Why So Few Americans Live In This HUGE Area Of The East Coast

[@AldousHuxleysCat]

As a truck driver, who has been through all of these areas I can tell you there's more than enough people living there already

[@chrispekel5709]

It's not relative to other places. You're right that there's still sizable populations but if not for the problems it would have 5 times the population

[@AldousHuxleysCat]

@@chrispekel5709 i don't think the folks living there see the problem - it's a feature, not a bug

[@eywine.7762]

@@AldousHuxleysCatAgreed!

[@rainyn]

We've been to Charleston - it's a sprawling city with plenty of people and never feels empty. Rush hour on business days can be very unpleasant, and it doesn't take much of a disruption on any of their many bridges to cause a lot of commuting headaches for locals.

[@jacobbeyer9346]

As a resident in the mentioned area, I agree lol

[@kevinbryer2425]

We keep it empty so we can hide our F-35's there.

[@jackdamron382]

Very good! If you find it send a postcard to the Pentagon, attn: Lost and Found Dept.

[@quincekreb6798]

🤣🤣

[@brent829]

They just found it! (Finally)

[@domtweed7323]

Quite right, don't want any civilians witnessing them crashing, might undermine tax payer trust

[@ashtonandrade754]

Dang now they’re gonna know

[@dinewalton]

Geoff should have also mentioned that Atlanta is an airline hub because its far enough south that it doesn't experience snow storms and far enough inland that it doesn't get hit by hurricanes, which makes it a perfect place for airlines to never worry about the weather affecting there airport schedules.

[@lilcuh9433]

And the metropolitan area is massive (8th largest in the nation) and is home to so many corporations. Anytime you take a flight in the South, there’s a high chance you are gonna have a layover at Hartsfield-Jackson

[@miliba]

Atlanta airport is massive and very busy. No wonder Delta is large

[@rackss1661]

@@bricky63bNot just Georgia Atlanta has the busiest airport in the world if not top 5 you can look this up.

[@dinewalton]

@@bricky63b Geoff didn't mention Atlanta's lack of snow is the reason why Delta and other airlines have made Atlanta into an airline hub

[@brent829]

Charlotte is a huge hub as well, and even Greenville, SC is an international airport. And speaking of Greenville, it should be mentioned as it's growing incredibly fast and will emerge as the Charlotte/Atlanta of South Carolina.

[@michaelmartin2276]

As someone who grew up in the Carolinas the population has been growing a great amount. Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Wilmington are all growing. Even the Outer Banks have grown. Florida hasn't hurt much from hurricanes. Myrtle Beach was very small when i was a kid in the 1960's and Wilmington was about 60,000 when i was in high school in the '70's. Both have grw tremendously in my opinion.

[@PoeticOsmosis]

@@michaelmartin2276 Not empty at all. 😂

[@swxyclxps5451]

The Florida comment did not age well 😅 (Helene & Milton)

[@zstrizzel]

​@@swxyclxps5451 Exactly. Plus, increasing home insurance costs for FL will continue to hurt development there.

[@CarlamityNyx]

Wilmington is a ghost of what it once was. I live 25 mins away and hate going into the city now. It's taking your life into your hands just driving in the city. No one cares anymore

[@housinauthority5258]

Did you know Ray Leonard?

[@CoolestDude38NC]

As a Geography degree holder, I have my own opinion on this video. The areas of NC, SC and GA focused here are coastal plains of these three states. Meaning they tend to be closer to the ocean, lower in altitude, the soil tends to be poor... oftentimes sandy or red clay mud soil. It goes back to the days when the British colonized the eastern seaboard of North America. The British sought out the premium regions for farming, seafaring and also tried to avoid the basically subtropical climates of the southern most states. Back then, air conditioning did not exist, malaria actually existed in these areas because of so many swamp, canals, etc. Alligators existed and still do. The vegetation was much thicker, nastier and jungle like than northern and even mid Atlantic colonies. Colonists in the south did not have freezers with ice machines to keep their meat, eggs and milk cold. Cold beer did not exist. Add to this, these areas along with Florida (then Spanish), took the brunt of frequent hurricanes and their was no NOAA, no weather satellites, no radio to warn of brewing hurricanes in the Caribbean. The British focused the core colonies further North, from around Virginia on up to New England because the climate, terrain was more like Europe (normal). And once you get to the Virginia coastline and above, the hurricanes usually peter out to Nor easters. Water moccassins, coral snakes and alligators did not exist in the colonies north of these areas. The British were expert geographers and oceanographers and they decided early on these areas would be where theyd be growing tropical crops like rice, cotton, some tobacco in. These colonies were primarily colonized by Irish and African American slaves forced to come here from Ireland and central Africa. The African slaves were already used to extremely hot humid climates. And had some natural resistance to malaria. The Irish came from Cold climates and had no resistance to malaria.

[@thedevilandhertrumpets4268]

Good info. I live in eastern NC: The soil is awful as is the summer weather.

[@CoolestDude38NC]

​@@thedevilandhertrumpets4268 Thank you, I learned a lot of stuff about Geography as a Geography major at UNC-Greensboro in the early nineties. Add to that my Dad came from a tobacco farm family in central NC where I live and personal experience with farmwork in NC, well...social studies is one of my things.

[@frosty3693]

There is the factor of industrialization. Having iron deposits close by is important also is having power. In the colonial days that power was water flowing down rivers. In the north the water flowed down to the sea at a sufficient rate to power industry near the coast and the land was rocky enough to make agriculture difficult. In the south there was less elevation change and it was inland where the water flows down to the coastal plain, places like Raliegh, Greesboro and Charlotte. Then there were politics. But this was suposed to be about geography???? A rather poor performance by Geoff.

[@pamelah6431]

They didn't teach you that GA was a penal colony in geography school?

[@warfarenotwarfair5655]

​@@CoolestDude38NCSo you have been exposed to all of the woke Marxists stuff they teach in the Humanities these days 🤣.

[@rogaineablar5608]

Anyone who grew up on the East Coast knows why many major cities are inland. They are at or above the 'fall line,' where the flat coastal plan, as you call it (known locally at the Tidewater) borders the Piedmont. This was as far as vessels could go before needing locks. Building cities at or above the fall line was safer during the rainy/flood seasons.

[@rodcoulter997]

Exactly….one word: GNATS……..and the heat and humidity. Brutal.

[@earlaweese]

@rodcoulter997 *We really need to do some global science to make mosquitos and other pests like gnats go extinct. They've tortured humanity for far too long. One of the greatest moments will be when A.I. finds a way to eradicate mosquitos in the same way it finds a way to eradicate diseases. Mosquitos and gnats are a LITERAL disease upon the human race and so are oppressively hot and humid climates. I'm living in a hot/humid climate and the mosquitos are making my life a living hell on a daily basis. I abhor them so much. I want to wake up one day and hear that science found a way to manipulate their genetics so that they've been killed off. They're as bad as COVID and the flu... they just NEED to be eradicated. And they're extremely gross. There's something SO gross about having a creature land on you and feed off of you without your consent and then harm you by leaving this annoyingly itchy mark that stays there for hours. They don't have a conscience either. All they do is feed and breed and die off. They're literally irrelevant and gross and they look DISGUSTING under the microscope.*

[@earlaweese]

​@@rodcoulter997*People say that the global ecosystem would get fucked up if mosquitos went extinct, but I'm sure that there is a way to get rid of them.*

[@earlaweese]

​@@rodcoulter997*Flies too. Flies are fucking GROSS. Insects in general are GROSS.*

[@digitaldirt7773]

@@rodcoulter997 I live in Joshua Tree California, 3,000 feet up, so no gnats, no mosquitos. I do have Black Widow spiders and Rattlesnakes, also scorpions but they are harmless here, just like a bee sting.

[@mattl165]

I’m from a town just southeast of Atlanta on the edge of the “empty coast” region you outlined. Growing up, the term “fall line” was everywhere. It’s the transition from the coastal plain to the rolling hills and it’s where all the rivers (Savannah, Ocoee, Ocmulgee) all drop in elevation. This led to mills, factories and dams being built which brought jobs, people and cities. The fall line is the defining geographic feature in my hometown and I believe the reason the town of Milledgeville exists today. Thanks for all your great videos.

[@davehughesfarm7983]

Yes and typically as far as you could go in a mid size boat.

[@LaneCorbett]

Milledgeville was the Capital before Sherman burnt it to the ground

[@MuahMan]

@@LaneCorbett Sherman was a cowardly douche. Too bad a Confederate soldier didn't put one between his eyes in 1863.

[@croatia0728]

Except this wasn’t really a great video. How do you talk about the geography of this region without ever mentioning the fall line or even the coastal plain with its bad red clay soil? He also said that major international ports never developed here but the Port of Savannah is the 3rd busiest port in the US.

[@quantumleap42]

How do you do an entire video about the geography of the South East and not mention the fall line?

[@michaeltanksley109]

I feel like a lot people are really missing the point. If you actually watched the whole video you'd see he says that "A LOT" of people live on the coast, but those coastal cities should've been more comparable to New York and Boston but the geography prevented it. The point is to show how geography is a BIG reason why more people live in Atlanta and Charlotte instead of Savanah and Charleston . It's not just that they don't have "big business" there because that wasn't the case in the past. The geography is a consistent limiting factor that hinders transportation and growth.

[@Lieutenant_Dude]

Well, it was also an area almost completely annihilated by Sherman’s total war against civilians in the civil war. Atlanta was basically erased and had to start over.

[@eustacemcgoodboy9702]

New York and Boston aren't filthy humid tropical swamp land. Everything South of North Carolina is literally uninhabitable without constant air conditioning.

[@IanPendleton-gh6ox]

As someone who's lived in both Georgia and North Carolina at different times, I can tell you that one of the big reasons not a lot of people in those states live near the coast is because it can get ungodly humid there, especially in the summer. EDIT: 9 months later and this is my most reviewed and most replied-to comment. Thank you everyone!

[@katarh]

Definitely a big part of it. I'm just a bit further inland now, east of Atlanta, and it's bad enough here. I grew up in Augusta on the Savannah River, and the place is a swamp in the summer (and literally a swamp some places year round.) If you didn't need the land for agriculture, it'd be unbearable in the times before air conditioning.

[@DengueBurger]

Florida tho? Louisiana? Texas? Plenty of folks there.

