 II.Culture A.American culture includes traditions, foods, and beliefs from all over the world. More than 99 percent of Americans are either immigrants or the descendants of immigrants. American Indians make up less than 1 percent of the population.

 B.Most Americans are of European descent (Britain, Germany, and France). About 12 percent of Americans trace their origins to Africa. Hispanics and Asians are the most rapidly growing segment of the population. Many Spanish speakers are bilingual which means they are able to speak two languages.

 C. Christianity is the major religion of the U.S. European settlers brought Christianity to North America. More than half of all Americans are Protestant Christians (Baptists, Lutherans, and Methodists.) About 25 percent of Americans are Roman Catholic Christians. Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam are other religions found in the U.S.

 D.Education has been an important factor in the development of the U.S. economy. Basic education is free and required of all citizens. More than 80 percent of students graduate from high school and many go on to study at colleges and universities. More than 3,000 colleges and universities are located in the U.S.

 Harvard University established in 1636

 E.American writers, musicians, filmmakers, and sculptors are internationally famous. American movies are shown all over the world and the first skyscraper was built in the United States. Music styles such as blues, country, rock ‘n roll, and rap originated in the U.S. People in the U.S. enjoy playing baseball, basketball, football and other sports.

 Section 2 I.The Northeast A. The Northeast is the smallest and most densely populated region in the United States. PennsylvaniaWest VirginiaMaryland Maine Rhode IslandDelaware New HampshireConnecticutNew York VermontWashington D.C. MassachusettsNew Jersey

 B.Most of the population is concentrated in urban areas known as a Megalopolis. A megalopolis is a group of cities that have grown into one large, built-up area. The Northeast is the political and financial center and most industrialized region of the United States. Our country’s first industries were built in the Northeast producing textiles, or cloth products.

 C.The early growth of the Northeastern cities was made possible by their good port sites. The completion of the Erie Canal in the 1820s provided access to the Great Lakes and the interior United States.

 D.The Northeast is home to many different cultures. Until the mid-1960s most immigrants came from Europe. Some cities in the region have large Greek, Irish, and Italian neighborhoods. In recent decades most immigrants have come from Latin America and Asia.

 E.The New York City is the largest metropolitan area in the United States. A metropolitan area is a city and its surrounding built-up areas. Dutch colonists settled at the site of New York in the 1620s and called it New Amsterdam. The English renamed the city New York later after acquiring it from the Dutch.

 F.Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia) is unique among the country’s cities because it was planned and built to serve as the U.S. Capital. Construction of the city began in the late 1700s.

 II.The Midwest A. The Midwest is this country’s major farming region and leading producer of industrial goods. OhioIllinoisWisconsin IndianaMichiganMinnesota IowaMissouri Many settlers moved into the Midwest, because of excellent farmland.

 B. Between 1915 and 1930 hundreds of thousands of African Americans migrated to this region from the South. They came to find work in cities like Chicago and Detroit. Chicago is the largest city in the Midwest. Chicago’s largest airport, O’Hare, is one of the busiest in the world.

 C. Most of the Midwest’s land is arable, or fit for growing crops. The Corn Belt stretches from Nebraska to Ohio. Within the Corn Belt, Illinois and Iowa are the country’s leading corn producing states. The Dairy Belt includes Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. Wisconsin “America’s Dairy land” produces more butter and cheese than any other state.