EXPLORING AMERICA'S REGIONS EXPLORING THE MIDWEST BY TAMMY GAGNE CONTENT CONSULTANT Pamela Riney Kehrberg PhD Professor of History lowa State University Core Library Cover image A boat travels along the Chicago River in downtown Chicago Illinois An Imprint of Abdo Publishing abdopublishing com
CHAPTER ONE
AMERICA'S HEARTLAND The Midwest is known for its expansive lands In some places the windswept prairies look like they go on forever The region has impressive waterways too Some of the largest rivers in the United States flow through here The Midwest is also home to four of the five Great Lakes These are the largest lakes in the country Because the region stretches across the central United States it is often called America's Heartland But geography is not the only reason for this nickname The nickname Kayakers explore Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior
