examples:
Andalucia
a region in southern Spain on the Atlantic and the Mediterranean; formerly a center of Moorish civilization
Appalachia
a region of the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States
Adelie Coast
a costal region of Antarctica to the south of Australia; noted for its large colonies of penguins
Bad Lands
an eroded and barren region in southwestern South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska
Barbary
a region of northern Africa on the Mediterranean coast between Egypt and Gibraltar; was used as a base for pirates from the 16th to 19th centuries
Bithynia
an ancient country in northwestern Asia Minor in what is now Turkey; was absorbed into the Roman Empire by the end of the 1st century BC
Nubia
an ancient region of northeastern Africa (southern Egypt and northern Sudan) on the Nile; much of Nubia is now under Lake Nasser
Caucasia
a large region between the Black and Caspian seas that contains the Caucasus Mountains; oil is its major resource
Transcaucasia
a geographical region to the south of the Caucasus Mountains and to the north of Turkey that comprises Georgia and Armenia and Azerbaijan
Coats Land
a region of western Antarctica along the southeastern shore of the Weddell Sea
eastern United States
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Ohio River and to the east of the Mississippi River
southwestern United States
the southwestern region of the United States generally including New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Nevada, California, and sometimes Utah and Colorado
midwestern United States
the north central region of the United States (sometimes called the heartland or the breadbasket of America)
Pacific Northwest
a region of the northwestern United States usually including Washington and Oregon and sometimes southwestern British Columbia
Enderby Land
a region of Antarctica between Queen Maud Land and Wilkes Land; claimed by Australia
Finger Lakes
a geographical area in central New York State that is named for a series of narrow glacial lakes that lie parallel in a north-south direction
Maghreb
the region of northwest Africa comprising the Atlas Mountains and the coastlands of Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia
Big Bend
a triangular area in southwestern Texas on the Mexican border; formed by a bend in the Rio Grande
Queen Maud Land
a region of Antarctica between Enderby Land and the Weddell Sea; claimed by Norway
Victoria Land
a mountainous area of Antarctica bounded by the Ross Sea and Wilkes Land
Wilkes Land
a coastal region of Antarctica on the Indian Ocean to the south of Australia; most of the territory is claimed by Australia
Cappadocia
an ancient country is eastern Asia Minor
Galatia
an ancient country in central Asia Minor
Phrygia
an ancient country in western and central Asia Minor
Pontus
an ancient region of northern Asia Minor on the Black Sea; it reached its height under Mithridates VI but was later incorporated into the Roman Empire
Illyria
an uncertain region on the east shore of the Adriatic where an ancient Indo-European people once lived
Caribbean
region including the Caribbean Islands
Bengal
a region whose eastern part is now Bangladesh and whose western part is included in India
Patagonia
region in southern South America between the Andes and the South Atlantic
pampas
the vast grassy plains of northern Argentina
Southeast Asia
a geographical division of Asia that includes Indochina plus Indonesia and the Philippines and Singapore
Turkestan
a historical region of central Asia that was a center for trade between the East and the West
French Indochina
the French colonies of the territory now occupied by Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam
Czechoslovakia
a former republic in central Europe; divided into Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993
Moravia
a region in the central and eastern part of the Czech Republic; it lies to the east of Bohemia and to the west of the Carpathians
Bohemia
a historical area and former kingdom in the Czech Republic
Scandinavia
a group of culturally related countries in northern Europe; Finland and Iceland are sometimes considered Scandinavian
Sachsen
an area in Germany around the upper Elbe river; the original home of the Saxons
Rheinland
a picturesque region of Germany around the Rhine river
Brandenburg
the territory of an Elector (of the Holy Roman Empire) that expanded to become the kingdom of Prussia in 1701
Preussen
a former kingdom in north-central Europe including present-day northern Germany and northern Poland
Ruhr Valley
a major industrial and coal mining region in the valley of the Ruhr river in northwestern Germany
Thuringia
a historical region of southern Germany
Karelia
a region in Finland and Russia between the Gulf of Finland and the White Sea
Epirus
an ancient area on the Ionian Sea that flourished as a kingdom in the 3rd century BC; located in northwestern Greece and southern Albania
Laconia
an ancient region of southern Greece in the southeastern Peloponnesus; dominated by Sparta
