In the Eastern part of the US, folks typically refer to the Western part of the country as "Out West." Conversely, those from the West call the other part "Back East." I've always liked these terms, as each conveys to me a particular set of vaguely historical images. Out West makes me think of the dusty cow-towns of cowboy, westerns, where the law was laid down by Mr. Colt. Back East always calls to mind images of wagon trains trundling across the Great Plains, the brave families aboard wondering if they'll reach the mountain passes 'afore the snows set in - makes clear to me just how short the history of this country is, that such things are still so present in our language.

One also hears "Down South" and "Up North," but these are somehow much less evocative, as they seem to gibe with the directions on a map rather than the historical development of a country.

I'm wondering if there are other such phrases people use around the world that convey such things, or that we don't understand - examples for me include "Down Under" for the antipodean regions and "Down East," which is used to refer to portions of the coast of Maine.