Flyover country
Flyover country is a nickname used for the vast middle of the United States, covering everything between the densely populated Northeastern U.S. and the western state of California. U.S. states in the area can correspondingly be called flyover states, a term that became common during the 2000 U.S. presidential election. The name comes from the fact that many popular media figures, entertainers and other American celebrities typically shuttle between New York City and Los Angeles by air, commonly without stopping. Even the nation's third-largest city, Chicago, can be considered part of the region. People and businesses that are primarily on the coasts may be referred to as "bicoastal."
The term "flyover country" has derogatory connotations for many people living in the American midwest, who feel the nickname smacks of condescending cultural elitism. However, some conservative talk show hosts, most notably Rush Limbaugh, have adopted the term to define the portion of the country that does not tend to support liberal political views to the extent that they are popular in New England and the West Coast. This disregards the fact that many of the industrialized states in the Upper Midwest tend to lean Democratic, being heavily unionized and/or having abolished capital punishment in the nineteenth century.