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
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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:
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Alaska
California
Colorado
Hawaii
Idaho
Montana
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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
The Southwest
• The Southwest Region is made up of the
following states:
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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
The Midwest
• The Midwest Region is made up of the
following states:
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Iowa
Indiana
Illinois
Kansas
Michigan
Minnesota
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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
The Northeast
• The Northeast Region is made up of the
following states:
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Connecticut
Delaware
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
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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
The Southeast Region
• The Southeast Region is made up of the
following states:
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Alabama
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
North Carolina
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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
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.