A tour of ten parts of the world, and what makes each one distinct.
The world has about 200 countries. That is a lot to learn one by one. So geographers group places into regions. A region is an area whose places share something. In this unit you will meet three kinds of regions. Then you will tour ten world regions. For each one you will see its land, its climates, its people and its languages. You will also see why no two maps of world regions match.
What Is a Region?
A region is an area that geographers treat as one unit, because its places share something. Regions come in every size. A neighborhood can be a region. So can half a continent. Geographers name three main kinds (National Geographic, Geography Standard 5).
1 Formal regions
Every place inside shares one trait. The trait can be physical, such as a climate or a landform. It can also be human, such as a language or a religion. The Corn Belt and the Rocky Mountain region are formal regions. So is Latin America, where most people speak Spanish or Portuguese.
2 Functional regions
Places are linked to a hub. The links can be roads, railways, flights, phone lines or trade. Chicago is a hub for the north-central United States. Its highways, railways, Great Lakes shipping, airlines and phone links tie the area together.
3 Perceptual regions
These come from people's feelings and ideas about a place. Southern California and the Australian Outback are examples. People agree that these regions exist. They don't agree on exactly where they end.
Three kinds of regions, drawn as simple made-up examples. Formal: a solid line surrounds an area where every farm grows the same crop. Functional: lines link eight towns to one hub city, and a dashed oval marks where the links stop. Perceptual: three people, A, B and C, draw the same region, and their outlines overlap but do not match.
Regions can overlap, and they can sit inside each other, like a state inside a country. They also change. When people move or trade shifts, the regions they create shift too.
Ten World Regions: The Map
There is no single official set of world regions. This page uses ten regions, a grouping that many U.S. middle school world geography courses use. Each region groups whole countries that are close together and share some history, culture or landscape. Some textbooks call region 2 Latin America, and region 4 Northern Eurasia.
The ten world regions used on this page, numbered to match the key below. On phones the map is split into two parts: the Americas, then the rest of the world. These borders are one choice among many, not facts of nature. Countries with diagonal stripes are ones that other common sources place in a different region (see the next section). Each country is shown whole, in one region, even where its land reaches into two. French Guiana, in South America, is part of France. It has the South America color, with stripes. Tiny islands are too small to show. Country shapes are from Natural Earth and are simplified.
Map key: the ten regions
Color and number
Region
What it includes on this page
1
North America
Canada, the United States (including Alaska and Hawaiʻi), Greenland and Bermuda
2
Middle and South America
Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean islands and South America, including French Guiana, which is part of France
3
Europe
From Iceland, Ireland and Portugal east to Ukraine, plus Cyprus
4
Russia and Central Asia
Russia; Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan; and Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Caucasus
5
Southwest Asia and North Africa
From Morocco east to Iran, including Türkiye, Sudan and the Arabian Peninsula
6
Sub-Saharan Africa
The African countries south of the Sahara, from Mauritania and Senegal to South Africa, plus islands such as Madagascar
7
South Asia
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives
8
East Asia
China, Mongolia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan
9
Southeast Asia
Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei and Timor-Leste
10
Oceania
Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific islands
Fuzzy Borders: Why Maps of Regions Disagree
Country borders are drawn by governments. Region borders are not. Each group that makes a list of regions draws its own lines, for its own purpose. Here are two examples.
The United Nations sorts countries into regions to report statistics. Its system is called M49.
The World Bank sorts countries into seven regions to plan its loans and projects.
The two lists don't agree with each other. Neither one matches this page. A country on a border between two culture regions often shares traits with both. So different sources put it in different places.
Where some borderline countries go, in three different systems
Country
This page
UN (M49)
World Bank (fiscal year 2027)
Greenland
North America
Northern America
Europe and Central Asia
Mexico
Middle and South America
Latin America and the Caribbean (Central America)
Latin America and the Caribbean
Russia
Russia and Central Asia
Europe (Eastern Europe)
Europe and Central Asia
Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan
Russia and Central Asia
Asia (Western Asia)
Europe and Central Asia
Cyprus
Europe
Asia (Western Asia)
Europe and Central Asia
Türkiye
Southwest Asia and North Africa
Asia (Western Asia)
Europe and Central Asia
Iran
Southwest Asia and North Africa
Asia (Southern Asia)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan
Afghanistan
South Asia
Asia (Southern Asia)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan
Pakistan
South Asia
Asia (Southern Asia)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan
Sudan
Southwest Asia and North Africa
Africa (Northern Africa)
Sub-Saharan Africa
Even reference books disagree. Ethnologue, a language reference, describes Russia as "a country in Europe." Yet most of Russia's land lies in Asia, east of the Ural Mountains. When you read about a region, check which countries the writer included.
