Stretching across the middle of the United States is the Midwest. The states included in the Midwest are Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Many of these states were once home to millions of buffalo who grazed on the grasses found on the prairielands. Today, these prairielands have become rich farmlands. Here, farmers grow more corn and wheat than anywhere else on the planet.
Fun Facts About The Midwest for Kids
- The area around Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma is known as tornado alley because this area has more tornadoes than anywhere else in the country.
- Summers in the Midwest are hot and humid; winters can be long, cold and gray, especially in the northern Midwest.
- Many people still live in small towns in the Midwest. The largest cities in the Midwest includes Chicago, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Des Moines and Cincinnati.
- The Midwest is still cowboy country. One hundred years ago, cowboys drove cattle from Texas to states throughout the Midwest.
The Midwest Vocabulary
- Buffalo: large animals resembling cattle
- Graze: eat
- Prairieland: wide, flat, dry grasslands
- Humid: moist
All About The Midwest Video for Kids
Check out this cool video about Midwestern United States for kids:
The Midwest Q&A
Question: Is farming the only industry in the Midwest?
Answer: For many years, cities on the Great Lakes, such as Chicago and Detroit, were industrial hubs, building cars and equipment. The Mississippi River, which stretches from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico is one of the busiest waterways on Earth. Boats transport cargo all along this river. The United States is the third largest producer of crude oil in the world and most of that oil comes from Alaska, Texas and parts of the Midwest.
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