4 REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES

People define regions in order to identify places that have similar characteristics or close connections

US divided both historically, by the ways people live, work, and play in them; or by political orientation

For the purpose of collecting statistics; US gov’t divided country – based on physical, economic, cultural, ad historical factors

Northeast

Northeast Cities along coast grew as

harbors of international trade and shipbuilding

Manufacturing grew and cities attracted industries – reason for influx in population in mid-1800s through the 1900s

Megalopolis – region of very large cities Suburbs of one city stretch to the

suburbs of another (from Boston to D.C.)

The Northeast

Few natural resources Thin, rocky soils and steep hills Not suitable for farming

Appalachian’s make area rugged

Most valuable resource? Water – turned it into a center of trade, commerce, and industry

Northeast

Fishing industry strong because of rocky/jagged shorline (provides great harbors)

1/6th US population, but number is now declining

New York City – business capital of the world

The South

The South

Considered the states that were part of Confederacy in Civil War Includes 5 others

Humid-subtropical climate Mixed forests Rich soils – great for

agriculture Long growing season

The South US largest oil reserves Washington D.C.

The nation’s first planned city New Orleans – major trading

center on mouth of MS Miami – gateway to Caribbean and

South America Atlanta – major airline hub South is considered retirement

center because of climate

Midwest

The Midwest Farms unite region Agricultural “heartland” Relatively flat; very fertile soil Climate varies Nicknamed the “Nation’s

Breadbasket” Grain, wheat, dairy products, and hogs produced in the region

The Midwest Major cities are located along rivers

or the Great Lakes Detroit, St. Louis, Minneapolis,

Chicago, Cleveland, Omaha, etc. Water transportation aided the

growth of heavy industries 600 million tons of goods travel

MS River system annually Cities home to heavy manufacturing Minnesota leads in iron ore

production Illinois and Indiana – coal

West

The West

Natural landscape is most outstanding feature

The landscape is varied Physical characteristic that most

affects the West? Water

Abundance or scarcity of water is a major factor that affects natural vegetation, economic activity, and population density

The West

Arid or semiarid climate Many minerals: gold, silver, uranium, and other metals

Gold rush in 1800s caused the population to increase

Deposits of natural gas and oil

The West Alaska’s economy was greatly influenced by the discovery of oil in the 1960s

Natural resources of West allow for forestry and commercial fishing

½ nation’s lumber comes from Pacific Northwest

The West

Fishing off Pacific Coast, Alaska, & Hawaii bring in $2billlion annually

Built aqueducts to move water Large pipes built for

transporting water Juneau – capital of Alaska can

only be reached by plane or boat

Hawaii – 2,000 miles from the U.S. mainland

The West

Residents of the West of adapted to their environment by:

1.Building aqueducts2.Overcome distances by using

boat or airplane3.Working in forestry and

commercial fishing