North American Culture Areas

1. Subarctic (tan)
2. Arctic (blue)
3. Northwest Coast (red)
4. Plateau (gray)
5. Basin (brown)
6. California (purple)
7. Mesoamerica (dark green)
8. Desert (yellow)
9. Eastern Woodlands (light green)
10. Plains (pink)

Culture areas refer to regions in which the inhabitants share the same fundamentals of society. They focus on the various indigenous ways of life that emerged after the end of the Pleistocene “Ice Ages.”

You may view the various cultures at random; however, the suggestion for someone unfamiliar with indigenous Americans, is that it is best to begin with the non-agricultural societies of the northern (Subarctic and Arctic) and western (Northwest Coast, Plateau, Basin) parts of North America, and then move on to the agricultural cultures of Mesoamerica, the Southwest, and the Eastern Woodlands. Finally, you can find out about the Plains, which only emerged as a prominent culture area with the arrival of horses in North America in the 1700s.