Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
3.5. The country's gateways
North America is an island of the world. In the past, European migrants arrived
in the United States by boat, and New York was the territory's main gateway. San
Francisco served as a back door to immigration for Asian immigrants in the second
half of the 19th century. Since the 1960s, the era of cheap air travel has multiplied
the number of gateways. When considering the nine official regional divisions of the
United States, all nine regions have a net migration surplus, but the states that border
the Pacific Ocean have become the main gateway to the US, especially California
(see Figure 3.8 and Table 3.1).
1
9
2
4
3
8
6
5
7
U.S.A. Divisions
Nb. States
1 : New England
(6)
0
50
0 km
2 : Middle Atlantic
(3)
3 : Great Lakes
(5)
4 : North Central
(7)
5 : South Atlantic
(9)
6 : South Central
(4)
7 : South West
(4)
8 : Mountains
(8)
9 : Pacific
(3)
Source: US census bureau
Designed and made by JM Zaninetti, University of Orleans, CEDETE Institute
Figure 3.8.
Statistical divisions of the United States
While these states account for 19% of the total population, they also contribute
26% to the migration surplus. The “mid-Atlantic region” (New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania) is now a secondary gateway with 14% of the population and 17% of
overall net migration. The states of the Southwest (including Texas) and the
mountains of the West attract relatively more people than the national average. The
central plains are the least attractive today. The central southern states are in second
to last position, behind the central northern Great Plains. Generally, the Northeast is
