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The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard or the Atlantic Seaboard and commonly shortened to East Coast, refers to the easternmost coast in the United States along the Atlantic Ocean. The term includes the U.S. states of (from north to south): Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

The East Coast is a low-relief, passive margin coast.^[1]

In 2010, the population of the East Coast states, extending from Maine to Florida, was estimated at 112,642,503 (36% of the country's total population).^[2] The seaboard is susceptible to hurricanes in the Atlantic hurricane season, officially running from June 1 to November 30, although hurricanes can occur before or after these dates.^[3]

The primary Interstate Highway along the East Coast is Interstate 95.^[4] The East Coast, from Norfolk, Virginia to Miami, Florida is connected by the Intracoastal Waterway, also known as the East Coast Canal, which was completed in 1912.^[5]^[6]

Major cities

Major metropolitan areas on the East Coast include (from north to south):

Transportation

Air travel

Republic Airlines, Air Wisconsin, and American Eagle Airlines are some of the several regional airlines with flights across the East Coast. As well, international airports are located in states all along the coast.

Railroad

Amtrak's Silver Star and Silver Meteor lines originate at New York City and stop at Miami, Florida.

Physical geography

Significant bodies of water and regions along the East Coast include (from south to north):

Inclusion of states

The term "East Coast" is often associated with the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States, particularly for cultural concepts such as an "Eastern college" or "East-coast liberal" or the "I-95 Corridor" (referring to Interstate 95). The states usually included in this concept are Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, and the states of New England as well as the District of Columbia. The Southeastern portion of the coast from Virginia to Florida is more typically associated culturally with the larger American South. "East Coast" also refers even more to the highly urbanized strip along the coast from Boston, to Washington, D.C., which is also known as the "Northeast Corridor", a definition which excludes the less densely populated areas of Upstate New York, Western Pennsylvania, and northern New England.

The term East Coast is often associated with the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States, particularly for cultural concepts such as an "Eastern college" or "East-coast liberal" or the "I-95 Corridor" (referring to Interstate 95). The states usually included are Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, the states of New England, and the District of Columbia. The Southeastern portion of the coast from Virginia to Florida is more typically associated culturally with the larger American South. "East Coast" also refers even more to the highly urbanized strip along the coast from Boston, to Washington, D.C., which is also known as the "Northeast Corridor", a definition which excludes the less densely populated areas of Upstate New York, Western Pennsylvania, and northern New England.

History

First encountered by Europeans in 1524 by Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, this region of the North American continent became part of the Atlantic world, and had elaborate trade interconnections with Britain, France, Africa, as well as with the British, French and Spanish colonies of the New World. It was also the scene of large scale colonization by the British starting in the 1580s. Some colonies failed but most thrived. On the other hand the Dutch, Swedish, Spanish and other colonies were eventually taken over by the English speakers. A series of wars between Britain and the French (and Indians), and Spanish, and then wars between the Americans and the British and their Indian allies, kept the frontier regions violent down to 1814. The Americans grew rapidly, and moved to frontiers in the west, and also to the North and South, in unstoppable waves after 1750. The attempts by the (British) Government to prevent European settlement west of the Appalachians (in order to pacify former Native American allies following Pontiac's War) were a primary cause of the American colonist's rebellion. The very rapid demographic growth was due to enormous amounts of good land, ample food, and a favorable disease environment. The Americans doubled in number every 25 years by natural increase. This was augmented before 1775 by steady flows of new migrants from Britain, as well as large numbers from Germany, plus slave purchases. Immigration fell off after 1775, then resumed about 1840. Millions of "old" immigrants came from Britain, Ireland, Germany and Scandinavia before 1890, and even more millions came from Southern and Eastern Europe between 1890 and 1914, when war and immigration restrictions stopped most population movement. Large scale immigration did not resume until the 1960s.

The 13 colonies developed their own political culture in the 18th century, called republicanism. They began to revolt in 1775, creating the United States of America in 1776.

Culturally it is also where most of the first wave of immigrants from Europe settled before America began its western expansion. The Appalachian Trail runs through most of these states from Maine through Georgia. Historically the Mason-Dixon Line cuts this area in half at the northern border of Maryland, which still indicates a cultural change. Through the course of early United States history, the Eastern Coast was divided over many issues including slavery. In the 1860s this came to a head and the Civil War broke out. This war was fought mostly in East Coast states, including Maryland, Virginia, and North and South Carolina.

References

^ Physical Geography, page 575, Robert E. Gabler, James F. Petersen, L. Michael Trapasso, and Dorothy Sack
^ 2010 Census: Resident Population Data
^ Frequently Asked Questions: When is hurricane season, Neil Dorst, Hurricane Research Division, NOAA
^ Let's Go Roadtripping USA: The Student Travel Guide, page 31, Harvard Student Agencies
^ Moon Florida Gulf Coast, page 373, Laura Reiley
^ Ponte Vedra Beach: A History, page 89, Maurice J. Robinson