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How different, both culturally and geographically, are the northern and southern and/or eastern and western parts of your state? Feel free to comment on other states as well, and to modify the directions as you see fit. For instance, Arkansas might be best divided into NW Arkansas and SE (Mississippi delta area) Arkansas.
My home state of NC has a pretty dramatic distinction between the western extremity (the Appalachian mountains) and the eastern extremity (the coastal plain, Outer Banks/barrier islands. etc.). Our neighbor to the west, Tennessee, also seems to change dramatically in culture and geography from east to west (or vice versa), where you have the Mississippi delta region and Memphis on one end and the mountains and Chattanooga, Knoxville, etc. on the other.
Other states, like California, are often described in a north/south divide (NorCal vs. SoCal), but for such enormous states, I think the distinctions ought to be broken down even further. California's NorCal commonly refers to the Bay Area and Sacramento and surrounding environs, while SoCal often refers to LA, OC, SD, and surrounding environs. I'd argue, however, that the vast part of California above the Bay and Sac. is a whole different region of "NorCal" altogether, and that the central part of the state roughly between Monterey and Santa Barbara again doesn't quite fit into either region. Nonetheless, NorCal and SoCal seem to be distinct enough to describe them as separate entities within a single state.
Seems like a lot of this would have to do with the way the state is shaped. It would certainly make sense that states like North Carolina and Tennessee would be more varied east to west and states like Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, and Illinois would vary more from north to south.
IMO many states are going to vary terrain wise more east west and weather wise north to south. I'd say that is how Oklahoma is for the most part and every state I can think of in this region with the exception of maybe Missouri which terrain wise might vary more north to south. Not sure.
Seems like a lot of this would have to do with the way the state is shaped. It would certainly make sense that states like North Carolina and Tennessee would be more varied east to west and states like Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, and Illinois would vary more from north to south.
IMO many states are going to vary terrain wise more east west and weather wise north to south. I'd say that is how Oklahoma is for the most part and every state I can think of in this region with the exception of maybe Missouri which terrain wise might vary more north to south. Not sure.
Interesting thread.
What about culturally for Oklahoma? In your opinion, how different is the western part from the eastern part and the northern from the southern?
NJ is usually split South, Central and North. The divide and difference is equivalent and a part of the disconnect and what some consider a rivalry between NYC, and Philly.
We dont even play each other in HS sports. We usually dont have relative in each others sectors instead, they will on the other side of the major city we are closest to. Like myself, my family is either in NYC, or LI. For SNJ people be common for relatives to be in Philly, or PA, or even Delaware. So basically our lives revolve around the closest city, and not our state.
Last edited by NJ Brazen_3133; 09-03-2018 at 03:18 PM..
Illinois - there’s Chicagoland then everywhere else. Northern non-Chicagoland is more similar to Southern Illinois than the metro area. The further north, areas feel more like the upper Midwest (Wisconsin, Iowa) and far Southern Illinois is more similar to Missouri.
Minnesota - Southern MN up to the Cities (and even west of the cities) is similar to Iowa. Rural, corn/soybeans, hot humid summers, windy cold winters. Northern Minnesota is very forested, lots of lakes, much less farmland (soil isn’t conducive). The twin cities sits at the intersection of the prairie/forest divide.
How different, both culturally and geographically, are the northern and southern and/or eastern and western parts of your state? Feel free to comment on other states as well, and to modify the directions as you see fit. For instance, Arkansas might be best divided into NW Arkansas and SE (Mississippi delta area) Arkansas.
My home state of NC has a pretty dramatic distinction between the western extremity (the Appalachian mountains) and the eastern extremity (the coastal plain, Outer Banks/barrier islands. etc.). Our neighbor to the west, Tennessee, also seems to change dramatically in culture and geography from east to west (or vice versa), where you have the Mississippi delta region and Memphis on one end and the mountains and Chattanooga, Knoxville, etc. on the other.
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That's funny you mention NC and TN
I lived in SC for a while but frequently went to NC and fully agree with your assessment. Eastern and western NC are very different from one another culturally, climatically, and topographically.
I would agree that TN is also a striking example. I lived around Jackson area but you would swear you were traveling through 3 different states as you went through the western area, the Nashville area, then the eastern area. They seemed to have very little in common with one another other than being in the same state.
My current state has some differences between the eastern and western parts of it. Pittsburgh was previously part of the Rust Belt but still kind of has the blue collar vibe..which to me is nice. It's an unpretentious city with a variety of neighborhoods to live in and plenty of things to do. Pittsburgh kind of acknowledges the other main PA cities (Erie, Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Philadelphia) but is secure and doesn't worry about them or obsess about 'em. It's a very hilly city with a lot of gorgeous overlooks and surrounding mountains. Erie is a Rust Belt city and generally likes Pittsburgh, ignores Philadelphia, feels sorry for northeastern PA and has a vibe that is Great Lakes mixed w/ Northeast. Philadelphia is climatically quite different from the rest of PA, flat while most of the state is hilly/mountainous, ignores the rest of the cities in PA, and likes to tie itself to NYC. Wilkes Barre/Scranton are also economically depressed areas, are surrounded by gorgeous scenery, and have a very Appalachian vibe.
My home state of NY has its own divisions. NYC is its own entity in terms of culture. The Capital District of Albany area is also quite different from the rest of Upstate NY. Central NY (Syracuse region) is its own distinct region but isn't radically different from Western NY (Buffalo area). North Country NY is also a distinct area My personal favorite areas in NY area CNY, WNY, North Country.
What about culturally for Oklahoma? In your opinion, how different is the western part from the eastern part and the northern from the southern?
Culturally I'd say the shift is kind of subtle in Oklahoma. There is some Kansas type culture in he northwest part of the state but it's not particularly pervasive. Mostly the cultural shift is related to the terrain and weather as the western part of the state is dominated by wheat, and oil. Eastern part has different crops and less oil (these days, not so historically). Ranching is pretty much all over but if you are trying to find the full on cowboy thing I'd say western Oklahoma would be more that way. The southern half of the state except for the southeast mountainous area (which is Arkansan like) pretty much reflects the part of Texas that is below it.
Georgia is divided by the fall line, and the difference between north and south of the fall line seems to be increasing. Macon and Warner Robins are beginning to feel like a southward extension of far-greater Atlanta, as is Columbus to the southwest. Augusta is kind of off in its own area, though its ties to Atlanta have gradually increased with time. Savannah is the big city south of the fall line, and it's beginning to feel like an exclave in its own region, though still influential in its region.
Pennsylvania is NOT divided the way most people think it is. Instead, it's divided by Blue Mountain in the south and the Susquehanna River (West Branch) in the north. Harrisburg, York, Lancaster, Reading and Allentown/Bethlehem all feel like far-greater Philadelphia, and the Pocono Mountains are beginning to feel like far-greater New York, as is Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to a lesser extent. State College and Williamsport straddle the dividing line between east and west. Everything west of them feels like far-greater Pittsburgh, though Pittsburgh itself is beginning to feel like an exclave in the west, similar to Savannah south of the fall line in Georgia. Erie is kind of off in its own area, similar to Augusta north of the fall line in Georgia, though its ties to Pittsburgh are gradually increasing just as Augusta's ties to Atlanta are.
Here in WA State the East/West divide is much bigger (like two different states in every way you can think of) than North/South.
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