Definition & types of regions
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I-DEFINITION OF REGIONS
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Definition of regions • Isiah Bowman- “ A unit characterised by the sum total of its physical and human elements” • David Harvey – “A thing more than the mere sum of parts.” • Paul Vidal – “A whole with respect to which parts could be explained.” • A.J. Herbertson- “A complex of land, water, air, plant,
animal and man regarded in the spatial relationship as together constituting a definite portion of the earth’s surface.” atom or neutron • David Harvey- a theoretical entity like an atom which cannot be precisely observed but whose existence can be felt from its effects • It has four dimensions- length, width, vertical extent and the dimension of time, which was added to it by B. J. L. Berry. • Its size may range from a few square feet to the whole world.
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SOME IMPORTANT IMPORTANT VIEWS
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A. J. Herbertson Herbertson’s view on region evolved from 1905’s natural regions to thermal regions in
1911 to his redefinition of natural regions in 1913 as - "a vital unit as well as physical one, a symbiosis on a vast scale. It is more than an association of plants, or of animals or of man. it is a symbiotic association of all these , indissolubly bound up with certain structures and forms of the land, possessing a definite water circulation circulation and subjected to seasonal climatic rhythm.'‘ 5
• According According to Derwent Whittlesey- A region is neither “self -determined -determined nor nature given. It is…an entity for the purpose of thought, created by the selection of certain features that are relevant to an areal interest or problems and by the disregard of all features that are considered irrelevant.” •He also talks about “sequent occupance”, i.e., the ways in which culture uses a region; as culture changes from rural to urban or from agrarian to industrial the landscape gradually shifts and so do the regional characteristics. 6
Derwent Whittlesey- Changing Character Of Region
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Whittlesey- Summary • Area may be from 1² feet to the whole world • Patterns emerge when different processes work on a region • Physical, Physical, biotic and cultural cultural processes are most important • Processes are interwoven; interwoven; can not be separated separated from each other • Both processes and patterns change with time
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Paul Vidal Vidal • According to him studying region is – • “..not to break apart that nature has assembled, to understand the correspondence and correlations of things whether in the setting of the whole surface of the earth, or in the regional setting where things are localized.”
• His ‘pays’ are called cultural regions by Karl Sauer. • Basically these pays are natural regions with some homogeneous h omogeneous physical characteristics. characteristics. 9
1. Dimensions & Components of Regions
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Fig. 1 Spatial dimensions
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Fig. 2.Time Dimension
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Components of region- which are interlinked. Fig 3
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Region lies within within hierarchy of regions • These are systems • These lie within larger systems • These hold sub-sys sub- systems tems within them • Each has a definite place and role within the hierarchy • All are mostly inter-linked, inter-linked, with some exceptions
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2- CLASSIFICATION OF REGIONS
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Bases for classification of regions • Principle for identification • Genesis of region • Size and hierarchical status • Other considerations considerations 16
Types of regions, Fig.4
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i.Homogeneous/formal i.Homogeneous/formal regions • It is the older concept, concept, evolved during the phase of agrarian economy. • According to Whittlesey Committee- homogeneity of a region is determined by criteria formulated for the purpose of sorting from the whole range of earth phenomena. • Homogeneity is not total but lies within a predefined range, and is related to certain selected features, while the unrelated ones are disregarded. • Homogeneity can be decided on physical, economic, social character of region or a combination of these three. • It is an intellectual concept, an entity for the purpose of thought. • It has objective view- “an end in itself, an areal entity, that can be identified and mapped.”-Glasson • Methods for its delineation are fixed index, weighted index, and superimposition superimposition of maps etc.
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Bases and Types of formal regions Fig 4
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Example1- Scheme of Alfred Hettner "Divisions of the Lands” (1908), Based on Herbertson Under this scheme Asia is divided into 5 major regions:
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Northern Asia (Siberia)
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Western Siberia
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Estern Siberia
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The Near East
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Aral-Caspin Depression
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Folded Mountains and from Asia Minor to Iran
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Syrian-Arabian Massif
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Central Asia
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Tarim Basin
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Mongolia
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Tibet
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Eastern Asia
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Okhotsk with Kamchatka and Kuriles
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Amurland, Manchuria and Japan
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China with Formosa and Liu Kiu Isles
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Southern Asia
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India
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Further India East Indies
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Example2 .A.-Formal (natural) regions or use next example. Fig 5
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Example2.B.-Formal (Physical) Regions, India- S. P. Chatterjee. Fig. 6 Western Himalayas
Kashmir Himalayas Punjab Kumaan Kumaan Himalayas
Eastern Himalayas
Darjeeling Sikkim, Assam Himalayas Eastern Bodar Hills & Plateau
The Great Plain
North Western
North Punjab, South Punjab, Rajasthan
Sutlaj, Beas,Ravi Ganga,Upper Ganga Yamuna,BrahmaPutra
Upper Ganga
Ganga Yamuna, Rohilkhand, Avadh
The Great Mountain Wall
Middle Ganga Delta Assam Valley The Great Plateau of Peninsular India
North Western Peninsular Peninsular India
Aravalli Hills, Chambal Basin Bundelkhand upland, Malwa Vindhyan Scrap land
North Eastern Peninsular Plateau
Baaghelkhand, Chattisgarsh Basin Bastar Plateau, Orissa Hills, Chotnagpur Hills
Maharastra
Western Ghats, Lava Plateau, Western Ganga Valley
Karnataka Plateau
Malnad region, Maiden region
Tamilnadu Plateau Andhra Plateau Coastal Plains
The Island
West Coast
Kutch Peninsular, Kathiawar Peninsular, Gujarat Plains, Konkan Coast, Karnatic Malabar Coast
East Coast
Tamilnadu Coast, Andhra Coast, Orissa Coast
Laccadive, Minicoy & Amindivv, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
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Example3-Homogeneous (mixed)regions(mixed)regions2001 HDI Regions in India fig. 7.
