Owing a debt to the Penn family, Charles II of Britain granted William Penn all the land of what was to become Pennsylvania in 1682. The colony soon became a haven for religious tolerance attracting the Quakers, Mennonites, and Irish Catholics. Philadelphia would attract free thinkers, thus providing the venue for both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Outside Philadelphia you will discover places such at Gettysburg, Amish Country and Hershey. Over 100 state parks and 300 miles to the west is the city of Pittsburgh which is home to any edifices built by Andrew Carnagie and, of late, the Andy Warhol Museum. Station Square with its trendy restaurants and chic shops is well worth a visit. On the Lake is Eire which has developed over the past decade as a tourist destination.
Capital: Scranton
Population: 11, 881, 643
Area: 46, 058
Time: Eastern Time (US)
Geography: The state is bordered by New Jersey and Delaware in the east, New York in the north, Ohio and Lake Erie in the west and West Virginia and Maryland to the south. The state is mostly rolling hills in the east but as you move west ward becomes low mountains. In the far west the low mountains give way to lowland area and hills. The state has major ports at both ends of the state - the port of Philadelphia on the Delaware River which feeds into the Atlantic Ocean and Erie which sits on Lake Erie.
Climate
The weather in the state is influenced by the low-mountain areas in its center. It remains cooler in the summer and cold in the winter. The two ends of Pennsylvania (east and west) are low lying and tend to be warmer and more humid. The winters are quite cold in the interior and cold in the east. "Lake Effect" snow is prominent in Erie and the surrounding area during the colder months. |
