Native river rocks from the south of the U.S.A. Various sizes of stones.

The Southern United States (English: Southern United States) is a large region in the southeastern and south-central United States. Other names for the region are: American South and The South, as well as the historical name Dixie. The South has developed its own customs, literature, music and cuisine that distinguish the region from the rest of the United States. Various factors underlie this cultural identity, such as the indigenous population, the early European colonization and immigration of Spaniards, English, French, Irish and Scots, slavery and a large African-American population, and the legacy of the Confederacy during the American Civil War. The Southern United States has long been a primarily agricultural region, but since the last decades of the 20th century the region has become more industrialized, fueling national and international migration. Today, the South is one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. Although there is rapid economic growth, all states in the region except Maryland, Virginia and Florida have higher rates of poverty than the national average. There is a lot of poverty, especially in rural areas. Fewer students also graduate with a secondary education diploma, incomes are lower, housing is cheaper and the general cost of living is lower.