Mid-Atlantic States

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Mid-Atlantic

Red states show the core of the Mid-Atlantic, states shown as pink may or may not be included in the Mid-Atlantic, and thus their inclusion or exclusion varies from source to source.

The Mid-Atlantic region of the United States of America, located in the northeastern section of the country, includes the following states and district:

These areas provided the young United States with heavy industry and served as the "melting pot" of new immigrants from Europe. Cities grew along major shipping routes and waterways. Such flourishing cities included New York City on the Hudson River, Philadelphia on the Delaware River, and Baltimore on Chesapeake Bay.

As defined by the US Census Bureau, the Mid-Atlantic is a division of the U.S. Northeast region, and comprises New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia are treated as being in the Southern United States region.

Contents

History

The Mid-Atlantic region was settled by a wider range of people than New England. Dutch immigrants moved into the lower Hudson River Valley in what is now New York State. Swedes went to Delaware. English Catholics founded Maryland, and an English Protestant sect, the Friends (Quakers), settled Pennsylvania. In time, all these settlements fell under English control, but the region continued to be a magnet for people of diverse nationalities.

Early settlers were mostly farmers and traders, and the region, called the Middle Colonies, served as a bridge between North and South. Philadelphia, midway between the northern and southern colonies, was home to the Continental Congress, the convention of delegates from the original colonies that organized the American Revolution. The same city was the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the U.S. Constitution in 1787.

Economy

Like New England, the Mid-Atlantic region has seen much of its heavy industry relocate elsewhere. Other industries, such as drug manufacturing and communications, have taken up the slack.

See also

External links

http://geology.er.usgs.gov/states/mid_atl.html



Geographic regions of the United States
Central | Coastal States | Deep South | East | East Coast | Gulf Coast | Mid-Atlantic | Midwest
Mountain States | New England | North | Northeast | Northwest | Pacific | South | South Atlantic
South Central | Southeast | Southwest | Upper Midwest | West | West Coast
Multinational regions: Border States | Great Lakes | Great Plains | Pacific Northwest
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