Mark Kuznetsky

According to archaeological research on the territory of the modern state of Kansas, people live for about nine thousand years. For centuries, the main occupations of the Great Plains Indians have been hunting and farming, with corn as the main crop.

In 1541, the first European expedition came from Mexico to the lands of Kansas, led by the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Coronado. Explorers who went in search of the mythical "golden cities" through the territory of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma met Wichita and Pawnee Indians in Kansas, and the Indians then saw horses for the first time. Later, the Indians began to buy horses from the Spaniards, which radically changed their way of life.

On January 29, 1861, Kansas became the thirty-fourth state of the United States.

Some Notable Kansas Natives and Residents

 John Brown (1800–1859) was a famous emancipator. Born in Connecticut, but later lived in Kansas.

 James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok (1837-1876) - soldier, scout, famous shooter. One of the most popular characters in the folklore of the Wild West of the United States. Born in Illinois, but later lived in Kansas.

 Carrie Nation (1846–1911) was a prominent temperance activist. Born in Kentucky, but later lived in Kansas.

 Susanna Salter (1860-1961) - political and public figure, the first woman elected mayor of the city in the United States. Born in Ohio, but later lived in Kansas.

 Charles Curtis (1860–1936) 31st Vice President of the United States. Born in Topeka.

 William Allen White (1868-1944) - journalist, public figure, one of the leaders of the progressivism movement in the United States. Born in the city of Emporia.

 Walter Chrysler (1875-1940) - entrepreneur, founder of a well-known automobile company. Born in the city of Wamego.

 Clyde Cessna (1879-1954) - one of the pioneers of aviation, aircraft designer and entrepreneur, founder of a well-known aircraft company. Born in Iowa, but later lived in Kansas.

 Walter Johnson (1887–1946) famous baseball player and coach. Born in the city of Humboldt.

 Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969) 34th President of the United States. Born in Texas, but later lived in Kansas.

 Walter Beech (1891-1950) - one of the pioneers of aviation and the aircraft industry in the United States. Born in Tennessee, but later lived in Kansas.

 Hattie McDaniel (1895–1952) was the first black actress to win an Oscar. Born in Wichita.

 Buster Keaton (1895–1966) was a famous comedian and silent film star. Born in the town of Pikva.

 Amelia Earhart (Amelia Earhart, 1897 - went missing in 1937, declared dead in 1939) - one of the pioneers of aviation, the first female pilot to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean. Born in Atchison.

 William "Bill" Lear (William "Bill" Lear, 1902-1978) - engineer and entrepreneur, founder of a well-known aircraft company. Born in Missouri, but later lived in Kansas.

 Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) is a well-known poet, the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize. Born in Topeka.

 Charlie "Bird" Parker (1920–1955) was a famous jazz musician. Born in Kansas City.

 Robert "Bob" Dole (1923– ) is a famous politician. Born in Russell.

 Robert Duane Ballard (Robert Duane Ballard, 1942–) - Navy officer, professor of oceanology, famous underwater archaeologist. Born in Wichita.

Kansas state symbols

 Tree - deltoid poplar (Populus deltoides)

 Flower - sunflower (Helianthus)

 Grass - schizachyrium paniculata (Schizachyrium scoparium)

 Beast - American bison (Bison bison)

 Bird - western meadow troupial (Sturnella neglecta)

 Fish - channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

 Reptile - painted box turtle (Terrapene ornata)

 Amphibian - western tiger salamander (Ambystoma mavortium)

 Insect - honey bee (Apis mellifera)

 Grape Varieties - Chambourcin and Vignoli

 Precious (ornamental) stone - amber

 Mineral - galena

 Rock - greenhorn limestone

 Fossils - Tylosaurus and Pteranodon

 Song - Home on the Range ("House on the Range" Music by Daniel Kelly, Lyrics by Brewster Higley)

Kansas' main economic sectors are industry, agriculture, and mining.

Kansas ranks eighth in the list of "oil" US states. Despite the fact that the cost of oil production is constantly growing due to the need to use more sophisticated technologies, the growth in prices for "black gold" will ensure high profitability of oil production. The state ranks fifth in the United States in terms of explored natural gas deposits and eighth in its production. In addition, the Kansas gas fields provide a significant portion of the world's helium production.

Traditionally, Kansas is considered an agricultural state - the "State of Sunflowers and Wheat." In terms of agricultural land area of ​​all US states, Kansas is second only to Texas and Montana.

Kansas is part of the US grain belt, the state occupies one of the first places in America in the production of wheat and corn. In addition, oats, barley, sorghum, sunflowers, soybeans and other crops are grown in Kansas fields.

Long before the appearance of "pale-faced" colonists, American Indian tribes lived on the lands of modern Oklahoma.

Around 800 AD, the first settlements of the Caddo (Caddo) people, then part of the Indian "Mississippi culture" (also known as "mound builders"), appeared in eastern Oklahoma. The Spirow Mounds are considered the westernmost monuments of this fairly advanced civilization based on agriculture and stable trade relations that have survived to this day.

In the west of the state lived the Wichita Indians, who were engaged in both agriculture and hunting. In the middle of the last millennium, the Apache, Kiowa, and Comanche tribes moved from the north to the plains of Oklahoma.

The first European on the lands of Oklahoma was the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Coronado, whose expedition also passed in 1540-1542 through the territory of the modern states of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Kansas.

In 1830, the US Congress passed a law according to which the Indian peoples living east of the Mississippi River were to be evicted to the western, at that time still undeveloped lands. Many Indians were forced to move to the newly created "Indian Territory", of which Oklahoma became a part. The sad story of the migration of the "five civilized tribes" who lived in the southeastern United States: Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw and Seminole is best known. The "Road of Tears" was the name given by the Indians to their long journey to the west, during which thousands of people died. In subsequent decades, Indians were evicted to Oklahoma from the states of the Northeast and Midwest of the United States (Shoni, Lenape, Miami, Sok, Fox, Ottawa, Kickapoo, Ponca, Osage, Oto, Missouri and others). By 1860, over 50,000 Indians, over 8,000 black slaves, and only about 3,000 Europeans lived on Oklahoma lands. Today, Oklahoma ranks second (after California) in the United States in terms of the number of indigenous people living in the state.

On May 2, 1890, the Oklahoma Territory was created, which included the western counties of the modern state. The rapid growth of the population of Oklahoma, as well as the desire of the Indians to create their own state (which was supposed to be called "Sequoia" in honor of the famous creator of the Cherokee script) led to the fact that on November 16, 1907, US President Theodore Roosevelt signed the law on the formation of the state of Oklahoma, which became the forty-sixth US state.

The first capital of the new state was the city of Guthrie, but already in 1910 it was decided to transfer the capital to Oklahoma City.

National Historic Landmarks in Oklahoma

 Fort Gibson in the city of the same name, built in 1824 to protect the western border of the United States.

 The cabin of Sequoyah, a prominent educator of the Cherokee Nation, near the village of Akins. Built in 1829.

 Wheelock Academy in the town of Millerton is a missionary school for the Choctaw Indians, which served as a model for the creation of such institutions. Built in 1832.

 The Cherokee Capitol is a building in Talkwa that was the seat of government of the Cherokee Nation from 1869 to 1907. Built in 1867.

 Capitol Creek is a building in Okmulgee that was the seat of government of the Creek Nation from 1878 to 1907. Built in 1878.

 Guthrie Historic District, which was the capital of the Oklahoma Territory and the first capital of the state of Oklahoma.

 Ranch 101 Historic District in the Ponca City area, founded in 1893 and famous for being the setting for the Wild West at Ranch 101 show (in imitation of the Buffalo Bill show).

 The historic district of Bowley, founded in 1903 as a "black town" under the segregationist policy of the time.

 The Bizzell Memorial Library is one of the buildings at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, famous for its role in one of the racial segregation cases heard by the US Supreme Court. Built in 1928.

 Ernest Marland's mansion in Ponca City. Built in 1928.

 Boston Avenue Methodist Church in Tulsa, considered one of the finest examples of Art Deco church architecture in the United States. Built in 1929.

 The Price Tower is a building in Bartlesville, built in 1956 by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Oklahoma state symbols

 Tree - crimson (cercis) Canadian (Cercis canadensis)

 Flower (cultivated) - Oklahoma rose

 Flower (wild) - gaillardia (Gaillardia pulchella)

 Grass - sorghum drooping ("Indian grass", Sorghastrum nutans)

 Animal - American bison (Bison bison), white-tailed (Virginian) deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and Mexican folded lip (Tadarida brasiliensis)

 Fur-bearing animal - raccoon (Procyon lotor)

 Bird - Long-tailed king tyrant (Tyrannus forficatus), wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) and red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

 Fish - white American perch (Morone chrysops)

 Reptile - collared desert iguana (Crotaphytus collaris)

 Amphibious bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)

 Insect - honey bee (Apis mellifera)

 Butterfly - polyxena sailboat (Papilio polyxenes)

 Food products - garden strawberries (strawberries); okra (okra); pumpkin squash; cornbread; barbecue pork; pecan pie etc

 Drink - milk

 Stone - "desert rose" (gypsum)

 Dinosaur - Acrocanthosaurus

 Fossil - Saurophaganax

 Dance - square dance

 Musical instrument - fiddle ("folk violin")

 Song - "Oklahoma" (Oklahoma, music by Richard Rogers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein)

Oklahoma's main economic sectors are mining, industry, and agriculture.

The most important mineral wealth of the state is oil (Oklahoma ranks fifth in the United States in terms of reserves and production of "black gold") and natural gas (according to various estimates - the second or third place in the United States). Numerous companies are involved in oil and gas production in Oklahoma, the largest of which are Oklahoma City-based Devon Energy, Chesapeake Energy, and Sandridge Energy, as well as ONEOK and Williams Companies, which are headquartered in Tulsa.

Since the appearance of European explorers on the territory of the modern state of Texas, it has been claimed (and, to a greater or lesser extent, controlled) by six states France, Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America and the United States of America. The Lone Star State often refers to the "six flags of Texas," referring to various periods of its history.

Of course, long before the Europeans, Indians lived on the lands of Texas. By the middle of the last millennium, the indigenous people of the state belonged to three main cultures: the ancestors of the Caddo people in the east ("mound builders"), the ancient Pueblos in the west, and the Mesoamerican Indians in the south. Later, under pressure from Europeans, Indians from the Apache, Kiowa, Wichita, Comanche and other tribes came to Texas. Three Native American peoples are officially recognized in Texas today: the Alabama, the Kickapoo, and the Pueblo.

The Spaniards were the first Europeans to come to Texas, already in 1519 Alonso Alvarez de Pineda sailed along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico and made his first map.

In 1528, in the region of Galveston Island, members of the Spanish expedition led by Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca crashed and were captured by the Indians. Only four people, including de Vaca himself, were able to escape after a few years and, after long wanderings, reach Mexico. Alvar Cabeza de Vaca became the first European explorer of the Texas hinterland.

Texas is located on the territory of three physiographic regions of the United States. The southeastern counties of the state are part of the US Atlantic Lowlands; it is a vast and almost flat plain with numerous rivers, lakes, swamps and salt marshes. Central and northern Texas belong to the Interior Plains, it is a hilly forest-steppe and plateaus overgrown with steppe grasses, turning into a semi-desert in the northwest. Southwest Texas is located in the "ridges and basins" region of the Intermountain Plateaus, where arid steppes are replaced by forested mountain slopes and sand dunes.

The huge size of Texas determines the diversity of climate in its territory. The eastern and central districts of the state are characterized by a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and warm winters. To the west, the climate becomes semi-arid (hot in the south and cold in the north), and in the southwest it becomes desert. The location on the Gulf Coast makes Texas prone to natural disasters: tropical storm and hurricane strikes, as well as flooding. In addition, the Lone Star State is part of Tornado Alley and has more of these devastating tornadoes than any other region in the United States.

National parks in Texas Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in western Texas on the border with New Mexico. On the territory of the park there is the highest point of the "Lone Star State" Mount Guadalupe Peak, as well as El Capitan Rock, which was an important landmark on the post stagecoach route in the fifties and sixties of the XIX century. On the territory of the park you can see a variety of landscapes: from saline deserts and steppes to hills cut by canyons and mountains overgrown with coniferous forests. There are also several historical sites here, including the ruins of a stagecoach station and a ranch founded in the seventies of the XIX century, which now houses a museum. Guadalupe Mountains National Park was established in 1972. Big Bend National Park is located in southwestern Texas and is named after the large bend in the Rio Grande ("Big Bend" "Big Bend") that flows through the park and serves as the border between the United States and Mexico. Big Bend Park is one of the largest reserves in the United States with a unique desert ecosystem; more than one thousand two hundred species of plants grow on its territory; hundreds of species of birds, dozens of species of animals and reptiles live here. In addition, several historical objects are located on the territory of the park: from archaeological excavations to artifacts of the relatively recent past. There are several roads and hiking trails in the park. Big Bend National Park was founded in 1944, before (since 1933) it had the status of a state park.

