Erie

The city takes its name from the Native American Erie people, who inhabited the area until the mid-17th century. Its nicknames include "Gem City", a reference to its fine natural harbor, the "Gem of the Great Lakes"; and more recently, "Flagship City", from a local marketing effort to play up the homeport of Oliver Hazard Perry's flagship Niagara.

Part of the Rust Belt, Erie has seen manufacturing decline as a share of its economy, while insurance, healthcare, higher education, technology, service industries, and tourism have grown. Like the other Great Lakes port cities, Erie is accessible to the oceans via the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River network in Canada. The local climate is humid, four-seasonal, and snowy, with warm summers and harsh winters, owing to its southern lakeshore location.