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Chapter 1
Piedmont
T
he word
piedmont
(peed mont)
means land that lies at the base or
foot ofmountain land. This land lies
between the coastal plain and the
beginning of mountain land. It begins
about 10 miles west of Philadelphia and
extends northwest to Harrisburg. The
Piedmont also covers land from the
Delaware River. It runs southwest to the
Delaware andMaryland state borders.
What does this region look like? It
has many rolling hills and valleys. The
elevationof this land ranges from50 to600
feet above sea level. In some places, there
are small forests.
The Piedmont is famous for its farming.
Some of the best soil in theUnited States is
found here. Farmers raise many kinds of
animals and grow many kinds of crops.
This region has a longer growing season
than other parts of our state. That is
because it is closer to the AtlanticOcean, is
farther south, andhas amilder climate.
As you travel through this region, you
can also see many factories that process
food or make snack foods such as potato
chips. The Piedmont also has some cities.
Lancaster is located in the center of the
Piedmont. Farther west is the city of York.
Both cities make products that are sent to
many places in our country.
Port of Philadelphia
For more than 300 years,
Philadelphia has been a great port
city. Major cities and industrial
areas are located near waterways.
It is easier to ship several tons of
steel by water than by air. Large
volumes of products are
transported on our waterways.
Pennsylvania has threemajor port
areas: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh,
and Erie. The Port of Philadelphia
connects with the Atlantic Ocean,
whichmakes it one of the largest inland ports in the world.Machinery, grain,
and chemicals are some of themajor products handled by the port’s ship-loading
terminals. Large quantities of crude oil are also imported and refined in the
Philadelphia region. All of this helps the Philadelphia region and the State of
Pennsylvania grow.
