Third Coast is an American
colloquialism used to describe coastal
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
s distinct from the
East Coast and the
West Coast of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. Generally, the term "Third Coast" refers to either the
Great Lakes region
The Great Lakes region of North America is a binational Canadian–American region that includes portions of the eight U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin along with the Canadian p ...
or in some circles the
Gulf Coast of the United States. "Fourth Coast" may refer to the same areas, with the assumption that the other is the Third Coast.
Usage
Considering its Great Lakes coasts,
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
has more miles of shoreline than does any other of the
lower 48 states
The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...
and more fresh water shoreline than any other state. When considering the sheer size of the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...
bordering the
Southern United States
The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
, the combined Great Lakes' square mileage of 94,250 is dwarfed by the Gulf's size of 600,000 square miles.
For filmmaking, the term "Third Coast" has been used to refer to locations outside of
Hollywood or
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
used for the production of films and TV shows, notable examples including
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
,
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, the
Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and
Australia.
Fresh Coast
The term "Fresh Coast" was popularized by
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
mayor
Tom Barrett and is most often used to spur commerce, in contrast to the colloquialism "
Rust Belt
The Rust Belt is a region of the United States that experienced industrial decline starting in the 1950s. The U.S. manufacturing sector as a percentage of the U.S. GDP peaked in 1953 and has been in decline since, impacting certain regions an ...
", first mentioned at a visit in
Maple Dale Middle School.
Regional media outlets have adopted the phrase in an effort to re-brand Great Lakes development. The term connotes both the area's large resource of fresh water and its educational resources. "Middle Coast" is also often used colloquially within the
American Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
to refer to the lakefront recreational areas, including a
Traverse City
Traverse City ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was ...
-based brewery of the same name.
See also
*
Third Coast (magazine)
*
Third Coast Kings
*
Third Coast Percussion
*
Third Coast Born
*
French Coast
*
Gulf Coast of the United States
*
Great Lakes Megalopolis
*
Southern hip hop
Southern hip hop, also known as Southern rap, South Coast hip hop, or dirty south, is a blanket term for a regional genre of American hip hop music that emerged in the Southern United States, especially in Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, Memp ...
References
Further reading
* McClelland, Ted. ''The Third Coast: Sailors, Strippers, Fishermen, Folksingers, Long-Haired Ojibway Painters, and God-Save-the-Queen Monarchists of the Great Lakes''. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, February 1, 2008.
*
Dyja, Thomas. ''The Third Coast: When Chicago Built the American Dream''. New York: Penguin, 2013.
External links
Third Coast MagazineDigital Third Coast
{{Authority control
Culture of Milwaukee
Culture of Chicago
Culture of Detroit
Michigan culture
Midwestern United States
Great Lakes
Culture of Houston
Coasts of the United States
Regions of the United States