Pennsylvania
) is a
state in the eastern part of the
United States. One of the original
Thirteen Colonies that founded the country, it is known as the
Keystone State, which is appropriate given its central location among the original colonies, or the
Quaker State. With industry making
Conestoga wagons and
rifles, and
tobacco farms, it was a transitional area bearing characteristics of both the heavily industrialized
North and the agrarian
South.
Consequently, three Keystone State cities—
Philadelphia,
Lancaster, and
York—served as capital of the new nation, with the
Founding Fathers drawing up and signing the
Declaration of Independence, the
Articles of Confederation, and the
Constitution in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia is known as the cradle of the American Nation.
Pennsylvania has two coastal areas: 63 miles (100 km) of coastline along
Lake Erie and 57 miles (92 km) along the
Delaware Estuary. Philadelphia is home to a major seaport and shipyards on the
Delaware River.
 |
Pennsylvania cities and rivers |
Pennsylvania's nickname, the
Keystone State, is quite apt, because the state forms a geographic bridge both between the
Northeastern states and the
Southern states, and between the
Atlantic seaboard and the
Midwest. It is bordered on the north and northeast by
New York; on the east, across the
Delaware River by
New Jersey; on the south by
Delaware,
Maryland, and
West Virginia; on the west by
Ohio; and on the northwest by
Lake Erie. The Delaware,
Susquehanna,
Monongahela,
Allegheny, and
Ohio Rivers are the major rivers of the state. The
Youghiogheny River and Oil Creek are smaller rivers which have played an important role in the development of the state.
Pennsylvania is 180
miles (290
km) north to south and 310 miles (500 km) east to west. The total land area is
44,817 square miles (119,283 km²)—739,200
acres (2,990 km²) of which are bodies of water. It is the 33rd largest state in the
United States. The highest point of 3,213
feet (979
m) above
sea level is at
Mount Davis. Its lowest point is at
sea level on the Delaware River. Pennsylvania is in the
Eastern time zone.
The western third of the state can be considered a separate large geophysical unit, distinctive enough that it may best be described on its own. Several important, complex factors set
Western Pennsylvania apart in many respects from the east, such as the initial difficulty of access across the mountains, rivers oriented to the
Mississippi River drainage system, and above all, the complex economics involved in the rise and decline of the American
steel industry centered around
Pittsburgh. Other factors, such as a markedly different style of agriculture, the rise of the oil industry, timber exploitation and the old wood chemical industry, and even, in linguistics, the
local dialect, all make this large area sometimes seem a virtual "state within a state".
Pennsylvania is bisected diagonally by ridges of the
Appalachian Mountains from southwest to northeast. To the northwest of the folded mountains is the
Allegheny Plateau, which continues into southwestern and south central New York. This plateau is so dissected by valleys that it also seems mountainous. The plateau is underlain by sedimentary rocks of Mississippian and Pennsylvanian age, which bear abundant fossils as well as
natural gas and
petroleum. In
1859, near
Titusville,
Edwin L. Drake drilled the first oil well in the U.S. into these sediments. Similar rock layers also contain coal to the south and east of the oil and gas deposits. In the metamorphic (folded) belt,
anthracite (hard coal) is mined near
Wilkes-Barre and
Hazelton. These fossil fuels have been an important resource to Pennsylvania. Timber and
dairy farming are also sources of livelihood for midstate and western Pennsylvania. Along the shore of Lake Erie in the far northwest are orchards and vineyards.
Pennsylvania has 89 miles (143 km) of shoreline along the Delaware River estuary but is a landlocked state with no coastline bordering the
Atlantic Ocean. Pennsylvania is the only truly landlocked state of the original thirteen states, although
Connecticut, located on the
Long Island Sound, also has no actual coastline (The difference between
coast and
shore is explained in the respective articles).
Pennsylvania has one of the largest seaports in the U.S. on its narrow shore, the
Port of Philadelphia. In the west the Port of Pittsburgh is also very large and even exceeds Philadelphia in rank by annual tonnage, because of the large volume of bulk coal shipped by
barge down the Ohio River. Chester, downstream from Philadelphia, and Erie, the
Great Lakes outlet on Lake Erie in the
Erie Triangle, are smaller but still important ports.