[@smokingjoe9864]

@@DengueBurger Florida was empty also, until air conditioning got common. Our Country is under populated.

[@jamesdellaneve9005]

@@katarhI lived there 40 years ago. During the summer. It’s like a sauna. I’ve been living in SoCal for 35 years and it’s 90% perfect weather. I can open my 12 foot sliding doors and there are no bugs.

[@stuartrollings602]

And mosquitoes! And horse flys!

[@lumptydumpty6992]

What’s interesting is the Savannah-Charleston region is now growing like crazy all of a sudden. The Gulfstream corporate HQ and the ports have traditionally been the biggest employers over the last 20-30 years, but now Hyundai is making a several billion dollar plant in between the two cities, and people are moving there in droves. Savannah has also become the second largest port by tonnage on the east coast (not including the Gulf of Mexico) only behind NY. And Charleston isn’t too far behind.

[@meatman7079]

Literally it used to be so nice an peaceful here but now I feel like it's becoming too crowded these cities weren't made for the populations such as New York or Boston.

[@RobertJBareIII]

Charleston has also been getting large investment from Mercedes, Boeing and a few other major corporations. The summerville area in particular has been exploding in population

[@MoldycheeseJr]

@@meatman7079I was reading the original commenters comment thinking it was a good that the populations were growing: I’m sorry to hear that it is the opposite

[@Zerglor0456]

I live in Savannah... We have one of the largest and busiest ports.... I honestly feel like this guy is very wrong in a bunch of what he said... Knowing my own history of the area compared to what he said.... I mean I guess the Chatham County area only has like 300k people but....we are not some backward useless area that he seems to be making the area seem..

[@mojodojo5533]

@erichaile4079 I was just there. Savannah's port seems to be really busy. And tourism is through the roof. But it does seem geographically like Savannah and Charleston are hemmed in by marshland. I hope they stay the way they are!

[@adamwade1808]

I live in Charleston SC, smack in the middle of the "empty coast" if you had to drive to work in morning traffic, you would not think this place was "empty"

[@RaymondEggwhites]

26 at 7:30am is a fight for your life

[@furthurondown]

yeah, this guy has never been to either CHS or SAV

[@bobbarber5104]

Amen to that! Lived in Charleston many years and since COVID it has been ruined by California and New York. Traffic is atrocious.

[@bobbarber5104]

And a once polite city has become absurdly rude.

[@gabe9346]

I had to move out of Charleston in 2021. All the "Southern charm" was gone, and the only thing left was strip mall stores and gridlock traffic.

[@NurseEmilie]

I was born in South Carolina and now live in North Carolina. It's not a secret why more people don't settle in the coastal areas !! It's the hurricanes !! They are SO unpredictable ! I live just west of Charlotte, NC when Hurricane Hugo hit the coast. I knew we'd get some rain but I was shocked when Hugo got as far as Charlotte and west of Charlotte about 20 miles where I live. I had a clump of pines in my front yard. As I sat downstairs in our sitting room in the basement I could hear trees falling all around us. I ended up with no pines left out front, but thank God my 3 giant oak trees, one on one side of the yard, and 2 on the other side were spared. I love my trees ! That was in 1989 and I was holding our first grandbaby, just about a month old. I also prayed the whole time this was going on. I am an RN and I was supposed to be at work at Gaston Memorial Hospital at 7 am. Needless to say I didn't get there on time. Not until around 9 am. I coudn't get out of our carport and driveway. Trees were down blocking many streets and if you drove by some woods, you'd see many of the trees down. One of my pines on one side of my house broke off and went down into my neighbor's bedroom. One lady up the street had 17 pine trees fall on her house. My other next-door neighbor had his new AC unit outside crushed. Our only damage on the house was the gutter over the carport was slightly bent. God was watching over us for sure !

[@cashGramm]

facts

[@trueg115]

@@NurseEmilie last two weeks only further spread this awareness

[@coacho666]

I remember Hurricane Hugo. Very devastating

[@merzto]

Somehow Florida isn't avoided as much

[@Wagner-p7e]

@@NurseEmilie GOD Does in deed still hide some of us "in the Shadow of His HAND"! HE makes me tornado-proof: Bill Of Ladings & cellphone tower reports can verify above statement going back to 2nd March 1991. The Jarrell TX-area tornados is one example. GOD IS GOOD !!!

[@tylernaturalist6437]

It’s the same reason that Southern New Jersey, mostly the Pine Barrens, is empty compared to the rest of the state. It’s part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and it’s all sand and flat. There is no bedrock to build on. It’s the same geography and environment as the sand plains of the Carolina’s. The flora of Southern NJ is far more similar to that of the Carolina’s, and many southern species like Loblolly pine, wax myrtle, water oak, bald cypress/Atlantic white cypress swamps, and sweet bay magnolia can be found there.

[@ridesharegold6659]

💯 - it's the fall line that is the real population boundary which is more or less where Route 1 is. His boundaries go too far inland and don't go far north enough.

[@trentpettit6336]

Would you describe the coastal parts of Louisiana as having similar terrain?

[@z-z-z-z]

the PIne Barrens, is where the pesky Soprano outfit got rid of bodies...

[@jxslayz6663]

My wife's grandparents have a house in this region. No plumbing. Right next to a mile of sand that leads to the ocean. I had to take a 2 mins shower. But the tamales were good.

[@tylernaturalist6437]

@@z-z-z-z ironically, that scene in the Sopranos wasn’t even filmed in New Jersey. It was filmed in Harriman State Park in NY.

[@Xyvorax]

You realize that the Port of Savannah is the 4th busiest port in the country and the largest single container terminal in the North American continent. If you combine that with the Port of Brunswick and the Port of Columbus (which are the other 2 ports in GA that make up the Georgia Port Authority) pushes the GPA to a solid second place. They are also currently the most technologically advanced port in the country and once the Savannah Jasper Ocean Terminal is complete will actually be the largest port in the country.

[@CoreyBanks1]

Yep. I work at the port and we have over 1500 employees just here.

[@bethannybiscuits]

I came here to say that.

[@Tuglife912]

I work on Moran Tugboats that serves the Ports of Savannah and Brunswick, Georgia and you are correct!

[@kathyprager4976]

Not to mention that Charleston is 8th busiest container facility in the U.S.!

[@Joceanrell]

Literally came here to mention Charleston and Savannah, i wanted to subscribe but there’s too many misses.

[@dhannaecg]

I worked for the Port of Charleston for the 25 years and for that entire time we were the 2nd largest port as far as tonnage moved on the east and gulf coast. That’s a pretty major port.

[@celiab.french4627]

I would really like to know how he quantified his qualitative statements.

[@seanburnette1816]

Port of Savannah is the third busiest seaport in the US

[@silencemeviolateme6076]

He is speaking historically, but overlooking trade winds. NYC is about as far south as you can go to catch the winds going east. That's why hurricanes that curve back out to the Atlantic return to the shore up the coast until they hit the northeast and then go over to Ireland and Britain. Cotton, sugar, rice, etc, it all got shipped through NYC. It by far was the largest earner in the transatlantic slave trade. Charleston was the first major American city to receive shipments from Europe. (Savannah is beautiful but not as important historically as Charleston.) Ships catch the winds west at the Canary Islands to the Caribbean then sail up the coast. News from Europe reached Charleston first making it a cultural hub until the transatlantic cable connected NYC to London. This happened not to long after the civil war, intensifying the economic collapse of the south.

[@dhannaecg]

@@seanburnette1816 maybe 3rd on the East & Gulf Coast. LA, Long Beach,Oakland & Seattle are huge ports and New York/New Jersey is the largest on the East & Gulf Coast. I heard that Savannah took the number two spot awhile back but I really don’t keep up with it anymore. It’s hard to match the west coast ports because of all the trade with Asia.

[@maxismills]

⁠@@celiab.french4627 Just listen to his accent, he’s definitely not from the South East!

[@dontask6863]

This region is got alot of things going for it, but the humidity is downright ridiculous.

[@MWiggins-m2g]

I've lived in this area for 15 years. It definitely does not seem empty. You described an area that includes Savannah, Charleston, Columbia, etc. I used to live in the dead area of Nevada between Reno and Vegas. Now that's empty space.

[@SunsetAssassin]

North or South of Tonopah?

[@MWiggins-m2g]

@@SunsetAssassin Northwest of Tonopah, 105 miles up the road towards Reno. Back in the early 80s, dad once drove that 105-ish miles in 50 minutes in our Firebird with the V8.

[@SunsetAssassin]

@@MWiggins-m2g Nice I bet there was even less traffic back then. I've driven all over Nevada and there are long stretches of nothing when going from places like Reno to Elko (after Fernley/Lovelock) from Reno to Vegas (after Hawthorne/Goldfield) or from Elko to Salt Lake City. I'm guessing you are from either Hawthorne or Walker Lake if I had to take a guess haha.

[@MWiggins-m2g]

@@SunsetAssassin Just north of Hawthorne, the Army base. You nailed it.

[@GuapoDelmonte]

I know what you mean, I used to live in that vast empty space, between the ears, mostly reminiscing about the past, and theorizing what I could be doing in the future, and not actualizing the present. Some would say that's a waste of time, but you have to play with the cards you are dealt....................................................................................................... It was mentioned, Charleston with 800,000 should be the same size as Atlanta, with 6.1 million Atlantans arriving into the "New World" through the port of Charleston, making it a "big player" in Colonial America, moreso than NY.

[@revinhatol]

FUN FACT: Charleston, SC was a big city even during the first years of US independence.

[@robertwolf3969]

In America's beginning, up until about the Civil War, the 3 big ports along the Atlantic Ocean were NYC, Boston & Charleston. Which were also the 3 biggest ports of immigrant entry into America. The Civil War vastly stunted Charleston's growth obviously and then afterwards for another long period of time. In fact the whole state of South Carolina's growth was stunted as it was the hub of secession and they were made to pay for a long long time.

[@grayerlacher]

200 years ago, over 50% of the population in Charleston was enslaved. Remnants of the slave market are still downtown. Today, it is a beautiful city, but growing rapidly in recent years. There is a traffic problem because of the rapid growth and the challenge of building roads due to large waterways everywhere. The cost of living is pretty high. Lots of industries in the area, including car manufacturing and Boeing. Wilmington, NC is likely to be a booming town soon. There is a movie industry presence there, like Hollywood East, and a decent port. You can drive from Wilmington to Los Angeles on Interstate 40 the whole way.

