Nine Nations of North America 30 years Later • Hacker News Board

Re: Nine Nations of North America 30 years Later

#61

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jul 30, 2014, 3:25 PM UTC

cratering wrote: post #19

s_q_b wrote: post #6

Very cool idea. Although the recent oil and natural gas booms are fast transforming "The Empty Quarter" into "Extractopia" where oil, gas, logging, and mineral extraction, which are already the main industries, are going to become an increasingly important driver of overall North American economic growth.

I completely agree except I feel that the "topia" suffix implies it's some sort of paradise. Given the controversy around environmental damage, something more ominous like "gasland" might be better.

[deleted]

Re: Nine Nations of North America 30 years Later

#62

Post by lilsunnybee » Wed, Jul 30, 2014, 3:26 PM UTC

freehunter wrote: post #37

jessaustin wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, as distressing as it may be to me personally to live in "Greater Texas" (I thought we left the Big 12?), the "Nine" definitely screws up by splitting Texas into three pieces, the largest of which has a "capital" in Los Angeles . Had Garreau ever been to Texas when he wrote the book? I've lived there, and the conformity of certain assumptions and habits across the state and across cultural and income groups is so…

Then again, the actual capital of Texas is Austin, so it's not that far from reality.

Austin seems to qualify as a separate city-state though, rather than being representative of Greater Texas as a whole.

Re: Nine Nations of North America 30 years Later

#63

Post by lilsunnybee » Wed, Jul 30, 2014, 3:29 PM UTC

freehunter wrote: post #20

toddsiegel wrote: post #8

Similar to the 7 States of Facebook which surfaced a few years ago. http://gigaom.com/2010/02/08/the-7-somewhat-united-states-of... Culturally some of these boundaries seem more accurate.

It really irritates me, almost unreasonably so, that I cannot view a larger version of that map. And I've been searching for it since the first time it was posted. Take this post [1] for example, where it says "Click on the map to learn more". Clicking on the map refreshes the page. It also has a link that says "To make sense of the patterns I'm seeing, I've marked and labeled the clusters, and added some notes about…

Definitely. Even in larger versions in the map, are there any that clearly distinguish state lines and major cities? Omitting this information makes it hard to examine these regions from a cultural perspective.

Re: Nine Nations of North America 30 years Later

#64

Post by lilsunnybee » Wed, Jul 30, 2014, 3:45 PM UTC

crag wrote: post #56

It's true about Florida. Drive up the east coast, once you drive though Palm Beach county (heading north) and into Martin county, you'd swear you were in Georgia. It's a sudden change. Even environmental. Since zone 10 (topical) ends somewhere near on the border of Palm Beach and in Martin counties. Edit: Correction. Zone 10/9 are expanding. Which makes sense considering global warming. See http://www.garden.bsewall.…

Personally i would hardly consider Tampa and Orlando as Dixie. Slightly conservative? certainly. Though not Southern and more an odd mish-mash of liberal and conservative, mostly pro-development, but with an odd pro-environmental strain in the Tampa area. Gainesville, FL is an odd duck miniature city-state: half-Southern, half-hippie values, similar to Athens, GA.

Re: Nine Nations of North America 30 years Later

#65

Post by lilsunnybee » Wed, Jul 30, 2014, 3:52 PM UTC

taneliv wrote: post #9

I am not from Americas, and had never heard of the concept of Nine Nations. If you're equally lost with some of the terms ("Dixie"? "The Foundry"?) or the overall theory, this sheds some light on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Nations (but unfortunately does not provide links for some of the regions). Anyone know of a better online exposition?

The book itself would probably be the best source for detailed descriptions of the different regions. It has to be available as an e-book too. Worth buying if you'd like to learn more about general cultural regions and boundaries in the US, or pirating if you don't have the funds. Just remember that even 3 decades ago it had some inaccuracies, many of which are pointed out in this thread. But it is a good primer, not very long, and a light, entertaining read, in my opinion.

Re: Nine Nations of North America 30 years Later

#66

Post by crag » Fri, Aug 01, 2014, 1:27 PM UTC

lilsunnybee wrote: post #64

crag wrote: post #56

It's true about Florida. Drive up the east coast, once you drive though Palm Beach county (heading north) and into Martin county, you'd swear you were in Georgia. It's a sudden change. Even environmental. Since zone 10 (topical) ends somewhere near on the border of Palm Beach and in Martin counties. Edit: Correction. Zone 10/9 are expanding. Which makes sense considering global warming. See http://www.garden.bsewall.…

Personally i would hardly consider Tampa and Orlando as Dixie. Slightly conservative? certainly. Though not Southern and more an odd mish-mash of liberal and conservative, mostly pro-development, but with an odd pro-environmental strain in the Tampa area. Gainesville, FL is an odd duck miniature city-state: half-Southern, half-hippie values, similar to Athens, GA.

Yeah the west coast of Florida has always been a little hard to predict. Another good example is Sarasota - which is 1/3 southern, 1/3 hippe and a 1/3 retired.

But in the east, generally, once you are in Martin and up - it's southern. That's doesn't mean there aren't nice towns up the coast - Stuart, Verio, Coco Beach. Daytona, etc etc.