What Are Some Industries in the Midwest?
Industries in the Midwest classically included hunting, fishing and agriculture, but recently the mining and steel production industries have grown throughout the region. The Midwest is rich in natural resources and farmland, allowing industries in the region to be diverse, as noted by Encyclopedia.com.
The Midwest region of the United States includes Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. The original inhabitants of the land were Native Americans, and pioneers settled there because of the rich soil and extensive lakes, prairies and forests. Before and even during the Industrial Revolution, workers in the Midwest primarily farmed, hunted and fished. Because the land was so fertile, traders could sell their produce, meat and animal pelts to the Eastern states, which saw worse agricultural and hunting yields.
Along with the Industrial Revolution came mining and steel production. Valuable rock and iron was discovered in many parts of the Midwest and both the mining and steel industries started to grow out of the region. Because of the easy transportation, cities along major rivers and the Great Lakes started to grow and become powerful players in global trade. Today, the Midwest is still rich in industry. Vast amounts of land is still used for agriculture, and big industries such as steel production, mining and the automobile industry flourish throughout the entire region.
