Landforms
This Great Lake holds about 5% of the world’s fresh surface water that isn't locked in glaciers or ice caps
Lake Superior
One spanning millions of acres, this type of ecosystem–now largely replaced by agriculture– was once home to bison, prairie dogs, and diverse grasses and wildflowers
Prairie
This indigenous nation occupies most of the Wisconsin driftless region as well as parts of northern Illinois
First detected in Michigan in 2002, this shiny green beetle has destroyed millions of ash trees across the Midwest due to the warming climate
The emerald ash borer
How many national parks are located in the Midwest?
Eight
This mountain formation traverses through the Midwest primarily through Missouri and some portions of southern Illinois and southeastern Kansas
The Ozark Mountains
This type of weather event, common in the Midwest due to its flat terrain and mixing of air masses, is increasing in frequency with climate change
Tornado
This Midwest city is considered the center of automobile manufacturing
Detroit
This Midwest city was the first in the region to officially integrate climate adaptation into a citywide plan
Chicago
As defined by the U.S. Census, the Midwest region includes two subdivisions. One of these includes Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and what other state?
Michigan
This state is home to Starved Rock State Park, which features 18 sandstone canyons formed by glacial melt and 13 miles of hiking trails
Illinois
Harsh winter storms in the Midwest are often driven by this fast-moving, high-altitude air current, which flows west to east and dips south over the region during colder months
Polar jet stream
Aside from North Dakota and Nebraska, which Midwest state experienced the highest population growth between 2023 and 2024?
Minnesota
In 2012, this Midwest state saw $60 million in tart cherry crops destroyed after early spring warmth led to premature budding, followed by cold damage
Michigan
This Midwest state was a part of the “Rust Belt” along with Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Iowa
Ohio
This Great Lake has the second-largest surface area
Lake Huron
Between 1980 and 2000, the Midwest saw a 3.7% increase in this type of land cover, gaining an average of nearly 225 square miles per year, or 2.86 million acres in total
Forestland
The construction of canals in these two Midwestern states sparked a 19th-century agricultural expansion so influential that it launched a population and economic boom linked to today’s “emerging markets”
Ohio and Indiana
Many Midwest cities face climate risks like flooding and heat waves due to aging infrastructure, heat islands, and combined sewage-overflow systems, which often release this during heavy downpours
Untreated sewage
Seattle is one of two major U.S. cities located on an isthmus, a narrow piece of land between two bodies of water. What state capital, which boasts a free weekly newspaper called the Isthmus, is the other?
Madison, Wisconsin
This is the name of the mountain range that features Mount Rushmore in South Dakota
This massive Underground aquifer, crucial for Midwestern agriculture, is being depleted faster than it can recharge
The Ogallala Aquifer
This movement was started by a coalition of farmers in the Midwest following the Civil War
The Granger movement
As Great Lakes ice cover decreases, this economic activity is seeing a longer season—about eight more days between 1994 and 2011—but may also lead to shoreline damage and increased invasive species
Shipping
This town in South Dakota holds the geographic distinction of being recognized as “The center of the Nation”, following the addition of Alaska and Hawaii
Belle Fourche, SD