5 elements of the 13 colonies,
Southern Colonies of Colonial America:
Geography: The geography of the Southern Colonies featured fertile soil, hilly coastal plains,
forests, long rivers and swamp areas
Natural Resources: Fish, forests (timber) and good agricultural land, farming was important.
Exported agricultural products to other colonies
Religion: Not dominated by a specific religion which gave way to religious freedom
Climate: Warmest of the three regions, winters not difficult to survive, but the hot and humid
summers gave rise to the spread of disease. The warm climate made it possible to grow crops
throughout the year and was ideally suited for plantations
Trade / Exports: Tobacco, cotton, rice, indigo (dye), lumber, furs, farm products
New England Colonies of Colonial America:
Geography: The geography of New England consisted of mountains thick with trees, rivers and
poor rocky soil that was difficult to farm and unsuitable for crops.
Natural Resources: Fish, whales, forests. New England imported agricultural products from
other colonies.
Religion: No religious freedom as the Puritans did not tolerate any other form of religion.
Climate: Coldest of the three regions, mild and short summers leading to long, cold winters but
less disease than in the warmer colonies
Trade / Exports: Fish, whale products, ships, timber products, furs, maple syrup, copper,
livestock products, horses, rum, whiskey and beer - refer to Colonial Times
Farming was difficult for crops like wheat because of the poor soil but corn, pumpkins, rye,
squash and beans were raised
Middle Colonies of Colonial America:
Geography: The geography of the Middle Colonies had a mix of the New England and Southern
features but had fertile soil and land that was suited to farming
Natural Resources: Good farmland, timber, furs and coal. Iron ore was a particularly important
natural resource
Religion: Not dominated by a specific religion which gave way to religious freedom for Quakers,
Catholics, Lutherans, Jews and others.
Climate: The Middle Colonies had a mild climate with warm summers and mild winters
Trade / Exports: The Middle Colonies were the big food producing region that included corn and
wheat and livestock including beef and pork. Other industries included the production of iron
ore, lumber, textiles, furs and shipbuilding - refer to Colonial Times and Colonial Society.