AP World History World Regions Study Guide

World regions are categorized into major geographical divisions: The Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
The Ural Mountains serve as a significant dividing line between Europe and Asia.
Regional boundaries often overlap, and certain countries may be categorized into multiple regions depending on the context of the study.

North America:
- Countries included: United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Latin America:
- This region include Mesoamerica and the Caribbean.
- Key countries and territories: Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Bahamas, Argentina, Haiti, Colombia, Panama, Dominican Republic, Belize, Jamaica, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay.

General Regional Classification:
- Africa is unique because its northern half is often categorized as part of the Middle East region despite its physical location on the African continent.
Sub-regions of Africa:
- West Africa: Ghana, Mali, Liberia, and Nigeria.
- Central (Equatorial) Africa: Chad and Congo.
- East Africa: Madagascar, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya.
- Southern Africa: Botswana and South Africa.
- North Africa: This area includes Egypt, Libya, Sudan, and Morocco, and is frequently grouped with the Middle East.

The Middle East:
- Countries included: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Palestine, and Israel.
- African countries frequently grouped here: Egypt, Libya, Sudan, and Morocco.
West Asia (often referred to as Southwest Asia):
- Regional overlap exists between Southwest Asia, the Middle East, and South Asia. For instance, Iraq is considered part of Southwest Asia, the Middle East, and South Asia.
- Specific countries in West Asia: Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Cyprus, Syria, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Oman.

Major Countries:
- Poland, Germany, France, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
Intercontinental Countries:
- Russia: Approximately $23\%$ of Russia's territory is located within Europe.
- Turkey: Approximately $\frac{1}{8}$ of Turkey is located within Europe.

South Asia:
- Countries included: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.
Central Asia:
- Countries included: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan.
North Asia:
- This region is dominated by Russia. Key geographical features include the Ural Mountains, various river systems such as the Ob, Irtysh, Yenisey, Lena, and Amur, and Lake Baikal.

East Asia:
- Countries and territories included: China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Southeast Asia:
- Countries included: Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines, and East Timor.

Regional Composition:
- Key nations: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Marshall Islands, and Papua New Guinea.
- Additional territories and locations: Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, and various bodies of water including the Coral Sea, Tasman Sea, and Arafura Sea.
- Major cities and landmarks in the region: Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Darwin, Brisbane, Adelaide (Australia); Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch (New Zealand); and the Great Barrier Reef.

Question: Describe the location that you live in.
Note for upcoming assessment: There is a $25$ question multiple-choice quiz scheduled for the next class. Preparation should focus on identifying major and larger countries on the regional maps, such as Mexico, China, and France, rather than smaller states like Belize.