WHAT IS A REGION?
The word region stems from Latin regio, which denotes "direction, point of the compass", but later develops by association with regere, to direct or rule.  Region was defined as the territory controlled by a regent and his regiment, so it should not come as a big surprise that a region had indeterminate boundaries. While this points at a potential essence of 'region', it is impossible to assert any original meaning to the concept as its particular connotations have varied greatly over history and across different cultural contexts.
What, then, is a region? It's a simple question, yet one that defies a simple answer.
The term "region" means different things to different people. Regions can be defined variously by: geography, economic interaction, institutional or governmental jurisdiction, or by social or cultural characteristics.
Also see: The problem of Definition
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