The USA is a vast country with a diverse population that is full of geographical wonders. From the Grand Canyon to redwood forests, numerous mountain ranges, stunning deserts and awe-inspiring beaches, it has something for just about everyone.
The United States covers approximately 3,531,905 square miles (9.834 million square kilometers) and is home to world-class cities and interesting small towns. Some of its spaces are also open and lonely.
Because the country is so large, it has been divided into regions by the US government. This was done to make it easier to discuss issues related to each area.
The US Census Bureau is an organization that asks Americans questions and produces data about their lives. It has divided the country into four main regions. These include the Northeast, Midwest, West, and South. Within these core regions, the Census Bureau has broken things down further, with regions like the Pacific, Mountain, West, North Central, and Mid-Atlantic. These subregions are areas that are definitely useful to know. Generally, however, people do not use these terms on a daily basis in casual conversation. The four main areas, however, the Americans.
It's also worth mentioning that you may find other government agencies that have divided the country in other ways, just to keep things confusing. The US federal court system is known to refer to eleven different districts. The Federal Reserve uses twelve regions and the Bureau of Economic Analysis refers to eight regions. For the sake of simplicity, we will focus on the four main areas mentioned above.
Northeastern
The Northeastern USA covers eleven states and stretches to the Atlantic coast and borders Canada to the north. It includes the states of Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. White or Caucasian from the majority of this area and about 65% of the people in the area are Christian.
Nearly 56 million people live in the northeastern US. While that may sound like a lot, it's no surprise when you consider that this region is home to places like New York, Baltimore, Boston, and Philadelphia.
What do people do for a living here? Healthcare is the top employer, followed by retail, education and manufacturing. In 2018, people in the Northeast had the highest median household income in the country at $70,113, well above the national average of $63,179.
Famous Northeasterners include John Travolta, Cyndi Lauper and Denzel Washington.
Midwest
The Midwest is an area that causes some conflict. It's not that the Midwest is at war, but rather that people can't really agree on where its borders are on a map. According to the US government, states found in this area include Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Kansas. Major cities include Detroit, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Omaha.
A survey of 12,000 people conducted by Bloomberg.com found that not everyone agrees with the government, however, or with each other, on these borders. (Yes some things never change).
Some can't agree where the midwest begins and another region begins. Some things are certain. Nearly all Bloomberg.com respondents agreed that the major cities listed above plus Minneapolis and Columbus were definitely in the Midwest. But places like Pittsburgh and Buffalo caused problems. Technically, they are in the northeast. Some say that the culture in these areas is more similar to that of the Midwest, as are the accents of the people. Some people in these cities have found that they feel more Midwestern and others more Northeastern.
Similarly, in South Dakota, where the Midwest is becoming Western, some people said they felt drawn to Midwestern identities and others to the West. So what is officially defined as America's “heartland” may depend on who you talk to.
What is the midwest known for? The majority of people voted for the Republican party in the 2018 election and Abraham Lincoln spent his formative years living in the area.
Other famous people from the Midwest include Betty White, Marlon Brando, James Dean, Madonna, David Letterman, Michael Jackson and Chi McBride.
west
The American West is full of folklore. From cowboys and high-noon gunfights on the American frontier, to Hollywood and its limelight, the West has stories to tell. Today, this region has the second highest median household income trailing just behind the Northeast at $69,520. It is also home to over 78 million people, with major industries including agriculture, services such as financial services and hospitality, cinema and manufacturing. Somewhat surprisingly, the most profitable industry in the region is that of machinery and mechanical devices, which brought in over $26 billion in 2018.
The states that make up the American West include Hawaii, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Washington, Oregon, and New Mexico.
South
The South is a huge region in the US that covers many states. Includes those of West Virginia, Virginia, Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Mississippi, Maryland, Louisiana, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, District of Columbia, Delaware, Arkansas and Alabama. This region is home to the largest percentage of the country's population and can trace many of its roots back to slavery. Segregation is no longer officially enforced in places like schools in the South, but the area was once famous for segregating restaurants, educational institutions, and other public spaces between blacks and whites, barring blacks from entering or being served.
This type of unequal treatment also occurred in other parts of the country, but was more pronounced in the south. Racial segregation was implemented in the 1960s until the Civil Rights Act was signed in 1964, a culmination of the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement. This act outlawed discrimination, yet the practice continues in various ways.
Today, the south has become the main economic driver of the country, producing about 34% of the GDP.
Each region of the US has a distinct flavor, culture and history. While praising and celebrating the country's differences, many will see that its people also have much in common, with the same daily needs, desires and hopes. It is the diversity of the USA that makes it rich in spirit as well as financial gain.
