In general, "West Michigan" often refers to the area bounded by the cities of
Muskegon (in the north),
Grand Rapids (in the northeast),
Kalamazoo–
Battle Creek (in the southeast) and
St. Joseph–
Benton Harbor (in the southwest). However, definitions of the boundaries of the region vary widely; in some contexts, the term "West Michigan" is applied only to the counties of
Allegan,
Kent,
Muskegon, and
Ottawa, which form the core of the
Grand Rapids-Kentwood-Muskegon CSA. Other definitions include the Kalamazoo–Battle Creek and Benton Harbor–St. Joseph regions, which can be considered distinct regions or parts of other regions such as
Michiana,
Southern Michigan, or
Southwest Michigan, the latter according to one definition comprising
Berrien County,
Cass County, and
Van Buren County. The northern boundary of the region is also poorly defined; the population density, land use, economic and cultural character, and physical geography most often associated with West Michigan fades in northern Muskegon and Kent Counties, however areas as far north as
Ludington and
White Cloud may be included because of their close economic ties to the cities to the south. Other areas, such as
Montcalm County in the northeast corner of the region, are transitional areas that straddle Michigan regions but are sometimes included for classification purposes. Greenville, in Montcalm County's southwest corner, is closely tied economically with Grand Rapids; however, the northeastern corner, around
Vestaburg and
Edmore, has historically more closely associated with the cities of
Mount Pleasant and
Alma, which are almost universally reckoned as part of
Central Michigan. ==Geography==