WELCOME TO THE SOUTH The South is a region of varied landscapes and attractions Canoers seek out wildlife in Louisiana's bayous Hikers explore mountain chains such as the Great Smoky Mountains Thrill seekers roar through the Florida Everglades on open airboats The South is so vast and the weather is so warm that adventures can be found year round The South includes 12 states Virginia North Carolina South Carolina Georgia and Florida all border the Atlantic Ocean Florida also borders the Gulf of Mexico a large Atlantic Ocean basin Louisiana Mississippi Visitors explore the Everglades in an open airboat
and Alabama border the Gulf of Mexico as well Arkansas Tennessee Kentucky and West Virginia are landlocked states The landscape of the South is varied In some states such as Georgia and West Virginia trees cover much of the land Florida on the other hand is full of lakes rivers and WELCOME Y'ALL marshes Florida's Everglades are the largest subtropical wetland ecosystem in North America Perhaps the most famous southern slang word is y all It is used to address more than one person It is a contraction of you all But where did the word come from Some scholars say it came from the Scots Irish phrase ye aw Ye aw appears in a letter written by a Scotsman in 1737 Many people came to the South from Scotland and Ireland in the 1700s Other scholars say the word came from enslaved African Americans in the South THE CLIMATE OF THE SOUTH The southern climate is generally warm and sunny with mild winters In summer the weather becomes
The state of West Virginia has fairly mountainous terrain hot and humid Throughout the summer and fall southern states along the Atlantic Ocean might be hit by hurricanes A hurricane is a system of spiraling winds that forms over an ocean Hurricanes can build in strength as they travel across the ocean until they hit land along the coast Hurricanes can cause flooding that damages roads and buildings
