Editing Region

{{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]].

==Globalization==
{{See also|Category:Global regions}}[[File:Physical World Map.svg|frameless|upright=1.8|right|Map of the [[world]] as of 2021]]
Global regions are distinguishable from space, and are therefore clearly distinguished by the two basic terrestrial environments, land and [[water]]. However, they have been generally recognized as such much earlier by terrestrial [[cartography]] because of their impact on human geography. They are divided into the largest of land regions, known as [[continent]]s and the largest of water regions known as [[ocean]]s. There are also significant regions that do not belong to either classification, such as [[archipelago]] regions that are [[littoral]] regions, or [[earthquake]] regions that are defined in [[geology]].

===Continental regions===
Continental regions are usually based on broad experiences in human history and attempt to reduce very large areas to more manageable [[regionalization]] for the purpose of the study. As such they are conceptual constructs, usually lacking distinct boundaries. The oceanic division into maritime regions is used in conjunction with the relationship to the central area of the continent, using directions of the [[compass]].

Some continental regions are defined by the major continental feature of their identity, such as the [[Amazon basin]], or the [[Sahara]], which both occupy a significant percentage of their respective continental land area.

To a large extent, major continental regions are mental constructs created by considering an efficient way to define large areas of the continents. For the most part, the images of the world are derived as much from academic studies, from all types of media, or from personal experience of global [[exploration]]. They are a matter of collective human knowledge of their own planet and are attempts to better understand their environments.

===Regional geography===
[[Regional geography]] is a branch of geography that studies regions of all sizes across the [[Earth]]. It has a prevailing descriptive character. The main aim is to understand or define the uniqueness or character of a particular region, which consists of natural as well as human elements. Attention is paid also to regionalization, which covers the proper techniques of space [[delimitation]] into regions.

Regional geography is also considered as a certain approach to study in geographical sciences (similar to [[quantitative revolution|quantitative]] or [[critical geography|critical geographies]]; for more information, see [[history of geography]]).

==Human geography==
[[Human geography]] is a branch of geography that focuses on the study of patterns and processes that shape human interaction with various discrete environments. It encompasses [[human]], [[politics|political]], [[culture|cultural]], [[social issues|social]], and [[economics|economic]] aspects among others that are often clearly delineated. While the major focus of human geography is not the physical landscape of the Earth (see [[physical geography]]), it is hardly possible to discuss human geography without referring to the physical landscape on which human activities are being played out, and [[environmental geography]] is emerging as a link between the two. Regions of human geography can be divided into many broad categories:
{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|
*[[Cultural geography]]
*[[Demography]]
*[[Development geography]]
*[[Economic geography]]
*[[Ethnography]]
*[[Geopolitics]]
*[[Health geography]]
*[[Historical geography]]
*[[Language geography]]
*[[Media geography]]
*[[Religion geography]]
*[[Social geography]]
*[[Time geography]]
*[[Tourism geography]]
*[[Transportation geography]]
*[[Urban geography]]
}}

===Historical regions===<!-- This section is linked from [[Hispanic]] -->
{{main|Historical region}}
The field of [[historical geography]] involves the study of human history as it relates to places and [[Historical region|regions]], or the study of how places and regions have changed over time.

[[D. W. Meinig]], a historical geographer of America, describes many historical regions in his book ''The Shaping of America: A Geographical Perspective on 500 Years of History''. For example, in identifying European "source regions" in early American colonization efforts, he defines and describes the ''Northwest European Atlantic Protestant Region'', which includes sub-regions such as the "Western Channel Community", which itself is made of sub-regions such as the ''English [[West Country]]'' of [[Cornwall]], [[Devon]], [[Somerset]], and [[Dorset]].

In describing historic regions of America, Meinig writes of "The Great Fishery" off the coast of Newfoundland and New England, an oceanic region that includes the [[Grand Banks]]. He rejects regions traditionally used in describing American history, like [[New France]], "West Indies", the [[Middle Colonies]], and the individual colonies themselves ([[Province of Maryland]], for example). Instead he writes of "discrete colonization areas", which may be named after colonies but rarely adhere strictly to political boundaries. Among other historic regions of this type, he writes about "Greater New England" and its major sub-regions of "Plymouth", "New Haven shores" (including parts of Long Island), "Rhode Island" (or "Narragansett Bay"), "the Piscataqua", "Massachusetts Bay", "Connecticut Valley", and to a lesser degree, regions in the sphere of influence of Greater New England, "Acadia" (Nova Scotia), "Newfoundland and The Fishery/The Banks".

