Pennsylvania

 United States

Education

Philadelphia was the seat of the federal government almost continuously from 1776 to 1800; there the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 and the U.S. Constitution drawn up in 1787. Valley Forge, of Revolutionary War fame, and Gettysburg, site of the pivotal battle of the Civil War, are both in Pennsylvania. The Liberty Bell is located in a glass pavilion across from Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

With the decline of the coal, steel, and railroad industries, Pennsylvania's industry has diversified, although the state still leads the country in the production of specialty steel. Pennsylvania is a leader in the production of chemicals, food, and electrical machinery and produces 10% of the nation's cement. Also important are brick and tiles, glass, limestone, and slate. Data processing is also increasingly important.

Pennsylvania's 8 million-plus agricultural acres (over 4 million acres for crops, 4 million acres in farm woodlands and pasture) produce a wide variety of crops, and its 51,000 farms are the backbone of the state's economy. Leading products are milk, poultry, eggs, a variety of fruits, sweet corn, potatoes, mushrooms, cheese, beans, hay, maple syrup, and Christmas trees.

Pennsylvania has the largest rural population in the nation. The state's farmers sell more than $3.6 billion in crops and livestock annually, and agribusiness and food-related industries account for another $39 billion in economic activity annually.

Tourists now spend approximately $6 billion in Pennsylvania annually. Among the chief attractions are the Gettysburg National Military Park, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Dutch region, the Eisenhower farm near Gettysburg, and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Nickname: Keystone State

Origin of name: In honor of Adm. Sir William Penn, father of William Penn. It means "Penn's Woodland."

10 largest cities (1999 est.): Philadelphia, 1,417,601; Pittsburgh, 336,882; Erie, 101,474; Allentown, 100,160; Reading, 73,778; Scranton, 73,766; Bethlehem, 69,511; Lancaster, 52,712; Altoona, 49,363; Harrisburg, 48,619

Land area: 44,820 sq mi. (116,083 sq km)

Geographic center: In Centre Co., 21/2 mi. SW of Bellefonte

Number of counties: 67

Largest county by population and area: Philadelphia, 1,417,601 (1999 est.); Lycoming, 1,235 sq mi.

State forests: over 2 mil. ac.

State parks: 116

Residents: Pennsylvanian

1999 resident population est.: 11,994,016

1990 resident census population (rank): 11,881,643 (5). Male: 5,694,265; Female: 6,187,378. White: 10,520,201 (88.5%); Black: 1,089,795 (9.2%); American Indian: 14,733 (0.1%); Asian: 137,438 (1.2%); Other race: 119,476 (1.0%); Hispanic: 232,262 (2.0%). 1990 percent population under 18: 23.5; 65 and over: 15.4; median age: 34.9.