The U.S. is a big country with many different areas, such as New England and the Mid-Atlantic. The Midwest is also one of the biggest areas in size and the number of states that make it up. Considering how big the United States is, the word “Midwest” doesn’t seem to fit that many states.
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Why Is The Area Called The Midwest?
In the 19th century, the word “Midwest” was used to describe the states between the real Southwest, which at the time was Texas and Oklahoma, and the Northwest. The area got its name before most of the western coast was settled.
When the name “Midwest” was first thought of, a few states now in the Midwest were not even states. So, it’s not too much of a stretch to say that the name for the Midwest is wrong. It’s additionally essential to remember why the place was called what it was called.
Best states in the Midwest
Illinois
Illinois is one of the states with the most people living in it. Chicago is the state’s biggest city, with a population of almost 3 million people. That doesn’t count the huge metropolitan area, which adds more than 9 million people. The state has both farmland and places where things are made.
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Indiana
Most people think of Indiana when they think of states in the Midwest. The state has a large number of farms and a fairly large population. People know the state for its sports, but they also know that its biggest city, Indianapolis, is in the middle of four important highways. The city is known as the Crossroads of America because of this.
Michigan
Michigan is an unusual state because it is still the center of the U.S. car business, but it also has a lot of wild areas. Detroit is still the biggest city in the state, even though it is smaller than it once was. The state is close to many of the Great Lakes, which gives its people many ways to make money and have fun.
Ohio
Ohio happens to be one of the states with the most people. Because Ohio is close to the states of the Northeast, it is on important shipping lines. Even so, the state is not just where two roads meet. This area is a “battleground state” for presidential elections because different political ideas meet and mix.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin shares a border with Michigan and Illinois, but it is known more for life in the country and farming. The state is additionally recognized for its cheese output and cold weather. Even though Wisconsin is a big state, few people live there. Still, almost 600,000 people live in Milwaukee, which is the biggest city.
Iowa
Iowa, which is Southwest of Wisconsin, is another state known for farming. The state is the best in the country at making eggs, pork, and corn, among other things. Iowa is a small state with a small population, so it shouldn’t be surprising that it doesn’t have many big towns. Still, Des Moines has more than 200,000 people, which is a lot for a state in the middle of the country.
Kansas
Kansas is the best example of a state in the Midwest. This part of the Great Plains region has a lot of farms and is part of the famous Tornado Alley. Wichita, the state’s biggest city, is still pretty big and is home to about 13% of the state’s people.
Minnesota
People say that Minnesota has a good mix of all kinds of things. People can visit big towns like Minneapolis and Saint Paul or one of the state’s thousands of lakes to enjoy the outdoors. Minnesota is also great for sports fans because it has six professional sports teams.
Missouri
Missouri is known for having farmland that grows crops well and for being a big part of the aircraft business. Kansas City, a big city with more than 500,000 people and a big metro area, is in this state. Missourians are very interested in sports, just like other Midwestern states. There are two baseball teams in the state’s four big league teams.
Nebraska
Nebraska is another state in the Midwest that is known for farming. There is a lot of corn, soy, beef, and pork grown on fields in the state. Nebraska and the Dakotas place the “West” in the Midwest because they are the only way to get to the real West from this area.
North Dakota
North Dakota has the least number of people of any Midwestern state. North Dakota can seem a little lonely because only 779,094 people live there, and its biggest city has only 125,000 people. Still, the state is recognized as a center for agriculture and for its natural areas, attempts to protect them, and hard weather.
South Dakota
South Dakota has a greater population than North Dakota, but neither state is crowded. Like North Dakota, this state is a great place to visit to see parts of the badlands, the Black Hills, and additional natural sites. To understand the variety of the Midwest, you need to know what states are there. There are many farms in some places; in others, there are huge, spread towns. Unlike other parts of the nation, the Midwest comprises areas too different to combine and call one. So, it’s better to consider the Midwest a region than a place with a single culture.
