Do you live in a tiny little house in the middle of nowhere? Somewhere far away from big cities and other people? Germans would say that you live in the Hinterland!
The German word Hinterland translates to “the land behind”. Generally, it is the inland region of a country. The closest English translation is “backcountry”.
But in German, it can be used in two ways. In some contexts, the word describes land that is behind the shore, a city or a port. The Hinterland of a port is the region that it serves for imports and exports.
But more commonly, the word is used to describe any part of a country that is remote and underdeveloped with few people – a place that we might refer to as “the middle of nowhere”. Think the Mojave Desert. Or a small town in Arizona. Or that little cabin in the woods that’s miles away from people.
These days, the word Hinterland is not only used in German, but it has also been incorporated into English, Spanish and French! After all, it is a useful word – every country has its remote regions! So what’s your ideal day trip: a visit to the city or one to the Hinterland?
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