Conterminous vs. Contiguous: A Clear Explanation
What Does Conterminous Mean?
Conterminous means sharing the same boundaries or limits. Two areas are conterminous when their borders are identical or they occupy the same extent. The word comes from the Latin conterminus, meaning "having a common boundary."
Example sentences:
- The conterminous United States includes the 48 states that share connected borders, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
- The school district is conterminous with the county, meaning they cover exactly the same area.
- The park's boundaries are conterminous with the old property lines established in 1890.
Conterminous emphasizes that two things share the exact same boundary or extent, not just that they touch.
What Does Contiguous Mean?
Contiguous means sharing a border, touching, or being next to something without a gap. Two things are contiguous when they are physically adjacent.
Example sentences:
- The contiguous United States refers to the 48 states connected to one another by land.
- France and Spain are contiguous countries, sharing a border along the Pyrenees.
- The two properties are contiguous, separated only by a fence line.
Contiguous is the more common and widely understood term. It focuses on physical adjacency rather than identical boundaries.
Where the Confusion Comes From
"The contiguous United States" and "the conterminous United States" are both used to describe the lower 48 states. In this specific context, they mean essentially the same thing, which is why many people treat them as synonyms. However, their general meanings differ.
Two regions can be contiguous (touching at a border) without being conterminous (having identical boundaries). Contiguous is the broader term. Conterminous is more specific.
When to Use Each
Use conterminous when you want to say that two areas share the same boundaries exactly. This is common in administrative and political geography, where a city might be conterminous with a county.
Use contiguous when you want to say that two areas touch or are adjacent. This is the everyday choice for describing neighboring properties, connected territories, or adjacent rooms.
Quick Reference
- Conterminous: identical boundaries or extent
- Contiguous: touching, adjacent, or sharing a border
- All conterminous areas are contiguous, but not all contiguous areas are conterminous
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