Editing ITU Region

{{Short description|Regions used for managing the global radio spectrum}}
[[File:International Telecommunication Union regions with dividing lines.svg|right|thumb|250px|ITU regions and the dividing lines between them.
{{legend|#fd0|Region 1}}
{{legend|#0df|Region 2}}
{{legend|#d0f|Region 3}}
]]

The [[International Telecommunication Union]] (ITU), in its International [[ITU Radio Regulations|Radio Regulations]], divides the world into three '''ITU regions''' for the purposes of managing the global [[radio]] [[Electromagnetic spectrum|spectrum]]. Each region has its own set of [[frequency allocation]]s, the main reason for defining the regions.

==Boundaries==
*'''Region 1''' comprises [[Europe]], [[Africa]], the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]], [[Mongolia]], and the [[Middle East]] west of the [[Persian Gulf]], including [[Iraq]].
** The western boundary is defined by Line B and the eastern boundary is defined by Line A, except that all territory of [[Iran]] is excluded, and all territory of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Ukraine and the area to the north of Russia which lies between lines A and C is included.
*'''Region 2''' covers the [[Americas]] including [[Greenland]], and some of the eastern [[Pacific Islands]].
** The eastern boundary is defined by Line B and the western boundary is defined by Line C.
*'''Region 3''' contains most of non-[[former Soviet Union|FSU]] [[Asia]] east of and including [[Iran]], and most of [[Oceania]].
** The western boundary is defined by Line A and the eastern boundary is defined by Line C.

Lines:
* Line A is a line running from the [[North Pole]] along [[meridian 40° East]] of Greenwich to [[parallel 40° North]]; thence by [[great circle]] arc to the intersection of [[meridian 60° East]] and the [[Tropic of Cancer]]; thence along the meridian 60° East to the South Pole.<ref>{{cite web |publisher= [[International Telecommunication Union]] |date= 2005-09-08|url= http://life.itu.int/radioclub/rr/art05.htm#Reg |title= Radio Regulations |access-date= 2024-12-21}}</ref>
* Line B is a line running from the [[North Pole]] along [[meridian 10° West]] of [[Greenwich]] to its intersection with [[parallel 72° North]]; thence by [[great circle]] arc to the intersection of [[meridian 50° West]] and [[parallel 40° North]]; thence by great circle arc to the intersection of [[meridian 20° West]] and [[parallel 10° South]]; thence along meridian 20° West to the [[South Pole]].<ref>{{cite web |publisher= [[International Telecommunication Union]] |date= 2005-09-08|url= http://life.itu.int/radioclub/rr/art05.htm#Reg |title= Radio Regulations |access-date= 2006-07-18}}</ref>
* Line C is a line running from the [[North Pole]] by [[great circle]] arc to the intersection of parallel 65° 30` North with the international boundary in the [[Bering Strait]]; thence by great circle arc to the intersection of [[165th meridian east|meridian 165° East]] of Greenwich and [[50th parallel north|parallel 50° North]]; thence by great circle arc to the intersection of [[170th meridian west|meridian 170° West]] and [[10th parallel north|parallel 10° North]]; thence along parallel 10° North to its intersection with [[120th meridian west|meridian 120° West]]; thence along meridian 120° West to the South Pole.<ref>{{cite web |publisher= [[International Telecommunication Union]] |date= 2005-09-08|url= http://life.itu.int/radioclub/rr/art05.htm#Reg |title= Radio Regulations |access-date= 2024-12-21}}</ref>

==Usage==
The definition of the [[European Broadcasting Area]] uses some of the definitions of Region 1.

==ITU Zones==
For convenience the regions are further divided into a total of 90 zones.  While often following political boundaries, in more remote land and sea areas these are often defined to be roughly equal in size and so can have very low populations.  As examples, [[Antarctica]] is divided into seven zones, and in one Pacific Ocean zone the only land area is tiny [[Minami Torishima]].<ref>[http://www4.plala.or.jp/nomrax/ITU/ Hammaps > ITU zones]</ref>  For certain awards and contests [[amateur radio]] operators may attempt to contact as many zones as possible.

==External links==
*[http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/information/docs/emergency-regions.jpg 2006 map showing the three ITU regions and the three lines that define the borders (along with an extra line)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110706234616/http://life.itu.ch/radioclub/rr/art05.htm#Reg Region definitions as specified in Article 5 of the ITU Radio Regulations]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:International Telecommunication Union]]