This book, aimed at students of American history, geography and politics, looks at the background to the rise of distinctive regions in the United States and the effects of cultural, economic, racial and political factors on that process. The author then concentrates on developments since 1945, focusing on migrations, the changing pattern of energy resources, the changing physical environment, the urban regions, and the development of a national planning policy. This volume is thus a companion to Kenneth Fox's Metropolitan America in the Contemporary United States series. `...this book will be valuable as recommended reading for all undergraduate courses in American Studies.' L.Burgess, Geography.