Appalachia

Jack Corn

The Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada all the way south to Cheaha Mountain in Alabama. However, the term Appalachia as understood today denotes the cultural region of the central and southern portions of this range. It is a land of abundant natural resources and beauty which has tragically led to much of its exploitation. The emergence of the coal mining industry to the area sparked an initial economic boom in the early part of the 20th century, but the later mechanization of the industry resulted in a severe loss of jobs, leaving the central and southern parts of the region poverty-stricken.