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The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (pronounced ) is a state in the northeastern part of the United States.
Pennsylvania has been known as the ''Quaker'' State since 1776; prior to that, it was known as the Quaker Province, Pennsylvania, however is not only geographically the keystone state, but economically as well, 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 km) of coastline along Lake Erie and 57 miles (92 km) of shoreline along the Delaware Estuary. Philadelphia is home to a major seaport and shipyards on the Delaware River.
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Geography
Pennsylvania is 180 miles (290 km) north to south and 283 miles east to west. The highest point of 3,213 feet (979 m) above sea level is at Mount Davis, the lowest point is at sea level on the Delaware River, and the approximate mean elevation is 1100 feet (336 meters). The city of Philadelphia, at 40°0'N 75°8'W,
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History
Before the state existed, the area was home to the Delaware (also known as Lenni Lenape), Susquehannock, Iroquois, Eriez, Shawnee, and other Native American tribes. 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."
The first meeting of the thirteen colonies was the Stamp Act Congress in 1765, called at the request of the Massachusetts Assembly, but only 9 colonies sent delegates. John Dickinson of Philadelphia wrote the Declaration of Rights and Grievances that came out of the Stamp Act Congress — then followed it up with 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. When the Founding Fathers to convene in Philadelphia in 1774, 12 of the 13 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 moving to York, where they drew up the Articles of Confederation, forming the independent colonies into a new nation. Later, the Constitution was written, 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.
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.
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Demographics
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As of 2005, Pennsylvania has an estimated population of 12,429,616,which is an increase of 20,958 from the previous year, and an increase of 131,888 since the year 2000. Migration from other states resulted in an increase of 32,200, and immigration from Latin American and Asian countries resulted in an increase of 399,100. Migration of native Pennsylvanians resulted in a decrease of 100,000 people. In 2006, 5.00% of Pennsylvanians were foreign born (621,480 people).
Pennsylvania's reported population of Hispanics, especially among the Asian, Hawaiian and White races, has markedly increased in the last years.
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! align="center"| Census
year !! align="right"| Population
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| align="center"| 1790 || align="right"| 434,373
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| align="center"| 1800 || align="right"| 602,365
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| align="center"| 1810 || align="right"| 810,091
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| align="center"| 1820 || align="right"| 1,049,458
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| align="center"| 1830 || align="right"| 1,348,233
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| align="center"| 1840 || align="right"| 1,724,033
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| align="center"| 1850 || align="right"| 2,311,786
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| align="center"| 1860 || align="right"| 2,906,215
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| align="center"| 1870 || align="right"| 3,521,951
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| align="center"| 1880 || align="right"| 4,282,891
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| align="center"| 1890 || align="right"| 5,258,113
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| align="center"| 1900 || align="right"| 6,302,115
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| align="center"| 1910 || align="right"| 7,665,111
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| align="center"| 1920 || align="right"| 8,720,017
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| align="center"| 1930 || align="right"| 9,631,350
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| align="center"| 1940 || align="right"| 9,900,180
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| align="center"| 1950 || align="right"| 10,498,012
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| align="center"| 1960 || align="right"| 11,319,366
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| align="center"| 1970 || align="right"| 11,793,909
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| align="center"| 1980 || align="right"| 11,863,895
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| align="center"| 1990 || align="right"| 11,881,643
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| align="center"| 2000 || align="right"| 12,281,054
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| align="center"| 2005 Est. || align="right"| 12,429,616
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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. and only the largest of 115 different faiths are reported here. Data excludes most of the historically African-American denominations. Public Law 94-521 prevents the Census Bureau from collecting better data, so this information comes from the Association of religion data archives at Penn State.) Terms used to describe organizations are ARDA's, and may not be the group's own preferred name.
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Economy
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Pennsylvania's 2005 total gross state product (GSP) of $430.31 billion[Bureau of Economic Analysis] 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. On a per-capita basis, though, 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.[Appeals court races wrap up with focus on voter mobilization] Philadelphia is home to 10 Fortune 500 companies,[Fortune 500] with more located in suburbs like King of Prussia; it's a leader in the financial[Philadelphia stock exchange] and insurance industry.[Tragedy of 9/11 pummels insurance industry] Pittsburgh is home to 6 Fortune 500 companies, including U.S. Steel, PPG Industries and H.J. Heinz.
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.[Largest Employers in Pennsylvania]
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Manufacturing
States cannot thrive by "taking in each other's laundry",[Community Economic Analysis] but manufacturing imports money and jobs from the rest of the world. Pennsylvania's factories and workshops manufacture 16.1% of the Gross State Product (GSP); only 10 states are more industrialized.[Northeast-Midwest Institute calculations based on data from the BEA] 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.
