U.S. State of Pennsylvania: History, Politics, Population, and Geography

Pennsylvania used to be the center of US steel production.

Between the two large cities of Philadelphia in the southeast and Pittsburgh in the northwest, the state is characterized by rural areas.

• Pennsylvania

  was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence in 1776.

• The state bears the name of the founding father

  William Penn

  .

• Politically, Pennsylvania is counted among the swing states.

Philadelphia - In the west the steel and coal mining area around Pittsburgh, in the east the historic Philadelphia and in between endless forests and agricultural areas: these contrasts characterize the US state Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania: Founded by William Penn and first capital

In the 17th century, Dutch and Swedish emigrants first settled on the fertile Delaware River before the region fell to the British Crown in 1664.

transferred a large area of ​​land to

, who led the peace-loving Quaker sect and wanted to relocate with his followers to the new world.

The country got its name:

, a poetic form of "Penn's Forest".

1682 was followed by the

of the city of Philadelphia as the capital of the new colony.

It was the first city to be laid out in a checkered pattern between the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers.

In the 18th century, Philadelphia became a meeting place for the revolutionaries around

and

Here they drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the American Constitution in 1787.

Until the completion of the new seat of government in Washington in 1800, Philadelphia served as the capital of the young country.

During the US Civil War in the 19th century, Pennsylvania was the site of one of the most famous clashes in American

- the Battle of Gettysburg.

In the 20th century the state developed into an important industrial location and formed the eastern end of the so-called "Rust Belt" or "Manufacturing Belt" of the USA.

Pennsylvania: Geography and Known Cities

The

of Pennsylvania is shaped by several larger rivers: To the east, the Delaware River flows through Philadelphia.

The middle of the state is crossed by the Susquehanna River, on which the capital Harrisburg lies.

Pittsburgh arose on a peninsula where the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers unite to form the Ohio River.

The industrial city formerly known as "Steel City" was able to cope with structural change successfully and has been named one of the most livable

the USA

several times

.

With 1.6 million inhabitants, the metropolis of Philadelphia is by far the largest city in the state and its economic and cultural center.

It plays a significant role in domestic tourism thanks to historic landmarks like Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.

Pennsylvania and its people

Over 75% of the

of

describes themselves as white.

The proportion of blacks is just under 12% and is concentrated in the big cities.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the number of Hispanic residents has been increasing, but they still make up only 7.8% of the total population.

To date, there are around 80,000 followers of the Amish community living in rural Pennsylvania, a traditional lifestyle devoid of electricity and other modern conveniences.

They originally come from Switzerland and Alsace and many still speak a form of German called "Pennsylvania Dutch".

Pennsylvania: Economy and Elections

Pennsylvania

has remained the center of remaining American steel processing to this day.

Famous companies in the state include

, maker of the ketchup of the same name, and

, the most famous chocolate

brand in

the United States.

With the decline of traditional

and industrial production, Pennsylvania relied increasingly on the service and financial sectors.

With a gross domestic product of 803 billion US dollars, the state ranked sixth among the US states in 2018.

Politically, Pennsylvania is considered a classic swing state with changing majorities.

In the first

in the 21st century, Democratic candidates

(2004) and

(2008 and 2012) each won a majority.

In 2016 the tide turned:

won the votes of the electorate with a slim majority of 48.6% to 47.8%.

Our article on the current survey data shows you whether Trump can secure the electors (20) here again this year.