
(iStockphoto)
Capital: Harrisburg
Population: 12,281,054
Governor: Ed Rendell (D, to January 2011)
Entered the Union: December 12, 1787
as the 2nd state
Motto: Virtue, liberty, and independence
Nickname: Keystone state
Flower: Mountain laurel
Bird: Ruffed grouse
Song: Pennsylvania
Sports Teams:(sport listing policy) Philadelphia 76ers (Men's Basketball); Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers (Football); Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates (Baseball); Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins (Hockey)
Origin of Name: In honor of Adm. Sir. William Penn, father of William Penn. It means Penn's Woodland
Major Industries: Primary Metal Industries, Non-electrical Machinery, Chemicals
Historical Sites: The Gettysburg National Military Park, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Valley Forge National Historical Park, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall
Points of Interest: The Pennsylvania Dutch region, the Eisenhower farm near Gettysburg, and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Bordering States: Pennsylvania borders New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Ohio.
Source: State of Pennsylvania

(CBS)
Longitude: 74° 43' W to 80° 31' W
Latitude: 39° 43' N to 42° N
Length / Width: Pennsylvania is 283 miles long, from east to west, and 160 miles wide at its most distant points.
Geographic Center: The geographic center of Pennsylvania is located in Centre County, 2.5 miles southwest of Bellefonte.
Borders: Pennsylvania is bordered by New York and Lake Erie to the north. In the south, Pennsylvania shares borders with West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. To the east, New York and New Jersey line up on the Pennsylvania border. Pennsylvania meets Ohio and an arm of West Virginia on the West.
Total Area: Pennsylvania covers 46,058 square miles, making it the 33rd largest of the 50 states.
Land Area: 44,820 square miles of Pennsylvania are land areas.
Water Area: 1,239 square miles of Pennsylvania are covered by water.
Highest Point: The highest point in Pennsylvania is Mt. Davis at 3,213 feet.
Lowest Point: The lowest point in Pennsylvania is in The Delaware River at sea level.
Mean Elevation: The Mean Elevation of the state of Pennsylvania is 1,100 feet above sea level.
Major Rivers: Allegheny River, Susquehanna River, Delaware River, Ohio River
Major Lakes: Lake Erie
Source: U.S. Geological Survey

(iStockphoto)
Population, 2006 estimate: 12,440,621
Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006: 1.3%
Population, 2000: 12,281,054
Persons under 5 years old, percent, 2005: 5.8%
Persons under 18 years old, percent, 2005: 22.7%
Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2005: 15.2%
Female persons, percent, 2005: 51.5%
White persons, percent, 2005 (a): 86.0%
Black persons, percent, 2005 (a): 10.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2005 (a): 0.2%
Asian persons, percent, 2005 (a): 2.2%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2005 (a): 0.0%
Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2005: 1.0%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2005 (b): 4.1%
White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2005: 82.6%
Living in same house in 1995 and 2000, pct 5 yrs old & over: 63.5%
Foreign born persons, percent, 2000: 4.1%
Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2000: 8.4%
High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000: 81.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2000: 22.4%
Persons with a disability, age 5+, 2000: 2,111,771
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2000: 25.2
Housing units, 2005: 5,422,362
Homeownership rate, 2000: 71.3%
Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2000: 21.2%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000: $97,000
Households, 2000: 4,777,003
Persons per household, 2000: 2.48
Median household income, 2004: $43,714
Per capita money income, 1999: $20,880
Persons below poverty, percent, 2004: 11.2%
Source: U.S.Census Bureau

(iStockphoto)
Total Gross Domestic Product by State: 486,139
Private industries: 437,693
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting: 2,894
Crop and animal production (Farms): 2,463
Forestry, fishing, and related activities: 431
Mining: 3,739
Oil and gas extraction: 1,185
Mining, except oil and gas: 1,763
Support activities for mining: 791
Utilities: 13,505
Construction: 22,870
Manufacturing: 72,066
Durable goods: 37,101
Wood product manufacturing: 1,933
Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing: 3,061
Primary metal manufacturing: 7,411
Fabricated metal product manufacturing: 7,325
Machinery manufacturing: 4,287
Computer and electronic product manufacturing: 2,155
Electrical equipment and appliance manufacturing: 2,678
Motor vehicle, body, trailer, and parts manufacturing: 1,124
Other transportation equipment manufacturing: 2,263
Furniture and related product manufacturing: 1,561
Miscellaneous manufacturing: 3,305
Nondurable goods: 34,965
Food product manufacturing: 7,229
Textile and textile product mills: 733
Apparel manufacturing: 594
Paper manufacturing: 3,419
Printing and related support activities: 2,825
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing: 1,870
Chemical manufacturing: 14,836
Plastics and rubber products manufacturing: 3,458
Wholesale trade: 29,571
Retail trade: 31,514
Transportation and warehousing, excluding Postal Service: 15,059
Air transportation: 1,254
Rail transportation: 1,357
Water transportation: 87
Truck transportation: 5,379
Transit and ground passenger transportation: 972
Pipeline transportation: 363
Other transportation and support activities: 3,346
Warehousing and storage: 2,301
Information: 17,097
Publishing including software: 4,279
Motion picture and sound recording industries: 398
Broadcasting and telecommunications: 10,549
Information and data processing services: 1,870
Finance and insurance: 34,598
Federal Reserve banks, credit intermediation and related services: 14,602
Securities, commodity contracts, investments: 3,701
Insurance carriers and related activities: 13,963
Funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles: 2,332
Real estate and rental and leasing: 55,731
Real estate: 51,462
Rental and leasing services and lessors of intangible assets: 4,269
Professional and technical services: 35,180
Legal services: 8,277
Computer systems design and related services: 5,147
Other professional, scientific and technical services: 21,757
Management of companies and enterprises: 10,381
Administrative and waste services: 12,539
Administrative and support services: 11,193
Waste management and remediation services: 1,346
Educational services: 9,297
Health care and social assistance: 45,310
Ambulatory health care services: 20,545
Hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities: 21,079
Social assistance: 3,686
Arts, entertainment, and recreation: 3,523
Performing arts, museums, and related activities: 1,768
Amusement, gambling, and recreation: 1,755
Accommodation and food services: 10,502
Accommodation: 2,347
Food services and drinking places: 8,155
Other services, except government: 12,316
Government: 48,446
Federal civilian: 10,362
Federal military: 2,207
State and local: 35,877
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Interactive
Campaign 2008A glimpse at presidential hopefuls and a fund-raising overview as the campaign gears up.
Interactive
America On GuardThe Homeland Security Department, the terror alert system, preparedness quiz and more.
More In-depth