Knowra Sun Belt Sun Belt The Sun Belt is a broad region across the southern and southwestern United States that grew rapidly in population and economic importance after World War II.
Great Migration : The movement of millions of African Americans from the rural South to other parts of the United States, especially from 1910 to 1970. Its later phase included movement within the South toward growing Sun Belt cities.
Air conditioning industry : The manufacturers and service businesses that produce, install, and maintain cooling systems. Its products helped make year-round work and dense settlement more viable in hot climates.
Houston : A major Texas city and the seat of Harris County, known for energy, aerospace, and its port. Its energy economy and rapid metropolitan expansion exemplify Texas's Sun Belt growth.
Political realignment in the United States : A lasting change in the coalitions, regional bases, or electoral alignments of American political parties. The growing South and Southwest gained electoral influence as population shifted toward them.
Air conditioning : The control of indoor temperature and humidity through mechanical cooling and ventilation. Widespread cooling made hot southern cities more comfortable places to live and work.
Right-to-work law : A state law that bars agreements requiring workers to join or pay fees to a labor union. Such laws helped some Sun Belt states attract employers seeking less unionized labor markets.
Phoenix : The capital and largest city of Arizona, located in the Sonoran Desert. Its rapid growth illustrates how cooling, migration, and suburban development reshaped the desert Southwest.
Electoral College (United States) : The constitutionally established body of electors that formally chooses the U.S. president. Population gains increased the presidential electoral votes of several Sun Belt states.
Interstate Highway System : The United States’ federally funded network of controlled-access highways, authorized in 1956. Its construction connected expanding Sun Belt suburbs and metropolitan economies.
Defense industry : Businesses that develop and produce equipment, services, and technology for national defense. Federal defense spending supported jobs and research centers across the region.
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