内地 nèidì inland
inland; interior; hinterland; mainland China (PRC excluding Hong Kong and Macau, but including islands such as Hainan); Japan (used in Taiwan during Japanese colonization)
How to remember 内地: 内 inside + 地 ground = inland.
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How it is used
- 'The interior / inland', and in Hong Kong/Macau usage specifically 'mainland China' (as opposed to 香港/澳门): 内地游客 (nèidì yóukè) mainland tourists.
- In a plain geographic sense it means the hinterland away from the coast/border. Context decides which sense; the Mainland-vs-HK sense is very common in news.