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The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is one of four states of the United States of America that is called a commonwealth, the others being Massachusetts, Virginia, and Kentucky. It has given its name to the Pennsylvanian time period in geology. Pennsylvania is called the Keystone State. Although Swedes and Dutch were the first European settlers, the English Quaker William Penn named Pennsylvania for the Latin phrase meaning "Penn's Woods", in honor of his father. Penn's original choice of name had been "New Wales", as descriptions of the terrain and climate reminded him of Wales. The name was rejected due to protest from Welsh members of Parliament, who objected to the name of their region being applied to such a wild and uncivilized territory, especially one founded by Quakers. William Penn then suggested "Sylvania"- Latin for "woods" as an alternative. Charles II amended that name to "Pennsylvania". As the Quaker religion frowns on such acts of egotism, William Penn objected to the idea, but was placated by the King's proposal to name the state in honor of Admiral Sir William Penn- Penn's father and national hero, rather than William Penn himself. Today, two major cities dominate the state—Philadelphia, home of the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and a thriving metropolitan area, and Pittsburgh, a busy inland river port and major center for educational and technological advances. The Pocono Mountains and the Delaware Water Gap provide popular recreational activities. Pennsylvania is one of the U.S.'s most historic states. Philadelphia is often called the cradle of the American Nation. It was there that the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution were drawn up by the Founding Fathers. The battleship USS Pennsylvania, damaged at Pearl Harbor, was named in honor of this state, as were several other naval vessels. It was repaired at the former Sun Ship Yard & Dry Dock in Chester City. Pennsylvania's nickname "The Keystone State" is quite apt, as the state forms a geographic bridge both between the Northeastern states and the Southern states, and between the Atlantic seaboard and the Midwest. It is bordered on the north and northeast by New York, on the east, across the Delaware River by New Jersey, on the south by Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia, on the west by Ohio, and on the northwest by Lake Erie. The Delaware, Susquehanna, Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio Rivers are the major rivers of the state. The Youghiogheny River and Oil Creek are smaller rivers which have played an important role in the development of the state. The capital is Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is 180 miles (290 km) north to south and 310 miles (500 km) east to west. The total land area is 44,817 square miles (119,283 km²), 739,200 acres (2,990 km²) of which are bodies of water. It is the 33rd largest state in the United States. The highest point of 3,213 feet (979 m) above sea level is at Mount Davis. Its lowest point is at sea level on the Delaware River. Pennsylvania is in the Eastern time zone. The western third of the state can be considered a separate large geophysical unit, distinctive enough that itmay best be described on its own. Several important, complex factors set Western Pennsylvania apart in many respects from the east, such as the initial difficulty of access across the mountains, rivers orientated to the Mississippi drainage system, and above all, the complex economics involved in the rise and decline of the American steel industry centered around Pittsburgh. Other factors, such as a markedly different style of agriculture, the rise of the oil industry, timber exploitation and the old wood chemical industry, and even, in linguistics, the local dialect, all make this large area sometimes seem a virtual "state within a state".
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