The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the origins of this nickname remain obscure. According to A Dictionary of Americanisms on Historical Principles , by Mitford M. Mathews, three theories most commonly attempt to explain the term:, Down South, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region Region is most commonly a geographical term that is used in various ways among the different branches of geography. In general,may be seen as a collection of smaller units or as one part of a larger whole (as in "the New England region of the United States"). Regions can be defined by physical characteristics, human characteristics, and in the southeastern and south-central United States ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language. Because of the region's unique cultural and historic heritage, including Native Americans, early European settlements of English English Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England. According to American Community Survey in 2008 data, Americans reporting English ancestry made up an estimated 9.0% of the total U.S. population, and form the third largest European ancestry group after German Americans and Irish Americans, Irish Irish people, Irish British, Irish Canadians, Irish Mexicans, Welsh Americans, Cornish Americans, Scots-Irish Americans, Scottish Scottish Americans or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. According to American Community Survey in 2008 data, Americans reporting Scottish ancestry made up an estimated 1.9% of the total U.S. population. Scottish and Scotch-Irish ancestry represent 3.1% of the U.S. population, French To be French, according to the first article of the Constitution, is to be a citizen of France, regardless of one's origin, race, or religion According to its principles, France has devoted herself the destiny of a proposition nation, a generic territory where people are bounded only by the French language and the assumed willingness to live, and German