September 20, 2017 1.10 Define region as concept, identify world regions, and understand the regionalization process

What is a region?

Regionalization The process geographers use to divide and categorize space into smaller aerial units. This is much like how a writer divides a book into chapters and then names (or classifies) them

Types of regions Formal Functional Perceptual

Formal Regions Also called “uniform Regions” or “homogeneous regions” are united by one or more traits Examples include: -physical, such as Saharan Desert -cultural, such as SW Nigeria, an area where most people speak Yoruba -economic, such as the Gold Coast of Africa (Ghana), which exports gold

Functional Regions Organized around a focal point and are defined by an activity that occurs across the region. These regions are often united by networks of communication and transportation that are centered on a node. For this reason, they are known as nodal regions Examples include: -Pizza delivery area; the pizza shop is the node -A country is a functional region; the capital is the node

Perceptual Regions Perceptual regions are defined by the informal sense of place that people ascribe to them The boundaries of perceptual regions vary widely because people have a different sense of what defines and unites these regions Examples: -The American “South” -The Middle East -Upstate New York

World Regions

The Regionalization Process

Large Regions Could be based on continents Physical Features Cultural Features -Central America (influenced more by Spain and Portugal than Great Britain and France) -Sub-Saharan Africa -The Russian Federation

Subregions Geographers divide regions into smaller units, or subregions A subregion shares some characteristics with the rest of the larger region, but is distinctive in some way Example: Latin America vs Brazil

Smaller Regions By increasing the scale, subregions can be divided even further These subdivisions can be based on elements of physical geography, such as climate and landform, or human geography, such as culture, politics, and economics For example: Florida -a climate region based on its warm weather -a cultural region known as the South -an economic region known as the Sun Belt

Questions Answer the following questions in your notebook: What characteristics do the countries that make up Anglo-America share? List three. What type of region is the Corn Belt? Bring map pencils to class tomorrow