Florida

Florida also hosts the following minor league baseball teams:. See also:Philadelphia in film and television. As of 2004, Florida hosts the following major league teams for spring training:. cities with teams from four major sports. Florida is an extremely popular location for Major League Baseball spring training, with teams informally organized into the "Grapefruit League". See also: U.S. [2] (http://www.sptimes.com/News/050801/State/Bush_s_trustees_mostl.shtml) In 2002, Democratic Senator Bob Graham started a ballot referendum designed to revert to the Board of Regents system. The Wachovia Spectrum is now home to the Flyers' top farm team, the Phantoms and the Major League Indoor soccer team, the Kixx.

This has not been without controversy. The Sixers and Flyers share the Wachovia Center with the Soul and Wings. As is typical of executive-appointed government boards, the appointees so far have been overwhelmingly Republican. "The Park," "The Zit," "The Vault" or in a Freudian error, "The Vet", from the Eagles' and Phillies' last home, Veterans Stadium). Instead, each public university is now controlled by its own Board of Trustees who are directly appointed by the governor. The Phillies now play in Citizens Bank Park (a.k.a. In 2000, Governor Bush and the state legislature acted to abolish the Board of Regents that governed the State University System of Florida. The Eagles now play at Lincoln Financial Field (informally known as "The Linc").

Major testing organizations frequently discount the use of state average test score rankings, or any average of scaled scores, as a valid metric (see psychometrics for more details on scaled test scores). The Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and 76ers have each recently had a new stadium built for them. Governor Jeb Bush has been criticized by many Florida educators for a program that penalizes underperforming schools (as indicated by standardized tests, such as the FCAT) with fewer funding dollars. The city's original NFL team was the Frankford Yellow Jackets (Frankford being a section of the city located in the northeastern part of town); the club disbanded during the 1931 football season, then re-emerged under the same ownership two years later as the Philadelphia Eagles. It should be noted that many education surveys are not scientific, but do measure prestige. In the past Philadelphia has also been home to the Philadelphia Athletics (MLB, now the Oakland Athletics), and the Philadelphia Warriors (NBA, now the Golden State Warriors). Florida public schools have consistently ranked in the bottom 25% of many national surveys and average test score rankings. The Philadelphia Barrage (Major League Lacrosse, lacrosse) plays at the stadium of Villanova University, which is located in Villanova.

states. Some locals half-jokingly attribute this to the Curse of Billy Penn. Average teacher salaries rank near the middle of U.S. Of late Philadelphia teams have been performing well, but frequently missing championships by failing during the crucial stages. Florida's public school revenue per student and spending per $1000 of personal income usually ranks in the bottom 25% of U.S. states. Philadelphia sports fans have a reputation of being devoted to their teams in good times and bad. See complete list of Florida places. Philadelphia has a long and proud history of professional sports teams.

Ranked by per capita income. The Free Library of Philadelphia. The three largest Protestant denominations in Florida are: Baptist (22% of the total state population), Methodist (8%), Presbyterian (4%). Colleges and universities near Philadelphia include. Religiously, Florida is mostly Protestant, but with a growing Roman Catholic community due to Hispanic immigration. All schools in the district are required to have a school uniform or a similar dress code. The five largest ancestries in the state are: African American (14.6%), German (11.8%), Irish (10.3%), English (9.2%), American (8%). All of Philadelphia is served by the School District of Philadelphia.

As of 2003, the state had a population of 17,019,068. WPLY 100.3FM had formerly been a purely Philadelphia-based alternative rock station, but its format was changed to hip hop in early 2005. Today most of the spam businesses appear to be operating out of South Florida. In 2005, Philadelphia became the largest city in the United States without a modern rock-format radio station, in part because of the difficulty such a station has in gaining market share from WMMR and WYSP. Historically Florida has also been home to large telemarketing firms. Philadelphia is home to some of the country's most prominent radio stations, including two of the nation's leading rock stations, WMMR at 93.3FM and WYSP at 94.1FM. Both stations have been breakthrough stations for many contemporary rock bands, and both are widely known in the rock music community for their influence in impacting the country's rock music trends. Spammers are not the first business men of questionable ethics to use Florida as a home base. Famed comedian Bill Cosby was born and raised in Philadelphia.

