|
Home Page
Pennsylvania was the 2nd
state in the USA;
it became a state on December 12, 1787.
State
Abbreviation - PA
State Capital - Harrisburg
Largest City - Philadelphia
Area - 46,058 square miles [Pennsylvania is
the 33rd
biggest state in the USA]
Population -
12,281,054 (as of 2000) [Pennsylvania is the sixth most populous state in
the USA, after
California,
New York, Texas,
Florida and
Illinois]
Major Industries - steel, farming (corn,
oats, soybeans, mushrooms), mining (iron, portland cement, lime, stone),
electronics equipment, cars, pharmaceuticals
Presidential Birthplace - James Buchanan was
born in Cove Gap (near Mercersburg) on April 23, 1791 (he was the 15th US
President, serving from 1857 to 1861)
Major Rivers - Allegheny River, Susquehanna
River, Delaware River, Ohio River
Major Lakes - Lake Erie
Highest Point - Mt. Davis - 3,213 feet (979
m) above sea level
Bordering States -
New York,
New Jersey,
Delaware,
Maryland,
West
Virginia, Ohio
Origin of the Name Pennsylvania - This state
was named to honor Admiral William Penn and his son,
William Penn,
Pennsylvania's founder.
State Nickname - Keystone State
State Motto - "Virtue, Liberty, and
Independence"
State Song - Pennsylvania, lyrics by Eddie
Khoury, music by Ronnie Bonner
Dinosaur Fossils Found in Pennsylvania -
Atreipus (fossilized footprints)
Pennsylvania
State Symbols and Emblems:
| State Flag
 Pennsylvania's
official flag was adopted in 1907. The flag has a deep blue background. In
the center are two harnessed draft horses surrounding a shield picturing a
ship, a plow, and 3 sheaves of wheat. Above is a
bald eagle. Below are a stalk of corn, an olive branch, and a draped red
ribbon that reads,"VIRTUE, LIBERTY, AND INDEPENDENCE." |
Animal Symbols:
Plant Symbols:
| State Flower
Mountain laurel
|
State Tree
Eastern hemlock |
Earth Symbol:
| State Fossil
Trilobite
(Phacops rana)
A marine arthropod with a three-part body; it lived from about 540 to 245
million years ago. |
|
