Wanderlust World Wanderlust World There is no single "South" with a defined population. "The South" means different things in different contexts:
| Context | Definition | Approx. Population |
|---|---|---|
| US Census "South" | 16 states + DC (DE, MD, VA, WV, KY, NC, SC, TN, GA, FL, AL, MS, AR, LA, TX, OK) | 129 million (2023) |
| Global South | Developing nations (Africa, LatAm, Asia, Oceania) — political/economic term | ~6.5 billion |
| South Korea | Country | 51 million |
| South Africa | Country | 60 million |
| South America | Continent | 440 million |
| Southern Hemisphere | Half of Earth | ~1 billion (12% of humanity) |
To get a meaningful answer, specify: Which "South"? — US region, Global South, a country, a hemisphere?