Cultural regions of America

The United States of America, due to its immense size and diverse heritage, has one of the most complex cultural identities in the world. As the third largest country in both area and population, America’s size has enabled the formation of subcultures within the country. These subcultures are often geographical as a result of settlement patterns by non-natives as well as regional weather and landscape differences.

Encompassing the entire Northeast north of New York City and spreading through Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, Yankeedom values education, intellectual achievement and are comfortable with government regulation.

A highly commercial culture, New Netherland is materialistic, with a profound tolerance for ethnic and religious diversity.

The Midlands are a welcoming middle-class society that spawned the culture of the "American Heartland." Political opinion is moderate, and government regulation is frowned upon. Within the Midlands are parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska.

Tidewater was built by the young English gentry in the area around the Chesapeake Bay and North Carolina. Starting as a feudal society that embraced slavery, the region places a high value on respect for authority and tradition.

Colonized by settlers from the war-ravaged borderlands of Northern Ireland, northern England, and the Scottish lowlands, Greater Appalachia is stereotyped as the land of hillbillies and rednecks. Appalachia values personal sovereignty and individual liberty. Within Greater Appalachia are parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Indiana, Illinois, and Texas.

The Deep South was established by English slave lords from Barbados and was styled as a West Indies-style slave society. It has a very rigid social structure and fights against government regulation that threatens individual liberty. Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina are all part of the Deep South.

Composed of the borderlands of the Spanish-American empire, El Norte is "a place apart" from the rest of America. Hispanic culture dominates in the area, and the region values independence, self-sufficiency, and hard work above all else. Parts of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California are in El Norte.

The Left Coast, located in coastal California, is a lot like Yankeedom and Greater Appalachia.

The conservative west. Developed through large investment in industry, yet where inhabitants continue to "resent" the Eastern interests that initially controlled that investment. The Far West spans several states, including Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Nebraska, Kansas, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Oregon, and California.

A pocket of liberalism nestled in the Deep South, its people are tolerant, and comfortable with government involvement in the economy. New France is among the most liberal places in North America. New France is focused around New Orleans in Louisiana as well as the Canadian province of Quebec.

Made up of Native Americans, the First Nation's members enjoy tribal sovereignty in the US. The territory of the First Nations is huge, but its population is under 300,000, most of whose people live in the northern reaches of Canada.