Geography and Climate of Pennsylvania
The state of Pennsylvania is a 280 by 170 mile block of land, just south of New York and west of New Jersey. Pennsylvania is on the northern borders of Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia, located just east of Ohio.
Lake Erie flows into part of Pennsylvania from the northwest. Its 46,055 square miles of territory makes it the 33rd largest state in the U.S. However, it is a dense state, as Pennsylvania has the sixth highest population in the nation.
Pennsylvania is host to a number of different climates, often dependent upon one’s location in the state. Pennsylvania tends to get humid in the summer, while in the winter, increasingly cooler temperatures are further inland. There is significant rainfall throughout the year and snowfall in the summer months.
History of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania took its name after Admiral William Penn, specifically “Penn’s woods.” The land was actually granted to William Penn II, the Admiral’s son, by King Charles II in 1681 to repay a debt owed the elder Penn.
The younger Penn simply wanted the name of the land to be “Sylvania.” However, Charles II was insistent on the name. Before the British arrived, a number of Native American tribes called Pennsylvania their home, including the Iriquois, Shawnee, Eries and the Lenape tribe, all of whom lived throughout the Northeastern United States.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the “cradle of liberty,” is famous as the location of the First Continental Congress in 1774, which is where the Founding Fathers met to compose the Declaration of Independence. The Articles of Confederation created the foundation upon which the United States Constitution developed. They were also drawn up in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
Demographics of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has roughly 12.5 million people living within its borders. About 87 percent of the population is white, with 11 percent black and two percent of Asian ancestry. Pennsylvania’s Hispanic population is roughly four percent and growing.
The foundation of the state of Pennsylvania rests on the principles of religious freedom, reflected by the many denominations of Pennsylvanians. Roughly 115 different faiths are in the state. The most prevalent faith is Roman Catholic, accounting for a little more than half the population.
About a third of the population identifies as Mainline Protestant, with other Christian groups including Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran, Presbyterian and Baptist. Jews make up about four percent of the population and Muslims one percent.
Economy of Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania total Gross State Product in 2006 was $510.31 billion, ranking sixth in the nation. Pittsburgh is the notorious “steeltown,” because of all the manufacturing jobs that existed there in the past.
With manufacturing jobs becoming scarce and pollution a major issue, Pittsburgh’s economy has shifted gears toward healthcare, technology, education and financial services. U.S. Steel still makes their headquarters in Pittsburgh, as does Heinz and Alcoa.
Philadelphia hosts eight Fortune 500 companies and is a major center for financial services and insurance. Pennsylvania has 50 Fortune 500 companies within its borders. In addition, many of those Pennsylvania factories are still running, with around 16 percent of the Gross State Product produced by workshops and factories.
Pennsylvania Law and Government
The Governor of Pennsylvania at this time is Democrat Ed Rendell, who has a long history both with the Democratic Party and as a Pennsylvania politician. Rendell was a Philadelphia District Attorney and the Mayor of Philadelphia, as well as the head of the Democratic National Committee before winning the election as Governor.
The senior U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania is Arlen Specter, while the junior Senator is Bob Casey, Jr. Pennsylvania has 19 U.S. Congressional Representatives. Pennsylvania is of critical political importance as a swing state, one with no clear political leanings in the Democratic or Republican direction. However, in recent years, Pennsylvania has gone Democrat in Presidential elections.
Pennsylvania Transportation
Much of Pennsylvania is traversed by railroad. There are 69 Pennsylvania railroads over 5,100 miles of railways. The Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) is the main highway servicing Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh is a port city, the second largest inland port in the United States. Major areas in Pittsburgh are accessible through PAT (Port Authority Transit), Pittsburgh’s mass transit system. There is also a light rail system (The “T”), bus service and intercity Amtrak service.
Travelers can reach the city by air through the Pittsburgh International Airport. In Philadelphia, SEPTA, the Southeaster Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, handles mass transit. It coordinates buses, trains and trolleys throughout the city, including a train directly to Philadelphia International Airport.
Philadelphia’s 30th street station allows access to Amtrak, SEPTA and NJTransit trains. Philadelphia also features PATCO, a rapid transit system that runs from Philadelphia to New Jersey.
Major Cities and Towns of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and at around a million. Philadelphia has great historical significance, renown as “the cradle of liberty” for its part in shaping our nation’s early history. The famous Liberty Bell and its signature crack is in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is well known for its quality blue-collar cuisine, particularly the cheesesteak sandwich. Pittsburgh is the second largest city in Pennsylvania, famous in its own right as a center of industry during this country’s formative years and the birthplace of U.S. Steel. Pittsburgh is also famous for its 446 bridges.
Pennsylvania Educational System
Philadelphia boasts the eighth largest school district in the United States, with over 200,000 students. There are over 80 colleges in the Philadelphia area, including the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University and Drexel University. Pittsburgh has no shortage of well known colleges either, including the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne, to name a few. Division 1 school Penn State is also located in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Sports Teams
Pennsylvania has one of the richest sports traditions in all the United States, with representatives of three of the four major sports in both of its largest cities, as well as an NBA franchise in Philadelphia. Pittsburgh’s NFL franchise is the Steelers, one of the most successful football franchises in the modern era. The Steelers had five wins in six Super Bowl appearances.
The NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins have one the Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992, with the help of one of the game’s greats, “Super” Mario LeMieux. Baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates have a storied history in America’s pastime, including seven World Series appearances. Philadelphia’s NFL Eagles made a Super Bowl appearance as recently as 2005, while the 76ers (NBA), Phillies (MLB) and Flyers (NHL) are all consistently in the playoff hunt.
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