Difference between revisions of "Pennsylvania" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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The '''Commonwealth of Pennsylvania''' is a [[U.S. state|state]] located in the [[Middle Atlantic States|Middle Atlantic region]] of the [[United States of America]].
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One of Pennsylvania's nicknames is the [[Religious Society of Friends|''Quaker'']] ''State''; in colonial times, it was known officially as the ''[[Province of Pennsylvania|Quaker Province]]'', in recognition of Quaker [[William Penn]]'s ''[[Frame of Government of Pennsylvania|First Frame of Government]]'' [[constitution]] for Pennsylvania that guaranteed [[Freedom (political)|liberty]] of [[conscience]]. Penn knew of the hostility Quakers faced when they opposed swearing oaths, warfare, and violence.
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Pennsylvania has also been known as the [[keystone (architecture)|''Keystone'']] ''State'' since 1802, based in part upon its central location among the original [[Thirteen Colonies]] forming the United States. It was also a keystone state ''economically'', having both the industry common to the [[Northern United States|North]], making such wares as [[Conestoga wagons]] and [[Long rifle|rifles]], and the agriculture common to the [[Southern United States|South]], producing feed, fiber, food, and [[tobacco]].
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Pennsylvania has 51 miles (82 kilometers) of coastline along [[Lake Erie]] and {{convert|57|mi|km|0}} of shoreline along the Delaware Estuary. [[Philadelphia]] is Pennsylvania's largest city and is home to a major seaport and shipyards on the [[Delaware River]].
  
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==Etymology==
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[[William Penn]] founded the ''Province of Pennsylvania'' as a [[Great Britain|British]] North American colony on land he had been granted by King [[Charles II of England]], as repayment of a debt to Penn's father. Penn called the area ''Sylvania'' (Latin for ''woods''), which Charles changed to ''Pennsylvania'' in honor of the elder Penn. This province eventually became the current state of Pennsylvania. 
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== Geography ==
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Pennsylvania's nickname, the ''Keystone State'', is quite apt, because the state forms a geographic bridge both between the [[Northeastern United States|Northeastern states]] and the [[Southern United States|Southern states]], and between the [[Atlantic seaboard]] and the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]].
  
'''Needs NEW State Seal Image'''
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It is bordered on the north and northeast by [[New York]]; on the east, across the [[Delaware River]] by [[New Jersey]]; on the south by [[Delaware]], [[Maryland]], and [[West Virginia]]; on the west by [[Ohio]]; and on the northwest by [[Lake Erie]]. The Delaware, [[Susquehanna River|Susquehanna]], [[Monongahela River|Monongahela]], [[Allegheny River|Allegheny]], and [[Ohio River|Ohio]] Rivers are the major rivers of the state. The [[Youghiogheny River]] and Oil Creek are smaller rivers which have played an important role in the development of the state.
  
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Pennsylvania is {{convert|170|mi|km|0}} north to south and {{convert|283|mi|km|0}} east to west. Of a total 46055 sq mi (119,282 sq km), 44817 sq mi (116,075 sq km) are land, 490 sq mi (1,269 sq km) are inland waters and 749 sq mi (1,940 sq km) are waters in Lake Erie.
  
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It is the 33rd largest state in the [[United States]]. The highest elevation at 3213 feet above sea level (979 meters), at [[Mount Davis (Pennsylvania)|Mount Davis]], named for its owner, John Davis, a schoolteacher who fought for the [[Union Army]] at the [[Battle of Gettysburg]].  The lowest point is [[sea level]], on the Delaware River.  The approximate [[mean]] elevation is 1100 ft (335 m). 
  
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The Appalachian Mountains cut diagonally across the state from northeast to southwest.  The western part of the state is underlain by sedimentary rock, rich in deposits of bituminous coal.  Central Pennsylvania is the anthracite coal region, with the characteristic anticline-syncline topography of tightly folded sedimentary layers.  The eastern third of the state is a product of ocean formation and orogenesis, and is marked by igneous and metamorphic rock close to a billion years old in some areas.
  
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The southern boundary of Pennsylvania was originally fixed at 40° north latitude, but as a result of a bad faith compromise by  [[Lord Baltimore]] during [[Cresap's War]], the boundary was moved 20 miles (32 km) south to 39° 43' N, at the Mason-Dixon Line.  The city of Philadelphia would have been split in half by the original boundary.
  
The '''Commonwealth of Pennsylvania''' is a [[U.S. state|state]] located in the [[Middle Atlantic States|Middle Atlantic region]] of the [[United States of America]].
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=== Climate ===
  
One of Pennsylvania's nicknames is the [[Religious Society of Friends|''Quaker'']] ''State''; in colonial times, it was known officially as the ''[[Province of Pennsylvania|Quaker Province]]'', in recognition of Quaker [[William Penn]]'s ''[[Frame of Government of Pennsylvania|First Frame of Government]]'' [[constitution]] for Pennsylvania that guaranteed [[Freedom (political)|liberty]] of [[conscience]]. Penn knew of the hostility Quakers faced when they opposed swearing oaths, warfare, and violence.  
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Pennsylvania has three general climate regions, which is determined by altitude more than latitude or distance from the [[ocean]]s. Most of the state falls in the [[humid continental climate]] zone. The lower elevations, including most of the major cities, has a moderate continental climate, with cool to cold winters and hot, humid summers. Highland areas have a more severe continental climate with warm, humid summers and cold, more severe and snowy winters. Extreme southeastern Pennsylvania, around [[Philadelphia]], borders into a [[humid subtropical climate]] with milder winters and hot, humid summers.
  
Pennsylvania has also been known as the [[keystone (architecture)|''Keystone'']] ''State'' since 1802, based in part upon its central location among the original [[Thirteen Colonies]] forming the United States. It was also a keystone state ''economically'', having both the industry common to the [[Northern United States|North]], making such wares as [[Conestoga wagons]] and [[Long rifle|rifles]], and the agriculture common to the [[Southern United States|South]], producing feed, fiber, food, and [[tobacco]].
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Precipitation is abundant throughout the state, as the primary climatic influences are the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and the [[Gulf of Mexico]], plus [[Arctic]] influences that cross over the [[Great Lakes]].
  
