US regions

[bgwah]

Hmm, it looks like that map cut out Altanta from Applachia.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

There are definitely regional splits in SC politics (which roughly parallels the preference of BBQ type, altho I suspect that's just a fluke of the map.)  The major one is between the upstate and the low country, but the midlands and the Pee Dee are distinct as well.  (And that is always Pee Dee and never PD, for you PD fans out there.)

[minionofmidas]

Hmm, it looks like that map cut out Altanta from Applachia.

Atlanta proper and the middle-class-black southern suburbs, but not the vast (and hyperpartisan Republican) Northern Suburbia.

[muon2]

There are definitely regional splits in SC politics (which roughly parallels the preference of BBQ type, altho I suspect that's just a fluke of the map.)  The major one is between the upstate and the low country, but the midlands and the Pee Dee are distinct as well.  (And that is always Pee Dee and never PD, for you PD fans out there.)

So where does the upstate and low country divide in SC? In particular, in which of those two areas is Columbia?

[minionofmidas]

Midlands, of course.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Hmm, it looks like that map cut out Altanta from Applachia.

Atlanta proper and the middle-class-black southern suburbs, but not the vast (and hyperpartisan Republican) Northern Suburbia.

Which was still rural back in the mid '60's

[minionofmidas]

Hmm, it looks like that map cut out Altanta from Applachia.

Atlanta proper and the middle-class-black southern suburbs, but not the vast (and hyperpartisan Republican) Northern Suburbia.

Which was still rural back in the mid '60's

Yeah, but this article still left it in Appalachia, which is what you rightly complained about.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Hmm, it looks like that map cut out Altanta from Applachia.

Atlanta proper and the middle-class-black southern suburbs, but not the vast (and hyperpartisan Republican) Northern Suburbia.

Which was still rural back in the mid '60's

Yeah, but this article still left it in Appalachia, which is what you rightly complained about.

And to add insult to injury they added Cobb county (!!!!!!) to it, while (for some reason I don't understand) removing Pittsburgh et al.

[minionofmidas]

Hmm, it looks like that map cut out Altanta from Applachia.

Atlanta proper and the middle-class-black southern suburbs, but not the vast (and hyperpartisan Republican) Northern Suburbia.

Which was still rural back in the mid '60's

Yeah, but this article still left it in Appalachia, which is what you rightly complained about.

And to add insult to injury they added Cobb county (!!!!!!) to it, while (for some reason I don't understand) removing Pittsburgh et al.

They removed Pittsburgh because it also fits in the Rust Belt (which they called Great Lakes), and because they needed to balance population.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Hmm, it looks like that map cut out Altanta from Applachia.

Atlanta proper and the middle-class-black southern suburbs, but not the vast (and hyperpartisan Republican) Northern Suburbia.

Which was still rural back in the mid '60's

Yeah, but this article still left it in Appalachia, which is what you rightly complained about.

And to add insult to injury they added Cobb county (!!!!!!) to it, while (for some reason I don't understand) removing Pittsburgh et al.

They removed Pittsburgh because it also fits in the Rust Belt (which they called Great Lakes), and because they needed to balance population.

But Cobb county?

[minionofmidas]

Balancing population again, I guess.
Also, one of their key points is that 8 out of 10 major US regions are Terra Incognita for one of the parties, so maybe they had to shore up the Rep majority in Appalachia.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Balancing population again, I guess.
Also, one of their key points is that 8 out of 10 major US regions are Terra Incognita for one of the parties, so maybe they had to shore up the Rep majority in Appalachia.

So basically they're being intellectually dishonest

[muon2]

So, if we were intellectually honest, would all of Atlanta metro be in Appalachia, or out of it? Another way to ask it: Is Atlanta culturally (not necessarily politically) more like Birmingham AL (in), more like Savannah GA (out), or more like Columbia SC (out)?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

So, if we were intellectually honest, would all of Atlanta metro be in Appalachia, or out of it? Another way to ask it: Is Atlanta culturally (not necessarily politically) more like Birmingham AL (in), more like Savannah GA (out), or more like Columbia SC (out)?

The Birmingham Metro is confusing because while Birmingham is Appalachian (for the same reasons Pittsburgh is) it's South East suburbs (Shelby county) aren't IMO (but I'm going off topic here. Sorry)

Basically the Atlanta suburbs eat up (and destroy without trace) the older rural communities in their way (Median HH Income Map) and have a distinctly non-Appalachian political culture... so yes, I would exclude the entire Atlanta Metro from Appalachia.

[muon2]

So, if we were intellectually honest, would all of Atlanta metro be in Appalachia, or out of it? Another way to ask it: Is Atlanta culturally (not necessarily politically) more like Birmingham AL (in), more like Savannah GA (out), or more like Columbia SC (out)?

The Birmingham Metro is confusing because while Birmingham is Appalachian (for the same reasons Pittsburgh is) it's South East suburbs (Shelby county) aren't IMO (but I'm going off topic here. Sorry)

Basically the Atlanta suburbs eat up (and destroy without trace) the older rural communities in their way (Median HH Income Map) and have a distinctly non-Appalachian political culture... so yes, I would exclude the entire Atlanta Metro from Appalachia.

So, if I were to describe the Appalachian region as a set of "states", they might go this way (south to north):

Talladega: northern AL and northeast MS.
Appalachia: eastern TN and KY, southern WV, western NC and VA, far northwestern SC, far northern GA.
Allegheny: northern WV, eastern OH, western and central and PA (except Erie), MD panhandle.
Oneida: west and central NY, northeast PA.
Champlain: northern NY, VT, NH, ME (NB is you go into Canada)

[muon2]

Way back last summer there was a thread on redividing the 50 states based on regional similarities. At that time I supplied a map and reapportionment data. Based on the discussions about the Appalachian regions here, I've updated that map and associated data.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Hmm... the basic outline of the Appalachian state is pretty good, but you'd have to split it into Central Appalachia and Southern Appalachia... problem is where to split it. You could just the NC-TN/VA-KY stateline, but that wouldn't be that accurate as about 3 or 2 counties in TN are more Central (IMO anyway) and the eastern side of VA's Appalachian counties is more Southern. I'll get back to you on this...
Interesting idea, BTW

[muon2]

Hmm... the basic outline of the Appalachian state is pretty good, but you'd have to split it into Central Appalachia and Southern Appalachia... problem is where to split it. You could just the NC-TN/VA-KY stateline, but that wouldn't be that accurate as about 3 or 2 counties in TN are more Central (IMO anyway) and the eastern side of VA's Appalachian counties is more Southern. I'll get back to you on this...
Interesting idea, BTW

Thanks, I look forward to your thoughts. As you think about it, keep in mind my rule that the total number of states is kept at 50. If Appalachia is split in two, I'd want to reduce the number of states somewhere else (but avoid making states that exceed 10 million).