Pennsylvania
About Pennsylvania
The historical city of Philadelphia is located in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern state of Pennsylvania, which is one of the most . It is one of the most picturesque states in United States with natural tourist attractions like the natural childlike wonder of Crayola in Easton and also historical locations such as Civil War Battlefield in Gettysburg. Philadelphia is the most populates state of Pennsylvania, followed by Pittsburgh, Erie and Allentown. The state's borders are West Virginia in the southwest, Maryland and Delaware to the south, Ontario, New York and Canada in the North and New Jersey in the east. The capital city of Pennsylvania is Harrisburg.
State Nickname
The state of Pennsylvania is known by the nickname 'The Keystone State' because of the middle position it held in the original 13 colonies during the time of independence. Pennsylvania held an important position in the social, economic and political growth of the United States of America.
Climate Summary
Pennsylvania is one of the few states that has one of the most diverse topographically dependent climates. The entire state of Philadelphia has a humid continental climate except the southeastern corner, which makes the state a perfect holiday destination for families. Moving inside the state towards the mountainous regions, the climate becomes cooler towards Philadelphia.
State Tax Situation
The State of Pennsylvania is one of the few states that raises on its own more than 70 percent of the funds for its services from various taxes. The state collects taxes from services such as sales, vehicle taxes, amusement, liquor, parking and has one of the lowest earnings tax in the states of United States at 3.9 percent for residents and 3.4 for non-residents on overall gross wages.
Government Summary
Pennsylvania since 1790 has a bicameral legislature. The state has a largely Democratic leaning, however during the re-elections of 2010, the Republicans gained the U.S. senate seat. The state has 60 judicial districts, all of which have magisterial district judges which have authority over local governance.
State Seal
A state seal was ordered to be established by the Pennsylvania Constitution Convention in 1776. The seal in its current form was adopted in 1790. The seal contains a crest that shows a ship under full sail, three shelves of wheat and plow, which indicates symbols of commerce, perseverance, agriculture and labor.
Motto & Description
Pennsylvania adopted the 1787 motto of "Virtue, Liberty and Independence", which is also indicated on the state flag and the state coat of arms. The motto was first used on the coat of arms that was designed in 1778 by Caleb Lownes, which later made it to the coat of arms in 1874.
State Flag
Pennsylvania's state flag is more of a square than a rectangle. The State Coat of Arms is printed on a blue field with the state motto indicated below. An American Eagle rests on top and draft horses are placed on either side of the coat of arms.
State Bird
Pennsylvania adopted the Ruffed grouse as the official state bird in 1931. The Ruffed grouse, also known as the Partridge is one of the 10 dozens birds that are found in Pennsylvania where snow is found. The bird's capacity to survive in severe cold and on incredibly low quantities of food, has led to it being used as the state bird.
State Flower
The state flower of Pennsylvania is the beautiful Mountain Laurel that was chosen on May 5, 1933 by the General Assembly. The flower is in full bloom in mid-June when the woodlands of Pennsylvania are filled with full blossomed flowers painting the woods pink.
State Animal
Pennsylvania has the graceful White Tailed Deer as its state animal, which was chose in 1959. The Deer is unique in its ability to indicate danger with a waving red tail that is flashed as a warning to others. The animal is also able to run at an impressive speed of 40 miles per hour and also can jump 9 foot fences.
State Song And Description
The officially elected state song of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the song titles 'Pennsylvania' that has been written by Eddie Khoury and composed by Ronnie Bonner. The song was adopted in 1990 by the General Assembly and was made official by signing by Robert P. Casey.
State Colors
The state of Pennsylvania has chosen the colors Gold and Blue as the official state colors. The official colors are used on the official State flag and also on the Pennsylvania license plates. The gold is mostly replaced by the color yellow because of inability to print gold on flags and number plates.