Pennsylvania has been the site of some of the worst ecological disasters experienced in U.S. history:
*In 1889, the
South Fork Dam, impounding a recreational mountain lake for sportsmen, burst after a heavy rain and destroyed the downstream factory town of
Johnstown, killing over 2,200 inhabitants in the notorious
Johnstown Flood (the town was later rebuilt and is a reasonably large community today in the central mountains).
*In 1948, an industrial accident in
Donora, Pennsylvania released poison gases into the air, killing 68 and causing health complications for many more.
*In 1961, an exposed seam of coal at
Centralia, Pennsylvania caught fire and eventually forced almost the entire community to abandon the area; the coal fire is still burning today and it is estimated that it can burn for another 250 years.
*In 1979, the
Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Incident near the state capital of Harrisburg, while not as destructive to the community, nevertheless cost close to $1 billion to clean up and changed the national public perception of nuclear power to a much less favorable viewpoint.
Pennsylvania Dutch region
The
Pennsylvania Dutch region in south-central Pennsylvania is a favorite for sightseers. The Pennsylvania Dutch, including the
Old Order Amish, the
Old Order Mennonites and at least 15 other sects, are common in the rural areas around the cities of
Lancaster,
York, and Harrisburg, with smaller numbers extending northeast to the
Lehigh Valley and up the Susquehanna River valley. (There are actually more Old Order Amish in
Holmes County, Ohio, and there are plain sect communities in at least 47 states, but many
Mennonites remain, particularly in Lancaster County.) Some adherents eschew modern conveniences and use horse-drawn farming equipment and carriages, while others are virtually indistinguishable from non-Amish or Mennonites. Descendants of the plain sect immigrants who do not practice the faith may refer to themselves as
Pennsylvania Germans.
Note: The term "Dutch" is, modernly, a misnomer. Originally, all of the peoples of the
Holy Roman Empire - including the Belgians, Dutch, Austrians, Swiss, etc., were called "Dutch" - from the Low German "Duutsch," meaning "German" (or, very literally, "of the people"). The words "German" (which means "related" or "similar") and "Dutch" were used interchangeably in a generic ethno-cultural context until the years following
World War II.
Before the state existed, the area was home to the
Delaware (also known as Lenni Lenape),
Susquehannock,
Iroquois,
Eriez,
Shawnee, and other
Native American tribes.
In
1643, the
southeastern portion of the state, in the vicinity of Philadelphia, was settled by
Sweden as part of New Sweden, with a capital city of New Gothenburg built on Tinicum Island in the Delaware River, south of present-day Philadelphia. Control later passed to the
Netherlands as part of New Netherland, and then to
England (later
Great Britain).
On
March 4,
1681,
Charles II of England granted a land charter to William Penn for the area that now includes Pennsylvania. Penn then founded a colony there as a place of religious freedom for the
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and named it for the
Latin phrase meaning "Penn's woods".
Beginning in the early 1700's, large numbers of
German immigrants began settling throughout Pennsylvania and for many generations, the
German language dominated in many rural areas of the state. Individuals claiming German ancestry currently make up a majority of the ethnic composite of Pennsylvania.
A large tract of land north and west of Philadelphia, in Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware Counties, was settled by
Welsh Quakers and called the "
Welsh Tract". Even today many cities and towns in that area bear the names of Welsh municipalities.
The western portions of Pennsylvania were among disputed territory between the colonial
British and
French during the
French and Indian War. The French established numerous fortifications in the area, including the pivotal
Fort Duquesne on top of which the city of Pittsburgh was built.
The colony's reputation of religious freedom also attracted significant populations of German and
Scots-Irish settlers who helped to shape colonial Pennsylvania and later went on to populate the neighboring states further west.
In
1704, the "three lower counties" of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex gained a separate legislature, and in 1710 a separate executive council, to form the new colony
Delaware.
Pennsylvania and Delaware were two of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the
American Revolution of
1776. Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on
December 12,
1787 (five days after Delaware became the first).
The
Battle of Gettysburg took place in Pennsylvania, near
Gettysburg. Many historians consider this battle the major turning point of the Civil War. Dead soldiers from this battle rest at
Gettysburg National Cemetery, site of
Abraham Lincoln's
Gettysburg Address.
