definition and types of regions
TRANSCRIPT
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.”
• David Harvey- a theoretical entity like an atom or neutron 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. 3
SOME IMPORTANT VIEWS
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A. J. HerbertsonHerbertson’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 and subjected to seasonal climatic rhythm.'‘
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•According to Derwent Whittlesey- A region is neither “self-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.
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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, biotic and cultural processes are
most important• Processes are interwoven; can not be
separated from each other• Both processes and patterns change with time
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Paul 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 physical characteristics.
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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 hierarchy of regions
• These are systems• These lie within larger systems • These hold sub-systems within them• Each has a definite place and role within the
hierarchy• All are mostly 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
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Types of regions, Fig.4
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i.Homogeneous/formal regions• It is the older 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 of maps etc.
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Bases and Types of formal regionsFig 4
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Example1- Scheme of Alfred Hettner "Divisions of theLands” (1908), Based on Herbertson
Under this scheme Asia is divided into 5 major regions:
• Northern Asia (Siberia)• Western Siberia• Estern Siberia• The Near East• Aral-Caspin Depression• Folded Mountains and from Asia Minor to Iran• Syrian-Arabian Massif• Central Asia• Tarim Basin• Mongolia• Tibet• Eastern Asia• Okhotsk with Kamchatka and Kuriles• Amurland, Manchuria and Japan• China with Formosa and Liu Kiu Isles• Southern Asia• India• Further India• East Indies 20
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
The Great Mountain Wall Western Himalayas Kashmir HimalayasPunjab Kumaan Himalayas
Eastern Himalayas Darjeeling Sikkim, Assam HimalayasEastern Bodar Hills & Plateau
The Great PlainSutlaj, Beas,Ravi Ganga,Upper
Ganga Yamuna,BrahmaPutra
North Western North Punjab, South Punjab, Rajasthan
Upper Ganga Ganga Yamuna, Rohilkhand, Avadh
Middle Ganga
Delta
Assam Valley
The Great Plateau ofPeninsular India
North Western Peninsular Peninsular India
Aravalli Hills, Chambal BasinBundelkhand upland, MalwaVindhyan Scrap land
North EasternPeninsular Plateau
Baaghelkhand, Chattisgarsh BasinBastar 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 West Coast Kutch Peninsular, Kathiawar Peninsular, Gujarat Plains, Konkan Coast, Karnatic Malabar Coast
East Coast Tamilnadu Coast, Andhra Coast, Orissa Coast
The Island Laccadive, Minicoy & Amindivv, Andaman & Nicobar Islands 22
Example3-Homogeneous (mixed)regions-2001 HDI Regions in India fig. 7.
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Example 4- Formal (social)Regions,Tribal areas in 9 states covered under The Fifth Schedule – http://www.mmpindia.org/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…
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ii. Functional Region
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Elements of Functional Region- Haggett. 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 regions-Varanasi & Metropolitan regions of 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, 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….. 31
Planning Region- Types according to phases of economic development (Friedman)
• 1.Beginning of economic development, rural agricultural base – Multistate region
• 2.Stage of industrialization & urbanization – Metropolitan region and problem specific regions.
• 3. New technologies, pressure on old spaces, new national objectives - Frontier region (virgin territories).
• 4. Declining or stagnated economy – Depressed regions
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Planning Region – Indian perspective (K. V. Sundaram)• Planning regions in India were influenced byTwo aspects of planning –1.Changes in the strategy and goals of planning. -• First phase had industrial (economic)planning regions, focused on
sectoral industrial growth, these were mineral and capital industry based regions.
• 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 multi-level planning –
• First phase had State level planning regions, or 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
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Planning region - Sub-types• According to goal of planning, planning region
may be:• 1 Economic planning region-Example P. Sen
Gupta & Sdasyuk’s 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 Region, Wastelands, Hill Area Dev Plans. Contd…… 35
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 specific type is considered the most ideal for all purposes
2.These are flexible and change with time,36
Other types of regions – Modal* Regions, Elbert Z. Guttenberg
•Elbert Z. Guttenberg says “The most profound approach to a classification of regions is by way of the human purpose and areal interests that have produced them
*Mode- A manner, way, or method of doing or acting: a particular form, or variety
Mode Relevant spatial phenomena
Basis of regional definition
Example
Referential Past, present and future natural and cultural features
Disinterested observations
1. Physiographic regions – Great Plains; 2. Ecological regions – Corn Belt; 3. Projected regions – urban regions
Appraisive Territorial quality of life indicators (economic, social, environmental). Egs. Poverty, pollution, natural hazards
Remedial or preventive rules of action
1. National forests 2. Managed coastal zone 3. Grazing district
Operative Types of ideal territorial order envisioned (aesthetic, moral, political)
Aspirations 1. Pearcy’s ideal 38 states* 2. The world as ‘global village’
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Pearcy’s ideal administrative regionsPearcy prepared a map of 38 states for the USA.• It is based on the idea that when the present 50 states were formed
much of the areas were uninhabited. The state boundaries, according to him should be re-drawn.
• 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.
• Pearcy tried to place a major metropolitan area in the center of each State (for other details see 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 technique, they are also called planning regions.
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Thanks
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