Regions of the United States

Midwest

Midwest Geography: Most of the Midwest is flat or rolling land, called the Central Plains. The grasses of this prairie help make the soil extremely fertile. The plains are surrounded on the east by the Appalachian Mountains and the Rockies on the west. There are many farms, especially throughout Kansas and Iowa. To the west of the Central Plains lie the Great Plains. Here the soil isn't as fertile, and there is less rainfall. The Mississippi River flows through this region, a great means of transportation. There are two other important waterways, the Ohio River and the network of routes within the Great Lakes. Four of the Great Lakes touch the Midwest, Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior. Large ports on these lakes created major cities such as Cleveland, Chicago and Milwaukee

Midwest Climate The eastern part of this region receives from 20 to 40 inches of precipitation each year, making it ideal for certain crops. This region is part of Tornado Alley, an area with the most frequent tornados in the country, with Kansas having the highest number of F5 tornadoes since 1880, and Iowa has the greatest number per square mile. Farmers much watch the weather closely. Strong winds are a danger to the flat treeless land of the Great Plains. Blizzards are another danger

Northeast

Northeast Geography New England does not have fertile land suitable for farming. This part of the region has broad valleys and rolling hills, with a few low mountain ranges, part of the Appalachian Mountains. New England farmers must choose crops that work well in the rocky soil. Most of the land in the Middle Atlantic states are part of the Coastal Plain, the low land that stretches along the Atlantic Ocean. Crops grow well in this rich soil. There are several mountain ranges, including the Allegheny Mountains, the Pocono Mountains, the Adirondacks and the Catskills. The most important waterway in the region is the St. Lawrence Seaway, which connects many inland ports on the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. The Erie Canal connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

Northeast Climate The Northeast has a varied climate, with four seasons each year. The winters are cold, the summers can be hot. The temperature becomes colder as you travel northward.

Southeast

Southeast Geography This area is part of the Coastal Plain and is mostly flat. The soil is rich and crops have a long growing season, making it ideal for agriculture. The Atlantic coast in this region is known for its beautiful sandy beaches. There are many rivers and oak and pine forests. Large coastal marshes form where the fresh water from the rivers mixes with the salt water from the ocean. The largest and best-known swamps in America are all in the Southeast, located in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana. The Everglades, a huge low, wet land, covers much of southern Florida.

Southeast Climate The Southeast region is part of the Sun Belt. It contains many climatic zones ranging from temperate, to sub-tropical, to tropical, to arid. The weather is very mild, and so many retirees like to live here. There is much rainfall, good for farming. Along the southern Atlantic coast and the Gulf coast, summers are long and hot and winters are short and mild. This region is frequently hit by hurricanes from August through November, especially those states on the Gulf coast.

Southwest

Southwest Geography Outside of the cities, this region is a land of open spaces, most of which is desert and many areas of grasslands, or prairies. There are large cities and thick pine forests and even some mountains. One of the biggest problems of this region is a limited water supply. The lowest lands are along the Texas Gulf coast, part of the Coastal Plain, with fertile soil. The Central Plains spread through central Oklahoma and into Texas. This area is home to farms and ranches. As the land gets higher you can see cattle and sheep grazing on the short grasses. The Rocky Mountains go north from New Mexico. The Colorado Plateau begins at the western edge of the Rocky Mountains, covering much of northern New Mexico and Arizona. The Colorado River cut beautiful canyons in this area, including the magnificent Grand Canyon. The Rio Grand River brings much needed water to the area. There are three large deserts in this region, the Sonoran Desert, the Chihuahuan and the Painted Desert in northern Arizona, a beautiful place to visit.

Southwest Climate The climate is hot and dry, but varies from one area to another. Cities such as Phoenix, Arizona have 300 days of sunshine a year!

West

West Geography The West is a region of scenic beauty and is the most geographically diverse. All of its states are partly mountainous. The mountains in the west are newer than those in the east, and therefore higher. They have not had time to erode as much. To the west of the mountains, winds from the Pacific Ocean keep the land moist. To the east, however, the land is very dry. West of the Rockies are the Sierra Nevadas and the Cascades, where you can find Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier, the tallest peak. There are also many fertile valleys, especially in California and Oregon. Beyond the valleys are the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the south and the Cascade Range in the north. These are the highest mountains in the United States. The Cascades are volcanic, a famous one, named Mount St. Helens, erupted explosively in 1980. East of these mountain ranges is a vast, arid land, including most of Nevada, Utah and Arizona, including the Mojave Desert and the Sonoran Desert. Rain Shadows help to form deserts in this area. Beyond the deserts lie the Rocky Mountains, hundreds of miles wide, and run from New Mexico to Alaska. Some of the tallest peaks are located in Colorado. East of the Rocky Mountains begins the Great Plains, a vast grassy plateau sloping gradually down to the forests near the Mississippi River.

West Climate Climate in this region varies with elevation. High mountains have a timberline. The temperature is too cold for trees to grow. San Diego, California is quite different. The weather there is hot and dry, and it only receives about 10 inches of rain a year. Death Valley in the Mojave Desert, in Southeastern California and parts of Nevada, Arizona and Utah, is one of the hottest and driest places in the United States.