The Tour, Region by Region
Each card covers the region's land, its climates and biomes, its people and cities, and its languages. Population figures are for 2024, from the UN's World Population Prospects 2024. City figures are for 2025, from the UN's World Urbanization Prospects 2025. The UN counts each city together with its built-up surroundings, so its figures can differ from a country's own count. One card per region leaves a lot out. Each region has many more places, peoples and landscapes than a card can hold.
1. North America
Canada, the United States (including Alaska and Hawaiʻi), Greenland and Bermuda.
Land
The Rocky Mountains run from British Columbia, in Canada, to New Mexico. The Great Plains spread across the middle. The rocky Canadian Shield, dotted with lakes, covers much of eastern and central Canada. Greenland is the world's largest island.
Climates and biomes
Tundra and taiga cover the far north. Grassland covers the Great Plains. Desert covers much of the American Southwest (see Climate and Biomes).
People and cities
About 385 million people in 2024, 4.7% of the world. The United States had about 345 million and Canada about 40 million. Largest cities, 2025: New York City (13.9 million), Los Angeles (12.7 million), Toronto (5.5 million).
Languages and cultures
Since a March 2025 executive order (EO 14224), English is the official language of the United States, though Congress has never passed a law making it official. Canada has two official languages, English and French. The United States is home to 199 living Indigenous languages, and Canada to 83 (Ethnologue, 2026).
The Great Lakes form the largest area of fresh water on the planet (National Geographic).
Sources: National Geographic; Federal Register 2025; UN WPP 2024; UN WUP 2025; Ethnologue 2026
2. Middle and South America
Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean islands and South America, including French Guiana, which is part of France.
Land
The Andes run about 8,850 km down the west side of South America. They are the world's longest mountain range. The Amazon is the world's largest river by volume. Mexico and Central America link North and South America, and the Caribbean islands lie to the east.
Climates and biomes
Tropical rainforest fills the Amazon Basin. The Amazon rainforest is about half of all the rainforest on Earth. The pampas of Argentina are temperate grassland. The Atacama Desert, on the Pacific coast, is the driest place in the world.
People and cities
About 664 million people in 2024, 8.1% of the world. Brazil had about 212 million, Mexico about 131 million and Colombia about 53 million. Largest cities, 2025: São Paulo (18.9 million), Mexico City (17.7 million), Buenos Aires (14.0 million).
Languages and cultures
Spanish and Portuguese are the main languages. Portuguese is the official language of Brazil. Indigenous languages are still spoken. In Paraguay, Guaraní is an official language alongside Spanish. Brazil alone has 202 living Indigenous languages (Ethnologue, 2026).
Some parts of the Atacama Desert have never had rain in recorded history. Its average is about 1 mm a year (National Geographic).
Sources: National Geographic; UN WPP 2024; UN WUP 2025; Ethnologue 2026
3. Europe
From Iceland, Ireland and Portugal east to Ukraine, plus Cyprus.
Land
The Alps, Pyrenees and Carpathians rise in the south. The North European Plain stretches across the north. Rivers such as the Rhine, Elbe and Vistula cross it.
Climates and biomes
The Gulf Stream keeps western Europe mild for how far north it is. Small, drought-tolerant plants grow around the Mediterranean Sea. Taiga covers much of Scandinavia.
People and cities
About 602 million people in 2024, 7.4% of the world. Germany had about 85 million, the United Kingdom about 69 million and France about 67 million. The North European Plain is the most crowded part of Europe. Largest cities, 2025: London (10.4 million), Paris (9.4 million), Madrid (5.6 million).
Languages and cultures
Most European languages belong to the Indo-European family. The European Union alone has 24 official languages. Switzerland has four official languages. In 2020, about 22% of the world's Christians lived in Europe (Pew, 2025).
Europe is called a "peninsula of peninsulas." It is itself a peninsula of Eurasia. Its five main peninsulas are the Iberian, Italian, Balkan, Scandinavian and Jutland (National Geographic).
