Capitalizing North, South, East, West: Rules for Regions vs. Directions

The rule is simple but often confused:

Lowercase = Compass Direction (General)

Use **lowercase** when indicating a general direction or location relative to something else.

• The sun rises in the **east**.
• Drive **north** on I-95 for 50 miles.
• My house is on the **west** side of the street.
• Winds from the **southwest**.

Capitalize = Proper Noun / Defined Region

Use **capital letters** when the word is part of a **specific, named geographic, political, or cultural region**.

• North America, South America, Central America
• East Asia, Southeast Asia, West Africa
• Western Europe, Eastern Europe
• the North, the South, the East, the West (in US Civil War / cultural context)
• the Pacific Northwest, the Deep South, the Midwest
• North Pole, South Pole
• Northern California, South Florida (recognized regions)

Edge Cases

• "Western" vs "western": **Western** philosophy (cultural tradition), **western** movie (genre), **western** Kansas (general area).
• Adjectives: **northern** lights (phenomenon), **Northern** Lights (specific proper name? usually lowercase), **Southern** hospitality (cultural trait—often capped), **southern** exposure (direction). Style guides vary; consistency within document is key.

Quick Test

Can you put "the" before it and have it mean a specific, recognized place? **The North** (Civil War), **The West** (US region) → Capitalize. **The north** (direction) → lowercase.