Regions of the U.S.A. - Summary

Regions of the U.S.A.

Located in the northeastern corner of the country.
Consists of the states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Previously inhabited by indigenous peoples before the arrival of the English Pilgrims in the 17th century.
In the 18th century, it was one of the North American British colonies seeking independence.
Played a role in the abolishment of slavery in the 18th century.
Origins of American literature, philosophy, free public education, and signs of the Industrial Revolution.

Shared heritage and culture shaped primarily by immigrants from Europe.
Cultural division between the urban coastline and the rural western areas (western Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine).
Connecticut (south-west suburban) is part of the New York metropolitan area; residents are sometimes called "the Swamp Yankees”.

Contains approximately ¾ of New England’s population.
Has large cities in Connecticut, Massachusetts (the most populous, Boston), and Rhode Island.

More urban due to the original colonies being around the Massachusetts Bay.
Massachusetts is the only state within New England without direct access to the Atlantic Ocean.
Urban centers include Portland, Boston, Portsmouth, New Bedford, and Providence.
Smaller fish towns serve as tourist attractions.
Cape Cod is a peninsula of Massachusetts and a popular tourist destination.
Maine is famous for lobsters.

Forms part of the BosWash megalopolis (urban centers from Boston to Washington, D.C.).
Providence is the 2nd largest city, with the largest continuous area of National Historic Society-designed buildings.
The Boston Metropolitan area includes southern parts of New Hampshire.
Largest cities in the New England region: Boston, Providence, Worcester, Springfield, Bridgeport.
The New York Metropolitan Area influences southwestern Connecticut, providing economic access to Manhattan.

Home to some of the oldest universities in the U.S.A.:
- Harvard in Cambridge, MA (founded in 1636).
- Yale University in New Haven, CT (founded in 1701).
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Some of the best universities in international rankings.
Ivy League: 8 top universities in the U.S.A., with 4 located in New England (Brown University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Yale University).

The Appalachian Mountains offer skiing in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Massachusetts has tourist destinations like Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard.
Acadia National Park is also a popular destination.
Features oceanfront beaches, lakes, and woodlands.

Capital: Albany.
The 3rd most populous state in the U.S.A.
Located in the Mid-Atlantic region, with an international border with Canada.
Largest cities include New York City, Buffalo, and Syracuse.
Historically a major gateway for immigration to the U.S.A., important for transportation and manufacturing.
Originally inhabited by Lenape, Algonquian, and Iroquois Native Americans.
Fortified by the Dutch in 1614 and colonized in 1624; came under English rule in 1664.
The 11th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1788.

Ranks 27th in size among U.S. states.
The Great Appalachian Valley dominates eastern NY.
Lake Champlain is in the north of the valley.
The Hudson River flows to the Atlantic Ocean.
The Adirondack Mountains are on the west end of the valley.
The Allegheny Plateau extends from the south towards the Catskill Mountains.
The Allegheny River, Susquehanna, and Delaware systems are in the western section of the state.
Borders two Great Lakes (Erie and Ontario) connected by the Niagara River; also borders Lake Champlain, Ontario, and Quebec in Canada, and three New England states.

The 3rd largest after California and Texas (2006), with approximately 20 million people.
A leading destination for international immigration.
Orange County is the center of population.

The University of the State of New York: Its policy-setting Board of Regents and administrative part, NY State Department of Education, manages the public school system in NY City (the largest school district in the US).
Public secondary education includes high schools with elective courses in trades, languages, and liberal arts.
NY mandates teaching about the Holocaust and genocide in elementary and secondary schools.

Public:
- State University of NY: 64 campuses across the state, the largest university system in the USA.
- City University of New York.
Private:
- Columbia University: The wealthiest University in NY state.
- NY University.
- The Rochester Institute of Technology.
- Union College.
- Syracuse University.
- Cornell University.

Part of the Atlantic Seaboard between New England and the South.
Includes the states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C.
The Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area is included due to growing economic integration.

Bordered by NY to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Delaware to the south and southwest, and the Delaware River to the west.
Located at the center of the Boston-Washington megalopolis.
Has 3 geographical regions: North Jersey (within NY city’s sphere of influence), Central Jersey (a suburban area), and South Jersey (within Philadelphia’s sphere of influence).
Airports include Newark Liberty International Airport, J.F.Kennedy International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport.

Named after Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr.
One of the original Thirteen Colonies, known as the “First State” for ratifying the American Constitution first.
Other nicknames:
- “The Diamond State” (by Thomas Jefferson).
- “Blue Hen State” (after fighting Blue Hen Cocks).
- “Small Wonder” (due to size, contributions, and beauty).

Located on the East Coast of the U.S.A.
Capital: Annapolis.
Nicknames: Old Line State or Free State.
A border state between the Southern and Northern regions of the U.S.A.
Home to over 350 biotechnology firms.
Universities and Institutions: University of Maryland, John Hopkins University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The capital city of the U.S.A.
D.C. stands for District of Colombia.
Named after George Washington.
An institutional city with frequent protests and demonstrations on the National Mall.
Features national landmarks, monuments, and museums.

Known as the Commonwealth of Virginia, located in the southern U.S.A.
Named after Elizabeth I of England, also known as the Virgin Queen.
One of the Thirteen Colonies revolting against British rule.
The colony was continuously inhabited by British colonists from its founding up to the American Revolution.
Nicknames:
- “Mother of Presidents” (birthplace of 8 American presidents).
- “Mother of States” (original colony that became Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, and parts of Ohio).