Pennsylvania has 51 miles (82 kilometers) of coastline along [[Lake Erie]] and {{convert|57|mi|km|0}} of shoreline along the Delaware Estuary. [[Philadelphia]] is Pennsylvania's largest city and is home to a major seaport and shipyards on the [[Delaware River]].
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== History ==
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[[Image:Lapowinsa01.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Lapowinsa, Chief of the Lenape, 1737]]
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Scattered groups of Native Americans, small in number, lived in the Pennsylvania area at the time of European settlement. With the disappearance of the last recognizable Native American groups by the mid-19th century, Native Americans have become an inconspicuous part of the state's population, numbering only some 15,000 in the early 21st century.  
  
== Geography ==
 
{{see|Geography of Pennsylvania}} 
 
{{see|List of Pennsylvania counties}} 
 
Pennsylvania is {{convert|170|mi|km|0}} north to south and {{convert|283|mi|km|0}} east to west. Of a total 46055 sq mi (119,282 sq km), 44817 sq mi (116,075 sq km) are land, 490 sq mi (1,269 sq km) are inland waters and 749 sq mi (1,940 sq km) are waters in Lake Erie. It is the 33rd largest state in the [[United States]]. The highest elevation at 3213 feet above sea level (979 meters), at [[Mount Davis (Pennsylvania)|Mount Davis]], named for its owner, John Davis, a schoolteacher who fought for the [[Union Army]] at the [[Battle of Gettysburg]].  The lowest point is [[sea level]], on the Delaware River.  The approximate [[mean]] elevation is 1100 ft (335 m). 
 
  
The Appalachian Mountains cut diagonally across the state from northeast to southwest. The western part of the state is underlain by sedimentary rock, rich in deposits of bituminous coal.  Central Pennsylvania is the anthracite coal region, with the characteristic anticline-syncline topography of tightly folded sedimentary layers. The eastern third of the state is a product of ocean formation and orogenesis, and is marked by igneous and metamorphic rock close to a billion years old in some areas.
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'''Tamanend''' or '''Tammany''' (c. [[1628]]–[[1698]]) was a chief of one of the clans that made up the [[Lenape|Lenni-Lenape]] nation in the [[Delaware Valley]] at the time [[Philadelphia]] was established. Tamanend is best known as a lover of peace and friendship who played a prominent role in the establishment of peaceful relations among the [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribes and the English settlers who established [[Pennsylvania]], led by [[William Penn]].
  
[[Image:Pennsylvania-counties-map.gif|thumb|250px|left|Counties of Pennsylvania]]
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Tamanend reputably took part in a meeting between the leaders of the Lenni-Lenape nation, and the leaders of the Pennsylvania colony held under a large elm tree at [[Shackamaxon|Shakamaxon]] in the early 1680s. There, Tamanend is reported to have announced that the Lenni-Lenape and the English colonists would "live in peace as long as the waters run in the rivers and creeks and as long as the stars and moon endure." These words have been memorialized on the statue of Tamanend that stands in Philadelphia today.
  
The southern boundary of Pennsylvania was originally fixed at 40° north latitude, but as a result of a bad faith compromise by  [[Lord Baltimore]] during [[Cresap's War]], the boundary was moved 20 miles (32 km) south to 39° 43' N, at the Mason-Dixon Line.  The city of Philadelphia would have been split in half by the original boundary.
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== History ==
 
{{main|History of Pennsylvania}}
 
{{see|List of Pennsylvania firsts}}
 
  
 
Before the state was settled, the area was home to the [[Lenape|Delaware]] (also known as Lenni Lenape), [[Susquehannock]], [[Iroquois]], [[Erie]], [[Shawnee]], and other [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribes.
 
Before the state was settled, the area was home to the [[Lenape|Delaware]] (also known as Lenni Lenape), [[Susquehannock]], [[Iroquois]], [[Erie]], [[Shawnee]], and other [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribes.
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[[James Buchanan]], of [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania]], was the only bachelor [[President of the United States]]. The [[Battle of Gettysburg]] — the major turning point of the Civil War — took place near [[Gettysburg, Pennsylvania|Gettysburg]]. Pennsylvania, bordering the south, played an important role in the operation of the Underground Railroad, prior to the Civil War. The term "Underground Railroad" is believed to have been coined by a disgruntled Southerner who believed only some sort of "underground railroad" could account for the disappearance of so many escaped slaves upon reaching Columbia, PA, just twenty  miles from the border with Maryland.  Pennsylvania's Quaker beginnings led to the earliest anti-slavery movement in the colonies; in 1780, the Pennsylvania Gradual Abolition Act was the first law passed in the US for emancipation.
 
[[James Buchanan]], of [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania]], was the only bachelor [[President of the United States]]. The [[Battle of Gettysburg]] — the major turning point of the Civil War — took place near [[Gettysburg, Pennsylvania|Gettysburg]]. Pennsylvania, bordering the south, played an important role in the operation of the Underground Railroad, prior to the Civil War. The term "Underground Railroad" is believed to have been coined by a disgruntled Southerner who believed only some sort of "underground railroad" could account for the disappearance of so many escaped slaves upon reaching Columbia, PA, just twenty  miles from the border with Maryland.  Pennsylvania's Quaker beginnings led to the earliest anti-slavery movement in the colonies; in 1780, the Pennsylvania Gradual Abolition Act was the first law passed in the US for emancipation.
  
== Demographics ==
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== Politics ==
{{see|List of prominent people from Pennsylvania}}
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=== State government ===
{{US Demographics|state=Pennsylvania}}
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Pennsylvania has had five [[Pennsylvania Constitution|constitution]]s during its statehood: 1776, 1790, 1838, 1874, and [http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Constitution.html 1968]. Prior to that, the province of Pennsylvania was governed for a century by a [[Frame of Government]], of which there were four versions: 1682, 1683, 1696, and 1701.
The [[center of population]] of Pennsylvania is located in [[Perry County, Pennsylvania|Perry County]], in the borough of [[Duncannon, Pennsylvania|Duncannon]].
 
