Wikipedia / Subregion
Wikipedia / Subregion
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. 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. 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.
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-EurasiaAfro-Eurasia
Afro-Eurasia is a continental landmass comprising the continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe.
AfricaAfrica
by the United Nations Statistics Division's geoscheme (see also: UN geoscheme for Africa):
by geography:
North Africa (Also known as Saharan Africa)
Maghreb (AKA Northwest Africa, also including Mauritania, which most geographers consider as a part of West Africa; some geographers consider Libya as a part of Northeast Africa and Western Sahara as a part of West Africa)
Northeast Africa (including Egypt, the Horn of Africa, and the Sudans; some geographers consider Egypt, Libya, and the Sudan as Northeast Africa instead)
Sub-Saharan Africa (AKA Tropical Africa)
Central Africa (AKA Congo, Equatorial Africa or Middle Africa)
East Africa (AKA Nile)
Northeast Africa (including Egypt, the Horn of Africa, and the Sudans; some geographers consider Egypt, Libya, and the Sudan as Northeast Africa instead)
Southeast Africa (also including Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho, which most geographers consider as part of Southern Africa)
Southern Africa (AKA Kalahari)
West Africa (AKA Niger)
by physiography:
by economics:
African Monetary Union (AMU)
Arab League (including some West Asian countries)
Common Monetary Area (CMA)
Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN-SAD)
Council of Arab Economic Unity (GAFTA) – including some West Asian countries
EMEA (including Europe and the Middle East)
Union for the Mediterranean (including most Southern European countries and some West Asian countries)
by biogeography:
by historical division:
by geology:
EurasiaEurasia
Eurasia is a continental mainland comprising the continents of Asia and Europe.
AsiaAsia
by the United Nations Statistics Division's geoscheme (see also: UN geoscheme for Asia):
Southern Asia – the UN geoscheme includes Afghanistan and Iran in this subregion
Western Asia – the UN geoscheme includes Cyprus, the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia), and Turkey in this subregion
by geography:
Hong Kong (some geographers consider it as a part of Northeast Asia)
Macau (some geographers consider it as a part of Northeast Asia)
Mainland China (some geographers consider it as a part of Northeast Asia)
North China (Eastern Inner Mongolia is also a part of Northeast China)
Northeast China (AKA Manchuria) – also a part of Northeast Asia
Southeast China (excluding Central China)
East China (some geographers include Taiwan Island, Penghu, Kinmen, the Matsu Islands, Socotra Rock, Parangcho, and the Senkaku Islands in this subregion)
South China (including Hainan Island and the South China Sea Islands, some geographers also include Hong Kong and Macau in this subregion)
Northwest China (some geographers consider Qinghai and Xinjiang as part of Central Asia)
Southwest China (some geographers consider Tibet as a part of Central Asia)
South China Sea Islands (some geographers consider them as part of Northeast Asia)
James Shoal (undersea feature)
Taiwan (some geographers consider it as a part of Northeast Asia)
Mongolia (some geographers consider it as a part of Central Asia or Northeast Asia)
Eastern Inner Mongolia
Northeast China (AKA Manchuria)
Russian Far East (also a part of North Asia, but not a part of East Asia)
North Asia (AKA Siberia)
Russian Far East (also a part of Northeast Asia)
South India (AKA Peninsular India, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep)
West Asia (AKA Southwest Asia)
Anatolia (AKA Asia Minor)
by physiography:
Malay Archipelago (including New Guinea)
by geopolitics:
Asia-Pacific (APAC) – including Oceania
Greater Middle East – including some African countries
Middle East and North Africa (AKA MENA) – including North African countries
Middle East (AKA the Near East) – including Egypt
Arab League (AKA the Arab states) – including some African countries
Mashriq – including Egypt and the Sudan
Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq)
South Caucasus (AKA Transcaucasia)
Himalayan states – including China
by economics:
Arab League – including some African countries
Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) – including Russia
Asian Clearing Union (ACU)
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) – including Oceania
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
Council of Arab Economic Unity (GAFTA) – including some African countries
Eurasian Customs Union (ECU) – including Belarus
Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) – including Belarus
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)
Union for the Mediterranean (including most Southern European countries and North African countries)
by culture:
Eastern Afghanistan
Muslim world (AKA the Islamic world)
Turkic world
Soviet Central Asia (excluding Tajikistan)
Dzungaria (northern half of Xinjiang)
by religion:
by biogeography:
by historical division:
East Indies (AKA the Indies)
Farther India (AKA Ultraindia)
by geology:
EuropeEurope
by the United Nations Statistics Division's geoscheme (see also: UN geoscheme for Europe):
Eastern Europe – the UN geoscheme includes parts of Central Europe (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia), parts of South-eastern Europe (Bulgaria and Romania), and Northern Asia (Siberia) in this subregion
