▁core ▁of ▁states ▁on ▁the ▁lower ▁East ▁Coast ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁eastern ▁G ulf ▁Coast . ▁ ▁Exp ans ively , ▁it ▁includes ▁everything ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁Mason – D ixon ▁line , ▁the ▁Ohio ▁River ▁and ▁the ▁ 3 6 ° 3 0 ' ▁parallel , ▁and ▁as ▁far ▁west ▁as ▁Ark ansas ▁and ▁Louisiana . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁official ▁U . S . ▁government ▁definition ▁of ▁the ▁region , ▁though ▁various ▁ag encies ▁and ▁depart ments ▁use ▁different ▁definitions . ▁ ▁Geography ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Ge ological ▁Survey ▁cons iders ▁the ▁S out heast ▁region ▁to ▁be ▁Alabama , ▁Florida , ▁Georgia , ▁Ark ansas , ▁Louisiana , ▁Mississippi , ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁South ▁Carolina , ▁and ▁Tennessee , ▁plus ▁Puerto ▁Rico ▁and ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Virgin ▁Islands . ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁official ▁Census ▁Bureau ▁definition ▁of ▁the ▁sout he astern ▁United ▁States ; ▁instead , ▁they ▁divide ▁a ▁larger ▁region ▁including ▁Texas ▁and ▁Oklahoma ▁designated ▁as ▁the ▁" S outh " ▁into ▁three ▁sub reg ions ▁none ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁convention ally ▁considered ▁to ▁define ▁the ▁sout heast . ▁ ▁The ▁non pro fit ▁American ▁Association ▁of ▁Ge ograph ers ▁defines ▁the ▁sout he astern ▁United ▁States ▁as ▁Alabama , ▁Florida , ▁Georgia , ▁Kentucky , ▁Mississippi , ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁South ▁Carolina , ▁Tennessee , ▁Maryland , ▁Virginia , ▁and ▁West ▁Virginia . ▁The ▁O SB O ▁( American ▁small ▁business ▁support ▁organization ) ▁uses ▁the ▁same ▁states , ▁but ▁includes ▁Ark