  
As of 2006, Pennsylvania has an estimated population of 12,440,621, which is an increase of 35,273 from the previous year, and an increase of 159,567 since the year 2000. Net [[migration]] from other states resulted in a decrease of 27,718, and [[Immigration to the United States|immigration]] from other countries resulted in an increase of 126,007.  Net migration to the state was 98,289.  Migration of native Pennsylvanians resulted in a decrease of 100,000 people. In 2006, 5.00% of Pennsylvanians were foreign born (621,480 people).  
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[[Image:PaCap.jpg|right|thumb|The current Pennsylvania Capitol]]
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The state capital is [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]].  The Executive Branch is made up of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Auditor, and State Treasurer, all elected officials.
  
Foreign-born Pennsylvanians are largely from [[Asia]] (36.0%), [[Europe]] (35.9%), [[Latin America]] (30.6%), 5% coming from [[Africa]], 3.1% coming from [[North America]], and 0.4% coming from Oceania.
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Pennsylvania has a [[bicameral legislature]] set up by state's constitution in 1790. The original Frame of Government of William Penn had a unicameral legislature.  The [[Pennsylvania General Assembly|General Assembly]] includes 50 [[Pennsylvania Senate|Senators]] and 203 [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives|Representatives]]. The 2006 election resulted in the Democrats regaining control of the House and the Republicans' retaining control of the Senate.  
  
[[Image:Pennsylvania population map.png|thumb|left|230px|Pennsylvania Population Distribution]]
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Pennsylvania is divided into 60 judicial districts, most of which (except [[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] and [[Allegheny County, Pennsylvania|Allegheny]] Counties) have magisterial district judges (formerly called district justices and justices of the peace), who preside mainly over minor criminal offenses and small civil claims. Most criminal and civil cases originate in the Courts of Common Pleas, which also serve as [[appellate court]]s to the district judges and for local agency decisions. The Superior Court hears all appeals from the Courts of Common Pleas not expressly designated to the Commonwealth Court or Supreme Court. It also has [[original jurisdiction]] to review [[Warrant (law)|warrant]]s for [[Telephone tapping|wiretap]] surveillance. The Commonwealth Court is limited to appeals from final orders of certain state agencies and certain designated cases from the Courts of Common Pleas. The [[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania]] is the final appellate court. All judges in Pennsylvania are elected; the [[Chief Justice]] is determined by seniority.
  
Pennsylvania's reported population of Hispanics, especially among the Asian, Hawaiian and White races, has markedly increased in the last years. It is not clear how much of this change reflects a changing population, and how much reflects increased willingness to self-identify minority status.  
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Pennsylvania is represented in the US Congress by two [[United States Senate| Senators]] and 19 Representatives. directory&docid=cdir108_txt-39 Congressional Directory Online]</ref>
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.
  
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=== Regional strength ===
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In the past decade, no [[political party]] has been clearly dominant in Pennsylvania. This, combined with Pennsylvania's rank of 6th in the country in population, has made it one of the most important [[swing states]] electorally. Democrats are strong in urban [[Philadelphia]] and the areas of [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Reading, Pennsylvania|Reading]], [[Allentown, Pennsylvania|Allentown]], [[Erie, Pennsylvania|Erie]], [[Johnstown, Pennsylvania|Johnstown]], and [[Scranton, Pennsylvania|Scranton]]/[[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|Wilkes-Barre]].  Republicans are generally dominant in the vast rural areas that make up the balance of the state. Traditionally, Republicans have also fared well in the densely populated and wealthy suburbs of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but in the 1990s and 2000s these suburbs trended Democratic.
  
Pennsylvania's population was reported as 5.9% under 5 and 23.8% under 18, with 15.6% were 65 or older. Females made up 51.7% of the population.
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In the 2004 Presidential Election, Senator [[John F. Kerry]] beat President [[George W. Bush]] in Pennsylvania 2,938,095 (50.92%) to 2,793,847 (48.42%)In the Midterm Elections of 2006, Pennsylvania moved solidly Democratic.
 
 
The five largest ancestry groups self-reported in Pennsylvania are: [[German American|German]] (27.66%), [[Irish American|Irish]] (17.66%), [[Italian American|Italian]] (12.82%), [[English Americans|English]] (8.89%) and [[Polish American|Polish]] (7.23%).
 
 
 
=== Religion ===
 
{{cquote|The new sovereign also enacted several wise and wholesome laws for his colony, which have remained invariably the same to this day. The chief is, to ill–treat no person on account of religion, and to consider as brethren all those who believe in one God. - [[Voltaire]], speaking of [[William Penn]]}}  Of all the colonies, only in [[Rhode Island]] was religious freedom so secure as in Pennsylvania - and one result was an incredible religious [[Multiculturalism|diversity]] that continues to this day. 
 
   
 
Pennsylvania is also noted for having the highest concentration of an [[Amish]] population in the United StatesAlthough Pennsylvania owes its existence to [[Quakers]] and many of the older institutions of the state are rooted in the teachings of the [[Religious Society of Friends]] (as they are officially known), practicing Quakers are a small minority today.
 
  
 
== Economy ==
 
== Economy ==
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Hunting is popular in Pennsylvania. There are nearly 1 million licensed hunters. Whitetail deer, cottontail rabbits, squirrel, turkey, and grouse are common game species. Sport hunting in Pennsylvania is a massive boost for the state economy. A report from The Center for Rural Pennsylvania (a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly) reported that hunting, fishing, and trapping generated a total of $9.6 billion statewide.
 
Hunting is popular in Pennsylvania. There are nearly 1 million licensed hunters. Whitetail deer, cottontail rabbits, squirrel, turkey, and grouse are common game species. Sport hunting in Pennsylvania is a massive boost for the state economy. A report from The Center for Rural Pennsylvania (a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly) reported that hunting, fishing, and trapping generated a total of $9.6 billion statewide.
  