Lycia
an ancient region on the coast of southwest Asia Minor
Lydia
an ancient region on the coast of western Asia Minor; a powerful kingdom until conquered by the Persians in 546 BC
Thessalia
a fertile plain on the Aegean Sea in east central Greece; Thessaly was a former region of ancient Greece
Arcadia
a department of Greece in the central Peloponnese
Middle East
the area around the eastern Mediterranean; from Turkey to northern Africa and eastward to Iran; the site of such ancient civilizations as Phoenicia and Babylon and Egypt and the birthplace of Judaism and Christianity and Islam; had continuous economic and political turmoil in the 20th century
Fertile Crescent
a geographical area of fertile land in the Middle East stretching in a broad semicircle from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates
West Bank
an area between Israel and Jordan on the west bank of the Jordan river; populated largely by Palestinians
Galilee
an area of northern Israel; formerly the northern part of Palestine and the ancient kingdom of Israel; the scene of Jesus's ministry
Gaza Strip
a coastal region at the southeastern corner of the Mediterranean bordering Israel and Egypt
Golan Heights
a fortified hilly area between southern Lebanon and southern Syria
Promised Land
an ancient country in southwestern Asia on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea; a place of pilgrimage for Christianity and Islam and Judaism
Judah
an ancient kingdom of southern Palestine with Jerusalem as its center
Judaea
the southern part of ancient Palestine succeeding the kingdom of Judah; a Roman province at the time of Christ
Philistia
an ancient region on the coast of southwestern Palestine that was strategically located on a trade route between Syria and Egypt; important in biblical times
Eastern Roman Empire
a continuation of the Roman Empire in the Middle East after its division in 395
Western Roman Empire
the western part after the Roman Empire was divided in 395; it lasted only until 476
Serbia
a historical region in central and northern Yugoslavia; Serbs settled the region in the 6th and 7th centuries
Montenegro
a former country bordering on the Adriatic Sea; now part of the Union of Serbia and Montenegro
Dalmatia
a historical region of Croatia on the Adriatic Sea; mountainous with many islands
Labrador
the mainland part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in the eastern part of the large Labrador-Ungava Peninsula in northeastern Canada
Klondike
a region in northwestern Canada where gold was discovered in 1896 but exhausted by 1910
Austria-Hungary
a geographical area in central and eastern Europe; broken into separate countries at the end of World War I
British Empire
a former empire consisting of Great Britain and all the territories under its control; reached its greatest extent at the end of World War I; it included the British Isles, British West Indies, Canada, British Guiana; British West Africa, British East Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand
Cumbria
a former Celtic kingdom in northwestern England; the name continued to be used for the hilly northwestern region of England including the Lake District and the northern Pennines
New Forest
an area of woods and heathland in southern Hampshire that was set aside by William I as Crown property in 1079; originally a royal hunting ground but now administered as parkland; noted for its ponies
East Anglia
a region of eastern England that was formerly a kingdom
Lancashire
a historical area of northwestern England on the Irish Sea; noted for textiles
Yorkshire
a former large county in northern England; in 1974 it was divided into three smaller counties
Northumbria
an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in northern England until 876
West Country
the southwestern part of England (including Cornwall and Devon and Somerset)
Wessex
a Saxon kingdom in southwestern England that became the most powerful English kingdom by the 10th century
Ulster
a historic division of Ireland located in the northeastern part of the island; six of Ulster's nine counties are in Northern Ireland
Caledonia
the geographical area (in Roman times) to the north of the Antonine Wall; now a poetic name for Scotland
Hindustan
northern region of India where Hinduism predominates
Sikkim
a geographical area and former kingdom in northeastern India in the Himalaya Mountains between Nepal and Bhutan
Canara
a historical region of southwestern India on the west coast
Punjab
a historical region on northwestern India and northern Pakistan
Gujarat
a region of western India to the north of Bombay (bordering the Arabian Sea) where Gujarati is spoken
Gulf States
the countries in southwestern Asia that border the Persian Gulf
Susiana
an ancient country in southwestern Asia to the east of the Tigris River (in what is modern Iran); was known for its warlike people
Levant
the former name for the geographical area of the eastern Mediterranean that is now occupied by Lebanon, Syria, and Israel
Makedonija
