The South

The Southern United States Constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central United States. The region has a unique cultural and historic heritage. The South has developed its own customs, literature, musical styles, and varied cuisines.

Geography The Southern region of the U.S. includes 16 states. The region is divided into three smaller units: The South Atlantic States: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware East South Central States: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee West South Central States: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas

The popular definition of the "South" is generally associated with those states that withdrew from the Union during the Civil War to form the Confederate States of America. Those states share commonalities of history and culture that carry on to the present day. The "border states" of the Civil War - specifically Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware roughly form the northern boundary of the "South.” Depending on the situation, these states may or may not be considered part of the South.

It is a vast, diverse region, having numerous climatic zones, including alpine, temperate, sub-tropical, tropical, and arid. Many crops grow easily in its soils. The Southeast has a landscape characterized by the presence of live oaks, magnolia trees, yellow jessamine vines, and flowering dogwoods. Another common environment is the swampland of the Gulf Coast, especially in Louisiana. Swamplands in Louisiana

Culture - Tim Jacobson, author of "Heritage of the South” "More than any other part of America, the South stands apart...Thousands of Northerners and foreigners have migrated to it...but Southerners they will not become. For this is still a place where you must have either been born or have "people" there, to feel it is your native ground. Natives will tell you this. They are proud to be Americans, but they are also proud to be Virginians, South Carolinians, Tennesseans, and Texans. But they are conscious of another loyalty too, one that transcends the usual ties of national patriotism and state pride. It is a loyalty to a place where habits are strong and memories are long. If those memories could speak, they would tell stories of a region powerfully shaped by its history and determined to pass it on to future generations.” - Tim Jacobson, author of "Heritage of the South”

Rural Alabama Atlanta, Georgia Rural communities have a strong connection to their churches. Southerners are known for their hospitality. Rural Alabama Atlanta, Georgia