Heartland

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Heartland

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

noun

Pronunciation

HART-land  /ˈhɑːtland/

Definition

The central or most important region of a country or area; the area from which a movement, culture, or power derives its strength; in geopolitics, Halford Mackinder's concept of the strategically pivotal interior of Eurasia.

Plain meaning

A heartland is the central, most vital region of a country or territory — where its essential character, population, and power are concentrated. In geopolitics, Mackinder's Heartland theory identified the interior of Eurasia as the key to world domination. In politics, the heartland refers to the core electoral territory of a party or movement.

Register

Neutral to technical. Heartland is standard in geopolitics, electoral analysis, and cultural commentary. The Mackinder Heartland is a technical geopolitical concept; the political heartland is standard journalistic vocabulary.