 Pennsylvania
Information
Capital
City: Harrisburg
Economy: Industry, manufacturing,
agriculture and tourism
Population: 12,281,054
Time Zone: 5 hours behind Greenwich
Mean Time (-5 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed from the first
Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October
Pennsylvania's
Flag:
Pennsylvania's State Flag is composed of a blue field on
which is embroidered the State Coat of Arms. The first State Flag
bearing the State Coat of Arms was authorized by the General Assembly
in 1799. An act of the General Assembly of June 13, 1907, standardized
the flag and required that the blue field match the blue of Old
Glory.
History
of Pennsylvania:
Rich in historic lore, Pennsylvania territory was disputed in the
early 1600s among the Dutch, the Swedes, and the English. England
acquired the region in 1664 with the capture of New York and in
1681 Pennsylvania was granted to William Penn, a Quaker, by King
Charles II. Philadelphia was the seat of the federal government
almost continuously from 1776 to 1800; there the Declaration of
Independence was signed in 1776 and the U.S. Constitution drawn
up in 1787. Valley Forge, of Revolutionary War fame, and Gettysburg,
site of the pivotal battle of the Civil War, are both in Pennsylvania.
The Liberty Bell is located in a glass pavilion across from Independence
Hall in Philadelphia. With the decline of the coal, steel, and railroad
industries, Pennsylvania's industry has diversified, though the
state still leads the country in the production of specialty steel.
Pennsylvania is a leader in the production of chemicals, food, and
electrical machinery and produces 10% of the nations's cement. Also
important are brick and tiles, glass, limestone, and slate. Data
processing is also increasingly important. Pennsylvania's 9 million
agricultural acres (6 million acres for crops and pasture, 3 million
acres in farm woodlands) produce a wide variety of crops, and its
55,535 farms are the backbone of the state's economy. Leading products
are milk, poultry, and eggs, a variety of fruits, sweet corn, potatoes,
mushrooms, cheese, beans, hay, maple syrup, and even Christmas trees.
Pennsylvania has the largest rural population in the nation. The
state's farmers sell more than $3.3 billion in crops and livestock
annually, and agribusiness and food-related industries account for
another $35 billion in economic activity annually. Tourists now
spend approximately $6 billion in Pennsylvania annually. Among the
chief attractions are the Gettysburg National Military Park, Valley
Forge National Historical Park, Independence National Historical
Park in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Dutch region, the Eisenhower
farm near Gettysburg, and the pennsylvania Water Gap National Recreation
Area.
Other Pennsylvania Links:
Pennsylvania State Association of
Township Supervisors
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business
and Industry
Pennsylvania Association of Visitors
and Convention Bureaus
Pennsylvania Economic Development
Association
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce
Executives
Pennsylvania League of Cities and
Municipalities
Pennsylvania Municipal
Authorities Association
Pennsylvania Office of Travel
and Tourism
Pennsylvania Travel Council
Pennsylvania Utility Choice
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