WG.3 a - Regional Labels

The student will apply the concept of a region by 

a) explaining how characteristics of regions have led to regional labels; 

Theme- Region, Continuity vs. Change, Perspective

How do humans divide the world?

How do regions help people understand the world?

How do physical landforms affect the formation of regions?

How are world regions shaped by human culture and ideas?

Regions are areas of Earth’s surface that share unifying characteristics. 

Regions may be defined by physical or cultural characteristics. 

Regional labels may reflect changes in people’s perceptions.

Regions are used to simplify the study and understanding of the world. 

Physical regions 

• Sahara 
  
• Taiga 
  
• Rain forest 
  
• Great Plains 
  
• Low Countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) 
  

Examples of cultural regions 

• Language 
  
• Latin America 
• Francophone world 
• Ethnic 
  
• Chinatowns 
• Kurdistan 
• Arab region 
• Religion 
  
• Islam 
• Buddhism 
• Roman Catholicism 
• Economic 
  
• Wheat belts 
• European Union (EU) 
• Political 
  
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 
• African Union (AU) 

Regional labels reflecting changes in perceptions 

• Middle East 
  
• Sun Belt 
  
• Rust Belt
  

Region

Culture 

Ethnic Group

Genocide

Partition

Nationalism

Imperialism

Colonialism

Francophone World

Hinduism

Buddhism

Islam

Judaism

Confucianism

Kashmir

Wheat Belt

Sun Belt

Rust Belt

OPEC

NATO

NAFTA

EU

UN

OAS

ASEAN

League of Arab Nations

Red Cross

Peace Corps