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It obviously has more in common with Pennsylvania and New York, but that is mostly based on geographical proximity, built environment, demographics, and a few other factors. The Dakotas are extreme outliers compared to any other part of the US.
I think is weird how some people lump Ohio in the same region as North Dakota and South Dakota. I think Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and sometimes Kentucky are Northeastern States. Ohio have more in common with New England, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland than Ohio is with The Dakotas, Minnesota and Nebraska.
I'd say that Ohio has every bit as much in common with the Dakotas as with the Canadian Maritime Provinces (e.g. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia), and with Minnesota as much as with New England (esp. Maine). Namely, not so much at all, but Ohio is about equidistant between the Dakotas/Minnesota and New England/the Maritimes.
What I have gleaned from this thread is that the Plains states have taken over the definition, in the minds of many people, of the term 'Midwestern'.
If that is the case, then 'cowboys and Indians', ranching, dry buttes and tablelands, shortgrass prairie, and semi-arid desert are emblematic of the Midwest.
Fundementaly, Ohio is a Midwest state. The prototype, if you will. The more you deviate from Ohio/Indiana/Illinois, the more you deviate from Midwest.
What I have gleaned from this thread is that the Plains states have taken over the definition, in the minds of many people, of the term 'Midwestern'.
If that is the case, then 'cowboys and Indians', ranching, dry buttes and tablelands, shortgrass prairie, and semi-arid desert are emblematic of the Midwest.
Fundementaly, Ohio is a Midwest state. The prototype, if you will. The more you deviate from Ohio/Indiana/Illinois, the more you deviate from Midwest.
I may be mistaken but for historical reasons I believe that the Central Plains states were the original Midwestern states. That is, while the Plains states were already being called Midwest since the late 1800s, the older states of the Old Northwest were still being called the North Central States (or increasingly today the Great Lake States).
However, its confusing because the Plains states were also sometimes called the West North Central States. And unfortunately the Wikipedia article on the subject is limited and not 100% clear.
According to this article the US Census Bureau did not start officially using the name Midwest until 1984!
Interesting article about the different opinions from people in Michigan. Some say Michigan is more Midwest, others say Rustbelt, Upper Midwest or Northeast.
If that is the case, then 'cowboys and Indians', ranching, dry buttes and tablelands, shortgrass prairie, and semi-arid desert are emblematic of the Midwest.
Actually most of the Plains that are in the Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas are mixed and tall grass prairie. In fact the mixed grass realm even extends into Montana. Not only that but these states have wet and humid summers.
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