportation is
provided by Amtrak, with most of the traffic on the Keystone high-speed
service in the Keystone Corridor between Harrisburg and 30th Street
Station in Philadelphia before heading north to New York City; the
Pennsylvanians have the same route from New York to Harrisburg, extended
to Pittsburgh. The Capitol Limited train passes through Pittsburgh, as
well as Connellsville, on its way from Chicago to Washington. Traveling
between Chicago and New York, the Lakeshore Limited passes through Erie
once in each direction. There are 67 short-line, freight railroads
operating in Pennsylvania. That's the highest number in the entire
nation.
Pennsylvania has six major airports: Philadelphia
International, Pittsburgh International, Lehigh International,
Harrisburg International, Erie International, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
International. There are a total of 134 public airports in the country.
The Port of Pittsburgh is the second largest inland port in the United
States and the 18th largest in the world. The Port of Philadelphia is
the 24th largest port in the United States. Pennsylvania's only port on
the Great Lakes is located in Erie.
Pennsylvania is home to many professional sports teams: the
Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles of the National Rugby
League, the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League
Baseball, the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association,
the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National
Hockey League, the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer, the Erie
Bayhawks of the National Basketball Association Development League, the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Hershey Bears of the American Hockey
League, and Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League. These
teams in total have won 7 "World Series" championships ("Pirates" 5,
"Phillies" 2), 16 "National League" flags ("Pirates" 9, "Phillies" 7), 3
Super Bowl awards from the so-called old Super Bowl era ("Eagles"), 6
Super Bowl Championships ("Steelers"), 1 Arena Bowl Championship
("Soul"), 2 NBA Championships ("76ers"), 5 Stanley Cups ("Penguins" 3,
"Flyers" 2) , 11 Calder Cups ("Bears") and 6 National Lacrosse League
awards ("Wings").
There are many teams around the country that
are in the minor leagues, and several of them are affiliated with either
the Phillies or the Pirates. In 2008, the Phillies moved their AAA-level
team, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to a
newly constructed stadium - Coca-Cola Park in Allentown. The Lehigh
Valley is the fan base for both the Phillies and the Philadelphia
Eagles, who hold their preseason practices at Lehigh University. As
such, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (named after the element used as an
instrumental part in the construction of iron that has been a large part
of the local economy for the past several decades) are expected to prove
popular with the Allentown crowd and Lehigh fans. Valley Phillies.”
College rugby is very popular in Pennsylvania. Coach Joe Paterno led
the Penn State University Nittany Lions to two national championships
(1982 and 1986) as well as five undefeated seasons (1968, 1969, 1973 and
1994). On January 22, 2012, Joe Paterno died of lung cancer. Penn State
now has a new coach, Bill O'Brien, who previously served as the New
England Patriots' offensive coordinator. Penn State's home games are
played in the second-largest stadium in the United States, the
107,282-seat Beaver Stadium. In addition to this club, the "University
of Pittsburgh Panthers" won nine national championships (1915, 1916,
1917, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937 and 1976) and played eight undefeated
seasons (1904, 1910, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1920 , 1937 and 1976). The
Pittsburgh Panthers play their home games at Neinz Field, a stadium they
share with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Other Pennsylvania colleges that
have won the state championship include Lafayette College (1896),
Villanova University (2009) and the University of Pennsylvania (1895,
1897, 1904 and 1908).
College basketball is also popular in the
state, particularly in Philadelphia where five universities collectively
make up the "Big Five" and have a rich tradition in Division I NCAA
basketball. The following Pennsylvania universities have won the
national title in college basketball: "La Salle University" (1954),
"Temple University" (1938), "University of Pennsylvania" (1920 and
1921), "University of Pittsburgh" (1928 and 1930 )" and "Villanova
University" (1985).
And football, over time, is gaining
popularity in Pennsylvania. In addition to the Philadelphia Community
Club's participation in the Men's Soccer League, the state currently has
three teams that are eligible to compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open
Cup", on an annual basis. The other two teams from Pennsylvania are the
Pittsburgh Riverhounds and the Harrisburgh City Islanders who are part
of the second US Soccer League ("USL-2").
Horse racing in
Pennsylvania is comprised of the following racetracks: The Meadows near
Pittsburgh, Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre and Harrah's Philadelphia in
Chester which offer harness racing and Penn National Race Course in
Grantville , the Racins (formerly Philadelphia Park) in Benslem, and the
Persque Isle Downs near Erie that offer thoroughbred (thoroughbred)
horse racing.
Arnold Palmer is one of the best professional
golfers of the 20th century who hails from Latrobe, while Jim Furyk, a
current member of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA), grew up
near Lanchester.
In the book Yo Mama Coock Like a Yankee, author Sharon Hearns
Silverman calls Pennsylvania the "snack capital of the world." It is the
leading country in the production of pretzels and tomato chips. Sturgis
Pretzel House is America's premier pretzel house. Also, companies like
Anderson Barkery Company, Intercourse Pretzel Factory and Snyder's of
Hanover are leading manufacturers in the community. Two of the three
leading tomato chip companies are based in Pennsylvania: Utz Quality
Foods, Inc., which began producing potato chips in 1921 in Hanover,
Pennsylvania, and Wise Snack Foods, which began making potato chips in
1921. in Berrick (the third, Lay's Potato Chips, is a Texas company).
Other companies such as Herr Foods, Martin's Potato Chips, Snyder's of
Berlin (not related to Snyder's of Hanover) and Troyer Farms Potato
Products are also known producers of tomato chips.
The center of
the U.S. chocolate industry is in Hershey, Pennsylvania, home to Mars,
Godiva, and the Wilbur Chocolate Company, as well as smaller producers
such as Asher's near Lansdale and Gertrude Hawk. ” by Dunmore. Other
notable companies include Just Bom in Bethlehem who make Hot Tamales,
Mike and Ikes East Coast favorite Peeps marmalade, Benzel's Pretzels and
Boyer Brothers of Athlone who are well known for their Mallo Cups.
Auntie Anne's Pretzels began selling at a market in Downington,
Pennsylvania, and today have a corporate headquarters in Lanchester.
Traditional Pennsylvania-Dutch foods include chicken pot pie, schnitz un
knepp (dried apples, ham and dumplings), fasnachts (covered doughnuts),
pretzels, bologna, and more. Shoofly pie is another traditional
Pennsylvania Dutch dish. "D.G. Yuengling & Son, America's oldest
brewery, has been brewing in Pottsville since 1829.
Pennsylvania has also been known as a key state since 1802, based on
its central position to the original thirteen colonies in the United
States and also because it was here that many important American
documents (such as the Declaration of Independence) were signed.
Pennsylvania is also an economically important state emphasizing the
wagon and gun industry in the north and the agricultural industry in the
south.
Another Pennsylvania nickname is the Quaker State because
in colonial times it was officially recognized as a Quaker Province in
honor of William Penn's first constitutional government which ensured
freedom of conscience.
"The Coal State," the "Oil State," the
"Chocolate State," and the "Iron State" were nicknames for Pennsylvania
adopted at the time when these industries were at their height.
When entering the country, many road signs say "The State of
Independence".