Download 4 Regions of the United States

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
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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, &
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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 aqueducts
2. Overcome distances by using
boat or airplane
3. Working in forestry and
commercial fishing