 According to "Merriam Webster's Geographical Dictionary", a standard reference on place names around the world, the name "Ruhr" refers to the river.The name preferred for the region in this dictionary is "Ruhrgebiet", followed by "Ruhr Valley".The Ruhr has an oceanic climate in spite of its inland position, with mildening winds from the Atlantic travelling over the lowlands to moderate temperature extremes, in spite of its relatively northerly latitude that sees significant variety in daylight hours.