Chapter 1 Section 3

Other Natural Resources of PA

I. What is a Natural Resource?

• Natural Resource– Raw materials that exist in a natural state and are

used to produce products of finished goods– Forests

• ½ of the land in PA is forest• 20 state Forests• 114 State parks

– Allegheny National Forest

• All forests provide PA with lumber• Excellent outdoor escapes

– Hunting– Camping– Naturalists

– Soils• 1/3 of our the land is used for some kind of farming• The richest soils are found in the Piedmont Region• PA soil mostly made up of Loam

– Sand, clay, silt and organic matter

– Clay• Major industry in PA• 28 of 67 counties produce clay for building

– Fossil Fuels• Coal, Natural Gas, and Petroleum• Formed from the remains of plants and animals under

the earth’s Crust

– Coal• 1/3 of our state has coal deposits • Hard coal

– Anthracite

• Soft Coal– Bituminous

• PA is the 4th largest producer of coal in the US

– Natural Gas• PA has 24,000 wells of natural gas• Efficient• Easy to use• Does not cost much pollution

– Petroleum• Found in 23 counties within the state• Only 1% of the state’s petroleum output goes to the

national need

– Mineral Resources• Any useful substance found in the Earths crust that has

not bee formed by plant or animal remains• What do we have?

– Iron Ore» Major component of Steel

– Zinc– Sand

» Used to produce glass– Gravel

» Used in cement» Sand and Gravel are found in ½ of the PA counties

– Stone» Found in all counties in PA» Ranks 1st in the nation in production

– Human Resources• 12 million people in the state• Ranks 4th in Population