Figure.

“Appalachia” most commonly refers to the 423-county region designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) in 1965, which is divided into 5 subregions. It is important to note that the counties designated by the ARC were included for a variety of reasons, some geographic, some economic, and some political. However, given that lines were not drawn by social ethnographers, there may be persons in areas near the region who identify as Appalachian and whose lived experiences mirror those within the region.¹⁴,²¹ Map produced by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Used with permission from the ARC.