In 2005 Spamhaus declared Florida the spam capital of the world [1]  (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-sbspammain08may08,0,7702631.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines). Experts have estimated that Florida is an attractive place of business for Spammers due to the gorgeous weather, low key atmosphere, nearby Internet data centers and the state's reputation as "a good place to do dirty business". Its cultural diversity is reflected in the music and musicians that have come from or through Philadelphia: the R&B styles of Jill Scott and Patti LaBelle, the jazz of Grover Washington Jr., Stan Getz, and Sun Ra, the rock of Pink, the rap of Will Smith, and the opera of Marian Anderson. Florida did not have any state minimum wage laws until November 2, 2004, when voters passed a Constitutional Amendment requiring inflationary increases to the minimum wage every six months. Philadelphia has been home to many people of note, the most famous of whom is probably Ben Franklin, who along with the others in the Continental Congresses helped shape the city along with the country and the world. With the arrival of the space program at Kennedy Space Center in the 1960s, Florida has attracted a large number of aerospace and military industries to the state. For a list of famous past and present resident of Philadelphia, see: List of people from Philadelphia. Other major industries include citrus fruit and juice production, banking, and phosphate mining. The "Italian Market" section of South Philadelphia is home to an increasing number of Vietnamese residents.

The large Walt Disney World Resort with four theme parks and over twenty hotels plus countless water parks, shopping centres and other facilities, located in Lake Buena Vista drives the economy of that area, along with more recent entries into the theme park arena such as the Universal Orlando Resort. The great amount of sales tax revenue is what allows the state to be one of the few to not levy a personal income tax. Philadelphia has a large Italian American population along with Irish-Americans, Asian-Americans, African Americans, and growing numbers of Hispanic residents and émigrés from Russia and Asian countries. Warm weather most of the year and hundreds of miles of beach provide a thriving vacation spot for travelers from around the world. Distinctive Philadelphian dishes include:. Florida's economy is heavily based on tourism. The following railroads, almost all radiating from downtown, were built in the mid-19th century:. The per capita personal income was $30,098, ranking 26^th in the nation. Philadelphia was an early railroad hub.

The gross state product of Florida in 2003 was $550 billion. Other planned freeways have been cancelled, such as an Interstate 695 running southwest from downtown and a freeway upgrade of Roosevelt Boulevard. Many other smaller hurricanes have hit or brushed Florida, and many more hurricanes will hit in the future. Shortly after it was completed, though, it became one of the busiest corridors in the region. Among a long list of other infamous hurricane strikes were the Miami Hurricane of 1926, the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928, the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Hurricane Donna in 1960 and Hurricane Opal in 1995. The construction of 476 between 76 and 95 took much longer than expected due to community opposition and stubborn landowners. history, Hurricane Andrew, which cost twenty-five billion dollars when it struck on August 12, 1992. The stretch of 476 between 95 and the toll portion of 476 (running North from the Mid-County Interchange at Plymouth Meeting) is referred to locally as "The Blue Route," because regional planners drew a blue line right through Montgomery and Delaware Counties to suggest where a road ought to be built.

Hurricanes Charley (August 13), Frances (September 4-5), Ivan (September 16), and Jeanne (September 25-26) cumulatively cost forty-two billion dollars to the state. Florida was also the site of the most costly single weather disaster in U.S. Opened in the early 1990s, the Northeast Extension (276 & 476) connects highways south of Philly International Airport to ones north of the city. Florida saw a slew of destruction in 2004 when it was hit by a record four hurricanes. The Tacony-Palmyra Bridge connects PA 73 with NJ 73, and is maintained by the Burlington County Bridge Commission. Hurricanes pose a threat during the summer and fall. The Delaware River Port Authority operates three bridges in Philadelphia over the Delaware River to New Jersey: the Walt Whitman Bridge (I-76), the Benjamin Franklin Bridge (I-676 and US 30), and the Betsy Ross Bridge (NJ 90). Snow flurries fell on Miami Beach for the only time in history. Plans to extend the highway west into the suburbs were killed by community opposition.

