Regions of the world

1. Regions of the world An overview

2. What defines a region? • Regions are areas defined by specific factors, like vegetation, river systems, and climate, which arephysical factors. • Regions may also be defined by language, religion, cultural traditions, forms of government, and trade networks , which are human factors.

3. Three types of regions • Formal regions- • Functional regions- • Perceptual regions-

4. Formal Regions (Uniform) • Def. everyone shares in common 1 or more distinctive characteristics • Can be identified by both physical and cultural features • Examples: • 90% French speaking region • Andes Mountain Region • United States • Wheat Belt

5. Functional Region (Nodal) • Def. area organized around a node or focal point • Product of interactions, or movements of various kinds • Defined as a spatial system • Its boundaries are defined by the limits of that system • Example: • San Antonio Metropolitan Region • WiFi Region

6. Perceptual Regions (Vernacular) • Region primarily in the minds of the people • Mental maps used to create these regions • Internal representation of a portion of the Earth • Examples: • South • The NE • The Middle East

7. What are the different regions around the globe? • USA & Canada • Latin America • Europe • Russia • North Africa-Southwest Asia-Central Asia • Africa South of the Sahara • South Asia

8. Regions continued • East Asia • South East Asia • Australia- Oceania- Antarctica

9. The USA and Canada • Cover most of North America • Have the world oldest unarmed border • Share many landforms and vegetation, such as the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. • Population: over 331 million • Major Languages: English, French, and Spanish

10. Latin America • Is Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean Islands. • Population: 525 million. • Covers 85 degrees of Latitude • A collision of cultures, mixing Native American, European, and African traditions to influence music, art, food, and religion. • Inca, Aztec, and Maya cultures once flourished in Latin America. • The longest river in the Western Hemisphere is the Amazon River.

11. Latin America

12. Europe • 43 nations create this region. • Most people live within 300 mile of a major body of water. • Population: 583 million • The exploration of Western European nations in the late 1400’s gave Europe an advantage of colonizing the Western Hemisphere.

13. Europe • Today Europe is working on uniting the many nations into the European Union.

14. Russia • The worlds largest country. • The Ural Mountains are the natural boundary between Europe and Russia. • Has vast natural resources, such as oil and natural gas. • Population: 144.4 million

15. Russia continued • After the communist government of the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Russian people have struggled with gaining economic strength. • Despite these difficulties Russians today enjoy many more liberties than in the past.

16. North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia • Home to the Nile River—the longest river in the world. • Also has the largest desert in the World the Sahara. Which has the highest Temp. ever recorded in the world—136 degrees F. • Region has seen the rise of Great civilizations, such as the Egyptians, Sumerians, Persians, and Phoenicians. • As well as the birth of three major religions– Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

17. North Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia • The most important resource in the area is petroleum. To better control oil as an economic advantage, eight countries in this region have formed OPEC– Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries.

18. Africa South of the Sahara • Population:673 million • Rich in mineral resources– fossil fuels, ores and gems. • Fossils found in Eastern Africa point to this region as the home of our earliest ancestors. • Area has an abundance in plant and animal life, which have given rise to poaching- illegal hunting.

19. Africa South of the Sahara • Africa has struggled to regain economic stability for African citizens. • Many Africans struggle for basic healthcare, employment, and educational needs.

20. South Asia • Population: over 1.3 billion people, one-fifth of the worlds population. • This area has many different religions– Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. • tea, curries, spices, and the practice of yoga have become popular around the world.

21. South Asia • Feeding the enormous population of this area has been met through scientific advances of farming and food production.

22. East Asia • Population 1.5 billion people– about 25% of world population. • Largest country is China. • Volcanic activity in the Ring of Fire created the islands of Japan and Taiwan. • Created great civilizations, such as the Shang, Zhou, and the Ming Dynasties. • Great Wall of China was built in 200’s B.C. to keep out foreign invaders.

23. East Asia • Areas are suffering from rapid population growth, which lead to air, soil and water pollution.

24. South East Asia • An area full of peninsulas and archipelagos. • Most SE Asian islands are covered in Rain forests. • This area is also home to the Komodo dragon –the worlds largest lizard. • About 520 million people live in SE Asia.

25. South East Asia • Rice farming is the most important agricultural activity. • Economic prosperity of the region has hurt the environment. In Thailand only 25% of it’s original forests still remain.

26. Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica • Australia is the smallest continent. • Two of the Seven Wonders of the World—Uluru (Ayers Rock), and The Great Barrier Reef. • Australia receives less precipitation than any other continent excluding Antarctica. • Antarctica has the highest elevation, of any continent helping to make it the coldest.

27. Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica • During World War II western nations tested nuclear weapons on islands in Oceania.