== Politics ==
 
=== State government ===
 
Pennsylvania has had five [[Pennsylvania Constitution|constitution]]s during its statehood: 1776, 1790, 1838, 1874, and [http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Constitution.html 1968]. Prior to that, the province of Pennsylvania was governed for a century by a [[Frame of Government]], of which there were four versions: 1682, 1683, 1696, and 1701.
 
  
[[Image:PaCap.jpg|right|thumb|The current Pennsylvania Capitol]]
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==Education==
The state capital is [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]]. The Executive Branch is made up of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Auditor, and State Treasurer, all elected officials.
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In 1837, a Departement of Schools was created; in 1873, the name was changed to Department of Public Instruction.  In 1969, a state Department of Education was formed, with a state Secretary of Education as its head.  School Districts in Pennsylvania are subdivided into 29 Intermediate Units.
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Pennsylvania re-organized its higher education into the Pennsylvania State University system, with the State College campus as the flagship.  There are many private universities in Pennsylvania, including the Universities of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, and Scranton, and Carnegie-Mellon, in Pittsburgh.
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== Demographics ==
 +
{{see|List of prominent people from Pennsylvania}}
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{{US Demographics|state=Pennsylvania}}
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The [[center of population]] of Pennsylvania is located in [[Perry County, Pennsylvania|Perry County]], in the borough of [[Duncannon, Pennsylvania|Duncannon]].
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 +
As of 2006, Pennsylvania has an estimated population of 12,440,621, which is an increase of 35,273 from the previous year, and an increase of 159,567 since the year 2000. Net [[migration]] from other states resulted in a decrease of 27,718, and [[Immigration to the United States|immigration]] from other countries resulted in an increase of 126,007.  Net migration to the state was 98,289.  Migration of native Pennsylvanians resulted in a decrease of 100,000 people. In 2006, 5.00% of Pennsylvanians were foreign born (621,480 people).
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 +
Foreign-born Pennsylvanians are largely from [[Asia]] (36.0%), [[Europe]] (35.9%), [[Latin America]] (30.6%), 5% coming from [[Africa]], 3.1% coming from [[North America]], and 0.4% coming from Oceania.
 +
 
 +
[[Image:Pennsylvania population map.png|thumb|left|230px|Pennsylvania Population Distribution]]
  
Pennsylvania has a [[bicameral legislature]] set up by state's constitution in 1790.  The original Frame of Government of William Penn had a unicameral legislature.  The [[Pennsylvania General Assembly|General Assembly]] includes 50 [[Pennsylvania Senate|Senators]] and 203 [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives|Representatives]]. The 2006 election resulted in the Democrats regaining control of the House and the Republicans' retaining control of the Senate.  
+
Pennsylvania's reported population of Hispanics, especially among the Asian, Hawaiian and White races, has markedly increased in the last years. It is not clear how much of this change reflects a changing population, and how much reflects increased willingness to self-identify minority status.  
  
Pennsylvania is divided into 60 judicial districts, most of which (except [[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] and [[Allegheny County, Pennsylvania|Allegheny]] Counties) have magisterial district judges (formerly called district justices and justices of the peace), who preside mainly over minor criminal offenses and small civil claims. Most criminal and civil cases originate in the Courts of Common Pleas, which also serve as [[appellate court]]s to the district judges and for local agency decisions. The Superior Court hears all appeals from the Courts of Common Pleas not expressly designated to the Commonwealth Court or Supreme Court. It also has [[original jurisdiction]] to review [[Warrant (law)|warrant]]s for [[Telephone tapping|wiretap]] surveillance. The Commonwealth Court is limited to appeals from final orders of certain state agencies and certain designated cases from the Courts of Common Pleas. The [[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania]] is the final appellate court. All judges in Pennsylvania are elected; the [[Chief Justice]] is determined by seniority.
 
  
Pennsylvania is represented in the US Congress by two [[United States Senate| Senators]] and 19 Representatives. directory&docid=cdir108_txt-39 Congressional Directory Online]</ref>
+
Pennsylvania's population was reported as 5.9% under 5 and 23.8% under 18, with 15.6% were 65 or older. Females made up 51.7% of the population.
.
 
  
=== Regional strength ===
+
The five largest ancestry groups self-reported in Pennsylvania are: [[German American|German]] (27.66%), [[Irish American|Irish]] (17.66%), [[Italian American|Italian]] (12.82%), [[English Americans|English]] (8.89%) and [[Polish American|Polish]] (7.23%).
In the past decade, no [[political party]] has been clearly dominant in Pennsylvania. This, combined with Pennsylvania's rank of 6th in the country in population, has made it one of the most important [[swing states]] electorally. Democrats are strong in urban [[Philadelphia]] and the areas of [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Reading, Pennsylvania|Reading]], [[Allentown, Pennsylvania|Allentown]], [[Erie, Pennsylvania|Erie]], [[Johnstown, Pennsylvania|Johnstown]], and [[Scranton, Pennsylvania|Scranton]]/[[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|Wilkes-Barre]]. Republicans are generally dominant in the vast rural areas that make up the balance of the state. Traditionally, Republicans have also fared well in the densely populated and wealthy suburbs of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but in the 1990s and 2000s these suburbs trended Democratic.
 
  
In the 2004 Presidential Election, Senator [[John F. Kerry]] beat President [[George W. Bush]] in Pennsylvania 2,938,095 (50.92%) to 2,793,847 (48.42%)In the Midterm Elections of 2006, Pennsylvania moved solidly Democratic.
+
=== Religion ===
 +
{{cquote|The new sovereign also enacted several wise and wholesome laws for his colony, which have remained invariably the same to this day. The chief is, to ill–treat no person on account of religion, and to consider as brethren all those who believe in one God. - [[Voltaire]], speaking of [[William Penn]]}}  Of all the colonies, only in [[Rhode Island]] was religious freedom so secure as in Pennsylvania - and one result was an incredible religious [[Multiculturalism|diversity]] that continues to this day.  
 +
   
 +
Pennsylvania is also noted for having the highest concentration of an [[Amish]] population in the United StatesAlthough Pennsylvania owes its existence to [[Quakers]] and many of the older institutions of the state are rooted in the teachings of the [[Religious Society of Friends]] (as they are officially known), practicing Quakers are a small minority today.
  