the ancient kingdom of Philip II and Alexander the Great in the southeastern Balkans that is now divided among modern Macedonia and Greece and Bulgaria
Thrace
an ancient country and wine producing region in the east of the Balkan Peninsula to the north of the Aegean Sea; colonized by ancient Greeks; later a Roman province; now divided between Bulgaria and Greece and Turkey
Mesopotamia
the land between the Tigris and Euphrates; site of several ancient civilizations; part of what is now known as Iraq
Babylonia
an ancient kingdom in southern Mesopotamia; Babylonia conquered Israel in the 6th century BC and exiled the Jews to Babylon (where Daniel became a counselor to the king)
Chaldaea
an ancient region of Mesopotamia lying between the Euphrates delta and the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Desert; settled in 1000 BC and destroyed by the Persians in 539 BC; reached the height of its power under Nebuchadnezzar II
Sumer
an area in the southern region of Babylonia in present-day Iraq; site of the Sumerian civilization of city-states that flowered during the third millennium BC
Assyria
an ancient kingdom in northern Mesopotamia which is in present-day Iraq
Phoenicia
an ancient maritime country (a collection of city states) at eastern end of the Mediterranean
Gallia
an ancient region of western Europe that included what is now northern Italy and France and Belgium and part of Germany and the Netherlands
Riviera
a coastal area between La Spezia in Italy and Cannes in France
Midi
the southern part of France
Normandie
a former province of northwestern France on the English channel; divided into Haute-Normandie and Basse-Normandie
Orleanais
a former province of north central France; centered around Orleans
Lyonnais
a former province of east central France; now administered by Rhone-Alpes
Savoy
a geographical region of historical importance; a former duchy in what is now southwestern France, western Switzerland, and northwestern Italy
Guiana
a geographical region of northeastern South America including Guyana and Surinam
Friesland
the western part of the ancient region of Frisia in northern Europe on the North Sea between the Scheldt river and the Weser river; part of this region is now a province in the Netherlands
Frisia
an ancient region of northwestern Europe including the Frisian Islands
ultima Thule
the geographical region believed by ancient geographers to be the northernmost land in the inhabited world
Lappland
a region in northmost Europe inhabited by Lapps
Tartary
the vast geographical region of Europe and Asia that was controlled by the Mongols in the 13th and 14th centuries
Mongolia
a vast region in Asia including the Mongolian People's Republic and China's Inner Mongolia
Spanish Sahara
an area in northwestern Africa with rich phosphate deposits; under Moroccan control since 1992
Jammu and Kashmir
an area in southwestern Asia whose sovereignty is disputed between Pakistan and India
Parthia
an ancient kingdom in Asia to the southeast of the Caspian Sea; it dominated southwestern Asia from about 250 BC to AD 226
Najd
a central plateau region of the Arabian Peninsula; formerly an independent sultanate until 1932 when it united with Hejaz to form the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Hedjaz
a coastal region of the western Arabian Peninsula bordering on the Red Sea; includes both Mecca and Medina; formerly an independent kingdom until it united with Nejd to form the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Chechen Republic
an autonomous republic in southwestern Russia in the northern Caucasus Mountains bordering on Georgia; declared independence from the USSR in 1991 but Russian troops invaded and continue to prosecute a relentless military campaign in the largely Muslim republic
Siberia
a vast Asian region of Russia; famous for long cold winters
Livonia
a region on the Baltic that is divided between northern Estonia and southern Latvia
Colchis
(Greek mythology) a region on the Black Sea to the south of the Caucasus that was the site of an ancient country where (according to Greek mythology) Jason sought the Golden Fleece
Iberia
an ancient geographical region to the south of the Caucasus Mountains that corresponded approximately to the present-day Georgia
Latin America
the parts of North America and South America to the south of the United States where Romance languages are spoken
Galicia
a region (and former kingdom) in northwestern Spain on the Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay
Leon
a historical area and former kingdom in northwestern Spain
Soudan
a region of northern Africa to the south of the Sahara and Libyan deserts; extends from the Atlantic to the Red Sea
Tanganyika
a former state in East Africa; united with Zanzibar in 1964 to form Tanzania
Kurdistan
an extensive geographical region in the Middle East to the south of the Caucasus
Ionia
region of western Asia Minor colonized by ancient Greeks
East Coast
the eastern seaboard of the United States (especially the strip between Boston and Washington D.C.)
