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Pennsylvania
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Pennsylvania: flag The seal of the state of Pennsylvania features a shield with a ship, a plow, and three sheaves of wheat, symbolizing commerce and agriculture. Above the shield is a bald eagle, and the shield is flanked by a stalk of corn on the left and an olive branch with red berries on the right. The outer ring reads Seal of the State of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania state bird Pennsylvania state flower Political map of Pennsylvania showing state and county boundaries, major cities, and neighboring states. State capital Harrisburg and other key cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are marked, with a small inset locator map highlighting Pennsylvania's position in the northeastern United States. A person stands by the edge of Pine Creek with forested slopes rising on both sides in Pine Creek Gorge, also known as the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. Physical map of Pennsylvania showing major natural features such as the Appalachian Mountains, Allegheny Mountains, Pocono Mountains, Blue Mountains, and key rivers including the Susquehanna and Allegheny. The map also marks lakes, state boundaries, and notable sites like Gettysburg National Military Park and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, with a locator inset highlighting Pennsylvania's position in the United States. Map of the Middle Atlantic region of the United States, showing New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, along with parts of surrounding states. The map highlights major cities such as New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., as well as state capitals, lakes, rivers, mountain ranges, and other physical features like the Adirondack Mountains, Catskill Mountains, and the Appalachian Mountains. Major water bodies such as Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and the Atlan The Fort Pitt Bridge with its yellow arches spans the Monongahela River in front of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania skyline with tall office buildings. United States size comparison tool with dropdown menus to select two states and a large black map of the US on a purple background.
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A person stands by the edge of Pine Creek with forested slopes rising on both sides in Pine Creek Gorge, also known as the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon.
Pennsylvania summary
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Pennsylvania: flag
Pennsylvania: flag

Pennsylvania

state, United States
Also known as: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Keystone State
Written by
E. Willard Miller
Emeritus Professor of Geography, The Pennsylvania State University. Author of Pennsylvania: A Keystone to Progress; A Geography of Pennsylvania; and others. Coeditor of Water Resources of Pennsylvania.
E. Willard MillerAll
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

Pennsylvania, constituent state of the United States of America, one of the original 13 American colonies. The state is approximately rectangular in shape and stretches about 300 miles (480 km) from east to west and 150 miles (240 km) from north to south. It is bounded to the north by Lake Erie and New York state; to the east by New York and New Jersey; to the south by Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia; and...

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