The Pennsylvania Highlands region is a section of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

located in Eastern

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

frequently cited as a candidate for extensive ecological preservation. The region is home to around 5 million people, with majority of it residing within the eastern half it. Population growth and sub

urban sprawl Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...

occurred in the seventies, and continues to rapidly increase. Every county saw growth from 1990 to 2000 and from 2000 to 2005. The region near Philadelphia is very densely populated, but population density decreases to the west. One onset of such rapid growth has come from immigrants, with extensive influxes of

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

, and African peoples to the eastern counties, and

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

peoples region wide especially in counties such as Berks, Lehigh, and Lancaster. The heavily forested region is seen as ecologically significant because, among other things, its dense forests serve to protect and supply clean drinking water to more than 15 million people, including large portions of both New Jersey and New York. The Pennsylvania Highlands also possess acknowledgement as a rural vacationing area and have even been recognized by the U.S. Forest Service as a "landscape of national significance" and by the State of New Jersey as a "Special Resource Area", none of which helps to protect it from the urban sprawl which threatens its natural resources each year.

Counties

* Adams County *

Berks County Berks County (Pennsylvania German: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading. The Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware River, ...

Bucks County Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee Chester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, th ...

Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Cumberland, historic county *Cumberla ...

Dauphin County Dauphin County (; Pennsylvania Dutch: Daffin Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 286,401. The county seat and the largest city is Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's state capital and ninth ...

* Franklin County * Lancaster County * Lehigh County *

Lebanon County Lebanon County ( Pennsylvania Dutch: Lebanon Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,568. Its county seat is the city of Lebanon. The county was formed from portions of Dauphi ...

* Montgomery County * Northampton County * York County

References

External links

Abandoned Mines of the NY, NJ, PA, CT & MA HighlandsDetailed map
H Highlands {{Pennsylvania-geo-stub