An AH cliche dealing with US states.
What's the use of a North and South Carolina? Or a North and South Dakota? Or a New England which exists as many states rather than just one simple region?
Whenever states are merged together due to proximity or basic features like their being a North —- or a South —- (generally without paying attention to the reason for them being separate to begin with), it falls into this cliche. However, there are reasons that the states are the way they are. Sometimes, they are rather complex. Other times, they are relatively alterable.