U.S. shows wide difference in religion

Princeton, USA - The United States

shows a remarkable difference in terms of its religious identity, a Gallup poll indicates.

Catholics are most prevalent in the East while other Christians are concentrated in the South. Two Midwestern states -- Wisconsin and Illinois -- are also in the top 10 states in terms of the percentage who are Catholic.

The largest religious group in the country today, non-Catholic Christians, makes up 54 percent of Americans who identify themselves as Protestants or with a non-Catholic Christian religion. They are heavily concentrated in the South and nearby states.

But the group makes up only a minority of residents of Northeastern states and of many Middle Atlantic and Western states, the survey says.

States with fewer non-Catholic Christians are proportionately much more heavily dominated by those of other religions, particularly Catholics. They are heavily represented in the Middle Atlantic and New England states.

Americans with no religious identity at all tend to be found most frequently in the Northeast and Northwest (plus Hawaii). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are most prevalent in Utah and surrounding states and Jews prevail in Mid-Atlantic states.

Results are based on telephone interviews with 178,543 adults nationwide, ages 18 and older, conducted Jan. 2-June 30 as part of Gallup Poll Daily tracking.