|
|
Article: Pennsylvania
- Article from:
- Dictionary of American History
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
PENNSYLVANIA
PENNSYLVANIA.
The geography of Pennsylvania is complex, and the physical differences among the commonwealth's different regions have helped shape its history. Early colonists would have first encountered the coastal plain in what is now southeast Pennsylvania, along the Delaware River. This area is flat and fertile. Beyond the coastal plain is the Piedmont region, which covers most of southeastern Pennsylvania, and is very productive farmland. In the middle of Pennsylvania are the Appalachian Ridge and the Great Valley, the latter consisting of many small valleys that also provide good farmland. In the far northwest is the Lake Erie Lowland, the sandy soil of which has ...