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Regional Geography: Concept Of A Region - Coggle Diagram
Regional Geography: Concept Of A Region
Regions
A region is an area that has certain characteristics that set it apart. These can change over time and vary in size.
There are six main categories of regions:
Climatic (physical) regions
Geomorphological (physical) regions
Administrative regions
Cultural (language or religious) regions
Socio-economic regions
Nodal (city) regions
Climatic regions
Refers to an area's temperature, precipitation, weather systems and how it influences flora, fauna, soil type and human activities
Case study 12.1: Cool temperate oceanic climate
Located between 40o and 60o north and south of the equator
Temperate or maritime climate
Ireland and most of north-western Europe
Mild winter average at 6o C
Moderating presence of NAD
Summers warm and mild, 15–17o C
Prevailing south-westerly winds
Rainfall averages at 1,500 mm per year
Relief and frontal rainfall
Geomorphological regions
Defined by the relief, rock structure and drainage patterns of an area
Case study 12.2: Karst landscape, Burren, Co. Clare
Area of exposed carboniferous limestone
Carbonation, solution, evaporation and hydraulic action
Surface features: limestone pavement, swallow holes, dry valleys and turloughs
Sub-surface features: dripstone features, caves
Unique flora and fauna
Tourist attraction: Aillwee Caves
Case study 12.3: North European Plain
Located in the northern half of the European continent
Sedimentary rocks laid down 60 MYA
Uplifted during Alpine folding period
Low-lying undulating area
Ice sheets melted leaving fertile boulder clay
Wind deposits created productive limon soils
Cool temperate climate
Alluvial deposits from rivers Seine and Rhine
Densely populated
Heavily industrialised
Administrative regions
Defined by governments
Case study 12.4: Irish local government
Original county divisions began with the Anglo-Normans in the twelfth century
26 counties established by the Government of Ireland Act, 1920
Ireland has a two-tier system of government: local and regional
29 locally elected county councils
Some counties, e.g. Dublin has three, they look after planning permission, fire services etc.
They look after the views of local people and lobby for local interests
The NDP 2000–2006 divided Ireland into two regions, (BMW and Southern and Eastern), deals with Ireland's transport network, public services, distribution of EU structural funds
2010–2016 budget was €39 billion, there has been overall reduction of spending in areas such as agriculture and education
Case study 12.5: French départements
Regional level: 12 regional authorities, look after region’s finances, schools and heritage
Département level: 96 départements, similar to Irish counties, established after the French Revolution in 1789, responsible for local issues, e.g. planning and social services
Commune level: similar to Irish parish, 36,000 in France, each has a mayor and looks after local issues such as water supply
Cultural regions
Cultural regions are defined as areas where people share a common language, religion and way of life or traditions.
Religion can also help to shape people’s identity.
Language region – Gaeltacht
80 per cent of the local population speak Irish as their first language, e.g. An Rinn, Co. Waterford
Population of some 100,761 in 2011
Decline in the Gaeltacht regions
Great Famine of the 1840s
Outward migration
1980 Údarás na Gaeltachta set up
1996 TG4 set up
Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
2005 Irish 21st official language of the EU
Language region – Belgium
Three official languages: French, Flemish and German
Since the 1960s there have been tensions between the two main languages, French and Flemish
Northern Belgium is known as Flanders and 60 per cent of the Belgian population live here
People living in Flanders speak Flemish and are known as Flemings
Area was based on agriculture
Investment from many modern growth industries, for example healthcare and electronics
Southern Belgium known as Wallonia and is French-speaking due to its close proximity to France
People living here known as Walloons
Prosperity of this region has declined in recent years
Closure of many coalfields, for example the Sambre-Meuse Valley
Due to tensions in Belgium a new federal-style government introduced
Religious region – The Islamic world
Based on the teachings of the prophet Mohammad (570–632 AD)
Followers of Islam are called Muslims
Holy book of Islam is called the Koran
Holy city Mecca
Second largest religion in the world
1.5 billion followers in 2010
24 per cent of the world’s population
Influences all areas of people’s lives
Women tend to have a more traditional role in Muslim society
Historically Islam spread as Muslim armies conquered vast areas of land
Muslim merchants
Today Islam continues to spread to other countries through migration of people. In 2011 there were around 49,000 Muslims in Ireland
Mosques – Clonskeagh, Dublin
Religious region – Northern Ireland
Two distinct groups
Both groups aspire to rule themselves differently
Created a lot of violence in the North
Catholic or Protestant
Catholics are the minority group; most are Nationalists, who want to rule themselves as separate from Britain
Separatists
Protestants are in the majority; most are Unionists as they want to continue union with Britain
Loyalists
Northern Ireland established in 1920
Catholics experienced discrimination
Violence in the North reached its peak during the 1960s civil rights campaigns
Troubles lasted for 30 years
A ceasefire now exists
Good Friday Agreement of 1998
Deep divisions still remain
92 per cent of children attend schools of their given religion
By 2015, there were 62 integrated schools
Socio-economic regions
These are made up of core and peripheral regions.
Core region
Dominant region
Well-developed urban-based economy, communications and infrastructure
High per capita income, population density, living standards, productivity levels
Low unemployment
Dominates trade
High investments and usually the seat of government
Examples are the Dublin region and the Paris Basin
Peripheral region
Underdeveloped region
Harsh climate and landscape
Lower per capita income and living standards
Low inward migration and population density
High unemployment
Poor communications and infrastructure
Productivity levels are low
Overdependent on primary sector
Marginal location
E.g. The Western region and the Mezzogiorno
Regions of industrial decline
These change over time and show areas that have been affected by economic booms and busts.
Case study 12.10, Region of industrial decline: Greater Cork area (Irish example)
1970's boom, Cork grew as the city benefitted from Ireland’s entry into the EU
Low-lying land and deep port attracted many industries
Up to 1980s, Cork experienced high levels of employment
1980s, recession, rationalisation and unemployment rose
Since the 1990s, Cork’s situation improved
Government investment and planning, modern growth industries
In 2015 €1 billion invested, to create Port of Cork
Case study 12.11, Region of industrial decline: Sambre-Meuse Valley (European example)
Wallonia, Belgium, home to large coalfields, core region
Industrial Revolution, region grew
Inward migration, 120 mines employing 120,000 people
Coalfields declined after the 1950s
Best coal seams exhausted, competition
Experienced deindustrialisation, closed in 1984
High unemployment and outward migration
Flanders took over as economic core in Belgium
EU invested in area 2007–2013
Setting up of new industries, e.g. Caterpillar
Nodal region
This refers to big towns or cities that are a route focus.
Case study 12.12, Urban regions: Dublin (Irish example) and Paris (European example)
High population density
Nodal point
Multifunctional
Cities and hinterlands are co-dependent
High employment and large industrial centres
Cities create environmental problems
Urban sprawl