As with the other colonial regions, the lifestyle of the south is directly related to its climate and geography. The south shares much in common with the other two colonial regions but it has several distinct characteristics that make the south unique. Some of the important geographic features of the south include the Appalachian Mountains, the Piedmont, and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The presence of good harbors and rivers along with its hot, humid climate dictated how the people of the south made a living. Like in the middle colonies, southerners made a living through farming. However these farms were much larger and were called plantations. Since these individually owned farms were so large, the plantations required a large labor force. To run their farms and produce the cash crops (tobacco, rice, and indigo) they needed to made a profit, plantation owners began using forced labor, or slavery. Slaves were workers who belonged to their owners and had no freedom. Another type of labor used in the south were indentured servants. These were people who had their passage to the New World paid for and were working for free until their debt was paid back. Plantation owners typically had a great deal of money and lived in mansions; most residents of the south who did not have as much money made a living with small family farms or by producing wood products. The economy of the south with its large plantations also affected the social and political life of the south. Plantations were typically self-sufficient, providing everything the people living on it would need so there was no need for cities, towns or schools. Even church services occurred on the plantations; most southerners attended the Church of England, the Anglican Church. Since there was no need for towns or cities, governments and politics weren�t run as they were in New England through town meetings. In the south, politics were determined by county.