Editing Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (section)

==Economy==
{{see also|Economy of Pittsburgh}}
In the late 18th century, [[farming]] played a critical role in the growth of the area. There was a surplus of grain due to transportation difficulties in linking with the eastern portion of the state. As a result, the farmers distilled the grain into [[whiskey]], which significantly helped the farmers financially.

[[File:Tree Map of Employment by Occupations in Allegheny County, Pa (2015).svg|thumb|upright=1.4|Employment by occupation in Allegheny County]]
The area quickly became a key manufacturing area in the young nation. Coupled with deposits of iron and coal, and the easy access to waterways for [[barge]] traffic, the city quickly became one of the most important steel producing areas in the world. Based on 2007 data from the US Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh is the second (after [[Laredo, Texas]]) busiest inland port in the nation.

US steel production declined late in the 20th century, and Allegheny County's economy began a shift to other industries. It is presently known for its hospitals, universities, and industrial centers. Despite the decline of [[heavy industry]], Pittsburgh is home to a number of major companies and is ranked in the [https://web.archive.org/web/20070630105614/http://www.downtownpittsburgh.com/doingBusinessDowntown.aspx top ten] among US cities hosting headquarters of Fortune 500 corporations, including [[U.S. Steel]] Corporation, [[PNC Financial Services]] Group, [[PPG Industries]], and [[H. J. Heinz Company]].

The county leads the state in number of [[U.S. Department of Defense|defense contractors]] supplying the U.S. military.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11338/1194201-455-0.stm|title=Automatic defense cuts would affect some contractors in Pittsburgh region|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=July 3, 2012|access-date=August 16, 2012}}</ref>