[@dp7933]

In colonial times, Charleston was one of the largest, and certainly the wealthiest cites in the colonies. And it's still a significant port today, as is Savannah and Wilmington. I know for absolutely certain that huge amounts of cargo goes through Charleston because it rolls rolls by my house on ridiculously long trains about five times a day.

[@debbiescott673]

Yes, utterly nuts that he overlooked this.

[@usa1492djt]

yup Geoff missed this fact, or omitted it on purpose to promote an agenda...

[@AtillaTheJeff]

Wilmington was international trade hub starting in the colonial era and huge manufacturer of Naval vessels until the end of WW2. Today Wilmington, Charleston, and Savannah are some of the largest ports on the Atlantic.

[@broidk8291]

speaking of cargo, savannah has the 4th largest port in america!!

[@silencemeviolateme6076]

I think he needs to research trade winds. New York City is perfectly placed to catch the winds going east. That is why it became a shipping center. Charleston was only able to import from Europe not export directly. It had to go through NYC. It also is more of a straight shot to London so it made sense for the location of the transatlantic cable. NYC had more access to London than DC had.

[@t3ch_n0]

2:51, as a former resident of 8 years in the city of savannah. The savannah river is DEFINITELY big enough for "significant" maritime trade. It is the third busiest port in the united states.... what are you talking about?

[@jetwinslow1]

Big issue also is the great dismal swamp on the NC VA border. That along with barrier islands made it very difficult to initially settle NC. George Washington gave up on a plan to drain the swamp. Many Native Americans and escaped slaves formed isolated and protected communities in the great dismal swamp.

[@betornween]

My son lives one road width away from the very beginning of the Great Dismal Swamp in Suffolk VA. There are many small canals and nice flat trails that criss-cross the northeastern end. Quite a few black bears make their homes at his end. It's a pretty cool section you can explore without getting your feet too wet but know you are in swamp land.

[@jenniferliggett6385]

Later presidents have also given up on a plan to "drain the swamp."

[@DreamseedVR]

My dad grew up there next to the base

[@meetontheledge1380]

For all the ''failed'' plans to drain the GDS, it is only one third the size it was originally!

[@CharMendoza]

My family originates from this region. They are Gullah Geechee. My great grandparents left this area for DC in the 1930s. Many Africans Americans who lived in the low country/coastal Carolinas ended up migrating during the great migration period to larger cities like DC, Philly, and NYC. My family used to farm and had their own land. I have a few family members living in this area still but most of the family is in DC, NYC, or Atlanta.

[@garretty6982]

Went to their celebration festival this summer on Hilton head island. Great music and food along with great people!

[@FacesintheStone]

Your family originates from here? The colonist have only been here for a few hundred years. All of us really just got here unless you’re indigenous. If your family truly did originated from this area, perhaps you could give a hand with all of the artifacts discovered

[@junkyarddog7003]

My family is from St Helena most moved to NYC.

[@DemsAndRinosRuinedAmerica]

@@mr.skeleton3190 it’s sad how all these ones beautiful cities have been destroyed.

[@bobbarber5104]

I am a white gut who grew up the first 19 yrs in Northern Virginia and went to College of Charleston in ‘77. Would NEVER again live up there amidst all of that gridlock. Love South Carolina. Great people period, especially those of Gullah heritage. I hope and pray that these people are never forgotten about because of progress, growth and greed . Don’t want to see these small enclaves of Gullah African Americans, whose communities have been around since slavery, get pushed out by tax raising greedy politicians band developers.

[@jonkaminsky8382]

One major factor that keeps large populations from moving into these states might be the extreme humidity during the Summer months. If you have a career that requires you to work outdoors between May and September you will be constantly sweating from dawn to dusk. If you enjoy the feeling of having perpetual swamp ass and steamy hot weather each year then the Carolinas are the place for you!

[@McAteer87]

Raised in NC. Live in the Rocky Mountains these days. I occasionally miss home, but do not miss constantly sweating nine months of the year.

[@brent829]

This video doesn't highlight the influence of the invention of air-conditioning as one of the big factors influencing growth in this region. But it's a big one.

[@xenialafleur]

I grew up in central MI, and I find the NC summers to be quite comfortable.

[@neox9369]

CAP

[@JohnWright-rl8tk]

Just came back to Savannah from the North Georgia mountains. It was definitely more humid there than in Savannah.

[@LadyJay114]

My Grandma lives in Beaufort, SC that's on that coast and its far from empty. In fact, every time we go visit, the traffic is keeps getting worse.

[@ahf9281]

Atlanta has definitely had a “winner take all” effect on Georgia in terms of college graduates as well. Most college graduates from small and mid sized Georgia cities relocate to Atlanta because of the much greater career opportunities that are less available in the rest of the state. This further hinders other cities from becoming more economically prosperous, unfortunately

[@xlxl9440]

Couple of things about this though. I think Macon and to a lesser extent Columbus will be incorporated into a mega reagion with Atlanta stretching from Calhoun up I-75 north of ATL down to Warner Robbins South of Macon. And out to Ft Benning in Columbus. With possibly Atlanta and Macon joining together to form on continuous metro area as the edges of both metros are only about 15 miles and 10 minutes apart. If that happens by 2040, this will be a region of about 12 million people. With that being said I think Savannah by 2040 may be the second "Big City" in Georgia.

[@leonation89]

​@xlxl9440 I see what you're saying but to me that wouldn't make sense. Columbus Macon Savannah and even Augusta needs to learn to grow within their own metro instead of depending on Atlanta. Even our cities in NC are doing that.

[@scottanos9981]

I believe it's referred to as "brain drain"

[@trapmuzik6708]

​@tomdomenico actually it is Atlanta has 1 of the highest College graduate rate in the country check the Stats your opinion is obviously biased

[@ocularpatdown]

@@tomdomeniconever mind all those Klansmen and MAGAts.

[@dlhfm4281]

Wilmington, Charleston, and Savannah are some of the most beautiful cities I’ve been to. I’d live in the area if it wasn’t so hurricane prone and expensive!

[@johnw9245]

Yes, those 3 cities are beautiful and quite historic! He seems to somewhat ignore the importance of the port of Charleston in this video. Charleston has always been a key US port for trade with Europe and the Caribbean going back to colonial times. It may not be as good a natural harbor as NYC but it's still an important port. I think Wilmington has a good natural harbor and it certainly was a key port during the Civil War.

[@richardcranium3579]

Charleston is buddy killing itself. It looks like crap now. Way too many people.

[@noelle1225]

I live in Ocean Isle Beach, NC right on the NC/SC border. The cost of living here is less than what it was in Charlotte. I moved here 4 yrs ago. The main drawback are the hurricanes, but that’s just something you get used to, and most structures around here, including all kinds of homes, have existed for 50+ years without falling into the ocean.

[@Arc_Viper]

man, had I known what home prices would do I would have just taken out a blind loan to buy a house in Savannah. Top tier place to live

[@liwojenkins]

Drive 45-60 minutes inland, very cheap living and you can get land too. Moving to North GA in a few years and can't wait.

[@alansewell7810]

The older cities of the Southeast --- Montgomery, Macon, Augusta, Columbia, Raleigh, and Richmond, are located on what is called The Fall Line. That is the line that divides the Piedmont region from the coastal plains. the fall line where the waterfalls blocked navigation any further inland, so ships had to stop at those cities about midway into Georgia and the Carolinas. Also where falling water powered mills. It's also known as the "gnat line." South of that line, disease-carrying gnats and mosquitoes ae ubiquitous. Before the invention of antibodies, life expectancy was lower on the Gulf Coast than the Piedmont, so only farming communities and a few ports of modest size like Charleston developed. Atlanta is an artificial city in the sense that it is not positioned in or near any navigable body of water. It has no nearby natural resources and the land around it is poor for farming. It exists only because a couple railroads were connected at a certain point in the 1840s and a city of very modest size grew up around them. During the Civil War, Atlanta was strategically important as a rail hub, but not as a population center. Columbus, Macon, Augusta, and Savannah were larger. After the war, General Sherman was invited to speak to a surprisingly friendly Chamber of Commerce of former Confederates. Sherman gave them a happy pep talk: "By the time I got here during the war, the Confederacy was like the fingers of your hand, and Atlanta was its palm. The same reasons that induced me to burn the city will cause it to become a great metropolis in the future." And it did. Railroads and highways made it a transportation center, despite having no river or recoverable natural resources in the vicinity.

[@Statickification]

Great info. I lived in a town south of Augusta, GA and it was definitely in the "gnat line". Due to atmospheric changes over the years, the gnats have died off. Thank God, too. lol

[@charlescourtney4412]

I understand that a key geographic factor in the development of Atlanta as a transportation hub was Atlanta's location at the "bottom" of the Appalachian mountain chain where railroads could finally head west without having to cross mountains.

[@AbigailKort-r8v]

@@Statickification If you are old enough, you will probably have noticed a substantial decline in the population of birds, butterflies, bees, and most other insects. Roaches and mosquitoes, unfortunately, seem to be the exceptions, breeding fast enough to stay strong despite the declining environment.

[@renaldowilliams9575]

Montgomery is in Alabama! Not GA ,SC nor NC

[@alansewell7810]

I lived there and assumed everybody else knew where it was. @@renaldowilliams9575

[@anthonybarr2549]

BRUNSWICK, GA has a large automotive import of overseas shipments. Especially when that bridge in Boston got damaged more shipments were being pushed downwards. Also Hyundai plans to open their largest battery production plant in Savannah. Most people are relocating from Atlanta to St Simons/Savannah/Brunswick due to affordable housing and remote work opportunities.

