Directions
and regions
Capitalize
direction names
and their variations
when they designate
a specific region
or residents of
a region. Use
lowercase when
they designate
compass points.
Crops
from the West,
Midwest, and South
are shipped to
the Northeast.
Some
Northerners have
never tasted Southern
cooking.
Record
temperatures continued
to bake the Midwestern
and Southern states.
Strong southerly
winds
provided
little relief.
Winds
are expected to
become northerly
later today, bringing
cooler air.
Capitalize direction
names and their
variations when
they are used
as nouns to stand
for natives or
residents of a
specific area.
Northerners
Southerners
Cap direction
and region names
when they are
part of a proper
name or designate
a region widely
known among your
audience.
Corn
Belt
Cotton
Belt
Down
East
East
Coast
Eastern
Seaboard
Heartland
Low
Country
North
Woods
Northern
California
South
of France
Southern
California
the
South Side of
Chicago
Texas
Hill Country
West
Coast
Generally use
lowercase when
describing a section
of a state or
city.
southwestern
Minneapolis
western
Iowa
When in doubt,
use lowercase.
Capitalize when
designating politically
divided areas.
Northern
Ireland
Western
Europe (when context
refers to post-World
War II Europe)
Capitalize north,
south, east, and
west when they’re
used as names
for specific sections
of the U.S.
in
the North
out
West
back
East
the
Deep South
Capitalize regions
in time zones;
cap rest of zone
name if it is
the official,
full name.
Eastern
time or Eastern
Standard Time
Pacific
time or Pacific
Daylight Time
Capitalization,
SR5.1
Acronyms,
SR5.2
After
colons, SR5.3
Directions
and regions, SR5.4
Heads
and titles, SR5.5
Names,
SR5.6
Web
sites, SR5.7
Zones,
SR5.8
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