Geographical, economic and cultural peculiarities of the regions of the USA: New England, Middle Atlantic.

New England (Yankeeland) is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states (Yankee States): Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. New England is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and the state of New York. The states of New England have a combined area of ~186 km². The Appalachian Mountains roughly follow the border between New England and New York. The coast of the region, extending from southwestern Connecticut to northeastern Maine, is dotted with lakes, hills, swamps, and sandy beaches. Important valleys in the region include the Connecticut River Valley and the Merrimack Valley. The longest river is the Connecticut River. Lake Champlain, wedged between Vermont and New York, is the largest lake in the region. Weather patterns vary throughout the region.

Several factors combine to make the New England economy unique. The region is geographically isolated from the rest of the U.S., and is relatively small. It is an important supplier of natural resources and products, such as granite, lobster, and codfish. Exports consist mostly of industrial products, including specialized machines and weaponry (aircraft and missiles especially), built by the region's educated workforce. The service industry is important, including tourism, education, financial and insurance services, plus architectural, building, and construction services.

New England has a shared heritage and culture primarily shaped by waves of immigration from Europe. In contrast to other American regions, many of New England's earliest Puritan settlers came from eastern England, contributing to New England's distinctive accents, foods, customs, and social structures. New England is the least religious part of the U.S. The cultural heritage of New England revolves around the preservation of both man-made and natural items of national significance. Items of significance include historical buildings, monuments, furnishings, equipment, as well as native plants and animals. New England’s arts community is a very diverse sector, with a number of artists, musicians, composers, sculptors, dancers and actors all having achieved international recognition.

The Mid-Atlantic states (Boswash), form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South. Its exact definition differs upon source, but the region often includes Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., New York, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The Mid-Atlantic has played an important role in the development of American culture, commerce, trade, and industry, yet it is one of the least self-conscious of American regions. It has been called "the typically American" region by Frederick Jackson Turner. Religious pluralism and ethnic diversity have been important elements of Mid-Atlantic society from its settlement by Dutch, Swedes, English Catholics, and Quakers through to the period of English rule, and beyond.

As heavy industry spread throughout the region, rivers such as the Hudson and Delaware were transformed into vital shipping lanes. Cities on waterways -- New York on the Hudson, Philadelphia on the Delaware, Baltimore on Chesapeake Bay -- grew dramatically. New York is still the nation's largest city, its financial hub, and its cultural center.Like New England, the Middle Atlantic region has seen much of its heavy industry relocate elsewhere. Other industries, such as drug manufacturing and communications, have taken up the slack.

Because of the Mid-Atlantic region's significance and large urban centers that draw not only upon the regional populations, but across the nation as well, there is a higher population density. Three of the nation's top ten metropolitan areas are located here: New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.,These metro areas consist of immense urban sprawl radiating out from the city centers, covering a significant fraction of the region's land area.

This is a real East Coast region, with all the associated stereotypes of huge immigrant communities from all over the world, leftist politics aplenty, good food, and a vaguely arrogant (and ignorant) attitude towards the rest of the country. The long Atlantic Coast also means that the region has strong ties, in terms of travel, culture, and commerce, with Europe.

The areas outside these megacities are far less frequently visited by international tourists, but there is nonetheless much more to be seen: the Chesapeake Bay; the beautiful and wild Adirondacks comprise the largest park area in the continental U.S.; some of the most important Civil War battlegrounds like Gettysburg and Antietam are here; Niagara Falls is one of the great natural wonders of the world; and the Appalachian Trail is a hiker's dream.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-30