Midwestern United States
1
2
Postal Abbreviations
MI
Michigan
OH
Ohio
IN
Indiana
WI
Wisconsin
IL
Illinois
MN
Minnesota
IA
Iowa
MO
Missouri
ND
North Dakota
SD
South Dakota
NE
Nebraska
KS
Kansas
OK
Oklahoma
State Capitals
MI
Lansing
MO Jefferson City
OH
Columbus
ND
Bismarck
IN
Indianapolis
SD
Pierre
WI
Madison
NE
Lincoln
IL
Springfield
KS
Topeka
MN
St. Paul
OK
Oklahoma
City
IA
Des Moines
3
4
Midwestern United States



There are 13 states in the Midwestern Region
AKA “The Heartland”
AKA “The Breadbasket” because the farms supply
much of the country’s food
5
Physical Features

Midwest lies in the Interior Plains
region (relatively flat, consisting
either of plains or of rolling and
small hills)




Divided into Interior Lowlands and
Great Plains
Great Lakes
St. Lawrence Seaway
Mississippi River
6
Great Lakes


Largest freshwater lake system in world
Contains 1/5 of world’s fresh water on surface
7
8
Lake Superior is the largest, deepest, and
highest elevation of all the Great Lakes
9
Lake Michigan is the only lake that is
entirely within the USA’s boundaries

Lakes were made by:


Glaciers moved rocks
over land, leaving
behind large basins
(holes) in Earth
When glacier melted,
water filled these holes
10
St. Lawrence Seaway




Connected St. Lawrence
River (which leads to the
Atlantic Ocean) to
Chicago, IL or Duluth,
MN
Uses locks to change
water levels
Built in 1959; 183 miles
long
Problem: Seaway
cannot be used during
winter because of ice
11
Mississippi
River

Tributaries of
Mississippi include:



Ohio, Missouri, Illinois
River
These rivers have been
dredged (cleaned out)
and channeled
(straightened) to
accommodate boats
Using these tributaries
and the Mississippi,
boats can go from the
Midwest to the Gulf of
Mexico
12
Climate/Weather



humid, continental
climate
Tornadoes
great variance
between seasons from
northern to southern
portions of regions
Notice the great
variance in temperatures National Geographic:
Inside the Tornado
in the region!
Video: Tornado Storm story
13
Economy of the Midwest
Resources

Corn

Dairy

Wheat

Minerals

Industry

Lead in Wisconsin

Copper in Michigan

Iron in Minnesota

Some coal in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio (has been used)
Products of the United States
14
Agriculture
15
Overview of Agriculture


Crops/ Animals raised include: cows, pigs, corn,
soybeans, grain
Farms appear to be exact squares

Why?
Land Ordinance of 1785 –land divided and sold by
Federal Government
 Easy to divide land into squares because of landscape


Typically farms are family farms, but amount
of corporate owned farms is increasing
16
The Midwest has 3 “belts”
17
Corn Belt




States stretching from Ohio
to Iowa (and other states in
Great Plains)
Corn Belt also referred to
as the Feed and Grain Belt
Most of corn grown is used
for cattle feed, not
“people” food
Soybeans introduced into
region after World War II
– helped in crop rotation
18
Dairy Belt




Located North of Corn Belt
Located around cooler
climate
Located in Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Michigan
Wisconsin is “America’s
Dairyland” – produces most
dairy products of any state
19
Wheat Belt




The Wheat Belt is found in the Great Plains.
Kansas and North Dakota produce the most wheat in
the region.
Wheat crops do well in this area because they do not
need a lot of water to survive.
Wheat is ground into flour and is then used in
products like pasta, cakes, and bread. Other crops in
this belt are sunflowers, oats, and barley.
20
Midwestern Resources




At one time, logging was a
major industry
Trees have been depleted
(used up)
Logging is no longer a major
industry
Forests used as recreation

Ex. Ozark Mountains in Missouri
21
Economy of the Midwest
Industry





Iron ore processed in region (Detroit, Toledo,
Cleveland)
Cars/ Trucks – Detroit is the “Motor City”
Paper Products made in Wisconsin
Plastics, glass, fertilizers made in region
Easy to transport goods because of Great Lakes and
access to Mississippi
22
Places of Interest
Some of the largest
cities include:
-Chicago, IL
- Indianapolis, IN
-Detroit, MI
-St. Louis, MO
Twin
-Minneapolis
Cities
-St. Paul
-Cleveland, OH
-Kansas City, MO
23
24
25
Chicago








Largest and dominant city in the region
Center of transportation “gateway to
West”
Became famous for meat packinghouses
during 1800s
Now known as a center of business
“Cultural hub” of Midwest
Burned in 1871 – Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow
Home of O’Hare Airport
Home of Sears Tower (USA’s tallest
building)
26
Detroit


French fur-trading port – 1701
Known for automobile
production



Henry Ford – Ford Motor
Company
Automobile industry has declined
– led to unemployment in city
Recently ranked second most
dangerous city in United States
27
St. Louis, MO




Began as French fur-trading
post – 1764
Became known as a major
port on Mississippi River –
riverboats
Gateway Arch found here
Recently ranked most
dangerous city in USA
28
Twin Cities
Minneapolis – St. Paul



Major city in the
Northeast Midwest
Known for being a
port for Minnesota and
Missouri River
In the last few years a
bridge collapse
occurred in this region
29
Cleveland


Port along Lake Erie
Known for
industrialization which
has declined making
unemployment an issue
Kansas City,
MO

Known for being a cattle depot & as starting point for
settlers journeying west
30
Historic Route 66
Chicago…St. Louis…Oklahoma City
31
Places of Interest
Landmarks







Sears Tower
Ford Motor Company
Gateway Arch
Great Lakes
Mount Rushmore
Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame
Badlands National
Park
32
Great Plains
33
History
People



Native Americans
During early colonization French
Fur Traders used this area, some settled there
Soon after founding of USA, Americans (European Settlers)
moved to region (called Northwest Territory) to acquire
land
34
35
Culture of the Midwestern states
36
History
Culture
The mix of industry and cultures in cities
led to new types of music in the 20th
century in the Midwest, including jazz,
blues, rock and roll.
 Techno music came from Detroit and house
music and blues came from Chicago.

37
“Fly Over States”

Listen to this song…on a scrap piece of paper list as
many characteristics of the Midwest that are
mentioned in the lyrics or shown in the video.
Click map for music Video
38
History
Events





1789: Northwest territory created
1804: Start of Lewis and Clark exploration
1854: Bleeding Kansas
1860’s Underground Railroad
1980’s: Rust Belt (description of an area straddling the Midwestern and
Northeastern United States, in which local economies traditionally specialized in large
scale manufacturing )

2007: Mississippi River Bridge collapse
39