Texas state symbols

Tree common pecan (brown pecan, Carya illinoinensis)

 Flower Texas lupine (Lupinus texensis)

 Grass butelua lateral (Bouteloua curtipendula)

 Cactus prickly pear (Opuntia)

 Shrub Indian lagerstroemia (Indian lilac, Lagerstroemia indica) and shrub leucophyllum (Leucophyllum frutescens)

 Beast Texas Longhorn (breed of cattle), nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) and Mexican folded mouth (Tadarida brasiliensis)

 Dog breed Blue Lacey

 Bird polyglot mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

 Fish Guadalupe perch (Micropterus treculii)

 Reptile Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum)

 Mollusk sinistrofulgur perversum (Sinistrofulgur perversum pulleyi)

 Insect Monarch Danaid (Danaus plexippus)

 Dinosaur Sauroposeidon

 Food product (dish) chili con carne

 Food product (bread) pan de campo ("cowboy bread")

 Food product (fruit) Texas red grapefruit

 Food product (nut) pecan

 Food product (pepper) jalapeno

 Food item (snack) tortilla chips with salsa

 Pistol Colt Walker

 Dance square dance

 Musical instrument acoustic guitar

 Musical style western swing

 Precious (ornamental) stone blue topaz

 Fossil petrified palm wood

 Kind of sport rodeo

 Song "Texas, Our Texas" (Texas, Our Texas, author of music and lyrics by William Marsh)

There are three cities in Texas with a population of more than a million people: Houston, ranked fourth in the list of the largest US cities (about 2,100,000 inhabitants), San Antonio (1,330,000 inhabitants, seventh place) and Dallas (1,225,000 inhabitants, ninth place). Three other cities have over half a million residents: the state capital Austin (820,000, thirteenth), Fort Worth (760,000, sixteenth), and El Paso (660,000, 19th).

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of Texas: Mexicans 31%

 English 27%

 Descendants of immigrants from Africa (African Americans) about 12%

 Germans 11%

 Irish 8%

 French 2.5%

 Italians 2%

The economy of the state of Texas ranks second (after California) in the United States of America in terms of gross domestic product. If the "Lone Star State" were an independent state, it would rank fifteenth on the list of the richest countries in the world. More than fifty Fortune 500 companies (the largest corporations in the United States) are headquartered in Texas, only New York and California have more headquarters. In addition, Texas is the largest exporter among all US states.

At the same time, the Texas economy is very diverse, the state extracts and processes minerals, produces a variety of industrial and agricultural products, tourism and high-tech industries are rapidly developing.

According to archaeological research, people have lived on the territory of the modern state of Minnesota for about nine thousand years. It is in Minnesota (as well as in the neighboring states of Wisconsin and Michigan) that the oldest metal instruments on the North American continent, made seven thousand years ago, were discovered. The first settlements of the American Indians in Minnesota appeared about three thousand years before our era, about two and a half years ago the first mounds appeared, a characteristic feature of the culture of the Indian peoples who lived in the Midwest. Towards the end of the first millennium, the Minnesota Indians began to actively engage in agriculture, with corn and wild (water) rice as the main crops.

By the time the Europeans arrived in Minnesota, most of the Indians living here belonged to the Dakota people. Later, at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries, the Ojibwe Indians (anishinaabe) moved from the east under the pressure of the colonists to Minnesota.

By the way, it was in Minnesota in 1968 that the American Indian Movement was born, a public organization whose task is to protect the rights of Native Americans.

The Minnesota lands were part of the Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa territories. In 1849, the Minnesota Territory was created. On May 11, 1858, Minnesota became the thirty-second state of the United States.

Minnesota is the northernmost state in the continental United States, only Alaska is further north.

Northeast Minnesota is part of the Laurentian Uplands, the oldest (more than 2.7 billion years) geological formation. This region is characterized by a thin layer of soil, numerous rock outcrops, thousands of lakes and streams. It is here that the highest point of the state is located - Eagle Mountain (701 meters above sea level), reserves Voyagers National Park, Lake Superior National Forest, Chippewa National Forest and others.

Almost the entire north of Minnesota is covered by what is known as Laurentian mixed forests. Pine, spruce, fir, juniper, aspen, oak, birch, mountain ash, maple grow here. Black bears, moose, white-tailed deer, lynx and many other animals live in the forests. Minnesota has the largest wolf population in the US outside of Alaska.

The northwest of the state is a vast plain that was once the bottom of a lake formed by a melting glacier (in general, during the last glaciation, glaciers covered almost the entire surface of modern Minnesota, with the exception of only the southeast of the state). The west and southwest of Minnesota are prairies covered with grasses and steppe shrubs. Deciduous forests are located in the southeast of the state.

Minnesota is called the "state of ten thousand lakes", according to official statistics in the state there are almost twelve thousand lakes, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich exceeds ten acres (40,000 m2). The largest and deepest of them is, of course, Lake Superior, one of the Great Lakes of North America.

The state has about six and a half thousand rivers and streams, it is in Minnesota that the sources of the largest river in the United States, the Mississippi, are located.

Minnesota's largest city, Minneapolis, now has about 430,000 people. The capital of the "Northern Star State", the city of Saint Paul, has about 310,000 inhabitants. In the urban agglomeration of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, known as the "Twin Cities", about 3,650,000 people live (16th place in the list of the largest US metropolitan areas).

The economy of Minnesota is characterized by diversity, there are no clearly leading directions, but there are many well-developed industries. Minnesota is the largest producer of sugar beets, sweet corn and green peas in the United States. The state has a well-developed poultry industry, with turkeys raised mainly on poultry farms in Minnesota. A significant part of the state's agricultural products is also processed here. Forestry and mining traditionally remain important sectors for the economy. Minnesota has a very well developed industry, including high-tech industries.

Minnesota State Symbols

 Tree - resinous pine (red, Pinus resinosa)

 Flower - Queen's slipper (Cypripedium reginae)

 Cereal - Zizania (wild rice, Zizania palustris)

 Mushroom - edible morel (Morchella esculenta)

 Bird - black-billed loon (Gavia immer)

 Fish - lightfin zander (Stizostedion vitreum)

 Insect - bumblebee (Bombus affinis)

 Butterfly - Monarch Danaid (Danaus plexippus)

 Food product (fruit) - apple variety "Honeycrisp" Malus pumila

 Drink - milk

 Pie (muffin) - blueberry muffin

 Precious (ornamental) stone - Lake Superior agate

 Sports - ice hockey

 Song - "Hail Minnesota"

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of Minnesota:

 Germans - about 38%

 Norwegians - about 17%

 Irish - about 12%

 Swedes - about 9.5%

 English - about 6.5%

 Poles - about 5%

 French - about 4%

 Czechs - about 3.5%

In Arkansas, as in other states of the United States, centuries before the arrival of Europeans, tribes of the indigenous inhabitants of America lived - Indians. Here lived the peoples of the "Mississippi culture" - Cherokee, Osage, Caddo, Quapo, Choctaw.

Interestingly, there was an agreement between the often warring tribes that the hot springs area, where Hot Springs National Park is located today, was considered a "zone of peace."

The first European to discover Arkansas was the Spaniard Hernando de Soto in the 16th century. The expedition led by him passed through the territory of modern Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi in 1539-40, as well as through the territory of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas in 1541. De Soto described the lands where he discovered Spanish possessions.

Modern Arkansas is already a state fully integrated into the US economy, which, nevertheless, still remains largely agricultural and very conservative. The problems of the very difficult process of desegregation that took place in Arkansas are less and less felt.

National Historic Landmarks in Arkansas

 Baptist "Century Church" in Helena

 Mounds in the area of ​​the village of Scott, piled up by the Indians who lived here from the 7th-11th centuries.

 Archaeological park in the city of Parkin, where the remains of the Indian settlement of the XIV-XVII centuries have been preserved.

 The Old Arkansas State Capitol building, built in the city of Little Rock in 1842.

 A few places of interest related to the history of the American Civil War military operation known as the "Camden Expedition":

 the arsenal building in Little Rock, built in 1841;

 site of the Battle of the Ferry at Elkins Ferry April 3–4, 1864;

 site of the Battle of d'En Prairie April 10–12, 1864;

 a building in Washington Township that was used by Confederate supporters as the Arkansas Capitol. Built in 1836;

 site of the Battle of Poison Spring, April 18, 1864;

 Fort Lookout on the outskirts of Camden, built in 1864;

 site of the Battle of Marks Mills, April 25, 1864;

 site of the Battle of Jenkins Ferry, April 30, 1864.

 Bath Street is a complex of eight baths built on hot springs in the city of Hot Springs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

 Baptist "Century Church" in Helena, which is considered the birthplace of the National Baptist Convention, one of the largest religious associations in the United States. Built in 1895.

 The Rover Displaced Persons Center, where over 8,000 Japanese Americans forcibly displaced from California were held from 1942–1945.

 Daisy Bates' home in Little Rock, which served as the headquarters for civil rights activists during the "desegregation crisis" around the "Little Rock Nine" in 1957.

Symbols of the state of Arkansas

 Tree - short coniferous pine and frankincense pine (Pinus echinata and Pinus taeda)

 Flower - apple tree flowers (Pyrus malus)

 Cereal (cereal) - rice

 Grape variety - Cintiana (Norton)

 Animal - white-tailed (virginsky) deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

 Bird - polyglot mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

 Fish - Mississippian shell (alligator pike, Atractosteus spatula)

 Insect - honey bee (Apis mellifera)

 Butterfly - Diana fritillari (Speyeria diana)

 Food product (vegetable) - South Arkansas pink tomatoes

 Food product (nut) - pecan

 Drink - milk

 Gemstone - Diamond

 Mineral - quartz

 Rock - bauxite

 Dance - square dance

 Musical instrument - fiddle ("folk violin")

 Song - "Arkansas" (Arkansas, author of music and lyrics by Eva Barnet)

There are no huge metropolitan areas in Arkansas, the state's largest city is its capital, Little Rock, which is home to nearly 200,000 people. Other large settlements are Fort Smith (about 90,000 inhabitants), Fayetteville (about 80,000 inhabitants), Jonesboro (about 70,000 inhabitants).

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of Arkansas:

 Descendants of immigrants from Africa (African Americans) - about 15%

 Irish - about 14%

 Germans - about 12.5%

 English - about 10%

 French - about 2.5%

 Scots - Irish (Ulster Scots) - about 2.1%

 Dutch - about 1.9%

Most African Americans live in the southern and eastern regions of the state, while Arkansans of Irish and German origin live primarily in the northern and western districts.

The main sectors of the economy of the state of Arkansas are agriculture, mining and processing of minerals, food processing, production of lumber and pulp and paper products, engineering and others.

The fertile lands of Arkansas, especially in the Arkansas Delta region, are very favorable for agriculture.

Cotton, although a very important crop in Arkansas (as well as in other southern US states), is no longer the state's staple crop. Rice, soybeans, wheat and other crops are grown in the fields of Arkansas.

Arkansas is one of the largest producers of poultry meat (primarily broilers and turkeys) and eggs in the United States. The state also has a well-developed breeding of pigs, cattle and the production of dairy products.

The subsoil of Arkansas is rich in bauxites, the state of which is the leader in the production of bauxite in the United States. In Arkansas, as well as in the neighboring states of Oklahoma and Texas, oil and natural gas are produced, and several oil refineries also operate. In southern Arkansas, a very high concentration of bromine has been found in by-products (brines) from oil production. Now Arkansas provides almost one hundred percent of bromine production in the United States (and about forty percent in the world). Coal, vanadium, lead, zinc, silver, copper, antimony, gypsum, chalk and other minerals are also mined in the state.

For thousands of years before the appearance of European colonialists in the territory of the modern state of Louisiana, American Indians lived here. It was in the "Pelican State" that archaeologists discovered the oldest structures of the Indian culture of the "mound builders" in the United States - the Watson Break mound complex, whose age exceeds five thousand years. Also known are the huge (more than a kilometer in diameter) concentric earthen ramparts of Poverty Point, built about three and a half thousand years ago.

Later, the “Mississippian culture” spread here, which was characterized by agriculture as the main occupation, a complex social structure, developed trade (including with remote regions), and, of course, the construction of mounds with flat tops that had ritual significance .

By the time the Europeans appeared on the lands of Louisiana, the Caddo (Caddo), Natchitoches, Tunic, Atakapa, Taensa and other peoples lived.

The first European explorers of Louisiana were the Spanish. Alonso Alvarez de Pineda explored the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico in 1519 and made the first map of the region. In 1528, conquistadors sailed from Florida to Texas under the leadership of Panfilo de Narvaez. In 1542, after the death of the Spanish pioneer Hernando de Soto, the members of his expedition descended from Arkansas along the Mississippi and headed further west to Mexico. Nevertheless, Spain, although it announced its claims to the entire coast of the Gulf, actually did not develop the lands of Louisiana.

On April 30, 1812, Louisiana became the eighteenth state of the United States. During the Anglo-American (known as the "Second War of Independence"), the British tried to capture New Orleans, but in January 1815 they were defeated by American troops under the command of Andrew Jackson, the future seventh President of the United States. This battle, which took place after the official conclusion of the peace treaty (which was not yet known in remote Louisiana), was the last battle of the war of 1812-1815.

