What does "heartland" mean?

Synonym of heart (“the seat of the affections or love”).

What is a synonym for "heartland"?

Common synonyms include: air space, airspace, area, belt, confines, continental shelf.

//ˈhɑːtlənd// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
Synonym of heart (“the seat of the affections or love”).
2
the central region of a country or continent; especially a region that is important to a country or to a culture wordnet
3
Also in the plural form heartlands:; The interior part of a region, especially when contrasted with coastal parts or when regarded as particularly powerful or significant.
"[R]ound the Pole all three powers lay claim to enormous territories which in fact are largely uninhabited and unexplored: but the balance of power always remains roughly even, and the territory which forms the heartland of each super-state always remains inviolate."
4
Also in the plural form heartlands:; In the geopolitical theory of the English geographer Halford John Mackinder (1861–1947): the interior of the world island comprising north-central Eurasia regarded as politically powerful. specifically
5
Also in the plural form heartlands:; Residential districts and planning areas outside the city centre; the new towns of Singapore collectively. Singapore, in-plural, specifically
"Those in the HDB [Housing and Development Board] heartland will be able to vote in the airconditioned comfort of their community centres […]"

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6
Also in the plural form heartlands:; The states in the centre of the United States, chiefly regarded as politically and socially conservative; also, the people living in such states collectively. US, attributive, often, specifically
7
Also in the plural form heartlands:; A region or part of a region particularly associated with or significant for a characteristic, such as an activity, a faith, support for a political party or other organization, etc.
"The home counties are the Conservative heartland."