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Example 4- Formal (social)Regions, (social )Regions,T Tribal areas in 9 states covered covered under The Fifth Schedule – http://www.mmpindia.or http://www .mmpindia.org/triballand.jpg g/triballand.jpg
Fig.8.
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2.Functional/nodal/polarized Region • It is a product of modern economy, industrial development and urbanization • It is based on the principle of interdependence and interlinking • Peter Haggett has identified six elements of a functional region.(Fig 9) • These regions show flows related to people, commodity, capital etc. that bind the various sub parts of a region in a coherent whole. • Cities serve as nodes within such regions and control all activities within their sphere of influence. (Fig. 9)contd… 25
ii. Functional Region
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Elements of Functional RegionHaggett. Fig. 9
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Contd…. For delineation of functional regions Quantitative methods are used, such as:
• Zipf’s- principle of ‘distance decay’ • Stewart ‘s– ‘Gravity Model’ • Chistaller’s and Losche’s- ‘Central Place’ theory. • Thiessen Polygon method
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Examples of Functional regionsVaranasi & Metropolitan regions regi ons of India India ( R. Ramachandran) Fig. 10
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iii. Planning Region
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Planning Region • Concept of these regions is a product of problems caused by industrialization, industrialization, urbanization, uneven regional development, and ecological problems • They are subjective in nature • Their sub-types are based on the purpose of planning. • John Friedman says: “At each stage of development different regional delimitation will be the most convenient and efficient for purpose of planning.”
Contd
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Planning Region- Types Types according to phases phas es of economic development (Friedman) • 1.Beginning of economic development, rural agricultural base – Multistate region
• 2.Stage of industrialization & urbanization – Metropolitan Metropolitan region and problem specific regions. • 3. New technologies, pressure on old spaces, new national objectives - Frontier region region (virgin territories). • 4. Declining or stagnated economy economy – Depressed regions 32
Planning Region – Indian perspective (K. V. Sundaram) • Planning regions in India were influenced by Two aspects of planning – 1.Changes in the strategy and goals of planning . -
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First phase had industrial (economic)planning regions, focused on sectoral industrial growth, these were mineral and capital industry based regions.
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Second phase focused on equitable development – planning regions were special problem areas (DPAP, Hill Areas, Tribal Areas, Wastelands etc.)
2. Changes in the structure of planning ; from centralized to multilevel planning –
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First phase had State level planning regions, or inter-state inter-state planning regions
• second phase has macro, meso and micro planning regions. 33
Features of Planning region • B. C. smith- Must satisfy 32 critetia • C. R. Pathak & Amitabh Kundu, Malgawkar & Ghiara emphasize : 1. Size 2. Resource 3. Internal Homogenety 4. Internal cohesiveness 5. Essentially operational and flexible 34
Planning region - Sub-types • According to goal of planning, planning region may be: • 1 Economic planning region-Example P. Sen Gupta & Sdasyuk’s Sdasyuk’s Dynamic, Dynamic, Prospective and
Problem Regions
• 2 Social Panning Region-Example KBK Region (Kalahandi, Bolangir, Koraput), or Bastar tribal region. • 3.Environmental Planning region- Example desert regions, Sukhomajri S ukhomajri Region, Wastelands, Wastelands, Hill Area Dev Plans.
Contd……
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Planning Region (Contd ….) • Another classification is: – Metropolitan planning regiom – Axial planning region – Depressed planning region – Frontier planning region
• All planning regions basically have the following features: 1. No spe speci cifi ficc type type is con consid sider ered ed the the most most idea ideall for all purposes 2. Th These ese are are fle flexible xible and chang change e with with tim time, e, 36
Other types of regions – Modal* Regions, Elbert Z. Guttenberg Guttenberg says “The most profound approach to a •Elbert Z. Guttenberg classification classification of regions is by way of the human purpose and areal interests that have produced them Mode Referential
Appraisive
Operative
Relevant spatial phenomena Past, present and future natural and cultural features
Basis of regional definition Disinterested observations
Territorial quality of life indicators (economic, social, environmental). Egs. Poverty, pollution, natural hazards Types of ideal territorial order envisioned (aesthetic, moral, political)
Remedial or preventive rules of action
Aspirations
Example 1. Physiographic regions – Great Plains; 2. Ecological regions – Corn Belt; 3. Projected regions – urban regions 1. National forests 2. Managed coastal zone 3. Grazing district
1. Pearcy’s ideal 38 states* 2. The world as ‘global village’
*Mode- A manner, way, or method of doing or acting: a particular form, or variety 37
Pearcy Pearcy’’s ideal ideal administra administrative tive regions regions Pearcy prepared a map of 38 states for the USA.
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It is based on the idea that when the present 50 states were formed much of the areas were uninhabited. The state state boundaries, according to him should be re-drawn.
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He gave high priority to population density, location of cities, lines of transportation, land relief, and size and shape of individual States. Whenever possible, lines are located in less populated areas.
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Pearcy tried to place a major metropolitan area in the center of each State (for other details see http://www.tjc.com/38states http://www.tjc.com/38states). ).
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CLASSIFICATION ON THE BASIS OF GENESIS
• Naive Region – They don’t have well defined boundary and their existence depends upon social acceptance . • Instituted region – These are bounded by administrative boundaries like district or state. • Denoted region – These are identified by regionalization regionalization technique, they are also called planning regions.
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Thanks
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