List of portions of the U.S. that share certain characteristics
The belt regions of the
United States are portions of the country that share certain characteristics. The "belt" terminology was first applied to
growing regions for various crops, which often follow lines of
latitude because those are more likely to have similar climates. The allusion was to a long
clothing belt, as seen on a map.
The usage has expanded to other climatic, economic, and cultural concentrations. These regions are not formally defined; they frequently overlap and have vague borders. The terminology is also used outside the U.S. (e.g., India's
Hindi Belt).
List of regions
Banana belt, a term applied to several U.S. areas with milder climates than their surrounding regions.
Pretzel Belt, a district of Pennsylvania associated with numerous regional and nationally distributed
pretzel and
snack food producers.
Rice Belt, southern states where rice is a major crop.
Rust Belt (in the past, commonly known as the Manufacturing Belt, Factory Belt, or Steel Belt), northeastern and central northern states where heavy industrialization—and some economic stagnation—is common.
Salt Belt, a region in the Northeast and Midwest states where large quantities of salt are applied to control snow and ice on roads during the winter season.