In the latter half of the
19th century, the U.S.
oil (kerosene) industry was born in western Pennsylvania, which supplied the vast majority of U.S. kerosene for years thereafter. This caused the rise and fall of several oil boom towns.
During the
20th century, Pennsylvania's existing iron industries expanded into a major center of
steel production.
Shipbuilding and numerous other forms of manufacturing flourished in the eastern part of the state, and
coal mining was also extremely important in many regions. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Pennsylvania received very large numbers of immigrants from
Europe seeking work; dramatic, sometimes violent confrontations took place between
organized labor and the state's industrial concerns.
Pennsylvania was hard-hit by the decline of the steel industry and other heavy U.S. industries during the late 20th century.
|
Pennsylvania Population Distribution |
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2005, Pennsylvania has an estimated population of 12,429,616, which is an increase of 35,145, or 0.3%, from the prior year and an increase of 148,562, or 1.2%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 87,600 people (that is 761,887 births minus 674,287 deaths) and an increase from net migration of 74,458 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 102,470 people, and migration within the country produced a net decrease of 28,012 people.
The Commonwealth has some of the fastest-growing Asian and Hispanic populations in the nation. Most of the Asian immigrants are
Indian,
Chinese,
Korean,
Filipino,
Vietnamese, and
Arab. The Hispanic population consists mostly of
Mexican,
Puerto Rican,
Guatemalan,
Dominican, and
Cuban immigrants. The
West Indian population is also growing very fast, as mainly
Haitians and
Jamaicans move to the state. Pennsylvania also has one of the largest African-born populations. Many of these are of
Nigerian,
Ethiopian,
Liberian, and
Somali backgrounds, and are found mainly in the Philadelphia region, but a significant Somali population lives in Pittsburgh. Many Europeans also come to Pennsylvania, especially
Russians,
Ukrainians, and
Italians, with smaller numbers from other nations.
| Historical populations |
|---|
Census
year | Population |
|---|
|
| 1790 | 434,373 |
| 1800 | 602,365 |
| 1810 | 810,091 |
| 1820 | 1,049,458 |
| 1830 | 1,348,233 |
| 1840 | 1,724,033 |
| 1850 | 2,311,786 |
| 1860 | 2,906,215 |
| 1870 | 3,521,951 |
| 1880 | 4,282,891 |
| 1890 | 5,258,113 |
| 1900 | 6,302,115 |
| 1910 | 7,665,111 |
| 1920 | 8,720,017 |
| 1930 | 9,631,350 |
| 1940 | 9,900,180 |
| 1950 | 10,498,012 |
| 1960 | 11,319,366 |
| 1970 | 11,793,909 |
| 1980 | 11,863,895 |
| 1990 | 11,881,643 |
| 2000 | 12,281,054 |
| 2004 Est. | 12,429,616 |
Pennsylvania is mainly white in certain areas such as the far northeast and north central part of the state. However, the Philadelphia Metro and the state as a whole are melting pots with vast numbers of African Americans, Europeans, East Asians, Southeast Asians, and Arabs. With significantly increasing immigration from
Asia and
Latin America, their percentages will increase largly by the 2010 census. Also, the Black percentage will be higher due to many African immigrants, and African Americans from
New York,
New Jersey,
Maryland, and throughout the
United States migrating to Pennsylvania. However, even with steady immigration from
Europe, the Caucasian population will decrease, as with many other Northeastern states, due to more Whites leaving then arrving.
Race and ancestry
As of the 2000
United States Census, the racial makeup of the state is:
*85.4%
White*10.0%
Black*3.2%
Hispanic of any race
*1.8%
Asian*0.1%
Native American*1.2%
Mixed race*1.5% Some other
race 5.9% of Pennsylvania's population were reported as under 5, 23.8% under 18, and 15.6% were 65 or older. Females made up 51.7% of the population.
The five largest ancestry groups in Pennsylvania are:
German (25.4%),
Irish (16.1%),
Italian (11.5%),
African American (10.5%),
English (7.9%).