== Important cities and municipalities ==
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=== Important cities and municipalities ===
 
[[Image:Phila.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The skyline of Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the United States.]]
 
[[Image:Phila.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The skyline of Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the United States.]]
 
[[Image:Pgh17.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The skyline of Pittsburgh, the 20th-largest metropolitan area in the United States.]]
 
[[Image:Pgh17.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The skyline of Pittsburgh, the 20th-largest metropolitan area in the United States.]]
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The ten most populous cities in Pennsylvania are, in order: [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Allentown, Pennsylvania|Allentown]], [[Erie, Pennsylvania|Erie]], [[Reading, Pennsylvania|Reading]], [[Scranton, Pennsylvania|Scranton]], [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania|Bethlehem]], [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania|Lancaster]], [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]], and [[Altoona, Pennsylvania|Altoona]].
 
The ten most populous cities in Pennsylvania are, in order: [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Allentown, Pennsylvania|Allentown]], [[Erie, Pennsylvania|Erie]], [[Reading, Pennsylvania|Reading]], [[Scranton, Pennsylvania|Scranton]], [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania|Bethlehem]], [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania|Lancaster]], [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]], and [[Altoona, Pennsylvania|Altoona]].
  
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use this site to complete this section.
  
===Education===
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[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Pennsylvania Wikipedia geo section]
In 1837, a Departement of Schools was created; in 1873, the name was changed to Department of Public Instruction. In 1969, a state Department of Education was formed, with a state Secretary of Education as its head.  School Districts in Pennsylvania are subdivided into 29 Intermediate Units.
 
 
 
Pennsylvania re-organized its higher education into the Pennsylvania State University system, with the State College campus as the flagship.  There are many private universities in Pennsylvania, including the Universities of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, and Scranton, and Carnegie-Mellon, in Pittsburgh.
 
  
 
==State symbols==
 
==State symbols==
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{{coor title d|41|N|77.5|W|region:US-PA_type:state}}
 
{{coor title d|41|N|77.5|W|region:US-PA_type:state}}
  
{{credit|150177943}}
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{{credit|Pennsylvania|150177943|Geography_of_Pennsylvania|171368673}}
  
 
[[Category:Geography]]
 
[[Category:Geography]]
 
[[Category:United States]]
 
[[Category:United States]]

Revision as of 21:52, 30 November 2007


Template:US state


The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a state located in the Middle Atlantic region of the United States of America.

One of Pennsylvania's nicknames is the Quaker State; in colonial times, it was known officially as the Quaker Province, in recognition of Quaker William Penn's First Frame of Government constitution for Pennsylvania that guaranteed liberty of conscience. Penn knew of the hostility Quakers faced when they opposed swearing oaths, warfare, and violence.

Pennsylvania has also been known as the Keystone State since 1802, based in part upon its central location among the original Thirteen Colonies forming the United States. It was also a keystone state economically, having both the industry common to the North, making such wares as Conestoga wagons and rifles, and the agriculture common to the South, producing feed, fiber, food, and tobacco.

Pennsylvania has 51 miles (82 kilometers) of coastline along Lake Erie and 57 miles (92 km) of shoreline along the Delaware Estuary. Philadelphia is Pennsylvania's largest city and is home to a major seaport and shipyards on the Delaware River.

Etymology

William Penn founded the Province of Pennsylvania as a British North American colony on land he had been granted by King Charles II of England, as repayment of a debt to Penn's father. Penn called the area Sylvania (Latin for woods), which Charles changed to Pennsylvania in honor of the elder Penn. This province eventually became the current state of Pennsylvania.

Geography

Pennsylvania's nickname, the Keystone State, is quite apt, because the state forms a geographic bridge both between the Northeastern states and the Southern states, and between the Atlantic seaboard and the Midwest.

It is bordered on the north and northeast by New York; on the east, across the Delaware River by New Jersey; on the south by Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia; on the west by Ohio; and on the northwest by Lake Erie. The Delaware, Susquehanna, Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio Rivers are the major rivers of the state. The Youghiogheny River and Oil Creek are smaller rivers which have played an important role in the development of the state.

Pennsylvania is 170 miles (274 km) north to south and 283 miles (455 km) east to west. Of a total 46055 sq mi (119,282 sq km), 44817 sq mi (116,075 sq km) are land, 490 sq mi (1,269 sq km) are inland waters and 749 sq mi (1,940 sq km) are waters in Lake Erie.

It is the 33rd largest state in the United States. The highest elevation at 3213 feet above sea level (979 meters), at Mount Davis, named for its owner, John Davis, a schoolteacher who fought for the Union Army at the Battle of Gettysburg. The lowest point is sea level, on the Delaware River. The approximate mean elevation is 1100 ft (335 m).

The Appalachian Mountains cut diagonally across the state from northeast to southwest. The western part of the state is underlain by sedimentary rock, rich in deposits of bituminous coal. Central Pennsylvania is the anthracite coal region, with the characteristic anticline-syncline topography of tightly folded sedimentary layers. The eastern third of the state is a product of ocean formation and orogenesis, and is marked by igneous and metamorphic rock close to a billion years old in some areas.

The southern boundary of Pennsylvania was originally fixed at 40° north latitude, but as a result of a bad faith compromise by Lord Baltimore during Cresap's War, the boundary was moved 20 miles (32 km) south to 39° 43' N, at the Mason-Dixon Line. The city of Philadelphia would have been split in half by the original boundary.

