The US South has long attracted many travel enthusiasts with its pleasant weather, large number of beaches, attractions, ample opportunities for good recreation, as well as its interesting history.
South USA: characteristics
The first settlers in the southern part of the current US were Protestants from England. The culture of agriculture in the south quickly became a major part of the economy, aided by the climate and fertile land. The population of the southern United States is different from other Americans. Often the inhabitants here have conservative views, are adherents of the traditional way of life. Today, agriculture continues to play a fundamental role in the economy of the south, but manufacturing and tourism are becoming increasingly important.
Location
The territory comprising the US South runs from the Atlantic coast to the Mexican border and the foothills of the Cordilleras. It stretched across 17 states.
The South of the USA occupies more than 20% of the area of the entire country. It accounts for a third of the population.
Territory of contrasts
South - a place of amazing natural, economicand social contrasts. And the cities of the southern United States are often completely different from each other.
The territory is characterized by the following contrasts in the economic direction: rich natural resources are combined here with the lowest labor productivity in the whole country; high growth rate of industrial production forces - with the lowest degree of industrial progress; lightning-fast growing large cities - Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Miami - function together with regressive areas in the Appalachians and Arkansas; prosperous huge cattle farms and citrus plantations contrast sharply with the ruined small farms. The socio-political contrasting areas of the South are modern research laboratories, rocket and space complexes and the largest proportion of illiterates in the United States; highest (in West Virginia) and lowest (in Mississippi) employee literacy rates.
General information
Less than half of the country's African-American population now lives in the south (a much larger proportion lives in the cities of the north), however, the racial problem is acutely perceived in the southern states.
While the south is far ahead of other states in terms of economic growth, it lags far behind the rest of the US in terms of per capita income. The rapid growth of industrial production in the southern states is gradually leading to an equalization of the levels of industrial development of the south and north, but in the southern states primary raw materials andenergy-intensive industrial sectors and industries, developing on the basis of the use of local inexpensive labor.
In the southern part of the United States, an increased polarization of economic development is visible: large industrial centers are being recreated, entire industrial zones are being formed, which are becoming increasingly important in the production of certain types of industrial products. The South occupies a leading position in the country in the extraction of coal, oil, natural gas, phosphorites, processing of petroleum products, petroleum engineering, textile and tobacco production.
List of the southern US states
South Atlantic:
- Delaware.
- Maryland.
- DC.
- Virginia.
- West Virginia.
- North Carolina.
- South Carolina.
- Georgia.
- Florida.
South East Central:
- Kentucky.
- Tennessee.
- Mississippi.
- Alabama.
Southwest Central:
- Oklahoma.
- Texas.
- Arkansas.
- Louisiana.
Interesting places and features in the states of the southern part of the USA
Spending your holidays in Louisiana, you should taste fresh and delicious dishes from seafood and crocodile meat. In addition to tasting dishes, here you can do more active activities, for example, visit unique natural and historical monuments.
In New Orleans you can visit the buildingThe Cabildo (where the Louisiana Purchase once took place) and St. Louis Cathedral, take a paddle steamer boat trip down the Mississippi, visit the Voodoo Museum, the Aquarium, bike through the city park, dance and relax in jazz nightclubs.
And people who love excitement should visit Shreveport to go to local casinos or place a bet on the racetrack.
Dallas is known for its excellent museum base. Must-sees include the Dallas Museum of Art and the American Railroad Museum. Lovers of entertainment will also find something to do in this city. At the zoo you can see tapirs, anteaters and animals from distant Africa, at the Dallas Aquarium you can see jellyfish, manatees, octopuses, crocodiles, sharks, and at the local amusement park you can ride more than 100 different amusement rides and become a participant in themed entertainment.
People who prefer a mild climate, sunny beaches and an interesting entertainment program go to Miami. Any tourist and traveler can visit the Police Museum (where there are such interesting items as an electric chair, crime weapons, a gas chamber) or go on a boat trip. In Miami, you can go diving and admire artificial coral reefs or explore sunken ships.
Another major city in the south of the country is Austin. Here you must see and visit places such as the Presidential Library, University Tower, Blanton Museum of Art, Neil Cochran House, Lyndon Johnson Museum. Persons coming todelight in event tourism, it is worth coming to the city in January-February for the Theater Arts Festival, in March for the Chocolate Festival, and in April to watch the boat race on Lake Lady Bird.
Many will find Tennessee also interesting. This is the only state in the country where you can legally produce a special kind of American corn whiskey called "Tennessee". From bourbon (produced mostly in Kentucky) "Tennessee" (also called the state in the south of the United States) is distinguished by particularly thorough treatment with sugar maple charcoal: the alcohol obtained after distillation is filtered drop by drop through tall barrels clogged with maple charcoal. As a result, the whiskey is pleasantly soft. The most famous brand of Tennessee whiskey is Jack Daniels.
Conclusion
The South of the USA is without a doubt worthy of attention in all its aspects. This area has an interesting and rich history. Well, the views and customs that distinguish the population of the south of the United States are quite curious and differ from the way of life of the inhabitants of the other part of the country.
Tourists will also enjoy the variety of entertainment, cultural and recreational programs offered in different states.
