West South Central states

West South Central
States in dark red are traditionally included in the West South Central states, while states in pink may be broadly included, although they form part of the Mountain states and East South Central states regions
States in dark red are traditionally included in the West South Central states, while states in pink may be broadly included, although they form part of the Mountain states and East South Central states regions
States
Largest metropolitan areas
Largest cityHouston
Area
 • Total
444,052.01 sq mi (1,150,089.4 km2)
 • Land425,066.01 sq mi (1,100,915.9 km2)
 • Water18,986.00 sq mi (49,173.5 km2)
Population
 (2019)[2]
 • Total
40,619,450
 • Density91/sq mi (35/km2)

The West South Central states, colloquially known as the South Central states, is a region of the United States defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as covering four states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. The West South Central or South Central region is located within the Southern United States and Gulf Coast regions,[3] bordering the Mountain states and Midwestern U.S. regions to its north and west. The Gulf of Mexico is to the south of the region. Houston is the South Central's largest city, and the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area is the region's largest metropolis.

A geographically diverse region, the southern portion of the states are covered by coastal plains and swamps,[4][5][6][7] while the remainder is covered by forests such as the Cross Timbers,[8][9][10] hills and mountains,[11][12][13] and deserts near the Texas–Mexico border.

With European colonization of the Americas, this region of the U.S. has been heavily influenced by the French and Spanish.[14][15][16][17] With American settlement, Anglo-American culture began to influence the states covering the region. Distinct from New England and the Mid-Atlantic states, and in common with the Western U.S. and South Atlantic states, the majority of its non-Anglo culture descends from the Spanish Empire and Mexico;[14][18] within Louisiana, there is a significant French influence preserved through its Cajun and Louisiana Creole populations.[19][20][21] In Oklahoma, Native American culture is prevalent through tribes such as the Cherokee and Seminole nations among others.[22]

Within the region, Christianity is the prevalent religion as part of the Bible Belt; southern and southeastern Texas;[23] and southern Louisiana are predominantly Roman Catholic and non- or inter-denominational Protestant, with Baptists constituting a great majority.[24] From central and northern Texas, and central and northern Louisiana to the states of Oklahoma and Arkansas, Baptists, Methodists, and non- or inter-denominational Protestants constituted the majority.[24]

  1. ^ "United States Summary: 2010, Population and Housing Unit Counts, 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. September 2012. pp. V–2, 1 & 41 (Tables 1 & 18). Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  2. ^ "Population, Population Change, and Estimated Components of Population Change: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019 (NST-EST2019-alldata)". Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  3. ^ [1] Archived copy at the Library of Congress (January 7, 2013).
  4. ^ "TSHA | Buffalo Bayou". www.tshaonline.org. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  5. ^ "Riverine Forested Wetlands | Texas Coastal Wetlands". texaswetlands.org. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  6. ^ "TSHA | East Texas". www.tshaonline.org. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  7. ^ "Louisiana Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes". The Nature Conservancy. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  8. ^ "TPWD:Cross Timbers". tpwd.texas.gov. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  9. ^ "TSHA | Cross Timbers". www.tshaonline.org. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  10. ^ "Cross Timbers | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture". Oklahoma Historical Society | OHS. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  11. ^ "Ouachita Mountains | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture". Oklahoma Historical Society | OHS. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  12. ^ "Big Bend National Park (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  13. ^ "Chihuahuan Desert Ecoregion (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  14. ^ a b "TSHA | Spanish Texas". www.tshaonline.org. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  15. ^ "Spanish Colonial Louisiana". 64 Parishes. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  16. ^ Mitchell, Kimberly (February 23, 2022). "French History of Arkansas". Only In Arkansas. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  17. ^ "Encyclopedia of Arkansas". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  18. ^ "TSHA | Mexican Texas". www.tshaonline.org. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  19. ^ "French Colonial Louisiana". 64 Parishes. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  20. ^ "Cajuns". 64 Parishes. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  21. ^ "Creoles". 64 Parishes. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  22. ^ "American Indians | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture". Oklahoma Historical Society | OHS. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  23. ^ "Religious Affiliation in Texas | TX Almanac". www.texasalmanac.com. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  24. ^ a b "Maps and data files for 2020 | U.S. Religion Census | Religious Statistics & Demographics". www.usreligioncensus.org. Retrieved January 24, 2023.

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