Ancestry
Pennsylvanians of
German ancestry live in most areas of the state outside of Philadelphia. Until the 1950s, Pennsylvania was bilingual with both
English and
German as its official languages. Northeastern Pennsylvania has residents of
British ancestry on the New York border and there are many
Polish-Americans in the Scranton area. Philadelphia has a black plurality and smaller black populations are located in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.
Irish-Americans are the single largest ancestry group in
Delaware County and the overall Philadelphia metropolitan area. Pennsylvania has more
Slovaks,
Swiss,
Carpatho-Rusyn and
Welsh than any other state. Pennsylvania also has the second largest populations of Germans (only slightly behind
California),
Ukrainians,
Hungarians, and
Lithuanians, the third largest populations of
Irish and
Italians, and the fourth largest population of
Poles in the country. The state also has one of the largest populations of
Russians,
English,
Scottish, and
Greeks of any state.The state also has the fourth largest
Puerto Rican population, the third largest
Jamaican population, and the fifth largest populations of
Asian Indians and
Koreans. As of 2005, the state had one of the top ten largest populations of
African Americans,
Dominicans,
Vietnamese, Subsaharan Africans,
West Indians,
Arabs,
Chinese,
Thais, and
Cambodians.
Religion
Historically, the
Quakers pursued a policy of religious tolerance at the founding of Penn's colony, which benefited other older groups, such as
Lutherans from the
New Sweden settlement, and which also attracted religious refugees from the European continent, such as
Amish and
Mennonites. Other groups also settled, including the
Moravian Brethren, who founded and named today's large city of Bethlehem, and the
Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, who settled on the frontier. This was a fairly diverse group of denominations by 17th and 18th Century standards, and testifies to the benign administration of Penn.
Later, after industrialization, immigrants from the Catholic countries of Europe started coming in large numbers to Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia today stands a shrine to and the burial place of Saint
John Neumann, himself a
Czech immigrant, who worked for the betterment of the new arrivals and who founded the American parochial school system. Pennsylvania has one of the largest Jewish populations in the country, with almost 1 million. Immigration to Pennsylvania in the past 20 years has brought large numbers of
Buddhists,
Hindus,
Muslims, and
Sikhs to the state.
The current religious affiliations of the people of Pennsylvania are:
*
Christian – 83%
**
Protestant – 55%
***
Methodist – 10%
***
Baptist – 10%
***
Lutheran – 9%
***
Presbyterian – 5%
***
United Church of Christ – 2%
***
Amish/
Pietist – 1%
***Other Protestant or general Protestant – 18%
**
Roman Catholic – 27%
**Other Christian – 1%
*
Jewish (religious only) – 2%
*Other Religions – 2%
*Non-Religious – 13%
Pennsylvania's 2004 total gross state product was $468 billion[
1], up from $383 billion in 1999 (in current dollars). This ranks Pennsylvania 6
th in the nation. If Pennsylvania were an independent country, its economy would rank as the 17
th largest in the world, ahead of Belgium, but behind the Netherlands. The 2003 per capita personal income was $31,988, 16
th in the nation, compared to 19
th place in 1999. Its agricultural outputs are dairy products, poultry, cattle, nursery stock, mushrooms, hogs, and hay. Its industrial outputs are food processing, chemical products, machinery, and electric equipment. Tourism is a very big industry in the state, ranking as the 7
th most visited state in the union, and 7th in tourism expenditures with $15.9 billion. Only California, Florida, New York, Texas, Illinois, and Nevada ranked higher.
Pennsylvania has a large, diverse group of manufacturing companies and within this group are some whose products have come to be household words. Among these products are Hershey bars from The Hershey Company in Hershey; Heinz ketchup and Heinz-57 sauce from the H. J. Heinz Company in Pittsburgh; Crayola products from Binney & Smith Inc., in Easton; and Zippo lighters from Zippo Manufacturing in Bradford.Other corporations based in Pennsylvania are: Alcoa, Comcast, United States Steel, Rohm and Haas, CIGNA, Sunoco, Pep Boys, Utz / Herr's / Wise Potato Chips, and many others, especially insurance, pharmaceutical, and steel corporations.
