States and Regions

Chapter 1, Lesson 1

Lesson Objectives

Describe the relative location of the five regions of the United States.

Identify the United States as a nation in North America.

Vocabulary

• Contiguous• Region• Relative location• Continent• Population

A Nation of 50 States• 48 of the 50 states are contiguous, next to each

other, and share at least one border with another state.

• Two states, Alaska and Hawaii, are separated from the other states.

• The United States can be separated into smaller regions, areas in which many features are similar.

• The states are separated into five regions. The relative location of a place is where it is compared to other places.

Regions of the United States

The West• The West Region is made up of the following

states:– Alaska -- Nevada– California -- Oregon– Colorado -- Utah– Hawaii -- Washington– Idaho -- Wyoming– Montana

• Industry, agriculture, ranching, mining, and tourism contribute to the region’s economy.

• The West Region includes the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Coast.

• The population of the West is about 60 million people.

The West

Pacific Coast

Rocky Mountains

The Southwest• The Southwest Region is made up of the

following states: – Arizona– New Mexico– Oklahoma– Texas

• Industry, ranching, and petroleum contribute to the region’s economy.

• The Southwest Region includes mountains, deserts, plains, and forests.

• The population of the Southwest is about 34 million people.

The Southwest

Desert

Grand Canyon

The Midwest• The Midwest Region is made up of the following

states: – Iowa -- Missouri– Indiana -- Nebraska– Illinois -- Ohio– Kansas -- North Dakota– Michigan -- South Dakota– Minnesota -- Wisconsin

• Agriculture and farming in the countryside and industry in the cities contribute to the economy.

• The Mississippi River and its major tributaries, the Missouri and Ohio Rivers, are important trade routes.

• The population of the Midwest Region is about 66 million people.

The Midwest

Corn

MississippiRiver

The Northeast• The Northeast Region is made up of the following

states: – Connecticut -- New Jersey– Delaware -- New York– Maine -- Pennsylvania– Maryland -- Rhode Island– Massachusetts -- Vermont

• Industry, services, and fishing contribute to the region’s economy.

• It is the oldest region, home to the first American colonies and it is a very urban area (cities).

• The population of the Northeast Region is about 56 million people.

The Northeast

Lobster

New York City

The Southeast Region• The Southeast Region is made up of the

following states: – Alabama -- Louisiana– Arkansas -- Maryland– Florida -- Mississippi– Georgia -- Kentucky– North Carolina -- Tennessee

• Agriculture and farming is the main focus of the Southeast Region’s economy, and has been for many years.

• The Southeast Region has a combination of rural and urban areas (country and cities).

• The population of the Southeast Region is about 80 million people.

The Southeast

Farming

Gulf of Mexico

Atlanta

A Country in North America• The United States is located in the continent of North

America. There are seven continents, or large land masses, that make up Earth.

• The United States is one of the largest countries in North America.

• You can measure the size of a country in two different ways:– land area – population (number of people)

• In land area, Canada is the largest country in North America (USA is 2nd).

• In population, the United States is the largest country in North America (Mexico is 2nd).

North America

Canada• Canada is a country located north of the United

States. • Canada and the United States share similar histories,

as both were explored by the French and British and were once under British rule.

• Fewer people live in Canada than in either Mexico or the United States.

• Much of northern Canada is very cold for most of the year, and most people live near the southern border.

Mexico• In land area, Mexico is smaller than both Canada and

the United States. However, Mexico has more people than Canada.

• Mexico’s capital, Mexico City, is one of the world’s largest cities.

• Mexico and the United States also share a history.