[@SirMildredPierce]

Not one mention of the fall-line in a video about the geography of the South-East? This geographic feature is quite fascinating and shouldn't be overlooked. The fall-line is the dividing line between the piedmont hills and the alluvial plains. Many old cities were founded along this line for a variety of reasons. Many old foot-paths follow the fall-line as the rivers could often be crossed on foot at a rapids. Downstream the rivers widen and occupy huge wide floodplains that would flood every year and made the flood plains inhospitable to settle in. The fall line is the furthest you can bring boats up-river, too. The huge floodplains can easily be seen in satellite photos of the area. When the railroads came along they inevitably would bridge at the fall-line. Augusta, GA (metro population ~600,000 (dunno why it was left out of the list of metro areas)) is a good example of a fall-line city. Before the railroad the vast cotton industry was supported by boat traffic to Savannah, GA on the Savannah River. After the railroad showed up it was moved by railroad. On the 200 mile stretch between Augusta and Savannah, there is only a single bridge crossing the Savannah, and a pinch-point in the flood plain about halfway down the river. These wide floodplains are found along most of the rivers in the flat plains of these states are really limit movement and development. The fall-line can actually be seen clearly in the 1860 map seen 2:11 as most of the slave-owning plantations were settled along the fall-line. You can see it curving through the middle of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Even in modern times, the fall-line can be seen in voting pattern maps: brilliantmaps.com/2020-county-election-map/ The fall-line continues all the way up the coast of the US, but in the north it is much closer to the coast. Washington, Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, and Trenton are all fall-line cities

[@huggybear2789]

Thanks for the information! I didn't know this at all.💯

[@gazaalley3862]

@@huggybear2789 that was a great read thank you!

[@mojodojo5533]

Thanks for posting

[@aftersexhighfives]

This was better than the video itself. ❤🎉

[@domtron88]

I love alluvium. We have those in the desert over here in the southwest. I live across from the Virgin River on a flat mesa/valley and on the other side of the freeway/River is the alluvium that goes all the way up to the mountains which are over 7800 feet. It's so beautiful during sunsets!

[@josephblow4992]

Disease also prevented the growth of cities on the southeast coast in the past, such as Charleston. Many died from diseases like malaria back in the day, which limited their growth.

[@snoproblem]

The effect would be psychological as well - would you settle in a known malaria hotspot? Oddly enough, much of the DC area was similar, at one time.

[@BasedInBrazil]

Agreed, I remember reading years ago that grandparents became common in northern colonies while the ones south of the Mason Dixon Line had a much lower life expectancy.

[@AbigailKort-r8v]

@@snoproblem As an enterpreneur, why (before air conditioning became affordable in the late 1940s) would you try to start (or expand) a business in a region where there was a lot of disease, an uncomfortable climate, poor transport networks/logistics, few significant universities, and a small skilled labor pool? The only advantages were cheap/unskilled labor and cheap land, and even that was available in good quantities in just a few mid-sized towns along the Fall Line.

[@allenwood3805]

Malaria, in USA?

[@podmuse1994]

I am from Ohio but I have a lot of relatives in the Atlanta area. This spring I drove through Atlanta and I’m used to the massive amount of people there. It’s really interesting because I did drive down to Savannah for the first time and like outside of Macon most of Georgia was eerily empty. Like Ohio can be pretty rural but your bound to run into a small town off the highway. There was nothing and it just really surprised me

[@williambotch1381]

Thumbs up for Ohio

[@Kalisis07]

Lol it's literally a barren wasteland on I-16 between Macon and Savannah. Dublin is the only city right on the highway. It's my least favorite part of the state to travel through.

[@willp.8120]

@@Kalisis07 I love I-16. That is an Interstate that is easy on the nerves. No traffic, nature, and rural landscape. There is Dublin, but it isn't exactly on the Interstate. A little piece of the western part might touch it by the Cracker Barrell at I-16. Metter, home to "Metter International Airport", and where "Everything is Better in Metter" is also on the freeway, but it is small and only one exit. Statesboro is a decent sized college town, but it sits about ten to fifteen miles to the north of the Interstate. Pooler, part of the Savannah area, is seeing some growth on I-16.

[@willp.8120]

If you had stayed on I-75, it is not so empty. In Georgia, the emptiness is moreso on I-16 and I-20 east of the Macon and Atlanta areas. On I-20 just to the east of the far eastern Atlanta suburb, Covington, all the way to probably just west of Augusta. I-16 hits marshland just east of downtown Macon, and so development basically cuts off in that direction and doesn't really pick up east of that. Not much on I-16 until you get to about the Savannah area, about three hours away.

[@obsidianjane4413]

@@Kalisis07 lol at "barren wasteland" to describe The SE seaboard...

[@kelseyshea1836]

Hey Geoff, I live in Beaufort South Carolina and we have the Second Deepest Natural Harbor on the entire East Coast. That is a fact. In this video you repeatedly mention that there are no natural harbors in this area and that had had a significant impact on the growth and commerce of the area. You are 100% incorrect by saying there are no natural harbors here. Beaufort had the second deepest natural harbor, second only to the Chesapeake Bay area. I would be curious to hear your response to this and if you will be posting a video with corrections and a new take on why this area has a low population. Thank you

[@kingsledge]

Wilmington's metro population is actuality over 400,000. The census moved Brunswick county, NC to the Myrtle Beach metro 10 years ago, but earlier this year, they rightfully added it back to Wilmington.

[@3KnoWell]

I am a sixth generation Atlantan. The name Terminus was a nickname that was never a legal name for Atlanta. The name for Atlanta was previously Marthasville. The railroad company used Terminus in their record keeping because Marthasville would not easily fit in the space provided on the bills of lading. BTW: East Point which is on the West side of Atlanta is where the railroad terminated. ~3K

[@Losangelesharvey]

no, a couple of additional letters is not the reason anything happened

[@gkim1005]

I thought Terminus was at the end of railway where a dangerous flesh-eating survivor group was lurking

[@StsFiveOneLima]

@@gkim1005 Well, now you know where the name came from...

[@glenf3437]

Where did the nickname “Shotlanta” come from?

[@justliberty4072]

"Spitting Facts" is a good summary of this guy's videos. Spitting facts with a hint of left-wing perspective.

[@Major_Tom98]

I was born and raised in Charleston, SC and have been living here for almost 25 years now. The population growth has exploded over the past decade. I took note of the agricultural and tourist industries that exist in the region, but what wasn’t mentioned here is that Charleston is home to major players in the manufacturing industry such as Boeing, Bosch, and Volvo. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has its main production plant located here, and tech is also big where Blackbaud has its world headquarters and Google has a data center. We’re also home to a Navy and Air Force Base making for a big military presence. Sure, tourism is a huge industry here, but there’s way more to it than just that and there’s a very diverse job market in Charleston. No wonder rent is crazy high anywhere you go in the Charleston area.

[@klavistata]

Blackbaud is a joke in the tech world, funny you call it their "world hq" like it's significant. and Google selecting Moncks Corner as a data center is just evidence that they saw us at nothing land. It's like developing a coat closet, not industry.

[@mrblackwellie]

My parents live in Eastern NC, and it is a beautiful and unique place. The Outer Banks serve as a slight extreme weather buffer, but they are still fairly hurricane-prone up there. The breeze out there actually makes it less humid than where I live in Atlanta in my opinion. Now Eastern SC on the other hand... Woah I am melting.

[@stevemcdaniel7990]

I lived in Wilmington, NC, and Charleston, SC, and I can tell you unequivocally that cities on the Carolina coast are flat bursting at the seams with more transplanted Yankees than you can imagine! Now, things do get a lot less crowded when you get away from the coast, say 40-50 miles or more. But living in the 2 cities I have for nearly 40 years, I can tell you they're inundated with more people than the infrastructure can ever handle. And more are coming every day!

[@eklypised]

I live in upstate SC and hear New York accents all the time at work lol

[@ChocolateMilk..]

@@eklypised No, you don't.

[@michaelmartin2276]

Including Myrtle Beach !

[@cest_what]

Yeah, I don't know what this guy thinks he's talking about. But, in NC, the largest cities esp.,are being totally overrun and fast becoming overcrowded and getting worse daily. Now even the smaller nearby cities are getting crowded too fast for their size. It's creating many problems and becoming a disaster and more unsafe as well.

[@FredBurton-y1k]

As a civil engineer, I fully understand the difficulties of establishing infrastructure along our SE Coast. Having lived in NY and FL, NC, VA and SC I appreciate the fact these characteristics keep "Rich Men North of Richmond"!

[@gddrew]

Fun fact: Wilmington was the largest city in North Carolina until the first decade of the 20th century. As the state continued industrializing, most of the growth occurred in the central part of the state (the piedmont). Money and political power shifted inland after the Civil War.

[@ECUCHRIS904]

Was originally going to be called New Liverpool and is the home of Michael Jordan.

[@MarinCipollina]

@@ECUCHRIS904 Veteran legendary news broadcaster DAVID BRINKLEY was a Wilmington NC native.

[@blondescorpion8940]

I live here. And this is bologna. So many northerners are moving here it’s unreal!!! (Coastal South Carolina)

[@zsuzsuspetals]

yes but they are mostly retirees. Or people getting second homes. When I lived in Florida a lot of people left for SC/GA just to get a little bit more of a change of seasons but still be close to the beach. Anyone I know who has moved to SC and is younger and needs to find work in a larger city has to go inland. So that's more of the question of this video. Why is there no Atlanta, Tampa, Charlotte, Raleigh version of those cities on the south east coast? If you want a major south east city by the beach, you have to go to Florida.

[@ihave35cents95]

@@zsuzsuspetals well Savannah and Charleston are two heavily protected historical cities. The historic society is very strict.

[@ronaldpippen8164]

​@@zsuzsuspetalsWe don't want big cities.

[@richardcranium3579]

@@zsuzsuspetalswho wants a version of Atlanta in their state? It’s terrible.

[@clean_rene]

​@@richardcranium3579😂😂 true. We don't need another one of those

[@tjandrews5531]

I’m a longshoreman at the savannah port and imma just say the way you talk about the savannah port like it ain’t shit is so amusing. Look at the tonnage we move compared with the WORLD we ain’t no joke for where we come from

[@Orlando_Steve]

The soyboy spent half the video talking about slavery as if that is STILL a factor in that region.

[@MarinCipollina]

Neither is the Port of Wilmington NC

[@Goshin65]

Lived in this region almost all my life, but you brought up some things that I had never thought about in quite that manner. I would point out that textile industries were huge here when I was a kid, but it all went overseas, causing a big recession in the upper reaches of the states.

