# Artificial regions **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 24, 2020, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164 "2020-03-24T10:15:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/21 "2020-03-25T01:50:31Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > In terms of duplication, I think “the tri-state region” is tops. Followed closely by “tri-county region”. There’s also lots of “twin cities”, “tri cities”, etc. > [@](#): > > And news websites for these places don’t seem to understand this. So I follow a link to a story and the only clue as to location is “the tri-state region”. Have to click on a banner (and oftentimes that one click isn’t enough) to figure out where this is. Whatever happened to datelines at the start of a story with a full place name and date? Don’t know, but I frequently click on newpaper/TV/radio articles and have no idea what city it’s from. Not even that it’s a tri-state region. Or they’ll give the city name but no clue as to which state. > [@](#): > > One of my “favorite” CoC-style region names is the Treasure Valley for a stretch of the Snake River Valley around the Oregon-Idaho border and into Idaho apparently as far as Boise although that is too far in my experience. Ah, I had heard of that but for some reason didn’t think it was a CofC type region. I’ve never lived there, but I had the impression it included Boise but didn’t include any of Oregon I suppose I’d better explain what I mean by CofC regions. I’ll use the Inland Empire around Spokane as an example. It’s basically the area that the Spokane newspapers are distributed in. And where Spokane TV stations can be received, either through repeaters or cable. The boundaries are indistinct, but do not correspond to any political boundaries, even international ones (at its greatest extent, the Inland Empire includes a small part of British Columbia. Also part of Montana.) OK, so the Spokane media can claim they advertise in this large region and charge advertisers more for that. The name is mainly to give a sense of community to it, although I’m sure that sense becomes less pronounced the further from Spokane you get. Anyway, the idea was to get people in that region to look to Spokane for services and goods not immediately available, rather than some other city. Now this is the way it was when I last lived in Spokane, but that was decades ago. I’m sure the whole concept has been heavily degraded by the internet. People don’t need to get their news from Spokane anymore and Amazon makes lots of trips to that city unnecessary. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/22 "2020-03-25T03:11:05Z")
[Four Corners Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Corners), although I guess that’s not really artificial. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/23 "2020-03-25T14:03:44Z")
The [Westplex](http://www.westplex.com/), just West of St. Louis ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/24 "2020-03-25T14:26:47Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Ah, I had heard of that but for some reason didn’t think it was a CofC type region. I’ve never lived there, but I had the impression it included Boise but didn’t include any of Oregon [Treasure Valley Community College](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Valley_Community_College) is in Ontario, OR. Go Chukars! > [@VOW](#): > > Was Hatfield the guy who came up with the slogan, “Welcome to Oregon. Now go home!” No, that was Hatfield’s successor Tom McCall. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/25 "2020-03-25T14:43:34Z")
Does the Bedford Auto Mile, near Cleveland, count? “Bedford” is the name of a municipality, but the “Auto Mile” is just a stretch of road that has a lot of car dealerships along it. A commercial for any of those dealerships might say “Look for us on the Bedford Auto Mile”, and everyone looking to buy a car knows where that is. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/26 "2020-03-25T16:09:32Z")
I’m not sure if it meets your definition of artificial, but Northeastern Minnesota (the vicinity of Duluth and points north and east) is called “Arrowhead Country” or “The Arrowhead Region.” The name derives from a 1924 contest sponsored by the regional chamber of commerce. The triangular shape bounded by Canada and Lake Superior does resemble an arrowhead. The [Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrowhead_Region). ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/27 "2020-03-25T16:21:02Z")
> [@Bayaker](#): > > [The Golden Triangle](https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/lifestyle/2010/06/25/get-to-know-the-golden-triangle-beaumont-and-beyond/) > **[Golden Triangle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Triangle)** > > Golden Triangle may refer to: > in order of state then city There are a LOT of Golden Triangles… ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/28 "2020-03-25T16:21:03Z")
I didn’t see Chicago’s [Magnificent Mile](https://www.themagnificentmile.com/) mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/29 "2020-03-25T16:50:50Z")
North Idaho. > **[Idaho Panhandle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_Panhandle)** > > The Idaho Panhandle—locally known as North Idaho—is a salient region of the U.S. state of Idaho encompassing the state's 10 northernmost counties: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, and Shoshone (though the southern part of the region is sometimes referred to as North Central Idaho). The Panhandle is bordered by the state of Washington to the west, Montana to the east, and the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. The Idaho panhandle, al... ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/30 "2020-03-25T16:56:55Z")
