States and Regions Chapter 1 Lesson 1 Lesson

States and Regions Chapter 1, Lesson 1

Lesson Objectives ü Describe the relative location of the five regions of the United States. ü 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 California Colorado Hawaii Idaho Montana ------ Nevada Oregon Utah Washington Wyoming • 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 Indiana Illinois Kansas Michigan Minnesota ------- Missouri Nebraska Ohio North Dakota South Dakota 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 Mississippi River

The Northeast • The Northeast Region is made up of the following states: – – – Connecticut Delaware Maine Maryland Massachusetts ------ New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island 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 Arkansas Florida Georgia North Carolina ------ Louisiana Maryland Mississippi Kentucky 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 2 nd). • In population, the United States is the largest country in North America (Mexico is 2 nd).

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.