Pennsylvania (PA) Fast Facts

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Location and Geography: The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the only original U.S. colony not to border the sea,

being mostly surrounded by land and with a small connection to Lake Erie in the northwest. The state is known for its rivers and wooded areas, extending from a cold mountainous region in the west to a warmer, wetter climate in the eastern portion.

Counties and Regions: Pennsylvania has sixty-seven counties, but can also be broken up into more general regions as follows:

 

• Allegheny National Forest

• Coal Region

• Cumberland Valley

• Delaware Valley

• Dutch Country

• Endless Mountains

• Happy Valley

• Highlands Region

• Laurel Highlands

• Lehigh Valley

• Main Line

• Northern Tier

• Northeastern Pennsylvania

• Northwest Region

• Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area

• The Poconos (Mountains)

• South Central Pennsylvania

• Susquehanna Valley

• Wyoming Valley

• Western Pennsylvania

Major Cities: The biggest population center in Pennsylvania is by far the city of Philadelphia and its metropolitan area, which is home to a total of about 6 million people. The city of Pittsburgh is an easy second, with more than two million people living in its metropolitan area. Other major cities, such as Allentown and Erie, are significantly smaller. The state capital, Harrisburg, has less than fifty thousand people and is the ninth largest city in the state.

Population: With a population far exceeding twelve million people, Pennsylvania is the sixth most populous state in the country. During the colonial period of the United States, Pennsylvania (and its main city, Philadelphia) was a major population center.

Story Behind the Name: In the grant from the Duke of York (later to become King Charles II) that signed over the land to the Penn family, it was officially referred to as Pennsylvania. William Penn, who took possession of the colony, had wanted a different name for it, as he did not want people to think that he had named it after himself. As it turned out, he was not able to change the name, and the land was referred to as Pennsylvania from then on.

 

History and Colonization: Like many places in eastern America, the land that is now Pennsylvania was populated by several native tribes before various European powers began arguing over who owned it. It was first colonized by the Dutch in the early seventeenth century. Later, Sweden and Great Britain both made claims on the same land. This led to numerous small wars, treaties, and land deals between all the people involved, including the Native American tribes. These conflicts and trades would, over time, result in the current borders of Pennsylvania.

In 1682, British philosopher William Penn was given the Pennsylvania colony as a repayment of debt from the Duke of York. Penn was a devout Quaker and a pacifist, and arrived at the colony with the intent of governing it peacefully. What is now the state of Delaware was originally part of the colony, but disagreed with Penn’s philosophies and split off from the whole, forming a separate government. William Penn did indeed run the colony in a civilized and peaceful manner, and became well-known for developing positive relations between the Quakers and the Native Americans.

Pennsylvania, as one of the thirteen original colonies, played a major role in the American Revolution and in the creation of the modern United States government. William Penn’s Frame of Government for Pennsylvania was one of the models for the later United States Constitution, and the city of Philadelphia was one of the most important and populous cities in the early New World (even serving as the fledgeling nation’s seat of government a few times). During the Civil War, the bloodiest battle and a major turning point occurred in the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, cementing the historic and patriotic symbolism of the state.

In the early twentieth century, Pennsylvania became known for its industrial industries, most notably textile-making. The state has always been relatively strong agriculturally, with a notably unique rural culture that descends from early German immigrants (dialects of German are even spoken as a primary language among certain communities in Pennsylvania, although this practice is dying out). The nationwide decline in industrial production since the 1950s hit Pennsylvania hard, but the state’s economy has been recovering by focusing on the tourism, information and service industries.

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