why is the midwest called the midwest. why can't it be called the mideast?

Question

i mean isn't it an equal distance east and west from the middle states?

Answer 1

East west, home best

Answer 2

Because it is in the middle of the Western Hemisphere, just like the region that is called the Middle East is in the Middle of the Eastern Hemisphere. The Middle East was called that long before anyone even lived in the Midwest.

Answer 3

The United States is located in the western hemisphere of the globe, so therefor the middle of the continent is labeled "Midwest".

Or it could have originated from the early days when the west was not settled. People may have called it the "Midwest" because they were moving from the eastern part of the continent, onward to the west.

I don't know for sure. This is simply my speculation.

Answer 4

I think it has more to do with the expansion of the US. As the settlers pushed onward to the Pacific and US annexed more and more land the midwestern states were the halfway point to the western settlements. Therfore it became the Midwest since people were traveling in that direction. Perhaps if Columbus sailed from Persia instead of Spain they would be called the Mideastern states.

Answer 5

It was once known as the "west" or "northwest" when it was the western most part of the US. Then, as states west were added, it became the "midwest".

Answer 6

Beacuse the middle east is already taken. The people in the middle east thought it would fit their area more than the middle west.

Answer 7

It was west of where the settlers had landed. It would be confused with the mideast in Asia, if they would have called it the other.

Answer 8

because the united states is in the western hemisphere, so there is two what you would call "mid points" one is verticle (Somewhere around mexico) and the other one is in the middle of these untied states

Answer 9

Western civilization thinks of itself as center of the world and at times it has been the most advanced place.

Answer 10

Or mid central