Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and one of the largest in the United States. Between 1790 and 1800 it served as the nation's capital. It is located in southeastern Pennsylvania, at the point where the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers come together.

Cityscape

Philadelphia today has more than 100 neighborhoods, including the once-outlying communities of Germantown, West Philadelphia, and Chestnut Hill. There are also about 100 parks located throughout the city. Among them is Fairmount Park, the largest landscaped park within any U.S. city.

The oldest major institution of higher education in the city is the University of Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1740. Other schools include Temple University, Drexel University, Hahnemann Medical College, and the Franklin Institute. The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, founded in 1805, was the first art school established in the United States. Among the city's many museums are the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Franklin Institute's Science Museum and Planetarium, and the Please Touch Museum for Children.

Economy

Although manufacturing has declined in Philadelphia, the city is still a leader in the production of radios and television sets and electrical machinery. Printing and publishing are also major industries. Philadelphia is an important banking and financial center as well. The city is home to University City Science Center and Institute, a cooperative research organization of more than 20 colleges and universities.

History

The first permanent non-Indian settlement in what is now Philadelphia was established by people from Sweden and Finland in the 1640s. In 1681 the site became part of the colony of Pennsylvania. The colony was founded by William Penn as a place where people could enjoy freedom of worship. Philadelphia was named by Penn and laid out according to his instructions. The name was Greek for “the city of brotherly love.”

By the middle of the 18th century Philadelphia had become a major trade center. As trade grew, so did manufacturing. Many leather workers and shipbuilders came to the city. It also housed flour mills, a paper mill, rum distilleries, steel furnaces, an anchor forge, and a glassworks.

The city played a special role in the American Revolution (1775–83). The Declaration of Independence was written in Philadelphia and signed there on July 4, 1776. Eleven years later the United States Constitution was drafted in the city's State House, better known as Independence Hall.

By the mid-19th century Philadelphia had lost its position as the country's political, commercial, and financial capital of the United States. Trade between Philadelphia and other cities dwindled because its port was no match for that of New York City. In 1876, however, the nation focused again on the city when it hosted the Centennial Exposition. It was one of the first great world's fairs, and it provided an important showcase for U.S. technology. One hundred years later the nation's 1976 bicentennial renewed interest in Philadelphia's historical landmarks such as Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell Pavilion. Population (2000 census), 1,517,550.