National Historic Landmarks in Louisiana

 The historic district of Natchitoches, founded in 1714 and the oldest European settlement in Louisiana.

 The French Quarter is the oldest district in New Orleans and has been built up since the founding of the city in 1718.

 Jackson Square is a square and park in the French Quarter of New Orleans, created in the twenties of the XVIII century.

 The Old Ursuline Monastery in New Orleans is the oldest surviving French colonial building in Louisiana. Built in the fifties of the XVIII century.

 Madame John's Legacy is one of the oldest houses in the French Quarter in New Orleans. Built in 1788.

 House of the famous lawyer and politician Edward Douglas White in Thibodeaux. Built in 1790.

 The Nicolas Giraud House (also known as the "House of Napoleon") was a mansion owned by an entrepreneur and former mayor of New Orleans that was planned to be used as the residence of Napoleon Bonaparte after his release from exile on Saint Helena. Built in 1797.

 The Cabildo is a building in New Orleans built in 1799 as the seat of the Spanish city government. It now houses the Louisiana State Museum.

 The Presbyter is a building in the French Quarter in New Orleans, one of the finest examples of colonial Spanish architecture in the United States. Built in 1791–1813.

 The Louisiana State Bank Building, built in New Orleans in 1820.

 Fort Jesup - built in 1822 near the city of Natchitoches.

 Fort Jackson, built in 1822-32 near the village of Triumph to protect the coast. In April 1862, one of the battles of the American Civil War took place here.

 Evergreen Plantation, located near the village of Wallace, is a well-preserved estate built in 1832.

 Melrose Plantation is one of the largest plantations in the United States created by free black Americans. Located in the village of Melrose, built in the thirties of the XIX century.

 The St. Charles Streetcar Line in New Orleans is the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world, having started operating in 1835.

 Plantation Oak Alley ("Oak Alley") near the village of Vacheri, a distinctive feature of which is a double row of evergreen southern oaks, planted at the beginning of the 18th century. The plantation mansion was built in 1837.

 The neo-Greek neo-Greek style Clinton courthouse and adjacent lawyers' offices in 1840.

 The Madwood Plantation Mansion is one of the finest examples of neo-Greek architecture in the US South. Located near the town of Napoleonville, built in 1846.

 The building of the "Old Louisiana State Capitol", built in the city of Baton Rouge in 1847-1852.

 Gallier Hall is a building in New Orleans, built in 1853 in the neo-Greek style and for more than a century served as the residence of the mayor of the city.

 St. Alphonse's Church in New Orleans, built in 1855

 The Garden District is a neighborhood in New Orleans that has many buildings built between the 1830s and 1900s.

 House of popular writer George Washington Cable in New Orleans. Built in 1874.

 Shreveport City Water Pumping Station, built in 1887

 Home of renowned Tulane University professor James Dillard in New Orleans. Built in 1894.

 The Federal Court of Appeals building in New Orleans, completed in 1909

 The Cotton Exchange building in New Orleans, built in 1921.

 Fireship Deluge, built in 1923 and served in the port of New Orleans.

 The Louisiana State Capitol, built in Baton Rouge in 1932 in the Art Deco style.

Louisiana state symbols

 Tree - swamp cypress (two-row taxodium, Taxodium distichum)

 Flower (cultivated) - magnolia

 Flower (wild) - giant (Louisiana) iris (Iris giganticaerulea)

 Beast - black bear (Baribal, Ursus americanus)

 Dog breed - Catahoula Leopard Dog

 Bird - American brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)

 Fish - white American bayfish (Morone americana)

 Reptile - American (Mississippi) alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

 Amphibian - American green tree frog (herding tree frog, Hyla cinerea)

 Crustacean - freshwater crayfish

 Insect - honey bee (Apis mellifera)

 Fossil - petrified palm wood

 Precious (ornamental) stone (material) - shells of the eastern (Atlantic) oyster (Crassostrea virginica)

 Mineral - agate

 Food product (berry) - strawberry (Fragária)

 Food product (jelly) – hawthorn jelly (Crataegus aestivalis) and sugarcane jelly

 Food item (vegetable) - sweet potato (sweet potato) and Creole tomato

 Food item (pie) - meat pie Natchitoches

 Food product (dish) - gumbo

 Drink - milk

 Color - blue, white and gold

 Musical instrument - diatonic button accordion ("Cajun button accordion")

 Song - "You Are My Sunshine" by Jimmy Davis and Charles Mitchell and "Give Me Louisiana" by Doralis Fontaine

Louisiana's economy is based on mining, transportation, agriculture, industry, and tourism. Louisiana occupies one of the first places in the United States in terms of oil and gas production, and the processing of petroleum products is also well developed here. The Port of South Louisiana, located on the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, is one of the largest cargo ports in the world. The state's farmers grow cotton, soybeans, sugarcane, sweet potatoes, rice; breed cattle and poultry. The original type of animal husbandry in Louisiana is the breeding of alligators. The Pelican State is one of the largest seafood producers in the country. The sights of Louisiana (primarily New Orleans) attract numerous tourists to the state.

On the territory of the modern state of Florida, people have lived for more than fourteen thousand years. By the time Europeans arrived on the lands of Florida, numerous (according to some estimates, up to 350,000 people) American Indian tribes lived here, including those belonging to the Apalachian peoples (in the northwest), Timucua (northern and central regions of the state), ice (in coast of the Atlantic Ocean in the Indian River and Cape Canaveral), calusa (southwest Florida), tequesta (southeast coast), mayimi (around Lake Okeechobee), tokobaga (Tampa Bay area) and many others.

The Indians living in north and northwest Florida were close to the Mississippi culture, they farmed with corn as their main crop. The rich nature of Florida allowed the Indians of the southern part of the state to live by hunting and gathering.

The number of Indian peoples of Florida was greatly reduced due to infectious diseases introduced by Europeans, to which the locals had no immunity. In addition, many Indians in northern Florida were killed or enslaved during raids by British colonists from the Carolinas.

 In the 18th century, under pressure from European colonists, Creek Indians came to Florida from the north, from Alabama and Georgia. Displacing the indigenous tribes and partially merging with them, they formed a new people - the Seminoles, who later played a very important role in the history of Florida.

Florida was the first region in the continental United States discovered by Europeans. In April 1513, the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon, who was looking for new lands north of Cuba on behalf of the King of Spain, landed on the east coast of Florida. It was he who, in honor of the Easter holiday (in Spanish, Pascua Florida, "flowered Easter"), called the lands he discovered La Florida ("blooming land").

Although Juan Ponce de León was the king's first explorer of Florida, it is likely that other Spaniards had already visited the peninsula before him. Most likely they sailed from the islands of the Caribbean in order to capture slaves. Ponce de Leon's expedition encountered hostility from the Indians, and some of them knew a few Spanish words.

After the adoption of the "Resettlement Act" by the US Congress in 1830, the gradual displacement of the Indians from the southeast of the United States (including Florida) to the west, to the "Indian Territory" (modern state of Oklahoma) began. The unwillingness of some Indians to leave their native lands led to the beginning in 1835 of the "Second Seminole War". Seven years later, in 1842, the resistance of the Indians was crushed and almost all of them were evicted. On March 3, 1845, Florida became the twenty-seventh state of the United States.

National parks in Florida

 Dry Tortugas National Park is located on seven islands of the same name (the westernmost islands of the Florida Keys) in the Gulf of Mexico, more than a hundred kilometers southwest of the coast of Florida.

 The park's main attraction is Fort Jefferson, a coastal defense fortress that began construction in 1846 and took about thirty years to complete. Fort Jefferson is one of the largest in the United States and the largest brick structure in the Western Hemisphere. In addition to the fort itself, the Dry Tortugas National Park is interesting for its tropical nature, almost untouched by human influence.

 Dry Tortugas National Park was founded in 1983, before (since 1935) it had the status of a National Monument.

 Biscayne National Park is located in southeast Florida, near the city of Miami. It includes part of the bay of the same name, its coast, as well as several barrier reefs and Elliot Key Island (the northernmost of the Florida Keys).

 Biscayne Park is home to a variety of ecosystems, including coastal mangrove swamps, the shallow waters of the bay, coral-shaped islands, and the northern part of Florida Reef, one of the largest coral reefs in the world. Hundreds of animal species live both on the coast and in the sea, including some rare species. Most of the park is only accessible by water and popular with visitors are fishing, windsurfing and scuba diving.

 Biscayne National Park was founded in 1980, before (since 1968) it had the status of a National Monument.

 Biscayne National Park

 Lighthouse on one of the islands of Biscayne National Park

 Everglades National Park is located in southern Florida, it is the third largest national park in the country, the largest protected area of ​​tropical nature in the United States and the largest reserve east of the Mississippi River.

 The Everglades is primarily a unique ecosystem of wetlands and forests. In the park you can see the largest mangroves in the Western Hemisphere, dozens of species of animals (including protected or endangered) and reptiles, hundreds of species of birds and fish.

 The Everglades National Park was founded in 1934 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

Florida state symbols

 Tree - palm-shaped sabal (palmetto, Sabal palmetto)

 Flower (cultivated) - orange flowers (Citrus sinensis)

 Flower (wild) - coreopsis (flax, Coreopsis)

 Beast - Florida cougar (Puma concolor coryi)

 Marine mammal - common (American) manatee (sea cow, Trichechus manatus latirostris) and large (bottle-nosed) dolphin (bottle dolphin, Tursiops truncatus)

 Breed of cows - Florida cracker

 Horse breed - Florida Cracker

 Bird - polyglot mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

 Fish (freshwater) - Florida largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus)

 Fish (marine) - Atlantic sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus)

 Reptile - American (Mississippi) alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

 Reptile (marine) - big-headed sea turtle (loggerhead, Caretta caretta)

 Land turtle - gopher polyphemus (Gopherus polyphemus)

 Clam - Florida horse snail (Triplofusus papillosus)

 Butterfly - heliconid charitonia (Heliconius charithonia)

 Food product (fruit) - orange

 Drink - orange juice

 Pie - key lime pie

 Precious (ornamental) stone - moonstone (adularia)

 Fossil - agate coral

 Song - "Florida, Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky" by Ian Hinton

More than 18,800,000 people live in the state of Florida (fourth, after California, Texas and New York, in terms of population among US states). The average population density in the state is about 135 people per km2 (8th place in the USA).

The largest cities in the state of Florida are Jacksonville (more than 820,000 inhabitants, eleventh place in the list of the largest US cities), Miami (about 400,000 inhabitants), Tampa (about 340,000 inhabitants), St. Petersburg (about 250,000 inhabitants), Orlando (about 240,000 inhabitants) and the state capital of Tallahassee (about 180,000 inhabitants).

The largest urban agglomerations in the state of Florida were formed around Miami (about 5,570,000 people, eighth place in the list of US metropolitan areas), Tampa (more than 2,790,000 people, nineteenth place) and Orlando (about 2,140,000 people, twenty-sixth place) and Jacksonville (about 1,350,000 people, fortieth place).

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of Florida:

 English - about 17%

 Germans - about 12%

 Irish - about 10%

 Italians - about 6.5%

 Cubans - about 4.5%

 French - about 3%

 Poles - about 2.5%

 Scots - about 2%

For more than a quarter of Florida's population, their first language is not English. Almost twenty percent of the state's residents call Spanish as their native language, and about two percent - the Creole dialect of French.

More Cubans live in Florida than anywhere else in the United States. Mostly Cuban communities are concentrated in the Miami and Tampa area. There are also many immigrants from Puerto Rico, Haiti, Nicaragua and other Latin American countries in the state.

Florida ranks fourth among US states in terms of GDP (after California, Texas and New York). Florida's main economic sectors are tourism, agriculture, mining, and industry.

Approximately sixty million tourists visit the state each year, drawn both by Florida's mild climate and its unique natural sites, as well as by its many historical landmarks and tourist attractions.

The ancient Indians who lived in what is now the state of Mississippi belonged to the so-called "mound builder culture" (or "Mississippian culture"). They were characterized by agriculture, a developed trade network, a complex social structure, as well as the construction of flat-topped earth mounds, on which residential and religious buildings were built.

By the time European colonization began, the Indians of the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Natchez, Biloxi, Yazu, and Pascagoula peoples lived on the lands of the Mississippi.

The first European explorer of the Mississippi was in 1540 the famous Spanish pioneer Hernando de Soto, whose expedition came from modern Florida through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama.

In 1870, after the adoption of laws prohibiting slavery, the state of Mississippi was again admitted to the United States, but for many decades its black residents were infringed on their rights. Thanks to a series of legislative restrictions on participation in elections, wealthy landowners retained power in the state, and for former slaves, slavery was replaced by economic dependence. Together with the constant terror from white racists, the inability to get an education and the lack of work, all this served at the beginning of the 20th century as the reason for the mass migration of blacks from Mississippi (and other states of the US South) to the Northeast and Midwest, in particular to New York, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and other large industrial cities.

About 3,000,000 people live in the state of Mississippi (thirty-first place in terms of population among US states. The average population density in the "Magnolia State" is about 25 people per km2 (thirty-second place in the USA).

