Hello Pennsylvania A QUICK TOUR OF THE COMMONWEALTH There is much to be proud of in Pennsylvania. Magnificent land, steadfast citizens, lasting traditions, resilient spirit — and a system of government that has sustained Pennsylvania and the nation for over 300 years. Hello Pennsylvania is one of a series of booklets we at the House of Representatives have prepared to make our state and the everyday workings of our government more understandable to its citizens. As your representatives, this is both our responsibility and our pleasure. Copies of this booklet may be obtained from your State Representative or from: The Office of the Chief Clerk House of Representatives Room 129, Main Capitol Building Harrisburg, PA 17120-2220 COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA • HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES a hello Pennsylv marvelous mix A PENNSYLVANIA PROFILE A Quick Tour of the If you wanted to draw a 7 NORTHERN TIER Hunting, fishing, hardwood, Commonwealth picture of Pennsylvania and agriculture The largest open space in the Three hundred years ago, it Chances are you studied the you would need some facts. northeastern United States, this region houses the Little Like the size of the state Grand Canyon and more deer, was known as Penn’s Woods Commonwealth of Pennsylvania bear, and trout than people. and the kind of land and Counties: Bradford, Cameron, (Penn’s Sylvania) – and in a classroom years ago – or as Clinton, Elk, Forest, Lycoming, waterways that mark its McKean, Potter, Sullivan, William Penn owned it all! No recently as yesterday. But few Susquehanna, Tioga, Wyoming surface. You might want of us have Pennsylvania facts at 1 COLONIAL PENNSYLVANIA 4 ANTHRACITE AREA 8 STEEL KINGDOM commoner in history, before or to show major industries Historic attractions, high-tech, Recreation, manufacturing, Manufacturing, coal, high-tech, If you’ve got a good ear, education, and banking and coal and banking since, personally possessed our fingertips. This booklet offers and natural resources. The birthplace of the nation A distinct culture and Once the exclusive domain you can tell where in the – where independence was proud heritage mark this of smiths, masons, and some basic and not-so-basic Indicate how many people declared and the American mountainous region, which, millworkers, the region so much land. Unfortunately, state Pennsylvanians Constitution received. in its prime, mined more hard now attracts programmers, information about our state – live in Pennsylvania and come from just by offering Counties: Bucks, Chester, coal than anywhere else in professors, and corporate early forms of transportation Delaware, Montgomery, the world. executives. along with a quick review of who what kinds of work they do. them a soft drink. Western Philadelphia Counties: Carbon, Counties: Allegheny, never permitted Penn Lackawanna, Luzerne, Fayette, Greene, Washington, Or show how the counties Pennsylvanians are sure 2 DUTCH HEARTLAND Schuylkill Westmoreland we are, what we stand for, where to ask for “pop” while their Agriculture, tourism, and (illustrated here and on cover) divide the state into all manufacturing 5 LEHIGH VALLEY 9 NORTHWEST TERRITORY we came from, and what keeps neighbors in the eastern A magnet for tourists AND THE POCONOS Manufacturing, shipping, to see more than a tiny fraction manner of odd shapes. attracted to the appealing Tourism, recreation, recreation, oil and grapes part of the state call it rural landscape and lifestyle agriculture, and The gateway to Canada and us going. These pages won’t manufacturing of his estate. On the other hand, you of the Pennsylvania Dutch. the American West, this “soda.” And although Counties: Berks, Lancaster, Cultural events in a mountain productive region was first cover our state from corner to may never have reason to Pennsylvanians have various Lebanon landscape blend with German known as the “Erie Triangle.” lager by the lakefront in the Counties: Armstrong, Beaver, corner, past and present. There draw Pennsylvania on a ways of pronouncing water, 3 SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY fast-growing area of diverse Butler, Crawford, Erie, Commerce, agriculture, and interests and opportunities. Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, urbanites always take are wonderful books in your piece of paper. But as an chocolate Counties: Lehigh, Monroe, Warren theirs from a “faucet,” while Considered frontier in 1776, Northampton, Pike, Wayne informed citizen of any age, this river valley region housed local library for that. Reading upstaters fill a glass at the the seat of state government 6 THE HIGHLANDS it’s useful to carry a mental by 1812 and thrives today as Education, recreation, A POLITICAL TAPESTRY Hello Pennsylvania is more like “spigot.” Isolated river valley a center of commerce. agriculture, and coal It took 130 years to create picture of the state in your Counties: Adams, Columbia, Site of the historic Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, communities and deep ethnic Appalachian Divide and shaking hands with an old friend. Cumberland, Dauphin, populated by hundreds of head. The following facts roots led to the richly diverse Juniata, Mifflin (partial), location of the state’s precise Montour, Northumberland, geographical center. The communities with scores It’s sure to refresh your memory and figures will help you do language, economies, and Perry, Snyder, Union, York Highlands are home to Penn of separate identities and State’s Nittany Lions and interests. Today, they are of what you learned in school. customs of Pennsylvania. Punxsutawney Phil, the just that. visionary groundhog who further subdivided into Despite this marvelous mix, nd 203 districts, each served And it just might spark your appears February 2 to groups of Pennsylvania forecast spring. by a legislator who must Counties: Bedford, Blair, represent citizens whose curiosity about a few things the counties do share certain Cambria, Centre, Clarion, economic circumstances, Clearfield, Franklin, Fulton, textbooks never taught you. regional characteristics, as Huntington, Indiana, social fabric, and cultural the map depicts. Jefferson, Mifflin (partial), heritage are uniquely their Somerset own. With key assistance from With House-approved funding for the Virus Research Pennsylvania, America has Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Jonas made its way from covered Salk was able to develop the vaccine in 1954 that wagons to computer chips. In effectively ended the polio epidemic in America. ania many ways, our Commonwealth remains an important trailblazer Travel and Tourism for the nation. Our state and its people are mastering a “new Visitors quickly discover what Pennsylvanians enjoy year- world” where the required skills, round – a Commonwealth of ways of doing business, even great appeal to leisure-time the industries themselves, (continued from page 13) travelers. From corner to corner, are different from the past. variety is key. Visitors can heart-liver tandem transplant in Secure in its long history of experience the traditional beach 1984. vacation at Presque Isle on Lake accomplishment, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania currently houses Erie, explore the slopes of the welcomes this climate of 280 hospitals and eight nationally Alleghenies, meander the canal respected medical schools. The change as a transition to paths along the Delaware River, great number of research-oriented another century of opportunity. or relive American history from medical schools and centers in its beginnings at Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania has made the state Independence Hall. Indeed, particularly attractive to the numerous landmarks linked pharmaceutical industry. Eight to the birth of our nation A Snapshot of major pharmaceutical companies Heritage Parks in Pennsylvania. have helped make travel and Pennsylvania are located here and 10% of Additional state attractions tourism a $15 billion industry On the map, Pennsylvania is all pharmaceutical workers include amusement parks, in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania a torn rectangle with a ragged in the nation are employed cultural events and festivals, is also strongly committed Population eastern border. If you ran your in Pennsylvania. Today, the professional and collegiate sports, to preserving our industrial Although Pennsylvania is hand over a surface map of the Commonwealth employs over shopping outlets, over 100 state heritage through initiatives such Pennsylvania’s Size comparatively small, only four state you would feel a wide range 500,000 trained physicians, parks, and Pennsylvania’s Amish as the Heritage Parks Projects. U.S. states have more people. of textures – smooth coastal dentists, pharmacists, nurses, country – the most popular tourist Pennsylvania is 309 miles long, Originated in the House of On the first Independence Day, lowlands around Philadelphia and other health-care workers destination in the Commonwealth. 174 miles wide, and covers 29 Representatives, the program about 300,000 Pennsylvanians and Erie; spiny ridges and along with the country’s finest Promoting tourism is a priority million acres. We’re dwarfed encourages local and state were around to celebrate. Today, clefts in central Pennsylvania; corps of emergency paramedics. item on Pennsylvania’s agenda, by Alaska (1/12 the size) but governments to join with private and the state ranks fifth in the nearly 38 times larger than our numbers have ballooned rocky plateaus rising in the investors to restore and redevelop nation in dollars committed Rhode Island. Compared to other to over 12,281,050, most of western and northern portions former industrial sites. Visitors