Climate

Pennsylvania has three general climate regions, which is determined by altitude more than latitude or distance from the oceans. Most of the state falls in the humid continental climate zone. The lower elevations, including most of the major cities, has a moderate continental climate, with cool to cold winters and hot, humid summers. Highland areas have a more severe continental climate with warm, humid summers and cold, more severe and snowy winters. Extreme southeastern Pennsylvania, around Philadelphia, borders into a humid subtropical climate with milder winters and hot, humid summers.

Precipitation is abundant throughout the state, as the primary climatic influences are the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, plus Arctic influences that cross over the Great Lakes.

History

Lapowinsa, Chief of the Lenape, 1737

Scattered groups of Native Americans, small in number, lived in the Pennsylvania area at the time of European settlement. With the disappearance of the last recognizable Native American groups by the mid-19th century, Native Americans have become an inconspicuous part of the state's population, numbering only some 15,000 in the early 21st century.


Tamanend or Tammany (c. 1628–1698) was a chief of one of the clans that made up the Lenni-Lenape nation in the Delaware Valley at the time Philadelphia was established. Tamanend is best known as a lover of peace and friendship who played a prominent role in the establishment of peaceful relations among the Native American tribes and the English settlers who established Pennsylvania, led by William Penn.

Tamanend reputably took part in a meeting between the leaders of the Lenni-Lenape nation, and the leaders of the Pennsylvania colony held under a large elm tree at Shakamaxon in the early 1680s. There, Tamanend is reported to have announced that the Lenni-Lenape and the English colonists would "live in peace as long as the waters run in the rivers and creeks and as long as the stars and moon endure." These words have been memorialized on the statue of Tamanend that stands in Philadelphia today.



Before the state was settled, the area was home to the Delaware (also known as Lenni Lenape), Susquehannock, Iroquois, Erie, Shawnee, and other Native American tribes.

John Dickinson

In 1681, Charles II of England granted a land charter to William Penn, to repay a large debt owed to William's father, Admiral Penn. This was one of the largest land grants to an individual in history. The land included present-day Delaware and Pennsylvania. It was called Pennsylvania, meaning "Penn's Woods", in honor of Admiral Penn. In keeping with his deeply held Quaker beliefs, William Penn pursued amicable relations with the Native Americans then living in the area. As an example, he negotiated contracts with them to purchase any lands of theirs that had been included in the King's grant.

Penn established a government with two innovations that were much copied in the New World: the county commission, a new model of small-scale self-governance, and freedom of religious conviction. Writer Murray Rothbard in his four-volume history of the U.S., Conceived in Liberty, refers to the years of 1681–90 as "Pennsylvania's Anarchist Experiment."

After the Stamp Act Congress of 1765, Delegate John Dickinson of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania wrote the Declaration of Rights and Grievances. That Congress was the first meeting of the thirteen colonies, called at the request of the Massachusetts Assembly, but only nine colonies sent delegates. Dickinson then wrote Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, To the Inhabitants of the British Colonies, which were published in the Pennsylvania Chronicle between December 2, 1767, and February 15, 1768. Pennsylvania, and particularly Philadelphia, played a key role in the forming of what was to become the United States, then referred to as the United Colonies of America.

When the Founding Fathers of the United States were to convene in Philadelphia in 1774, 12 colonies sent representatives to the First Continental Congress. The First Continental Congress drew up and signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, but when that city was captured by the British, the Continental Congress escaped westward, meeting at the Lancaster courthouse on Saturday, September 27, 1777, and then to York. There they drew up the Articles of Confederation that formed 13 independent colonies into a new nation. Later, the Constitution was written, and Philadelphia was once again chosen to be cradle to the new American Nation.

Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 12, 1787, five days after Delaware became the first.

File:HillsCapitol.jpg
The "Redbrick Capitol", used from 1821 until it burned in 1897

For half a century, the Pennsylvania state legislature met at various places in the general Philadelphia area before starting to meet regularly in Independence Hall in Philadelphia for 63 years. In 1799, the legislature moved to the more central Lancaster Courthouse, and finally, in 1812, to Harrisburg. The legislature met in the old Dauphin County Court House until December 1821, when the Redbrick Capitol was finished. It burned down in 1897 and the legislature met at Grace Methodist Church on State Street (still standing), until the present capitol was finished in 1907.

The dome of the new new state Capitol was inspired by the domes of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and the United States Capitol. President Theodore Roosevelt called it the "the most beautiful state Capitol in the nation", and said "It's the handsomest building I ever saw" at the dedication. In 1989, the New York Times praised it as "grand, even awesome at moments, but it is also a working building, accessible to citizens ... a building that connects with the reality of daily life."

James Buchanan, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was the only bachelor President of the United States. The Battle of Gettysburg — the major turning point of the Civil War — took place near Gettysburg. Pennsylvania, bordering the south, played an important role in the operation of the Underground Railroad, prior to the Civil War. The term "Underground Railroad" is believed to have been coined by a disgruntled Southerner who believed only some sort of "underground railroad" could account for the disappearance of so many escaped slaves upon reaching Columbia, PA, just twenty miles from the border with Maryland. Pennsylvania's Quaker beginnings led to the earliest anti-slavery movement in the colonies; in 1780, the Pennsylvania Gradual Abolition Act was the first law passed in the US for emancipation.

Politics

State government

Pennsylvania has had five constitutions during its statehood: 1776, 1790, 1838, 1874, and 1968. Prior to that, the province of Pennsylvania was governed for a century by a Frame of Government, of which there were four versions: 1682, 1683, 1696, and 1701.

The current Pennsylvania Capitol

The state capital is Harrisburg. The Executive Branch is made up of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Auditor, and State Treasurer, all elected officials.

Pennsylvania has a bicameral legislature set up by state's constitution in 1790. The original Frame of Government of William Penn had a unicameral legislature. The General Assembly includes 50 Senators and 203 Representatives. The 2006 election resulted in the Democrats regaining control of the House and the Republicans' retaining control of the Senate.

