Editing Contiguous United States (section)

== Other terms ==
While ''conterminous U.S.'' has the precise meaning of ''contiguous U.S.'' (both adjectives meaning "sharing a common boundary"), other terms commonly used to describe the 48 contiguous states have a greater degree of ambiguity.

=== Continental and mainland United States ===
{{Redirect|Continental United States|the continental shelf|Continental shelf of the United States}}
Because [[Alaska]] is also a part of [[North America]], the term '''''continental United States''''' also includes that state, so the term is qualified with the explicit inclusion of Alaska to resolve any ambiguity.<ref name="rhwcd" /><ref>{{cite web |quote=The ''continental United States'' comprises the 48 contiguous, or conterminous, states plus Alaska. |url=http://stylemanual.ngs.org/home/C/conterminous-contiguous-continental |title=National Geographic Style Manual |access-date=April 4, 2012 |archive-date=January 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102075245/http://stylemanual.ngs.org/home/C/conterminous-contiguous-continental |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unitedcargo.com/help/glossary.jsp?pageIndex=C |title=United Cargo website |quote=''Continental United States'': The 48 adjoining states, Alaska and District of Columbia. |access-date=April 4, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402170349/http://www.unitedcargo.com/help/glossary.jsp?pageIndex=C |archive-date=April 2, 2012 |df=mdy}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alaskaair.com/as/mileageplan/AwardsUSACanada.asp |title=Alaska Airlines website |quote=The Continental U.S. includes the lower 48 states as well as the State of Alaska, unless otherwise specified. |access-date=April 4, 2012 |archive-date=February 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221004501/http://www.alaskaair.com/as/mileageplan/awardsUSACanada.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> On May 14, 1959, the [[United States Board on Geographic Names]] issued the following definitions based partially on the reference in the Alaska Omnibus Bill, which defined the continental United States as "the 49 States on the North American Continent and the District of Columbia..." The Board reaffirmed these definitions on May 13, 1999.<ref name=usgs.gov/> However, even before Alaska became a state, it was properly included within the continental U.S. due to being an [[Territories of the United States#Incorporated vs. unincorporated territories|incorporated territory]].<ref>"In the absence of any such statement, Alaska would be regarded as a part of the continental United States." [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.74425 <!-- quote=alaska "continental united states". --> Inland Marine and Transportation Insurance (1949)]</ref>

The term '''''mainland United States''''' is sometimes used synonymously with ''continental United States'', but technically refers only to those parts of states connected to the landmass of North America, thereby excluding not only [[Hawaii]] and overseas [[insular area]]s, but also islands which are part of continental states but separated from the mainland, such as the [[Aleutian Islands]] ([[Alaska]]), [[San Juan Islands]] ([[Washington (state)|Washington]]), the [[Channel Islands (California)|Channel Islands]] ([[California]]), [[Florida Keys|the Keys]] ([[Florida]]), the [[barrier island]]s ([[Gulf Coast of the United States|Gulf]] and [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] states), and [[Long Island]] (New York).<ref>{{cite book|last=Hyslop|first=Stephen G.|title=Political Geography of the United States|publisher=[[Guilford Press]]|date= April 5, 1996|pages=105–110}}</ref>

=== CONUS and OCONUS ===
{{Redirect|CONUS|the sea snail|Conus{{!}}''Conus''|other uses|Conus (disambiguation)}}

''CONUS'', a technical term used by the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Department of Defense]], [[General Services Administration]], [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA/National Weather Service]], and others, has been defined both as the continental United States, and as the 48 contiguous states.<ref name="GSA">{{cite web | url=http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/21287 | publisher=United States General Services Administration | title=Per Diem Rates (CONUS and OCONUS) | access-date=September 21, 2010 | archive-date=September 21, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100921092405/http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/21287 | url-status=live }} <!-- Actually, this source defines CONUS as CONTINENTAL U.S., but includes D.C. by extension (not by definition) --></ref><ref name="conus_military">{{cite web | url=http://www.navy.mil/tools/view_styleguide_all.asp | title=U.S. Navy Style Guide | quote=CONUS - "Continental United States." CONUS refers to the 48 contiguous states. It is not synonymous with United States. CONUS is acceptable on first reference. | access-date=November 24, 2008 | archive-date=March 11, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311014216/http://www.navy.mil/tools/view_styleguide_all.asp | url-status=dead }} "CONUS" seems to be used primarily by the American military and the Federal government and those doing business with them.</ref>  The District of Columbia is not always specifically mentioned as being part of ''CONUS''.<ref name="conus_military" /><!-- as well, GSA does not define CONUS, but gives a list.-->

''OCONUS'' is derived from CONUS with ''O'' for outside added, thus referring to Outside of Continental United States.<ref name="GSA" /><ref>{{cite web | quote="OCONUS:  Outside Continental United States | url=https://www.army.mil/aps/2003/extras/glossary/ | title=Glossary of Army Terms | access-date=April 4, 2012 | archive-date=June 25, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625031942/http://www.army.mil/aps/2003/extras/glossary/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

=== The lower 48 ===

The term ''lower 48'' is also used to refer to the conterminous United States. The ''[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]'' style guide recommends the use of ''contiguous'' or ''conterminous United States'' instead of ''lower 48'' when the 48 states are meant, unless used in the context of Alaska.<ref name=ngstyle/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://stylemanual.ngs.org/home/C/conterminous-contiguous-continental |title=National Geographic Style Manual: conterminous, or contiguous, continental, continental United States |access-date=September 22, 2011 |archive-date=January 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102075245/http://stylemanual.ngs.org/home/C/conterminous-contiguous-continental |url-status=live |quote= Use contiguous, or conterminous, for the 48 states. The continental United States comprises the 48 contiguous, or conterminous, states plus Alaska.}}</ref> Almost all of Hawaii is south of the southernmost point of the conterminous United States in Florida.

=== Zone of the Interior ===

During [[World War II]], the first four [[numbered Air Force]]s of the [[United States Army Air Forces]] (USAAF) were said to be assigned to the ''[[USAAF#Emblems|Zone of the Interior]]'' by the American military organizations of the time—the future states of [[Alaska]] and [[Hawaii]], then each only [[Organized incorporated territories of the United States|organized incorporated territories]] of the Union, were respectively covered by the [[Eleventh Air Force#Origins|Eleventh Air Force]] and [[Seventh Air Force#Origins|Seventh Air Force]] during the war.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}