Pennsylvania (PA)

Pennsylvania is a state in the eastern United States and one of the 13 states. 17871February 12. With the adoption of the federal constitution, Pennsylvania became the second state to join the federation. It is bordered by Lake Erie in the northwest, new york in the north and northeast, New Jersey in the east, Delaware in the southeast, Maryland in the south, West Virginia in the southwest and Ohio in the west. In the meantime, there is the Delaware River, which is the sea passage in southeastern Pennsylvania. It is more than 400 kilometers long from east to west and 200 kilometers wide from north to south. The highest point is 979 meters above sea level, and the lowest point is at the mouth of Delaware River. Area 1 17408 square kilometers, ranking 33rd among 50 states. Population: 1244062 1(2006). Harrisburg, the capital.

1600 or so, Dutch, Swedes and British all immigrated here. 1638, the Swedes established a colony on the Delaware River, calling it "New Sweden". 1643, the governor of the new Swedish colony, John Prince, established his capital in Tinika Island. 1647, Dutch immigrants established trade points. 1655, a war broke out between the Dutch and the Swedes, and the Netherlands ruled the area after winning. 1664 Britain seized the colony from the Dutch in the name of the Duke of York. 168 1 year, King charles ii of England signed a charter to give this place to William william penn, commander-in-chief of the fleet, in order to repay the debt owed to his father Sir william penn 16000. The area was named after Penn, and at the request of George W. william penn, the word "Pennsylvania" was added to form the current state name, which means "Penn Woodland".

Since its establishment, the state has been famous for its religious freedom and political democracy, which has a great influence in North America. Many important chapters in American history were written in Pennsylvania. Because this state is located in the middle of 13 state (there are 6 states in the north and 6 states in the south), and it plays a key role in American independence, it is called "cornerstone state". 1776, representatives from 13 gathered in Philadelphia in the east of the state and signed the Declaration of Independence, announcing the birth of a new country. The vast Pennsylvania world became the battlefield where General Washington led his troops to gallop against the British. The famous Brandy River Battle started in Honshu. The battlefield is near Longwood Park, 40 kilometers west of Philadelphia, and has now been transformed into a memorial park. In Fuchs Valley (40 kilometers northwest of Philadelphia), General Washington once camped for the winter, trained the army and survived the most difficult winter. People call this place "the holy land of revolution". The headquarters in Washington was originally a miller's small stone building, which was well preserved for people to visit. During the Civil War, Pennsylvania once again became an important stage for military and political activities. The southern border of Pennsylvania, the Mei Sen-Dixon Line, was once regarded as the dividing line between the northern free state and the southern slave-holding state. In Gettysburg near this line, the Union army fought bravely and won a decisive victory. Since then, the confederate army representing the interests of serf owners has been in a slump and started to go to the final failure.

The first western immigrants who settled here were Swedes and Dutch, but the name of this state was given by william penn, a Quaker in England, which means "Payne's Woodland" in Latin. The two largest cities in the state are also big cities in the United States, namely Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Philadelphia was the place where the Declaration of Independence and the Federal Constitution were drafted during the American Revolutionary War, so Pennsylvania was also called the "cradle of America". Pittsburgh was once a famous steel city.

Pennsylvania flag history

At first, several Indian tribes lived here. 1643, Swedish immigrants first settled near Philadelphia in the south, which was then called "New Sweden". 1655, the Dutch defeated the Swedes and took control of the land. 1664, the Duke of York defeated the Dutch and became British.

King charles ii of England borrowed money from his friend william penn's father, Admiral, because he owed him16,000, mainly in arrears with wages and the state treasury. William asked him for this land. 168 1 On April 4th, charles ii presented him with a charter and gave it to william penn, named Payne. In addition, william penn named it Pennsylvania (meaning Woodland), and Pennsylvania became the current state name. William was expelled from Oxford University because he believed in Quakers rather than Anglican Church. At that time, there was no freedom of religious belief in other colonies in Europe and America. William wants to establish a place of religious belief and political freedom according to Quaker ideals. When he was governor, he didn't reserve too many rights for himself, claiming that "people will be allowed to make their own laws", so Pennsylvania is the first state in the United States with freedom of religious belief. Many Quakers persecuted in Europe immigrated, and Quakers claimed that all Christians should be brothers. They are against war, honorifics and oaths. Therefore, the Constitution of the United States reserves an "oath or confirmation" in all places where an oath is required. For example, when Quakers testify in court, they will not say "I swear all the testimony is true", but "I confirm". )。

