宾西法尼亚 is a non-standard variant. The official Xinhua-codified rendering of Pennsylvania is 宾夕法尼亚 (with 夕 xī rather than 西 xī) — both characters share the pinyin xī, and the variants get mixed up routinely in subtitles and online text. For formal writing, prefer 宾夕法尼亚.
culture
Named after William Penn (the colony's founder, hence "Penn-sylvania" — "Penn's woods" in Latin). Home to Philadelphia (费城), Pittsburgh (匹兹堡), the Liberty Bell (自由钟), and the original signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
