Subregion

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.

The UN geoscheme, created by the UN Statistics Division. For statistical consistency and convenience, each country or area is shown in one region only. For example, Russia (a transcontinental country in both Europe and Asia) has been included in Eastern Europe only

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

Africa
  • 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 geology:
    • Kaapvaal Craton
    • Zimbabwe Craton
Asia
  • 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 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 geology:
    • Izu–Bonin–Mariana Arc
    • Kuril Island Arc
    • Northeastern Japan Arc
    • Ryukyu Island Arc
    • Sakhalin Island Arc
    • Southwestern Japan Arc
Europe
  • 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 language:
    • Celtic-speaking Europe
    • Germanic-speaking Europe
      • DACH countries
        • Germany (Deutschland)
        • Austria
        • Switzerland (Confoederatio Helvetica)
    • 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 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

Americas
See also: Americas (terminology)
  • by economics:
    • Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)

North America
  • 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:
  • by biogeography:
    • Aridoamerica

South America
  • by geography:
  • by economics:
    • Andean Community
    • Mercosur
    • Union of South American Nations

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

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)
      • Polynesia (some geographers include Clipperton Island in this subregion)
  • by economics:
    • Pacific Community
    • Pacific Islands Forum
    • Pacific Regional Environment Programme
  • by biogeography:
    • Papuasia
      • East Melanesian Islands

See also

References
  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
  4. These three subregions together form the continent of North America.
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