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GA and NC are very similar also, but I think VA and NC are more similar and this is mainly because they don't have a metro that completely dominates the state like Atlanta does GA. A more even distribution of metro areas and all that comes with it (amenities, infrastructure, educational institutions, corporate headquarters, etc.) makes for a more similar vibe and feel. And although NC took a sharp turn to the right politically recently, state politics are still more similar in NC and VA with both being swing states now. Both NC and VA's major universities are ACC schools with no SEC representation. Geographically, they are practically mirror images of each other. The largest metro in both states crosses state lines (NOVA and Charlotte), and both have one metro centered around one dominant city (Charlotte, Richmond) and two multinodal regions (NOVA [although DC is the primary city of the region, within NOVA itself there is no one dominant city], Hampton Roads; Triangle, Triad). The capitals of both NC and VA are fall line cities. The tobacco industry is big in both states, and Winston-Salem even feels like a mini-Richmond. The flagship universities of both schools are of similar caliber. And so on and so forth.
Everything you say is 100% true. Also, both NC and VA are extremely old with loads of history. For example, The Lost Colony out on Roanoke Island in NC and Jamestown in VA to name just a few historical examples. NC and VA are also Upper South while GA outside Atlanta is much more Deep South culturally. As for NC and GA, Charlotte almost feels like Atlanta's little sister in the way that they are both "New South" and both are not too terribly far apart. To me, if you take away the Charlotte area and the Triangle in NC, then you can make the point that NC and SC are pretty similar. However, SC seems a little more similar to Alabama in a way.
Would it be crazy to assume that every Southern state is similar to another in border regions yet not so much in the interior. As in Western Tennessee to Arkansas or Eastern Tennessee to North Carolina but Central Tennessee not being similar to either state.
Everything you say is 100% true. Also, both NC and VA are extremely old with loads of history. For example, The Lost Colony out on Roanoke Island in NC and Jamestown in VA to name just a few historical examples. NC and VA are also Upper South while GA outside Atlanta is much more Deep South culturally. As for NC and GA, Charlotte almost feels like Atlanta's little sister in the way that they are both "New South" and both are not too terribly far apart. To me, if you take away the Charlotte area and the Triangle in NC, then you can make the point that NC and SC are pretty similar. However, SC seems a little more similar to Alabama in a way.
You think that Oklahoma's culture is like central, southern and the delta regions of Arkansas? How? Have you been there?
I would say that Arkansas has more in common with Mississippi than with Oklahoma.
The part of Oklahoma that is "like Arkansas" is virtually devoid of people. However, There are a lot of Arkansas people that end up in Tulsa. But Oklahoma is way more bonded to Texas culturally and economically. It's not even a contest.
That's interesting since MS doesn't have mountains and the Ozarks are one of the first things I think of when I think of Arkansas.
While this is true a lot of Arkansas is delta and shares that in common with Mississippi and southern Arkansas is pine forest which is also much like a lot of Mississippi. While Oklahoma shares the Ouachita mountains with Arkansas and to a lesser degree the Ozarks these areas in Oklahoma are sparsely populated. The people who live there (in Oklahoma) are very much like Arkansans but there just aren't very many of them.
I just don't think the Oklahoma/Arkansas connection is that strong. Fayetteville area is tied to Tulsa to some degree I suppose.
Oklahoma and Texas are tied together because of the oil industry. There are a gazillion Oklahomans in DFW and Houston and there are more Texans in Oklahoma than Texans are willing to admit.
This is not true with Oklahoma and Arkansas.
The Arkansas connection is soley noticable in the eastern part of the state. In the central part of Oklahoma and Western Oklahoma and southern Oklahoma there is no question that it is more closely tied to Texas. You never hear about Arkansas, nobody comes from Arkansas, and nobody moves to Arkansas or even visits (Usually Colorado and New Mexico or Dallas).
Yeah I didn't take economy into account here so I can see that attachment.
While this is true a lot of Arkansas is delta and shares that in common with Mississippi and southern Arkansas is pine forest which is also much like a lot of Mississippi. While Oklahoma shares the Ouachita mountains with Arkansas and to a lesser degree the Ozarks these areas in Oklahoma are sparsely populated. The people who live there (in Oklahoma) are very much like Arkansans but there just aren't very many of them.
I just don't think the Oklahoma/Arkansas connection is that strong. Fayetteville area is tied to Tulsa to some degree I suppose.
I'm definitely aware of the Delta region in Arkansas which a lot of people seem to forget. As an outsider, it just seems that Arkansas is a little more like Tennessee. You've got Memphis's metro area that crosses into the state and the shared Delta geography and culture, and I've heard that Little Rock resembles Memphis on a smaller scale (although I've not been to Little Rock so I'm not sure how accurate that is). And northwest Arkansas seems like a mix between Knoxville (college atmosphere, corporate headquarters) and the Tri-Cities area (multinodal metro), both of which are in the mountains like the Fayetteville area.
What do y'all think about Tennessee and North Carolina? Both practically equal geographically, but culturally?
And by geographically, I mean they are both Upper South and equal when you look at them on a map.
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