Discovering the U.S.

Page 10

Geographic Overview

The

five regions of the U.S. are broken into the West, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, and

Southeast.

Regions

(with states per region)

West

Alaska, California,

Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho,

Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah,

Washington, and Wyoming

Southwest

Arizona, New Mexico,

Oklahoma, Texas

Midwest

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,

Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska,

North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and

Wisconsin

Northeast

Connecticut, Delaware, Maine,

Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania,

Rhode Island, and Vermont

Southeast

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,

North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia

Major Cities

Due to its size, the U.S. has many major cities. Each state has a capital city in addition to other

metro areas. The state capital is oftentimes not the largest city in the state. The three largest

cities by population, as well as some other major cities in the U.S. are:

New York, NY:

With a population of 8.4 million people, New York City is an iconic

metropolis featuring the Empire State Building, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, and

many art and culture attractions. Its’ nickname is the “Big Apple”

Los Angeles, CA:

This southern California city is home to 3.9 million people. Motion

picture studios like Paramount Pictures, Universal, and Warner Brothers are located

here, with many celebrities calling L.A. home

Chicago, IL:

Located on Lake Michigan, this is the nation’s third largest city with a

population of 2.7 million people. The distinctive skyline includes the John Hancock

Center, the Willis Tower, and the Tribune Tower

Other major cities:

Houston, TX; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; San Antonio, TX; San

Diego, CA; and Dallas, TX