The state's largest city is its capital, Jackson, with about 175,000 people living here. Other major Mississippi cities are Gulfport (about 70,000 people), Hattiesburg (about 55,000 people), Southaven (about 50,000 people), and Biloxi (about 45,000 people).

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of Mississippi:

 "Americans" (mostly descendants of the British and Scots) - 14.2%

 Irish - 6.9%

 English - 6.1%

 Germans - 4.5%

 French - 2.3%

 Scots - Irish - 1.9%

 Italians - 1.4%

 Scots - 1.2%

Mississippi is located entirely within the Atlantic Lowlands. The southernmost counties of the "Magnolia State" are the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, an almost flat plain, indented with bays. Along the coast, separated by a shallow strait, a chain of several barrier islands stretched. The more hilly region to the north is called the "Pine Belt" because of the long-leaved pine that is widespread here. To the northeast of the state, the relief gradually rises, forming the so-called "Hills" of the Mississippi - the distant foothills of the Appalachian mountain system. The entire western part of the state is the Mississippi River valley, which is also often called the "Delta". The Mississippi Delta is known for its extremely fertile alluvial (alluvial) soils, as well as numerous wetlands with a rich and diverse ecosystem.

Some Notable Mississippi Natives and Residents

 Jefferson Finis Davis (Jefferson Finis Davis, 1808-1889) - an outstanding politician, the first and only President of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Born in Kentucky but later lived in Mississippi.

 Hiram Rhodes Revels (1827–1901) is a well-known politician, the first African American elected to the US Congress. Born in North Carolina, but later lived in Mississippi.

 Elizabeth Lee Hazen (1885–1975) was a renowned microbiologist. Born in the town of Rich.

 William Cuthbert Faulkner (1897-1962) is a famous writer. Born in New Albany.

 Richard Nathaniel Wright (1908–1960) was a popular writer. Born in Roxy.

 Eudora Alice Welty (1909–2001) was a writer and photographer. Born in Jackson.

 Thomas Lanier "Tennessee" Williams III (1911–1983) was a famous playwright. Born in Columbus.

 McKinley "Muddy Waters" Morganfield (1913–1983) was a famous blues musician, singer and songwriter. Born in Issaken County.

 Shelby Foote (1916–2005) historian, writer, and journalist. Born in Greenville.

 Craig Claiborne (1920–2000) is a popular restaurant critic, journalist, and author of cookbooks. Born in Sunflower.

 Medgar Wiley Evers (1925–1963) was a black American civil rights activist. Born in the city of Decatur.

 Riley "B.B." King (1925–2015) was a legendary blues musician, singer and songwriter. Born in the village of Berkler.

 Ellas "Bo Diddley" McDaniel (1928–2008) is a famous guitarist, singer and songwriter. Considered one of the founders of rock and roll. Born in McComb.

 Elvis Aaron Presley (1935–1977) is a legendary singer and actor known as the "King of Rock and Roll". Born in Tupelo.

 James Maury "Jim" Henson (1936–1990) puppeteer, actor, screenwriter and director creator of the television program The Muppet Show. Born in Greenville.

 Tammy Wynette (1942-1998) - musician, singer and songwriter, known as the "First Lady of Country". Born in the village of Tremont.

 Oprah Gail Winfrey (1954–) is a popular television presenter. Born in the city of Kosciuszko.

Mississippi state symbols

 Tree - large-flowered magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)

 flower - magnolia

 Animal - white-tailed (virginsky) deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and common (red) fox (Vulpes vulpes)

 Marine mammal - large (bottle-nosed) dolphin (bottle dolphin, Tursiops truncatus)

 Bird - Carolina duck (Aix sponsa)

 Fish - largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

 Reptile - American (Mississippi) alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

 Mollusk - Eastern (Atlantic) oyster (Crassostrea virginica)

 Insect - honey bee (Apis mellifera)

 Butterfly - sailboat troilus (Papilio troilus)

 Dance - square dance

 Toy - teddy bear ("Teddy Bear")

 Stone - petrified wood

 Fossil - Basilosaurus and Zygoriza

 Song - "Go, Mississippi" (Go, Mississippi, author of music and words - Houston Davis)

The state of Mississippi lags far behind in economic development from other US states, it ranks last in terms of GDP relative to population.

This situation is primarily due to historical reasons, because by the time the Civil War began, Mississippi was the fifth richest state in the world. Mississippi's natural conditions, namely the fertile soils and mild climate, perfect for growing cotton and ensuring the prosperity of the Magnolia State in the 19th century, are indirectly "to blame" for the slow growth of other industries.

Natural disasters also cause great damage to the economy of Mississippi. The "Great Mississippi Flood" in 1927, Hurricanes Camille in 1969 and Katrina in 2005, and numerous other natural disasters not only claimed hundreds of lives, but also greatly influenced the development of the state.

At least twelve thousand years ago, the territory of the modern state of Alabama was already mastered by Indian tribes. By the beginning of European colonization, the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Koasati, Mobile and, of course, the tribe, after which the state was named, Alabama, lived here.

The tribes of Alabama belonged to the "Mississippian culture", which is also called the "mound builders". They were characterized by the creation of high earthen mounds with flat tops - mounds - on which temples, residential buildings of leaders, etc. were erected.

The main occupation of the Indians was agriculture, based on the cultivation of corn. They had a rather complex hierarchical structure, developed trade relations, including those with very remote regions.

The first European explorer of Alabama was the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto, who led an expedition that passed through the territory of modern Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi in 1539-40.

The first English traders came to the north of present-day Alabama from the territory of the British colony of Carolina in the eighties of the XVII century.

In 1817, the Territory of Alabama was created by the US Congress, and on December 14, 1819, Alabama became the twenty-second state of the United States.

National Historic Landmarks in Alabama

 Ivy Green is a house-museum in Tuscumbia, where writer Helen Keller spent her childhood. Built in 1820.

 Fort Morgan, which was built on the shores of Mobile Bay in 1834 and was used by the Confederates during the American Civil War.

 Government Street Presbyterian Church in Mobile is one of the oldest and best-preserved Greek Revival churches in the United States. Built in 1837.

 Barton Hall is a Greek Revival manor near the town of Cherokee built in 1840.

 The Alabama State Capitol, also known as the "First Confederate Capitol". Built in Montgomery in 1851.

 City Hall is a complex of buildings in the city of Mobile, built in 1857 to house the municipality and the market.

 Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Huntsville, built in 1859 in the Gothic Revival style.

 Gaineswood is a Greek Revival plantation house in Demopolis, built in 1861.

 Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, pastored from 1954 to 1960 by Martin Luther King. Built in 1889.

 Union Station in Montgomery, built in 1898.

 The Monroe County Courthouse in Monroeville, built in 1903

 Brown Chapel Church in Selma, which served as a meeting place for civil rights leaders and the starting point for the 1965 Montgomery marches. Built in 1908.

 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, where members of the civil rights movement met. On September 15, 1963, members of the Ku Klux Klan planted a bomb in it, the explosion of which killed four and injured twenty-two people. Built in 1911.

 Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham, built in 1926, served as the headquarters of the Christian Human Rights Movement from 1956-1961.

 Foster Auditorium is one of the buildings of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, built in 1939.

 The Edmund Pettus Bridge across the Alabama River in Selma, where a bloody clash between civil rights marchers and militias took place in 1965. Built in 1940.

 The USS Alabama Museum Ship was a battleship built in 1942 that saw action in the Pacific during World War II. Now moored in Mobile.

 Engine and structure test facility at the George Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, built in 1957.

 The dynamic test facility for the Saturn V rocket at the George Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, built in 1964.

 The Neutral Buoyancy Simulator is a laboratory built at the George Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville in 1968 to train astronauts.

Alabama state symbols

 Tree - long-coniferous (marsh) pine (Pinus palustris)

 Flower (cultivated) - Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica)

 Flower (wild) - oak hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)

 Beast - American black bear (Baribal, Ursus americanus)

 Horse breed - racing horse

 Bird - Golden (Awk-billed, cuckoo) woodpecker (Colaptes auratus) and wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

 Fish (marine) - Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus)

 Fish (freshwater) - largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

 Reptile - Alabama red-bellied tortoise (Pseudemys alabamensis)

 Amphibious burrowing salamander (Phaeognathus hubrichti)

 Mollusk - Juno's snail (Scaphella junonia johnstoneae)

 Insect - Monarch Danaid (Danaus plexippus)

 Butterfly - sailboat glaucus (Papilio glaucus)

 Nut - pecan

 Berry - western raspberry

 Fruit - peach

 Vegetable - yam (sweet potato)

 Alcoholic drink - Alabama whiskey

 Pie - Pie Lane

 Precious (ornamental) stone - blue star quartz

 Mineral - hematite

 Rock - marble

 Fossil - Basilosaurus (Basilosaurus cetoides)

 Dance - square dance

 Song - "Alabama" (Alabama, music by Edna Goossen, lyrics by Julia Tattooiler)

About 4,800,000 people live in the state of Alabama (23rd place in the USA), while the average population density is about 34 people per km2 (22nd place in the USA).

The largest city in Alabama is Birmingham with over 210,000 people. Other large cities of Alabama are the state capital, Montgomery (more than 200,000 inhabitants), Mobile (almost 200,000 inhabitants), Huntsville (about 180,000 inhabitants), Tuscaloosa (about 90,000 inhabitants).

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of Alabama:

 Descendants of immigrants from Africa 

(African Americans) - about 26%

 English - about 24%

 Irish - about 8%

 Germans - about 6%

 Scots - Irish (Ulster Scots) - about 2%

The ethnic diversity of the population of Alabama (as well as the population of the United States as a whole) is also determined by historical reasons.

So, for example, the largest city in the south of Alabama, Mobile, was founded by the French, subsequently control over it passed to England, Spain and the USA.

Alabama's economy is highly diversified and rapidly growing.

Minerals are mined in Alabama (mainly coal), lumber and paper, rolled metal (including iron and steel pipes), plastic products, and clothing are produced.

Agriculture in Alabama is no longer concentrated, as before, on one crop - cotton. The state grows cereals (corn, sorghum), peanuts, soybeans, vegetables and fruits (particularly peaches). Animal husbandry (mainly dairy) and poultry farming are well developed.

But the main directions of development of the economy of modern Alabama are mechanical engineering and high technologies.

On the territory of the modern state of Georgia lived the Indians, who belonged to the so-called "Mississippi culture". They were characterized by a rather complex social structure, developed trade relations and agriculture with corn as the main crop. A characteristic feature of these Indian peoples was the creation of earthen mounds on which residential and ritual buildings were built. The mounds that have survived to this day in the Ocmulgee River Valley in central Georgia are designated a US National Historic Landmark.

By the time Europeans appeared on the lands of Georgia, the Cherokee Indians, Appalachians, Creek (Muscogee), Timucua and others lived. As in other regions of the United States, the Indians in Georgia suffered greatly from the infectious diseases brought by the Europeans, to which the native Americans had no immunity.

Apparently the first European explorer to see the land of Georgia was in 1513 the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon, who was exploring new lands north of Cuba. He landed on the east coast of Florida and most likely visited southern Georgia. In the autumn of 1526, the Spaniards tried to establish a settlement on one of the islands off the coast of Georgia (which is considered the first European settlement in the United States), but after a few months this colony was abandoned.

On January 2, 1788, Georgia ratified the Constitution of the United States of America, thus becoming the fourth state of the United States.

Some Notable Georgia Natives and Residents

 John Ross, Chief of the Cherokee Nation

 James Oglethorpe (1696–1785), British politician, founder of the Georgia colony. Born in London, but later lived in Georgia.

 George Walton (George Walton, 1749-1804) - politician and statesman, one of the signers of the US Declaration of Independence. Born in Virginia, but later lived in Georgia.

 John "Guwisguwi" Ross (1790–1866) Chief of the Cherokee Indians from 1828–1866. Known as "Moses of the Cherokee," he led his people during their forced migration west to Oklahoma. Born in Alabama, but later lived in Georgia.

 Robert Augustus Toombs (1810–1885) was an outstanding politician, one of the founders of the Confederate States of America. Born in Washington DC.

 Alexander Hamilton Stephens (1812–1883) was an eminent politician and the first (and only) Vice President of the Confederate States of America. Born in the town of Crawfordville.

 Rebecca Latimer Felton (1835-1930) - writer and politician, the first woman in US history to hold the post of senator. Born in Decatur.

 Joel Chandler Harris (1848–1908) famous journalist and writer. Born in Eatonton.

 Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) 28th President of the United States. Born in Virginia, but later lived in Georgia.

 Juliette Gordon Low (1860–1927) was the founder of the Girl Scout movement in the United States. Born in Savannah.

 Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb (1886–1961) was a legendary baseball player. Born in the village of Narrows.

 Stephen Vincent Benet (1898–1943), poet and writer. Born in Pennsylvania, but later lived in Georgia.

 Margaret Mitchell with her famous book

 Margaret Manerlyn Mitchell (1900–1949) was a journalist and author of Gone with the Wind. Born in Atlanta.

