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A subregion is a part of a larger 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 UN statistical geoscheme, which is a changing, constantly updated, UN tool based on specific political geography 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.^[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. These statistical divisions were 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.

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

Africa

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)
      - 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:

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 European countries and some West Asian countries)

by biogeography:
- Macaronesia

by historical division:
- Negroland

by geology:
- Kaapvaal Craton
- Zimbabwe Craton

Eurasia

Asia

by the United Nations Statistics Division's geoscheme (see also: UN geoscheme for Asia):

by geography:
- Central Asia
- East Asia
  - Greater China
    - China
      - 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 Central China
        Central China
        
        South China (including Hainan Island and the South China Sea Islands, some geographers also include Hong Kong and Macau in this subregion)
        
        Western China
        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)
      - Paracel Islands
      - Pratas Island
      - Spratly Islands
        James Shoal (undersea feature)
        
        Taiping Island
        
        Zhongzhou Reef
      - Zhongsha Islands
        Macclesfield Bank
        Walker Shoal
        
        Scarborough Shoal
    - 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)
  - Northeast Asia
    - China
      - Eastern Inner Mongolia
      - Northeast China (AKA Manchuria)
    - Japan
    - Korea
      - North Korea
      - South Korea
    - Russian Far East (also a part of North Asia, but not a part of East Asia)
      - Outer Manchuria
- North Asia (AKA Siberia)
  - Russian Far East (also a part of Northeast Asia)
    - Outer Manchuria
- South Asia
- Southeast Asia
  - Mainland Southeast Asia
    - Malay Peninsula
  - Maritime Southeast Asia
    - Borneo (including Labuan)
      - Brunei
      - East Malaysia
        Labuan
        
        Sabah
        
        Sarawak
      - Kalimantan
- West Asia (AKA Southwest Asia)
  - Anatolia (AKA Asia Minor)
  - Arabia
    - Eastern Arabia
    - Hejaz (AKA Western Arabia)
    - Najd (AKA Central Arabia)
    - South Arabia
  - Levant
    - Southern Levant
  - Mesopotamia
  - South Caucasus (AKA Transcaucasia)

by physiography:

by geopolitics:
- Asia-Pacific (APAC) – including Oceania
  - Far East/Pacific Asia
- 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
        Arabian Peninsula
        
        Levant – including Ash-Shām and Cyprus
        
        Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq)
      - Asia Minor
      - South Caucasus (AKA Transcaucasia)
  - The 'stans
- Indian subcontinent
  - Himalayan states – including China
    - Eastern Himalaya
    - Western Himalaya
  - Kashmir

by economics:
- Arab League – including some African countries
- ASEAN Free Trade Area
- Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) – including Russia
- Asian Clearing Union (ACU)
- Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) – including Oceania
- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
- Bamboo network
- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal Initiative (BBIN)
- Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
- Council of Arab Economic Unity (GAFTA) – including some African countries
- EMEA (including Africa and Europe)
- Eurasian Customs Union (ECU) – including Belarus
- Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) – including Belarus
- Greater Mekong Subregion
- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
- South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
- South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)
- South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC)
- Union for the Mediterranean (including most European countries and some African countries)

by culture:
- Eastern world
  - East Asian cultural sphere
  - Greater Mongolia
    - Inner Mongolia
    - Mongolia (Outer Mongolia)
- Muslim world (AKA the Islamic world)
  - Arab world
    - Mashriq
      - Arabia
        Al-Bahrain
        
        Al-Yamama
        
        Hadhramaut
        
        Tihamah
  - Malay world
    - Greater Indonesia
      - Nusantara
  - Turkic world
    - Azerbaijan
    - Soviet Central Asia (excluding Tajikistan)
    - Turkey
    - Xinjiang
      - Dzungaria (northern half of Xinjiang)
      - Southern Xinjiang
  - Greater Iran
    - Greater Khorasan

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

by biogeography:
- Eastern Asia
- Malesia

by historical division:
- East Indies (AKA the Indies)
  - Farther India (AKA Ultraindia)
    - Indochina
    - Insulindia

by geology:

Europe

by the United Nations Statistics Division's geoscheme (see also: UN geoscheme for Europe):
- Eastern Europe – the UN includes North Asia (Siberia) and part of Central Europe (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) in this subregion
- Northern Europe – the UN includes the British Isles and the Baltic states in this subregion
- Southern Europe – the UN includes Slovenia (Central Europe) in this subregion
- Western Europe – the UN includes part of Central Europe (the DACH countries and Liechtenstein) in this subregion

by geography:
- Central and Eastern Europe
  - Central Europe
  - Eastern Europe
    - Caucasus
      - North Caucasus (aka Ciscaucasia)
      - South Caucasus (aka Transcaucasia) – a subregion of West Asia
- Northern Europe
- Southern Europe
  - South-central Europe
    - Apennine Peninsula (aka the Italian Peninsula)
    - Malta
  - South-eastern Europe
    - Balkan Peninsula (aka the Balkans)
    - Romania
  - South-western Europe
    - Balearic Islands
    - Iberian Peninsula (aka Iberia)
    - Southern France
- Western Europe

by physiography:
- Apennine Peninsula (aka the Italian Peninsula)
- Balkan Peninsula
- British Isles
- Caucasus Mountains
  - Greater Caucasus
  - Lesser Caucasus – A part of West Asia
- Channel Islands
  - Guernsey
  - Jersey
- Eurasian Steppe
- Fennoscandian Peninsula
  - Kola Peninsula
  - Scandinavian Peninsula
- Great European Plain
  - East European Plain
- Iberian Peninsula
- Mediterranean Basin

by geopolitics:
- East-Central Europe
- Eastern Europe
  - Post-Soviet states
- West-Central Europe (in German)
- Western Europe
  - European Union (EU)
  - NATO
  - North Sea Commission (NSC)

by economics:
- Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA)
- 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 Free Trade Association (EFTA)
- European Single Market (including Cyprus)
- European Union Customs Union (EUCU) – including Cyprus and Turkey
- European Union–Turkey Customs Union (including Cyprus and Turkey)
- Eurozone (including Cyprus)
- North Sea Region (NSR)
- Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) – including some West Asian countries and some African countries
- Union State

by culture:
- Balkans
  - Eastern Balkans
  - Western Balkans
- Baltic states
- Benelux
- Mediterranean Region
- Nordic countries and Karelia
- North Sea Region
- Sápmi, since 1809 divided between Finland and Sweden
- Scandinavia
- Visegrád Group

by language:

by religion:
- Eastern religions
  - Indian religions
    - Buddhism in Europe (Kalmykia)
- Western religions (Abrahamic religions or West Asian religions)
  - Christianity in Europe
  - Islam in Europe

by biogeography:
- Mediterranean Region

by historical division:

by geology:
- Alpine orogeny
- East European craton
  - Baltic Shield
  - Ukrainian Shield

Americas

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

by culture:
- Anglo-America
- Latin America
  - French America
  - Ibero-America
    - Hispanic America
    - Portuguese America

by economics:
- Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)

North America

by geography:
- Middle America
  - Caribbean (Insular America)
- Northern America
  - Bermuda
  - Canada
  - Greenland
  - Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  - United States (excluding Hawaii)
    - Alaska
    - Contiguous United States
      - Central United States
        Middle America (United States)
        
        Midwestern United States
      - Eastern United States
        Northeastern United States
        
        Southeastern United States
      - Northern United States
        Great Lakes region (including Ontario, Canada)
      - Southern United States
        South Central United States
      - Western United States (including Alaska and Hawaii)
        Northwestern United States
        
        Southwestern United States (some geographers include the Oklahoma Panhandle and West Texas in this subregion)

by physiography:

by geopolitics:

by economics:

by culture:

by biogeography:
- Aridoamerica

by geology:

South 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:
- Guiana Shield

Antarctica

by the United Nations Statistics Division's geoscheme:
- Antarctica

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)
  - Peter I Island
  - 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)
  - South Orkney Islands
  - South Shetland Islands
- Mainland Antarctica

Oceania

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

by geography:
- Australasia
  - Australia–New Guinea
    - Australia (excluding the Australian Indian Ocean Territories, Heard Island and McDonald Islands and Norfolk Island)
      - Ashmore and Cartier Islands
      - Coral Sea Islands Territory (excluding the Cato, Elizabeth, and Middleton reefs)
      - Mainland Australia
        Australian Capital Territory
        
        Jervis Bay Territory
        
        New South Wales (excluding the Lord Howe Island Group)
        
        Northern Territory
        
        Queensland
        
        South Australia
        
        Victoria
        
        Western Australia
      - Tasmania (excluding Macquarie Island)
    - New Guinea (some geographers consider it as a part of Melanesia)
      - Papua New Guinea (excluding the New Guinea Islands Region)
      - Western New Guinea
        Papua
        
