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For example, I live in Central Nebraska about 2 hours west of Omaha. I'm at the start of the Sandhills region, but there are still enough farmers around here that it feels midwestern, even if it's a transition zone. If I go about 2 hours west though it feels more western. There's more of a ranching culture and its extremely remote. Also there's no crop agriculture whatsoever except for the rare irrigated field.
Anyway what makes a place western or midwestern? I've heard some people say Kansas City is western (it might have been historically but its the quintessential midwest, same could be said about Omaha or for a southern equivalent Dallas or Houston. I think we can agree though that Colorado on west is the west.
West = Lots of mountains, mostly Protestant whites of mixed British/Continental origins and Mexicans, desert scrub, conifer forests, warm to hot weather generally though many areas are very cold in the winter, libertarians, shy quiet laid back people, not particularly religious aside from Utah
Midwest = Lots of farmland, mostly continental Europeans with blacks in the city limits, humid continental climate with frigid winters and short but warm summers, practical friendly people, moderately religious (mostly Protestant) aside from Wisconsin which isn't very religious
South = A matrix of forest, wetland and farmland with lots of hills in some areas, mostly Anglo-Celtic whites and blacks, humid subtropical climate with moderately cold winters and very muggy warm summers, very religious (again mostly Protestant) though fun-loving for the most part, generally friendly people
Northeast = A mix of forest, farmland and mountains. Weather is similar to the Midwest. White population is largely non-Protestant unlike the other regions, with many Irish and Italian Catholics as well as Jews. Though the Northeast is nearly as non-religious as the West. Significant black, Hispanic, and Asian populations too, probably the most multiracial region of the country. People are generally extroverted in the Northeast and speak what's on their mind; passive aggressive is like a foreign language there.
In other words, the Midwest is like New Sweden and the West is pretty much Mexico North. They couldn't be any MORE different, though the Great Plains is like both really. It has the flatness of the Midwest and the barrenness of the West put into one.
Midwest = Lots of farmland, mostly continental Europeans with blacks in the city limits, humid continental climate with frigid winters and short but warm summers, practical friendly people, moderately religious (mostly Protestant) aside from Wisconsin which isn't very religious
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Originally Posted by Mini-apple-less
In other words, the Midwest is like New Sweden and the West is pretty much Mexico North. They couldn't be any MORE different, though the Great Plains is like both really. It has the flatness of the Midwest and the barrenness of the West put into one.
Also the Midwest isn't very Swedish at all outside of states like Minnesota. The biggest white ethnicity, I believe, is German.
Nah. Catholic might be the largest single denomination but Protestants combined vastly outnumber them in most parts of the Midwest. And you're right, it's more German than Swedish but yeah the West generally has an Anglo-Mexican cultural vibe while the Midwest is more German-Scandinavian with some Eastern European, Black and Irish undertones.
In other words, the Midwest is like New Sweden and the West is pretty much Mexico North. They couldn't be any MORE different, though the Great Plains is like both really. It has the flatness of the Midwest and the barrenness of the West put into one.
Outside of Kansas, the Great Plains are anything BUT flat.
Nah. Catholic might be the largest single denomination but Protestants combined vastly outnumber them in most parts of the Midwest. And you're right, it's more German than Swedish but yeah the West generally has an Anglo-Mexican cultural vibe while the Midwest is more German-Scandinavian with some Eastern European, Black and Irish undertones.
True, but, since the Protestants aren't a unified block like the Catholics are, the culture feels vastly more Catholic in a lot of the Midwest, particularly in a lot of the large metros.
Scandinavian influence also takes a major backseat to Irish influence in the majority of the Midwest. The Irish are the second largest ethnicity in the region. Even in a Great Lakes city like Chicago, it's Irish>Scandinavian by far.
Northeast = A mix of forest, farmland and mountains. Weather is similar to the Midwest. White population is largely non-Protestant unlike the other regions, with many Irish and Italian Catholics as well as Jews. Though the Northeast is nearly as non-religious as the West. Significant black, Hispanic, and Asian populations too, probably the most multiracial region of the country. People are generally extroverted in the Northeast and speak what's on their mind; passive aggressive is like a foreign language there.
Nah
I'd argue that the West and South are more multiracial than the Northeast.
As for this thread, I think for the most part, it's geographic. However, there are cultural borders that bleed one side into the other, but for the most part, most people don't really live on the cultural boundaries between the regions.
As I said in another thread, there is no such thing as western culture. Or midwestern culture, for that matter. But I think defining "western" in terms of landscape and land usage makes a lot of sense.
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