One of the fastest growing economic regions of the state is the Lehigh Valley in the eastern part of the state. Companies based in the Lehigh Valley include Agere Systems, Air Products & Chemicals, the Bethlehem Steel Corporation (which ceased operations in 2003), Buckeye Pipe Line, Mack Trucks, Olympus Corporation USA, Pennsylvania Power & Light, Rodale Press and others.
After the demise of Bethlehem Steel, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, one of Pennsylvania's largest hospital systems, has taken Bethlehem Steel's place as the Lehigh Valley's largest employer.
Lancaster County is well known for its quality wood products such as furniture, sheds, gazebos and play sets. Most of these are produced by Amish and Mennonite craftsmen and are shipped all over the country and throughout the world.
On Lake Erie some freshwater commercial fishing exists, the principal catch being yellow perch.Taxation
The two largest sources of state revenue are income taxes on individuals and businesses and the state sales tax. In addition, the state imposes other taxes and fees on businesses and collects fees for various licenses and permits. There is also an inheritance tax, taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and taxes and fees on certain other goods and services. There is also a tax on the transfer of real property.
Pennsylvania is one of only five American states to employ a flat tax on personal income. Unlike the others, Pennsylvania's is a pure flat tax with no personal exemptions. As of 2005, the income tax rate for individuals is 3.07% of earned income. The flat tax in mandated by the "uniformity clause" of the state constitution which requires that "All taxes shall be uniform, upon the same class of subjects, within the territorial limits of the authority levying the tax, and shall be levied and collected under general laws."
The state assesses a 6% sales tax on taxable goods and services. Philadelphia and Allegheny counties charge an additional 1% on the same goods and services. Items such as unprepared food (not ready-to-eat), "everyday" clothing (not sports gear or formalwear), shoes, drugs, textbooks, and residential heating fuels are exempt from sales tax.
The state government does not levy or collect taxes on real estate or personal property. Most counties, municipalities, and school districts do levy taxes on real estate. In addition, some local bodies assess a wage tax on personal income. Generally, the total wage tax rate is capped at 1% of income but some municipalities with home rule charters may charge more than 1%. Thirty-two of the state's sixty-seven counties levy a personal property tax on stocks, bonds, and similar holdings.
In addition to taxes collected on liquor, a significant source of revenue is the approximately 640 state-owned Wine & Spirits stores operated by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB). The agency is the sole retail distributor of liquor and most wine throughout the Commonwealth. Profits from its operation are used to fund programs including the Pennsylvania State Police's Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement (BLCE).
(Source: PA Dept. of Revenue)Like all American states, Pennsylvania has a government which is separated into an executive, a legislature, and a judiciary, the powers and duties of which are established by the Pennsylvania Constitution [2]. Since 1812, Harrisburg has served as the location of the State Capitol, and its adjoining buildings of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex.Executive branch
The head of the executive branch is the Governor, who is currently Democrat Edward G Rendell, a former mayor of Philadelphia. The other elected officials composing the executive branch are the Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Auditor General, and State Treasurer. The governor's Cabinet consists of the eighteen appointed heads of Pennsylvania state agencies: the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Adjutant General, Secretary of Education, Insurance Commissioner, Secretary of Banking, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Health, State Police Commissioner, Secretary of Labor and Industry, Secretary of Public Welfare, Secretary of Revenue, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Community Affairs, Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Environmental Resources, Secretary of General Services, Secretary of Aging, and the Secretary of Corrections.
Legislative branch
Pennsylvania has had a bicameral legislature since 1790. The Pennsylvania General Assembly consists of a Senate with 50 members and a House of Representatives with 203 members. Notable General Assembly members include Senate President Pro Tempore Robert C. Jubelirer (R), Senate Majority Leader David J. Brightbill (R), Senate Minority Leader Robert J. Mellow (D), Speaker of the House of Representatives John M. Perzel (R), House Majority Leader Samuel H. Smith (R), House Minority Leader H. William DeWeese (D), and Senate Minority Appropriations Chairman Vincent Fumo (D)Judicial branch
Pennsylvania is divided into 60 judicial districts[3], most of which (save Philadelphia and Allegheny Counties) have magisterial district judges (formerly called district justices and justices of the peace), who preside mainly over minor criminal offenses and small civil claims. The Philadelphia Municipal Court and the Pittsburgh police magistrate court have similar jurisdiction, but are limited to those locations. Since Philadelphia is coterminous with Philadelphia County, the Pittsburgh police magistrate court is the only true city-level court in the state. Philadelphia also has a separate traffic court which hears cases involving motor vehicle violations within the city.