Therefore, Pennsylvania has become a very free state, and all power depends on the parliament. Because of this, the colony did not bring any benefits to William, which made him heavily in debt. 170 1 year, he returned to England and was imprisoned. Pennsylvania didn't give him any taxes to save him, and the three of them formed a new Delaware to go out independently. William died in 17 18. Pennsylvania and Delaware became pioneers in the American War of Independence. Delaware was the first state to recognize the federal constitution and join the United States, and Pennsylvania was the second. These two states are also the most religious states in American history.

economy

/kloc-In the 20th century and the beginning of the 20th century, heavy industries such as oil, coal and steel in Pennsylvania developed rapidly, attracting many immigrants and the population grew rapidly. At the end of the 20th century, Pennsylvania's industry began to decline.

Pennsylvania 1999 GDP was $383 billion, ranking sixth in the United States. In 2000, the per capita income was $29,539, ranking 18 in the United States. Agricultural products are mainly cattle, pigs, poultry and dairy products, mushrooms, hay and seedlings, and industrial products are mainly food processing, chemical products, machinery, electronic products and tourism. Coal production is second only to West Virginia, and Pittsburgh is the largest steel producing area in the United States.

The main industrial sectors are metallurgy, textile, chemical industry, machinery manufacturing, metal processing, shipbuilding, electronics, electric power and so on. Among them, the steel industry is particularly prominent, and the steel output accounts for about 1/4 of the whole country. Pittsburgh is the largest iron and steel industrial center in China, while Philadelphia is the fourth largest city in the United States and the largest industrial center in the state. Rich in coal resources, the output ranks second in the country after West Virginia, and the northeast of Illinois is the main producing area of anthracite in the United States. Agricultural land area accounts for 30% of the whole state. Dairy products account for 50% of agricultural income, and milk is the main agricultural product, which is concentrated in the northeast of the state. The beef cattle industry is distributed in the southwest. Planting mainly includes corn, winter wheat, tobacco, potatoes and so on. Mushroom production is famous all over the country, and Lancaster and other counties in the lower reaches of Susquehanna River are famous agricultural areas. Cash crops include tobacco and fruit.

Twenty-nine railways crisscross and extend in all directions, expressways connect cities, and water transportation is developed. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Erie are the three major ports in the state. Airports are all over the state, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Erie and other cities with international airports. The University of Pennsylvania was founded on 1740. Originally a private charity school, it was renamed a university after receiving state funding. Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts is the earliest art college and museum in America.

Human population

Ethnic distribution:

84. 1% Caucasian

10.0% black

3.2% Hispanic

1.8% Asians

0. 1% Indians

1.2% mixed-race

The five biggest games in Pennsylvania are:

Descendants of German immigrants (25.4%)

Irish immigrant descendants (16. 1%)

Descendants of Italian immigrants (1 1.5%)

Descendants of African immigrants (10%)

Descendants of British immigrants (7.9%)

Some German immigrants live in southern Pennsylvania and become a unique ethnic Amish. These old immigrants are unwilling to use modern facilities and still use horse-drawn farm tools.

The five major religious beliefs in Pennsylvania are:

Catholicism (29%)

Protestant Lutheranism (10%)

Protestant Methodist Church (10%)

Protestant Baptists (10%)

Other Protestant denominations (6%)

13% is not religious.

Age composition:

Children under 5 years old account for 5.9%

65438+23.8% are under the age of 08.

Over 65 years old 15.6%

Female 5 1.7%

Major city

Allen Town (Pennsylvania, USA)

Altuna (Altuna)

bethlehem

Lake Erie (one of the Great Lakes of North America)

harrisburg

Lankester

Philadelphia (the capital of the American Revolution)

Pittsburgh (famous American automobile city, automobile industry concentration area)

State College (Pennsylvania Institute of Technology is located here, which is the center of Pennsylvania and the intersection of four corners and two diagonal lines).

Washington

read

Scranton Wilkes Barr

York

In the American Revolution, the most crucial battle took place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The fallen soldiers were buried in the Gettysburg National Cemetery, where President abraham lincoln delivered his famous shortest Gettysburg Address.