West Coast
the western seaboard of the United States from Washington to southern California
New England
a region of northeastern United States comprising Maine and New Hampshire and Vermont and Massachusetts and Rhode Island and Connecticut
Mid-Atlantic states
a region of the eastern United States comprising New York and New Jersey and Pennsylvania and Delaware and Maryland
Gulf States
a region of the United States comprising states bordering the Gulf of Mexico; Alabama and Florida and Louisiana and Mississippi and Texas
South
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
Deep South
the southeastern region of the United States: South Carolina and Georgia and Alabama and Mississippi and Louisiana; prior to the American Civil War all these states produced cotton and permitted slavery
Sunbelt
states in the south and southwest that have a warm climate and tend to be politically conservative
Tidewater region
the coastal plain of the South: eastern parts of Virginia and North Carolina and South Carolina and Georgia
Piedmont
the plateau between the coastal plain and the Appalachian Mountains: parts of Virginia and North and South Carolina and Georgia and Alabama
North
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
Carolinas
the area of the states of North Carolina and South Carolina
Dakota
the area of the states of North Dakota and South Dakota
Bluegrass Country
an area in central Kentucky noted for it bluegrass and thoroughbred horses
Low Countries
the lowland region of western Europe on the North Sea: Belgium and Luxembourg and the Netherlands
Lusitania
ancient region and Roman province on the Iberian Peninsula; corresponds roughly to modern Portugal and parts of Spain
Schlesien
a region of central Europe rich in deposits of coal and iron ore; annexed by Prussia in 1742 but now largely in Poland
Big Sur
a picturesque coastal region of California to the south of San Francisco
Silicon Valley
a region in California to the south of San Francisco that is noted for its concentration of high-technology industries
Scythia
an ancient area of Eurasia extending from the Black Sea to the Aral Sea that was populated by Scythians from the eighth to the fourth century BC
North Africa
an area of northern Africa between the Sahara and the Mediterranean Sea
West Africa
an area of western Africa between the Sahara Desert and the Gulf of Guinea
types:
soil,
territory
the geographical area under the jurisdiction of a sovereign state
colony,
dependency
a geographical area politically controlled by a distant country
semidesert
a region much like a desert but usually located between a desert and the surrounding regions
narco-state
an area that has been taken over and is controlled and corrupted by drug cartels and where law enforcement is effectively nonexistent
geographical zone,
zone
any of the regions of the surface of the Earth loosely divided according to latitude or longitude
dust bowl
a region subject to dust storms; especially the central region of United States subject to dust storms in the 1930s
panhandle
a relatively narrow strip of land projecting from some larger area
field
a geographic region (land or sea) under which something valuable is found
settlement
an area where a group of families live together
wild,
wilderness
a wild and uninhabited area left in its natural condition
killing field
(usually plural) an area where many people have died (usually by massacre or genocide during war or violent civil disturbance)
Colony
one of the 13 British colonies that formed the original states of the United States
boatyard
a place where boats are built or maintained or stored
outfield
the area of a baseball playing field beyond the lines connecting the bases
sanctuary
a consecrated place where sacred objects are kept
short
the location on a baseball field where the shortstop is stationed
railway yard,
railyard,
yard
an area having a network of railway tracks and sidings for storage and maintenance of cars and engines
Crown Colony
a British colony controlled by the British Crown, represented by a governor
bush
a large wilderness area
frontier
a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country
desert
arid land with little or no vegetation
oasis
a fertile tract in a desert (where the water table approaches the surface)
minefield
a region in which explosives mines have been placed
center,
centre
a place where some particular activity is concentrated
colony
a place where a group of people with the same interest or occupation are concentrated
detention basin
a storage site (such as a small reservoir) that delays the flow of water downstream
retention basin
a storage site similar to a detention basin but the water in storage is permanently obstructed from flowing downstream
megalopolis
a very large urban complex (usually involving several cities and towns)
clearing,
glade
a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
climatic zone
any of the geographical zones loosely divided according to prevailing climate and latitude
medium
the surrounding environment
scene,
setting
the context and environment in which something is set
element
the most favorable environment for a plant or animal
field
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
field of fire
the area that a weapon or group of weapons can cover effectively with gun fire from a given position
grounds
a tract of land cleared for some special purposes (recreation or burial etc.)
habitat,
home ground
the type of environment in which an organism or group normally lives or occurs
hatchery
a place where eggs are hatched under artificial conditions (especially fish eggs)
industrial park
a tract of land at a distance from city center that is designed for a cluster of businesses and factories
grassland
land where grass or grasslike vegetation grows and is the dominant form of plant life
melting pot
an environment in which many ideas and races are socially assimilated
mud flat
a tract of low muddy land near an estuary; covered at high tide and exposed at low tide
fairground
an open area for holding fairs or exhibitions or circuses
midway
the place at a fair or carnival where sideshows and similar amusements are located
fairway
a tract of ground free of obstacles to movement
park,
parkland
a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property
parts
the local environment
municipality
an urban district having corporate status and powers of self-government
new town
a planned urban community created in a rural or undeveloped area and designed to be self-sufficient with its own housing and education and commerce and recreation
range
a large tract of grassy, open land on which livestock can graze
scrubland
an uncultivated region covered with scrub vegetation
weald
an area of open or forested country
wold
a tract of open rolling country (especially upland)
sector
a portion of a military position
land site,
site
the piece of land on which something is located (or is to be located)
coalfield
a region where there is coal underground
gasfield
a region where there is natural gas underground
oilfield
a region rich in petroleum deposits (especially one with producing oil wells)
mine field
a tract of land containing explosive mines
terrain
a piece of ground having specific characteristics or military potential
lot
a parcel of land having fixed boundaries
barrio
an urban area in a Spanish-speaking country
yard
a tract of land enclosed for particular activities (sometimes paved and usually associated with buildings)
yard
a tract of land where logs are accumulated
time zone
any of the 24 regions of the globe (loosely divided by longitude) throughout which the same standard time is used
transit zone
a six million square mile area that includes the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern Pacific Ocean; includes the principal routes used by drug smugglers
customs
the place at an airport or port where officials screen incoming travelers and goods