Southern United States

The Southern United States (also known as the Southern States or the South) is a term for the southeast of the United States. All of the states in the Confederacy were in the South, but not all Southern states joined the Confederacy. The slave states that did not join are called the "border states." The Southern States that are the farthest to the south are called the "Deep South."

Even though Arizona, New Mexico, and Southern California are geographically south in the United States, they are usually classified as being part of the Southwest, not the South. Their climate, culture, and ethnic makeup of the Southwest are different from those of the South.

Most of the South is a land of long, hot summers. Winters are mostly short and cool. There is much rainfall. That combination gives the South a long growing season. Important crops include cotton, tobacco, peanuts, and peaches.

Also, the cuisine of the Southern United States is distinct from those of other regions.

As defined by the United States Census Bureau, these states make up the South:
 Alabama
 Arkansas
 Delaware
 Florida
 Georgia
 Kentucky
 Louisiana
 Maryland
 Mississippi
 North Carolina
 Oklahoma
 South Carolina
 Tennessee
 Texas
 Virginia
 Washington, D.C. (although not a state)
 West Virginia

The border state of Missouri is also sometimes considered Southern although the Census classifies it as in the  Midwest.

Except for Florida and Texas, most of the South had few immigrants, unlike the rest of the United States, in the late 19th and the 20th centuries.  Most of the people in the South are of English, Scottish, or Irish ancestry or the descendants of African-American slaves. Some Southerners identify themselves as being of "American" ancestry.

Category:Census Regions of the United States