Twenty-eight counties of southern and eastern Ohio are part of federally-defined Appalachia. This paper considers whether or not the identity of people in this area is Appalachian, Midwestern, or just plain rural. These counties lie in the unglaciated section of the Allegheny plateau, characterized by steep valleys, narrow ridges, and coal deposits. The area is more densely forested and less suited to agriculture than the rest of Ohio. Per capita income is $9,796, compared with Ohio's mean of $12,052. Many of the area's problems are similar to those of the rest of Appalachia: a high poverty rate, high unemployment, a shortage of physicians, substandard housing, and the departure of youth to employment opportunities elsewhere. The population displays many characteristics congruent with Appalachian identity: strong sense of place, independence, neighborliness, self-reliance, hospitality, familism, strong kinship ties, and "mountain" speech patterns. In 1989 the Ohio Cooperative Extension Service will survey 13 counties to determine the extent of Appalachian identification and cultural awareness among southern Ohioans. Results will be used to tailor extension education programs to the cultural context of this clientele. The paper contains 15 references and an Appalachian reading list with 48 entries. (SV)