Sources: National Geographic; European Union; UN WPP 2024; UN WUP 2025; Pew 2025
4. Russia and Central Asia
Russia; Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan; and Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Caucasus.
Land
The Ural Mountains divide Russia into a European part and an Asian part (see Continents). East of the Urals lies the West Siberian Plain, one of the largest flat areas on Earth. The Caucasus Mountains hold Mount Elbrus, 5,642 m, often named as Europe's highest peak. In Central Asia, about 60% of the land is desert, including the Karakum and the Kyzylkum.
Climates and biomes
Tundra covers the Arctic coast and taiga covers much of Siberia. The Eurasian steppe, the world's largest temperate grassland, stretches from Hungary to China. It covers northern Central Asia (see Climate and Biomes).
People and cities
About 244 million people in 2024, 3.0% of the world. Russia had about 145 million, Uzbekistan about 36 million and Kazakhstan about 21 million. Russia is the largest country on Earth by area, about 16.4 million km² of land. Largest cities, 2025: Moscow (14.5 million), Saint Petersburg (4.7 million), Tashkent (3.9 million).
Languages and cultures
Russian is the official language of Russia. Russia is also home to 103 living Indigenous languages. Tatar and Yakut are official in parts of the country (Ethnologue, 2026). In Central Asia, Uzbek, Kazakh, Turkmen and Kyrgyz are related to Turkish, and Tajik is related to Persian. Islam is the main religion there (Britannica).
Lake Baikal, in Siberia, is the oldest and deepest lake on Earth. It holds about 20% of the world's unfrozen fresh water (UNESCO).
Sources: National Geographic; Britannica; UNESCO; UN WPP 2024; UN WUP 2025; Ethnologue 2026
5. Southwest Asia and North Africa
From Morocco east to Iran, including Türkiye, Sudan and the Arabian Peninsula.
Land
The Sahara is the world's largest hot desert. It fills nearly all of northern Africa. Its edges shift from year to year, so its size is hard to pin down. Estimates run from about 8.6 to 9.4 million km² (Britannica; National Geographic). The Rub' al Khali, on the Arabian Peninsula, is the largest sand sea in the world. The Nile flows north through Egypt to the Mediterranean.
Climates and biomes
Most of the region is hot and dry: desert and steppe. Iran's plateau holds two more large deserts, the Dasht-e Kavir and the Dasht-e Lut. Water from rivers such as the Nile lets farms grow in dry land.
People and cities
About 655 million people in 2024, 8.0% of the world. Egypt had about 117 million, Iran about 92 million and Türkiye about 88 million. About 95% of Egyptians live within a few miles of the Nile. Largest cities, 2025: Cairo (25.6 million), Istanbul (15.0 million), Tehran (9.2 million).
Languages and cultures
Arabic, an Afro-Asiatic language, is spoken across North Africa and Southwest Asia (see People and Cultures). Persian is the official language of Iran, and Turkish of Türkiye. Hebrew and Arabic are official in Israel (Ethnologue, 2026).
Three world religions began here: Judaism, Christianity and Islam (see People and Cultures).
Sources: National Geographic; UN WPP 2024; UN WUP 2025; Ethnologue 2026
6. Sub-Saharan Africa
The African countries south of the Sahara, from Mauritania and Senegal to South Africa, plus islands such as Madagascar.
Land
The Sahel is a band of dry land about 5,400 km long, south of the Sahara. The Great Rift Valley runs through East Africa, with the African Great Lakes. The Ethiopian Highlands hold about 80% of Africa's tallest mountains. Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa.
Climates and biomes
Savannas cover almost half of Africa. Tropical rainforest grows around the Congo River, near the Equator. The Sahel, along the southern edge of the Sahara, is semi-arid (see Climate and Biomes).
People and cities
About 1.24 billion people in 2024, 15.2% of the world. Nigeria had about 233 million, Ethiopia about 132 million and the Democratic Republic of the Congo about 109 million. Largest cities, 2025: Lagos (12.8 million), Luanda (11.4 million), Kinshasa (10.9 million).
Languages and cultures
Africa is home to hundreds of native languages. Nigeria alone has 520 living Indigenous languages. Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba are official in parts of Nigeria (Ethnologue, 2026). In 2020, about 31% of the world's Christians lived here (Pew, 2025).
