When someone asks where you're from, you probably don't say, "planet Earth." Most of us closely identify with a specific city, town, or country, even if we've moved around a few times. It may be where you were born, or where you grew up, or where your parents' families came from, or just the place where you feel most at home. Where you're from often affects how you speak, what you like to eat, the kind of art and music you appreciate--even your values and your frame of reference when you think about events.

When we study history, one of the first and most important questions we ask is where an event took place. To help us talk about where events happen, geographers have divided the planet into regions--large areas that share similar features such as a common history, culture, or economy. These broad areas do not have fixed boundaries in the way that countries do. While the size, shape, and name of a country may be transformed over time by events, geographical regions don't really change. Therefore, they are useful for discussions about history and current events.

The main regions of the world are shown on this map. Click on the map below for a full-size view.

You may have noticed that many of the world's regions are named after points on the compass, such as Eastern Asia or South Pacific. One thing to keep in mind as you use these labels is that the directions tend to show bias--or a specific point of view. The earliest geographers came from Greece and Italy, so they labeled places to the east of them as the East and places to the south as the South. In fact, the only reason that most maps show North pointing upwards is because early navigators relied on the North star to guide them. Since Earth is just a sphere rolling around in space, it's just as valid to have maps with South on top. This "upside-down" map of Europe with South pointing up is exactly as accurate as versions oriented toward the North. It's all a matter of perspective! Click the map below for a full-size view.