[@travishamrick6728]

This.... NAFTA killed the regional towns in the south that were dominated by textiles, furniture, and other manufacturing

[@Dbb27]

Not to mention a huge fall in quality of products. Can’t stand the nasty feeling microfiber clothes that are predominant in the stores. I’m about ready to start sewing again. 😱

[@IamNotTheAnswer]

I love North and South Carolina.... I'm from Maryland but when i go to the Carolinas... i love how nice the people are... the hospitality is on point and people are so nice. Its almost unreal

[@brotherlittlefoot2216]

Why,thank you! ;)

[@hillaryg7668]

Unfortunately it's changing, the more others move here from other places and don't keep our friendliness going the more I see the locals getting grumpy about it. Im one of them.

[@mstyles2667]

You guys are the best, just genuinely kind people@@brotherlittlefoot2216

[@jennny22233]

@@hillaryg7668facts . It’s the outsiders moving here with their disgusting attitudes.

[@jeffholt3841]

Too many Yankees like Maryland people moved here in the last ten years.

[@groovejunky2549]

You say that this region has been incapable of establishing large ports, but Charleston, South Carolina, is considered a major port in the United States. The Port of Charleston is one of the busiest and most efficient container ports on the East Coast. In the 1800’s it was the largest port on the East coast and today plays a significant role in global shipping and trade. Its strategic location and deep-water harbor allow it to handle large vessels and accommodate a variety of cargo, making it a key logistics hub for both international and domestic shipping.

[@SaadAliArts]

I Think its just because Southern USA was rural for a very long time and not many metropolitan areas developed like New York, Philadelphia and Boston etc

[@maxpowr90]

No riverways to go inland is the real answer.

[@ej87291]

He just explained why it remained rural...

[@nickbob2003]

I think that saying it is just one reason is an over simplification

[@zach5018]

This makes no sense

[@bmiles4131]

It’s also because you can’t keep part of your population down without keeping the whole region down. Strange that people don’t tend to see that. Replied to Ned but it was removed. I wasn’t referring to slavery, I was referring to the segreg@tion etc. you can’t hold your neighbor down without staying down yourself. Photos were taken of the water fountain signs. We all know what it was about. The north did nothing to the south after the war. That’s why reconstruction failed within ten years. We held ourselves down. Some people are still doing it. People in office are actively running off businesses in their states with big0ted laws, trying to blame the victims of their big0try. Y’all, we have the power to do better, but the first step is to admit we have a problem and the second is to do something about it. Do not allow the politicians to divide us while picking our pockets.

[@linuxman7777]

If you look at most major coastal cities, they usually are not built directly on the coast, they are usually built on bays or further inland. This is because the ocean is a very destructive force, and not good for trade if there is not a proper harbor which Bays usually provide. Also there needs to be access to fresh water, as humans cannot drink salt water, so if there is no river or lake nearby, a large city likely wont develop

[@xlxl9440]

While this video is spitting facts about the Southeast Coast above central Florida. This is changing rapidly somewhat. The coastal cities are growing rapidly. Charleston, Savannah, and Jacksonville Florida are all growing at a fast clip. Savannah is now one of the 3 largest commercial ports in the country. And all of the associated development is coming with it. Between Savannah and Hilton Head, SC as one metro there will be a million people there soon. Charleston is growing rapidly and will reach a metro of 1 million in a few years. And the Myrtle Beach/Conway, SC area is growing rapidly as well which is creeping north to Wilmington. For some reason Augusta, Columbia, and Fayetteville were left out. But these are 3 relatively large metros that are also growing. But maybe they are kinda im a transition zone between coastal cities and the Piedmont. Also I expect that the GA coast between Savannah and Jacksonville including the city of Brunswick, GA will be a high growth area for retirees and othe folk wanting the Florida lifestyle and weather without the "FLORIDA". There is already development happening there. I am not saying that these areas will suddenly become the most densely populated area of the Southeast. But they will grow to have a population that is significantly larger than what it is now. I expect that in the next 20 years Savannah (with Hilton Head, SC) will become the second Big City in GA/SC, Charleston will become the largest metro in SC, and Myrtle Beach \Conway, SC metro will approach 1 million people. I live in the Atlanta metro!! Almost 7 million people here with an expected 2.5 to 3 million people added in the next 20 years! 🙄🙄🙄🙄

[@BLAKGOLDEN]

I'm originally from Brunswick. And the county which it is located is surely growing.

[@YeahYall]

@@BLAKGOLDEN The Wick is growing. Just under 10k new homes to be added in the next 16 months. Go Terrors!

[@jacksauce]

I’m from Columbia SC and it’s growing insanely fast. The town I grew up in on the outskirts of Columbia used to be very rural and had a low population when I was younger, but now it seems like every plot of land is being turned into housing developments and shopping centers. In fact I moved to a different city on the other side of Columbia to avoid this congestion

[@parkerbrown-nesbit1747]

The Charleston metro area is growing enormously fast.

[@Losangelesharvey]

"rapidly somewhat"-huh?

[@Burgundeh]

It's crazy cause as someone moving from eastern Washington. The Carolinas feel incredibly populated. You're always 15 - 20 minutes from some small town or huge city with wcattered homes in between.

[@wa1w511]

Athens and Decatur Georgia are also much older than Atlanta. Atlanta was bigger than Charleston, before Hartsfield was built. One of the reasons people moved to Atlanta is because it is the last flat space coming up from the Macon area, before you start getting up into the mountains, so it probably has more to do with climate than transportation even though now it's transportation.

[@Anzomax2]

Atlanta is far from flat

[@wa1w511]

@@Anzomax2 Atlanta sits at approximately 1000 feet in elevation. I'm sorry you don't understand what I'm talking about.

[@tomfields3682]

​@@Anzomax2I think he means relatively. He's comparing it to the Appalachians.

[@Nahdiaaah]

As a native South Carolinian and GA resident, I think it's also worth mentioning South Carolina moving the capital from Charleston to Columbia in the 1780s so it would be more central and have a more even travel time for governmental reps. The local economies would have been impacted by that and this move inland could have eventually helped with Atlanta's population growth a year later

[@CheveraChino]

With remote work, we are thinking of moving to Charleston. Atlanta is to congested and zero transit. How’s it in Charleston? Good beaches?

[@diggernash1]

Georgia followed the same formula. Savannah to Louisville to Milledgeville to Atlanta. I forgot Augusta and all the short-term moves during the Revolution...then came Louisville

[@scatteredstones]

@@CheveraChino The beaches are decent, but not on par with Florida. There are some good beach communities, though and they can be fun. But we have pluff mud, so you won't get crystal-clear water. On the plus side, you'll know you're home, even if you close your eyes. 😁I grew up and still live in Charleston, and I think it's great. Traffic is terrible, and has been for decades (and has gotten worse and worse over time as more ppl move here), but it's not really as bad as Atlanta, according to some folks we've met who also moved here from Atl. There is zero mass transit here, but planning for a BRT line seems very promising (*fingers crossed*). It also depends where you move. If you move West Ashley close to downtown, or Mt Pleasant, or Park Circle, traffic is manageable. If you live farther out (North Area, Summerville, James Island, etc) and have to go into the city, the commute can be a pain. If you're sticking close to home, then you'll be fine.

[@VAspeed3]

I bet the capital was moved inland so it would be less vulnerable to British attack. Virginia did the same thing when the capital went from Williamsburg to Richmond in 1780.

[@diggernash1]

@@VAspeed3 Absolutely. Georgia was practically meeting in random houses and barns during the occupied period; all over Wilkes County.

[@brucehicks5817]

I was stationed at Fort Stewart outside of Savannah. I really enjoyed the culture, access to beaches (Tybee Island + Hilton Head), and low cost of living. Like many places with low costs of living, jobs typically don't pay as much as similar jobs do elsewhere. And there aren't as many jobs available.

[@noticedruid4985]

Ah so you were stationed in Fort Stupid too huh. Savannah is a great town, and the beaches at Tybee is great.

[@jek4837]

I lived there for about 8 months over 15 years ago. There was some cool stuff about Savannah, but retail/dining kind of sucked. Shelves were always poorly stocked, and my food orders were constantly wrong. There was a Taco Bell on Mall Boulevard, and I swear they got my order wrong every single time.

[@johnard611]

@@jek4837 I grew up in Savannah but have lived in Statesboro for 35 years. Went to the original Taco Bell in town alot and I think getting the order wrong was more of a feature than a bug in their system.

[@SCrepresent]

I moved to South Carolina 2 years ago from California & I absolutely love it here & couldn't be happier that I left the ruined West Coast. These are my people here in the South. The Southern hospitality really does exist here & I love it ! I definitely don't need to see a major growth here. There's enough good people here for me already thank you very much ! 🙋‍♂️

[@strikerj4810]

HOpefully you left the bullshit cali politics back in cali.

[@SCrepresent]

@strikerj4810 Wasn't involved in any of it until I moved here. California has been messed up for a long time & I know why & so I didn't agree with a lot of 💩 that went on in that's state & so it was just time to go, along with a couple other reasons. I love this state & the people that I have met have been great. I just want to live my life in peace

[@strikerj4810]

@@SCrepresent Seems like a lot of cali vote a certain way and then leave to another state and continue to vote the same, and fuck over the new state they move too.

[@SCrepresent]

@strikerj4810 yeah, I don't know, my life doesn't revolve around politics. All I can tell you is, California is ruined and I wanted nothing to do with that State anymore. I should have moved out of California a long time ago but whatever I did it and I love where I'm at now

[@montemasterson9588]

The Fall Line where the Appalachian foothills meet the Piedmont was where the largest population centers developed early on, especially when water power was so important. Also the Coastal Plain is limited in agricultural potential compared to the Black Belt or Mississippi and Red River Deltas. And there really isn't much industry in the empty area described in this video.

[@davehughesfarm7983]

Yep thats about as far as the could go inland on a small boat.

[@josephwirtz8352]

Technically, the Fall Line is the boundary between the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain, not the foothills and the Piedmont. Why? Because Piedmont is translated as foothills, so it’s synonymous.

[@Dexerion]

Savannah has become a bustling port city. The volume there has really grown in the last 10 years.

[@KembaWalkerGOAT]

All 3 (Savannah, Charleston, Wilmington) have exploded, but Savannah on a global scale.

[@jimjames1920]

Yeh Dex, most folks aren't aware of what is going on at the Savannah Port (yet anyway). It's getting huge. Wife was a cargo coordinator of Chinese shipping. One might be shocked how fast the port is growing.

[@RoswellianGeorgia]

Yes, Savannah has the fifth largest port in the US and might be the largest port in the Eastern US.

