Earth:Subregion

From HandWiki

A subregion is a part of a larger geographical region or continent. Cardinal directions are commonly used to define subregions. There are many criteria for creating systems of subregions; this article is focusing on the United Nations geoscheme, which is a changing, constantly updated, UN tool based on specific political geography and demography considerations relevant in UN statistics.

United Nations subregions

The Statistics Division of the United Nations (UN) is in charge of the collection, processing, and dissemination of statistical information for the UN.[1] In 1999, it developed a system of macro-geographical (continental) regions, subregions, and other selected economic groups to report advances towards achieving numerous Millennium Development Goals worldwide. These statistical divisions were devised for statistical purposes and is used for carrying out statistical analysis.[2] The division's first publication was the book World's Women 2000: Trends and Statistics in 2000.

According to the UN, the assignment of countries or areas to specific groupings is for statistical convenience and does not imply any assumption regarding political or other affiliation of countries or territories.[3]

Subregions by landmass and continent

The following is a non-exhaustive list of subregions, arranged alphabetically by region (i.e., by continent); in the UN geoscheme, higher-level, macro-geographical regions are arranged to the extent possible according to continents.

Sequence used in the list (not all criteria are applied to each continent):

  • by the UN Statistics Division's geoscheme
  • by geography
  • by physiography
  • by geopolitics
  • by human geography
  • by economics
  • by culture
  • by language
  • by religion
  • by biogeography
  • by historical division
  • by geology

Afro-Eurasia is a continental landmass comprising the continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe.

  • by biogeography:
    • Macaronesia
  • by geology:
    • Kaapvaal craton
    • Zimbabwe Craton

Eurasia is a continental mainland comprising the continents of Asia and Europe.

  • by religion:
  • by religion:
    • Eastern religions
      • Indian religions
        • Buddhism in Europe (Kalmykia)
    • Western religions (Abrahamic religions or West Asian religions)
      • Christianity in Europe
        • Catholicism in Europe
        • Eastern Orthodoxy in Europe
        • Protestantism in Europe
      • Islam in Europe

The Americas is a continental landmass comprising the continents of North America and South America.

  • by geography:
    • Middle America
      • Caribbean (Insular America)
        • Aves Island
        • West Indies
          • Antilles
            • Greater Antilles
              • Hispaniola
            • Lesser Antilles
              • Leeward Islands
                • Saint Martin island
                • SSS islands
                • Virgin Islands
                  • British Virgin Islands
                  • Spanish Virgin Islands
                  • United States Virgin Islands
                • Leeward Antilles
                  • ABC islands
                • Windward Islands
          • Lucayan Archipelago
        • Central America
          • San Andrés and Providencia
            • Bajo Nuevo Bank
            • Serranilla Bank
        • Mexico
    • Northern America
      • Bermuda
      • Canada
      • Greenland
      • Saint Pierre and Miquelon
      • United States (excluding Hawaii)
        • Alaska
        • Contiguous United States
          • Central United States
            • Middle America (United States)
            • Midwestern United States
          • Eastern United States
            • Northeastern United States
            • Southeastern United States
          • Northern United States
            • Great Lakes region (including Ontario, Canada)
          • Southern United States
            • South Central United States
          • Western United States (including Alaska and Hawaii)
            • Northwestern United States
            • Southwestern United States (some geographers include the Oklahoma Panhandle and West Texas in this subregion)
  • by physiography:
    • Atlantic coastal plain
    • Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line
    • East Coast of the United States
    • Great Basin
    • Great Basin Desert
    • Great Lakes
    • Great Lakes Basin
    • Great Plains
    • Gulf Coast of the United States
    • Piedmont
    • West Coast of the United States
  • by culture:
  • by biogeography:
    • Aridoamerica
  • by geology:
    • Canadian Shield
    • North American craton
    • Slave craton
    • Superior craton
    • Wyoming craton
  • by geology:
    • Guiana Shield
  • by the United Nations Statistics Division's geoscheme:
  • by economics:
    • Pacific Community
    • Pacific Islands Forum
    • Pacific Regional Environment Programme

See also

References