Wikijunior:North America/United States/Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a state located in the Mid-Atlantic, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the Northeastern United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Canada to the north, and New Jersey to the east. The capital of Pennsylvania is Harrisburg and its largest city is Philadelphia. Other big cities in Pennsylvania include Pittsburgh and Allentown.

History

The Dutch, British, Swedes, and French all claimed portions of present-day Pennsylvania. After the British gained control of New Amsterdam (now New York City), King Charles II of England granted the Province of Pennsylvania to William Penn on March 4, 1861. The Declaration of Independence was drafted in Philadelphia in 1775, sparking the American Revolution. Pennsylvania officially ratified the Constitution on December 12, 1787, making it the second state to do so. During the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg was fought in the south-central part of the state.

Geography

Pennsylvania has a total area of 46,055 square miles (119,282 km²). It is bordered by Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and the Canadian province of Ontario to the north and New Jersey to the east. The Appalachian Mountains run through the middle of the state. Pennsylvania has 51 miles (82 km) of coastline along Lake Erie and 57 miles (92 km) of shoreline along the Delaware Estuary.

People

In 2019, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of Pennsylvania was 12,801,989. English is the most-spoken language (90.2%), followed by Spanish (4.1%), German (0.8%), and Chinese (0.5%).

In 2010, 88.5% of people in Pennsylvania were White/Caucasian, 10.9% were Black, 2.8% were Asian, and 0.2% were Native American.

State Symbols

The state nickname is The Keystone State
The state motto is "Virtue, Liberty and Independence"
The state aircraft is the Piper J-3 Cub
The state amphibian is the eastern hellbender
The state animal is the white-tailed deer
The state beautification and conservation plant is the penngift crownvetch
The state beverage is milk
The state dog is the Great Dane
The state electric locomotive is GG1 4859
The state firearm is the Pennsylvania long rifle
The state fish is the brook trout
The state flower is the mountain laurel
The state fossil is Phacops rana
The state game bird is the ruffed grouse
The state insect is the Pennsylvania firefly
The state ship is the USS Niagra
The state song is "Pennsylvania"
The state steam locomotives are K4s 1361 and K4s 3750
The state tree is the eastern hemlock