The southwest

The sun-baked wide open spaces of the Southwest recall the title of a popular song of the 1940's: "Don't Fence Me In." The Southwestern states of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona are, however, in one of the fastest growing regions of the United States, with cities like Houston and Dallas leading the way. The discovery of oil in Oklahoma and Texas brought industrialization to the Southwest that was once known only for its huge cattle ranches, cotton fields and desert scenery.

The region was originally under Mexican rule, but in 1836 settlers in Texas revolted. They declared their independence from Mexico and requested U.S. statehood which was granted nine years later. Arizona and New Mexico were acquired as part of the Mexican Cession following a war between the United States and Mexico, 1846 to 1848. Oklahoma was part of the Louisiana Purchase, acquired from France in 1803. It was reserved as Indian territory. Whites were forbidden to settle there until the westward press became too strong and the land was opened for homesteads in 1889.

The natural wonders of the region include the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, where the river flows through a spectacular gorge in Arizona. The Southwest is a rich mix of cultures – European, Mexican and Indian, Spanish is spoken as a first or second language y many of the people of the region. Though this coming together of cultures might create some of the problems.

The midwest

The Interior Plains region stretches from the Appalachians in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west and forms a great central basin that is the Midwest. From east to west, this central part of the United States includes Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. It is a vast area with large stretches of fertile farmland and open prairies. Enormous quantities of grain are raised in the prairie region, the "breadbasket" of the nation. The region is also important for dairy farming and livestock raising. The large industrial cities of Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Cleveland are located in the Midwest.

The five Great Lakes in the northeastern part of the region between the United States and Canada were formed thousands of years ago by glaciers. This is the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world. Along with the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers, the lakes provide a vital inland water transportation route.

While the physical characteristics of the Northern Forests region extend through much of central Canada and Alaska, the portion that lies within the contiguous United States is limited to the upper Great Lakes area. This region includes much of northeastern Minnesota as well as northern Wisconsin and Michigan. The common characteristics that make the Northern Forests a distinctive region are its vast forests and its abundant rivers and lakes. The region’s economy focuses on the export of a few primary products via the shipping routes of the Great Lakes.

Pioneers in the westward movement of the 19th century had pushed through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois and across the Mississippi into the Great Plains by the 1830's. One of the tragedies of this westward expansion was the expulsion of local Indian tribes from their ancestral lands. As pioneers took over their land, eastern Indians were forced further and further west. The Plains Indians rose against the white settlers and fought to keep the territories. But by the end of the 19th century they had been almost entirely subdued in a series of battles between the Indians and the United States Army.

In the 20th century the farms and towns were established by descendants of pioneer settlers from Germany, Great Britain, the Scandinavian countries, eastern and southern Europe. Black Americans in large: numbers began to leave the South at the time of the First World War. Many of them migrated to the Midwest where they hoped to find better jobs and an escape from the injustices of racial discrimination. This region today forms the Heartland of the nation.

The Ozarks (the Ozark region) lying mainly in Missouri and Arkansas resemble the Appalachian. These two regions of hill-and-mountain country have similar physical and cultural characteristics. Although there are geological differences between the Appalachian and Ozark areas, both are dominated by steep slopes and narrow valleys. As a result, towns and cities compete with highways, railroads, industrial and commercial enterprises, and fast-moving streams for the small amount of flat land. In addition, both Appalachia and the Ozarks have a history of depressed economic conditions and are sparsely populated.