[@lesliebright3860]

Should have mentioned the Fall Line, the transition from the Piedmont to the coastal plain, where shipping coming up the rivers from the coast have to halt. Richmond VA is another example: coming inland, you could have mills available, that weren’t as feasible on the flatter land east of the Fall Line.

[@rogern.kirkman289]

You may wish to include the Piedmont Triad in your panoply of urban centers. What I like to cite is that if you marked a radius of 90 miles around tiny Kernersville, NC, the population in that area would be more than within a similar radius around Charlotte, Raleigh, probably Norfolk and Atlanta. The two largest cities in the Triad, Winston-Salem and Greensboro, were founded and peopled by pietist religious groups, and High Point the child of the Quakers. I once did a cursory survey of patents prior to 1835. South of Virginia there were only eight; five in Guilford County (Greensboro), one or two in Forsyth County (Winston-Salem) and two or one in Charleston, SC. When Fortune magazine ran a top 200 in the South fifty years ago, #1 was RJ Reynolds in Winston-Salem and #4 was Burlington Industries in Greensboro. (BTW, Coca-Cola would be larger, but its HQ was in New York). You've pointed to the lack of rivers. They also run across, rather than along, economic activity. That's the impetus for the building of north-south running railroads in eastern NC. When the Wilmington and Weldon RR went into service, at 160 miles it was the world's longest railroad built up to that time. With the Raleigh and Gaston RR, these allowed the cheaper transport of agricultural products to Norfolk. BTW, love this series of KZbins

[@suntanman99]

To be fair, many of these coastal areas like Savannah, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Wilmington have been growing in population faster than the overall US for a while. North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia did locate their capitals and major universities well inland a long time ago, which impacted economic development patterns for generations to come.

[@Nicksonian]

The Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia is an extension of this phenomenon. Chickens vastly outnumber people. Baltimore benefited from being up the protected Chesapeake Bay and the natural harbor of the Patapsco River and not on the Atlantic which is only useful to summer tourists. Although Baltimore is struggling, the Baltimore/Annapolis/D.C./Northern Virginia region is one of the most prosperous in the country.

[@iamkevin1621]

idk because virginias coast has Norfolk, VA beach, Newport news, and portmouth which all have massive naval and air force bases

[@Deepndakut757]

But we also have Gloucester and Isle of wight

[@mikebronicki8264]

@@Deepndakut757 wrong Portsmouth.

[@janetcarbone4213]

Lived in the same area for years like you. From my experience only, yes, it’s less dense but it’s growing. The chickens don’t have as much room to roam like they used to. Sad to see it but the developers as well as the 95 corridor is taking a toll on this state. People seem to want the water. Spot on about the affluence though. That gets a little tiresome after awhile.

[@reelfishing47]

@@iamkevin1621 yeah but Charleston south Carolina alone along the coast has 800k people around the same as that whole region

[@outdoorgurl2474]

I'm a 6th generation SE Georgian and on behalf of my fellow SE Coastal families, we are perfectly happy not having a ton of people flock to our little corner of humid paradise 😂😂

[@stricknine6130]

Same here and I agree with you. 100%!

[@codytheduke6562]

Exactly, last thing we need is Northerners trying to take over the rest of the south like they have been flocking to Atlanta for years. I'm not even mentioning the awesome places we go there because I don't want it to turn into Florida which is a dump because of all the people moving there from up north. Funny they mention humidity but not the snow and cold weather they get half the year.

[@ziblot1235]

We lost the war for one thing. We were the area that got the most Vitamin D defficiency diseases.

[@livnadchampley9663]

​​@@codytheduke6562.... Yo Cody, Dude, ur so Right about how FL has become a dump. Dude, I live in the middle of it down here in Delray, FL. This place South FL use to be so quiet & calm. Now! OMG! The North has all invaded this place like lost cockroaches. Now it's crazy traffic, & every Damm thing is unaffordable. I"m in the process of planning a move North to SC, it reminds me of FL. I like how FL was 15 yrs ago. I can't take these Northeast folks, I gotta get the hell outta here. They used to come to visit ,now they're coming to stay. Florida if it hasn't already especially down here in the South East will be known as the 6th borough. Geesh!

[@livnadchampley9663]

​​@@codytheduke6562.... Yo Cody, Dude, ur so Right about how FL has become a dump. Dude, I live in the middle of it down here in Delray, FL. This place South FL use to be so quiet & calm. Now! OMG! The North has all invaded this place like lost cockroaches. Now it's crazy traffic, & every Damm thing is unaffordable. I"m in the process of planning a move North to SC, it reminds me of FL. I like how FL was 15 yrs ago. I can't take these Northeast folks, I gotta get the hell outta here. They used to come to visit ,now they're coming to stay. Florida if it hasn't already especially down here in the South East will be known as the 6th borough

[@DENNISMCLAIN-g3u]

I'm from the Atlanta area and lived on the SC coast for 15 years. This makes zero sense. It's getting very congested here.

[@washingtonradio]

Something that should also be noted is that Atlanta and Charlotte are relatively close to the 1828 gold rush in North Georgia and Western North Carolina. Both states had US Mints until the Civil War. Also "gold in them thar hills" does not refer to California but the area around Dahlonega, GA.

[@flowguyhunt8925]

Savannah in the last decade has exploded and now that the city is planning to expand the Port of Savannah to the other side of the Savannah River and dredging the river 5 ft. The city is also planning to raise the Talmadge Memorial Bridge so they can get the mega ships into the port. The city is finally expanding I-16 to 6 lanes instead of 4 and is almost complete with the I-95 and I-16 interchange from its deadly butterfly design. Hyundai is building a massive EV plant in Ellabell. With the mass migration of yanks from the northeast to Florida and with how expensive and cramped Florida is Savannah has started to attract people and business in the last 10 years.

[@timothyandrewnielsen]

God is it humid in Savanah but damn is it beautiful. Id like to move there. Are the blacks well behaved down there?

[@stricknine6130]

All true. I'm a Savannah native and it's crazy how fast it's growing down here. I have lived in other places out west but I came back. I love it here.

[@stephensandiford3981]

Brunswick ports are growing too. We are getting some of the cars and heavy equipment from Savannah, because they are going all container ships . We also got Nissan North America from Jacksonville fl . Brunswick’s population is growing fast too. It is totally different than when I was growing up. After they built the new gigantic Sidney Lanier bridge and tore down the old drawbridge , it has increased the port astronomically. We also have more land than Savannah or Jacksonville to expand.

[@thekingsson1757]

@@timothyandrewnielsen Are the Nazis well behaved where you live

[@boatlover1875]

Savannah and Charleston are actually very large ports. The planned increase in Savannah with the new port in Jasper County would make it close to, if not the largest port in the US. Of all the things you mention, I think the ocean limiting half the potential an the large amount of marshland are the biggest factors. Recently, Volvo, Hyundi and Boeing have moved significant production and I think this will be a major growth factor.

[@panfannation9166]

Not to mention BMW’s biggest NA plant is located in Greenville SC

[@Theige369]

Savnnah would have to massively grow to the be largest port. It is 13th in the US and dwarfed by the large ports Charleston is 27th

[@panfannation9166]

@@Theige369 idk where you got your info, not only is Savannah port considered the fastest growing port in the US right now, it ranks 4th on the Largest Container Port i in the US. Charleston is 10th

[@Theige369]

@@panfannation9166 the info is easy to google They process the 3rd most "containers" of any US port There are tons of goods however that are not shipped in containers, which is why they rank ports in terms of total tons of goods moved to get a feel for "largest ports"

[@panfannation9166]

@@Theige369 I see where you messed up. you didn't keep reading "Port of Savannah is the 4th busiest port in the country and the biggest single container terminal in the North American continent." "It handled 4,682,249 TEUs in 2020, 5.6 million TEUs in 2021 and 5,763,711 TEUs in 2022. According to estimates, these numbers will increase in 2023 as the facility’s annual container handling capacity will grow by 750,000 TEU." No where on any list is Savannah ranked 13th. Even buy tonnage its at the number 4 spot. and "Port of Savannah’s Jasper Ocean Terminal will be the largest in the country once it becomes operational by 2035." Long Beach is 3rd, then NJ, then LA. Simple.

[@sapinva]

You didn't take into account the position of the fall line, and just how very low much of the "low country" is. The climate is another issue. If you have ever spent part of your summer at Fort Jackson you will understand. Florida may be hotter on average, but they never experience the extremes of heat and humidity of this area. Geographically, this area extends well into Virginia, so you really need to include Newport News and Norfolk to get the full picture.

[@VL1975]

It's a fucking armpit here in Columbia in the summer.

[@Indigolily80]

People always forget about Hampton Road and Richmond,VA.

[@sapinva]

​@@VL1975Lol, Yes I've been there.

[@VL1975]

@@sapinva I would assume if you mentioned Fort Jackson..lol

[@VL1975]

@@Indigolily80 Nothing like Columbia.

[@thedragonofdalzell]

Come visit the Columbia Metro during rush hour traffic. The I-77 @ I-20 interchange/ Clemson Rd corridor and the I-20, I-126, I-26 battleground we locally call Malfunction Junction are both a headache every day and a nightmare during bad weather.

[@michaelmartin2276]

Been there and you are so correct !

[@adamklump9949]

In Lexington there is lot of new neighborhoods

[@jek4837]

Columbia still sucks. Way too humid to still be so far from the ocean.

[@TheBrokenCompass-tv]

Preach it neighbor! I drive it twice a day, and it keeps getting worse. See ya in the passing lane! 😂

[@NitroRoo]

You are very correct! Columbia is not very fun to drive through.

[@patrickgallagher9069]

You said Appalachain, right! Also, the "fall line" defines the nature of the Southeast city and rural divide and cultures. Look it up. Charleston is also limited by the city's zoning. No building can be higher than a specific church downtown (you showed it at 11 minutes in). That limits building size, thus business opportunities. Climate issues are a modern thing. I don't think the pioneers, or even business people of the 1960's, were worried about sea level.

[@nathanielotto258]

I think by climate issues he meant natural disaster - hurricanes

[@patrickgallagher9069]

@nathanielotto258 ,Miami is in the single highest hurricane prone region in the country. Miami is huge! And he often turns to hot political topics of the day, although in a very subtle way. And that’s fine. It's his channel and his perspective.

