A region is a geographical area that possesses certain characteristics (e.g. political, economic,
physical) which give it a measure of unity that allows boundaries to be drawn
round it, thus differentiating it from surrounding areas. In the UK, the standard planning
regions have traditionally been the North, North-West, Yorkshire/Humberside, East
Midlands, West Midlands, South-West, East Anglia, South-East, Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland. Each of these is further divided into sub-regions based on administrative
counties and on designated metropolitan areas