Pennsylvania was one of the original thirteen colonies, granted as a repayment of debt by Charles II of England to William Penn. Pennsylvania literally means "Penn's Woods."

Pennsylvania touches Lake Erie to the north-west, borders New York State to the north, New Jersey to the east, Maryland and West Virginia to the south and Ohio to the west.

Over 85% of Pennsylvania's total population is Caucasian. Of foreign-born citizens, over one-third are of Asian descent.

Pennsylvania has the highest Amish population of any state. The majority of Amish speak Pennsylvania Dutch, a variant of English. More than half of religious Pennsylvanians identify themselves as Roman Catholic.

Pennsylvania has a rich history of professional sports franchises, including the Phillies and Eagles in Philadelphia and the Steelers and Penguins in Pittsburgh.

Pennsylvania teams frequently have championship-level success in their leagues, though no team from Philadelphia has won a major sports title since the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983. The Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XL in 2005.