Pennsylvania - Political   Capital Harrisburg Largest City Philadelphia Major Cities Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Lancaster, Titusville, Gettysburg Nicknames Keystone State Area 45, 327 sq. miles Population 11,982,755

 

Pennsylvania - Physical features   Physical Features Lake Erie, Delaware Water Gap, Piedmont Mountain Ranges Appalachian Mountains, Allegheny Mountains, Pocono Mountains, Tuscarora Mountains, Catskill Mountains Rivers Susquehenna, Delaware, Allegheny, Monongahela, Ohio Highest Point Mount Davis Bordering States New York (north), New Jersey (east), Delaware (southeast), Maryland (south), West Virginia (southwest), Ohio (west) National Parks None Key Products Iron, Steel, Coal Natural Resources Coal, Limestone

 

Pennsylvania - History   1681 William Penn finds the Province of Pennsylvania, the British North American colony that later becomes the state of Pennsylvania 1776 Declaration of Independence signed in Philadelphia declaring the independence of the thirteen colonies from Great Britain 1787 Pennsylvania becomes the second state to join the Union 1863 The Battle of Gettysburg at the city of Gettysburg ends in victory for Union troops. This was one of the major turning points of the United States Civil War Present Day Pittsburgh is vital to Pennsylvania’s economic development due to its geographic location along the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers. Steel products can be shipped to New Orleans, Louisiana by way of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers

 

Pennsylvania - Facts   Philadelphia, a major port on the Delaware river, was the capital of the United States from 1790 to 1800 The first oil well in the world was drilled near Titusville in northwestern Pennsylvania Erie is Pennsylvania’s major port on Lake Erie and is vital to Great Lakes shipping Pennsylvania is one of the four American states that uses the term of Commonwealth in its official name, the others being Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Virginia. The term simply means that the governments of these states are based on the common consent of the people German descendants are found mostly in Lancaster County, in southeastern Pennsylvania. This area is termed "Pennsylvania Dutch".