Southern and Midwestern States Comparison and Contrast:

¶ … Southern and Midwestern States

Comparison and Contrast: Southern and Midwestern States

The Southern and Midwestern states are very different in terms of their physical characteristics, their economic and agricultural bases, and their urbanization. For people moving from one place to the other, or doing business in states where they are not familiar, this can be a bit of culture shock. The look and "feel" of the areas are quite different, prompting people from one area to often have misconceptions about what life is like in another area. Here it is important to address the actual differences, to create a clearer picture of the Southern and Midwestern states, along with their differences and similarities.

Physically, the geography of the Southern and Midwestern states is both similar and different. While the Southern states have humidity virtually all year round, and Midwestern states are drier, overall. Both areas have a high level of vegetation, but a person will not likely see snow in the Southern states in the winter. That is much more common in the Midwestern part of the country. The actual characteristics of the land are different, as well. Southern states have more pine and palm trees, while the Midwestern states generally do not. Additionally, many of the more Southern states are quite flat, and the Midwestern states are more hilly and mountainous. While the Southern states have mostly dirt and sand as a soil base, there are more rocky in the Midwestern part of the country. The differences may sound subtle, but they are actually quite noticeable when it comes to a person who moves or visits from one area to the other.

Because of the differences in climate and landscape, the agricultural products that are farmed in the two regions are also different. In the Southern states, there are large quantities of tobacco, soybeans, and cotton grown, along with peanut crops. In the Midwest, there is more corn and other types of grain grown, and there are larger numbers of livestock raised by farmers and ranchers who take care of hogs, cattle, and chickens that are sold to large companies and used in the food supply. The agricultural products grown in both regions are highly important to the United States, and much of the cotton and tobacco grown in the South along with some of the meat and grain grown in the Midwest, are also shipped to overseas markets. That makes the farming and cultivating of crops in those regions a global endeavor. Agriculture is changing to some degree, however, as farmers are always looking for ways in which crops and livestock can be grown more efficiently and in new places where they were not grown or cultivated successfully in the past.

Urbanization is taking place in both regions, too. Cities are growing, and major hubs like Atlanta, Georgia are becoming more popular and more populous, as they begin to offer new opportunities for education and employment. Social, economic, and political changes are affecting both the Midwestern and Southern states, as the entire society of the United States is evolving and changing. Transportation is still lacking in these regions, however, as the bus and train and taxi services that are seen in places like the Northeast and California are not common in the Southern and Midwestern states.