Pennsylvania+Geography

Pennsylvania Geography

Pennsylvania is the thirty-third largest state in the United States of America. It is three hundred and two miles in width and one hundred and fifty-eight miles in length. The state is four thousand three hundred and thirty-three square miles and the most southern state in the northeast region on the United States. It borders north with New York, east with New York and New Jersey, south with West Virginia and Maryland, and west with West Virginia and Ohio. It also borders Lake Erie in the northwest. Pennsylvania is also considered a Mid-Atlantic state. The climate in Pennsylvania varies according to the region and its elevation. Pennsylvania, as a whole, is listed as a humid continental climate. It also has 4 distinct seasons, Winter (December twenty-third to March twenty-first), Spring (March twenty-first to June twenty-first), Summer (June twenty-first to September twenty-third), and Fall (September twenty-third to December twenty-third). The Atlantic Ocean does not affect Pennsylvania’s weather in anyway. Pennsylvania has an average of seven tornadoes per year, and the average rain fall is thirty-four to fifty-two inches a year. There are five distinct regions in Pennsylvania. They are the Atlantic Coastal Plains, the Piedmont, Ridge and Valley, Allegheny Mountains and Plateau, and the Lake Erie Plan. The first of the regions is the Atlantic Coastal Plains. This section of land runs across the East Coast from New York to Florida. It runs ten miles into the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania. The elevation of this region ranges fro sea level to twenty-six feet above sea level. The next region is the Piedmont. This region lays on most of the southeastern part of the state, but ends at Harrisburg. In this region there are low, rolling hills with a maximum elevation of six hundred feet above sea level. This region holds some of the most fertile soil in the United States. On this land there are a combination of farms, fields, and forests. The third region of Pennsylvania is the Ridge and Valley region. This includes the mountain ridges and valleys curving down from the northeast. This region covers about ninety miles in width. The Appalachian Mountain chain is included in this part. The Blue Ridge Mountain range is also in this region with a maximum height of two thousand two hundred feet in elevation. Another mountain range in this region is the Allegheny Mountains that branch out in many different directions across the state. In these mountains lies the highest point in Pennsylvania, Mount Davis. Another region is the Allegheny Mountains and Plateau which covers sixty percent of the state alone. The elevation of this region is seven hundred feet to two thousand five hundred feet. The Pocono Mountains are in this region with up to two thousand feet in elevation. The last distinct region is the Lake Erie Plan. This region is located in the northwestern part of Pennsylvania. This region is narrow and flat. The whole region is only 4 miles. The soil in this region is rich in sand and silt which makes for growing unique crops. The water in Pennsylvania is an surplus of fresh water supply. Pennsylvania has around forty-five thousand miles of rivers and tributaries. There are two hundred fifty-six natural lakes along with two thousand man-made lakes in the state. There are three major water systems in Pennsylvania, they are the Allegheny River, the Monongahela River, and the Ohio River. The Allegheny River is located in north central Pennsylvania. It runs through the city of Pittsburg. Some of it’s tributaries are Cassadaga Creek, Conewango Creek, Olean Creek, and Oil Creek. The Monongahela River is located in southwestern Pennsylvania. It also flows through Pittsburg. Some of the tributaries to this river are the Cheat River and the Youghiogheny River.The Ohio River is located in western Pennsylvania. This river also runs through Pittsburg. Some tributaries to this river are the Allegheny River, the Monongahela River, and the Beaver River. Pennsylvania is full of natural resources. There are twenty state forests in Pennsylvania. There are also one hundred forty-four state parks in the state. The soil in the Pennsylvania varies from different locations. Around the mountains, there is poor soil that causes difficulty in growing crops, yet one third of the land is farmed. The richest soils in Pennsylvania are found in the Piedmont region. The soil in the Ridge and Valley region is full of limestone and slate. In Pennsylvania most soil contains brown loam. Brown loam is a mixture of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter. Some soil in Pennsylvania has a fair quality of clay which is important to Pennsylvania’s brick and clay industry. Pennsylvania also contains fossil fuels. These fossil fuels are coal, natural gas, and petroleum. Pennsylvania is the fourth largest producer of coal in the United States. Most coal from Pennsylvania is from the northeastern part of the state. Natural gas is produced in more then twenty counties in Pennsylvania. There are over twenty-four thousand wells in Pennsylvania, leading it to be one of the largest producers of natural gas in the United States. Petroleum, for the first time ever, drilled in northwestern Pennsylvania. The state produces 1% of the countries petroleum. Pennsylvania ranks in the top ten states in mineral production. Nearly three hundred minerals are found in Pennsylvania. The state also ranks first in stone production. The two most important stones found in Pennsylvania are limestone and slate. Two other stones found in half of the state are sand and gravel.