heartland

American  

[hahrt-land, -luhnd] / ˈhɑrtˌlænd, -lənd /

noun

1. the part of a region considered essential to the viability and survival of the whole, especially a central land area relatively invulnerable to attack and capable of economic and political self-sufficiency.

2. any central area, as of a state, nation, or continent.

   a vineyard in California's heartland.

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heartland British  

/ ˈhɑːtˌlænd /

noun

1. the central region of a country or continent

2. the core or most vital area

   the industrial heartland of England

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Etymology

Origin of heartland

First recorded in 1900–05; heart + land

Example Sentences

Sphagnum moss had not disappeared from Marsden Moor, between the industrial heartlands of Huddersfield and Manchester, but it had been badly affected by centuries of industrial pollution.

From BBC

That year, reviewing a Los Angeles performance, a critic noted Arnold’s “heartland drawl” and sleeveless denim shirt, calling him “less punk than Springsteen.”

From Los Angeles Times

Job losses were most acute in Ontario, the country’s industrial heartland and home to the bulk of the automotive industry.

From The Wall Street Journal

It's a project long pushed for by Canada's oil heartland but one which faces significant hurdles.

From BBC

The party lost swathes of its Midlands and northern English heartlands too, in 2019, only to win them back in 2024.

From BBC

Related Words

• backwoods