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Northwestern United States comprises the Pacific Northwest and the western Great Plains regions of the United States, and consistently includes the states of Oregon and Washington, to which Idaho, Montana, Southeast Alaska, and Wyoming are sometimes added. Like the Southwestern United States, the idea of what comprised the Northwest was pushed farther west over time. The original Northwest (usually termed the "Old Northwest") comprised the Northwest Territory and gradually pushed across the Midwest to its current definition. The coastal Northwest is generally more liberal than most other parts of the country. The current area can generally be understood to include the old Oregon Territory and Southeast Alaska.