The
Northeastern United States, or simply
the Northeast, is a geographical
region of the United States bounded to the north by Canada, to the east by the
Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the
Southern United States, and to the west by the
Midwestern United States. The Northeast is one of the four regions defined by the Census Bureau for the collection and analysis of statistics. The Census Bureau-defined region has a total area of with of that being
land mass. Though lacking a unified cultural identity, the Northeastern region is the nation's most
economically developed,
densely populated, and
culturally diverse. Of the nation's four census regions, the Northeast is the second most urban, with 85 percent of its population residing within urban areas, led by the
West with 90 percent.