The culture of the Southern United States, Southern culture, or Southern heritage, is a subculture of the United States. The combination of its unique history and the fact that many Southerners maintain—and even nurture—an identity separate from the rest of the country has led to it being the most studied and written-about region of the U.S. From its many cultural influences, the South developed its own unique customs, dialects, arts, literature, cuisine, dance, and music.