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,

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.