Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Is this because some people think the Northeast (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania) is different from Mid Atlantic (Maryland, DC, West Virginia and Virginia)? Even when both regions are small geographically? Even when the definition for the Northeast and the Mid Atlantic usually overlaps?
Last edited by muppethammer26; 05-09-2014 at 10:18 PM..
Is this because some people think the Northeast (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania) is different from Mid Atlantic (Maryland, DC, West Virginia and Virginia)? Even when both regions are small geographically?
Because they are two separate regions with a few overlapping states. The Northeastern states are the following: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. That's all.
The Mid-Atlantic states are the following (and definitions get a little hairy and change depending on who you ask, but most say these): New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia (and DC, in parenthesis because it's not a state obviously). Some add West Virginia and North Carolina but I personally would not.
The only states that are both Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic are New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Because they are two separate regions with a few overlapping states. The Northeastern states are the following: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. That's all.
The Mid-Atlantic states are the following (and definitions get a little hairy and change depending on who you ask, but most say these): New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia (and DC, in parenthesis because it's not a state obviously). Some add West Virginia and North Carolina but I personally would not.
The only states that are both Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic are New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Delaware is always both Northeastern and Mid Atlantic. Maryland and West Virginia are usually Mid Atlantic and Northeastern States. Sometimes, Virginia is also called a Northeastern state and a Mid Atlantic state.
Rarely, a few Great Lakes states such as Ohio, Indiana and Michigan are called both Northeastern states and Great Lakes States as well. So the Northeast/Mid Atlantic name is inaccurate. Just Northeast sounds better.
Delaware is always both Northeastern and Mid Atlantic. Maryland and West Virginia are usually Mid Atlantic and Northeastern States. Sometimes, Virginia is also called a Northeastern state and a Mid Atlantic state.
Rarely, a few Great Lakes states such as Ohio, Indiana and Michigan are called both Northeastern states and Great Lakes States as well. So the Northeast/Mid Atlantic name is inaccurate. Just Northeast sounds better.
Delaware is not a Northeastern state, ever. No one defines Delaware as being Northeastern, not even the Census. Delaware is weird because it's not Northern but it's also not Southern… thats why Mid-Atlantic is a good definition for it. IMO, today not historically, it leans more towards Northern but it's still not considered to be a Northern state. Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia are definitely not Northeastern, especially WV and VA.
I notice on a lot of your threads you kind of make up your own region borders. New England is strictly defined (somewhere else you stated NY is in New England, it is not), so is the Northeast. What gets more difficult is the Mid-Atlantic, and that's only because the solidly Mid-Atlantic states (NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD (DC)) sometimes get thrown in with VA, WV, and NC, which can **** people off depending on who they are and where they're from. Some people even like to remove NY, NJ, and PA from the list, some only NY, etc. But the Northeast is clearly defined, and it does not include anything south of NJ and PA.
Also, sure, Great Lakes states could be called Northeastern (because you can really make any claim you'd like, no one's stopping anyone) - but it doesn't mean they are (spoiler - they're not). Those Great Lakes states are Midwestern, from Ohio north and west. I think the definition of Northeast is historical. The Northeastern states were part of the original 13 colonies, and everything else at the time was the South. Then the country started expanding, those Midwestern states came in later, and it just did not feel the same there than it did in the already developed, populated, and dense Northeast as other regions started growing. I think this also explains why the regions on the East Coast are so small and not expansive like in the west and Midwest.
If you ever go online and see a company that defines DE as part of the Northeast, because they need to know which general region you're in for shipping or represent your state properly or something, this is for the company's convenience only. It doesn't mean they're right in defining DE as the Northeast. They can say whatever they want, like I said. You could make the claim that Georgia is Northeastern if you wish but it doesn't mean you're right. I notice this when I google maps of the Northeast. People claim the Northeast extends as far west as Michigan and as far south as Virginia in their own personal maps, representing X National Company or whatever. But what matters is the Census, history, and culture. That's what tells us what region is really made up of what states.
Last edited by JerseyGirl415; 05-09-2014 at 10:44 PM..
New Jersey shares a Delaware Bay with Delaware. There is actually a piece of land on the NJ side of the Delaware Bay that Delaware owns. Plus the southern 1/4 of New Jersey is under the line that you use to separate the Northeast from the Mid Atlantic. So that means Newark and Philadelphia are both Northeastern and Mid Atlantic cities, but Atlantic City, Wilmington and Baltimore are just Mid Atlantic cities?
New Jersey shares a Delaware Bay with Delaware. There is actually a piece of land on the NJ side of the Delaware Bay that Delaware owns. Plus the southern 1/4 of New Jersey is under the line that you use to separate the Northeast from the Mid Atlantic. So that means Newark and Philadelphia are both Northeastern and Mid Atlantic cities, but Atlantic City, Wilmington and Baltimore are just Mid Atlantic cities?