Other examples of historical regions are Iroquoia, [[Ohio Country]], [[Illinois Country]], and [[Rupert's Land]].

In [[Russia]], historical regions include [[Siberia]] and the [[Russian North]], as well as the [[Ural Mountains]]. These regions had an identity that developed from the early modern period and led to [[Siberian regionalism]].<ref>Susan Smith-Peter, "The Six Waves of Russian Regionalism in European Context, 1830–2000", in ''Russia's Regional Identities: The Power of the Provinces,'' ed. Edith W. Clowes, Gisela Erbsloh and Ani Kokobobo (London: Routledge, 2018), 14–43.</ref>

=== Tourism region ===
{{Main article|Tourism region}}
A tourism region is a geographical region that has been designated by a governmental organization or [[tourism bureau]] as having common cultural or environmental characteristics. These regions are often named after a geographical, former, or current administrative region or may have a name created for [[tourism]] purposes. The names often evoke certain positive qualities of the area and suggest a coherent tourism experience to visitors. Countries, states, provinces, and other administrative regions are often carved up into tourism regions to facilitate attracting visitors.

Some of the more famous tourism regions based on historical or current administrative regions include [[Tuscany]]<ref>[http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/intoscana2/export/TurismoRTen Turismo.intoscana.it] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130100134/http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/intoscana2/export/TurismoRTen/ |date=2009-11-30 }}. Retrieved 2009-11-25</ref> in Italy and [[Yucatán (state)|Yucatán]]<ref>[http://www.visitmexico.com/wb/Visitmexico/Visi_Yucatan Visitmexico.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102031607/http://visitmexico.com/wb/Visitmexico/Visi_Yucatan |date=2010-01-02 }}, Retrieved 2009-11-25</ref> in Mexico. Famous examples of regions created by a government or tourism bureau include the [[United Kingdom]]'s [[Lake District]]<ref>[http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk Lakedistrict.gov.uk], Retrieved 2009-11-25</ref> and [[Wine Country (California)|California's Wine Country]].<ref>[http://www.winecountry.com Winecountry.com], Retrieved 2009-11-25</ref>
great plains region

===Natural resource regions===
[[Natural resource]]s often occur in distinct regions. Natural resource regions can be a topic of physical geography or environmental geography, but also have a strong element of human geography and economic geography. A coal region, for example, is a physical or geomorphological region, but its development and exploitation can make it into an economic and a cultural region. Examples of natural resource regions are the [[Rumaila Field]], the oil field that lies along the border or Iraq and Kuwait and played a role in the [[Gulf War]]; the [[Coal Region]] of Pennsylvania, which is a historical region as well as a cultural, physical, and natural resource region; the [[South Wales Coalfield]], which like Pennsylvania's coal region is a historical, cultural, and natural region; the [[Kuznetsk Basin]], a similarly important coal mining region in Russia; [[Kryvbas]], the economic and iron ore mining region of Ukraine; and the [[James Bay Project]], a large region of Quebec where one of the largest hydroelectric systems in the world has been developed.

===Religious regions===
Sometimes a region associated with a religion is given a name, like [[Christendom]], a term with medieval and renaissance connotations of Christianity as a sort of social and political [[Body Politic|polity]].  The term [[Muslim world]] is sometimes used to refer to the region of the world where Islam is dominant.  These broad terms are somewhat vague when used to describe regions.

Within some religions there are clearly defined regions.  The [[Roman Catholic Church]], the [[List of Church of England dioceses|Church of England]], the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], and others, define ecclesiastical regions with names such as [[diocese]], [[eparchy]], [[Ecclesiastical Province|ecclesiastical provinces]], and [[parish]].

For example, the United States is divided into 32 Roman Catholic [[List of the Roman Catholic dioceses of the United States|ecclesiastical provinces]].  The [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]] is organized into 33 geographic ''districts'', which are subdivided into ''circuits'' (the [[Atlantic District (LCMS)]], for example).  [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] uses regions similar to dioceses and parishes, but uses terms like [[Ward (LDS Church)|ward]] and [[Stake (Mormonism)|stake]].

{{anchor|Political regions}}

===Political regions===<!-- This section is linked from [[Regions of Italy]] -->
{{see also|Administrative division}}
In the field of [[political geography]], regions tend to be based on political units such as [[sovereign state]]s; subnational units such as administrative regions,  [[province]]s, [[U.S. state|states (in the United States)]], [[county|counties]], [[township]]s, [[Territory (country subdivision)|territories]], etc.; and multinational groupings, including formally defined units such as the [[European Union]], the [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations]], and [[NATO]], as well as informally defined regions such as the [[Third World]], [[Western Europe]], and the Middle East.

===Administrative regions===<!-- This section is linked from [[Montoire-sur-le-Loir]] -->
{{further|Administrative division}}
The word "region" is taken from the [[Latin]] ''regio'' (derived from ''regere'', 'to rule'), and a number of countries have borrowed the term as the formal name for a type of subnational entity (e.g., the {{Lang|es|[[Regions of Chile|región]]}}, used in [[Chile]]). In English, the word is also used as the conventional translation for equivalent terms in other languages (e.g., the [[Oblasts of Russia|''область'']] (''[[oblast]]''), used in Russia alongside a broader term ''регион'').

The following countries use the term "region" (or its [[cognate]]) as the name of a type of subnational administrative unit:
*[[Regions of Belgium|Belgium]] (in French, {{lang|fr|région}}; in German, {{Lang|de|Region}}; the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] term {{Lang|nl|gewest}} is often mistakenly translated as "regio")
*[[Regions of Chile|Chile]] ({{lang|es|región}})
*[[Regions of Côte d'Ivoire|Côte d'Ivoire]] ({{lang|fr|région}})
*[[Regions of Denmark|Denmark]] (effective from 2007)
*[[Regions of Eritrea|Eritrea]]
*[[Regions of France|France]] ({{lang|fr|région}})
*[[Regions of Ghana|Ghana]]
*[[Regions of Guinea|Guinea]] (''région'')
*[[Regions of Guinea-Bissau|Guinea-Bissau]] (''região'')
*[[Regions of Guyana|Guyana]]
*[[Regions of Hungary|Hungary]] (''régió'')
*[[Regions of Italy|Italy]] (''regione'')
*[[Regions of Madagascar|Madagascar]] (''région'')
*[[Regions of Mali|Mali]] (''région'')
*[[Regions of Malta|Malta]] (''reġjun'')
*[[Regions of Namibia|Namibia]]
*[[Regions of New Zealand|New Zealand]]
*[[Regions of Peru|Peru]] ({{lang|es|región}})
*[[List of regions and sub-regions of Portugal|Portugal]] (''região'')
*[[Regions of the Philippines|Philippines]] ({{Lang|fil|rehiyon}})
*[[Regions of Senegal|Senegal]] ({{lang|fr|région}})
*[[Regions of Tanzania|Tanzania]]
*[[Regions of Thailand|Thailand]]
*[[Regions of Togo|Togo]] ({{lang|fr|région}})
*[[Regional Corporations and Municipalities of Trinidad and Tobago|Trinidad and Tobago]] (''Regional Corporation'')
The Canadian [[Provinces and territories of Canada|province]] of [[List of Quebec regions|Québec]] also uses the "administrative region" (''région administrative'').

[[Regions of England]] (not the United Kingdom as a whole) used to be administrative units until 2011. Since then they're only used for statistical purposes.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/geography/ukgeographies/administrativegeography/england#regions
|title=England
|website=Office for National Statistics
|access-date=2025-02-26
}}</ref>

Scotland had [[Local government areas of Scotland 1973 to 1996|local government regions]] from 1975 to 1996.

In Spain the official name of the [[autonomous community]] of [[Region of Murcia|Murcia]] is ''Región de Murcia''. Also, some single-province autonomous communities such as [[Madrid]] use the term ''región'' interchangeably with ''comunidad autónoma''.

Two [[Län of Sweden|län]] (counties) in Sweden are officially called 'regions': [[Skåne]] and [[Västra Götaland]], and there is currently a controversial proposal to divide the rest of Sweden into large [[Regions of Sweden|regions]], replacing the current counties.

