Editing Region (section)

{{About|the concept of region in geography}}
{{short description|Two or three-dimensionally defined  space, mainly in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences}}
In [[geography]], '''regions''', otherwise referred to as '''areas''', '''zones''', '''lands''' or '''territories''', are portions of the [[Earth's surface]] that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ([[physical geography]]), human impact characteristics ([[human geography]]), and the interaction of humanity and the environment ([[environmental geography]]). Geographic regions and sub-regions are mostly described by their imprecisely defined, and sometimes transitory boundaries, except in human geography, where [[Jurisdiction (area)|jurisdiction]] areas such as national borders are defined in law. More confined or well bounded portions are called ''[[location]]s'' or ''places''.

Apart from the [[Earth|global]] [[continent]]al regions, there are also [[hydrosphere|hydrospheric]] and [[atmosphere|atmospheric]] regions that cover the [[ocean]]s, and discrete [[climate]]s above the [[land mass|land]] and [[water mass|water masses]] of the planet. The [[land]] and water global regions are divided into subregions geographically bounded by large geological features that influence large-scale ecologies, such as [[plain]]s and features.

As a way of describing spatial areas, the concept of regions is important and widely used among the many branches of geography, each of which can describe areas in regional terms.  For example, ''ecoregion'' is a term used in [[environmental geography]], cultural region in [[cultural geography]], bioregion in [[biogeography]], and so on.  The field of geography that studies regions themselves is called [[regional geography]]. Regions are an area or division, especially part of a country or the world having definable characteristics but not always fixed boundaries. 

In the fields of [[physical geography]], [[ecology]], [[biogeography]], [[zoogeography]], and [[environmental geography]], regions tend to be based on natural features such as [[ecosystem]]s or [[biotope]]s, [[biome]]s, [[drainage basin]]s, [[natural region]]s, [[mountain range]]s, [[soil type]]s. Where [[human geography]] is concerned, the regions and subregions are described by the discipline of [[ethnography]].