Georgia state symbols

 Tree - virgin oak (southern evergreen oak, Quercus virginiana)

 Flower - smooth rose (Cherokee rose, Rosa laevigata) and azalea (Rhododendron)

 Marine mammal - northern right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)

 Bird - Brown Mockingbird (Toxostoma rufum) and Virginia Partridge (Colinus virginianus)

 Fish (freshwater) - American char (char, Salvelinus fontinalis) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

 Fish (marine) - red croaker (Sciaenops ocellatus)

 Reptile - gopher polyphemus (gopher turtle, Gopherus polyphemus)

 Amphibian - American green tree frog (herding tree frog, Hyla cinerea)

 Mollusk - "horned sea snail" (Busycon carica)

 Insect - honey bee (Apis mellifera)

 Butterfly - sailboat glaucus (Papilio glaucus)

 Agricultural crop - peanut

 The dog is a shelter dog

 Food product (fruit) - peach

 Food product (vegetable) - Vidalia sweet onion

 Food product (nut) - pecan

 Food product (dish) - grits (corn porridge)

 Dance - square dance

 Precious (ornamental) stone - quartz

 Mineral - staurolite

 Fossil - shark teeth

 Song - "Georgia in My Mind"

Georgia's economy is characterized by a well-developed service sector, industry, agriculture, tourism and other industries.

The state is home to the headquarters of many major companies, including mobile operator AT&T, Home Depot, Delta, SunTrust, UPS, beverage company Coca-Cola, jet maker Gulfstream Aerospace, CNN news service, and others.

About 9,820,000 people live in the state of Georgia (the ninth most populous among US states). The average population density in Georgia is about 65 people per km2 (eighteenth place in the USA).

The largest cities in Georgia are the capital of the state of Atlanta (more than 420,000 inhabitants, the fortieth place in the list of the largest cities in the United States), Augusta (Augusta, about 200,000 inhabitants), Columbus (about 190,000 inhabitants), Savannah (about 140,000 inhabitants) and Athens (Athens, over 115,000 inhabitants).

The largest metropolitan area of ​​the state was formed around Atlanta, more than 5,360,000 people live here (ninth place in the list of US metropolitan areas). Also, large urban agglomerations formed around Augusta (more than 560,000 people) and Savannah (more than 355,000 people).

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of Georgia:

 "Americans" - 10.8%

 Irish - 9.5%

 English - 8.9%

 Germans - 8.2%

Georgia is one of the thirteen states that formed a new state in the 18th century - the United States of America. Among the inhabitants of the "Imperial State of the South" there are quite a few people whose ancestors have lived here since colonial times. Those who identify themselves as ethnic "Americans" are usually descendants of the British or Scots, but for many generations they have lost their national roots.

Archaeological studies show that people lived on the territory of the modern state of Tennessee at least twelve thousand years ago. Remains of several Mississippian Indian settlements known as "mound builders" (ca. 1000-1600) have also been found in the state. The ancient inhabitants of Tennessee were characterized by well-developed agriculture (the main crop was corn) and trade, a rather complex hierarchy of society, and, of course, the construction of earthen mounds (mounds) that had ceremonial significance. By the time Europeans arrived, the Muscogee (Creek), Yuchi, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and others lived here.

The first European explorer of Tennessee was the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto, who during his famous expedition in 1539-40 passed through the territory of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. Following him, Tennessee was explored by the Spaniards Tristan de Luna (in 1559) and Juan Pardo (in 1567). After the first meetings with Europeans, the population of Indian settlements decreased sharply due to diseases brought from the Old World, to which the native inhabitants of America had no immunity.

In 1682, the famous Rene de La Salle, who descended from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico along the Mississippi River and declared the land in its basin the property of France, stopped for several days in the area of ​​modern Memphis. He fortified his camp with a stockade and named it Fort Prudhomme, it was the first European settlement in Tennessee.

The first English settlement in the state was founded in 1756, when colonists from South Carolina built Fort Loudon in eastern Tennessee, which at that time became the westernmost outpost of the English colonies.

In 1790, the US government created the Southwest Territory, which included the modern state of Tennessee, as well as parts of Alabama and Mississippi. In 1795, the Tennessee Constitution was adopted, and on June 1, 1796, Tennessee became the sixteenth state of the United States, the first capital of the new state was the city of Knoxville.

Three physiographic regions are distinguished on the territory of the state: Eastern, Central and Western (they are symbolized by the three stars on the Tennessee flag). Interestingly, unlike any other US state, the division into regions (along with the generally accepted division into districts) in Tennessee is confirmed by law and their boundaries are clearly defined. This is due to the historically established quotas for the representation of regions in government (for example, there can be no more than two out of five judges of the State Supreme Court from one region).

East Tennessee is part of the Appalachian Mountains. On the border with North Carolina, the Blue Ridge ("Blue Ridge"), covered with dense forests, stretches. It is here that Mount Clingmans Dome (2,025 meters above sea level) is located, the highest point in Tennessee, as well as the Appalachian Trail, which is very popular with American hikers (it starts in the south, in Georgia, and goes through the states of North America). The Carolinas, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are also home to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (one of the most popular tourist attractions USA) and the Cherokee National Forest.

West of the Blue Ridge is the Tennessee Valley ("Big Valley"), part of the Appalachian Ridge and Valley ("Ridges and Valleys") region. Numerous rivers and streams flowing from the mountain slopes separating the fertile valleys form here the sources of the Tennessee River, the largest in the state.

Central Tennessee is bounded to the east by the slope of the Cumberland Plateau, and to the west by the Tennessee River, which looped through Alabama and flowed north to Kentucky. It is a rolling plain with fertile land, much like the Bluegrass region in the Bluegrass State.

West Tennessee is a lowland bordered by the Mississippi River to the west and the Tennessee River to the east, with extremely fertile and excellent agricultural land. This is part of the "Mississippi Valley" between the Appalachians and the Inner Highlands, filled for millennia with alluvial (floodplain) deposits of the greatest river in North America.

About 6,410,000 people live in the state of Tennessee (seventeenth most populous among US states). The average population density in Tennessee is about 60 people per km2 (twentieth place in the USA).

The largest cities in Tennessee are Memphis (more than 650,000 inhabitants, the twentieth place in the list of the largest cities in the United States), the state capital of Nashville (Nashville, about 630,000 inhabitants), Knoxville (about 180,000 inhabitants), Chattanooga (about 170,000 inhabitants) and Clarksville (about 135,000 inhabitants).

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of Tennessee:

 "Americans" - 17.3%

 Irish - 9.3%

 English - 9.1%

 Germans - 8.3%

Referring themselves to the ethnic group "Americans" during the census are, as a rule, the descendants of the British and Scots who have lived in the United States for many generations.

The economy of Tennessee is very diversified, there is no one leading industry, but there are successfully operating financial companies, industry, agriculture, mining, tourism, entertainment and other areas.

Many important transport routes pass through Tennessee, Memphis Airport occupies one of the first places in the world in terms of cargo traffic, so it is no coincidence that the headquarters of one of the largest US logistics companies FedEx is located here.

The state's industries produce textiles, food, semiconductor products, medical equipment, chemicals, musical instruments, and military products. Recently, the automotive industry has been developing in Tennessee, for example, a Volkswagen plant is operating in Chattanooga, and Nissan is operating in Smyrna.

Before the advent of Europeans, the territory of modern Kentucky was rich hunting grounds for the Indians of the Shawnee, Cherokee, Iroquois and others.

For the English colonists, mastering the east coast, the lands of Kentucky, located behind the Appalachian mountain ranges, were difficult to access and did not represent much interest for a long time. Obviously, the first European to visit Ketucky was the famous French explorer of North America, Rene de La Salle, who descended in 1681-1682 along the great Mississippi River from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico and declared the lands he had discovered the property of France.

 In 1750, a detachment led by Thomas Walker explored the lands of Kentucky, this was the first expedition sent from Virginia beyond the Allegheny Mountains. It was Thomas Walker who gave the name to the Cumberland River, naming it in honor of the English military leader the Duke of Cumberland. Later, the name "Cumberland" also extended to the plateau and the Allegheny Pass discovered by Walker, which for a long time remained the only road to Kentucky. Now in the area of ​​​​the Cumberland Pass (and on the territory of three states - Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee) is the US National Historical Park.

A very important role in the development of Kentucky was played by the famous American hunter and pioneer, the hero of numerous stories of US folklore, books and films, the legendary Daniel Boone.

Boone first came to Kentucky in 1767, then returned here more than once. In 1769, he was captured by the Shawnee Indians, who did not recognize the right of Europeans to hunt on their lands. The Indians took all his booty from Boon and let him go, punishing him never to return. Nevertheless, Daniel Boone continued to hunt in Kentucky while exploring new territories.

In 1792, the desire for independence from Virginia was successful - the US Congress accepted Kentucky into the union as the fifteenth US state.

National Historic Landmarks in Kentucky

 Springfield is the Louisville home where the 12th President of the United States, Zachary Taylor, spent his childhood. Built around 1790.

 Locust Grove is a homestead in Louisville visited by the famous pioneers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, and also home to the hero of the American Revolution, George Clark. Built in 1790.

 Home of renowned physician Ephraim McDowell in Danville. Built in 1795.

 Liberty Hall is the home of prominent politician John Brown in Frankfort. Built in 1796.

 Ashland is the estate of the famous politician and statesman Henry Clay in the city of Lexington. Built in 1811.

 House in the city of Covington, where Daniel Beard, the founder of the Boy Scouts in the United States, spent his childhood. Built in 1821.

 "Old Morrison" is one of the buildings of Transylvania University in Lexington (the first university west of the Appalachians). Built in 1834.

 "Old Oscar Pepper's Distillery" in Versailles, built in the thirties of the XIX century.

 The "Old Bank" building in Louisville, built in 1837.

 The building of the Old Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort. Built in 1837.

 Louisville Mariners' Hospital, built in 1845.

 The building of the Kentucky School for the Deaf in Danville, built in 1857.

 A neoclassical water tower in Louisville built in 1860.

 A suspension bridge built between 1856 and 1866 across the Ohio River, designed by John Roebling, connecting the city of Covington with Cincinnati, Ohio. It is considered the prototype of the famous Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

 Churchill Downs is a Louisville racetrack that hosts the annual Kentucky Derby. Built in 1875.

 Lincoln Hall is one of the buildings of the college in the city of Bereya, famous for being the first institution of higher education in the US South, in which students of different racial backgrounds studied together. Built in 1887.

 "Barks Distillery" in the village of Loretto, built in 1889.

 River steamer Belle of Louisville ("Beauty of Louisville") - one of the few surviving steamers of this type. Built in 1914, moored in Louisville.

 The childhood home of Whitney Young, a prominent civil rights activist, in Simpsonville. Built in 1921.

 Wendover is the former headquarters of the Frontier Nursing Service, an organization founded by Mary Breckinridge that provided medical care to rural areas of eastern Kentucky and trained midwives. Built in the city of Heiden in 1925.

Symbols of the state of Kentucky

 Tree - tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)

 Flower - giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea)

 Grass - meadow bluegrass (Poa pratensis)

 Beast - Carolina (gray) squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

 Horse breed - Thoroughbred racehorse

 Bird - red cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

 Fish - spotted perch (Micropterus punctulatus)

 Insect - honey bee (Apis mellifera)

 Butterfly - Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)

 Precious (ornamental) stone - freshwater pearls

 Mineral - coal

 Stone - "Kentucky agate" (a variety of quartz)

 Fossil - brachiopod

 Food product (berry) - Allegan blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis)

 Drink - milk

 Firearm - Kentucky Long Rifle

 Sports car - Chevrolet Corvette

 Dance - clogging

 Music style - bluegrass

 Musical instrument - Appalachian dulcimer

 Song - "My Old Kentucky Home" (My Old Kentucky Home, music and lyrics by Stephen Foster)

 Bluegrass song - "Blue Moon of Kentucky" (Music and Lyrics by Bill Monroe)

More than 4,340,000 people live in Kentucky (the twenty-sixth most populous among US states). The average population density in the state is about 41 people per km2 (twenty-second place in the USA).

The largest cities in Kentucky are Louisville (Louisville, about 600,000 inhabitants, twenty-seventh place in the list of the largest cities in the United States), Lexington (about 300,000 inhabitants, sixty-third place), Bowling Green and Owensboro (about 60,000 inhabitants), Covington (more than 40,000 inhabitants). More than 25,000 people live in the state capital, Frankfort (only the states of Vermont, Maine, and South Dakota have smaller populations).

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of Kentucky:

 Germans - about 13%

 Irish - about 11%

 English - about 10%

 Descendants of immigrants from Africa - about 8%

Before the American Civil War, African Americans made up about a quarter of the population of Kentucky, and later a large number of blacks moved to the industrial cities of the Northeast and Midwest of the United States. Most African Americans in Kentucky now live in the Louisville area.

Agriculture in Kentucky is famous primarily for the production of high-quality tobacco (second in the United States after North Carolina) and for its thoroughbred horses. Due to the peculiarities of the soil, the Bluegrass region is perfect for horse breeding, it is here that the majority of horse breeding farms are concentrated.

