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== Cultural regions ==
The continental U.S. is often subdivided into six major cultural regions which not so coincidentally often share common natural features and terrain as well as similar ethnic groups. Those regions are:
*[[New England]] - One of the regions first settled by [[Europe]]an immigrants, this region lies in the upper north-eastnortheast of the U.S. geographically. New England is dominated by rocky uplands and sandy outwash plains and with a climate having stark seasonal changes. Its cultural history has strong ties to fishing and industry.
*[[Mid-Atlantic States|Mid-Atlantic]] - Another region settled earlier on in the U.S. history and home to the capital of the United States, [[Washington, D.C.]] Its geography is varied, including forestedcoastal ridgesplains, river estuaries, and marshyparts of the northern Appalachian Mountains. Its cultural history is relatively complex and multi-ethnic, with strong ties to industry. [[New York City]], long the country's most populous city, is in this lowlandsregion.
*[[U.S. Southern states|South]] - CulturallyThe perhapsfirst region settled by Europeans, the mostSouth differentis noted for its cultural distinctiveness. Its geography ranges from coastal marshes to the highest peaks of the states,Appalachian Mountains. It is drained by many large rivers. The cultural history of the South stillis maintainsrooted anin identityagararianism developedand priorplantation tofarming, andas well as its experience during and after the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. The South consistsis mostlyone of lowthe coastallarger areascultural drainedregions, byencompassing comparativelyan fewarea rivers.nearly Thereas islarge aas wideNew bandEngland, ofthe piedmont soilMid-Atlantic, mostlyand thickthe clayMidwest regions combined, andalthough precise delineations of these forbiddingregions mountainvary mazeswidely.
*[[Midwest]] - This region was settled during the late 1700s and early 1800s, well after the east coast. ManyThe ofregion theseis statesdefined liein onvarious ways, but typically includes the lands between the Ohio River and the Great Lakes, west into the [[Great Plains]]. Culturally the Midwest has roots in agriculture as well as industry.
*[[Southwest United States|Southwest]] - The Southwest, hasapproximately aequated drierto climatethe thanstates theof Midwest.New TheMexico populationand isArizona, lesshas densea dry climate and a relatively low population density, with strong [[Hispanic|Spanish-American]] and [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] components,. moreSpanish ethnicallysettlement variedin thanthe neighboringregion areasdates back to the early 1600s. Outside the cities, the region is a land of open spaces, much of which is desert. The magnificent [[Grand Canyon]] is located in this region, as is [[Monument Valley]].
*[[The West (U.S.)|West]] - The West is by far the largest of these six cultural regions, including everything between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Coast, north of the Southwest region. Geographically it is a complex region, made up of many mountain ranges, large valleys, and broad plateaus. Vegetation ranges from desert to temperate rainforest. Culturally, the West is rooted in several distinct sub-regions with distinctly different histories, including California, the Pacific Northwest, Utah, and the Rocky Mountain region from Colorado to Montana. The West is the youngest region in terms of conquest of [[Native Americans]] and settlement. Its frontier era became known as the "wild west".
*[[The West (U.S.)|Western]] states - The west is home to the pacific coast of the United States as well as many gorges, plateaus and mountain ranges, the most famous being the [[Rocky Mountains]].
For more information on other "cultural" regions of the U.S., see [[List of regions of the United States]].
== Climate ==
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