Are Region Names Capitalized?
Popular names of regions are capitalized:
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Badger State
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Bay Area
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Silicon Valley
Most popular names—such as the Sun Belt or the Fertile Crescent—cover large or ill-defined areas and could be considered singular, but occasionally a popular name will be plural. For example, the name Twin Cities refers to two specific cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota) and therefore is plural.
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Silicon Valley is in California.
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The Twin Cities are having great weather this week.
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About the Author
Mignon Fogarty is the founder of Quick and Dirty Tips and the author of seven books on language, including the New York Times bestseller “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.” She is an inductee in the Podcasting Hall of Fame, and the show is a five-time winner of Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards. She has appeared as a guest expert on the Oprah Winfrey Show and the Today Show. Her popular LinkedIn Learning courses help people write better to communicate better.
