subregion

A subregion is a conceptual unit which derives from a larger region or continent and is usually based on location. Cardinal directions, such as south or southern, are commonly used to define a subregion.

United Nations subregions

Main article: United Nations geoscheme

The UN geoscheme, created by the UN Statistics Division. For statistical consistency and for convenience, each country or area is shown in one region only: e.g., Russia (Eastern Europe), which is in Europe and Asia.

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 millennial development goals worldwide. This geoscheme was 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.

This scheme is in use by several bodies within the UN; other schemes are also used.^[3][4][5][6] According to the UN, these geographical divisions do not imply any assumption regarding political or other affiliations of countries or territories by the UN.

Subregions by 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.

Africa

• by UN subregion:
  • Northern Africa
  • Western Africa
  • Middle Africa
  • Eastern Africa
  • Southern Africa
• by geography:
  • North Africa
    • Maghreb

• • • Sahel
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
    • West Africa
    • East Africa
    • Horn of Africa
    • Central Africa
    • Congo
    • Southern Africa
    • Sudan (region)
• by geology: Ramiah RAGU
  • • Kaapvaal craton
    • Zimbabwe craton

America

• see also: Americas (terminology)

North America

• by UN subregion:
  • Northern America
  • South America
  • Central America
  • Caribbean
• by geography:
  • Canadian Arctic
  • Great Basin
  • Great Plains
  • Great Lakes
  • The Greater Antilles
  • The Lesser Antilles
• by geology:
  • Canadian Shield
  • North American craton
  • Slave craton
  • Superior craton
  • Wyoming craton
• by economics:
  • North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
  • Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
  • Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)

South America

• by geography:
  • Altiplano
  • Amazon Basin
  • Andes
  • Caribbean South America
  • Gran Chaco
  • Guianas
  • Pampa
  • Pantanal
  • Patagonia
• by economics (Union of South American Nations):
  • Andean Community
  • Mercosur

Eurasia

Asia

• by UN subregion:
  • Western Asia
  • Central Asia
  • Southern Asia
  • Eastern Asia
  • Southeastern Asia

• by geography:
  • Central Asia
  • Southwest Asia
    • Arabian Peninsula/Gulf States
    • Anatolia
    • Caucasus
    • Levant
    • Mesopotamia
    • Kurdistan
    • Iranian Plateau/Balochistan
  • North Asia (see Siberia)
  • Northeast Asia
  • East Asia
  • South Asia, or the Indian subcontinent
    • Himalayan states
    • Indo-Gangetic plains
    • Deccan Plateau/Peninsular India
    • List of island countries and territories in the Indian Ocean
    • South India
    • North India
    • East India
    • Northeast India
    • West India
  • Southeast Asia
    • Maritime/Malay Archipelago
    • Mainland/Indochina

• other groupings:
  • Far East
  • Middle East
  • Near East

Europe

• by UN subregion:
  • Western Europe
  • Northern Europe
  • Southern Europe
  • Eastern Europe
• by peninsula:
  • Balkan Peninsula
  • Iberian Peninsula
  • Italian Peninsula
  • Scandinavian Peninsula
• by other groupings:
  • Baltic States
  • Benelux or the Low Countries
  • the British Isles
  • Central Europe
  • Nordic countries (Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway and Sweden), Iceland, Finland, the Danish territories of Greenland and Faroe Islands, and the Finnish territory of Åland)
  • Visegrád Group
• by geology
  • Baltic shield
  • Ukrainian shields
  • East European craton

Oceania

• Australasia or Australia
  • by geography
    • Australian Capital Territory
    • New South Wales
    • Northern Territory
    • Queensland
    • South Australia
    • Tasmania
    • Victoria
    • Western Australia
    • Jervis Bay Territory
  • by geology
    • Yilgarn craton
    • Pilbara craton
• Melanesia
• Micronesia
• Polynesia
• South Pacific
• North Pacific

See also

• United Nations geoscheme
• Continent
• Subcontinent
• Supercontinent

Sources

External links

• UN Statistics Division's Country and Area Codes Classifications
• UN Group of Experts on Geographical Names

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