In addition, among the important industries of this region are the tanning of leather and the manufacture of wood pulp, because of the proximity of raw materials in the Appalachian forest ; the refining of petroleum from the Allegheny plateau, and of sugar imported at New York, Philadelphia, and elsewhere ; the printing and publishing of books and newspapers, flour-milling, meat packing, and car construction.
The dominant factors in the economic development of the Middle Appalachian States are, therefore, their vast mineral resources and their favourable situation, alike with regard to Europe and with regard to the interior of the continent. It is noteworthy, as illus trating the importance of the latter factor, that, although seven out of the fifteen largest cities in the United States are situated within this region, only one lies within the borders of the Appalachian coalfield. The growth of the others as manufacturing centres is due to the facilities which they possess for the collection of raw material and the distribution of manufactured goods; and similar facilities for collect ing exports and distributing imports have made several of them into great seaports. New York is most favourably situated in this
respect, because it has not only the same advantages as Philadelphia and Baltimore for access to the interior by means of the routes created by the transverse Appalachian rivers, but it is at the outlet of the Hudson Valley, which brings it into communication both with the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes. Philadelphia and Baltimore, although they have the advantage of being situated on waterways which penetrate well into the interior, are not quite so conveniently placed for carrying on trade with Europe, nor have they the same choice of routes to the trans-Appalachian States as New York has. Buffalo owes its importance to its position on Lake Erie, at the termination of the route followed by the Erie Canal. The situation of Pittsburg in relation to the Appalachian coalfield has already been described. Newark and Jersey City share in many of the advantages of New York.