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Mid-Atlantic | |
|---|---|
   .jpg)  Left to right from top: TheLower Manhattan skyline inNew York City,Independence Hall inPhiladelphia,Assateague Island, the Philadelphia skyline, and theCatskills seen from theHudson River | |
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| Coordinates:41°N77°W / 41°N 77°W /41; -77 | |
| Composition | |
| Metropolitan areas | |
| Largest city | New York |
| Area | |
• Total | 191,299.86 sq mi (495,464.4 km2) |
| • Land | 174,468.45 sq mi (451,871.2 km2) |
| • Water | 16,831.41 sq mi (43,593.2 km2) 8.80% |
| Population | |
• Total | 60,783,913 |
| • Density | 348.39487/sq mi (134.51601/km2) |
| GDP (nominal) | |
| • Q3 2022 | $5.233 trillion |
TheMid-Atlantic is aregion of the United States located in the eastern part of the country. Traditional definitions include sevenU.S. states:New York,New Jersey,Pennsylvania,Delaware,Maryland,Virginia,West Virginia, and the national capital ofWashington, D.C.[3]
Depending on various factors, different regional divisions exist however: theU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in its newest regional division excludes New York from the region;[4] theU.S. Census Bureau excludes Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia from the region;[5]USGS defines the region by watersheds thus additionally including North Carolina;[6] theEPA excludes both New York and New Jersey;[7] theU.S. Maritime Administration excludes upper New Jersey and New York;[8] the Office of Small Business Programs of theU.S. Department of Defense excludes New York.[9] When discussing climate,Connecticut is sometimes included, since its climate is closer to the Mid-Atlantic than the rest of theNew England region.[citation needed]
The region was known in the 17th century as the "Middle Colonies" during thecolonial era, initially including four colonial provinces, theDelaware Colony and the provinces ofNew Jersey,New York, andPennsylvania, each of which were among theThirteen Colonies in pre-revolutionaryBritish America. Afterwards, the area was recognized geographically as the "Middle States", with Maryland, Virginia and in some instancesNorth Carolina included, as well as theOhio Territory.
As of the2020 census, the region had a population of 60,783,913, representing slightly over 18% of the nation's population. The Mid-Atlantic is a relatively affluent region of the nation; nearly half of the nation's 100highest-income counties based onmedian household income are located in the Mid-Atlantic, and 33 of the nation's top 100 counties based onper capita income are in the region. Most of the Mid-Atlantic states rank among the 15highest-income states in the nation by both median household income and per capita income.
The Mid-Atlantic region played an instrumental and historic role in the nation's founding and the development of the nation. Six of the seven states were members of theThirteen Colonies that sent delegates to theSecond Continental Congress, which assembled inPhiladelphia and unanimously adopted theDeclaration of Independence, and formalized theContinental Army underGeorge Washington's command during theAmerican Revolutionary War. Following independence, the states again gathered in Philadelphia at theConstitutional Convention, in 1788, where they ratified theUnited States Constitution, which remains the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world.[10]
The Mid-Atlantic region was settled during thecolonial era between the early 17th century and the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War in 1783 byEuropean Americans of primarilyDutch,German,Swedish,English, and otherWestern European ethnicities. Religious pluralism and freedoms existed in the originalThirteen Colonies and were particularly prevalent inProvince of Pennsylvania and the geographic region that ultimately broke from Pennsylvania to form theDelaware Colony. Among the 13 colonies, theProvince of Maryland was the only colony with a substantialCatholic population.
Following the American Revolutionary War, the Mid-Atlantic region hosted each of thehistoric capitals of the United States. The nation's capital was constructed inWashington, D.C. in the late 18th century, and relocated there from Philadelphia in 1800.
In the early part of the 19th century, New York and Pennsylvania overtook Virginia as the nation's two most populous states, and the Mid-Atlantic region overtookNew England as the most important trading and industrial center in the nation. During this period, large numbers ofGerman,Irish,Italian,Jewish,Polish, and otherimmigrants arrived in the region's coastal cities, includingBaltimore,Newark,New York City, Philadelphia, and interior cities such asPittsburgh, andRochester,Albany, andBuffalo, the latter of which is also included in theGreat Lakes region, with their skyscrapers and subways, which emerged as icons ofmodernity and American economic and cultural power in the 20th century.