Important Kentucky crops are also corn (fourteenth in the US), soybeans, wheat, and various fruits.

From the Atlantic coast to the Appalachians, over the centuries, more than two dozen Indian peoples have lived in the territory of the modern state of South Carolina, including the Catoba, Kongari, Cusabo, Pee-di, Santee, Wateri, Cherokee, Chikwola, Yamasee and others.

The first Europeans to set foot on the lands of South Carolina were the Spaniards, already in the twenties of the 16th century, just forty years after Columbus, an expedition led by Lucas de Eilon explored the coast of the state. In 1526, he landed with more than six hundred settlers in the area of ​​modern Georgetown, but the place was considered unsuitable for establishing a colony. It is not known for certain which direction de Eilon's colonists went (the most common versions are north to modern Virginia or, most likely, south to Georgia), but the settlement of San Miguel de Gualdeip he founded became the first European settlement in North America (although this colony lasted only about three months).

In 1539-40, an expedition led by the famous Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto passed through South Carolina (as well as Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi).

Following the Spaniards, the French appeared in South Carolina; in 1562, Captain Jean Ribot founded a small fortified village of Charlesfort on Parris Island, which lasted less than a year. In 1566, the Spanish settlement of Santa Elena was built on the same site, which until 1587 was the "capital" of the Spanish colonies in the region. The location of Charlesfort and Santa Elena today has the status of a US National Historic Landmark.

In 1786, the South Carolina General Assembly decided to create a new capital, named Columbia. On May 23, 1788, South Carolina ratified the Constitution of the United States of America, thus becoming the eighth state of the new nation.

Some Notable South Carolina Natives and Residents

•  Christopher Gadsden (1724–1805) was a famous politician of the American Revolution, the author of the famous Gadsden Flag. Born in Charleston.
•  Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion (c. 1732–1795) was a distinguished officer in the US Army during the Revolutionary War. It is considered one of the founders of the methods of guerrilla warfare. Born in Berkeley County.
•  Andrew Jackson (1767–1845) 7th President of the United States. Born in the Waxhaw area on the border of North Carolina and South Carolina.
•  Robert Mills (1781–1855) famous architect. Known, among other things, as the author of the project of the Washington Monument on the National Mall in the US capital. Born in Charleston.
•  John Caldwell Calhoun (1782–1850) was an outstanding politician and statesman, the 7th Vice President of the United States. Born in Abbeville.
•  William Gilmore Simms (1806-1870) was a famous writer, historian and politician. Born in Charleston.
•  Joseph Hayne Rainey (1832–1887), politician. Born into slavery, he became the first African American to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Born in Georgetown.
•  Mary Jane McLeod Bethune (1875–1955) was an educator, philanthropist, statesman, and one of the leaders of the civil rights movement. She was born in the town of Mayesville.
•  Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington (1876-1973) is a famous sculptor. Born in Massachusetts, but later lived in South Carolina.
•  James Francis Byrnes (James Francis Byrnes, 1882-1972) - famous politician and statesman; one of the few who worked in senior positions in all three branches of government in the United States. Born in Charleston.
•  Edwin DuBose Heyward (1885–1940) was a writer best known for writing the libretto of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Born in Charleston.
•  Mark Wayne Clark (1896–1984) was a famous military leader, one of the youngest generals in the US Army during World War II. Born in New York State, but later lived in South Carolina.
•  John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (1917–1993) was a famous jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader. Born in the city of Chero.
•  Althea Gibson (Althea Neale Gibson, 1927-2003) - an outstanding tennis player and golfer. Born in Clarendon County.
•  Joseph William "Joe" Frazier (1944–2011) was a famous boxer. Born in Beaufort.

South Carolina State Symbols

 Tree - palm-shaped sabal (palmetto, Sabal palmetto)

 Flower (cultivated) - Gelsemium evergreen (Gelsemium sempervirens)

 Flower (wild) - the highest goldenrod (Solidago altissima)

 Grass - sorghum drooping ("Indian grass", Sorghastrum nutans)

 Animal - white-tailed (virginsky) deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

 Marine mammal - large (bottle-nosed) dolphin (bottle dolphin, Tursiops truncatus) and northern right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)

 Dog breed - Boykin Spaniel

 Birds - Carolina bush wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus), wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) and Carolina duck (Aix sponsa)

 Fish - striped bayfish (Morone saxatilis)

 Reptile - big-headed sea turtle (loggerhead, Caretta caretta)

 Amphibian - yellow-spotted ambystoma (Ambystoma maculatum)

 Insect - Carolina mantis (Stagmomantis carolina)

 Butterfly - sailboat glaucus (Papilio glaucus)

 Spider - Carolina wolf spider (Hogna carolinensis)

 Food product (fruit) - peach

 Food item (snack) - boiled peanuts

 Drink - milk and tea

 Precious (ornamental) stone - amethyst

 Rock - blue granite

 Fossil (extinct animal) - Colombian mammoth

 Color - indigo

 Dance - square dance and caroline step

 Musical style - spirituals and beach music (Caroline beach pop)

 Song - "Carolina" (Carolina, music and lyrics by Ann Burgess, lyrics by Henry Timrod) and "South Carolina on My Mind", music and lyrics by Hank Martin and Buzz Arledge

About 4,680,000 people live in the state of South Carolina (the twenty-fourth place in terms of population among US states. The average population density in South Carolina is about 60 people per km2 (nineteenth place in the USA).

There are no very large cities in South Carolina, the largest of them, the capital of the state of Columbia, has a little over 130,000 inhabitants (one hundred and ninety-second place in the list of the largest cities in the United States). Other cities in the state include Charleston (about 120,000 inhabitants), North Charleston (about 100,000 inhabitants), Mount Pleasant, and Rock Hill (about 70,000 inhabitants each).

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of South Carolina:

 Descendants of immigrants from Africa (African Americans) - about 28%

 "Americans" - 13.9%

 English - 8.4%

 Germans - 8.4%

 Irish - 7.9%

Self-identified "Americans" are typically English, Scottish or Irish descendants who have lived in the United States for many generations.

Until the middle of the 20th century, South Carolina's economy was based almost entirely on agriculture (with cotton as the main crop) and on the processing of its products. Industrial production was represented only by numerous textile factories and sawmills. The state cannot boast of mineral reserves; only sand, gravel and some other building materials are mined here.

In recent decades, the state's economy has become much more diversified, along with the rapid growth of industry, the service sector, education, transportation (the port of Charleston is one of the largest on the east coast of the United States of America), and agriculture is no longer focused on one culture. Tourism plays an increasingly important role in the economy of the Palm State.

In the territory of the modern state of North Carolina, for thousands of years, the indigenous inhabitants of the North American continent, the Indians, lived. Since about 1000 AD, most of the Indian peoples of the state belonged to the "Mississippian culture", also known as the "mound builders". To this day, the Town Creek mound has survived, around which there was a permanent settlement around 1150 - 1400. Archaeological research, which has been carried out here for more than fifty years, has helped scientists learn a lot about the life of the Indians. Town Creek was designated a National Historic Landmark in the United States in 1966.

By the time the first European explorers appeared in North Carolina, the Pamlico and Roanoke Indian peoples (on the coast) lived; tuscarora, katoba (on the Piedmont Plateau); Cherokee (in mountainous areas) and others.

The first European to see the lands of the state was the Italian Giovanni da Verrazano (Verrazzano). In 1524, he sailed under the French flag from Cape Fear in North Carolina to Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island and produced the first (albeit very inaccurate) description of the coast.

The Spaniards continued to explore the region, in 1539-40 an expedition led by the famous conquistador Hernando de Soto passed through the territory of North Carolina (as well as Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi). In 1567, another Spanish detachment came to North Carolina, led by Juan Pardo. It was he who built, not far from the modern city of Morganton, the first European settlement on the lands of the state - Fort San Juan (although a year later this fortification was captured and burned by the Indians).

After much debate between the Federalists (supporters of a strong national government in the United States) and their opponents, on November 21, 1789, North Carolina ratified the Constitution of the United States of America, thus becoming the twelfth state of the United States.

National Historic Landmarks in North Carolina

 Hardaway is a site of numerous archaeological finds, located near the city of Badin.

 The Palmer Marsh House in Bath is one of the oldest surviving residential buildings in North Carolina. Built in 1744.

 The historic district of the town of Betania, in which buildings from the middle of the 18th century have been preserved.

 Betabara is a historical district in the city of Winston-Salem, where several buildings built by settlers from Moravia in 1753 have been preserved.

 Chowan County Courthouse in Edenton. Built in Georgian style in 1767.

 The Nash-Hooper House in Hillsborough, built in 1772 by General Francis Nash of the Continental Army. In the 1880s, one of the North Carolina delegates to the Continental Congress, William Hooper, lived in it.

 Old East is the oldest building at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Built in 1793.

 Blandwood Mansion in Greensboro, which was built in 1795 in the Federal style as a farmhouse, and in the forties of the XIX century was rebuilt and served as the home of the governor of North Carolina.

 Reed's gold mine near Concord. A gold nugget found on it in 1799 led to the first "gold rush" in the United States.

 The childhood home of prominent abolitionist Hinton Helper. Located near the city of Moxville, built in 1829.

 The North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh. Built in 1833.

 Market House in Fayetteville - a building on the first floor of which the market was located, and on the second - the town hall. Built in 1838.

 Christ Episcopal Church in Raleigh is one of the first neo-Gothic churches in the US South. Built in 1848.

 Playmaker's Theater in Chapel Hill, built in 1850 in neo-Greek style.

 Washington Duke Manor and Tobacco Factory in Durham. Built in the fifties of the XIX century.

 Coolmore is a plantation mansion built in 1859 in the Italian style near the town of Tarborough.

 Fort Fisher, built in 1861 by the Confederacy near the city of Wilmington.

 The shipwreck of the battleship USS Monitor near Cape Hatteras.

 Lighthouse at Cape Hatteras, built in 1870.

 The Blackwell and Company Tobacco Factory in Durham, built in 1873.

 Doi in the city of Asheville, where the famous writer Thomas Wolfe spent his childhood. Built in 1883.

 Biltmore Manor in Buncombe County built 1889–95 for George Washington Vanderbilt II. The homestead mansion is the largest private residence in the United States.

 The home in Durham where civil rights activist Paulie Murray spent her childhood. Built in 1898.

 Wakestone is the mansion of publisher and statesman Josephus Daniels in Raleigh. Built in 1920.

 The old North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company building in Durham, built in 1921.

North Carolina State Symbols

 Tree - pine (Pinus)

 Christmas Tree - Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri)

 Flower (cultivated) - flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)

 Flower (wild) - Michaud lily (Caroline lily, Lilium michauxii)

 Carnivorous plant - Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)

 Beast - Carolina (gray) squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and virginian opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

 Dog breed - Plott Hound

 Horse breed - Colonial Spanish

 Bird - cardinal (Cardinalidae)

 Fish (freshwater) - American char (char, Salvelinus fontinalis)

 Fish (marine) - red croaker (Sciaenops ocellatus)

 Reptile - Carolina box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)

 Amphibian - marble ambystoma (Ambystoma opacum)

 Frog - Anderson tree frog (Hyla andersonii)

 Mollusk - scotch bonnet (Semicassis granulata)

 Insect - honey bee (Apis mellifera)

 Butterfly - sailboat glaucus (Papilio glaucus)

 Food product (berry) - blueberries, muscat grapes, garden strawberries (strawberries)

 Food product (vegetable) - yam (sweet potato)

 Drink - milk

 Gemstone - emerald

 Mineral - gold

 Rock - granite

 Fossil - megalodon teeth

 Color - red and blue

 Type of sport - stock car racing

 Dance - clogging

 Song - "The Old North State" (The Old North State, music by E. Randolph, lyrics - William Gaston)

About 9,660,000 people live in the state of North Carolina (the tenth most populous among US states. The average population density in North Carolina is about 77 people per km2 (fifteenth place in the USA).

The largest cities in North Carolina are Charlotte (more than 730,000 inhabitants, the seventeenth place in the list of the largest cities in the United States), the state capital of Raleigh (about 410,000 inhabitants), Greensboro (about 270,000 inhabitants), Winston-Salem (about 230,000 inhabitants) and Durham (about 230,000 inhabitants).

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of North Carolina:

 "Americans" - 13.9%

 Germans - 9.5%

 English - 9.5%

 Irish - 7.4%

 Scots-Irish (Ulster Scots) - 3.2%

 Italians - 2.3%

 Scots - 2.2%

North Carolina is one of the ten most economically developed states in the United States, it is characterized by a well-developed financial sector, agriculture, tourism and industry.

North Carolina's largest city, Charlotte is the second largest banking center in the United States of America (after New York). The headquarters of a number of financial companies are located here, including one of the largest US banks Bank of America, the regional (covering the territory of the East Coast of the USA) office of Wells Fargo Bank and many others.

