I am talking about cultural and economic differences WITHIN the following states:
Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Delaware and Florida.
I have heard that the northern parts of those states are totally different from the southern parts of the same state. I am interested in finding out the cultural and economic differences. The weather and physiographic differences are pretty easy to figure out.
Virginia and Florida I can answer. I lived in both, I am curious what people will say about West Virginia though as I have lived on both ends of that states as well and not much different from either end. except the possibility of going from a redneck in the north to being a hillbilly in the south.
Virginia is very different from north to south especially the southwestern part. Eastern and Northern VA is very multicultural with all ethnic and racial groups being mixed together. While the southwest corner, especially Lee, Scott, Russell, Tazewell, Buchanon, and Smith counties are very much Caucasian with quite a few of the people who have Native American ancestry mixed in, mostly Cherokee. The people on the eastern side of the state are very political minded whereas the counties mentioned most of the people there would simply just like to be left alone. Outsiders are not welcomed for quite some time if at all. There roots are dug in deep, they do not want to leave and they do not want anyone coming in as this would unbalance all aspects of life there. Most of the people in these counties would be considered poor by most Americans standard yet most owe nothing on what they own. They paid cash for it, it is theirs and the bank is not going to be taking it away, Which in my opinion is a good mindset. Would be nice if the rest of the country thought that way.
Here is a website about one of the small towns there
http://www.honakerva.com/
Honaker is off the beaten path, very family oriented and really wants nothing to do with the outside world, Outside meaning anything over 15 miles from the center of town. Even Lebanon which is only 12 miles away and the county seat is usually considered outside to them. Religions are mostly Pentecostal and Baptist. The teachings of hell fire are not only taught but for a few sought after. As one of my cousins informed me, _there is a hell fire, I am sure of it, and I am looking forward to getting down there soon, I miss all of my friends_
Florida, is the only state I know of that changes the directions of the earth. What I mean by that, is that in Florida the farther south you travel the more north you go. OK, I know that sounds weird but that is how it was told to me by a good friend in Miami. Florida does seem like that though. If you stop and ask people in the northern part of Florida where they are from, they will usually say Florida, get down to Daytona Beach the answer will be North Carolina, by the time you make it to Homestead, Florida you run into many people who are from Michigan, Massachusetts and the other New England states. Also the farther south you go, the richer the people are. Which is a good things since everything in the southern part of the state has to be shipped in from farther distances creating an extra expense for everything. The only thing that gets cheaper by going south in Florida is the sunshine, which there is plenty of all the time by the time you get to the Keys. Again Florida is much like Virginia in the aspect that the northern people are from there and plan on staying there, mostly caucasian while southern Florida is very mixed with a very large number of hispanics from Cuba and Haiti around Miami
