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No disrespect meant, but how would you divide MN between Eastern US & Western US? The Mississippi does not bisect Minnesota.
The Mississippi River runs 680 miles entirely within the state of Minnesota. A lot of Americans don't even realize that the headwaters of the Mississippi are in northern part of the state.
In my opinion, if we're dividing the US into two parts (one Eastern, one Western), then the divide is at the Great Plains. So all of the MIMAL states (Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana) are in the East, everything to the west of those is in the West.
All of the states that border the Mississippi River are too green/forested or have too much heavy agriculture to be considered "Western".
The Great Plains is several hundred miles wide and seems to have little value as a distinctive divider historically or otherwise. Is Nebraska simply in no-man’s land, neither East nor West, neither fish nor fowl?
The Mississippi River runs 680 miles entirely within the state of Minnesota. A lot of Americans don't even realize that the headwaters of the Mississippi are in northern part of the state.
In my opinion, if we're dividing the US into two parts (one Eastern, one Western), then the divide is at the Great Plains. So all of the MIMAL states (Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana) are in the East, everything to the west of those is in the West.
All of the states that border the Mississippi River are too green/forested or have too much heavy agriculture to be considered "Western".
Iowa has very little forest. That's true both historically and today. Of the states that border the Mississippi its the most tied to the Great Plains, with Missouri and Minnesota following it up. Iowa is wide open spaces and agriculture.
The Great Plains is several hundred miles wide and seems to have little value as a distinctive divider historically or otherwise. Is Nebraska simply in no-man’s land, neither East nor West, neither fish nor fowl?
Nebraska is an example of the "dry line" divider. Eastern Nebraska is all in corn. Much like Iowa and Illinois (which must be noted is east of the Mississippi). By the time you get about halfway across the state you start seeing wheat more and more. In the western fourth of the state you start seeing wheat give way to ranch land. This is typical of all the plains states.
But as you say, there is nothing abrupt in the landscape. Just slow subtle change. But if you put a blindfold on in Lincoln and then took it off at say North Platte you might notice that it is more arid.
Nebraska is an example of the "dry line" divider. Eastern Nebraska is all in corn. Much like Iowa and Illinois (which must be noted is east of the Mississippi). By the time you get about halfway across the state you start seeing wheat more and more. In the western fourth of the state you start seeing wheat give way to ranch land. This is typical of all the plains states.
But as you say, there is nothing abrupt in the landscape. Just slow subtle change. But if you put a blindfold on in Lincoln and then took it off at say North Platte you might notice that it is more arid.
So you got Lincoln in the Eastern US and North Platte in the Western US based on aridity? Legit question.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard the phrase “Eastern United States” used as anything except as a physical area. One that parts, but not all, of the Midwest fits into.
So you got Lincoln in the Eastern US and North Platte in the Western US based on aridity? Legit question.
I live in the area I am describing except for I am in Oklahoma. Obviously many people would not accept this (aridity) as being a "legit" way to split east and west but it is a real phenomenon. In Oklahoma the west half of the state is different than the east half of the state. It is probably more demarcated than Nebraska.
Here is a map of rainfall in Oklahoma. As you move across the state it becomes drier. The terrain, plants and animals tend to change along with this rainfall pattern. As does agriculture. For instance, the two lighter green areas are where we grow wheat. West of that you see more and more ranching.
Another fun one is that past the lightest green areas you routinely see tumbleweeds in the wintertime. You rarely see tumbleweeds in the green area and I've only seen a handful of them in the light green area.
In the mauve and blue areas of eastern Oklahoma that is mountains and pine forest and some deciduous forest. The western parts of Oklahoma certainly aren't like that. They have gators down in that southeast corner of Oklahoma and we have antelopes in the western part of the state.
In the brown part of Oklahoma and into some of the yellow area you routinely see roadrunners. If you get into the eastern part of the yellow and on east there aren't any.
Finally, from an historical standpoint, the people who settled Oklahoma tend to come from different areas. Eastern Oklahoma mostly southerners, Northern Oklahoma mostly northern plains and Missouri. Southern Oklahoma, mostly people coming up from Texas.
These are some of the ways the aridity affects this area.
Last edited by eddie gein; 12-13-2020 at 09:09 AM..
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