hinterland
/ˈhɪntəlænd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɪntərlænd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhin-tər-ˌland -lənd/ (ame, mw)
hinterland — noun
- hinterlandsingular
- hinterlandsplural
1. An area of land located away from the shore, further inland from a coastline or
An area of land located away from the shore, further inland from a coastline or river — usually with a smaller population than the waterfront.
The road from the port town of Maputo leads into a vast hinterland of farms and forests.
hinterland of [place]
Supplies were brought upriver to trading posts in the hinterland beyond the coastal hills.
beyond [geographical feature]
A narrow-gauge railway was built to connect the coastal cities with the agricultural hinterland.
Many bird species migrate between the coastal wetlands and the drier hinterland during the winter.
- interior
broader term; describes any inland area, not just land behind a coast or river
- backcountry
more informal; emphasises remoteness rather than the coastal-inland relationship
- coast
the shoreline area
- coastal plain
the flat lowland along the coast
文法句型
the hinterland
hinterland of [place]
用法筆記
Often used with a definite article ('the hinterland') when referring to a specific region. Common in geographical descriptions of how a port or coastal city relates to the land behind it.
常見錯誤
2. The parts of a country that lie a long distance from its large towns and cities,
The parts of a country that lie a long distance from its large towns and cities, often with a sparse population and a rural way of life.
After university, Anjali moved back to the hinterland to run her family's tea plantation.
The ruling party has little support in the rural hinterland, where people feel ignored by the capital.
rural hinterland
Tourists rarely visit the northern hinterland, but the landscape there is breathtaking.
Internet access in the country's hinterland remains slow and unreliable.
Young people often leave the hinterland to find work in major cities like Kaohsiung and Taipei.
- backwoods
more informal and often slightly negative; suggests lack of sophistication
- outback
used chiefly for the remote inland of Australia
- rural areas
neutral, non-literary term for countryside
- metropolis
a large, busy city at the centre
- urban centre
a city or large town
文法句型
the hinterland
hinterland of [country]
用法筆記
Can imply a contrast between the economic or political power of urban centres and the neglect or underdevelopment of remote areas. Often carries a tone of geographic or political commentary.