Sub-Saharan Africa has the fastest-growing population of the ten regions. It grew by about 2.5% in one year, from 2023 to 2024. The UN projects about 2.1 billion people here by 2050 (UN WPP 2024).
Sources: National Geographic; UN WPP 2024; UN WUP 2025; Ethnologue 2026; Pew 2025
7. South Asia
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Land
The Himalaya runs about 2,500 km and separates South Asia from the rest of Asia. Mount Everest, 8,849 m, is the highest point on Earth. The Deccan Plateau makes up most of southern India. The Ganges-Brahmaputra delta, in India and Bangladesh, is huge and crowded.
Climates and biomes
Much of the region depends on the summer monsoon. From about April to September, winds bring heavy rain to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The rains water crops, but a strong monsoon can cause floods (National Geographic).
People and cities
About 1.97 billion people in 2024, 24.2% of the world: about 1 in every 4 people. India had about 1.45 billion, Pakistan about 251 million and Bangladesh about 174 million. Largest cities, 2025: Dhaka (36.6 million), New Delhi (30.2 million), Kolkata (22.5 million), Karachi (21.4 million).
Languages and cultures
India is home to 426 living Indigenous languages. Hindi is one of its official languages (Ethnologue, 2026). Counting people who speak them as a second language, Hindi, Bengali and Urdu each have more than 200 million speakers (Ethnologue, 2026). Hinduism and Buddhism began here. In 2020, 95% of the world's Hindus lived in India (Pew, 2025).
About one in four people on Earth live in South Asia, on less than 4% of the world's land (UN WPP 2024).
Sources: National Geographic; UN WPP 2024; UN WUP 2025; Ethnologue 2026; Pew 2025
8. East Asia
China, Mongolia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan.
Land
The Tibetan Plateau, in western China, is the largest plateau on Earth. The Gobi Desert stretches across Mongolia and northern China. The Yangtze is Asia's longest river. Japan is made up of islands.
Climates and biomes
The Tibetan Plateau is high and dry. It lies in the rain shadow of the Himalaya. Mongolia's grassy steppe gets drier toward the south, until it becomes the Gobi.
People and cities
About 1.66 billion people in 2024, 20.3% of the world. China had about 1.42 billion, Japan about 124 million and South Korea about 52 million. Mongolia had about 2 people per km², while South Korea had about 523 (UN WPP 2024). Largest cities, 2025: Tokyo (33.4 million), Shanghai (29.6 million), Guangzhou (27.6 million), Seoul (22.5 million).
Languages and cultures
Mandarin Chinese has more native speakers than any other language. Japanese is the official language of Japan, and Korean of South Korea (Ethnologue, 2026). Buddhism, which began in South Asia, spread to East Asia.
East Asia is the only one of the ten regions whose population got smaller from 2023 to 2024. The UN projects about 1.47 billion people here by 2050 (UN WPP 2024).
Sources: National Geographic; UN WPP 2024; UN WUP 2025; Ethnologue 2026
9. Southeast Asia
Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei and Timor-Leste.
Land
Southeast Asia has two parts: a mainland and thousands of islands. The Malay Peninsula links them. Indonesia straddles the Equator. Its islands stretch about one-eighth of the way around Earth. Java, in Indonesia, has several active volcanoes. They are part of the Ring of Fire, where most of Earth's volcanoes and earthquakes happen.
Climates and biomes
The climate is tropical. Monsoon winds change direction about every six months, so there is a wet season and a drier season (Britannica). Tropical rainforest covers many of the islands.
People and cities
About 695 million people in 2024, 8.5% of the world. Indonesia had about 284 million, the Philippines about 116 million and Viet Nam about 101 million. Largest cities, 2025: Jakarta (41.9 million), Manila (24.7 million), Bangkok (18.2 million).
Languages and cultures
Indonesia alone has 706 living Indigenous languages. Indonesian is its official language (Ethnologue, 2026). Many languages here belong to the Austronesian family, which spread across the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Jakarta, Indonesia, was the largest city on Earth in 2025. It had about 41.9 million people, using the UN's new way of counting cities (see People and Cultures).
Sources: Britannica; National Geographic; UN WPP 2024; UN WUP 2025; Ethnologue 2026
10. Oceania
Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific islands.
Land
Oceania has three kinds of islands. Continental islands, such as Australia and New Guinea, were once joined to continents. High islands are built up by volcanoes. Low islands are made of coral, and some barely rise above the sea. Australia is the flattest continent.