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Agriculture
Pennsylvania ranks 19th overall in agricultural production, but 3rd in christmas trees and layer chickens, 4th 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 equalling 84.9% of sales, most not only have a net farming income below the $19,806 that marks poverty for a family of four, but are liable for a 12.4% self-employment tax as well. The average farmer is 53 and getting older, , as young Pennsylvanians find low farming income a tough row to hoe.
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Tourism
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Pennsylvania draws 2.1% of the Gross State Product from Accommodation and Food Services. Only Connecticut, Delaware and Iowa have lower numbers, and Nevada gets a whopping 14.2% of their GSP that way.[Philadelphia tourism] to see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Franklin Institute and the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, while The Poconos[Poconos tourism] attract honeymooners, golfers and fishermen, and the Delaware Water Gap[Delaware Water Gap] appeals to boaters, hikers, and nature lovers.
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[*]has been established to promote visits to the state.
The Pennsylvania Dutch region in south-central Pennsylvania is a favorite for sightseers.[AAA: Favorite vacation spots] The Pennsylvania Dutch, including the Old Order Amish, the Old Order Mennonites and at least 35 other sects,[Page 10, The Riddle of Amish Culture, 2001. ISBN 0-8018-6772-X] 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" is an archaic word meaning "German" or "Teutonic" rather than "Netherlander". The Random House dictionary says "dutch" originated with the Old High German word "diutisc" which referred to the daily language used by Germans, as opposed to formal Latin. [Definition of "dutch"]
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Law and government
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Pennsylvania has had five constitutions since statehood:[23 Pennsylvania Law Weekly 324 (March 27, 2000)] 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 legislature met in the general Philadelphia area, but had no regular place of meeting for half a century before starting to meet regularly in Independence Hall in Philadelphia for 63 years.[Pennsylvania's Capitals] They needed to move to a more central location - the Paxton Boys had made them aware of that in 1763 - and finally in 1799, they moved to the Lancaster Courthouse in 1799,[ and finally to Harrisburg in 1812.][ when the Redbrick Capitol was finished. It burned down in 1897, presumably due to a faulty flue.][ Until the present capitol was finished in 1907, the legislature met at Grace Methodist Church on State Street, which still stands.][ ]
The new Capitol drew rave reviews.[ Its dome was inspired by the great domes of St. Peter's in Rome and the United States Capitol.][ If 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, one might expect a politicians to glurge at a dedication, but in 1989, though, the New York Times praised the Pennsylvania capitol 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."]
The current Governor is Ed Rendell, a former head of the Democratic National Committee who began as a popular District Attorney, and mayor in Philadelphia.[Official bio of Ed Rendell] The other elected officials composing the executive branch are the Lieutenant Governor Catherine Baker Knoll, Attorney General Tom Corbett, Auditor General Jack Wagner, and State Treasurer Robert P. Casey, Jr.[State Elected Officials]
William Penn's Frame of Government set up a unicameral legislature, and did not switch to a bicameral legislature until the state's constitution of 1790.[Pennsylvania State Archives] The General Assembly includes 50 Senators[Pennsylvania Senators] and 203 Representatives.[Pennsylvania House of Representatives] Robert C. Jubelirer is currently President Pro Tempore of the State Senate,[Pennsylvania Senate] David J. Brightbill the Majority Leader,[David Brightbill] and Robert J. Mellow the Minority Leader.[Robert Mellow] John M. Perzel is Speaker of the House of Representatives,[John Perzel] with Samuel H. Smith as Majority Leader[Samuel Smith] and H. William DeWeese as Minority Leader.[William DeWeese] The Republicans control both houses of the General Assembly.
Pennsylvania is divided into 60 judicial districts[Judicial districts], most of which (save 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. [ 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.]
Sales tax provides 39% of state revenue; only the personal income tax at 34% of revenue comes close to matching it. Motor vehicle taxes amount to about 12% of state revenue, and taxes on cigarettes and beverage alcohol provide 5%.[Revenue Department Releases August Collections (09/01/2006) http://www.revenue.state.pa.us/revenue/CWP/view.asp?Q=261929&A=208 Retrieved September 25, 2006]
Counties, municipalities, and school districts levy taxes on real estate. In addition, some local bodies assess a wage tax on personal income. Generally, the total wage tax rate is capped at 1% of income but some municipalities with home rule charters may charge more than 1%. Thirty-two of the state's sixty-seven counties levy a personal property tax on stocks, bonds, and similar holdings.
