Amish Country

Designation for two separate areas in the USA - in Pennsylvania and Ohio - that are associated with the Amish, members originally from a Mennonite sect of German descent, who emigrated in the 18th century. The Amish are highly productive farmers, who foreswear the aid of modern conveniences and live a life of strict religious observance.

The Amish Country of Pennsylvania is situated in and around Lancaster County, in the southeast of the state. The area is characterized by small family farms set in rolling, fertile agricultural land. From here, some Amish migrated to northeastern Ohio in the early 1800s, where their territory includes parts of Stark, Wayne, Coshocton, Tuscarawas, and especially Holmes counties. Agriculture (particularly the manufacture of dairy goods) remains the economic mainstay of both of these self-sufficient communities. The traditional lifestyle of the Amish, with their Puritanical mode of dress and their horse-drawn buggies, attracts many tourists.