A Brief Overview of US Geography
A brief overview of US geography for those of us who forgot everything after high school.
US Political Map
US Time Zone Map
US States in Order of Statehood
Lansing, Michigan (MI)
Tallahassee, Florida (FL)
Austin, Texas (TX)
Des Moines, Iowa (IA)
Madison, Wisconsin (WI)
Sacramento, California (CA)
St. Paul, Minnesota (MN)
Salem, Oregon (OR)
Topeka, Kansas (KY)
Charleston, West Virginia (WV)
Carson City, Nevada (NV)
Lincoln, Nebraska (NE)
Denver, Colorado (CO)
Bismarck, North Dakota (ND)
Pierre, South Dakota (SD)
Helena, Montana (MT)
Olympia, Washington (WA)
Boise, Idaho (ID)
Cheyenne, Wyoming (WY)
Salt Lake City, Utah (UT)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (OK)
Santa Fe, New Mexico (NM)
Phoenix, Arizona (AZ)
Juneau, Alaska (AK)
Honolulu, Hawaii (HI)
Dover, Delaware (DE)
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (PA)
Trenton, New Jersey (NJ)
Atlanta, Georgia (GA)
Hartford, Connecticut (CT)
Boston, Massachusetts (MA)
Annapolis, Maryland (MD)
Columbia, South Carolina (SC)
Concord, New Hampshire (NH)
Richmond, Virginia (VA)
Albany, New York (NY)
Raleigh, North Carolina (NC)
Providence, Rhode Island (RI)
Montpelier , Vermont (VT)
Frankfort, Kentucky (KY)
Nashville, Tennessee (TN)
Columbus, Ohio (OH)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana (LA)
Indianapolis, Indiana (IN)
Jackson, Mississippi (MS)
Springfield, Illinois (IL)
Montgomery, Alabama (AL)
Augusta, Maine (ME)
Jefferson City, Missouri (MO)
Little Rock, Arkansas (AR)
US Regions
US Deep South
The United States is traditionally divided into five regions: the West, the Southwest, the Midwest, the Northeast, and the Southeast. Then there is the beloved Deep South stretching from Texas to the Carolinas. There are passionate debates on which states are actually considered the Deep South. There are vast differences within each region and similarities that blur the lines where they are drawn.
The West
Katy Perry’s “California Girls,” The California Gold Rush (1848-1855), western movies with tumbleweeds and wood grain pistols. Western United States is mostly known for the arid temperatures of the Golden Coast, but is also home to the rainy and gloomy conditions of northwest Seattle, Washington. The major body of water in the west is the Pacific Ocean. Landscapes include the Rocky Mountains, the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, the Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier volcanoes, and the Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks.
The Southwest
Just as arid as California, the Southwest ranges from Arizona to Oklahoma and is home to good old Texas. The major body of water in the Southwest is the Colorado River. Landscapes in the Southwest are red and rugged including the Grand Canyon, the San Juan Mountains, and the Tex-Mex border. The Southwest is home to the strong and proud Native-American and Hispanic cultures.
The Midwest
Major bodies of water in the Midwest include the Great Lakes and the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. This region is home to the Great Plains, an area characterized by prairies, grasslands, and fertile farmland. There are rolling hills, valleys, and deep lakes formed by glacial activity during the Ice Age some 2.6 million years ago. In addition to large and diverse forests such as the Shawnee and Superior National Forests, the Midwest is known for its urban landscapes of Chicago, Detroit, and Minneapolis.
The Northeast
New York, New York. So good they named it twice. The Northeast welcomed German, Irish, Italian, and English immigrants at the turn of the 20th century (1900s), making it the melting pot that we know today. Northeast landscapes include the Appalachian Mountains, coastal Atlantic beach destinations such as Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and the Jersey Shore, and the urban communities of New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. Major bodies of water include the Atlantic Ocean and the Hudson River. The nation’s brightest minds flock to the Northeast to attend the Ivy-League schools: Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University.
The Southeast and the Deep South
Last and certainly not least is the Southeast, home to our dear Louisiana. The major bodies of water in the Southeast include the Gulf of Mexico, a portion of the Atlantic Ocean, and the majestic Mississippi River. You will also find the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. Bayous, swamps, marshes, and other wetlands populate the southern states. The region is rich in natural resources making is a mecca for the livestock, agriculture, and oil industries. If country living is not for you, the south is home to historic urban cities like Atlanta, New Orleans, and Miami.
