What do California and the Northeastern U.S. have in common?

We both call soft drinks SODA.

Amazing that Coca Cola has been genericized in the south as Coke.

It's not just that Coca-Cola has been genericized as coke. It's common to call Coca-Cola (or even other colas) as coke in many parts of the world.What's really bizarre about the southern USA is that many people in the south use "coke" to refer to soft drinks (sodas) in general! As in...A: "Would you like a coke?"B: "Yes, please."A: "What kind? Orange, 7Up, cola?"That's ... extremely strange. It's not everyone, but it is common in some parts of the south.

 So they'll even refer to a Mountain Dew as a Coke? Peculiar!

Right.