HARRISBURG -- The state House gave final approval today to a new map of congressional districts to be in effect for the next 10 years.

The map of the 18 new districts was approved by the Republican-controlled House, despite complaints about the odd shape of District 12, which stretches from the Ohio border to Cambria and Somerset counties, and of District 7, based in Delaware County but including four other counties, which ended up being crab-shaped.

"I don't know what the Republicans had in mind when drawing the lines on this map," said Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Philadelphia. "This map is a dirty trick being foisted on the citizens."

But House Republican leader Mike Turzai of Bradford Woods strongly disagreed, saying to follow the federal mandate for "one person, one vote," not all contiguous communities can be contained in the same congressional district.

Each of the 18 new districts must be as equal in population as possible, he said, which requires putting areas from different geographic parts of the state into the same district.

The new map has one less district than the congressional map that's been used from 2001 until now. But because Pennsylvania's population grew slower than many other states,Pennsylvania lost one congressman in the 2010 census.

The new 18 districts will be in effect until after the next census in 2020. The Senate narrowly approved Senate Bill 1249, the redistricting bill, by a 26-24 vote last week. The House vote Tuesday was 136-61.

The new 12th district combines two incumbent Democrats, Reps. Jason Altmire and Mark Critz, who will have to run against each other in the April primary in order to remain in the House.