The South comprises Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. This area represents a population of nearly 100 million and is extremely diverse.
The states of Oklahoma and Texas are in the western portion of the South, and are perhaps best known for the influence the Mexican and Native American cultures have had on the region. Texas is the second-largest state in the nation, second only to Alaska, and has the third-largest population, following California and New York.
Much of the South experiences warm temperatures year-round, with the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas bordering the Gulf of Mexico and Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The region is also home to the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina and the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The region is rich in history, from pre-Civil War plantations to Civil War sites to museums that commemorate the civil rights movement. The District of Columbia (also referred to as Washington, DC) is the nation's capital and is the political center of the United States.
Major Cities of the South
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the business center of the Southeast, with CNN, Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, and United Parcel Service all headquartered there. This city of four million also has professional sports, a world-class orchestra, and charming neighborhoods.
Dallas, Texas
Dallas—along with its neighboring city, Fort Worth—is home to five million residents and has a distinctly western flavor. Culture and international business go hand-in-hand here; the city is famous for its live rodeos and country music and is also home to major corporations.
Miami, Florida
This city of two million is located on the southernmost tip of Florida and encompasses more than 80 miles of Atlantic coastline. The city is known for its Cuban flavor, beautiful beaches, and plentiful nightlife.
Washington, DC
The nation's capital is an ethnically diverse city of a half million people and offers world-famous museums and landmarks, including the White House, the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Capitol.
Foods sidebar: What are they eating?
One of the biggest shocks you'll experience while living in the United States is the change in available foods. American students may not have heard of some of your favorite foods from home, but they'll be happy to introduce you to some American cuisine.
While many foods are popular nationwide, and even some international foods are available, each region of the United States has its local favorites. Here are some of the popular traditional foods of the American South:
Corn bread: Made from cornmeal and often cooked on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet, this dense bread is a staple of the South. Adding cheese, hot peppers, or fresh corn can bring variety to this dish.
Grits: Grits are coarsely ground corn mixed with water and boiled into a porridge. Many Southerners eat grits for breakfast, mixing in anything from butter to cheese to ham.
Fried chicken: Fried chicken typically means chicken pieces (with bones) that are breaded and fried in oil. Infinite variations in breading ingredients, spices, and oil types mean everyone's fried chicken is a little bit different.
Okra: Okra is a vegetable that consists of fibrous pods (it is known as bhindi in Indian cuisine). In the American south, Okra is often sliced, breaded, and fried.
Sweet potato pie: The sweet potato is a root vegetable with a sweet flavor and bright orange color. It is a versatile food item, popping up in main dishes and side dishes, and it is the main ingredient of this traditional Southern dessert, which may also include sugar, butter, milk, eggs, and spices, depending on the recipe you follow.
