The North

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

The North

The North
North

North is one of the four cardinal directions, specifically the direction that, in Western culture, is treated as the fundamental direction:...
may refer to:

Discussion

Ask a question about 'The North'

Start a new discussion about 'The North'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

The North
North

North is one of the four cardinal directions, specifically the direction that, in Western culture, is treated as the fundamental direction:...
may refer to:

A geographical section of the world (see latitude
Latitude

Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the equator. Lines of Latitude are the horizontal lines shown running east-to-west on maps ....
).

The wealthy and technologically advanced nations of the world, as contrasted with the nations comprising the South
The South

The South may refer to:...
(see North-South divide
North-South divide

The North-South Divide is the socioeconomics and politics division that exists between the wealthy developed country, known collectively as "the North", and the poorer developing countries , or "the South." Although most nations comprising the "North" are in fact located in the Northern Hemisphere, the divide is not primarily defined by geog...
).

In the study of politics
Political science

Political science is a social science concerned with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior....
and international relations
International relations

International relations represents the study of foreign affairs and global issues among states within the international system, including the roles of states, international organization , non-governmental organizations , and multinational corporations ....
, the term the North is often used as a more theoretically coherent replacement for the earlier notion of the West
Western world

The term Western world, the West or the Occident can have multiple meanings dependent on its context . Accordingly, the basic definition of what constitutes "the West" varies, expanding and contracting over time, in relation to various historical circumstances....
.

The northern part of a particular country or geographical region. Within this region, if places with a common characteristic are mostly found in the north, then the North becomes a synonym for places with that characteristic. Among the many countries and regions with this designation are:

Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, where the North refers to Northern Canada
Northern Canada

File:Northern Canada.svgNorthern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics....
– usually understood as the three territories
Provinces and territories of Canada

The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the List of countries and outlying territories by total area. The major difference between a Canada province and a territory is that a province receives its power and authority directly from the Monarchy in Canada, via the Constitution Act, 1867, whereas territories derive their manda...
, or coincident northerly lands. Similarly, the Far North is sometimes used to refer to the Canadian Arctic
Arctic

The Arctic is the region around the Earth's North Pole, opposite the Antarctica region around the South Pole. The Arctic includes the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Greenland , Russia, the United States , Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland....
.
Italy
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
, which has a north-south divide
North-South divide

The North-South Divide is the socioeconomics and politics division that exists between the wealthy developed country, known collectively as "the North", and the poorer developing countries , or "the South." Although most nations comprising the "North" are in fact located in the Northern Hemisphere, the divide is not primarily defined by geog...
where the wealthier regions are in the north. The North is the richer industrial and commercial heartland of the country, whilst the South is mainly agricultural. Lega Nord (the Northern League) campaigns for the secession of northern Italy from the rest of the country.
the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, where 'the North' can refer to:

the general area in England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
that is North of the Midlands, though parts of the Midlands are sometimes seen as belonging to the North. This usage may also include Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
.
a designation on road signs in the United Kingdom, particularly on motorways and other major trunk roads, to denote a direction of travel.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
, as an alternative to "the north of Ireland"

the United States of America, where the North is used to refer to those states which supported preserving the Union
Union (American Civil War)

During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the Federal government of the United States of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three states which were not part of the secession attempt by the 11 states that formed the Confederate States of America....
during the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
(see: U.S. Northern states).

The North, or Norden, can also refer to the Nordic countries
Nordic countries

File:Location Nordic Council.svgThe Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and far northeastern North America, called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories which include the Faroe Islands, Greenland and ?land....
.

In addition, before 17th century, Nordic or Northern was used to mean Northern Europe
Northern Europe

Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as including the following countries and dependent regions:...
, including European Russia
European Russia

European Russia refers to the western areas of Russia that lie within Europe, comprising roughly 3,960,000 km?, and spanning across 40% of Europe....
, the Baltic countries
Baltic countries

The Baltic states , Baltic Nations or Baltic countries are three countries in Northern Europe, all European Union member state of the European Union: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania....
(at that time Livonia
Livonia

Livonia was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida Castle....
and Courland
Courland

Courland is one of the cultural and historical regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland....
) and Greenland
Greenland

Greenland is a member country of the Kingdom of Denmark located between the Arctic Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago....
.

The North

See also