[@cht2162]

Appalachian

[@thefalsehero]

So true about the "fall line" (though I call it the gnat line). If you overlay the fall line with the population zone this youtuber was using, you'll see they match up very nicely. Also, I hate gnats.

[@maxwellpruner2168]

If you're going to be condescending and say "look it up", provide a link

[@CynthiaRockroth]

Swampland. Really close to sea levels. Also lots of military training areas. No good for farming lots of bugs. Very hot and dry in summer. Cold and very wet in winter.

[@tennillegordon4768]

I was born and raised in SC, which use to be rural but has turned into a mess. There is not enough schools, doctors, hospitals or land for all that has moved here in the last 10 years. There is very little natural habits so our wildlife is disappearing at a rapid rate. The land is disappearing so much in my area that they are building up instead of out. It's very sad.

[@kenstanford6423]

This is all false. Move up North weirdo.

[@zchris87v80]

The wildlife seems to be hanging around. Never did I think I’d have a deer blocking me from pulling into my garage, but here we are.

[@RnngWlkr5850]

Savannah native here. The growth is terrible! I fear so much for the woods and natural areas. It's all being knocked down and developed so fast. Traffic is getting terrible. People need to stay where tf they're at!

[@Grafknar]

Infrastructure planning 30 years ago was inadequate. Wasn’t nearly optimistic enough for insane levels of growth.

[@matletico]

Building up instead of out is good, not bad

[@gerardmoran9560]

Geography By Geoff Interesting video! Charleston, SC is among the top 8 busiest container ports. With ongoing dredging it's among a handful of Panamax deep-water ports. I think Charlestonians are happy they avoided the devastating sprawl of Charlotte and Atlanta (worst in the US). Charleston is situated on the CSX A-line, the I-95 of railroads, and is also served by Norfolk Souther, I-26 and an international airport. People think tourism is the backbone of the economy, but the Charleston economy also features the military, academia, manufacturing (think Volvo, BMW and the B-787), health care and internet business. Much of the SC coast is protected wetlands- development is prohibited. For further insight into the evolution of cities in the region research the "fall-line". That explains a lot. Cheers

[@eywine.7762]

As a South Carolinian, I am very glad that the wetlands are protected. It's so important to preserve them. And what's wrong with avoiding the overdevelopment present in big urban areas? I'm definitely not a big city person.

[@drdeb_ocherry]

Fabulous, thank you ❣️

[@soco13466]

I live in Inman, SC, and lived on Hilton Head for 8 years. HHI is a resort area, expensive as far as real estate. Inman is just north of Spartanburg, and Tryon, NC is just 15 miles away, and is where the mountains begin, to the north. This area is the foothills just to the south of the mountains. The climate here can be hot, but generally not jungle hot, like along the coast. This area is growing fast, houses popping into existence in development after development. I've got 3 acres, surrounded by trees, and they're not pines, for the most part. A creek forms the south border of the property, and no houses can locate next to me. I love it here.

[@BoldFollower]

It also depends how they zone or build up the areas right on the water, which is most desirable. Way more single-family homes touch the sand than say... a place like Miami or the north east where it feels like almost all skyscrapers or multifamily homes. The Barrier islands or NC are also not safe to build on, and some other disadvantages but give it time and places will rezone, people will sell their land and cities will rebrand and change laws so developers will come in to catch the population up.

[@MrJuliansnow]

I wish you would have brought up how malaria in the 18th and 19th century also impacted the growth of these areas. Let alone hook worm parasites due to "night soil" that was still an issue even in the early 1900's.

[@khezden7750]

I agree. It seems like a big miss. I’d go as far as to say disease, in general, is probably the main restriction on growth. Communicable disease chewed through population in most cities before antibiotics and better sanitation.

[@Synistercrayon]

I live here now. I have lived in huge metropolitan areas. I assure you there is more than enough people here. They are just spread out a little more. The Savannah port may have been less busy in the past, but as of 2021, the port was 3rd busiest in the u.s. and still expanding

[@senatorjosephmccarthy2720]

Another video where he makes too many mistakes.

[@jaredsilvers2782]

Yea he's talking about natural ports, and that's what drove development and activity before we became capable of reshaping the world as we please.

[@jaredsilvers2782]

@@senatorjosephmccarthy2720 It's not a mistake though, he's talking about what drove development 150 years ago, he literally says "natural ports". Before we had the power to build immense infrastructure, development was driven by whatever was there. Navigable rivers, natural ports, luck.

[@railroadforest30]

Exactly

[@Theige369]

Savannah is the 13th busiest port in the US, not 3rd

[@wamdaddy]

If youve been in these areas in the video (I frequent the Ga area in the vide often, my job) its mostly coastal tidal plains,barrier islands, and more interior low plains. Tidal plains are very tough to build on, and interior low plains are very sandy. Hot humid swampy type weather is quite a summer.

[@DavidDemiseOfficial]

Great video and makes a lot of sense. Kind of makes the Atlantic coast appealing to me as I have been though six hurricanes while living in Florida so that is no issue for me.

[@herschelwright4663]

The Gullah Geechee cultural heritage corridor lies along the Atlantic coast from Wilmington, North Carolina to St Augustine, Florida.

[@nedhill1242]

Somewhat True. But until that was created as part of a larger marketing plan for SC back in the 90s the words Gullah and Geechee had no connection and were never used or mentioned together, but now folks use them as if they are one or the same. It's like conflating creole with cajun.

[@mrmusiclover4178]

Nice video! I live in SC, near Augusta,GA. You did not mention Augusta. I live the same distance (150 miles) from Atlanta, Charlotte, Charleston, and Savannah, quite convenient.

[@Thinkforwardnow]

You in Aiken? I’m from Barnwell county and have been watching Aiken grow over the years.

[@mrmusiclover4178]

@@Thinkforwardnow Edgefield. I am also approx 150 miles from Macon. Nice to hear from you. I sit on the Fall Line, which affects many things.

[@Squirrelmind66]

It should be added that Atlanta received a lot of funding from philanthropic groups in the North after the civil war to help rebuild it after the fire.

[@wahoospa1]

Read this if you say the port of Charleston is so small. 8. Port of Charleston. Situated in South Carolina, the Port of Charleston is the 8th busiest container facility in the U.S. It handled the highest number of containers among all South Carolina ports in 2022. It handled 2,792,313 TEUs in 2022, making it one of the largest and busiest container ports in the country.

[@slide6strings]

Wilmington, NC and Charleston, SC were significant ports in 18th and 19th C. Did hear you mention disease as major deterrent to emerging population centers. Thanks for posting!

[@cour2knee]

Wilmington is already too full! I came down from NYC and wasnt interested in Charleston. I didnt realize how overloaded Wilmington already is!

[@furthurondown]

chs and sav are still massive ports

[@JesseLJohnson]

They still are significant ports

[@ch3nz3n]

The land, the climate, the economies of those regions... as a 40 year resident of Eastern NC (the "Inner Banks") I can tell ya, it is NOT easy to live in a coastal plain area. Here's EXACTLY why: We have 3 seasons here: Winter, Summer and Road Construction There is about 4 weeks of NICE weather out of the year. 2 weeks around April (that's our "Spring") and 2 weeks around September (that's our "Fall"). The rest of the time, it's pretty miserable. During the summers, it's 90degrees+ with excessive humidity (which means LOTS of bugs). And it's hot and humid ALL day. It's hot & muggy before the sun comes up and it's hot & muggy when the sun goes down. Being a contractor/roofer in this area is a TOUGH gig. Same with landscapers. If it's not hot, it's raining. And not just small showers. Thunderstorms... out of nowhere. The old timers say the heat causes the late afternoon/evening thunderstorms to pop up. Tornado watches and warnings aren't uncommon. The flip side is our winter. Once summer breaks, the temp declines fast. And it'll still rain on ya out of nowhere. But during winters here, it rarely gets cold enough AND rainy enough to snow any significant amount. The clear days are super cold and windy. The rainy days are not as cold (but still chilly). By January, the temps are below 40degreesF pretty much all of the time. Then there's February. The weather gets STUPID cold and wet in Feb. Growing harvestable things here takes work. There are areas with great soil. But those are pretty lowland areas near the coast... and they tend to flood when hurricanes hit us. The hurricanes are what they are. Hurricanes, more than an inch of snow on the ground with more to come, icy conditions & tornado activity are all reasons that have been used numerous times to close schools in this area over the past 2 decades. Things are crazy down here in the dirty south y'all! Lots of poor people in these areas. Lots of money too. It's been an interesting ride.

[@juliecarriker9950]

I live in Savannah, GA and we have one of the largest ports in the US. Also, our economy is booming! Another reason for the lack of development is the fact that a great deal of the salt marsh is protected. Interesting take on this topic.

[@InTime-x3j]

Im from South Georgia and you forgot the state bird The Mosquito!!! LOL

[@willeckrich5365]

Port Royal, SC, has one of the deepest natural harbors on the East Coast. Charleston, SC, now has the deepest at 52 feet iirc. Another good video! :)

[@GeraldM_inNC]

I can speak for eastern NC. I live about two hours due east of Raleigh. Because this was all farm country, the road system consists almost entirely of very winding country roads. One highway goes SE from Raleigh to Rocky Mount and east to Tarboro , after which local roads go S to booming Greenville. Rocky Mount is about as far east of Raleigh as it is practical to commute to work or to attend cultural events or shop in Raleigh. Because of the lack of highways in NC anywhere east of Route 301 (except for route 64 between Rocky Mount and Tarboro) there are no good paying jobs available to people living east of 301 now that local manufacturing is gone and that farming is mechanized. The whole region has become seriously depopulated and towns like Enfield and Scotland Neck and Weldon that were once thriving are deep in poverty. You would think that locals who want to go to the beach must go straight east to the ocean, but no, that would take forever on these country roads. People take Route 95 south to Wilmington instead. I believe this entire region from Route 301 to the ocean would grow exponentially if they would only give us a highway going from northern Raleigh to Whitaker, Scotland Neck, Windsor and Elizabeth City. Unfortunately, people only see the region as economically depressed and nobody has any interest in doing anything to improve it, especially if that would cost money.

[@timothyandrewnielsen]

Gotta vote for more democrats so theyll print some money for your highway.

[@GeraldM_inNC]

@@timothyandrewnielsen Some investments pay for themselves over time. The doubling or tripling of land value in this region would produce tax dividends that would more than repay the cost of the highway.

