Several of our country's most important documents were written in Pennsylvania including the Constitution of the United States, the American Declaration of Independence and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Pennsylvania leads the nation in rural population, number of licensed hunters, State Game Lands, covered bridges, meat packing plants, mushroom production, potato chip production, pretzel bakeries and sausage/scrapple production.
PENNSYLVANIA FUN FACTS:
Nickname: Keystone State
During colonial times Pennsylvania was the middle colony of the original 13 colonies (there are six states above it and six states below it). It held the colonies together like the "keystone" in a window or door arch.
Meaning of Pennsylvania: Penn’s Woods
Named after the father of Admiral William Penn.
Motto: Virtue, Liberty and Independence
Entered the Union: December 12, 1787
State Animal: Whitetail Deer
Enacted by the General Assembly on October 2, 1959
State Beverage: Milk
Enacted by the General Assembly on April 29, 1982
State Bird: Ruffed Grouse
The Pennsylvania ruffled grouse, sometimes called the partridge, was declared the state bird by the PA General Assembly on June 22, 1931.
State Dog: Great Dane
Enacted by the General Assembly on August 15, 1965
State Fish: Brook Trout
State Flower: Mountain Laurel
State Fossil: Phacops Rana
A small water animal - enacted by the PA General Assembly on December 5, 1988
State Insect: Firefly
State Ship: United States Brig Niagara
The restored Niagra serves as the Flagship of Pennsylvania, as enacted by the General Assembly on May 26, 1988. It was the flagship of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry and was decisive in defeating a British squadron at the Battle of Lake Erie, on September 10, 1813. Its home port is Erie.
State Song: Pennsylvania
State Tree: Hemlock
Enacted by the General Assembly on June 23, 1931
Christmas Tree Capital of the World: Indiana County
GEOGRAPHY:
Area: 45,888 square miles
Rank: 32nd in nation
Width: 310 miles (east to west) 180 miles (N to S)
Geographic Center: Centre County, home of Penn State University
Highest Point: Mt. Davis, Somerset County 3,213 feet
Lowest Point: Delaware River
Capital: Harrisburg in Dauphin County
Number of Counties: 67
Largest County: Lycoming County is larger than the State of Rhode Island. Bradford County is second in size.
Population: 12,009,000
Lakes: 50 natural lakes (over 20 acres wide) and 2,500 man-made lakes
Rivers and streams: 45,000 miles
State Parks: 116 Acreage: 282,500
State Forest Districts: 20 Acreage: 2,200,000
State Game Lands: 294 Acreage: 1,379,002
Bordering States: New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia and Ohio.
Largest Cities: Philadelphia (1,436,287), Pittsburgh (340,520), Erie (102,640), Allentown (100,757), Reading (74,762), Scranton (74,683), Lancaster (52,951), Bethlehem (51,053), Harrisburg (49,502), Altoona (49,226)
GOVERNMENT:
State Representatives: 203
State Senators: 50
U.S Representatives: 21
U.S. Senators: 2
NOTABLE PENNSYLVANIA FIRSTS
Hospital, Library, Zoo, Newspaper, Nation's Capitol, All Motion-Picture Theater, Television Broadcast, Radio Broadcast, Educational Public Television Station, Cable Television, Paper Mill, Druggist, High-Speed Multi-lane Highway (PA Turnpike), Banana Split...
