Word of the Day

hinterland \HIN-tur-land\, noun:
1. A region situated inland from a coast.
2. A region remote from urban areas; backcountry.
3. A region situated beyond the major metropolitan or cultural centers.

After the plains, I could see in my mind's eye the mountains of Bosnia emerging abruptly, shrouded by mist or haze. Clouds on rocks. Birds circling. The smell of pine and plum brandy. Beyond that the oleander and the heady, Dalmatian coast opening out like some lush dream from the backdrop of a stony hinterland.
--Roger Cohen, [1] Hearts Grown Brutal: Sagas of Sarajevo

It is hard to imagine fromwithin our cultural envelope, but try: You live in a country ruled by an elusive, all-powerful leader, where through no fault of your own you find yourself in an even more faraway corner, one bordering on sprawling prairie and desert hinterland.
--David M. Bethea, "Swallowed Again and Again," [2] New York Times, November 17, 1996

Cities did nothing for me. It was the hinterlands that made me.
--Paul Theroux, [3] Fresh Air Fiend