Northern Europe – the UN geoscheme includes the Baltic states, the British Isles, and the Channel Islands in this subregion
Southern Europe – the UN geoscheme includes Slovenia in this subregion
Western Europe – the UN geoscheme includes parts of Central Europe (the DACH countries and Liechtenstein) in this subregion
by geography:
North Caucasus (aka Ciscaucasia)
South Caucasus (aka Transcaucasia) – a subregion of West Asia
Apennine Peninsula (aka the Italian Peninsula)
Balkan Peninsula (aka the Balkans)
by physiography:
Lesser Caucasus – A part of West Asia
by geopolitics:
Commonwealth of Independent States
European Union (EU)
North Sea Commission (NSC)
by economics:
Commonwealth of Independent States Free Trade Area (CISFTA) – including Armenia and most Central Asian countries
Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) – including Canada
EMEA (including Africa and the Middle East)
Eurasian Customs Union (EACU) – including Armenia and Kyrgyzstan
Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) – including Armenia and Kyrgyzstan
European Economic Area (EEA) – including Cyprus
European Single Market (including Cyprus)
European Union Customs Union (EUCU) – including Cyprus and Turkey
European Union–Turkey Customs Union (including Cyprus and Turkey)
North Sea Region (NSR)
Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) – including some West Asian countries and most North African countries
by culture:
Lapland, since 1809 divided into Finnish Lapland and Swedish Lapland
by language:
by religion:
Western religions (Abrahamic religions or West Asian religions)
by biogeography:
by historical division:
by geology:
AmericasAmericas
The Americas is a continental landmass comprising the continents of North America and South America.
by the United Nations Statistics Division's geoscheme (see also: UN geoscheme for the Americas):
Latin America and the Caribbean
Caribbean – the UN includes the Lucayan Archipelago in this subregion
Central America – the UN geoscheme includes Mexico in this subregion
by culture:
by economics:
North AmericaNorth America
by geography:
United States (excluding Hawaii)
Great Lakes region (including Ontario, Canada)
Western United States (including Alaska and Hawaii)
Southwestern United States (some geographers include the Oklahoma Panhandle and West Texas in this subregion)
by physiography:
by geopolitics:
Caribbean Netherlands (AKA the BES islands)
by economics:
by culture:
by biogeography:
by geology:
South AmericaSouth America
by geography:
Eastern South America: Federative Republic of Brazil
Northern South America – the part of South America located in the Northern Hemisphere
North-eastern South America: The Guianas
North-western South America: Caribbean South America
Southern South America: Southern Cone
Western South America: Andean States
by physiography:
by economics:
by geology:
AntarcticaAntarctica
by the United Nations Statistics Division's geoscheme:
by geography:
Antarctic and Subantarctic islands
Bouvet Island (some geographers consider it as a part of South America)
French Southern Territories (excluding Adélie Land and the Scattered Islands)
Crozet Islands (some geographers consider them as part of Africa)
Kerguelen Islands (some geographers consider them as part of Africa)
Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands (some geographers consider them as part of Africa)
Heard Island and McDonald Islands (some geographers consider them as part of Oceania)
Macquarie Island (some geographers consider it as a part of Oceania)
New Zealand Subantarctic Islands (some geographers consider them as part of Oceania)
Prince Edward Islands (some geographers consider them as part of Africa)
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (some geographers consider them as part of South America)
OceaniaOceania
by the United Nations Statistics Division's geoscheme (see also: UN geoscheme for Oceania):
Australia and New Zealand – the UN geoscheme includes the Cato, Elizabeth, and Middleton reefs, the Lord Howe Island Group, and Norfolk Island in this subregion
Melanesia – the UN geoscheme includes New Caledonia and New Guinea in this subregion
Polynesia – the UN excludes New Zealand from this subregion
by geography:
Australia (excluding the Australian Indian Ocean Territories, Heard Island and McDonald Islands and Norfolk Island)
Coral Sea Islands Territory (excluding the Cato, Elizabeth, and Middleton reefs)
New South Wales (excluding the Lord Howe Island Group)
Tasmania (excluding Macquarie Island)
New Guinea (some geographers consider it as a part of Melanesia)
Papua New Guinea (excluding the New Guinea Islands Region)
Australian Indian Ocean Territories
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
New Zealand (some geographers consider it as a part of Polynesia)
New Zealand outlying islands (excluding the Kermadec Islands)
New Zealand Subantarctic Islands
Melanesia (some geographers consider it as a part of Australasia)
New Caledonia (also a part of Zealandia)
New Guinea Islands Region (excluding Bougainville)
Solomon Islands (excluding the Santa Cruz Islands)
New Guinea (also a part of Australia–New Guinea)
Micronesia (some geographers include the Bonin Islands and the Volcano Islands in this subregion)
Polynesia (some geographers include Clipperton Island in this subregion)
American Samoa (excluding Swains Island)
by human geography:
See also
References
External links