The South

From Freepedia

The South may refer to:

• A geographical section of the world, such as the southern hemisphere (see also latitude).

• The poorer, less economically developed nations of the world, as opposed to The North, which is notionally richer and more developed (see North-South divide). Some see this term as stereotyped and overgeneralised name because in reality there are many developed nations in the southern hemisphere and many underdeveloped countries in the north.

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

• Italy, which has a north-south divide where the poorer regions are in the south. The South is mainly agricultural, while the North is the richer industrial and commercial heartland of the country.
• England, where the South (or more accurately the South-east) is relatively rich. It is the home to two-thirds of the population, and attracts higher salaries and greater job prospects than the North.
• The United States of America, where the South generally refers to those states which seceded at the time of the American Civil War as the Confederate States of America. The U.S. also has a north-south divide, again with the poorer areas in the south (even though this divide is closing).
• North Korea, where "the South" refers to South Korea pronounced as Nam-Chosun (South Korea).

• A novel by Colm Tóibín (see The South (novel)).