Pennsylvania is divided into 60 judicial districts, most of which (except Philadelphia and Allegheny Counties) have magisterial district judges (formerly called district justices and justices of the peace), who preside mainly over minor criminal offenses and small civil claims. Most criminal and civil cases originate in the Courts of Common Pleas, which also serve as appellate courts to the district judges and for local agency decisions. The Superior Court hears all appeals from the Courts of Common Pleas not expressly designated to the Commonwealth Court or Supreme Court. It also has original jurisdiction to review warrants for wiretap surveillance. The Commonwealth Court is limited to appeals from final orders of certain state agencies and certain designated cases from the Courts of Common Pleas. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the final appellate court. All judges in Pennsylvania are elected; the Chief Justice is determined by seniority.

Pennsylvania is represented in the US Congress by two Senators and 19 Representatives. directory&docid=cdir108_txt-39 Congressional Directory Online]</ref> .

Regional strength

In the past decade, no political party has been clearly dominant in Pennsylvania. This, combined with Pennsylvania's rank of 6th in the country in population, has made it one of the most important swing states electorally. Democrats are strong in urban Philadelphia and the areas of Pittsburgh, Reading, Allentown, Erie, Johnstown, and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Republicans are generally dominant in the vast rural areas that make up the balance of the state. Traditionally, Republicans have also fared well in the densely populated and wealthy suburbs of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but in the 1990s and 2000s these suburbs trended Democratic.

In the 2004 Presidential Election, Senator John F. Kerry beat President George W. Bush in Pennsylvania 2,938,095 (50.92%) to 2,793,847 (48.42%). In the Midterm Elections of 2006, Pennsylvania moved solidly Democratic.

Economy

thumb Pennsylvania State Quarter
Bethlehem Steel's closed manufacturing facility in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This site will become the site of a new multi-million dollar casino in 2007.

Pennsylvania's 2005 total gross state product (GSP) of $430.31 billion ranks the state 6th in the nation. If Pennsylvania were an independent country, its economy would rank as the 17th largest in the world, ahead of Belgium, but behind the Netherlands. Pennsylvania's per-capita GSP of $34,619 ranks 26th among the 50 states.

Philadelphia in the southeast corner and Pittsburgh in the southwest corner are urban manufacturing centers, with the "t-shaped" remainder of the state being much more rural; this dichotomy affects state politics as well as the state economy. Philadelphia is home to 10 Fortune 500 companies, with more located in suburbs like King of Prussia; it's a leader in the financial and insurance industry.[1] Pittsburgh is home to 6 Fortune 500 companies, including U.S. Steel, PPG Industries, H.J. Heinz, and Alcoa. In all, Pennsylvania is home to 49 Fortune 500 companies.

The largest private employer in the state is Wal-Mart, followed by the University of Pennsylvania, United Parcel Service and Giant Food. The largest manufacturing employer is Merck.[2]

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development offers resources for business, community, site development, and concerned citizens at http://newpa.com/.

Manufacturing

Pennsylvania's factories and workshops manufacture 16.1% of the Gross State Product (GSP); only 10 states are more industrialized. Metal products, chemicals, transportation equipment, machinery, glass and plastic products are the major industrial outputs. While Educational Services is only 1.8% of the state's GSP, that's twice the national average; only Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont outrank Pennsylvania. Although Pennsylvania is known as a coal state, mining only amounts to 0.6% of the state's economy, compared to 1.3% for the country as a whole.

Farming near Klingerstown, Pennsylvania.

Once the leading producer of steel in the 19th and 20th centuries, Pennsylvania's steel industry has declined significantly. Pennsylvania remains an important source of coal, petroleum and natural gas.

A small subsector of manufacturing that flourishes in Pennsylvania is specialty foods production. According to Pennsylvania Snacks: A Guide to Food Factory Tours, author Sharon Hernes Silverman calls Pennsylvania the snack food capital of the world. It leads all other states in the manufacture of pretzels and potato chips. The US chocolate industry is centered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with Mars and Wilbur Chocolate Company nearby. Other notable companies include Just Born in Bethlehem, PA, makers of Hot Tamales, Mike and Ikes, and the Easter favorite marshmallow Peeps, Benzel's Pretzels and Boyer Candies of Altoona, PA, which is well known for its Mallow Cups. Auntie Anne's Pretzels originated in Gap, but their corporate headquarters is now located in Lancaster, PA.

Agriculture

Pennsylvania is an important source of food products. It ranks 19th overall in agricultural production, but first in mushrooms, third in Christmas trees and laying chickens, fourth in nursery and sod, milk, corn for silage, and horse production. Only about 9,600 of the state's 58,000 farmers have sales of $100,000 or more, and with production expenses equaling 84.9% of sales, most have a net farming income below the $19,806 that marks poverty for a family of four, and that does not reflect the 12.4% self-employment tax as well. The farming population is aging; the average farmer is 53. Many farms in the southeastern part of the state have been sold to housing developers in the past years. This is largely due to rising taxes and land prices, reflecting high demand for land in the nation's fifth largest metropolitan area. Bucks and Montgomery counties were the first to suburbanize, but this trend is now extending to Chester, Lancaster, Berks, and Lehigh counties.

Tourism and recreation

Pennsylvania draws 2.1% of the Gross State Product from accommodation and food services. In contrast, only Connecticut, Delaware, and Iowa have lower numbers. Nevada gets a whopping 14.2% of their GSP that way. Philadelphia draws tourists to see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Franklin Institute, and the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, while the Poconos attract honeymooners, golfers and fishermen. The Delaware Water Gap and Allegheny National Forest appeal to boaters, hikers, and nature lovers. Fourteen slots casinos, the majority of which are either in the process of being awarded licenses from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board or are under construction, are expected to make up a good portion of tourism in the Commonwealth.

The state government launched an extensive tourism campaign in 2003 under the direction of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. An extensive website VisitPA, has been established to promote visits to the state.

