PENNSYLVANIA, a State in the North Atlantic Division of the United States, bounded by New York, New Jer sey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, and Lake Erie; one of the original 13 States; capital, Harrisburg; counties, 67; area, 45,126 square miles; pop. (1890) 5,258,014; (1900) 6,302,115; (1910) 7,665,111; (1920) 8,720,017.
Topography.—The State presents three well defined physical divisions, the E. plain, middle hills, and W. highlands. A number of parallel ridges cross it from N. to S. with a maximum altitude of 2,500 feet. The Appalachian system in Pennsylvania, aside from its general division in two ranges, the Blue or Kitta tinny, and the Allegheny, is subdivided into a great number of smaller ranges, in tersected by numerous broad and fertile valleys. The W. table-land, occupying one-half the area of the State, is a broad rolling plateau, gradually descending to ward Lake Erie on the N. W., and has several isolated peaks. There are six distinct water basins draining the State; the Delaware, the Susquehanna, the Gen esee, the Potomac, and the Ohio rivers, and Lake Erie. The Ohio is formed by the union of the Monongahela and Alle gheny at Pittsburgh. The Susquehanna, though rising in New York, is a Penn sylvania river. The Delaware forms the entire E. boundary and passes through the Delaware Water Gap, a narrow gorge, whose sides rise perpendicularly to a height of 1,200 feet. The Lehigh river joins the Delaware at Easton. This river rises in the coal regions and flows through a region of magnificent scenery. Lake Erie forms 45 miles of the N. boundary of the State and has an excellent harbor at Erie.
Geology.—The geological formations of the State are of the Azoic, Mesozoic, and Pala-ozoic periods. The first is situated in the S. E. and is crossed by a narrow belt of the Mesozoic. The Palmozoic formations cover the remainder of the State. Drift deposits in the shape of sand and gravel occur in the N. and N. W. counties. The Lower Silurian occurs in Lancaster, Berks, and Lehigh counties.
Mineral ex ceeds any other States in the value of the mineral products. This is due chiefly to the production of coal. The production of althracite coal in the State in 1919 was 86,200,000 tons, and the bituminous coal, 145,300,000 tons. Both of these fig
ures show a considerable decrease from 1918. The bituminous coal production reached the lowest level since 1915. Over 150,000 men are employed in and about the anthracite coal mines, with about 185,000 men in and about the bi tuminous coal mines. Pennsylvania ranks first in the production of petro leum, but of late years the production has fallen off, while that in other States has greatly increased. The production of crude petroleum in 1918 was 7,407,812 barrels, valued at $29,606,079. The State is a large producer of natural gas. The value of the production in 1918 was $24,344,324. The production of iron ore was 515,845 tons, valued at $982,173. The pig iron produced was 14,701, 252 long tons. In addition the other more important mineral products are cement, clay products, and coke. The production of the latter in 1918 was 26, 723,645 short tons, valued at $160,357, 274.
Agriculture.—As an agricultural State, Pennsylvania stands high. It ranks first in the United States in the production of rye, and has large crops of other cereals. The S. E. counties are re markably fertile, Chester being noted for its nurseries, and Lancaster for its to bacco crop. The acreage, production and value of the principal crops in 1919 were as follows: corn, 1,536,000 acres, production 72,192,000 bushels, value $106,122,000; buckwheat, 256,000 acres, production 5,530,000 bushels, value, $7, 742,000; oats, 1,189,000 acres, production 36,859,000 bushels, value $29,487,000; wheat, 1,664,000 acres, production 29, 055,000 bushels, value $62,758,000; rye, 228,000 acres, production, 3,648,000 bushels, value $5,727,000; tobacco, 41,000 acres, production 54,120,000 pounds, value $9,200,000; hay, 2,978,000 acres, production 4,318,000 tons, value $103, 632,000; potatoes, 254,000 acres, produc tion 25,400,000 bushels, value $39,116, 000. The natural forest trees include pine, poplar, beech, sugar maple, chest nut, birch, wild cherry, walnut, oak, hickory, ash, cherry, elm, sycamore, and hemlock. Considerable attention is paid to stock raising, and dairying is becom ing one of the leading industries.