The Five Regions of the United States

LESSON 1 the five regions of the united states The United States has fifty states and stretches across more than 3.8 million square miles of land. It is one of the largest and most populated countries in the world! To make it easier to understand the United States’ vast territory, several states are clumped together to make a region. There are five U.S. regions- the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West. The states that make up each region have a similar geography, economy, history, and culture. By looking at the map below, you may be wondering, “what’s up with the all of the west’s ?”. Well, the United States was not always the size it is today. The original country was mostly made up of just the Northeast and part of the Southeast, but got a little bigger after winning the American Revolution. Once the U.S. expanded west of the Mississippi River, the regions got new names. For a long time, the current Midwest was just called the “West”. However, when the U.S. gained more land even farther west and south, the names of all the regions were slightly adjusted. Let’s look more closely at the map below to gain a better understanding of the Five U.S. Regions. West Midwest 6 ©TonyTheTourist 5 Regions northeast LESSON 2 GEOGRAPHY ME VT NH NY PA MD MA CT NJ DE RI STATES: • Maine (ME) • New Hampshire (NH) • Vermont (VT) • Massachusetts (MA) • • • • • • Rhode Island (RI) New York (NY) Pennsylvania (PA) New Jersey (NJ) Delaware (DE) Maryland (MD) LANDFORMS & WATER. The geography of the Northeast includes rocky soil, thick forests, and natural rivers and harbors. The Appalachian Mountain range runs through every state. Natural harbors exist along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Niagara Falls flows between two of the five Great Lakes- Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Major rivers include the Hudson, Connecticut, and Potomac. CLIMATE. The Northeast generally has cold winters and mild summers. They get plenty of precipitation. The traditional four seasons are experienced in the Northeast to their fullest. NATURAL DISASTERS. Many states in the Northeast experience some of the heaviest snow storms in the country, including blizzards. In addition, their location along the Atlantic coast means that the Northeast sometimes gets hit with hurricanes that develop in the ocean. 8 ©TonyTheTourist 5 Regions LESSON 2 northeast ECONOMY The Northeast is known to have a strong economy (a region’s wealth and resources, and how they are used) thanks to mountains, forests, factories, and a large population! • Rhode Island (RI) NATURAL RESOURCES. Natural stone is found in the mountains of• the like NewNortheast, York (NY) granite and limestone. Because of the thick forests in the Northeast, lumber is also • Pennsylvania (PA) an abundant resource. Both stone and lumber are used in construction projects. • New Jersey Coal and iron ore can be found in mountainous areas. Iron is used to make steel. (NJ) • for Delaware Lakes and rivers are a resource for energy and provide irrigation farming.(DE) • Maryland (MD) MAJOR INDUSTRIES. The lumber industry is quite strong in the Northeast. Oak and maple trees provide a strong material for building homes. The many rivers, lakes, and harbors along the Atlantic Ocean have led to a popular fishing industry. In states like Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York, food and dairy farms are common, making agriculture another well-known industry. Lastly, the Northeast has been known to have the strongest manufacturing (factory-produced goods) industry as well! GOODS. As a result of their natural resources and industries, goods that come from the Northeast include: lumber, stone, coal, steel, lobster, cod, milk, apples, blueberries, potatoes, and corn. DRAW A CONCLUSION: Using what you have learned about the Northeast’s Geography and Economy, explain how the geography of the Northeast has influenced its economy. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________. 10 ©TonyTheTourist 5 Regions LESSON 2 northeast HISTORY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES. There were many indigenous (native to the land) groups in the Northeast region, but the biggest tribes were the Algonquin and the Iroquois. • America. Rhode Island The Algonquin were one of the largest indigenous groups in North They(RI) New York lived mostly along the coast of the Northeast and Canada. The •Iroquois was (NY) a confederacy of several powerful tribes that lived mostly in New•York, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania (PA) and around the Great Lakes. • New Jersey (NJ) • Delaware SETTLERS. The first non-indigenous settlers came from England. The first (DE) • Maryland (MD) settlement in the Northeast was Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. By 1682, the British had also created settlements in Boston (MA), Providence (RI), New York City (NY), and Philadelphia (PA), making the Northeast a very populated region. STATEHOOD. All of the states in the Northeast were part of the 13 original colonies and were very involved in the American Revolution. Therefore, when the U.S. was declared a country in 1776, the colonies in the Northeast became states shortly after. Maine was originally part of Massachusetts, but became its own state in 1820. QUICK FACTS: Complete each statement below with the correct word or words. 1.) Two indigenous groups that are native to the Northeast are the _______________________________ and ________________________________. 2.) The first settlement in the Northeast was __________________________________, Massachusetts. 3.) All of the states in the Northeast were part of the 13 Original ________________________________. ©TonyTheTourist Did You Know? The most populated city in the United States is in the NortheastNew York City. It is home to over 8 million people, which is more than the amount of people that live in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Kansas, and Nebraska combined! 11 5 Regions