The most widespread snowfall in Florida history happened in February 1978 with snow falling over much of the state in different times of the month, extending as far south as Homestead. The Woodhaven Expressway (PA 63), serving the neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia, runs between Interstate 95 and Roosevelt Boulevard (US 1). The Great Blizzard of 1899, was also the only time the temperature has fallen below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, registering -2f in Tallahassee. In recent years, it has become a traffic bottleneck and includes the #2 and #3 worst intersections in the country about a mile from each other, according to a study by State Farm Insurance. During that time, the Tampa Bay area had "Gulf effect" snow, similar to Lake effect snowfall. The boulevard was built for the Lincoln Highway as part of the City Beautiful movement. During the Great Blizzard of 1899, Florida experienced blizzard conditions for possibly the first time. Roosevelt Boulevard and the Roosevelt Expressway (US 1) connects Northeast Philadelphia with Center City.

Snow is a rare occurrence in Florida, although it usually snows somewhere in Florida almost every winter. A link between I-95 and I-76, it runs beneath street level through Center City, and connects to the Ben Franklin Bridge at its east end. Florida has more lightning strikes than any other state and also leads the nation in tornadoes per square mile(although the tornadoes in Florida do not get as large as those in the Midwest or Great Plains. Hail is not an uncommon occurrence in some of the more severe thunderstorms. Interstate 676, the Vine Street Expressway, was completed in 1991 after years of planning. These thunderstorms which are caused by airflow from the Gulf of Mexico seemingly "pop up" in the early afternoon and can often bring heavy downpours, high winds and sometimes tornadoes. It meets the Pennsylvania Turnpike at King of Prussia and provides access to Harrisburg and points west. Statewide, Florida has the highest average precipitation of any state, due in large part to afternoon thunderstorms which are common throughout most of the state from late spring until the early autumn. The city is also served by Interstate 76 (the Schuylkill Expressway), which runs along the Schuylkill River.

While Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State", severe weather is a common occurrence in Florida. Interstate 95 runs through the city along the Delaware River, providing transportation from Florida to Maine. The Gulf stream has a moderating effect on Florida climate and although it is common for much of Florida to see a high summer temperature over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, it is not common for the mercury to go above 100 degrees Fareinheit in Florida. Philadelphia International Airport provides domestic and international scheduled air service, while Northeast Philadelphia Airport serves general and corporate aviation. The seasons in Florida often called "Hot and Hotter" are actually determined more by precipitation than by temperature with warm, relatively dry winters and autumns (the dry season) and hot, wet springs and especially the summers (the wet season). Two airports, Philadelphia International Airport and Northeast Philadelphia Airport, reside within the city limits (Philadelphia International also lies in the city limits of Tinicum Township, Delaware County). Most of the state has a humid subtropical climate with the extreme tip of Florida and the Florida Keys bordering on a true tropical climate. PATCO provides subway service to Camden, Collingswood, Haddonfield, Cherry Hill, Ashland, and Lindenwold, New Jersey, from stations on Locust Street between 16th and 15th, 13th and 12th, and 10th and 9th Streets, and on Market Street at 8th Street.

The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by its proximity to water. Amtrak's 30th Street Station is a major railroad facility which offers access to Amtrak, SEPTA, and NJ Transit rail lines. At 345 feet (105 metres) above sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida (it's also the lowest state highpoint.). Philadelphia lies directly on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. It is near the countries of the Caribbean, particularly the Bahamas, Cuba, and Haiti. Philadelphia is served by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or SEPTA. SEPTA runs buses, trains, subways, trolleys, and trackless trolleys around Philadelphia and into the suburbs. It is bordered on the north by the states of Georgia and Alabama and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. Out of the total population, 31.3% of those under the age of 18 and 16.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Florida consists of a panhandle extending along the northern Gulf of Mexico and a large peninsula with the Atlantic Ocean as its eastern border and the Gulf of Mexico as its western border. 22.9% of the population and 18.4% of families are below the poverty line. See: List of counties in Florida. The per capita income for the city is $16,509. The state use tax is 6 percent on purchases made out of state and brought into Florida within 6 months of the purchase date. Males have a median income of $34,199 versus $28,477 for females. Local governments may levy a local option sales on top of that, so sales taxes vary by county between 6 and 7.5 percent. The median income for a household in the city is $30,746, and the median income for a family is $37,036.

The state sales tax rate is 6 percent. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 81.8 males. Florida is one of the nine states which does not impose personal income tax (list of others). For every 100 females there are 86.8 males. See: List of Florida Governors. The median age is 34 years. Outside of liberal Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, the Florida Democratic Party tends to be socially conservative and heavily associated with the good ol' boy network. In the city the population is spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who are 65 years of age or older.

