Subregion

A subregion is a part of 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

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.

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 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.

Afro-Eurasia

Africa

• by the United Nations Statistics Division's subregions (see also: UN geoscheme for Africa):
  • Eastern Africa
  • Middle Africa or Congo
  • Northern Africa or Arabia
  • Southern Africa
  • Western Africa or Guinea

• by geography:
  • North Africa
    • Sahara
      • Maghreb
    • Sahel
  • Central Africa
    • Congo Basin
  • East Africa (aka Horn of Africa)
  • Southern Africa
  • West Africa
    • Sudan (region)

• by geopolitics:
  • The Greater Middle East (including the Middle East and the 'stans)
    • Saharan Africa
    • The Middle East (aka the Near East, also part of Asia)
      • The Arabian Peninsula (aka Arabia)
    • The 'stans (also part of Asia)
  • Sub-Saharan Africa

• by geology:
  • Kaapvaal craton
  • Zimbabwe craton

Eurasia

Asia

• by the United Nations Statistics Division's subregions (see also: UN geoscheme for Asia):
  • Central Asia
  • Eastern Asia
  • Southeastern Asia
  • Southern Asia
  • Western Asia

• by geography:
  • Central Asia
    • Indus Valley
  • East Asia
    • Greater China
      • China
        • Hong Kong (some geographers consider it as part of Northeast Asia)
        • Macau (some geographers consider it as part of Northeast Asia)
        • Mainland China
          • East China (some geographers include the Taiwan Island, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu Islands and Senkaku Islands in this subregion)
          • North China (Eastern Inner Mongolia is also part of Northeast Asia)
          • Northeast China (also part of Northeast Asia)
          • South Central China (including the Hainan Island, Paracel Islands, Pratas Islands, and Macclesfield Bank, some geographers also include Hong Kong and Macau in this subregion)
          • Western China
            • Northwest China (some geographers consider Xinjiang and Qinghai as part of Central Asia)
            • Southwest China (some geographers consider Tibet as part of Central Asia)
      • Taiwan (some geographers consider it as part of Northeast Asia)
      • The Spratly Islands
        • James Shoal
    • Mongolia (some geographers consider it as part of Northeast Asia or Central Asia)
    • Northeast Asia
      • Japan
      • Manchuria
        • Eastern Inner Mongolia
        • Northeast China
        • Outer Manchuria (also part of North Asia)
        • Sakhalin (also part of North Asia)
      • The Korean Peninsula (aka Korea)
        • North Korea
        • South Korea
  • North Asia (aka Siberia)
    • Russian Far East
      • Outer Manchuria (also part of Northeast Asia)
      • Sakhalin (also part of Northeast Asia)
  • South Asia (mainly the Indian subcontinent)
    • Deccan Plateau/Peninsular India
    • The Himalayas
    • India
      • East India
      • Northeast India
      • North India
      • South India
      • Western India
    • Indo-Gangetic plains
    • Iranian Plateau
    • List of island countries and territories in the Indian Ocean
  • Southeast Asia
    • Mainland/Indochina and Malay Peninsula
    • Maritime/Malay Archipelago or Malesia
  • Western Asia (aka Southwest Asia)
    • Asia Minor
    • Kurdistan
    • Levant
    • Mesopotamia
    • The Arabian Peninsula (aka Arabia)
    • The Caucasus
      • The North Caucasus
      • The South Caucasus

• by geopolitics:
  • Eastern world
    • The Far East
      • ASEAN
      • China proper
      • The Russian Far East
    • The Greater Middle East (including Saharan Africa)
      • Saharan Africa (also part of Africa)
      • The Middle East (aka the Near East)
        • The Arabian Peninsula (aka Arabia)
      • The 'stans
    • The Indian subcontinent

• by economics:
  • Eurasian Economic Community
  • Greater Mekong Subregion

• by religions:
  • Abrahamic religions (aka Western Asian religions or Western religion)
  • Eastern religions
    • Dharmic religions (aka Indian religions)
    • Taoic religions (aka East Asian religions or Far Eastern religions)

Europe

• by the United Nations Statistics Division's subregions (see also: UN geoscheme for Europe):
  • Eastern Europe – the UN includes North Asia (aka Siberia) and Central Europe in this subregion
  • Northern Europe – the UN includes the British Isles in this subregion
  • Southern Europe
  • Western Europe – the UN includes Germany and other DACH countries in this subregion

• by economy:
  • Central European Free Trade Agreement
  • CISFTA
  • Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia
  • Eurasian Economic Community
  • European Economic Area
  • European Free Trade Association
  • European Union Customs Union
  • Eurozone

• by geology:
  • Baltic shield
  • East European craton
  • Ukrainian Shield

• by geopolitics:
  • Western world
    • European Union

• by peninsula:
  • Balkan Peninsula
  • Iberian Peninsula
  • Italian Peninsula
  • Scandinavian Peninsula