The government of the [[Regions of the Philippines|Philippines]] uses the term "region" (in [[Filipino language|Filipino]], {{Lang|fil|rehiyon}}) when it is necessary to group provinces, the primary administrative subdivision of the country. This is also the case in [[Brazil]], which groups its primary administrative divisions (''estados''; "states") into ''grandes regiões'' ([[Regions of Brazil|greater regions]]) for statistical purposes, while Russia uses ''экономические районы'' ([[Economic regions of Russia|economic regions]]) in a similar way, as does [[Development regions of Romania|Romania]] and [[Administrative regions of Venezuela|Venezuela]].

The [[government of Singapore]] makes use of the term "[[Regions of Singapore|region]]" for its own administrative purposes.

The following countries use an administrative subdivision conventionally referred to as a region in English:
*[[Oblasts of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]], which uses the ''област'' (''oblast'')
*[[Administrative regions of Greece|Greece]], which uses the ''Περιφέρεια'' (''periferia'')
*[[Oblasts of Russia|Russia]], which uses the ''область'' (''oblast'''), and for some regions the [[Krais of Russia|''край'']] (''[[krai]]'')
*[[Subdivisions of Ukraine|Ukraine]], which uses the ''область'' (''oblast''')
*[[Regions of Slovakia|Slovakia]] (''kraj'')

China has five 自治区 (''zìzhìqū'') and two 特別行政區 (or 特别行政区; ''tèbiéxíngzhèngqū''), which are translated as "[[autonomous region of China|autonomous region]]" and "[[Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China|special administrative region]]", respectively.

====Local administrative regions====
There are many relatively small regions based on local government agencies such as districts, agencies, or regions. In general, they are all regions in the general sense of being bounded spatial units.  Examples include electoral districts such as [[Washington's 6th congressional district]] and [[Tennessee's 1st congressional district]]; school districts such as [[Granite School District]] and [[Los Angeles Unified School District]]; economic districts such as the [[Reedy Creek Improvement District]]; metropolitan areas such as the [[Seattle metropolitan area]], and metropolitan districts such as the [[Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago]], the [[Las Vegas-Clark County Library District]], the [[Metropolitan Police Service]] of [[Greater London]], as well as other local districts like the [[York Rural Sanitary District]], the [[Delaware River Port Authority]], the [[Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District]], and [[C-TRAN (Washington)|C-TRAN]].

===Traditional or informal regions===
[[File:Regions of Finland labelled EN.svg|thumb|upright=0.45|[[Regions of Finland]]]]
The traditional territorial divisions of some countries are also commonly rendered in English as "regions". These informal divisions do not form the basis of the modern administrative divisions of these countries, but still define and delimit local regional identity and sense of belonging. Examples are:

* [[Regions of England|England]]
* [[Regions of Finland|Finland]]
* [[Regions of Japan|Japan]]
* [[Regions of Korea|Korea]]
* [[Regions of Norway|Norway]] (''landsdeler'')
* [[Historical regions of Romania|Romania]]
* [[List of traditional regions of Slovakia|Slovakia]]
* [[List of regions of the United States|United States]]

===Functional regions===
Functional regions are usually understood to be the areas organised by the horizontal functional relations (flows, interactions) that are maximised within a region and minimised across its borders so that the principles of internal cohesiveness and external separation regarding spatial interactions are met (see, for instance, Farmer and Fotheringham, 2011;<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Farmer|first1=CJQ|last2=Fotheringham|first2=AS|title=Network-based functional regions|journal=Environment and Planning A|date=2011|volume=43|issue=11|pages=2723–2741|doi=10.1068/a44136|bibcode=2011EnPlA..43.2723F |s2cid=144055983}}</ref> Klapka, Halas, 2016;<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Klapka|first1=P|last2=Halas|first2=M|date=2016|title=Conceptualising patterns of spatial flows: five decades of advances in the definition and use of functional regions|journal=Moravian Geographical Reports|volume=24|issue=2|pages=2–11|doi=10.1515/mgr-2016-0006|doi-access=free|bibcode=2016MorGR..24....2K}}</ref> Smart, 1974<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Smart|first1=MW|title=Labour market areas: uses and definition|journal=Progress in Planning|date=1974|volume=2|pages=239–353|doi=10.1016/0305-9006(74)90008-7|bibcode=1974ProgP...2..239S }}</ref>). A functional region is not an abstract spatial concept, but to a certain extent it can be regarded as a reflection of the spatial behaviour of individuals in a geographic space. 
The functional region is conceived as a general concept while its inner structure, inner spatial flows, and interactions need not necessarily show any regular pattern, only selfcontainment. The concept of self-containment remains the only crucial defining characteristic of a functional region. Nodal regions, functional urban regions, daily urban systems, local labour-market areas (LLMAs), or travel-to-work areas (TTWAs) are considered to be special instances of a general functional region that need to fulfil some specific conditions regarding, for instance, the character of the region-organising interaction or the presence of urban cores, (Halas et al., 2015<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Halas|first1=M|last2=Klapka|first2=P|last3=Tonev|first3=P|last4=Bednar|first4=M|title=An alternative definition and use for the constraint function for rule-based methods of functional regionalisation|journal=Environment and Planning A|date=2015|volume=47|issue=5|pages=1175–1191|doi=10.1177/0308518X15592306|bibcode=2015EnPlA..47.1175H|s2cid=143263476}}</ref>).