[@Da__goat]

Much like Appalachia and Delaware, economy plays into it once again. Atlanta became a rail hub early on, as did Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham, and even Columbia SC. The outerbanks of NC are not very good for building a large city or cargo port. *CHARLESTON* is a 'major' city, helped by its large cargo port. Savannah helps as well due to its *port*, that's pretty common for automobiles from Europe before being loaded onto trains and being sent to Atlanta before moving out to the rest of the country. This region includes almost all of South Carolina, which is home to more than 6 million people, so I wouldn't exactly call it empty. And Savannah and its surroundings are home to almost a million people. So this region isn't really empty at all actually. And if you include just a small amount over the border into Florida, you'd hit Jacksonville, home to more than 3 million people and a massive natural harbor and air force base.

[@leonation89]

Wilmington?

[@LarcR]

There is no such place as Raleigh/Durham in NC. They are both distinctly separate cities.

[@artisticagi]

The population is still not very dense when you consider that 10 million live in the entire region of Houston TX

[@Da__goat]

@@LarcRShove it up your rear. Newark is separate from New York City but it is in the same metro area.

[@Da__goat]

@@artisticagiHarris County in Texas is nearly as large as the entire state of Connecticut to be completely fair here.

[@TheBlackmirror365]

I live in the Savannah Ga and as of 2024 we’re closing in on 450k, not to mention Savannah has the second largest port on the east coast slightly behind NYC. Savannah’s population is expected to grow more than 3% in 2025

[@Levelistchampion]

I don't recall hearing the phrase "fall line" in the video. I'd love a video talking about settlement patterns simply because waterfalls impeded further commerce by river. Baltimore, DC/Alexandria, Richmond, Raleigh, Columbia, Augusta, Macon, Columbus, and even Tuscaloosa were affected by this. It would transition nicely to a video about the shift when rail made states longitudinal, eg the Dakotas down to Kansas, and often extending west. Minnesota, and I'm sure other states, have interesting takes on the fall line. Minneapolis was founded in part for its access to water power for mills, but also because of the St Anthony Falls on the Mississippi. And further north there's Little Falls, the (as far as I know) next biggest rock line in Minnesota.

[@triadpicker]

The I-85 Corridor starting North at Greensboro and traveling south to Charlotte and then Atlanta is the backbone of the Northwestern part of the Southeast. Also a major vein of railroads along the same line. Greensboro is catching up with regards to Airport size with a large FedEx hub, Honda Jet headquarters, and now Boom Supersonic, UK Aerospace, and Marshall Aerospace (not to mention Toyota broke ground on a new multi-billion dollar Electric Car Battery plant). Greensboro is becoming the capitol of Aerospace Technology. (Note: Greensboro is not in the "empty east coast" region talked about in this video.)

[@theblackharleyquinn7]

So true. Even years ago, Greensboro was known as a busy Gateway to the north and the south. That’s where it gets its nickname, the Gate City.

[@northwolf]

Yeah, but also extend that East from Greensboro down Interstate 85 and 40 to Raleigh. Raleigh is now the largest metro area in the state of North Carolina (not Charlotte), with huge growth over the last 10-15 years.

[@triadpicker]

@@northwolf Charlotte Metro area is larger than Raleigh by 1.2 million people.

[@northwolf]

@@triadpicker Depends on how you define the "metro". Wake County has a higher population than Mecklenburg. They grab like what, 8 counties surrounding Mecklenburg to count that as the "Charlotte Metro"? Meanwhile, the "official" definition of the "Raleigh Metro" is only counting the populations within Wake County, essentially (and just a little bit outside of Wake County). If you do that and grab 8 counties around Wake County and call it the "Raleigh Metro", the metro population is probably higher for the Raleigh area, compared to what they are calling the Charlotte Metro.

[@seanmclaughlin8904]

Also, the big cities are on the 'Fall Line' of these major rivers for industrial reasons. Boats can make it from the ocean to the large cites up to the fall line.

[@KraNisOG]

Geography was not the biggest issue for Charleston. During the Civil War, Charleston was almost completely flattened and destroyed, essentially making the city restart from the beginning.

[@ihave35cents95]

The earthquake in 1865 didn’t help

[@CurtGodwin]

I enjoyed the video, though I feel like it was incomplete. While you mention geography as being a main driver for the differences - and, ultimately, geography defines pretty much everything - it seemed like it was immediately swept aside as the differentiator. Additionally, this was more like a snapshot in time rather than a comparative measurement. As a percentage, how much have the 2nd-tier metros in GA, SC, and NC grown over the past 10 years? Augusta, GA, (more than 615K people in the MSA) has seen rapid growth in the cyber and medical fields... Charleston, SC, has seen a huge uptick in manufacturing. Savannah, GA, has become a major destination for shipping and manufacturing. Indeed, Savannah is the third-busiest seaport in the United States (only behind Los Angeles/Long Beach and New York/Jersey, and ahead of many of the northeastern ports you used as comparison in the video).

[@VL1975]

As a resident of SC from Philly I can tell you most of that is protected wetlands. But WTF do you call Charleston, Savannah, Wilmington, Myrtle Beach, Beaufort, Hilton Head!? Charleston was the biggest port in the early part of the country. You sit there and compare Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh to Charleston, Savannah and Wilmington saying they attract more people. But that's because those cities have physical room to grow. If you haven't notice (probably because you've never been to this region) that those cities were well formed before the US and there isn't much room left to expand. Also expansion would include digging up the wetlands and that's not gonna happen. (I see you finally got to this point). Also, those cities on the coast are hard to get to especially Wilmington, Myrtle Beach, Beaufort. I don't see a problem with not having as many people as Atlanta. There's a reason Sherman took out Atlanta instead of Charleston during the Civil War.

[@bgl9935]

Philadelphia is a miserable crappy city.

[@scatteredstones]

thank you. Charleston still has one of the busiest ports on the East Coast, though Savannah really upped it's game in the last 10-15 years.

[@BakingBadOBX]

Charleston has been ramping up it's port traffic in the last decade, and its tourism bureau has been on fire. Even before Charleston became the major American Port, Wilmington NC was the dominate port. Still today wilmington is a high populated area. But as you said, they can really expand much. Although they are both trying. Downtown Charleston has been exploding, and gentrifying north. Prices are getting very high there. And I would say Wilmingtons main problem is that it has remained relatively low density. They could easily increase density in residential zones and become more desirable for tech industry, but I think they want to remain a college town and tourism adjacent city.

[@ansonallseitz1776]

But he is comparing that coast to places like SoCal and New Jersey. There are neighborhoods in LA that contain more people than all the cities you listed combined.

[@Miner-49]

@@ansonallseitz1776 Exactly….. I caught that tidbit also.

[@gene7887]

Also worth mentioning Atlanta was sacked in 1864 and Savannah was left relatively unscathed as well. The destruction of Atlanta at the hands of Sherman's army maybe allowed for greater redevelopment and growth later on (possibly worth comparing to cities in Germany and Japan that were bombed and destroyed in World War II) but still impressive that the city bounced back so strongly.

[@williewonka6694]

Billies boys should have done a better job on South Carolina, as they were let off too easy.

[@deuscaffeum526]

You could extend that north to Virginia, to Petersburg, if you clipped out the Norfolk metropolis.

[@davidtuttle7556]

I’d hardly call the Carolina coast empty. Charleston, Savannah, and Wilmington are fairly busy ports.

[@alexjohnson6192]

It's emptier than it "should" be based on the coastal location but nobody who has experienced Wilmington traffic would ever say the area is empty lol

[@CrystalClearWith8BE]

Well, I know that Metro Charleston, SC is the most populous part of the area and is very well centralized in that area. There are other Southeast Coast metro areas in the area such as Metro Wilmington NC, Metro Myrtle Beach, Metro Savannah and Metro Brunswick GA, just to name a few.

[@HarryWHill-GA]

Greetings from beautiful Saint Marys, GA. We are all the way in the southeast corner of Georgia. We are a small town with a major naval base, Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay. I am happy that we AREN'T over populated. We also have the lowest initial landing rate for hurricanes of any place south of Cape Cod. We get brushed but not hit by hurricanes. There is a big difference. We also have the wetlands to soak up a lot of any storm surge.

[@christopher9152]

It's only a matter of time before you are overpopulated, unfortunately, especially considering your coastal location. Many parts of Florida (especially the southwest coast) were as you describe as recently as the late 90s.The extremely wealthy people running this country benefit from uncontrolled, endless legal and illegal mass immigration. They could care less how competitive it makes the job market or what it does to housing prices or local ecosystems/the environment.

[@HarryWHill-GA]

@@christopher9152 We're more likely to attract retirees than anyone else. There aren't any good beaches near us, which is fine by me.

[@frzstat]

A lot of people moving out of Florida, as it becomes more crowded/expensive, will move to South Georgia. It will be great for retirees, I’ve considered it myself.

[@HarryWHill-GA]

@@frzstat If you're a good conservative, Welcome Aboard. ;-)

[@stephensandiford3981]

I am from St Mary’s originally, Point Peter Peninsula. My family moved to Brantley, County when I was still real young. Almost all my family lives in Camden County.

[@josephr5764]

I live right across the Cape Fear River from Wilmington NC. Wilmington does actually have a decent port (nowhere near as big or active as in the northeast) that sees regular cargo ship activity. Wilmington is commonly referred to as the "Port City" in our region. While my area has been steadily growing in infrastructure and population since the 70s, the last decade has seen an enormous boost in human activity. My town of Leland is one of the fastest growing places on the east coast unfortunately. There have been many attempts in recent years to dredge up or floodplains and build on them, most have failed as the sense of community here helps deter it. Many of the regions they want to build are flood zones, and are completely submerged during a storm surge. I love the natural beauty of the area, I'm surrounded by brackish marshes. The winding branches of the Cape Fear River are hugged by saturated grass flats, dotted by the dried corpses of huge bald cypress trees. Another reason these areas shouldn't be developed is because they serve as a massive carbon sink, trapping excess carbon dioxide in the mud. If these areas were developed, all that carbon would be released quickly, polluting our waterways and having a detrimental effect on the local environment.

[@frankb3347]

I thought this was going to be a video all about the Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line, and how it influenced where cities were founded, but then there wasn't any mention of it. Hope to see a follow up video that goes more into that.