The Nissan Path

What states are we considering the southeast? Louisiana sometimes falls into the southwest because we are west of the Mississippi River.

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cbacarisse wrote:What states are we considering the southeast? Louisiana sometimes falls into the southwest because we are west of the Mississippi River.

The "South," the "southeast" or simply a "Southern State." It would never be considered part of the southwest, geographically speaking.

You would be surprised. Louisiana is the red-headed stepchild. I know we are in the gulf south, but we get put into the Southwest category all the time.

cbacarisse wrote:You would be surprised. Louisiana is the red-headed stepchild. I know we are in the gulf south, but we get put into the Southwest category all the time.

I've seen Louisiana's inclusion a few times myself, but it all depends on the source. Geographers & textbooks do not have it included as part of the southwest. I think the biggest reason so many people mistakenly lump it in with the southwest is just based on historical reasons: back in the 1800's, anything west of the Mississippi was categorized as the "west." When the rest of the country was settled, those geographic boundaries moved.

It really doesn't matter. Conversationally, people can lump it in with the east, assuming you aren't speaking to the 50+ percent of the population who has no clue where anything is. The only analogy I can think of would be the very annoying habit of everyone outside of the west who mispronounce Nevada.

I have the same problem being in Arkansas, it's not Southeast nor Southwest, also not the midwest

I know I'm a little late in the conversation, but I think if you're originally from The South, LA qualifies as Southwest, but anything north of, say GA is Northern.