Yes, it shares a bay with Delaware. And yes, that piece of land is part of a state park or something, uninhabitable. That line is the Mason-Dixon line and actually separates the South from the North, not the Northeast from the Mid-Atlantic. You can't form a line that separates the Northeast from the Mid-Atlantic because you'd be cutting through the border states that count as both (NY, NJ, PA) somewhere. The Mid-Atlantic technically isn't actually its own region, it is a subregion of the South and North - the middle of both, taking some of the northernmost Southern states and southernmost Northern states and creating the Middle Atlantic, it doesn't even really mean anything. I've recently learned that the Mason-Dixon line dips along the side of Delaware, so NJ is technically not below it. Someone, a Southerner a believe, pointed this out on another thread regarding a similar topic. Google "mason dixon line" under images, you'll see what I mean.
Atlantic City is a Northeastern City, but Wilmington and Baltimore are technically not. They would probably be considered Southern, but some from Maryland may get offended and say, nope, it's Mid-Atlantic (or someone from the deep South may say, nope Maryland is not Southern enough). That's generally what happens these days. I'll explain my take on this below…
The Mid-Atlantic is a weird area. I never said it made sense, I'm just explaining how it works. It's not a technical region anyone really cares about. As far as the Census is concerned, and as far as history is concerned, the South starts with Delaware. They actually define the Mid-Atlantic as only NY, NJ, and PA. Culturally, though, the lines have been blurring recently.
The Mid-Atlantic is an area DC and its surrounding area can claim because that area has became less Southern and more Northern, but not Northern enough. All of the sudden in pops the Mid-Atlantic. I learned all my life in school that the South is Delaware and below…
As far as Delaware owning a piece of mainland NJ, do you know that NJ and NY actually both "own" the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island? Both are on NJ's side of the river. They have fought over this in court and both islands have been technically given to both while being controlled by the federal government. Yet NY gets all the attention - goes to show that who owns a piece of land does not technically matter. Everyone and their mother thinks the Statue of Liberty is all New York, New York, New York, yet it's NJ, too, and on our side of the river to prove it. Now what about Delaware's tiny bit of land in NJ?!
Last edited by JerseyGirl415; 05-09-2014 at 11:39 PM..
Because putting states like Massachusetts and New Hampshire with states like Maryland just doesn't fit right. While Maryland is northern, it certainly isn't anything close the Massachusetts or Boston. BTW, I don't think WVA and VA and NC are mid-Atlantic
Is this because some people think the Northeast (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania) is different from Mid Atlantic (Maryland, DC, West Virginia and Virginia)? Even when both regions are small geographically? Even when the definition for the Northeast and the Mid Atlantic usually overlaps?
Yes, it shares a bay with Delaware. And yes, that piece of land is part of a state park or something, uninhabitable. That line is the Mason-Dixon line and actually separates the South from the North, not the Northeast from the Mid-Atlantic. You can't form a line that separates the Northeast from the Mid-Atlantic because you'd be cutting through the border states that count as both (NY, NJ, PA) somewhere. The Mid-Atlantic technically isn't actually its own region, it is a subregion of the South and North - the middle of both, taking some of the northernmost Southern states and southernmost Northern states and creating the Middle Atlantic, it doesn't even really mean anything. I've recently learned that the Mason-Dixon line dips along the side of Delaware, so NJ is technically not below it. Someone, a Southerner a believe, pointed this out on another thread regarding a similar topic. Google "mason dixon line" under images, you'll see what I mean.
Atlantic City is a Northeastern City, but Wilmington and Baltimore are technically not. They would probably be considered Southern, but some from Maryland may get offended and say, nope, it's Mid-Atlantic (or someone from the deep South may say, nope Maryland is not Southern enough). That's generally what happens these days. I'll explain my take on this below…
The Mid-Atlantic is a weird area. I never said it made sense, I'm just explaining how it works. It's not a technical region anyone really cares about. As far as the Census is concerned, and as far as history is concerned, the South starts with Delaware. They actually define the Mid-Atlantic as only NY, NJ, and PA. Culturally, though, the lines have been blurring recently.
The Mid-Atlantic is an area DC and its surrounding area can claim because that area has became less Southern and more Northern, but not Northern enough. All of the sudden in pops the Mid-Atlantic. I learned all my life in school that the South is Delaware and below…
As far as Delaware owning a piece of mainland NJ, do you know that NJ and NY actually both "own" the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island? Both are on NJ's side of the river. They have fought over this in court and both islands have been technically given to both while being controlled by the federal government. Yet NY gets all the attention - goes to show that who owns a piece of land does not technically matter. Everyone and their mother thinks the Statue of Liberty is all New York, New York, New York, yet it's NJ, too, and on our side of the river to prove it. Now what about Delaware's tiny bit of land in NJ?!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
