north, northern

Dear Teacher,

           What is the difference between north and northern? Should I say I live in the north part (or northern part of Thailand)? Thank you very much. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

np36

Hi! In general, we use "Northern," "Southern," etc. to refer to a geographical area, while "North," "South," etc. are compass points that are sometimes used in the names of countries, continents, or states, such as North Korea, South America, North Carolina. So you should say you live in the northern part of Thailand.

Thanks for your question!