A region can be either a "bounded territory", a functional region, an inhabited area, or a natural feature often defined by various regularities, differences, perceptions, and processes.

Four Different Types of Regions:

Formal/ Regional Authority: a formally recognized bounded territory, such as a state, a country, a county, a plot of private property.

Functional/ Nodes in the Global Exchange: a region defined by a functional linkage such as the sales area of the New York Times, cyberspace, mailing list, the market region of the ACME Highspeed Elevator Company.

Perceptual/ Vernacular: a region defined by people's perspective, opinion, identity, or pattern of settlement and often lacking clearly defined or agreed upon boundaries. Examples include your neighborhood, the Midwest, the Pacific Northwest, Dixie, Europe, cultural areas, homelands.

Natural a region defined by its physical geography, climate, or ecosystem. Examples include a rainforest ecosystem, a watershed, a mountain range, a coral reef, the "ring of fire,"or a desert.