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Philadelphia ("Philly") is one of the oldest cities in the United States States of American and has
played a very important part in the birth of its freedom and democratic form of government. Situated at the
junction of the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, William Penn founded the city from land that was granted to him
by King Charles II of England. Philadelphia means "City of Brotherly Love" in Greek.
Philadelphia is considered the birthplace of the United States of American, where the Declaration of Independence
and Constitution were written and signed in the city's Independence Hall. Philadelphia served as the temporary
capital of the USA until 1800, when the Capitol building in Washington, DC was opened. Philadelphia was an early
railroad center and had a thriving economy.
Located in the state of Pennsylvania, halfway between New York City and Washington, D.C. Philadelphia sits on the
Atlantic Coastal Plain. Covering an area of just over 135 square miles, the city is home to a diverse population of
about 1.5 million people. The city's population is about evenly divided between Caucasians and African Americans with
Asians and Hispanics forming the next largest groups. The city is home to many famous neighborhoods including
Andorra, Roxborough, Germantown, Chinatown, South Philly, Society Hill, University City, Chestnut Hill, Manayunk,
Mount Airy and the Museum District.
Having been a long standing manufacturing and trade center, the city's ethnic fabric features African American,
Irish, Italian, German, Puerto Rican, and Polish influences. The cultural diversity is featured amongst the
various food specialties of the city. Philly cheesesteaks, Italian ice, hoagies, scrapple and soft pretzels are
just some of the city's culinary specialties.
Philly is also blessed with four major sports teams. The Seventy Sixers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Eagles
of the National Football League (NFL), Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL) and Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB)
all call Philadelphia home.
The city has also produced some great entertainers (Kevin Bacon, Bill Cosby, Richard Gere, W. C. Fields), muscial
artists (Boyz to Men, Will Smith, The Roots, Eve, Stan Getz), sports stars (Wilt Chamberlin, Kobe Bryant, Charles
Barkley, Julius Erving, Marvin Harrison, Donovan McNabb, Allen Iverson) and other well known personalities
(Benjamin Franklin, Noam Chomsky, Oscar Goodman, Grace Kelly, Chris Matthews).
Facts about Philadelphia -
| County |
Philadelphia County |
| Area |
349.9 km˛ (135.1 mi˛) |
| Population |
1,492,231 (2004) |
| Latitude |
39°57' N |
| Longitude |
75°10' W |
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