Outline of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is a leading manufacturing and industrial center of the United States. It also ranks as one of the nation's most historic states. Pennsylvania is one of four states officially called commonwealths. The other three are Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Virginia. Harrisburg is the state capital, and Philadelphia is the largest city.
Pennsylvania's chief manufacturing activities include the production of chemicals, electrical equipment, and processed foods. Service industries, such as banking, education, health care, and retail trade, also play a leading role in the state's economy. Eastern Pennsylvania supplies all the anthracite (hard coal) that is produced in the United States. Mines in western Pennsylvania produce huge quantities of bituminous (soft) coal. Bituminous coal is used in generating electric power and in making coke, an important fuel used in the steel industry.
Philadelphia, in southeast Pennsylvania, is the state's leading manufacturing city. It is one of the nation's great cultural, educational, financial, and historical centers and also a chief port city. Pittsburgh, on the Ohio River in western Pennsylvania, is an important financial center. It is also a center of manufacturing. Hershey, in southeastern Pennsylvania, is the site of the world's largest chocolate and confectionery factory.
Most of Pennsylvania is made up of hills, plateaus, ridges, and valleys. The northwestern and southeastern corners of the state are low and flat. The lowest point in the state is sea level along the Delaware River. Mount Davis, in southern Pennsylvania, rises 3,213 feet (979 meters) above sea level and is the highest point in the state. Forests cover about three-fifths of Pennsylvania. Much of the state has rich farmland. The southeastern section has some of the richest soil in the United States. Crops prosper there. Poultry and cattle are also raised in the southeast. Dairy farming thrives in eastern Pennsylvania. The soil along Lake Erie in the northwest is good for growing fruits and vegetables.
Many tourists travel through the section of southeastern Pennsylvania in which the Pennsylvania Dutch people live. Most Pennsylvania Dutch people are descended from German immigrants. These immigrants were called Dutch because the word Deutsch, which means German, was misinterpreted. The Pennsylvania Dutch are known for fine cooking and for the colorful designs and decorations on many of their buildings and belongings. Some Pennsylvania Dutch groups, including the Amish and Mennonites, are called the Plain People. Many Plain People live and dress as their ancestors did and do not believe in using electricity, automobiles, telephones, or modern machinery.
Most of Pennsylvania's people live in metropolitan areas. The largest of these areas include Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, and Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazelton. Philadelphia is Pennsylvania's largest city and one of the largest cities in the United States. Other large cities in Pennsylvania, in order of population, are Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Reading, Scranton, and Bethlehem. Pennsylvania's largest population groups include people of German, Irish, Italian, and English descent. Other large groups include people of Polish, Slovak, and Dutch descent.
Pennsylvania's wide variety of activities and diverse experiences attract thousands of visitors each year. Vacationers can enjoy such activities as hiking, biking, fishing, white-water rafting, hunting, and skiing. They may also experience the outdoors at any of the 116 state parks scattered throughout Pennsylvania. The state is also home to more than 1,000 museums and hundreds of historical sites that help to illustrate Pennsylvania's rich history. Thrill seekers will want to visit one of the 20 amusement parks in the state. One of Pennsylvania's most popular annual events is the Mummers' Parade, held on New Year's Day in Philadelphia. People celebrate the New Year by dressing in costumes and marching through the streets.
King Charles II of England gave the Pennsylvania region to William Penn in 1681. The word Pennsylvania means Penn's Woods. Penn was a Quaker. He established the Pennsylvania colony as a place where Quakers and people of other faiths could enjoy religious freedom. Pennsylvania is nicknamed the Keystone State because it was the center, or keystone, of the ''arch'' formed by the original 13 American states. It is sometimes called the Quaker State because William Penn and many of his followers were Quakers.
