Welcome to the Corn Belt!
The Corn Belt is the uniquely fertile region of the "prairie triangle" in the upper Mississippi Valley, stretching from Ohio to Nebraska, in which farmers since the mid-nineteenth century have specialized in the corn crop ("Corn Belt." Dictionary of American History. 2003, 2003).
The Corn Belt,is an area in the midwestern United States, roughly covering western Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, eastern Nebraska, and eastern Kansas, in which corn and soybeans are the dominant crops ("Corn Belt Region").
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The Corn Belt is a major agricultural region of the U.S. Midwest where corn acreage once exceeded that of any other crop. It is now commonly called the Feed Grains and Livestock Belt (infoplease, "Corn Belt"). From 1860 to 1970, new agricultural technology transformed the Corn Belt from a mixed crop-and-livestock farming area to a highly specialized cash-grain farming area. While the landscape was greatly modified, the family farm remained the norm (infoplease, "Corn Belt").
Physical characteristics of the corn belt are: rich soil, level land, warm nights, hot days, corn stalks.
Human characteristics of the corn belt are: English as a primary language, population of around 67,762,069 ("United States Population Growth by Region").
There are 3 types of regions recognized by geographers, formal regions, functional regions, and perceptual regions (Gallagher, 2012). The Corn Belt is a formal region. Being part of a formal region means that people in the Corn Belt region share certain properties. They generally share the same language, religion, nationality or physical properties.
Functional regions are linked by transportation systems, communication systems, or other associations (Gallagher, 2012).
Perceptual regions are based more on feelings and attitudes. They are defined by people rather than strict geography.
For anyone that is interested in reading more about the Corn Belt, this would be a great book to purchase. Making The Corn Belt is a story that outlines why the Corn Belt is America's Heartland. The following is a link for purchase options on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Making-Corn-Belt-Geographical-Middle-Western/dp/0253328322
There are many reasons that people may be drawn to the Corn Belt. Some of which include being able to farm one of the largest cash crops, living in small communities ideal for families, living around people who share human and physical characteristics.
Living in the Corn Belt is not for everyone, but for those who live there understand why it is so special.
I decided to create a time line about the Corn Belt because it is where I live. Before starting this project, I did not know much about the Corn Belt, but after conducting some research I now understand why the Corn Belt is so special and important.
References:
"Corn Belt." Dictionary of American History. 2003, & "Corn Belt." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2016. (2003). Corn Belt. Retrieved April 05, 2016, from http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Corn_Belt.aspx
Corn Belt. (n.d.). Retrieved April 05, 2016, from http://www.britannica.com/place/Corn-Belt
Gallagher, S. M., & Downs, R. M. (2012). Geography for life: National geography standards. Washington, D.C.: National Council for Geographic Education.
United States Population Growth by Region. (n.d.). Retrieved April 05, 2016, from http://www.census.gov/popclock/data_tables.php?component=growth
(n.d.). Retrieved April 05, 2016, from http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/us/corn-belt.html