Updated map of U.S. cultural regions (living in, versus)

[AK123]

Looking good!

[brattpowered]

Originally Posted by miamiman

The Mid-Atlantic doesn't extend to the Canadian border.

Agreed. The Mid-Atlantic region on this map seems to be intended to represent the urban Washington-NYC corridor, but this area is a lot different from sparsely populated upstate NY. Maybe combine the upper half of NY state that is now listed as Mid-Atlantic with New England and call it "New England-Adirondack" or make it its own region, although its culture is not that distinctive.

Also agree with the Michigan UP and most of the LP being classified as part of the Midwest.

[JimmyJohnWilson]

Originally Posted by brattpowered

Agreed. The Mid-Atlantic region on this map seems to be intended to represent the urban Washington-NYC corridor, but this area is a lot different from sparsely populated upstate NY. Maybe combine the upper half of NY state that is now listed as Mid-Atlantic with New England and call it "New England-Adirondack" or make it its own region, although its culture is not that distinctive.

Also agree with the Michigan UP and most of the LP being classified as part of the Midwest.

well the mid atlantic isn't that distinct of a culutral region. it usually just describe the general area between the northernmost southern-altanic region and new england.

[JimmyJohnWilson]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

Great map - but a few points/questions:

ok, i'll try to answer these best i can

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

Michigan is not in the Midwest? I know we're the "Great Lakes State," but not all of MI is an eastern/rust belt state. Three Rivers, MI is much more similar to Madison, WI than Syracuse, NY. The U.P. is definitely more Upper Midwest than (Eastern) Great Lakes. The vast majority of Michigan is very Midwestern.

well, the midwest ends at ohio, most of the great lakes is the midwest. the rest of the great lakes is northeast great lakes, and starts at the ohio border.

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

Actually, I think the "Great Lakes region" should be divided into 3 different regions, kind of like how you did with Appalachia. Michigan (except the UP), Northern Indiana, Wisconsin south of Milwaukee, and Northern Ohio should be the Midwestern Great Lakes. Wisconsin north of Milwaukee, coastal Minnesota, and the UP of Michigan should be the Northern Great Lakes. Both of these should be subsets of the Midwest.

i suppose i could have done this. if i decide to update yet again (doubt i will, but i might), i'll probably add something along these lines

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

Erie, Pennsylvania and Western New York should be the Northeast Great Lakes, and a subset of the Northeast.

yeah, same answer as above

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

There is a LOT of variation within the Great Lakes (not to mention the Canadian side), and I certainly wouldn't say that Upstate NY has much in common with Minnesota.

probably right, i thought that the ohio border is a good line

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

The Great Plains should be a subset of the Midwest.

i would do that, but then northern texas would be the midwest, and that just sounds way off

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

The South should extend a little farther north, into extreme southern OH, IN, IL, and MO.

trust me on this one, i would get way more criticism for including those areas as the south than i would for including them as the midwest. i debated that, but the overall consensus is that they are midwestern, with southern undertones. the midwestern is most prominent, so they are the midwest.

the ohio river has been the divider line for quite some time. the only reason the midwest spills into northern ky is because of cincinatti overflowing.

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

Other than that, loos good!

ok, hope i adressed everything

[JimmyJohnWilson]

Originally Posted by miamiman

Appalachia doesn't extend that far south in Alabama or Mississippi or that far west in Tennessee.

i got those dividing lines for that cultural region from these links:

the appalachian regional commision

national geographic

appalachian state university

they all had it going that far into those states. i think they're probably right

[bobsmith]

I applaud this well-thought out map. There is very little I would change.

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by JimmyJohnWilson

ok, i'll try to answer these best i can



well, the midwest ends at ohio, most of the great lakes is the midwest. the rest of the great lakes is northeast great lakes, and starts at the ohio border.



i suppose i could have done this. if i decide to update yet again (doubt i will, but i might), i'll probably add something along these lines



yeah, same answer as above



probably right, i thought that the ohio border is a good line



i would do that, but then northern texas would be the midwest, and that just sounds way off



trust me on this one, i would get way more criticism for including those areas as the south than i would for including them as the midwest. i debated that, but the overall consensus is that they are midwestern, with southern undertones. the midwestern is most prominent, so they are the midwest.

the ohio river has been the divider line for quite some time. the only reason the midwest spills into northern ky is because of cincinatti overflowing.



ok, hope i adressed everything

I believe if you check with most linguists/culturalists, you'll find that the great dipthong shift is currently extending from the Mid-Atlantic and reaches its NW terminus in Milwaukee.That is indicative of a discrete cultural unit.

Being from N. Wisconsin, I can asure you that our SE corner is in a different cultural area, as the above shows.

Also, in the SE US, there are at least 3 discrete cultural areas:

Coastal, Piedmont, and Mtn. (e.g. "Appalaichia"). While the former has been innundated by outsiders to a > degree than have the other two parts, all 3 are each unique in terms of culture.

[JimmyJohnWilson]

Originally Posted by Geechie North

I believe if you check with most linguists/culturalists, you'll find that the great dipthong shift is currently extending from the Mid-Atlantic and reaches its NW terminus in Milwaukee.That is indicative of a discrete cultural unit.

Being from N. Wisconsin, I can asure you that our SE corner is in a different cultural area, as the above shows.

i'm not sure i know what you mean by all this. could you rephrase this into layman's terms?

Originally Posted by Geechie North

Also, in the SE US, there are at least 3 discrete cultural areas:

Coastal, Piedmont, and Mtn. (e.g. "Appalaichia"). While the former has been innundated by outsiders to a > degree than have the other two parts, all 3 are each unique in terms of culture.

well, i think of those as geological regions, not cultural regions. not all of the region of appalachia is in the mountains.

plus, the peidmont region is from new jersey to alabama, thats not a culutural region.

once past appalachia, there aren't significant changes (or not significant enough) cultural differences when traveling westbound in these states.

[grapico]

you should blog this and throw it up... good stuff... I esp like the FL ... as I tell people how it is in the panhandle, and they assume I'm livin it up in what they imagine off watching CSI Miami.

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by JimmyJohnWilson

i'm not sure i know what you mean by all this. could you rephrase this into layman's terms?




well, i think of those as geological regions, not cultural regions. not all of the region of appalachia is in the mountains.

plus, the peidmont region is from new jersey to alabama, thats not a culutural region.

once past appalachia, there aren't significant changes (or not significant enough) cultural differences when traveling westbound in these states.

Northern Cities Shift@Everything2.com.

The NW terminus of this shift is the Milwaukee metro area. This shift line denotes a cultural region of its own.

As far as the Piedmont, Mtns, and Coastal Plain differences, Southern History explains that phenom, and volumes have been written about it.

Mainly, it has to do with the plantation system and the crops of rice and cotton (Long Staple). Here's an article which speaks to its effect on contemporary politics:
A South Carolina Primary Primer by Robert Jeffrey