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Federal representation
Pennsylvania's two U.S. Senators are Rick Santorum and Arlen Specter. Pennsylvania's U.S. Congressmen are Robert Brady (1st)), Chaka Fattah (2nd)), Phil English (3rd)), Melissa Hart (4th)), John E. Peterson (5th)), Jim Gerlach (6th)), Curt Weldon (7th)), Michael Fitzpatrick (8th)), Bill Shuster (9th)), Don Sherwood (10th), Paul E. Kanjorski (11th), John Murtha (12th), Allyson Schwartz (13th), Mike Doyle (14th), Charlie Dent (15th), Joe Pitts (16th), Tim Holden (17th), Tim Murphy (18th), and Todd Russell Platts (19th).
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Important cities and municipalities
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Municipalities in Pennsylvania are incorporated as cities, boroughs, or townships.
In 1870, Bloomsburg, the county seat of Columbia County, and in 1975, McCandless, Pennsylvania, in Allegheny County were incorporated as towns by special act of the legislature. [Bloomsburg] [McCandless]
Important cities in Pennsylvania
Although not legally structured as cities, the boroughs of Bethel Park, Monroeville, Norristown, Plum and State College have significant populations.
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Recreation
Pennsylvania is home to the nation's first zoo, the Philadelphia Zoo. * Other notable zoos include Claws 'n Paws, Erie Zoo, Pittsburgh Zoo, and ZOOAMERICA. It is also home to the National Aviary, located in Pittsburgh.
All 121 state parks in Pennsylvania feature free admission.
Pennsylvania offers a number of notable amusement parks, including Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Dutch Wonderland, DelGrosso Amusement Park , Hersheypark, Idlewild Park, Kennywood, Knoebels, Lakemont Park, Sandcastle, Sesame Place, and Waldameer Park.
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Sports
Pennsylvania is home to many professional sports teams, including the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball, the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League, the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association, and the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. Among them, these teams have accumulated 6 World Series Championships, 14 National League Pennants, 3 NFL Championships, 5 Super Bowl Championships, 4 NBA Championships, and 4 Stanley Cup winners.
Motorsports are popular in Pennsylvania. The Mario Andretti dynasty of race drivers hail from Nazareth. Notable Racetracks in Pennsylvania include the Jennerstown Speedway in Jennerstown, the Lake Erie Speedway in North East, the Mahoning Valley Speedway in Lehighton, the Motordome Speedway in Smithton, the Mountain Speedway in St. Johns, the Nazareth Speedway in Nazareth; and the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, which is home both the Pennsylvania 500 and the Pocono 500.
Race courses for horses in Pennsylvania consist of Ladbroke at the Meadows, in Pittsburgh, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, in Wilkes-Barre and Summerside Raceway in Summerside which offer harness racing, and Penn National Race Course in Grantville and Philadelphia Park, in Bensalem which offer thoroughbred racing. Smarty Jones, the 2004 Kentucky Derby winner, had Philadelphia Park as his home course.
Arnold Palmer, one of the leading 20th century pro golfers, comes from Latrobe, and Jim Furyk, one of the leading 21-century pro golfers, grew up near in Lancaster. PGA tournaments in Pennsylvania include the 84 Lumber Classic, played at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, in Farmington and the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic, played at Glenmaura National Golf Club, in Scranton.
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Food
In his book 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 Sturgis Pretzel House introduced the pretzel to America, and companies like Anderson Bakery Company, Intercourse Pretzel Factory, and Snyder's of Hanover are leading manufacturers in the state. The three companies that define the U.S. potato chip industry are Utz Quality Foods which started making chips in Hanover, Pennsylvania in 1921, Wise Snack Foods which started making chips in Berwick in 1921, and Lay's Potato Chips, a Texas company. Other companies such as Herr Foods, Martin's Potato Chips, and Troyer Farms Potato Products are popular chip manufacturers. The U.S. chocolate industry is centered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with Mars and Wilbur Chocolate Company nearby, and many smaller manufacturers such as Asher's. Other notable companies include Benzel's Pretzels and Boyer Candies, which is well known for its Mallow Cups.
Among the regional foods associated with Pennsylvania are the Philadelphia cheesesteak and the hoagie, the soft pretzel, Italian water ice, scrapple, Tastykake, and the stromboli. Tomato ketchup was improved by Henry John Heinz of Pittsburgh from 1876 to the early 1900's. Pittsburgh also embraces its locally famous Primanti Brothers sandwiches. Pittsburgh is also famous for its Polish food.
Ethnic cuisine is common, especially in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas. Many restaurateurs offer Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Turkish, Pakistani, Russian and Amish dining.
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State symbols
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See also
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