| Pennsylvania
. . .
Pennsylvania's official flag
was adopted in 1907. The flag
has a deep blue background on
which the State Coat of Arms
is embroidered. In the center
are two harnessed draft horses
surrounding a shield picturing
a ship, a plow, and 3 sheaves
of wheat and above a bald eagle
rests. Below are a stalk of
corn, an olive branch, and a
draped red ribbon scroll that
reads,"VIRTUE, LIBERTY,
AND INDEPENDENCE."
Pennsylvania became a state
on December 12, 1787 as the
2nd state. Pennsylvania is one
of the Middle Atlantic states
of the United States and is
known as the Keystone state.
It got this name back in the
days when there were only 13
states. Pennsylvania was in
the center with six to the north
and east and six to the south.
To the east is the Delaware
River, which separates Pennsylvania
from New York and New Jersey.
To the southeast is Delaware
and Maryland and West Virginia
are to the south. To the west
are West Virginia, south of
the Ohio River, and Ohio, north
of the Ohio River. In the northwest
there is a border on Lake Erie
for 51 miles. The remainder
of the northern border is shared
with New York.
Pennsylvania is a smaller state
but has a large population with
over 12 million residents. There
are only 5 states with higher
population, Texas, California,
Illinois, Florida and New York.
It’s main city, Philadelphia,
is one of the largest cities
in the country and a busy Atlantic
port. It has a great water transportation
system and has commercial water
outlets on the Great Lakes,
the Atlantic Ocean, and the
Gulf of Mexico from the Ohio-Mississippi
river system. This makes Pennsylvania
a major industrial center.
Pennsylvania has long been
a leading industrial state and
leads the nation in iron, steel
and coal. Many people visit
Pennsylvania for the many cultural
attractions and over 100 state
parks. There are wonderful art
museums, a professional orchestras,
home of the Carnegie Science
Center, and The Andy Warhol
Museum and also many professional
sports teams.
Economy:
Agriculture: Dairy products,
poultry, cattle, nursery stock,
mushrooms, hogs, hay.
Industry: Food processing, chemical
products, machinery, electric
equipment, tourism
Pennsylvania is a mountainous
state and enjoys four seasons
which greatly differ based on
location. Pennsylvania summers
are long, hot and humid in the
southeast, while in the mountains
the days are generally cooler
but humid.. Fall is pleasant
throughout the state and winter
brings snow and much colder
temperatures, especially in
the mountains. January is the
coldest month, with average
high temperatures in the mid-20s.
July is the warmest month, with
average high temperatures near
80 degrees. Summer temps in
the 90s are not uncommon in
the southeast and southwest.
Annual precipitation averages
near 45 inches in the southeast
and in the mountains, while
lower amounts are common near
its north-central border with
New York State.
Pennsylvania has 67
counties:Adams Allegheny
Armstrong Beaver Bedford Berks
Blair
Bradford Bucks Butler Cambria
Cameron Carbon Centre Chester
Clarion Clearfield Clinton
Columbia Crawford Cumberland
Dauphin Delaware Elk Erie Fayette
Forest Franklin Fulton
Greene Huntingdon Indiana Jefferson
Juniata Lackawanna Lancaster
Lawrence Lebanon Lehigh
Luzerne Lycoming McKean Mercer
Mifflin Monroe Montgomery Montour
Northampton Northumberland Perry
Philadelphia Pike Potter Schuylkill
Snyder Somerset Sullivan Susquehanna
Tioga Union Venango Warren Washington
Wayne Westmoreland Wyoming York
|
50
state - Pennsylvania