What are your geographic boundaries for the South?

This is a contentious topic for all Americans. Depending on which part of the country you're in, people have different definitions of what constitutes the Southern cultural identity as well as the geographic region of the United States that is the South.

We'll begin with what the U.S. Census defines as the South. I'd like to say that I vehemently disagree with their version. It's hinged on the old school Mason-Dixon/Slave State definition of the South. Less Missouri, all of the former Slave States and Territories are included as being a part of the South. Take a look:



The above map is certainly not bound by cultural identity nor really geography. West Virginia, DC, Maryland and Delaware are not Southern at all. I think this is something we can all agree on.

Now this is where things get disputed: Of the remaining states, who should be included as Southerners?

I'll begin by eliminating Texas. Although Texas was settled by and shares plenty of ties with Southerners, it is so large and distinct that it really does have its own identity. Texans will be the first to tell you that they are known as Texans well before they are called Southerners. Texas may have been the South a century ago, but today, it's a very diverse and heavily populated state that has its own dialect and culinary scene. Therefore, Texas is not Southern.

Now that we've established that, let's move north to Oklahoma. I think most of us can agree that Oklahoma is not a Southern state. Although it has a similar background to its Texan neighbors- settled by Southerners and all- it has much more in common with the Plains and Texas than any Southern state. Conclusion: Oklahoma is not a part of the South.

This might seem counterintuitive, but let's look north and east of Oklahoma. I'm checking out the "Butternut" region of the Midwest. The Butternut region includes far southeastern Kansas, southern Missouri, southern Illinois, southern Indiana and far southern Ohio. This region of the Midwest features several cultural ties with the South as a result of proximity. However, I would argue that the vast majority of these folks would identify as Midwesterners before claiming themselves as Southerners. Additionally, what separates this region from the South is the very distinct difference in climate (continental vs. humid subtropical in the South) as well as its topographical features. The land in the Butternut region is almost completely flat, and the agriculture practiced in those states bears little in common with the croplands of the South. Having said that, I think we can cross off any parts of Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

Alright, so what about Virginia? Thanks to the expansion of the Northeastern Megalopolis into the northern part of that state, many Virginians today have very little in common with the South. However, there is no denying that Virginia still has Southern roots. Southern "Tidewater" accents were born on the Virginia coast and spread to the rest of the South as the area became colonized by English, Scottish and Scotch-Irish settlers. And we can't neglect Virginia's importance in Southern history. So I'll compromise with Virginia: Northern VA belongs to the Northeast, but the rest of Virginia is a part of the South.

I've decided to trek back west, crossing the rugged Appalachians along the way. I eliminated West Virginia off the bat, but now I'm in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Kentucky is known for fried chicken- a very Southern dish- and its role in tobacco farming. Those are pretty darn Southern. And the people across the state of Kentucky share the same dialect as the rest of the South. The only thing holding Kentucky back is its geographic location and its climate, in which it has much more in common with the Midwest than it does with states like Mississippi and Alabama. But alas, Kentucky is still a true Southern state in my mind. I consider Kentucky to be a part of the South.

I'm traveling southwest this time to the Natural State: Welcome to Arkansas! A largely rural state, the people in Arkansas likely identify with Southerners. Unlike its western neighbor, Oklahoma, Arkansans share much more in common with the South than with Texas or the Plains. Alright, application accepted. Welcome to the South, Arkansas.

How about that French part of Louisiana? Yes, the southern half of that state. Maybe they identify as a completely different cultural region, but I think that sliver of the South is too small to be considered its own thing. Therefore, all of Louisiana belongs in the South.

And now, I've saved the best for last. Yes, Florida, I'm talking about you. If you find yourself in Florida, 1. I wish you luck and 2. the more north you travel, the more southern it gets. There are some folks in inland South Florida who would identify as Southerners, but I think the southern half of Florida is so distinct and populated enough to have officially divorced from the South. I'll do to Florida what I did to Virginia, but in the opposite direction: I'm going to circumcise the southern half of that state, but northern Florida is still a part of the South, without question. The Orlando metropolitan area is the cutoff.

If you wonder whether Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee are Southern or not, go get help. There's something wrong with you.