Another way of defining regions is, as stated on the previous page, by their physical characteristics. A few of these region-defining characteristics include distribution of natural resources, such as forests or oil reserves, or by phenomena caused by their physical characteristics, such as climate.
Forest distribution
Forests cover nearly 30 percent of Earth's surface area. The world's forests are an important topic in economic geography because their proper management can support a nation's' development plans. Conversely, their mismanagement through deforestation can result in degradation and lowered economic vitality. In the case of the Amazon rain forest, considered to be Earth's "lungs," deforestation has a global effect, adding to the percentage of global carbon dioxide emissions. The Food and Agriculture Organization, an agency of the United Nations, determined from 2010 world forestry data that the rate of deforestation, while "still alarmingly high, ...was slowing down" (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2011, p. 3).
Oil reserves
Petroleum geography is one of the areas of geographic study of natural resources. It serves as one of the tools (along with seismology and other sciences) for determining where oil is located. It also focuses on politics and economics in oil-producing regions, examining the sometimes rapid transformations of these regions. The petroleum industry classifies crude oil according to geographic location (e.g., West Texas Intermediate). Location is a factor in production due to transportation costs and potential pipeline routes.
Climate zones
The definition of "climate" encompasses an enormously complex array of conditions, among them humidity, temperature, precipitation, atmospheric pressure, and wind. The physical geography—latitude, terrain, and altitude—of a region has a strong effect on its climate. Information from the world's climate zones can be used by meteorologists to identify weather patterns, by food and agriculture agencies to advise policymakers, and by nations worldwide to plan for global climate change. Please click on the link below for a map and a more detailed explanation of climate zones.