Tri State area which is usually the more metro areas around NYC extending into CT and NJ including the suburbs. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/31 "2020-03-25T17:48:57Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Tri State area which is usually the more metro areas around NYC extending into CT and NJ including the suburbs. A major point of this thread is that it’s confusing, to the point that someone can’t just say “Tri-State Area”. There are dozens of them… [Wikipedia mentions sixteen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-state_area), with PA/NJ/DE first. Here’s post 7, which echoes my frustration: > [@ftg](#): > > In terms of duplication, I think “the tri-state region” is tops. And news websites for these places don’t seem to understand this. So I follow a link to a story and the only clue as to location is “the tri-state region”. Have to click on a banner (and oftentimes that one click isn’t enough) to figure out where this is. Side note: I went to college in the middle of nowhere, and a common discussion was “How do I explain when someone asks where I go to school?” One wag suggested replying with “Oh, outside the twin cities…” and if they pursue the subject, “You know, [Osseo-Pittsford](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dave's+Farm+Equipment+Inc/@41.8755105,-84.5907406,12z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x883d0ea9c1849d91:0x6ff400080097065d!8m2!3d41.8753948!4d-84.5214701)!” ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/32 "2020-03-25T18:13:20Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > North Idaho. > > [Idaho panhandle - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_Panhandle) Salients (sections of states that protrude from the main body) are not what I was looking for in this thread. Rather I’m interested in regions that ignore political boundaries. There are, btw, seven panhandles in the US, plus at least one bootheel. I haven’t been able to find any other salients with special names, although there are some that don’t seem to be named. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/33 "2020-03-25T18:18:22Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > Do you mean like the Quad Cities area of Iowa and Illinois? How about the Quad Cities of ID/WA (four cities, in four counties, in two different states, with 30 miles between some of them)? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/34 "2020-03-25T18:52:08Z")
**Thor:** Where we have to go is _Niðavellir._ **Drax:** That’s a made-up word! **Thor:** All words are made up. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/35 "2020-03-25T20:49:38Z")
I’ll submit [Packerland](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Packerland) for the list. Its definition is nebulous, at best – while Green Bay (and, by extension, the entire Green Bay area) is undeniably the seat of Packerland, and it’s in Green Bay where the term is most frequently used, it’s not at all clear how much of the rest of Wisconsin (or any other state) is part of Packerland. Or, maybe, Packerland is a state of mind. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/36 "2020-03-26T17:20:17Z")
It doesn’t have a fancy name, but RenoTahoe fits the bill. It crosses the state borders (including the brilliantly named Stateline, NV and South Lake Tahoe, CA), and even crosses a mountain range (the Carson Range). ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/37 "2020-03-26T17:58:42Z")
A couple others that came to mind as I skimmed back through the thread: - [The Research Triangle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_Triangle) (or just “The Triangle”): an area of North Carolina. It sounds like the term originally was used specifically in reference to the three research universities in the area (North Carolina State, North Carolina - Chapel Hill, and Duke), but after the formation of “Research Triangle Park” in the 1950s, it’s come to be a general reference to the region. - [The Treasure Coast](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Coast): a region of the east coast of Florida, roughly including Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River Counties (and maybe Palm Beach County, as well). The term came into being in the 1960s, and originally referred to the discovery of Spanish shipwrecks offshore in the area; it eventually became a popular term to refer to (and contrast) the area north of the “Gold Coast” area (around Miami). The popular/common definition of which areas are (and aren’t) part of the Treasure Coast has shifted over time. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/38 "2020-03-28T17:05:15Z")
In regards to Tri-State area, from up in the Northwest that default referred to NY/NJ/CT (maybe because I watched a lot of WOR on cable as a kid). IL/IN/WI, from my memories watching WGN, was always referred to as “Chicagoland”. On the few cases I heard of the Philly area, as mentioned above, it was the Delaware Valley. Never even heard of the other ones. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/39 "2020-03-29T19:56:46Z")
Ecotopia (the coastal redwood region) somewhat encompassing the State of Jefferson (NorCal and SoOre). West Coast of Arizona (Colorado River). Gold Rush country (many counties along state route 49). Central America (many nations issue C.A. license plates). New York City (five distinct counties). Finger Lakes (multi-county area). Middle East. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164/40 "2020-03-29T20:30:53Z")
Do you know about the nine nations of North America?: > **[The Nine Nations of North America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nine_Nations_of_North_America)** > > The Nine Nations of North America is a 1981 book by Joel Garreau, in which the author suggests that North America can be divided into nine nations, which have distinctive economic and cultural features. He also argues that conventional national and state borders are largely artificial and irrelevant, and that his "nations" provide a more accurate way of understanding the true nature of North American society. The work has been called "a classic text on the current regionalization of North America... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-regions/850164.md?page=3)