Chapter 7:
Regions of the US
Section 1 – The
Northeast
Titan Blaster #1:
List from memory the nine states that form the
Northeast.
Physical Characteristics

Maine is known for its craggy coastline.
Physical Characteristics
New York has Niagara Falls.
 New York City is the cultural capital of US.

Physical Characteristics

Boston and Philadelphia offer details about
our nation’s history.
Natural Resources
The Northeast
has few natural
resources.
 Due to the
Appalachian
Mountains, most
parts of the NE
are rugged.
 Pennsylvania has
coal mines.

Natural Resources
The most valuable resource of the
Northeast is the waters.
 There are plentiful fish in the Grand Banks
just off the coastline.

A Leader in Industry
The mountains that hurt farming help
manufacturing by creating fast-moving
rivers like the Connecticut and Hudson.
 These aided in producing power to run
machinery by using water wheels.
 Factories were built by waterfalls.
 These factories used the waterways to
ship their goods across the world.

The Megalopolis
Cities along the Atlantic coast started as
harbors, but grew into areas of business.
 As businesses grew, so did the need for
workers.

The Megalopolis

Many Americans and Europeans went to
the Northeast looking for jobs.
The Megalopolis

Over time, the area spread into a
megalopolis – a very large city.
The Megalopolis
The area from Boston to Washington DC
is considered a megalopolis of over 40
million people.
 This is leading towards a shortage of
water, sewage systems, and waste
disposal.
 Population declines hurt areas like
Philadelphia by forcing the local
government to raise taxes to pay for
services.

Chapter 7: Regions of the US
Section II – The South
Titan Blaster #2:
List four benefits to living
in The South.
General characteristics
The South includes the confederate states
and five others as well as Washington DC.
 The climate is humid, subtropical.
 Most Southern states have mixed forests.
 There is very fertile soil throughout the
South. Today, farming is still very
important in the South.

Linking Climate to Vegetation

Mangroves are tropical
trees that grow in
swampy ground along
coastal areas.


Bayous are marshy
inlets of lakes and rivers
in Louisiana.
The Everglades are a
large swampland
covered with tall grasses
in Florida.

In the 1840s, many textile mills were built
on rivers in the Carolinas. These mills
were built near the falls and cotton fields.
Linking Resources to Industry
 The fall line is an imaginary line between
the Appalachian Mountains and the
Atlantic coastal plain. Here rivers and
streams form waterfalls and rapids as
water heads to the ocean.
 Gulf coast oil is a major industry.
A Changing Region

The US Space
Program has
locations in Texas,
Florida, and
Mississippi (The
Stennis Space
Center).
A Changing Region
Fewer labor unions and cheaper land
prices than the Northeast led to many
businesses relocating to the South.
 The Sunbelt is an area between the
Carolinas to southern California.

Southern Population
Over half of the nation’s African-American
population lives in the South.
 Many Hispanics have moved up to the South.
 Texas is second in total population in the USA.
 Three of the largest cities in the US are in the
South: Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.

Southern Population

Washington DC was a planned city.
Chapter 7: Regions of the US
Section III – The Midwest
Titan Blaster – Match the states with their cities:
Iowa
Minnesota
Ohio
Nebraska
Missouri
Kansas
Wisconsin
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
a. Cincinnati
b. Chicago
c. Detroit
d. Omaha
e. Des Moines
f. Minneapolis
g. Milwaukee
h. Indianapolis
i. Jefferson City
k. Topeka
The Midwest
An Agricultural Economy

The dark-colored organic material in soil
that results when plants and animals die
and decay is called humus.
An Agricultural Economy

The majority of the wheat output in the
Midwest has led to it having the title “the
nation’s breadbasket.”
An Agricultural Economy

A growing
season is the
average number
of days between
the last frost of
spring and the
first frost of fall.
The Changing Face of American Farms

Small
family
farms have
been
replaced
by much
larger, big
business
farms.
• A grain elevator is a tall building
equipped with machinery to load, clean,
mix and store grain.
The Changing Face of American Farms

The grain exchange is a place where buyers
and sellers deal for grain.
The Changing Face of American Farms

Today’s assignment: page170 #2-5;
today’s guided reading worksheet
and draw, color and label the map on 168.
Chapter 7: Regions of the US
Section IV – The West
Titan Blaster – Match the states with their cities:
California
Washington
Utah
Montana
Arizona
New Mexico
Colorado
Oregon
Nevada
Idaho
a. Albuquerque
b. Boise
c. Provo
d. Seattle
e. Portland
f. Tuscon
g. Butte
h. Reno
i. San Diego
k. Pueblo
Available water

Northern Alaska has a tundra climate – a
dry, treeless plain that sprouts grasses and
mosses only in summer after the top layer
thaws out.
Available water

Hawaii has a tropical climate.
Available water

Most of the rest of the West has an arid
or semi-arid climate.
Natural Resources and the Economy

There is an abundance of gold, silver,
uranium, copper and tin in the West, but it
is buried very deep. The average person
could not get to it.
Natural Resources and the Economy
Oil and natural gas is located in Alaska.
 Forestry and commercial fishing are
billion dollar industries in the West.

Growth of Western Cities
An aqueduct is a large pipeline that
carries water over distances.
 Los Angeles benefits from an aqueduct
system that brings in water from
Northern California.

Growth of Western Cities
Today’s assignment:
 Work the chapter 7 review.
 Chapter 7 Exam Friday