Tampa, once a hotbed of Democratic union support, is now about 50% both registered Republicans and Democrats making it, and surrounding areas, part of the important I-4 Corridor swing region. The average household size is 2.48 and the average family size is 3.22. In Miami, the liberal Democrats vie for control with wealthy Cuban conservative Republicans and their business allies. 33.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. As such, and because of its high population and large number of electoral votes, Florida is considered by political analysts to be a key swing state in Presidential elections. Of the 590,071 households, 27.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.1% are married couples living together, 22.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% are non-families. The Presidential election in Florida in 2000 was extremely close. The ethnic makeup of the city is 43.2% Black, 13.6% Irish, 9.2% Italian, 8.1% German, 6.4% Puerto Rican, and 4.3% Polish.

Despite this demographic parity, Republicans control the governorship and most other statewide elected offices; both houses of the state legislature; 18 of the state's 25 seats in the House of Representatives; and one of the state's two senate seats. 8.50% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. Though Florida has traditionally been a Democratic state, in recent years explosive population growth has brought with it many Republicans, leaving the state approximately evenly split between the two parties. The racial makeup of the city is 45.02% White, 43.22% African American, 0.27% Native American, 4.46% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.77% from other races, and 2.21% from two or more races. Bush. There are 661,958 housing units at an average density of 1,891.9/km² (4,900.1/mi²). W. The population density is 4,337.3/km² (11,233.6/mi²).

Bush and son of former President George H. As of the census² of 2000, there are 1,517,550 people, 590,071 households, and 352,272 families residing in the city. The current governor is Republican Jeb Bush, brother of President George W. For a more extensive list of Philadelphia neighborhoods, see List of Philadelphia neighborhoods. The Florida Legislature has a Senate of 40 members and a House of 120 members. These include Andorra, Roxborough, Northern Liberties, Old City, Bustleton, Oxford Circle, Somerton, Manayunk, Center City, Queen Village, Kensington, Frankford, University City, Strawberry Mansion, Chestnut Hill, Fishtown, Port Richmond, Germantown, Mount Airy, Wynnefield, Chinatown, Fox Chase, South Philly, Society Hill, the Museum District and many others. Today, Florida is the fourth most populous state in the Union. Many of these neighborhoods coincide with the borough and townships that made up Philadelphia County before their absorbtion by the city.

After the fall of the Confederacy in 1865, Florida was readmitted into the Union on June 25, 1868. Like every big city, Philadelphia has many neighborhoods, each of which has its own identity. Florida joined the CSA on February 10, 1861. Bodies of water include the Schuylkill River, Cobbs Creek, Wissahickon Creek, and Pennypack Creek. On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America. Florida seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861 and was one of the founding members of the Confederate States of America (CSA, also known as the Confederacy). The total area is 5.29% water. Spain finally ceded Florida to the United States with the Adams-Onís Treaty in 1819, in exchange for the US renouncing any claims on Texas. 349.9 km² (135.1 mi²) of it is land and 19.6 km² (7.6 mi²) of it is water.

Control of parts of Florida passed among Spanish, British, and American control. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 369.4 km² (142.6 mi²). The area of Florida diminished with the establishment of British colonies to the north and French colonies to the west. Philadelphia is located at 39°59'53" North, 75°8'41" West (39.998012, -75.144793)¹. Over the following century, the Spanish and French both established settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success. The city is also a national center of law due to the University of Pennsylvania's prestigious law school. Archaelogical finds indicate that Florida had been inhabited for many thousands of years prior to any European settlements. Spaniards first arrived in 1513 and laid claim to a large, imprecisely defined area extending from about modern day Gainesville northward to the Carolinas, which they called La terra florida, "The flowery land". Because of the large presence of the federal government, the city has a large contingent of law firms including the head quarters of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP-- a world-wide firm and federal contractor.

Main article: History of Florida. The east-coast operations of the United States Mint are based near the historic district, and the Federal Reserve Bank's Philadelphia division is based there as well. USS Florida was named in honor of this state. The Federal government plays a large role in Philadelphia as well. Postal abbreviation is FL. The list of major companies in Philadelphia includes Aramark, GlaxoSmithKline, Sunoco, Comcast, and Pep Boys. The U.S. Philadelphia has its own stock exchange.

