Haha. Yeah, we like being geographically ornery as Americans, I reckon. You're right about it being based on geography, but not the presence of a coast. Anything west of the great plains region is considered to be part of "the west"

For reference, western states are usually considered to be California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Hawaii, and Alaska.

You might go viral with this one, Penguin. It’s very well written and nuanced.