The Midwest is a region located in the central United States, consisting of the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Illinois is the most populous of the states, with North Dakota being the least-populated. In 2012, the region had a population of 65,377,684, and the state consists mostly of agricultural states along the "Corn Belt"; in politics, the Midwestern states are often swing states, making them important political backgrounds. Many rural areas of the Midwest are predominantly white (especially of descent from German-speaking countries, the Low Countries, and Scandinavia). However, most urban areas such as Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Cleveland are much more diverse.