The region in Northeastern
Pennsylvania, where Anthracite coal was or is mined. It is west of the Poconos, east of the Susquehanna River, South of Scranton, and north of The Lehigh Valley. Hazleton and Wikes-Barre are the
two center masses of population.
It suffers from mine pollution, poverty, political corruption, severe emigration
push, and a virtually absent intellectual community.