In the late 19th century, the region played a vital and historic role in the development ofAmerican culture, commerce, trade, andindustry sectors.[11]
TheNortheast Corridor andInterstate 95 in the region link an almost contiguous urban region, which includes large and small cities and their respective suburbs and forms theNortheast megalopolis, one of the world's most important concentrations of finance, media, communications,education, medicine, and technology.
The region is home to eight of the top 25 ranked universities in the nation:Cornell University inIthaca, New York;Columbia University inNew York City;Princeton University inPrinceton, New Jersey; theUniversity of Pennsylvania inPhiladelphia;Carnegie Mellon University inPittsburgh;Johns Hopkins University inBaltimore,Georgetown University inWashington, D.C.; and theUniversity of Virginia inCharlottesville, Virginia according toU.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Ranking.[12][13][14]
Definitions of the geographic components of the Mid-Atlantic region differ slightly among sources.[15] Generally speaking, the region is inclusive of the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, and the federal district of the District of Columbia, with some additional sources including or excluding other areas in parts of the Northeast region and theSouth Atlantic states, for practical reasons.[4][3][5][6][7][8][9]
TheUnited States Census Bureau defines the Mid-Atlantic as a sub-region of theNortheast and only includes New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.[5] TheBureau of Labor Statistics excludes New York;[4] theEnvironmental Protection Agency excludes New York and New Jersey;[7] and theU.S. Department of Transportation -United States Maritime Administration includesNorth Carolina.[8] In 2004, theUnited States Geological Survey within the context of Ground-Water Vulnerability to Nitrate Contamination, defined the region as including Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., and parts of New Jersey, New York, and North Carolina.[6]
West Virginia and Virginia are atypical of this region in a few ways. These states both primarily lie within theSouthern American dialect region,[16] and the major religious tradition is largelyEvangelical Christian, with 30% in Virginia and 39% in West Virginia identifying as evangelicals.[17] Although a few of West Virginia's eastern panhandle counties may be considered part of theWashington metropolitan area, the state is largely rural and there are no major or even large cities.[18]
![A USGS fact sheet on the Mid-Atlantic region's groundwater[19]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aMid-Atlantic_Region_location_map.gif)
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Shipping and trade have been important to the Mid-Atlantic economy since the beginning of the colonial era. The explorerGiovanni da Verrazzano was the first European to see the region in 1524.Henry Hudson later extensively explored that region in 1611 and claimed it for the Dutch, who then created a fur-trading post inAlbany in 1614.Jamestown, Virginia was the first permanent English colony in North America, it was established seven years earlier in 1607.
From early colonial times, the Mid-Atlantic region was settled by a wider range of European people than in New England or the South. The DutchNew Netherland settlement along theHudson River inNew York City andNew Jersey, and for a time,New Sweden along theDelaware River inDelaware, divided the two great bulwarks of English settlement from each other. The original English settlements in the region notably provided refuge to religious minorities,Maryland toRoman Catholics andPennsylvania toQuakers andAnabaptistPennsylvania Dutch. In time, all these settlements fell under English colonial control, but the region continued to be a magnet for people of diverse nationalities.
The area that came to be known as theMiddle Colonies served as a strategic bridge between the North and South. TheNew York and New Jersey campaign during theAmerican Revolutionary War saw more battles than any other theater of the conflict.Philadelphia, midway between the northern and southern colonies, was home to theContinental Congress, the convention of delegates who organized theAmerican Revolution. Philadelphia also was the birthplace of theDeclaration of Independence in 1776 and theUnited States Constitution in 1787, while theUnited States Bill of Rights was drafted and ratified and the firstSupreme Court of the United States sat for the first time, in the first capital under theConstitution of New York.