The Pennsylvania Dutch region in south-central Pennsylvania is a favorite for sightseers. The Pennsylvania Dutch, including the Old Order Amish, the Old Order Mennonites and at least 35 other sects, are common in the rural areas around the cities of Lancaster, York, and Harrisburg, with smaller numbers extending northeast to the Lehigh Valley and up the Susquehanna River valley.

The term "Dutch", when referring to the Pennsylvania Dutch, means "German" or "Teutonic" rather than "Netherlander". Germans, in their own language, call themselves "Deutsch", which in English became, misleadingly, "Dutch". The Pennsylvania Dutch language is a descendant of German, in the West Central German dialect family.

Pennsylvania is home to the nation's first zoo, the Philadelphia Zoo. The state boasts some of the finest museums in the country. One of the unique museums is the Houdini Museum, the only one in the world devoted to the legendary magician. It is also home to the National Aviary, located in Pittsburgh.

Pennsylvania offers a number of notable, and historically significant, amusement parks, including Dutch Wonderland, Idlewild Park, Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh.

Hunting is popular in Pennsylvania. There are nearly 1 million licensed hunters. Whitetail deer, cottontail rabbits, squirrel, turkey, and grouse are common game species. Sport hunting in Pennsylvania is a massive boost for the state economy. A report from The Center for Rural Pennsylvania (a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly) reported that hunting, fishing, and trapping generated a total of $9.6 billion statewide.


Education

In 1837, a Departement of Schools was created; in 1873, the name was changed to Department of Public Instruction. In 1969, a state Department of Education was formed, with a state Secretary of Education as its head. School Districts in Pennsylvania are subdivided into 29 Intermediate Units.

Pennsylvania re-organized its higher education into the Pennsylvania State University system, with the State College campus as the flagship. There are many private universities in Pennsylvania, including the Universities of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, and Scranton, and Carnegie-Mellon, in Pittsburgh.


Demographics

Demographics of Pennsylvania (csv)
By race White Black AIAN Asian NHPI
AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native   -   NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
2000 (total population) 87.60% 10.71% 0.43% 2.04% 0.07%
2000 (Hispanic only) 2.74% 0.44% 0.06% 0.03% 0.02%
2005 (total population) 86.83% 11.20% 0.45% 2.46% 0.09%
2005 (Hispanic only) 3.52% 0.53% 0.07% 0.05% 0.02%
Growth 2000-2005 (total population) 0.32% 5.83% 5.64% 22.23% 18.99%
Growth 2000-2005 (non-Hispanic only) -0.64% 5.21% 2.77% 21.86% 14.13%
Growth 2000-2005 (Hispanic only) 29.86% 20.24% 23.61% 45.64% 35.44%

The center of population of Pennsylvania is located in Perry County, in the borough of Duncannon.

As of 2006, Pennsylvania has an estimated population of 12,440,621, which is an increase of 35,273 from the previous year, and an increase of 159,567 since the year 2000. Net migration from other states resulted in a decrease of 27,718, and immigration from other countries resulted in an increase of 126,007. Net migration to the state was 98,289. Migration of native Pennsylvanians resulted in a decrease of 100,000 people. In 2006, 5.00% of Pennsylvanians were foreign born (621,480 people).

Foreign-born Pennsylvanians are largely from Asia (36.0%), Europe (35.9%), Latin America (30.6%), 5% coming from Africa, 3.1% coming from North America, and 0.4% coming from Oceania.

Pennsylvania Population Distribution

Pennsylvania's reported population of Hispanics, especially among the Asian, Hawaiian and White races, has markedly increased in the last years. It is not clear how much of this change reflects a changing population, and how much reflects increased willingness to self-identify minority status.


Pennsylvania's population was reported as 5.9% under 5 and 23.8% under 18, with 15.6% were 65 or older. Females made up 51.7% of the population.

The five largest ancestry groups self-reported in Pennsylvania are: German (27.66%), Irish (17.66%), Italian (12.82%), English (8.89%) and Polish (7.23%).

Religion

The new sovereign also enacted several wise and wholesome laws for his colony, which have remained invariably the same to this day. The chief is, to ill–treat no person on account of religion, and to consider as brethren all those who believe in one God. - Voltaire, speaking of William Penn

Of all the colonies, only in Rhode Island was religious freedom so secure as in Pennsylvania - and one result was an incredible religious diversity that continues to this day.

Pennsylvania is also noted for having the highest concentration of an Amish population in the United States. Although Pennsylvania owes its existence to Quakers and many of the older institutions of the state are rooted in the teachings of the Religious Society of Friends (as they are officially known), practicing Quakers are a small minority today.

Important cities and municipalities

The skyline of Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the United States.
The skyline of Pittsburgh, the 20th-largest metropolitan area in the United States.

Municipalities in Pennsylvania are incorporated as cities, boroughs, or townships.

There is some confusion about the number of "towns" in Pennsylvania. In 1870, Bloomsburg, the county seat of Columbia County was incorporated as a town, and is recognized by state government publications as "the only incorporated town" in Pennsylvania. However, in 1975, McCandless Township, in Allegheny County adopted a home rule charter under the name "Town of McCandless".

The ten most populous cities in Pennsylvania are, in order: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Reading, Scranton, Bethlehem, Lancaster, Harrisburg, and Altoona.


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State symbols

  • State animal: White-tailed Deer State Symbols
  • State beverage: Milk
  • State game bird: Ruffed Grouse
  • State capital: Harrisburg
  • State dog: Great Dane
  • State fish: Brook Trout
  • State flower: Mountain Laurel
  • State fossil: the trilobite Phacops rana
  • State insect: Firefly

  • Union admission rank:
  • State song: Pennsylvania (Formerly Hail, Pennsylvania!, until 1990)
  • State tree: Hemlock
  • State toy: Slinky
  • State ship: United States Brig Niagara
  • State electric locomotive: Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 #4849 Locomotive
  • State steam locomotive: Pennsylvania Railroad K4s Locomotive
  • State beautification plant: Crown Vetch
  • State soil: Hazleton


Notes

References
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External links



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Coordinates: 41° N 77.5° W

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