        West Papua
  - Australian Indian Ocean Territories
    - Christmas Island
    - Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  - Heard Island and McDonald Islands
    - Heard Island
    - McDonald Islands
  - Macquarie Island
  - Zealandia
    - Cato Reef
    - Elizabeth Reef
    - Lord Howe Island Group
    - Middleton Reef
    - New Caledonia (also a part of Melanesia)
    - New Zealand (some geographers consider it as a part of Polynesia)
      - New Zealand outlying islands (excluding the Kermadec Islands)
        Chatham Islands
        
        New Zealand Subantarctic Islands
        Antipodes Islands
        
        Auckland Islands
        
        Bounty Islands
        
        Campbell Islands
        
        Snares Islands
        
        Solander Islands
        
        Three Kings Islands
    - Norfolk Island
- Pacific Islands
  - Melanesia (some geographers consider it as a part of Australasia)
    - Island Melanesia
      - Fiji (excluding Rotuma)
      - New Caledonia (also a part of Zealandia)
      - New Guinea Islands Region (excluding Bougainville)
      - Santa Cruz Islands
      - Solomon Islands (archipelago)
        Bougainville
        
        Solomon Islands (excluding the Santa Cruz Islands)
      - Vanuatu
    - New Guinea (also a part of Australia–New Guinea)
  - Micronesia (some geographers include the Bonin Islands and the Volcano Islands in this subregion)
    - Mariana Islands
      - Guam
      - Northern Mariana Islands
    - Wake Island
  - Polynesia (some geographers include Clipperton Island in this subregion)

by human geography:
- Near Oceania
- Remote Oceania

by economics:

by biogeography:
- Papuasia
  - East Melanesian Islands

by geology (see also: Geology of Australia):

References

^ United Nations Statistics Division - About Us
^ United Nations Statistics Division - Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications
^ Standard country or area codes and geographical regions for statistical use
^ ^a ^b ^c These three subregions together form the continent of North America.

External links

UN Statistics Division – Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49)

[1] United Nations Statistics Division - About Us

[2] United Nations Statistics Division - Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications

[3] Standard country or area codes and geographical regions for statistical use

[subreg-4] These three subregions together form the continent of North America.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Earth's primary regions and subregions
Africa	Mediterranean Saharan Northern Maghreb Middle East Middle East and North Africa Mashriq Sub-Saharan Western East Horn Great Lakes Central Southern Islands
North America	Northern Pacific Northwest Northeastern United States New England Midwest Mid-Atlantic Western United States Southwest Mountain states South Central United States Southern United States East Coast West Coast Bible Belt Appalachia Great Lakes Eastern Canada Western Canada Canadian Prairies Northern Canada Atlantic Canada Northern Mexico Aridoamerica Caribbean West Indies Central Middle Mesoamerica Anglo French Latin Ibero Hispanic Portuguese Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)
South America	Southern Northern (Guianan states) West Indies Patagonia Amazon LAC
Asia	Central Aral Sea Aralkum Desert Caspian Sea Far East Pacific Asia Russian Far East Eastern Northeastern Inner Asia Greater Central Asia Southeastern Mainland Maritime Northern Siberia Ural Southern Subregions Himalayan states Indian subcontinent Western Levant Dead Sea Mediterranean Greater Iran Iranian Plateau Arabian Peninsula Caucasus South Caucasus Middle East Middle East and North Africa Near East Mashriq Asia–Pacific
Europe	Central Northern Baltic British Isles Nordic Northwestern Scandinavia Scandinavian Peninsula Eastern Southeastern Balkans Caucasus South Caucasus North Caucasus Southern Russia European Russia Southern Iberia Italy Italian Peninsula Balkans Southeastern Mediterranean Middle East Western Atlantic Low Countries Northwestern Germanic Romance Celtic Slavic
Oceania	Australasia Australia New Guinea Zealandia Pacific Islands Micronesia Melanesia Polynesia
Polar	Antarctic Arctic
Oceans	World (Sea) Antarctic/Southern Convergence Arctic Atlantic Indian Pacific Great Barrier Reef Mariana Trench Ring of Fire List of seas
Non-continent-based world regions	Global North and Global South Global Northwest Global Southwest Global East Global Southeast Land and water hemispheres
Continents of Earth / List of seas / Physical Earth

Revision as of 15:21, 6 May 2024

United Nations subregions

Subregions by continent

See also

References

External links