The thirteen British colonies in North America have historically been divided into three regions, Southern Colonies, New England Colonies, and Middle Colonies.  Each had its unique qualities.  Geography played a big role in how each region developed.  The Southern colonies had rich soil, mild winters, a long growing season, and abundant rainfall.  This led the Southern colonies to turn primarily to agriculture and the creation of large plantations and reliance on slave labor. The New England colonies had harsh winters, a short growing season, and good harbors.  This led them to turn more to manufacturing and commerce, and farming on a much smaller scale than the South.  And then there were the Middle colonies.  They had fertile soil, moderate winters, rolling hills, and mineral deposits. This led the Middle colonies to have a much more diverse economy than the Southern or New England colonies.  The Middle colonies developed an economy that was based on a combination of agriculture similar to the Southern colonies and manufacturing and commerce similar to the New England colonies.