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.