Climates and biomes
The Outback, Australia's dry interior, is mostly desert and semi-arid land. Savanna covers northern Australia. The Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef ecosystem, runs over 2,300 km along northeastern Australia.
People and cities
About 46 million people in 2024, 0.6% of the world, the smallest of the ten regions. Australia had about 27 million, Papua New Guinea about 11 million and New Zealand about 5 million. Largest cities, 2025: Sydney (4.2 million), Melbourne (3.6 million), Auckland (1.1 million).
Languages and cultures
English is the official language of Australia and New Zealand. Australia has 216 living Indigenous languages, and 189 more that are no longer spoken. Tok Pisin is an official language of Papua New Guinea (Ethnologue, 2026). Polynesian voyagers carried farming to far-off islands.
Papua New Guinea has more languages than any other country: over 800. That is more than twice as many as all of Europe (Ethnologue, 2026).
Sources: National Geographic; UN WPP 2024; UN WUP 2025; Ethnologue 2026
Comparing Populations
The ten regions are very different in size. Almost half the world's people live in just two regions, South Asia and East Asia. Oceania has fewer people than many single countries.
Population of each region in 2024, largest first. Numbers match the map. Bar lengths are drawn to scale. Totals were added up from country figures in the UN's World Population Prospects 2024, using the regions on this page.
A Note on Antarctica
Antarctica is not one of the ten regions. No country owns it outright, and it has no native human population (National Geographic). Most of it is covered by the Antarctic Ice Sheet, the largest single piece of ice on Earth.
Seven countries claim parts of Antarctica, and some of the claims overlap. Most other countries do not recognize any claims. The Antarctic Treaty was signed in Washington on 1 December 1959 and came into force in 1961. It says Antarctica may be used for peaceful purposes only. Scientists are free to do research there, and countries work together on it. The treaty now has 58 Parties (Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty).
Links to Earlier Units
Regions pull together ideas from every unit in this course.
Maps, Globes and Coordinates: every map simplifies. The regions map leaves out tiny islands and draws each country whole.
Continents and Oceans: continents and regions are not the same. The Ural Mountains, the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus mark the usual line between Europe and Asia. Yet this page puts all of Russia in one region.
Landforms and Water: mountains, plateaus and rivers shape each region. The Himalaya, the Tibetan Plateau and the Nile all appear on the tour.
Climate and Biomes: a biome map is a set of formal regions. Each biome is an area that shares one climate and one kind of plant life.
People and Cultures: language families and religious hearths help define culture regions. Population density explains why some regions are crowded and others nearly empty.
Game: Which Region Am I?
Each round gives one clue about a region, from the tour above. Pick the region that fits. A right answer on your first try is worth 2 points, and on your second try, 1. There are 10 rounds, one for each region, so a perfect game is 20.
Pick an answer with the buttons below, or press the number keys 1 to 4. Use Tab to move between buttons and Enter to press one.
Get ready…
Round 1 of 10 · Score 0 · Best 0
…
How scoring works
Every game has one clue for each of the ten regions, picked at random from three, in a random order. Each round offers four regions. A right answer earns 2 points on the first try and 1 point on the second. After a wrong first try, you get a short reminder of where the region you picked is. After two wrong tries the answer is shown and the round is worth 0. Your best score is saved on this device as soon as a game ends.
Quiz: World Regions
Ten questions. Choose one answer for each, then check your score. You can try as many times as you like.
Talk About It
Name a formal region, a functional region and a perceptual region near where you live. What ties each one together?
Pick one striped country on the map. Make a case for putting it in each of the two regions it could belong to.
Choose two regions from the tour. How are their land and climate different? How might that affect where people live?
Why might the World Bank and a school textbook group countries in different ways?
If you had to split your own state or province into regions, what would you use to draw the lines?
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), Population Division, World Population Prospects 2024 (population, growth, land area and density for each country in 2024, and projections to 2050; totals for each region were added up for this page).
UN DESA, Population Division, World Urbanization Prospects 2025 (city populations in 2025, using the UN's new "degree of urbanisation" method).
Written by Marco for Jugami's World Geography course. The regions map, the three region diagrams and the population chart are original SVG illustrations made for this page. The map uses public-domain country shapes from Natural Earth, and the chart uses data from the UN's World Population Prospects 2024. The map is simplified.
