what is appalachia

Appalachia is a socio-economic region located in the central and southern sections of the Appalachian Mountains of the Eastern United States. It spans 13 states, from southern New York to northern Mississippi, and consists of 423 counties across 206,000 square miles. The regions 26.3 million residents live in parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, and all of West Virginia. Appalachia is known for its geographic and cultural variation, and it has been defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission since 1965. The boundaries and definition of Appalachia can only be changed by an act of Congress. Despite significant improvements in key economic factors, Appalachia still lags behind the rest of the nation on several socioeconomic indicators, and more work is needed for the region to recover from economic disruptions and address the substance abuse crisis.