Do's and Don't's of Cardinal Capitalization

This is something I've encountered countless times in my writing, so I've taken the initiative to compile a brief and helpful guide.

Don’t capitalize:

- when they indicate direction or a general location

- when they refer to the geography or climate of a region

- when they precede a place name

Do capitalize:

- when they designate definite regions

- when they are an integral part of a proper noun

- when they refer to people in a region

- when they refer to political, social, or cultural activities

- when they name organizational units within a company

Examples:

- in the North

- the Deep South

- towards the south of France

- go west

- Northerner

- Southern hospitality

- southern temperatures

- Eastern District of Bloop Co

- western Virginia

- West Virginia