USA Regions and States

Americans frequently speak about their country as one of the several large amounts of regions. These regions are culturally union and not governmental unions. A country that covers around 9 million square kilometers, it is not a matter of surprise to know that the regions that are alienated through a large distance will have many differences. The differences are not only of climate and landscape but the differences are in the people who live in different regions. The 50 states of USA are divided into 6 unique regions. These 6 regions along with the states are broadly defined below:

The Northeast:
The Northeast region is also known as ‘New England’. Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont are the part of these regions. The reason being, the initial settlers in this region was the English people. Till the 19th century, this region was famous for its culture and economic centre. The first immigrants in USA at Northeast region were in the 17th Century. They were mostly English Protestants, who are looking for practicing their religion and the political reforms. As the winters are cold and harsh, land is not very fertile and flat the region is not suitable for farming. Ultimately in 1750, manufacturing and trade has become the most important contributors for the region. The Northeast region is famous for its culture along with theaters and museums as well as its education system having some most well rated and respected universities like Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale, Wellesley, Brown, Smith, Amherst, Williams and Wesleyan are situated in this region. Harvard was established in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1636. The Northeast region is also famous for its mix cultural groups having Italian, Irish and many eastern Europeans. New Englanders are also famous for their ingenuity, hard work, thrift and shrewdness. New England has given dollars in 19th century to America and the world.

The Middle Atlantic:
Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. are the states that fall in this region. The initial settlers in the Middle Atlantic region are more varied than in the Northeast. English Catholics, Dutch, and Swedes were also included with English Protestants. As the weather is not so cold the profession of farming was difficult so manufacturing and shipping has became a demanded industries. Some of the highly populated cities in Middle Atlantic are New York, Pennsylvania and Washington DC has become the center of industries like iron, glass and steel. The most populated industries in this region are finance, communications and pharmaceuticals. Europeans has made the city famous by ‘melting point’. But still this region is having more wooden hills than chimneys of factories, more fields and farmhouses instead of cement roads and office buildings.

The South:
The states like Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia falls in this region. The first settlers in South region were English Protestant but they were less revolutionary and independent in nature as compared to Northeasterners. The American Civic War from 1861 to 1865 has desolated Old South both socially and economically. South region has temperate climate and sprawling lands, this was suitable for farming as so agriculture has became the primary industry of the south region. The people of South are the most distinct peoples as compared with that of other regions. They are more relaxed in terms of attitudes and traditional ways as compared to their neighbors of north. They are famous for their hospitality. The climate and the landscape have attracted the tourists and retirees from all over the world. The farming in this region is less prominent and manufacturing and tourism is the basic contribution for the economy. Due to its mild weather, the South has become a Mecca for retirees coming from other regions.

The Midwest:
The Midwest is the largest region from all the regions of USA. Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin are the states situated in MidWest region. The weather in this region has many distinctions. The entire land in the Midwest region is fertile and flat, best suitable for farming. The Midwest is known as ‘breadbasket’ due to its large production of wheat, oat and corn. The initial immigrants were Americans from the east coast and Europeans from Sweden, Germany and Norway. People of this region are called Midwesterners; Midwesterners are popular for being honest and straightforward in terms of traditional values. This area is not densely populated having few big cities in the east. The largest city in this region is Chicago which is known for its port and having connection of road-rail lines and airline hubs between the eastern and the western USA.

The Southwest:
Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas are the regions located in this region. These regions have a large influence of European migrants. Most of its culture is defined as Native American which is commonly known as American Indians and by Spanish culture, the reason being most of the people of Southwest are belonging to Mexico. The USA has obtained this region from the Mexican-American War of 1846-48. The land of this region is flat and dry and the climate is very hot. Southwest region has many deserts. The greatest natural wonder of the country i.e. The Grand Canyon is situated in southwest region only. World’s Premier gambling centers in Las Vegas is also located in Southwest region. Monument Valley is in the Navajo Reservation, has become a home of most populous American Indian tribe is in this region. From the Pacific Coast to the Mississippi Valley, the wasteland was extended in the 1860s. Dams on the Colorado and on other rivers and canal have brought water to the smaller towns of Las Vegas, Nevada, Phoenix, Arizona, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, allowing them to become urban cities.

The West:
The states like Alaska, Colorado, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming lies in this region. The initial settlers in the west region were Spanish people, who were the establisher of Catholic missions beside the cost before few years during the breakout of American Revolution. In the 19th century, California and Oregon came under the Union ahead of many states to the east. The region has large variation in the climate and landscape. The West is famous of having charming beauty on a large-scale. Mountain chains are running from north to south direction, having wet areas and creating temperate in the west direction and harsh and dry area in the east direction. The land of west region is enjoyed by the locals for recreation because it is an under-developed land. In some areas of this region, European influences are dominated by Mexican and Asian influences. Westerners are known as the least traditional and the most tolerant of change and differences of Americans. California is the most popular state of this region and it is famous for its high technological industries and movies not only in America but in all over the world. The West region is famous for their tolerance level and a very strong "live-and-let-live" attitude.