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State lines don't mean anything when it comes to regional boundaries (Census Bureau definitions aside). There's nothing Midwestern about Cairo, Illinois. Nothing. It's not only the South, but the Deep South. It's part of the Mississippi Delta. The city is closer to Mississippi than Chicago, and St. Louis (a border city) is the same distance away as Mississippi. It's an accident of geography that it's in the same state as Chicago.
As a Coloradan, I agree. Great Plains, maybe. Out here we call that area the eastern plains.
The difference is that once you cross the state line, you're in a different state. Different state laws, taxes, etc. Why not use the state boundaries when appropriate?
Having been in southern Illinois, it's still Illinois. The people have a faintly southern accent, but they still live in Illinois.
They grow cotton down there! Can't say that for Central IL.
I am wondering if anyone wants to take a stab at defining Midwest characteristics that seperate it from other regions and that unify all parts of the region. Then to go into the subregions that highlight what tie thoes areas together while contrasting with other subregions.
I would say that Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ohio are great lake states. Illinois is definitely Midwestern. Perhaps, we should define the Midwest by the amount of visible corn. Southern Illinois actually was divided over the civil war...kinda makes them the South doesn't it? Though Southern Illinois is very much like Missouri and I would consider Missouri to be the Midwest.
Whatever it is, the Midwest is stigmatized something bad. I can't blame anyone. We have more than our fair share of rednecks. It is pretty amusing that the biggest traffic jam south of Chicago is during the harvest and the biggest rivalry out side of the Cubs/Sox(<3)/Cards debate is John Deer vs whatever that red thing is (International?). lol
I've been down I-57 between Mt. Vernon and Cairo a gazillion times, and I've never seen a cotton field. Once you cross the river into Missouri, yes.
THe Gulf Coastal Plain reaches its northern boundary around Carbondale, Ill. Then there is the flora- cypress trees, southern pines- all max-out their ranges in this area.
The entire region- S. Missouri, S. Illinois, S. Indiana and S. Ohio, has an Upland Southern accent, which is due to their settlement by people out of the Carolina Upcountry by way of Kentucky.
And remember the term 'Copperhead' from the Civil War?
If the Union Army had not had a large presence in Cairo (Kay-roh), Ill, at the time the entire southern parts of those states would have joined the Rebs; Missouri did in part- that state had its own civil war within a Civil War.
But the Midwest map (referenced) looks pretty accurate to me- as long as we understand that what is called 'The Midwest' consists of two distinct regions:
It is pretty amusing that the biggest traffic jam south of Chicago is during the harvest and the biggest rivalry out side of the Cubs/Sox(<3)/Cards debate is John Deer vs whatever that red thing is (International?). lol
I understand you are being hyperbolic, but your statement isn't even remotely true...There are actually 4-5 million people that live in IL outside of the Chicagoland area and very few of them are farmers anymore.
I agree, the people in Colorado and Montana would scoff at any part of thier states being called midwest. Even the high plains portions of those states are not midwest.
In Colorado, we call everything east of Denver part of Kansas.
Yes, our plains ARE part of the Midwest. What else could they be? The Mountain West? Oh please.
If you wanted to get REALLY technical, you could say that in Colorado, the Midwest ends at the Continental Divide.
In Colorado, we call everything east of Denver part of Kansas.
Yes, our plains ARE part of the Midwest. What else could they be? The Mountain West? Oh please.
If you wanted to get REALLY technical, you could say that in Colorado, the Midwest ends at the Continental Divide.
I don't consider the High Plains part of the Midwest at all. They have too many western attributes to qualify as being even remotely part of the Midwest core. Population density, landuse, climate, and culture being the main defining attributes.
I don't consider the High Plains part of the Midwest at all. They have too many western attributes to qualify as being even remotely part of the Midwest core. Population density, landuse, climate, and culture being the main defining attributes.
I am not so sure about your statement "even remotely part of the Midwest core". I mean what is the Midwestern Core? And who gets to define it?
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