A region is an area of land that has common features. A region can be defined by natural or artificial features. Language, government, or religion can define a region, as can forests, wildlife, or climate.
Regions, large or small, are the basic units of geography. The Middle East is considered a political, environmental, and religious region that includes parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe. The region is in a hot, dry climate. Although the styles of government are varied (
theocracy
in Iran, monarchy in Saudi Arabia), almost all of them have strong ties to religion. The region is where three of the world's major religions were founded: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
The Amazon region in South America is the area surrounding the Amazon River, which runs through the northern part of the continent, including Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru. This region is characterized by warm temperatures, heavy rainfall, a large diversity of plant and animal species, and little human impact on the environment.
Geographers also use regions to study prehistoric environments that no longer exist. Due to plate tectonics, or the movement of Earth's crust, geographic regions are constantly being created and destroyed over time. Paleogeography is the study of these ancient environments.
One paleogeographic region is Pangaea, the supercontinent that existed millions of years ago, during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras. The continents we know today split apart from the supercontinent of Pangaea.
Regions of the United States
There are many different ways to divide the United States into regions. The Library of Congress lists 16 different U.S. regions.
