One of the 13 original founding states of the United States and formally recognized as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania is a state of the United States located within the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states of the United States of America, and the bi-national, Canadian-American region of the Great Lakes.
Pennsylvania today borders six other states; to the north the state New York, New Jersey to the east, to the south Maryland, Ohio to the west, the state of Delaware to the southeast, and to the southwest West Virginia, additionally sharing its border with Lake Erie, Ontario and Canada to the northwest and the Appalachians mountain system running through the center of the state.
Facts about Pennsylvania
▪ Notably the state of Pennsylvania is ranked at 6th of the most populous and 9th as the most densely populated state in the United States as well as the 33rd most extensive territory. Among the state of Pennsylvania’s most noticeable populous cities include, Allentown, Pittsburg, Erie and Philadelphia.
▪ Prior to the Commonwealth being colonized by European settlers, the region was home to the American Indian Nations including, Iroquois, Shawnee, Susquehannock, Eriez, as well as the Lenni Lenape. Subsequently both the English and Dutch settlers claimed both sides of the Delaware River as territories of their colonial lands in America. Nonetheless it was the Dutch settlers who were first to colonize the region by establishing the Zwaanendael Colony on the Delmarva Peninsula, today known as the city of Lewes Delaware and one of the principal cities of Delaware’s rapidly developing Cape Region and the “First Town in The First State.”
▪ On December 12, 1787 Pennsylvania endorsed the Constitution of the United States effectively becoming the second state to formally uphold the supreme law five days after Delaware.
▪ Founded in 1773 by one of the Founding Fathers of the United States Benjamin Rush, and subsequently named after the the American solicitor and politician John Dickinson; the Dickinson College of Carlisle became the first college in the United States and sanctioned five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783.
▪ Between the year 2000 and 2010 the growth of the Hispanic population in Pennsylvania by about 83% was recognized as one of the largest increases in Hispanic population within any state.
▪ According to the United Stated Census Bureau, the population of the state of Pennsylvania on July 1, 2013 was estimated to be at over 12,773,000 with the center of the state population located within Perry County in the district of Duncannon.
▪ Pennsylvania’s southwestern city of Pittsburg is home to eight Fortune 500 companies, including PPG Industries, the Heinz Company and United States Steel Corporation. Of note, the state of Pennsylvania is home to fifty Fortune 500 companies with a gross state product of over $570 billion ranking at 6th in the nation in 2010 with an unemployment rate of 6.2% as of February 2014.
▪ In 1781 the first nationally chartered bank in the United States, the Bank of America was established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
▪ Although the state of Pennsylvania today ranks 19th in its agricultural production, the state is recognized as the foremost producer of mushrooms, second in its growth of apples, third in layer chickens and Christmas Trees and fourth in sod, plant nursery, grapes, corn for silage and horses, and eighth place in winemaking in the United States.
▪ Gambling in the state of Pennsylvania was not legalized until 2004. To date there are nine casinos in Pennsylvania three of which are currently in the planning phase or under construction. Previously only electric table games, horse racing and slot machines were recognized as legal forms of gambling. However in 2010 after an approval by state legislature table games including dice, poker, blackjack and roulette were considered legal. Consequently the state of Pennsylvania today recognizes Sports betting as a legal form of gambling.
▪ The state of Pennsylvania is considered to have the 10th highest tax burden of all the 50 states of the United States with citizens paying over $83 billion in local and state taxes and a per capita average of over $6,600 annually.
▪ According to Pennsylvania state law it is mandatory for a child between the ages of 8 until the age of 17 to attend school, or until graduation. Notably since 2005 over 80% of Pennsylvania residents between the age of 18 to 24 have completed high school. Among residents aged 25 and over over 85% have successfully graduated from a high school, 25% of which have continued to pursue a bachelor’s degree.
▪ The state of Pennsylvania is known as home to the Philadelphia Zoo often referred to as the nation’s first zoo, the Pittsburg Zoo, PPG Aquarium, ZOOAMERICA and the Erie Zoo among other notable sites including the Houdini Museum in Scranton, recognized as the only building in the world dedicated to the distinguished magician Harry Houdini.
Allentown Falcon Webcam
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in collaboration with Baker International one of the leading global provider of engineering and consulting services and Earth Cam Networks vial a live streaming webcam offer viewers a first hand view of a pair of Pennsylvania’s Peregrine Falcons nesting nearby the 8th Street Bridge.
View Allentown Falcon Webcam.
United Airlines Flight 93 memorial Cam
EarthCam Networks features a live broadcast of the Memorial site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania for United Airlines Flight 93 which was hijacked by the al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001 to commemorate the lives of the heroism displayed by the flight crew and passengers aboard the flight.
View United Airlines Flight 93 memorial Cam.
WXnation.com Erie Yacht Cub Webcam
The American live weather and webcam station WXnation offers via their website a live broadcast featuring the privately owned Erie Yacht Club located on the shore of the Presque Isle Bay in Erie, Pennsylvania. The webcam overlooking the Yacht Club, Bay and parking area can be accessed by clicking on the link provided below.
View WXnation.com Erie Yacht Cub Webcam.
Philadelphia PA Webcam
This webcam is courtesy of chapline.net and gives a view of Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Also provides an inside view of the computer store.
View Live Webcam: Philadelphia PA Webcam
Doylestowns Front Porch
Live webcam gives multiple views of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Streaming video and the camera changes point of view every few seconds.
View Live Webcam: Doylestowns Front Porch