Southeastern United States

The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located in the eastern part of the Southern United States and the southern part of the Eastern United States. This area includes a group of states that extend north to Maryland and West Virginia, close to the Ohio River and the Mason–Dixon line. It also reaches west to Arkansas and Louisiana.

There is no single, official definition of this region set by the U.S. government. Different groups and organizations may describe the Southeast in various ways, which means its exact borders can change depending on who is talking about it. This makes the Southeast an interesting area to study because it means people can think about it in many different ways.

History

The history of the Southeastern United States goes back thousands of years. The first people in the area were Native Americans, and later, European explorers arrived. One famous explorer, Hernando de Soto, traveled through the region in 1541.

Many southeastern states were part of the Thirteen Colonies that later became the United States. During the American Civil War, most of these states joined together as the Confederate States of America. After the war, changes happened in the region, including new laws and economic growth. In the 20th century, the Southeast grew a lot, with many people moving there for jobs and a warm climate. States like Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia saw big increases in their populations.

Geography

The United States Geological Survey says the Southeastern United States includes states like Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, and others such as Georgia and Kentucky.

There isn't one official way that the government uses to decide which states are part of the Southeast. Different groups may include or exclude some states, so the area can look a little different depending on who you ask.

Demographics

The Southeastern United States has some big states and cities. The most populous states in this area, based on the 2020 United States census, are Florida with 21,538,187 people, followed by Georgia with 10,711,908 people, and North Carolina with 10,439,388 people.

The region also includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, which are located southeast of Florida and are considered part of the Southeast by some groups.

There are many large cities and areas in the Southeast, and some of these areas have over one million people living in them.

Culture

Main article: Culture of the Southern United States

The culture of the Southeastern United States began when people from Europe and Africa came to live there from the 1600s to the 1800s. Many groups such as the English, Scottish, Scotch-Irish, Germans, Spanish, French, and Acadians settled in this area.

Since the late 1900s, the Southeast has grown quickly and become more mixed with people from many backgrounds. African Americans make up about 30% of the people living there. Some big cities in the Southeast include Raleigh-Durham, Greensboro, Charlotte, Spartanburg, Greenville, Atlanta, and Montgomery.

Climate

Most of the southeastern United States has a humid subtropical climate. As you move toward southern Florida, the climate changes to tropical because all months have temperatures above 64.4 °F (18.0 °C).

Summers are usually hot and humid across the whole region. The Bermuda High brings warm, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, leading to sticky, tropical-like summers. Daytime temperatures often reach the upper 80s to lower 90s °F. Rain falls mostly in summer along the Gulf Coast and the South Atlantic coast, especially in Florida, where summers are wet and winters are dry. The sunshine is strong in summer, with rain often coming in quick, heavy bursts.

Winters are cool in northern areas like Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, and western North Carolina, with January highs around 45 °F (7 °C). Further south, winters are milder, with January highs around 53 °F (12 °C) in places like Georgia and Alabama. Near the Gulf of Mexico, coastal areas can have winter daytime highs near or above 60 °F (16 °C). In Florida, winter temperatures are even warmer, often above 70 °F (21 °C), especially in the southern part of the state. Winters in Florida are usually dry and sunny, with more rain as you move north.

Economy

The Southeast has grown a lot since the late 20th century. It now has many jobs in services, making things, technology, and money matters. For example, lots of people visit Florida and the Gulf Coast for fun. Big car companies like Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Toyota Motors, Kia, BMW, Volkswagen, and GM have built factories in places such as Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Blue Springs, Mississippi, West Point, Georgia, Greer, South Carolina, Chattanooga, and Spring Hill, Tennessee. Companies like Nissan, Mercedes-Benz USA, and Porsche have their main offices in the area around Atlanta.

There are also big research places, like Research Triangle Park in North Carolina and the Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, Alabama. Many important companies have their main offices in cities like Charlotte, North Carolina, Memphis, Tennessee, and Atlanta, Georgia. Even though some parts of the Southeast are doing very well, other parts still have more poverty than the rest of the United States.

Education

The Southeastern United States has many important universities, both public and private, that are known around the world for their research and learning. Some of the well-known public universities include Auburn University, Clemson University, College of William & Mary, Florida State University, and Georgia Tech, among others.

There are also many respected private universities in the region, such as American University, Duke University, Emory University, Georgetown University, and Vanderbilt University. The Southeast is home to the most historically black colleges and universities in the country, with Florida A&M University, Howard University, and North Carolina A&T State University being three of the largest.

Sports

The Southeastern United States has many professional sports teams. There are nine teams in the National Football League, including the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, and Washington Commanders.

The area also has seven basketball teams in the National Basketball Association, such as the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, and Washington Wizards. There are five baseball teams in Major League Baseball and five hockey teams in the National Hockey League. Additionally, there are six soccer teams in Major League Soccer.

Many NASCAR racing teams are based in the Charlotte area, and the region hosts famous race tracks. The Southeast is also home to two important horse races that are part of the American Triple Crown: the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.

College sports are very popular in the Southeast. The Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference include many teams from this area. Notable college football games, called bowls, take place in cities across the Southeast.