It was discovered by Spanish explorers during the Easter season, which is called Pascua Florida in Spanish. Philadelphia's economy is heavily based upon manufacturing, refining, food, and financial services. "Florida" is a Spanish adjective which means "flowery". Judges for all of the above courts are elected at large. It is known as the Sunshine State. Also, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania sit in Philadelphia several times a year. Florida is a southern state in the United States. Pennsylvania's three appellate courts also sit in Philadelphia. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, which is the court of last resort in the state, regularly hears arguments in Philadelphia City Hall.

Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin. Traffic Court is a court of special jurisdiction which hears violations of traffic laws. Petersburg. The Philadelphia Municipal Court handles matters of limited jurisdiction as well as landlord-tenant disputes, appeals from traffic court, conducts preliminary examinations for felony-level offenses, and the like. Tampa Bay Devil Rays in St. It is funded and operated largely by City resources and employees. Saint Louis Cardinals in Jupiter. The Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, also known as the Court of Common Pleas for the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, is the trial court of general jurisdiction for Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton. Verna. Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater. The current council president is Anna C. New York Yankees in Tampa. Philadelphia has seven council members at large, and ten council members from districts. Lucie. The legislative branch of Philadelphia is the Philadelphia City Council.

New York Mets in Port St. See also: List of mayors of Philadelphia. Washington Nationals in Viera. He was re-elected by a larger majority in 2003. Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers. The incumbent is former Philadelphia City Council President John Street (D), who was first elected in 1999. Los Angeles Dodgers in Vero Beach. The city is headed by an elected mayor who is limited to two consecutive four-year terms, but can run for the position again after an intervening term.

Houston Astros in Kissimmee. From a governmental perspective, Philadelphia County is a legal nullity, as all county functions were assumed by the city in 1952, which has been coterminous with the county since 1854. Florida Marlins in Jupiter. Prior to that, the city of Philadelphia consisted only of those areas between South Street, Vine Street, the Delaware River, and the Schuylkill River. Detroit Tigers in Lakeland. The city limits have been coterminous with Philadelphia County since 1854. Cleveland Indians in Winter Haven. The term "Downtown" refers to South Philadelphia.

Cincinnati Reds in Sarasota. The Central Business District is known as Center City, and is the third largest of its kind in America. Boston Red Sox in Palms Park. David Rittenhouse was a clockmaker and friend of the American Revolution. Baltimore Orioles in Fort Lauderdale. William Rittenhouse's original paper mill site is known as Rittenhousetown, and is a delightful rural setting in Fairmount Park. Atlanta Braves at Walt Disney World. Rittenhouse Square is named after David Rittenhouse, a descendent of the first paper-maker in Philadelphia, the German immigrant William Rittenhouse.

Since the completion of One Liberty Place, no Philadelphia sporting team has won a world championship event in its discipline, a phenomenon locally - and increasingly nationally - known as the "Curse of Billy Penn." There is also a Masonic Temple located only across the street from the City Hall, a legacy of the Founding Fathers and signers of the Declaration of Independence, many of whom were Freemasons. One Liberty Place is the tallest building not only in Philadelphia but in the entire state of Pennsylvania, however in 2005 construction began on the Comcast Center which, when completed in 2007, will be 30 feet taller than One Liberty Place. Since then, seven other skyscrapers have been completed exceeding the statue, including One Liberty Place's little sister, Two Liberty Place. However in March of 1987, One Liberty Place broke the gentlemen's agreement not to exceed the height of the statue of William Penn on the top of the City Hall.

City Hall is the tallest masonry building in the world; and through the late 1980s, City Hall used to be locally known as the tallest building in Philadelphia. Both are the same distance south of City Hall. The eastern edge of Rittenhouse Square is on 18th St., four blocks west of City Hall, while the western edge of Washington Square is between 7th and 8th, about six and a half blocks east of City Hall. He also planned five public parks, one at the intersection of High and Broad Streets in the very center of the city (now occupied by the City Hall) and four others (now called Washington Square, Rittenhouse Square, Logan Square and Franklin Square) surrounding it.

The east-west streets, many of them named for trees, e.g., Chestnut, Walnut, Locust, and Spruce (These are laid out in increasing Hardness from the Soft-wood Pine in the South to the Hard-wood Chestnut in the North) parallel the main thoroughfare named High Street by Penn, but called Market Street since at least the early 18th century (six blocks south of the latter is South Street, noted in recent decades for its raucous night life and the subject of the 1963 hit single by The Orlons of the same name). The numbered streets then resume, continuing in the original plan to 28th at the Schuylkill River. The north-south streets are numbered sequentially from Front (instead of First), along the Delaware River, to 13th, followed by the main north-south thoroughfare, Broad Street (instead of 14th). Penn's surveyor, Thomas Holme, laid out the city in a strict grid, with all streets running either north-south or east-west.