The general trial courts in which most criminal and civil cases originate are the Courts of Common Pleas. They also serve as appellate courts to the district judges and for local agency decisions. The Courts of Common Pleas serving the larger Pennsylvania counties are divided into specialized divisions.
The state has two intermediate-level appellate courts: the Superior Court and the Commonwealth Court. The fifteen judges of the Superior Court hear all appeals from the Courts of Common Pleas not expressly designated to the Commonwealth Court or Supreme Court. It also has original jurisdiction to review warrants for wiretap surveillance. The jurisdiction of the nine-judge Commonwealth Court is limited to appeals from final orders of certain state agencies and certain designated cases from the Courts of Common Pleas. The Commonwealth Court also functions as a trial court in some civil suits, including cases that involve the state or its officers as parties, and cases regarding statewide elections.
Pennsylvania's entire judicial system is under the supervision of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, which is also the final appellate court for both the Superior Court and the Commonwealth Court. It also hears appeals directly from the Courts of Common Pleas in certain cases, including murder convictions in which the death penalty has been imposed, the right to public office, criminal contempt, and any case in which the Court of Common Pleas ruled that a state law was unconstitutional. Like all judges in Pennsylvania, the seven justices of the Supreme Court are chosen by public election; the chief justice is the justice with the most seniority.Representation in the federal government
Pennsylvania's two U.S. senators are Rick Santorum (Republican) and Arlen Specter (Republican). Pennsylvania's 19 representatives in the House are Robert Brady (D, 1st District); Chaka Fattah (D, 2nd District); Phil English (R, 3rd District); Melissa Hart (R, 4th District); John E. Peterson (R, 5th District); Jim Gerlach (R, 6th District); Curt Weldon (R, 7th District); Michael Fitzpatrick (R, 8th District); Bill Shuster (R, 9th District); Don Sherwood (R, 10th District); Paul E. Kanjorski (D, 11th District); John Murtha (D, 12th District); Allyson Schwartz (D, 13th District); Mike Doyle (D, 14th District); Charlie Dent (R, 15th District); Joe Pitts (R, 16th District); Tim Holden (D, 17th District); Tim Murphy (R, 18th District); and Todd Russell Platts (R, 19th District).Politics
Pennsylvania is considered a swing state because its politics are not dominated by any single party. As of 2005, the Republican Party holds both houses of the state legislature, both United States Senate seats and a majority of the state's seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, but the Democratic Party holds the governor's seat and most other state-level offices. The Democratic candidate has won the state in the past four presidential elections. A slight majority of the state's registered voters are Democrats. Bill Clinton carried the state twice, Al Gore won it in 2000, as did John Kerry in 2004 with a slim 50.9% of the vote.
Democrats dominate the state's two largest cities, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. In the east, Democrats also dominate in the Lehigh Valley, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. In the west, Democrats prevail in Johnstown and Erie. The suburbs of Philadelphia are an important swing area, since they are dominated by neither conservatives nor liberals. The northern and central part of the state, nicknamed the Republican 'T', is more rural and tends to be very conservative. James Carville, the outspoken Democratic strategist, summed up Pennsylvania politics as "Philadelphia on one end, Pittsburgh on the other, with Alabama in the middle."
 |
The skyline of Pittsburgh, the 20th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. |
Municipalities in Pennsylvania are incorporated as cities, boroughs, or townships. In 1870, Bloomsburg, the county seat of Columbia County, and in 1975, McCandless, Pennsylvania, in Allegheny County were incorporated as towns by special act of the legislature [4], [5].
Major cities and boroughs:{| valign=top |
*Allentown
*Altoona
*Bethlehem
*Chester
*Easton
*Erie
*Harrisburg
*Hazleton
*Johnstown
*Lancaster
*Norristown| valign=top |
*Philadelphia
*Pittsburgh
*Pottsville
*Reading
*Scranton
*State College
*Washington
*Wilkes-Barre
*Williamsport
*York
