science

Subregion

Subregion 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 Subregion rather than just read about it. In short: A subregion is a part of a larger geographical region or continent. Cardinal directions are commonly used to define subregions.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

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-Eurasia Afro-Eurasia is a continental landmass comprising the continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Africa by the United Nations Statistics Division's geoscheme (see also: UN geoscheme for Africa): Northern Africa Sub-Saharan Africa Eastern Africa Middle Africa Southern Africa Western 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) Horn of Africa 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) Guinea (region) Sudan (region) by physiography: Congo Basin Kalahari Basin Kalahari Desert Namib Nile Basin Sahara Sahel Sudanian savanna East Sudanian savanna Sudd West Sudanian savanna by economics: African Monetary Union (AMU) Arab League (including some West Asian countries) Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Common Monetary Area (CMA) Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN-SAD) Council of Arab Economic Unity (GAFTA) – including some West Asian countries Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) EMEA (including Europe and the Middle East) Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Southern African Development Community (SADC) Union for the Mediterranean (including most Southern European countries and some West Asian countries) by biogeography: Macaronesia by historical division: Negroland by geology: Kaapvaal craton Zimbabwe Craton

Eurasia Eurasia is a continental mainland comprising the continents of Asia and Europe.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Subregion

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Subregion 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 Subregion 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 Subregion 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 Subregion

In research: Subregion 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 Subregion 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: Subregion is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Continents, Regions, Types of geographical division, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Subregion 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 Subregion in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Subregion 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 Subregion out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Subregion in simple terms?

A subregion is a part of a larger geographical region or continent. Cardinal directions are commonly used to define subregions.

Why does Subregion 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 Subregion?

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 Subregion.