In addition to these banks, several other Fortune 500 companies (the largest companies in the United States) are based in Charlotte, including Lowe's, a retail chain that sells various household goods; one of the leading steel producers in the US, Nucor; energy company Duke Energy; major car dealer Sonic Automotive; aerospace parts and equipment manufacturer Goodrich; SPX Corporation, which produces hydraulic equipment, power supply systems and other industrial products; manufacturer of pulp and paper products Domtar. Other large companies in North Carolina include nuclear equipment manufacturer Babcock & Wilcox, automotive components (primarily radiators) Radiator Specialty Company, cable television operator Time Warner Cable, retail chains Belk, Food Lion and Harris Teeter and many others.

Over the territory of the modern state of Ohio, more than ten thousand years ago, tribes of the indigenous inhabitants of the continent, the American Indians, roamed. Approximately two millennia ago, the first Indian settlements appeared here, and agriculture began to develop. Numerous material artifacts from this period have survived to this day, the most famous of which are the mounds of Hopewell National Historical Park near Chillicothe and Serpent Mound ("Snake Mound"), located near the town of Peebles.

In the middle of the 17th century, during armed clashes known as the "Beaver Wars", the lands of Ohio were captured by the Iroquois. By the beginning of European colonization, the tribes of Miami Indians, Hurons (Wyandots), Delaware, Shawnee (Shoney), Ottawa and others lived here. Many of them moved here from the east under the pressure of actively developing new lands of European colonists. The main occupations of the Indians were hunting (including fur-bearing animals) and agriculture (corn, legumes, sunflowers).

The first European to explore Ohio was the famous French explorer René de La Salle in 1669. The Ohio Country, as the lands of present-day Ohio, eastern Indiana, western Pennsylvania, and northwestern West Virginia were then called, became part of the New France colony. The French actively developed trade with the Indians (mostly buying furs), built several trading posts and forts in Ohio.

In the lands of Ohio, primarily as in the richest hunting grounds, the English colonists were also extremely interested. In 1747, the Ohio Company was formed in Virginia to expand the British colonies in North America westward.

On February 19, 1803, the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, signed the law that approved the Ohio Constitution and its boundaries. So in fact, Ohio became the seventeenth state of the United States, although the US Congress did not pass a law literally defining Ohio as a state. This legal incident was corrected only in 1953 (the year of Ohio's centenary statehood), when Dwight Eisenhower officially announced March 1, 1803 as the date of the formation of the state of Ohio.

Ohio is characterized by a humid continental (and even subtropical in the south) climate with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation falls fairly evenly throughout the year; in the northern regions of the state, on the coast of Lake Erie, severe blizzards often occur in winter.

The state of Ohio got its name from the Ohio River, the deepest tributary of the great Mississippi River. In turn, the name of the Ohio River comes from the word ohi-yo, which in the language of the Seneca Indians means "good river" or "big river".

National Historic Landmarks in Ohio

 The Great Serpent Mound (Great Serpent Mound) is a figured mound built by Indian peoples about a thousand years ago. Located near the town of Peeble.

 Fort Meigs, built by the US Army in the area of ​​present-day Perrysburg in 1813

 Manasseh Cutler Hall is Ohio University's oldest building in Athens. Built in 1819.

 Museum of Fine Arts in Cincinnati, created on the basis of a collection collected by the Taft family. The building in which the museum is located was built in 1820.

 The house in the town of Georgetown, where the 18th President of the United States, Ulysses Grant, spent his childhood. Built in 1823.

 Several sections of the canal, built in 1825, connecting the Ohio River with Lake Erie.

 The Kirtland Temple is the first temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), built in 1833.

 The house in the town of Milan, where the famous inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Edison was born and spent the first years of his life. Built in 1841.

 An observatory built in Cincinnati in 1842. The oldest professional observatory in the United States.

 Wilson Bruce Evans' home in Oberlin, which served as one of the important refuges for runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad. It was built in 1856.

 The Eldin Covered Bridge across the Great Miami River near Troy is one of the best-preserved structures of its type in the United States. Built in 1860.

 The Ohio State Capitol in Columbus, built in 1861

 Plum Street Temple is a Cincinnati synagogue built in 1865.

 A suspension bridge built between 1856 and 1866 across the Ohio River, designed by John Roebling, connecting Cincinnati with the city of Covington, Kentucky. It is considered the prototype of the famous Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

 House of prominent politician George Pendleton in Cincinnati. Built in 1870.

 "Spiegel Grove" - ​​the estate of the 10th President of the United States Rutherford Hayes in the city of Fremont. Built in 1873.

The largest cities in Ohio are the capital of Columbus (about 800,000 inhabitants, fifteenth place in the list of largest US cities), Cleveland (about 400,000 inhabitants), Cincinnati (about 300,000 inhabitants), Toledo (almost 300,000 inhabitants), Akron (about 300,000 inhabitants) and Dayton (about 150,000 inhabitants).

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of Ohio:

 Germans - about 29%

 Irish - about 15%

 English - about 10%

 Poles - about 8.5%

 Italians - about 6.5%

Ohio has a very well developed and diversified economy and consistently ranks among the top ten US states in terms of gross domestic product. If Ohio were an independent state, it would take the twentieth place in the list of the richest countries in the world.

 Various industries, agriculture, and tourism are very well developed in the state. About 8% of Ohio's GDP comes from the financial sector of the economy (banks, insurance companies).

Ohio is one of the largest centers of scientific research in the USA (according to some estimates - the second after California). The state is developing in the field of energy, medicine, aeronautics, space exploration, and agriculture. The most prominent research organizations in Ohio include the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, the John Glenn Center (a division of NASA) and the Cleveland Clinical Hospital, the Center for Tissue Regeneration and Research Institute at the University of Dayton, the US Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright AFB -Patterson, Worcester Agricultural Research Center and many others.

Interesting facts about the giant panda

The whole world is touched by looking at the pandas, these funny bumpkins, which, unfortunately, the development of human civilization has put on the brink of extinction. Currently, many countries are making desperate efforts to save the giant panda population, however, with varying success. However, humanity has already realized the danger threatening these amazing animals, so there is every chance that we will be able to successfully save them.

 Giant Panda Facts

 The Chinese name of this animal in translation means "bear-cat".

 Despite the fact that pandas look very cute, there have been cases when they attacked people.

 An adult panda can be up to 180 cm long and weigh up to 160 kg.

 The tail of these animals is longer than all other representatives of the bear-like order. In length, it can reach 15 cm.

 The closest relatives of the giant panda in terms of zoology are bears (interesting facts about bears).

 It seems that these animals have 6 fingers on the front paws, but in fact there are 5. The sixth finger, the “big”, is actually one of the bones of the wrist.

 Nominally, the giant panda is a predator, but in fact, bamboo shoots form the basis of their diet.

 An adult panda eats up to 30 kg of bamboo per day.

 In the absence of more suitable food, these animals may include in their diet not only small animals or bird eggs, but also carrion.

 The giant panda cannot live without bamboo food, since it is this plant that is the source of important elements for it. If this animal is deprived of bamboo, it will inevitably die. Interestingly, scientists have found that a similar hyperdependence on bamboo developed in giant pandas relatively recently, about 5000-5500 years ago.

 In 2016, there were just over 2,000 pandas living in the wild in the world. Since then, there has been some positive dynamics, and the International Red Book has changed the status of these animals from "Endangered" to "Vulnerable" (interesting facts about the Red Book).

 Until 1984, in China, when concluding diplomatic deals with other countries, the authorities gave pandas. Now China does not sell pandas, but only rents them out, and the cost is very high - a million dollars a year.

 On average, an adult giant panda needs about 10 square kilometers of personal space for a comfortable existence.

 Despite the fact that the adult panda is larger than an adult, the cubs of these animals at birth weigh much less than human babies - only 200-250 grams.

 These animals practically do not know how to run, and for a person to escape from an angry panda, most likely, it will not be difficult.

 Europeans first saw and described pandas in the middle of the 19th century, but for the first time they managed to catch at least one only at the beginning of the 20th century.

 Living in mountainous areas, in the summer, pandas sometimes climb to a height of up to 4 km above sea level, fleeing the heat.

 Unlike other bears, giant pandas never hibernate.

 For a long time, the scientific community debated whether these animals should be classified as bears or raccoons. Only a genetic study put an end to the dispute, which confirmed that giant pandas belong specifically to bears (interesting facts about raccoons).

 In China, the law provides for the death penalty for killing a panda.

Panda litter can reach 28 kg per day!

Giant panda litter can reach up to 28 kg per day. In the past, undigested bits of bamboo found in droppings were used to make photo frames or bookmarks. These days, panda droppings will soon be used in the production of paper napkins.

 In the wild, droppings indicate the direction in which the giant panda is moving, so they can be easily tracked. Unfortunately, this led to the fact that they were under the threat of extinction. But now it helps researchers.

Teeth are carnivorous but eat bamboo and fruits.

 In addition to bamboo, pandas love fruits and can eat meat.

 There were no such huge predators as saber-toothed tigers in nature, and pandas no longer needed to be so fast. Gradually, they adapted to plant foods so as not to undergo extinction themselves.

 Many may be under the impression that giant pandas only eat bamboo. In fact, they also like fruits and can eat meat. In one of the parks where pandas live, our China Highlights team saw a photo of a panda eating a vulture.

 A panda has sharp teeth and a carnivore's digestive system, but they don't have the energy to chase and catch anything. Therefore, the prey would have to practically fall into the paws of the panda, or it would have to be seriously injured by moving too slowly to escape.

You can see panda cubs in August.

 Giant pandas are usually born in August, because the mating season for pandas is from March to May, and the gestation period is from 3 to 5 months.

In most cases, a female giant panda gives birth to 2 cubs, and in the wild, only one, stronger bear cub survives.

At the Research Bases in Chengdu City, employees nurse the second cub, providing it regularly to the mother so she can raise two cubs for each pregnancy. Part of the funds received from the sale of entrance tickets to the territory of the center goes to support this project.

Giant pandas love to lick copper and iron.

 Some researchers note that pandas have a particular weakness for copper and iron. It can be seen with what pleasure they lick their metal bowls and even turn them over with their dexterous paws.

 Another oddity that visitors to the Chengdu Sanctuary may observe is that pandas are very fond of "fruit lollipops" - frozen fruits with ice on a metal plate. So the staff of the center helps the pandas endure the summer heat in Chengdu.

On the territory of the modern state of West Virginia lived Indians belonging to the culture of "mound builders". Their main occupation was agriculture, they grew corn, sunflowers, beans, pumpkins and bred turkeys. By the time the first Europeans appeared on the lands of West Virginia, the Indians of the Canova, Shawney, Susquehannocks and others lived here.

After the founding of the English colony of Virginia at the beginning of the 17th century, hunters and traders gradually climbed further and further into the Appalachians. The first organized expedition to explore the western regions of Virginia was sent in 1671 at the direction of the governor of the colony, William Berkeley, its participants reached the Canova River. At the same time, the mountainous terrain greatly complicated the development of new lands by Europeans; the first permanent settlement in West Virginia appeared only a few decades later.

In February 1861, after the secession of the seven southern states and the formation of the Confederate States of America, the government of Virginia convened a meeting in Richmond, whose delegates were to work out the attitude of the state to the question of secession. In April, after the shelling of Fort Sumter, this convention decided to withdraw Virginia from the United States.

 In May 1861, representatives of forty-eight western counties of Virginia gathered in Wheeling, disagreeing with the decision to secede. In June, the meeting participants reaffirmed their allegiance to the Union, invalidated the Richmond ordinances of secession, and elected a new government and governor of Virginia. In October, residents of the western regions supported the decision to secede from Virginia in a referendum, in November the Constitutional Convention of West Virginia began to work (by the way, the new state was proposed to be called differently: "New Virginia", "Kenova", "Vandalia", "Allegheny"). In May 1862, state legislators petitioned the U.S. Congress for admission to the Union, and in June 1863, West Virginia became the thirty-fifth U.S. state.

National parks in West Virginia

•  New River Gorge National Park and Preserve ("New River Gorge") is located in southern West Virginia near the city of Beckley. It stretches for eighty-five kilometers in the longest and deepest river gorge in the Appalachians, formed by the New River, a tributary of the Canova River.
•  The unusual relief, peculiarities of geology, rich flora and fauna, as well as picturesque landscapes attract many tourists to the reserve. New River Gorge is one of the most popular places in the United States for rock climbing and rafting. Other activities available in the park are hiking (more than eighty kilometers of trails are laid here) and fishing.
•  The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve was created in 2020, prior to (since 1978) the state protected area had the status of a "National River".

State symbols of West Virginia

 Tree - sugar maple (Acer saccharum)

 Flower - rhododendron (Rhododendron)

 Beast - black bear (Baribal, Ursus americanus)

 Bird - red cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

 Fish - American char (Palia, Salvelinus fontinalis)

 Reptile - striped rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

 Insect - honey bee (Apis mellifera)

 Butterfly - Monarch Danaid (Danaus plexippus)

 Food product (fruit) - apple variety "Golden Delicious" (Golden Delicious)

 Precious (ornamental) stone - petrified (chalcedony) coral

 Rock - coal

 Fossil - megalonix (Megalonyx)

 Color - "old gold" and blue

 Song - "West Virginia My Home Sweet Home" (West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home, music and lyrics by Julian Hearn) and three others

West Virginia's main economic sectors are industry, mining, logging, tourism, and agriculture.

