relating to the northern or inland regions of a state, especially away from major cities.
American English compound from 'up' (north) and 'state,' becoming common in the 19th-20th centuries. 'Up' originally meant higher in latitude or elevation.
New York made 'upstate' famous, but the term reveals how Americans think about geography—'up' typically means north regardless of actual elevation, showing that map orientation is a learned cultural habit.
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