Subregion

Short description: Part of a larger geographic region or continent

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

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.

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:
- 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 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
      - Daitō Islands
      - Mainland Japan
        Hokkaido
        
        Honshu
        
        Kyushu
        
        Shikoku
      - Nanpō Islands
      - Ryukyu Islands
    - 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
  - Eastern South Asia
  - India
    - Andaman and Nicobar Islands
    - Lakshadweep
    - Mainland India
      - Central India
      - East India
      - Northeast India
      - North India
      - South India (AKA Peninsular India, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep)
      - Western India
- Southeast Asia
  - Mainland Southeast Asia
    - Malay Peninsula
      - Peninsular Malaysia
      - Southern Thailand
      - Tanintharyi Region
  - 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:
- Anatolian Peninsula
- Arabian Peninsula
  - Central Plateau
  - Indian Ocean Coast
  - Persian Gulf Coast
  - Red Sea Coast
- Bahrain Island
- Caucasus Mountains
  - Greater Caucasus
  - Lesser Caucasus
- Daitō Islands
- Eurasian Steppe
- Fertile Crescent
  - Mesopotamia
- Hainan Island
- Himalayas
  - Eastern Himalaya
  - Western Himalaya
    - Siachen Glacier
- Indian subcontinent
  - Deccan Plateau
- Indochinese Peninsula
- Indo-Gangetic Plain
- Indus Valley
- Iranian Plateau
- Japanese Archipelago
  - Hokkaido
  - Honshu
  - Kuril Islands
  - Kyushu
  - Ryukyu Islands
    - Okinawa Island
  - Sakhalin Island
  - Shikoku
- Jeju Island
- Junggar Basin
- Kolyma
- Korean Peninsula
- Leizhou Peninsula
- Liaodong Peninsula
- Malay Archipelago (including New Guinea)
  - Indonesian Archipelago
    - Maluku Islands
    - Sunda Islands
      - Greater Sunda Islands
        Borneo
        
        Java
        
        Sulawesi
        
        Sumatra
      - Lesser Sunda Islands
        Alor Archipelago
        
        Bali
        
        Barat Daya Islands
        
        Flores
        
        Komodo
        
        Lombok
        
        Sumba
        
        Sumbawa
        
        Tanimbar Islands
        
        Timor
  - Philippine Archipelago
    - Luzon
    - Mindanao
    - Visayan Islands
- Mongolian Plateau
- Nanpō Islands
  - Bonin Islands
  - Volcano Islands
- Qinghai Lake
- Shandong Peninsula
- Sichuan Basin
- Sri Lanka Island
- Taiwan Island
- Tarim Basin

by geopolitics:
- Asia-Pacific (APAC) – including Oceania
  - Far East
- 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 China
      - Eastern and western China
        Northern and southern China
        China proper
        
        Manchuria
    - Japan
    - Korea
    - Nanyang
    - Vietnam
    - Greater India
      - Eastern Afghanistan
      - Indian subcontinent
        Himalayan states
        Indian Himalayan Region
      - Mainland Southeast Asia
      - Maritime Southeast Asia
      - Tibet
      - Yunnan
  - 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
      - Southern Xinjiang

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:
- Izu–Bonin–Mariana Arc
- Kuril Island Arc
- Northeastern Japan Arc
- Ryukyu Island Arc
- Sakhalin Island Arc
- Southwestern Japan Arc

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
  - Great Britain
  - Hebrides
  - Ireland
  - Isle of Man
  - Isle of Wight
- 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
    - Baltic states
    - Commonwealth of Independent States
      - Union State
        North Caucasus
    - Georgia
    - Ukraine
- 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
  - Belgium
  - Netherlands
  - Luxembourg
- Mediterranean Region
- Nordic countries and Karelia
- North Sea Region
- Sápmi, since 1809 divided between Finland and Sweden
- Scandinavia
- Visegrád Group

by language:
- Celtic-speaking Europe
- Germanic-speaking Europe
  - DACH countries
    - Germany (Germany )
    - Austria
    - Switzerland (Switzerland )
- Romance-speaking Europe (aka Latin Europe)
- Slavic-speaking Europe

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

by biogeography:
- Mediterranean Region

by historical division:
- Celtic tribes
- East–West Schism
  - Catholic Church
  - Eastern Orthodox Church
- Germanic tribes
- Greco-Roman world
  - Hellenistic world
  - Roman Empire
    - Eastern Roman Empire
    - Western Roman Empire
- Iranian tribes
- Iron Curtain
  - Eastern Bloc
  - Western Bloc
- Reformation (Protestantism)
- Slavic tribes
- Turkic tribes

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)
    - Aves Island
    - West Indies
      - Antilles
        Greater Antilles
        Hispaniola
        
        Lesser Antilles
        Leeward Islands
        Saint Martin island
        
        SSS islands
        
        Virgin Islands
        British Virgin Islands
        
        Spanish Virgin Islands
        
        United States Virgin Islands
        
        Southern Caribbean
        Leeward Antilles
        ABC islands
        
        Windward Islands
      - Lucayan Archipelago
    - Central America
      - San Andrés and Providencia
        Bajo Nuevo Bank
        
        Serranilla Bank
    - Mexico
- Northern America
  - Bermuda
  - Canada
    - Eastern Canada
      - Atlantic Canada
        The Maritimes
      - Central Canada
    - Northern Canada
      - Canadian Arctic Archipelago
    - Western Canada
      - Canadian Prairies
      - West Coast
  - 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:
- Atlantic coastal plain
- Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line
- East Coast of the United States
- Great Basin
- Great Basin Desert
- Great Lakes
- Great Lakes Basin
- Great Plains
- Gulf Coast of the United States
- Piedmont
- West Coast of the United States

by geopolitics:
- Dutch Caribbean
  - Caribbean Netherlands (AKA the BES islands)
- Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
- Red states and blue states
- Western Caribbean zone

by economics:
- Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
- Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)
- Great Lakes Megalopolis
- Mesoamerican region
- North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
- Northeast megalopolis
- Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
- Petrocaribe

by culture:
- Heartland (United States)
- Mesoamerica
- Oasisamerica

by biogeography:
- Aridoamerica

by geology:
- Canadian Shield
- North American craton
- Slave craton
- Superior craton
- Wyoming craton

South America

by geography:
- 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:
- Altiplano
- Amazon basin
- Amazon rainforest
- Andes
- Brazilian Highlands
- Gran Chaco
- Pampa
- Pantanal
- Patagonia

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)
    - Antipodes Islands
    - Auckland Islands
    - Bounty Islands
    - Campbell Islands
    - Snares Islands
  - 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
  - East Antarctica
  - Transantarctic Mountains
  - West Antarctica
    - Antarctic Peninsula

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)
    - Cook Islands
    - Easter Island
      - Salas and Gómez Island
    - French Polynesia
      - Tahiti
    - Hawaiian Islands
      - Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
        Midway Atoll
      - Southeastern Hawaiian Islands
    - Howland and Baker Islands
      - Baker Island
      - Howland Island
    - Kermadec Islands
    - Niue
    - Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
    - Rotuma
    - Samoan Islands
      - American Samoa (excluding Swains Island)
      - Samoa
    - Tokelau Islands
      - Swains Island
      - Tokelau
    - Tonga
    - Tuvalu
    - Wallis and Futuna
      - Alo
      - Sigave
      - Uvea