The Midwestern Region

The Midwestern region of the United States of America is a group of 12 states located in the middle-westernmost area of the country.
The states of the Midwestern region can be divided into two smaller regions: the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains region.
The Great Lakes region includes states that surround the Great Lakes.

The Great Plains region includes the states where the Great Plains are located.

Physical Features

The states in the Midwest share similar characteristics of the physical features of the land. The Midwest contains mountains and plateaus, but the Central and Great Plains cover most of the landscape.

​The Great Plains

The Great Plains is a grassy, flat stretch of land with low hills.

It covers one-third of the United States.

The areas of tall, thick grasses are called prairies.

​The Central Plains

The Central Plains are located between the Ohio River and the Great Lakes.

​
The Great Lakes

The Great Lakes include five freshwater lakes.

They are:

• Lake Superior;

• Lake Michigan;

• Lake Huron;

• Lake Erie; and

• Lake Ontario.

​Rivers

The Ohio and Mississippi Rivers are important river systems in this region.

​Crops such as wheat, corn, and soybeans are an important natural resource in the Midwest. This region is also known as "the Breadbasket" because of the amount of wheat that is grown here. Dairy cattle, hogs and chicken are farmed here and mining for minerals such as coal, stone and other materials.

​Climate and Wildlife

The Midwest experiences all four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. However, the temperatures change dramatically from season to season.

The dramatic temperature changes and the flat landscape are the perfect recipe for dangerous storms such as blizzards and tornados. “Tornado Alley” is a nickname given to the states with the most tornados yearly.

Kansas and Nebraska are states that belong to the Midwest region and are part of Tornado Alley.

​Seasons

The Midwest has four distinct seasons, but the temperature changes dramatically from hot summers to harsh and bitter winters. In the summertime, the average high temperature in the region is 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The average low temperature is 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Some states have recorded temperatures as high as 110 degrees Fahrenheit and lows of less than −30 degrees Fahrenheit. That is at least a 70-degree difference between summertime and wintertime!
The Lake Effect

Some states in the Midwestern region also experience what is called Lake Effect weather. In the summertime, the Great Lakes absorb and store warm water. In the wintertime, as cold air travels across the warm lakes, the warm water rises and cools, forming clouds filled with precipitation. The moisture in the clouds turns into snow as the clouds move over the land. In other words, the Great Lakes creates its own weather.
Severe Storms

Flat land in the Midwest plays an important role in its climate. Without any major mountain ranges to block the air, warm and cold air from different parts of the United States gets pushed into the Midwest. When warm and cold air clash, storms such as tornados and blizzards can occur.
Wildlife

Many different wildlife roam the prairies of the Midwest, including buffalo, prairie dogs, deer, elk, bears, and wolves.

The rivers and lakes provide a variety of fish, such as walleye and bass.

Midwestern Native Americans

Native Americans in the Midwestern region had been settled on the land for about 10,000 years before Europeans began to settle there. Some of the tribes in the Midwest were the Ottawa, Ojibwa, Huron, Fox, Winnebago, and Sioux.
The tribes used the resources from the environment of the Midwestern region to live and survive. The tribes that lived there:

• planted corn and beans;

• hunted deer and buffalo;

• fished in the nearby rivers and lakes; and

• built their homes out of trees or animal hides.

​Waginogan

In the wintertime, tribes would use branches, bark, and mats made from cattail reeds to build a small wigwam called a waginogan, or “round lodge."

​Teepee

The Native Americans in the plains were hunters and often moved to follow herds of bison.

Since trees were not nearby, tribes would build teepees out of animal hide, or skin.

The teepees could move easily.

​Nasaogan

If trees were nearby, Midwestern tribes would build a home using branches and bark. It was called a nasaogan, or “pointed lodge."

This was considered a spring and summer home.

Human Interactions

In 1787, the United States Congress established a settlement called the Northwest Ordinance. The ordinance created laws that established a new government for the land, which would become the states of the Great Lakes region. The Great Plains region of the Midwest later entered the United States in 1803.
Many big cities developed in the Midwest are along major rivers and lakes. The waterways allowed for the transportation of people and goods into the region. Some of the major cities include:

• Chicago, Illinois; and

• Detroit, Michigan

Chicago is known for its trading and meat-packing industry, while Detroit is known for its involvement in the automobile industry.
Agriculture

Many people in the Midwest work on farms.

There are three main agriculture industries: corn, wheat, and dairy.

• Corn is grown in Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Minnesota, and Nebraska.

• Wheat is grown in the Great Plains in states such as Kansas and North Dakota.

• In Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan, people work on dairy farms or in dairy factories.

Manufacturing

Many people in the Midwest work in factories, where they help to make cars, machines, or food products. This region of the United States is known for making things.
Mining

Many people in the Midwest work in mines. Mines in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio contain materials such as limestone, coal, and salt.

Copper and iron ore can be found in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Many of the materials found in the mines in the Midwest are used for building and manufacturing.

Today, you learned about the Midwestern region of the United States.

Most of the region is covered in flat, low-lying plains with plenty of space for large crop fields.

Many in the Midwest work on farms producing wheat, corn, or soybeans.

Manufacturing is a big part of the region, and many people in the Midwest work in factories producing many of the country's cars, farming equipment, and food projects.

Great job today!