===Military regions===
{{Army units}}
{{see also|Military district}}
In military usage, a region is shorthand for the name of a military [[Military organization#Commands, formations, and units|formation]] larger than an [[Army group|Army Group]] and smaller than a [[Theater (warfare)|Theater]]. The full name of the military formation is Army Region.<ref name=MilitaryRegion>{{cite web
|url=https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/Military-Units/Army/#army
|title=Military Units: Army Region
|website=US Department of Defense
|access-date=2023-05-18
}}</ref> The size of an Army Region can vary widely but is generally somewhere between about 1 million and 3 million soldiers. Two or more Army Regions could make up a Theater. An Army Region is typically commanded by a full [[General]] (US four stars), a [[Field Marshal]] or [[General of the Army]] (US five stars), or [[Generalissimo]] (Soviet Union); and in the [[United States Armed Forces|US Armed Forces]] an [[Admiral]] (typically four stars) may also command a region. Due to the large size of this formation, its use is rarely employed. Some of the very few examples of an Army Region are each of the Eastern, Western, and southern (mostly in Italy) fronts in Europe during [[World War II]]. The military map unit symbol for this echelon of formation (see [[Military organization]] and [[APP-6A]]) is identified with six Xs.

===Media geography===
Media geography is a spatio-temporal understanding, brought through different gadgets of media, nowadays, media became inevitable at different proportions and everyone supposed to consumed at different gravity. The spatial attributes are studied with the help of media outputs in shape of images which are contested in nature and pattern as well where politics is inseparable. Media geography is giving spatial understanding of mediated image.

== See also ==
* [[Autonomous area#Autonomous region|Autonomous region]]
* [[Committee of the Regions]]
* [[Continent]]
* [[Continental fragment]]
* [[Euroregion]]
* [[Field (geography)]]
* [[Latin names of regions]]
* [[Military district]]
* [[Regional district]]
* [[Regionalism (disambiguation)]]
* [[Regional municipality]]
* [[Subcontinent]]
* [[Submerged continents]]
* [[Subregion]]
* [[Supercontinent]]
* [[United Nations geoscheme]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

== References ==
* Bailey, Robert G. (1996) ''Ecosystem Geography''. New York: Springer-Verlag. {{ISBN|0-387-94586-5}}
* [[D.W. Meinig|Meinig, D.W.]] (1986). ''The Shaping of America: A Geographical Perspective on 500 Years of History, Volume 1: Atlantic America, 1492-1800''. New Haven: Yale University Press. {{ISBN|0-300-03548-9}}
* Moinuddin Shekh. (2017) " Mediascape and the State: A Geographical Interpretation of Image Politics in Uttar Pradesh, India. Netherland, Springer.
* Smith-Peter, Susan (2018) ''Imagining Russian Regions: Subnational Identity and Civil Society in Nineteenth-Century Russia''. Leiden: Brill, 2017. {{ISBN|9789004353497}}

== External links ==
* [http://water.usgs.gov/GIS/regions.html Map and descriptions of hydrologic unit regions of the United States]
* [ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NCGC/products/watershed/hu-standards.pdf Federal Standards for Delineation of Hydrologic Unit Boundaries]{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060515044037/http://tapestry.usgs.gov/physiogr/physio.html Physiographic regions of the United States]

{{Continents of the world}}
{{Regions of the world}}
{{Types of administrative division}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Regions| ]]
[[Category:Geography terminology]]
[[Category:Regional geography]]