West Virginia ranks second in the United States (after Wyoming) in terms of coal reserves and production. A significant part of it is used for the production of electricity at thermal power plants, as well as for processing into liquid fuels. In addition to coal, large deposits of natural gas have been explored in the state and, on a smaller scale, oil is being produced.

In West Virginia, industry is very well developed, primarily chemical. Plants of BASF, Bayer, Dow Chemicals, DuPont produce dyes, acids, polymers, herbicides - hundreds of different types of chemicals, providing more than 40% of the state's GDP. Also in West Virginia there are metallurgical plants (in the northern counties, in the Wheeling area), aerospace enterprises (including the production units of Pratt and Whitney in Bridgeport and Lockheed Martin in Clarksburg), factories for the production of automobile parts.

West Virginia's largest city is its capital, Charleston, which is home to over 50,000 people. Other major cities in the state are Huntington (about 50,000 people), Parkersburg (over 30,000 people), Morgantown (about 30,000 people) and Wheeling (about 30,000 people).

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of West Virginia:

 English - 35.2%

 Germans - 17.2%

 Irish - 8%

 Scots - Irish (Ulster Scots) - 5%

 Italians - 4.8%

Among West Virginians, only about 1.1% are not natives of the United States of America, the lowest percentage of any US state. The state also has the fewest people for whom English is not their native language - only 2.7%.

It is believed that people lived in Maryland for about 12,000 years ago. The main occupations of the Indians were hunting, fishing and, to a lesser extent, agriculture. By the time the European colonization of America began, the Algonquian peoples Nantikouk (on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay), Piscataway (in the area of modern Baltimore and Washington) and Shawnee (in the west) lived here.

In 1524, the Italian Giovanni da Verrazano sailed along the Atlantic coast of America from North Carolina to Rhode Island, but he did not notice the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay.

The first capital of Maryland was the city of St. Mary City, built on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay on land bought from the Indians (in general, the inhabitants of the new colony tried to maintain good neighborly relations with the indigenous peoples in those years).

Despite the fact that Maryland was founded by Catholics, from the first days of its existence, freedom of religion was not limited in it (even on the first two ships, the majority were Protestants). However, over the following decades, it was on religious grounds that there were several conflicts both with neighboring Virginia and between the inhabitants of Maryland itself.

Maryland has long refused to ratify the "Articles of Confederation" that proclaimed the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states. The reason for this was the claims of Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York to the Northwest Territories (modern-day Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio) and the possible increase in their influence. It was only after the abandonment of these claims in favor of the federal government that Maryland on March 1, 1781, the last of the "thirteen colonies", ratified the Articles. There were no problems with the ratification of the US Constitution, the Maryland legislators passed the corresponding decision on April 28, 1788, thus making Maryland the seventh state of the United States. 

Maryland state symbols

 Wood - white oak (Quercus alba)

 Flower - hairy rudbeckia (Rudbeckia hirta)

 Dog breed - Chesapeake Bay Retriever

 Cat breed - Calico (tricolor)

 Horse breed - Thoroughbred racehorse

 Bird - Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)

 Fish - striped bayfish (Morone saxatilis)

 Reptile - tuberculate turtle (terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin)

 Insect - checkered butterfly phaeton (Euphydryas phaeton)

 Crustacean - blue crab (Callinectes sapidus)

 Dinosaur - Astrodon (Astrodon)

 Fossil - Shells of Gardner's Ecphora molluscs (Ecphora gardnerae)

 Precious (ornamental) stone - agate and "stone of the river Patuxent"

 Food item (dessert) - Smith Island Pie

 Drink - milk

 Sports - lacrosse and jousting with spears

 Dance - square dance

 Song - "Maryland, My Maryland" (Maryland, My Maryland, music by Melchior Frank, lyrics by James Randall)

National Historic Landmarks in Maryland

•  Dughregan Manor is a manor near the city of Ellicott City, where the famous politician and statesman Charles Carroll lived. Built in the twenties of the XVIII century.
•  Annapolis Colonial Historic District with about one hundred and twenty 18th-century buildings.
•  The historic district of the city of Chestertown, in which several buildings built in the middle of the 18th century have been preserved.
•  The Chase-Lloyd House in Annapolis is one of the first brick three-story Georgian mansions built in the North American colonies, and is considered one of the finest examples of this style. Built in 1759.
•  The Bryce House in Annapolis is a well-preserved Georgian house built in 1766.
•  The Star-Spangled Banner Museum is the home in Baltimore where dressmaker Mary Pickersgill made this famous US flag in 1813, commissioned by the commander of the Fort McHenry garrison. Built in 1793.
•  The Maryland State Capitol in Annapolis is the oldest state capitol building still in use in the United States. Built in 1772-1797.
•  Davidge Hall is the oldest building of the Medical College of Maryland in Baltimore, built in 1812.
•  Bridge over the Casselman River built in 1813–1814 as part of the "National Road", the first major road built by the US government.
•  The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore is the first Catholic cathedral in the United States. Built in 1806-1821.
•  The Mount Vernon Historic District in Baltimore is one of the city's oldest neighborhoods.
•  The Carrollton Viaduct near Baltimore is the first railroad viaduct in the United States and one of the oldest structures of its kind in use in the world. Built in 1829.
•  Chesapeake-Delaware Canal Lock Pumping Station in Chesapeake City. Built in 1829.
•  House-museum of the famous writer Edgar Allan Poe in Baltimore. Built in 1830. —
•  Ellicott City Station is the oldest passenger rail station in the United States and one of the oldest in the world. Built in 1830, now used as a museum.
•  The United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, built in 1845.
•  The Baltimore-Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore is one of the largest railroad museums in the world. The museum building (former railway station) was built in 1851.
•  The Ballman Bridge in Savage is one of the oldest metal railroad bridges in the United States. Built in 1852.
•  The USS Constellation is the last sailing ship built for the US Navy. Built in 1855, based in Baltimore.

The largest city in the state is Baltimore, which is home to about 620,000 people (twenty-fourth in the list of the largest cities in the United States). Maryland's other major cities are Frederick (over 65,000 people), Rockville (over 60,000 people), Gaithersburg (about 60,000 people), and Bowie (about 55,000 people). The state capital, Annapolis, has about 40,000 inhabitants.

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of Maryland:

 Germans - 15.7%

 Irish - 11.7%

 English - 9%

 Italians - 5.1%

Most of the descendants of German settlers live in the western and northern counties of Maryland, and ethnic English are the majority on the East Shore of the Chesapeake Bay and in the south of the state. The largest Hispanic populations in Maryland are Salvadorans, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans. Among Asian Americans, there are the most ethnic Koreans, Taiwanese and Filipinos.

Maryland ranks first among the US states in terms of median income per family, and two counties of Maryland are among the ten richest counties in the country. To a large extent, the welfare of the state is due to the proximity of the capital of the United States of America - Washington, but in addition, services, medicine, education, research and development, and, to a lesser extent, industry and agriculture are well developed in Maryland.

 There are practically no minerals in the state (only relatively insignificant amounts of coal mining in the western districts), but thanks to its advantageous geographical location, Maryland is an important transport hub for the United States, and the port of Baltimore is one of the largest on the east coast of America.

Indiana state symbols

 Tree - tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)

 Flower - peony (Paeonia)

 Bird - red cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

 Insect - Say's firefly (Pyractomas angulata)

 River - Wabash

 Rock - Indian (or Bedford) limestone

 Food product (pie) - sugar cream pie

 Kind of sport - basketball

 Poem - Indiana ("Indiana", author Arthur Mapes)

 Song - On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away

 Firearms - "Growsland" rifle

 Color - blue and gold

On the lands of Indiana, as well as in other states of the United States, long before the appearance of Europeans in America, numerous Indian peoples lived. Until about 1500, in southern Indiana, in the Ohio River Valley, lived the Indians of the "Mississippian culture", also known as "mound builders". A characteristic feature of these tribes was the creation of high earthen mounds with flat tops, on which various buildings were built. To this day, several such mounds have survived near the city of Evansville in southwestern Indiana, called Angel Mounds.

In 1679, the famous pioneer René de La Salle became the first European explorer of Indiana. Following him, French traders came to Indiana, buying furs from the Indians and selling firearms to them. The French supported the Algonian tribes in the war with the Iroquois, and armed clashes between the Indians in Indiana continued until the beginning of the 18th century.

On December 11, 1816, the US Congress decided to recognize Indiana as the nineteenth state of the United States. In 1825, Indianapolis, located in the center of the state, became the capital of Indiana.

Notable natives and residents of Indian

 George Rogers Clark (1752–1818) was an American Revolutionary hero who led the militia during the Illinois Campaign. Known as "Old Northwest Conqueror" Born in Virginia, but later lived in Indiana.

 William Henry Harrison (1773–1841) 9th President of the United States. Born in Virginia, but later lived in Indiana.

 Levi Coffin (1798-1877) - abolitionist, one of the main organizers of the "underground railroad" that rescued fugitive slaves. Born in North Carolina, but later lived in Indiana.

 Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) - 16th President of the United States. Born in Kentucky, but lived in Indiana as a child.

 Lewis "Lew" Wallace (1827–1905) was a politician, Northern general during the Civil War, and writer. Born in Brookville.

 Clement Studebaker (1831-1901) - manufacturer of wagons and carts, co-founder of the Studebaker company, which later produced cars. Born in Pennsylvania, but later lived in Indiana.

 Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) 23rd President of the United States. Born in Ohio, but later lived in Indiana.

 John Milton Hay (1838–1905), statesman and diplomat. Born in Salem.

 James Whitcomb Riley (1849–1916) was a popular writer and poet known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet". Born in Greenfield

 Eugene Victor "Gene" Debs (Eugene Victor "Gene" Debs, 1855-1926) - public and political figure, one of the organizers of the Socialist Party of America. He ran five times as a candidate for President of the United States. Born in Terre Haute.

 Alvah Curtis Roebuck (1864-1948) - entrepreneur, one of the founders of the largest retail company Sears, Roebuck and Company. Born in Lafayette.

 Wilbur Wright (1867-1912) - one of the brothers who created the first aircraft. Born in Millville.

 Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945) is a famous writer. Born in Terre Haute.

 Rex Stout (1886-1975) is a famous writer, author of books about Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. Born in Noblesville.

 Cole Porter (1891-1964) - famous composer, author of many popular musicals. Born in the city of Peru.

 Harold Clayton Urey (1893–1981) was an eminent physicist. Born in Walkerton.

 James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa (James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa, 1913 - went missing in 1975, presumed dead in 1982) - a well-known trade union leader. Born in the city of Brazil.

 Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) is a famous writer. Born in Indianapolis.

 Anne Baxter (1923-1985) is a famous actress, Hollywood and Broadway star. Born in Michigan City.

 Virgil "Gus" Grissom (1926–1967) was one of the first astronauts. Born in Mitchell.

 Terrence Stephen "Steve" McQueen (1930–1980) is a famous film actor and racing driver. Born in Beach Grove.

 James Dean (1931-1955) is a famous film actor. Born in the city of Marion.

 James Danforth "Dan" Quayle (1947–) is the 44th Vice President of the United States. Born in Indianapolis.

 John "Cougar" Mellencamp (John "Cougar" Mellencamp, 1951–) is a famous songwriter and performer. Born in Seymour.

 Michael Jackson (1958–2009) is a famous pop singer and songwriter. Born in Gary.

The largest cities in Indiana are the capital of the state of Indianapolis (about 1,220,000 inhabitants, the twelfth place in the list of the largest cities in the United States), Fort Wayne (about 260,000 inhabitants), Evansville (about 120,000 inhabitants) and South Bend (about 110,000 inhabitants).

Indiana's largest metropolitan area has grown around Indianapolis with over 1,750,000 people (thirty-fourth in the list of US metropolitan areas). Large urban agglomerations also formed in the northwest of the state (around Chicago in neighboring Illinois), in the southeast (around Cincinnati, Ohio) and in the south (around Evansville, in the so-called "three-state area" - Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky).

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of Indiana:

 Germans - 22.7%

 "Americans" - 12%

 Irish - 10.8%

 English - 9%

 Poles - 3%

 French - 2.7%

 Italians - 2.5%

 Dutch - 2.4%

 Scots - 1.8%

 Swedes - 1.1%

Indiana is primarily an industrial state, although agriculture and mining are also well developed here.

The state is famous for its high-quality limestone, which is widely used in construction. Limestone slabs mined in Indiana line the Pentagon and the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, Yankee Stadium and the Empire State Building in New York, and many other famous US buildings. In addition to limestone, significant amounts of coal are mined in Indiana, as well as sand, gravel, and other building materials.

The leading branch of Indiana's economy is industrial production. The state produces iron and steel, metal structures, electrical equipment, vehicles, chemicals, medical devices and many other types of industrial products.

Located near the metropolis of Chicago, the northwestern counties of Indiana are one of the largest centers of heavy industry in the United States. Several steel mills operate here, including US Steel's Gary steel mill, the largest in North America.