Regions of the US

What are the regions of the US?
Every country has this problem: we can't quite make up our minds, and it depends on what you're looking at, too – weather, bbq, geography, historical circumstance – the list could go on and on.. According to Thinkquest, there are 5 -- Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest and West -- we're going to tip over westward!

This how the US government defines our regions for the census: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_regions_of_the_United_States

(my colors)

• NORTHEAST (blue because it's cold, and for the sea)
• SOUTH (red, because it's hot)
• MIDWEST (green, because it's the breadbasket)
• WEST (yellow for sunshine -- well, it doesn't fit everywhere -- maybe we'll call it adobe)
  

Within each region are Divisions. Here's where we start to part company. The government says:

NORTHEAST
New England: ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT
Mid-Atlantic: NY, PA, NJ
(Let's put Connecticut down there with NY, PA, and NJ.)
.
SOUTH
South Atlantic: DE, MD, DC, VA, WV, NC, SC, GA, FL
(Delaware? Maryland is even debatable. -- at least they are on the Atlantic coast. I don't agree with West Virginia at all.)
East South Central: KY, TN, MS, AL
West South Central: OK, TX, AR, LA
(Texas?? Well, it was part of the Confederacy, but let's put it down in the old West.)
.
MIDWEST
East North Central: WI, MI, IL, IN, OH
West North Central: ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA, MO
.
WEST
Mountain: ID, MT, WY, NV, UT, CO, AZ, NM
Pacific: AK, WA, OR, CA, HI
(Wait . . . no Southwest?? We HAVE to have one! I really would like to get the Southwest in there, because it's such a well known region. )

Here are two interesting websites that show you just how subjective Regions are:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/rrhtml/regdef.html
http://usa.usembassy.de/travel-regions.htm

How about this configuration? I'd love to hear your comments!

ATLANTIC COAST
New England: ME, NH, VT, MA, RI,
Mid-Atlantic: CT, NY, PA, NJ, DE,
South Atlantic: MD, DC, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL

INTERIOR
South: AR, LA, KY, TN, MS, AL
Great Lakes: WI, MI, MN
Midwest: WV, IL, IN, OH
Great Plains: ND, SD, NE, KS, IA, MO

WEST
Rocky Mountains: ID, MT, WY, NV, UT, CO
Southwest: OK, TX, AZ, NM
Pacific Coast: AK, WA, OR, CA, HI