In 1926, the city held the Sesquicentennial Exposition, but Philadelphia was not the central focus of the Bicentennial observances that took place nationwide in the United States in 1976 (New York City held this distinction, as thousands of "tall ships" gathered in New York Harbor on July 4, 1976, the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence). Memorial Hall and the expansive mall in front of it are remnants of this fair. In 1876 Philadelphia hosted the World's Fair known as the Centennial Exposition. The Pennsylvania Railroad, once America's largest railroad by revenue and traffic volume and at one time the largest public corporation in the world, was headquartered on Broad Street, as was its merger successor, the Penn Central.

An early railroad center, Philadelphia was the original home of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, the world's largest builder of steam locomotives (which relocated to nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania). Philadelphia served as the temporary capital for a decade, until 1800, when the Capitol building in the new Federal city of Washington, DC was opened. In exchange for locating a permanent capital on the banks of the Potomac River, the congressmen agreed to support Hamilton's financial proposals. In 1790, the seat of the United States Government was moved from Federal Hall in New York to Congress Hall in Philadelphia as the result of a compromise between a number of Southern congressmen and United States Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton.

For a time in the 18th century, Philadelphia was the largest city in the Americas north of Mexico City, and was the fourth largest city under Crown rule (after London, Bristol, and Dublin). The Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were signed in the city's Independence Hall. Philadelphia was a major center of the independence movement during the American Revolutionary War. Penn also required lots of alleyways and open spaces in hopes of controlling fires and disease (which were then common problems in London).

This was intended to allow the city's population to leave the city easily. During early immigration by Quakers and others, when immigrants purchased land in the city, they also received farm land outside of the city. Penn hoped that the city, as the capital of his new colony founded on principles of freedom and religious tolerance, would be a model of this philosophy. The city's name means "city of brotherly love" in ancient Greek.

Philadelphia is a planned city founded and developed by William Penn, a Quaker. In 1700, the group built the Gloria Dei Church, also known as Old Swedes. A congregation was formed in 1646 on Tinicum Island by Swedish missionary Johannes Campanius. In 1669, Swedish colonists became the first Europeans to settle the area (see New Sweden), calling it Wicoca.

Before Europeans arrived, the Delaware (Lenape) Indian town of Shackamaxon was located where Philadelphia now stands. At that time, it eclipsed Boston and New York City in political and social importance, with Benjamin Franklin playing an extraordinary role in Philadelphia's rise.
. During part of the 18th century, the city was the second capital and then-most populous city of the United States. It has played a critical role in American history and the birth of American independence and democracy.

Philadelphia is one of the oldest cities in the United States. Philadelphia is the central city for the Delaware Valley metropolitan area. The Philadelphia metropolitan area is the fourth largest nationally, with some 5.7 million people. However, later estimates showed that Philadelphia's population loss and Phoenix's population growth had both slowed, leaving the rankings unchanged for the present.

A July 1, 2002 census estimate showed the population dropping modestly to 1,492,231, with Phoenix, Arizona surpassing the city proper as the 5th largest city in the United States. Philadelphia (sometimes referred to as "Philly" or "the City of Brotherly Love") is the fifth most populous city in the United States and the most populous city in the state of Pennsylvania, occupying all of Philadelphia County.⁶ As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,517,550. Indoor soccer: Philadelphia Kixx (Major Indoor Soccer League). Indoor lacrosse: Philadelphia Wings (National Lacrosse League).

Arena football: Philadelphia Soul (Arena Football League). hockey: Philadelphia Flyers (National Hockey League), Philadelphia Phantoms (American Hockey League). Basketball: Philadelphia 76ers (National Basketball Association). Baseball: Philadelphia Phillies (Major League Baseball).

football: Philadelphia Eagles (National Football League). Delaware County Community College, Marple Township. West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester. University of Delaware, located just outside Pennsylvania in Newark, Delaware.

Widener University, Chester. Swarthmore College, Swarthmore. Villanova University, Villanova. Neumann College, Aston.

