Download Subregions of the United States

Subregions of the United States
•The Northeast covers only 5% of the nation’s
land areas, but about 20% of the population.
•New England is made up of Maine, Vermont,
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, &
Connecticut.
• Pennsylvania, New York, & New Jersey are
sometimes referred to as Middle Atlantic States
• The Northeast contains many of the areas 1st settled
by Europeans.
• This region served as the “gateway” to America for
millions of immigrants.
• The region’s coastal & inland waters turned it
into the heartland of trade & industry for the
nation.
• Northeast is one of the most heavily
industrialized & urbanized areas in the world.
• Philadelphia, New York City, & Boston serve as
international trade centers.
Growth of the Megalopolis
• Megalopolis-a region in which several large
cities & surrounding areas grow together.
• “BosWash” megalopolis-stretches through 500
miles of highly urbanized areas from Boston in
the north to Washington, D.C. in the south.
• It contains 1/6 of the U.S. population.
BosWash
The Midwest
• Subregion that contains 12 north-central
states in the U.S.
• Because of its central location, it is called the
American heartland.
• Vast, largely flat plains are a distinctive
feature.
• Also the Great Lakes & the Mississippi River
and its many tributaries.
• Midwest is the nation’s “breadbasket”.
• Fertile soil, adequate rainfall, & favorable
climate enable Midwesteners to produce
more food & feed more people in any
comparable area in the world
• Main products: corn, wheat, soybeans, meat,
& dairy goods.
• Midwest’s central location & excellent waterways
make it a trade, transportation, & distribution center.
• Like other regions, the Midwest is changing.
• Number of farms are declining & more Midwesteners
are now employed in providing services than in
traditional industries.
• Regions metropolitan areas are expanding.
• People and business are leaving the central
cities for the suburbs.
The South
• Subregion that covers about ¼ of the land area of the
U.S. and contains more than 1/3 of its population.
• Made up of 16 states, 11 of which made up the
Confederacy during the Civil War.
• Texas is sometimes included in the Southwest
• Old South-site of early European settlement.
• South has a mix of cultures that reflects the diversity
of early settlers.
• New South-agriculture was the South’s 1st economic
activity & cotton, tobacco, fruits, peanuts, & rice are
still grown there.
• South’s humid subtropical climate at first hindered
industrialization.
• Widespread use of air conditioning in the beginning
of the 1950s & the region’s vast stores of energy
resources—oil, coal, natural gas, & water– gave a
boost to industry.
The West
• Subregion consisting of 13 states.
• Stretches from the Great Plains to the Pacific Ocean
& includes Alaska to the North & Hawaii in the
Pacific.
• Covers about ½ of the land area of the U.S. but only
has about 1/5 of the population.
• People settle in the West today as they did in the
frontier days: wherever landforms & climate are
favorable.
• California is the country’s most populous state
because of its excellent farmland, good harbors, &
mild climate.
• The West’s growth in the 20th century was
helped by air conditioning & irrigation.
• Economic activities are varied & include:
farming, ranching, food processing, logging,
fishing, mining, oil refining, tourism, & film
production.