• by culture:
  • The Balkans
    • Western Balkans
  • Baltic States
  • Benelux
    • Belgium
    • The Netherlands
    • Luxembourg
  • British Isles
  • The Caucasus
    • The North Caucasus
    • The South Caucasus
  • Central Europe
  • DACH
    • Germany (aka Deutschland)
    • Austria
    • Switzerland (aka Confoederatio Helvetica)
  • Latin Europe
  • Nordic countries
    • Fennoscandia
      • Scandinavia
        • Lapland
  • Visegrád Group

• by religions:
  • Western religion (aka Abrahamic religions or Western Asian religions)

• by historical divisions:
  • Eastern Bloc
  • Western Bloc

Americas

• by the United Nations Statistics Division's subregions (see also: UN geoscheme for the Americas):
  • Latin America and the Caribbean
    • Caribbean^[4]
    • Central America^[4] – the UN includes Mexico and Clipperton Island in this subregion
    • South America
  • Northern America^[4]

• by culture:
  • Anglo-America
  • Latin America
    • Hispanic America
      • Mesoamerica

North America

• by geography:
  • Caribbean
    • The Greater Antilles
    • The Lesser Antilles
  • Central America
  • Clipperton Island
  • Mexico
  • Northern America
    • Alaska
    • Great Basin
    • Great Lakes
    • Great Plains
    • Greenland
    • Northern Canada

• by geology:
  • Canadian Shield
  • North American craton
  • Slave craton
  • Superior craton
  • Wyoming craton

• by economics:
  • Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
  • Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)
  • Mesoamerican region
  • North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
  • Petrocaribe

South America

• by geography:
  • Altiplano
  • Amazon Basin
  • Andean states
  • Andes
  • Caribbean South America
  • Eastern South America (aka Brazil)
  • Gran Chaco
  • Guianan states
  • Northern South America
  • Pampa
  • Pantanal
  • Patagonia
  • Southern Cone

• by economics:
  • Andean Community
  • Mercosur
  • Union of South American Nations

• by geology:
  • Guiana Shield

Antarctica

• by the United Nations Statistics Division's subregions:
  • Antarctica

• by geography:
  • Antarctica
    • Bouvet Island
    • French Southern and Antarctic Lands
    • Heard Island and McDonald Islands
    • Peter I Island
    • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Oceania

• by the United Nations Statistics Division's subregions (see also: UN geoscheme for Oceania):
  • Australia and New Zealand – the UN includes Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs, Lord Howe Island Group and Norfolk Island in this subregion
  • Melanesia – the UN includes New Caledonia and New Guinea in this subregion
  • Micronesia
  • Polynesia

• by geography:
  • Australasia
    • Australia (continent)
      • Australia
        • Ashmore and Cartier Islands
        • Australian Capital Territory
        • Christmas Island
        • Cocos (Keeling) Islands
        • Coral Sea Islands Territory (excluding Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs)
        • Jervis Bay Territory
        • New South Wales (excluding Lord Howe Island Group)
        • Northern Territory
        • Queensland
        • South Australia
        • Tasmania
        • Victoria
        • Western Australia
      • New Guinea
        • Papua New Guinea
        • West Papua
    • Zealandia
      • Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs
      • Lord Howe Island Group
      • New Caledonia
      • New Zealand
      • Norfolk Island
  • Pacific Islands
    • Melanesia
    • Micronesia
    • Polynesia

• by geology (see also: Geology of Australia):
  • Archaean
  • Australian Shield
  • Centralian Superbasin
  • Gawler craton
  • Narryer gneiss
  • Ore genesis
  • Perth Basin
  • Pilbara craton
  • Western Plateau
  • Yilgarn craton

See also

• Autonomous region
• Committee of the Regions
• Continent
• Continental fragment
• Euroregion
• Latin names of regions
• Military district
• Polar region
• Region
• Regional district
• Regional municipality
• Subcontinent
• Submerged continents
• Supercontinent
• United Nations geoscheme

References

External links

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

Regions of the world Africa Northern (Maghreb) Sub-Saharan Western East Central Southern Horn Islands North America Northern Caribbean Central Middle Anglo French Latin (Hispanic) South America Southern Northern (Guianan states) Western Latin (Hispanic) Asia Central Far East Eastern (Northeastern) Southeastern Mainland Maritime Northern Siberia Southern (Indian subcontinent) Western South Caucasus Middle East Near East Asia-Pacific Europe Central Eastern Northern Nordic Baltic Northwestern Southeastern Balkans North Caucasus Middle East Southern Iberia Western Benelux Oceania Australasia Australia New Guinea Zealandia Pacific Islands Micronesia Melanesia Polynesia Polar Antarctic Arctic Oceans World (Sea) Arctic Atlantic Indian Pacific Southern List of seas Continents of the world / List of seas / Physical Earth