While early settlers were mostly farmers, traders, and fishermen, the Mid-Atlantic states provided the young United States withheavy industry and served as the "melting pot" of newimmigrants from Europe. Cities grew along major ports, shipping routes, and waterways, including New York City andNewark on opposite sides of theHudson River, Philadelphia on the Delaware River,Allentown on theLehigh River, andBaltimore on theChesapeake Bay.
| MSA | 2020 census | 2010 census | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 20,140,470 | 18,897,109 |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 6,385,162 | 5,649,540 |
| 3 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 6,245,051 | 5,965,343 |
| 4 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 2,844,510 | 2,710,489 |
| 5 | Pittsburgh, PA | 2,370,930 | 2,356,285 |
| 6 | Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 1,799,674 | 1,713,954 |
| 7 | Richmond, VA | 1,314,434 | 1,186,501 |
| 8 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 1,166,902 | 1,135,509 |
| 9 | Rochester, NY | 1,090,135 | 1,079,671 |
| 10 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 899,262 | 870,716 |
| City | 2020 census | Total area | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | 8,804,190 | 472.43 sq mi |
| 2 | Philadelphia, PA | 1,603,797 | 142.70 sq mi |
| 3 | Washington, D.C. | 689,545 | 68.35 sq mi |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | 585,708 | 92.05 sq mi |
| 5 | Virginia Beach, VA | 459,470 | 497.50 sq mi |
| 6 | Newark, NJ | 311,549 | 25.88 sq mi |
| 7 | Pittsburgh, PA | 302,971 | 58.35 sq mi |
| 8 | Jersey City, NJ | 292,449 | 21.03 sq mi |
| 9 | Buffalo, NY | 278,349 | 52.48 sq mi |
| 10 | Chesapeake, VA | 249,422 | 350.95 sq mi |
| Township | 2020 census | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Hempstead, NY | 793,409 |
| 2. | Brookhaven, NY | 485,773 |
| 3. | Islip, NY | 339,938 |
| 4. | Oyster Bay, NY | 301,332 |
| 5. | North Hempstead, NY | 237,639 |
| 6. | Babylon, NY | 218,223 |
| 7 | Huntington, NY | 204,127 |
| 8 | Ramapo, NY | 148,919 |
| 9 | Lakewood, NJ | 135,158 |
| 10. | Amherst, NY | 129,595 |
| State or federal district | 2020 census | Total area | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 20,201,249 | 54,555 sq mi |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 13,002,700 | 46,055 sq mi |
| 3 | New Jersey | 9,288,994 | 8,722.58 sq mi |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,631,393 | 42,774.2 sq mi |
| 5 | Maryland | 6,177,224 | 12,407 sq mi |
| 6 | West Virginia | 1,793,716 | 24,230 sq mi |
| 7 | Delaware | 989,948 | 2,489 sq mi |
| 8 | District of Columbia | 689,545 | 68.35 sq mi |
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 2,085,066 | — | |
| 1800 | 2,702,679 | 29.6% | |
| 1810 | 3,466,545 | 28.3% | |
| 1820 | 4,278,349 | 23.4% | |
| 1830 | 5,362,691 | 25.3% | |
| 1840 | 6,357,873 | 18.6% | |
| 1850 | 8,046,649 | 26.6% | |
| 1860 | 9,929,648 | 23.4% | |
| 1870 | 11,515,592 | 16.0% | |
| 1880 | 13,887,075 | 20.6% | |
| 1890 | 16,566,269 | 19.3% | |
| 1900 | 19,919,159 | 20.2% | |
| 1910 | 24,427,360 | 22.6% | |
| 1920 | 28,144,267 | 15.2% | |
| 1930 | 32,768,581 | 16.4% | |
| 1940 | 34,870,074 | 6.4% | |
| 1950 | 38,951,029 | 11.7% | |
| 1960 | 44,306,759 | 13.7% | |
| 1970 | 48,818,784 | 10.2% | |
| 1980 | 49,532,898 | 1.5% | |
| 1990 | 51,637,657 | 4.2% | |
| 2000 | 55,210,865 | 6.9% | |
| 2010 | 57,999,602 | 5.1% | |
| 2020 | 60,783,913 | 4.8% | |
| Source:1790–2020[21] | |||
| Capital | 2020 census | Total area | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, D.C. | 689,545 | 68.35 sq mi |
| 2 | Richmond, Virginia | 226,610 | 62.57 sq mi |
| 3 | Albany, New York | 99,224 | 21.94 sq mi |
| 4 | Trenton, New Jersey | 90,871 | 8.20 sq mi |
| 5 | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | 50,099 | 11.86 sq mi |
| 6 | Charleston, West Virginia | 48,864 | 32.64 sq mi |
| 7 | Annapolis, Maryland | 40,812 | 8.11 sq mi |
| 8 | Dover, Delaware | 39,403 | 23.97 sq mi |
Note: The Mid-Atlantic region is also home to the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.
