60 Facts About Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is the fifth-most populous state in the nation with over 13 million residents as of 2020.

Pennsylvania was founded in 1681 through royal land grant to William Penn, son of the state's namesake; the southeast portion was once part of the colony of New Sweden.

Pennsylvania was one of the thirteen British colonies from which the nation ultimately was formed.

Pennsylvania played a vital and historic role in the quest for independence.

Between 1730 and when it was shut down by Parliament with the Currency Act of 1764, the Pennsylvania Colony made its own paper money to account for the shortage of actual gold and silver.

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At the time, Pennsylvania was the most ethnically and religiously diverse of the thirteen colonies.

Politics of Pennsylvania were for decades dominated by the financially conservative, Republican-aligned Cameron machine, established by U S senator Simon Cameron, later a United States Secretary of War under President Abraham Lincoln.

Pennsylvania was home to some of the largest steel companies in the world.

Coal mining, primarily in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Coal Region, was a major industry in the state.

Pennsylvania created a Department of Highways and engaged in a vast program of road-building, while railroads continued to see heavy usage.

Pennsylvania was the location of the first documented organized strike in North America, and Pennsylvania was the location of two hugely prominent strikes, the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and the Coal Strike of 1902.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Pennsylvania's economy centered on steel production, logging, coal mining, textile production, and other forms of industrial manufacturing.

Pennsylvania was an important industrial center in World War I, and the state provided over 300, 000 soldiers for the military.

The Philadelphia Naval Yard served as an important naval base, and Pennsylvania produced important military leaders such as George C Marshall, Hap Arnold, Jacob Devers, and Carl Spaatz.

The growth of the Lehigh Valley has made it one of the seventy most populous metro areas in the country, while Pennsylvania has six other metro areas among the top 200 most populous American metro areas.

Pennsylvania is the fifth most populated state in the U S after California, Florida, New York, and Texas.

Majority of Hispanic or Latino Americans in Pennsylvania are of Puerto Rican descent, having one of the largest and fastest-growing Puerto Rican populations in the country.

Pennsylvania's reported population of Hispanics or Latino Americans, especially among the black race, has markedly increased in recent years.

Non-Hispanic whites make up the majority of Pennsylvania; they are mostly descended from German, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Italian, and English immigrants.

Rural portions of South Central Pennsylvania are famous nationwide for their notable Amish communities.

The center of population of Pennsylvania is located in Perry County, in the borough of Duncannon.

Pennsylvania Dutch is a descendant of German, in the West Central German dialect family and is closest to Palatine German.

Pennsylvania was the center state of the German Reformed denomination from the 1700s.

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is one of the headquarters of the Moravian Church in America.

Pennsylvania has a very large Amish population, second only to Ohio among U S states.

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Pennsylvania is home to the oldest investor-owned utility company in the US, The York Water Company.

Pennsylvania is home to the first nationally-chartered bank under the 1863 National Banking Act.

The financial impact of agriculture in Pennsylvania includes employment of more than 66, 800 people employed by the food manufacturing industry; and over $1.

Pennsylvania has had five constitutions during its statehood: 1776, 1790, 1838, 1874, and 1968.

Pennsylvania has a bicameral legislature set up by Commonwealth's constitution in 1790.

Pennsylvania is divided into 60 judicial districts, most of which have magisterial district judges (formerly called district justices and justices of the peace), who preside mainly over preliminary hearings in felony and misdemeanor offenses, all minor (summary) criminal offenses, and small civil claims.

All judges in Pennsylvania are elected; the chief justice is determined by seniority.

The most populous county in Pennsylvania is Philadelphia, while the least populous is Cameron.

Boroughs are generally smaller than cities, with most Pennsylvania cities having been incorporated as a borough before being incorporated as a city.

Townships are the third type of municipality in Pennsylvania and are classified as either first-class or second-class townships.

Pennsylvania had the 15th-highest state and local tax burden in the nation as of 2012, according to the Tax Foundation.

Since the latter half of the 20th century, Pennsylvania has been perceived as a powerful swing state, and winning Pennsylvania has since been deemed as essential to U S presidential candidates.

Between 1992 and 2016, Pennsylvania trended Democratic in presidential elections; Bill Clinton won the state twice by large margins and Al Gore won it by a slightly closer margin in 2000.

Pennsylvania has 18 seats in the U S House of Representatives as of 2022.

Pennsylvania has 500 public school districts, thousands of private schools, publicly funded colleges and universities, and over 100 private institutions of higher education.

Under state law, school attendance in Pennsylvania is mandatory for a child from the age of 8until the age of 17, or until graduation from an accredited high school unless students are homeschooled.

In 2007, Pennsylvania ranked 14th in mathematics, 12th in reading, and 10th in writing for 8th grade students.

The University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, is considered the first university in the United States and established the country's first medical school.

The University of Pennsylvania is the Commonwealth's only, and geographically most southern, Ivy League school.

Pennsylvania is home to the nation's first zoo, the Philadelphia Zoo.

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Pennsylvania is home to the National Aviary, located in Pittsburgh.

Pennsylvania is home to the largest indoor waterpark resort on the East Coast, Splash Lagoon in Erie.

Pennsylvania is considered one of the finest wild turkey hunting states in the Union, alongside Texas and Alabama.

Sport hunting in Pennsylvania provides a massive boost for the Commonwealth's economy.

Pennsylvania holds the second highest number of Boone and Crockett-recorded record black bears at 183, second only to Wisconsin's 299.

The highway south of the Pennsylvania Turnpike is officially called the "Veterans Memorial Highway", but is commonly referred to colloquially as the "Blue Route".

Pennsylvania is home to eight major league professional sports teams: the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball, the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA, the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL, and the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.

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 Moosic.

Pennsylvania racetracks include Jennerstown Speedway in Jennerstown, Lake Erie Speedway in North East, Mahoning Valley Speedway in Lehighton, Mountain Speedway in Saint Johns, Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, and Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, which is home to two NASCAR Cup Series races and an IndyCar Series race.

Horse racing courses in Pennsylvania consist of The Meadows near Pittsburgh, Mohegan Sun Pocono in Wilkes-Barre, and Harrah's Philadelphia in Chester, which offer harness racing, and Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Parx Racing in Bensalem, and Presque Isle Downs near Erie, which offer thoroughbred racing.

In college football, three Pennsylvania universities compete in NCAA Division I, the highest level of sanctioned collegiate play in the sport: Penn State in the Big Ten Conference, Pitt in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and Temple in the American Athletic Conference.

Pennsylvania has several universities and colleges known as national leaders in college wrestling.

Martin's Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc, headquartered in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, specializes in potato bread, another traditional Pennsylvania Dutch food.

Pennsylvania has been known as the Keystone State since 1802, based in part upon its central location among the original Thirteen Colonies forming the United States, and in part because of the number of important American documents signed in the state.

Pennsylvania knew of the hostility Quakers faced when they opposed religious ritual, taking oaths, violence, war and military service, and what they viewed as ostentatious frippery.