science

ITU Region

ITU Region is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand ITU Region rather than just read about it. In short: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in its International Radio Regulations, divides the world into three ITU regions for the purposes of managing the global radio spectrum. Each region has its own set of frequency allocations, the main reason for defining the regions.

Key takeaways

ITU Region belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect ITU Region to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of ITU Region from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in its International Radio Regulations, divides the world into three ITU regions for the purposes of managing the global radio spectrum. Each region has its own set of frequency allocations, the main reason for defining the regions.

Boundaries Region 1 comprises Europe, Africa, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Mongolia, and the Middle East west of the Persian Gulf, including Iraq. The western boundary is defined by Line B and the eastern boundary is defined by Line A, except that all territory of Iran is excluded, and all territory of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Ukraine and the area to the north of Russia which lies between lines A and C is included. Region 2 covers the Americas including Greenland, and some of the eastern Pacific Islands. The eastern boundary is defined by Line B and the western boundary is defined by Line C. Region 3 contains most of non-FSU Asia east of and including Iran, and most of Oceania. The western boundary is defined by Line A and the eastern boundary is defined by Line C. Lines:

Line A is a line running from the North Pole along meridian 40° East of Greenwich to parallel 40° North; thence by great circle arc to the intersection of meridian 60° East and the Tropic of Cancer; thence along the meridian 60° East to the South Pole. Line B is a line running from the North Pole along meridian 10° West of Greenwich to its intersection with parallel 72° North; thence by great circle arc to the intersection of meridian 50° West and parallel 40° North; thence by great circle arc to the intersection of meridian 20° West and parallel 10° South; thence along meridian 20° West to the South Pole. Line C is a line running from the North Pole by great circle arc to the intersection of parallel 65° 30` North with the international boundary in the Bering Strait; thence by great circle arc to the intersection of meridian 165° East of Greenwich and parallel 50° North; thence by great circle arc to the intersection of meridian 170° West and parallel 10° North; thence along parallel 10° North to its intersection with meridian 120° West; thence along meridian 120° West to the South Pole.

Usage The definition of the European Broadcasting Area uses some of the definitions of Region 1.

ITU Zones For convenience the regions are further divided into a total of 90 zones. While often following political boundaries, in more remote land and sea areas these are often defined to be roughly equal in size and so can have very low populations. As examples, Antarctica is divided into seven zones, and in one Pacific Ocean zone the only land area is tiny Minami Torishima. For certain awards and contests amateur radio operators may attempt to contact as many zones as possible.

External links 2006 map showing the three ITU regions and the three lines that define the borders (along with an extra line) Region definitions as specified in Article 5 of the ITU Radio Regulations

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with ITU Region

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what ITU Region claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to ITU Region before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about ITU Region ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of ITU Region

In research: ITU Region appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses ITU Region in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: ITU Region is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics International Telecommunication Union, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for ITU Region outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study ITU Region in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what ITU Region means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain ITU Region out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is ITU Region in simple terms?

Why does ITU Region matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study ITU Region?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on ITU Region.