| Parties | |||||||||
| Nonpartisan | Federalist | Democratic-Republican | National Republican | Democratic | Whig | Know Nothing | Republican | Constitutional Union | Progressive |
The Mid-Atlantic is home to 33 professional sports franchises in the fivemajor leagues and the two most prominent women's professional leagues:
| NFL | NHL | MLB | NBA | MLS | WNBA | NWSL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York/New Jersey | Giants Jets | Devils Islanders Rangers | Mets Yankees | Knicks Nets | NYC FC Red Bulls | Liberty | Gotham FC |
| Washington | Commanders | Capitals | Nationals | Wizards | United | Mystics | Spirit |
| Philadelphia | Eagles | Flyers | Phillies | 76ers | Union | ||
| Pittsburgh | Steelers | Penguins | Pirates | ||||
| Baltimore | Ravens | Orioles | |||||
| Buffalo | Bills | Sabres |
Notable golf tournaments in the Mid-Atlantic include theBarclays,Quicken Loans National andAtlantic City LPGA Classic.
Two high-level professional tennis tournaments are held in the region. TheUS Open, held in New York, is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, whereas theWashington Open is part of theATP Tour 500 series andWTA 250 series.
Notable motorsports tracks includeWatkins Glen International,Dover Motor Speedway andPocono Raceway, which have hostedFormula One,IndyCar,NASCAR,World Sportscar Championship andIMSA races. Also, theEnglishtown andReading drag strips such have hostedNHRA national events.Pimlico Race Course at Baltimore andBelmont Park at New York host thePreakness Stakes andBelmont Stakes horse races, which are part of theTriple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.
With a GDP nominal of over $5.2 trillion, the Mid-Atlantic economy would be third-largest in the world if calculated separately, only behind the remaining United States and China and nearly $1 trillion larger than next place Japan. This economic prosperity is buoyed by a significant financial services and banking sector, healthcare and chemicals industry, and telecommunications and entertainment conglomerates.
According to the Global Financial Centres Index,[22] the Mid-Atlantic region is home to the leading financial center in the world (New York) at #1, with Washington also present at #15.
Notable companies (over $100 billion market cap) headquartered in the region include:
| Company | Headquarters | Market cap ($ billions) | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase | New York, New York | $447.91 | 13 |
| Johnson and Johnson | New Brunswick, New Jersey | $430.06 | 15 |
| Mastercard | Harrison, New York | $364.48 | 22 |
| Pfizer | New York, New York | $272.39 | 29 |
| PepsiCo | Harrison, New York | $232.01 | 40 |
| Verizon Communications | New York, New York | $225.96 | 45 |
| Comcast-NBC | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | $211.42 | 50 |
| Merck | Kenilworth, New Jersey | $192.90 | 60 |
| Danaher | Washington, District of Columbia | $190.74 | 61 |
| Morgan Stanley | New York, New York | $169.08 | 73 |
| American Express | New York, New York | $147.98 | 89 |
| Bristol Myers Squibb | New York, New York | $147.23 | 91 |
| Citigroup | New York, New York | $127.27 | 105 |
| Goldman Sachs | New York, New York | $115.43 | 118 |
| BlackRock | New York, New York | $114.67 | 120 |
| International Business Machines | North Castle, New York | $111.45 | 124 |
| Estee Lauder | New York, New York | $108.67 | 130 |
| Lockheed Martin | Bethesda, Maryland | $105.24 | 137 |
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