Having embraced economic liberalization and foreign investment, India is a bright star in the region.

FORBES: India's Richest Businesspeople

Thus, the region has lost out on jobs, political conventions, bright minds, and potential business relocation.

FORBES: Crowdsourcing and Crowdfunding A Regional Marketing Platform to Promote St. Louis

In the 1980s, Bill Clinton, then governor of Arkansas, attempted to turn Helena into a bright tourist attraction by creating the Delta Cultural Centre to promote the region's rich blues tradition.

ECONOMIST: The Delta region