Haverford College, Haverford. Rosemont College, Bryn Mawr. Davids. Eastern University, located in St.

Bryn Mawr College, located in Bryn Mawr. Arcadia University, located in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Manor College, located in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. Bryn Athyn College of the New Church, located in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania.

Temple University's Tyler School of Art, located in Elkin's Park, Pennsylvania. Temple University, located in Ambler, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania State University, located in Abington, Pennsylvania and Media, Pennsylvania. Montgomery County Community College, located in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.

University of Pennsylvania. University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. University of the Arts. Thomas Jefferson University.

Temple University. Saint Joseph's University. Philadelphia University. Philadelphia Community College.

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. La Salle University. Holy Family University.

Drexel University. Curtis Institute of Music. Chestnut Hill College. The Art Institute of Philadelphia.

The Resturant School. Moore College of Art. Masterman high school. Central High School.

Philadelphia Auto Show. Philadelphia Flower Show. The Wing Bowl, a chicken wing eating competition. Patrick's Day Parade.

Philadelphia St. The Greek Picnic, a reunion and celebration of African-American college fraternities. The Mummers Parade, held every New Year's Day on Broad Street. For a traditional Philadelphia cheesesteak - Tony Luke's, Pat's Steaks, Geno's Steaks or Jim's Steaks (though cheesteaks can be found at most any corner pizza shop).

South Street. SEPTA Museum. Rittenhouse Square. Reading Terminal Market.

Philadelphia Zoo. Penn's Landing. One Liberty Place. LOVE Park.

Italian market. Gloria Dei National Historic Site, built in 1700, it is the oldest church in the state. Fairmount Park. Elfreth's Alley.

Eastern State Penitentiary. Philadelphia City Hall. Betsy Ross House. 30th Street Station.

University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Rosenbach Foundation & Rosenbach Museum. Rodin Museum (largest collection of Auguste Rodin's works outside France). Please Touch Museum.

Philadelphia Museum of Art. National Constitution Center. Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia (museum of medical and pathological oddities and curiosities). Liberty Bell & Independence Hall.

Franklin Institute. Fort Mifflin. Fairmount Waterworks and its interpretive center. Edgar Allan Poe House.

Barnes Foundation. Atwater-Kent Municipal Museum. Unlike soft pretzels of other cities, which are the same shape as hard pretzels, Philadelphia soft pretzels have a long, thin block-like shape. Soft pretzel -- thick, doughy pretzels, generally salted, often served with mustard.

Polish ice -- A much looser, creamier form of Italian Ice, usually coming only in chocolate and vanilla. Irish ice -- Irish ice is a creamier, thicker form of water ice. Italian ice (Water Ice)-- a frozen dessert, similar to a slushie except stiffer. Scrapple -- corn meal mush cooked up with every part (scrap) of the pig from the Pennsylvania Dutch country of Lancaster County.

Hoagies -- a sandwich made with cold cuts on an Italian roll, a localised variant of the submarine sandwich. Cheesesteaks, a kind of humble culinary masterpiece, made of cheese (usually either Cheez Wiz(tm), provolone or American) and slices of fried ribeye steak on a hoagie (Italian) roll, sometimes combined with onions or mushrooms - recent innovations include a chicken and a vegetarian variant. 1854: West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad[11] (http://courses.wcupa.edu/jones/his480/notes/rr-1.htm). 1850: relocation of Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad (later Pennsylvania Railroad main line)[10] (http://www.railsandtrails.com/PRR/BOD1948/history.html).

1839: Camden and Woodbury Railroad[9] (http://www.earlpleasants.com/search_1.asp). 1837: Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad[8] (http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Prr/Corphist/pb_w.html). 1835?: Philadelphia and Reading Railroad[7] (http://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/special/railroad.htm). 1835: Southwark Railroad (only in downtown)[6] (http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Prr/Corphist/pb_w.html).

1834: Camden and Amboy Railroad[5] (http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Prr/Corphist/urrnj.html). 1834: Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad[4] (http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~wdstock/railroad.htm). 1834: Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad (later Pennsylvania Railroad main line)[3] (http://www.columbiahistoric.com/RAILROAD.HTM). 1834: Delaware and Schuylkill Railroad (only in downtown)[2] (http://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/special/railroad.htm).

1832: Philadelphia, Germantown and Norristown Railroad[1] (http://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/special/railroad.htm).