Southern United States
The Southern United States (also known as the Southern States or The South among Americans) is a term for the Southeastern part of the United States. All Confederate states were in the South, but not all Southern states joined the Confederacy; those that did not join were called border states. The States farthest to the south are called the "Deep South". Even though Arizona, New Mexico and southern California are geographically southern parts of United States, they are usually classified as the Southwestern United States and not the South (the climate, culture and ethnic makeup of the Southwest are also different from the South).
Most of the South is a land of long, hot summers. Winters are mostly short and cool. There is much rainfall. This combination gives the South a long growing season. Important crops include cotton, tobacco, peanuts, and peaches.
The cuisine of the Southern United States is distinct from other regions.
As defined by the United States Census Bureau, the states that make up "The South" are:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington, D.C. (although not a state)
- West Virginia
The border state Missouri is also sometimes considered Southern, although the Census classifies it as a Midwestern state.
Demographics
changeExcept for Florida and Texas, most of the South did not have as many immigrants arriving from other countries as the rest of the United States did, in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Most of the people in the South are of English, Scottish, or Irish ancestry, or the descendants of African-American slaves. Some Southerners identify themselves as being of "American" ancestry.
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