Geography

Regional language: definition, status, history and examples Regional language A regional language is spoken in a particular area of a nation state, distinct from the country's official tongue; this article explains characteristics, legal status, history, use…

Regional Municipality of York (York Region) Regional Municipality of York York Region is a regional municipality in south-central Ontario, Canada, north of Toronto. It combines urban and rural communities, serves as a major commuter and economic area, an…

Regions of Brazil: the IBGE five-fold division Regions of Brazil Overview of Brazil’s five official regions, their geographic and cultural traits, statistical role by IBGE, major biomes and uses in planning, and how these macroregions differ fro…

Regions of Chile: administrative divisions, governance and geography Regions of Chile An overview of Chile’s first-level divisions (regions), their internal organization into provinces and communes, recent governance reforms, historical development, and geographic a…

Regions of England An overview of England's top-level sub-national divisions—often called Government Office Regions—their structure, purpose, history, and how they differ from counties and local auth…

Regions of Finland Finland is divided into 19 administrative regions (maakunnat). This article explains their role, organization, history, list of regions, and notable geographic and linguistic featu…

Regions of France: overview, structure, and recent reforms Regions of France An accessible guide to France's 18 administrative regions: their roles, structure, metropolitan and overseas differences, the 2016 reform, and notable examples.

Regions of Iceland: purpose, list, and administrative role Regions of Iceland Overview of Iceland's eight informal regions: their names, uses for statistics, postal codes, courts and health districts, and how they differ from municipalities and legal adminis…

Regions of Italy: administrative divisions, powers and special statutes Regions of Italy Italy is divided into 20 regions with elected institutions and varying powers. Some have special statutes granting greater autonomy for linguistic, geographic or historical reasons…

Regions of Peru: administrative divisions and capitals Regions of Peru Overview of Peru's 25 regions and the separate Lima Province, including administrative role, geography, and a list of regions with their capitals and reference links.

Regions of Slovakia (Kraje): overview, structure and list Regions of Slovakia Outline of Slovakia's eight administrative regions (kraje), their districts, capitals, area and 2001 population figures; history and role in national administration.

Registan Desert: geography, ecology, and human interactions Registan Desert The Registan Desert is a sandy arid region in southwestern Afghanistan between Helmand and Kandahar provinces. This article describes its landscape, ecology, human use, and the pro…

Regnitz (river in Bavaria, Germany) Regnitz The Regnitz is a 58 km river in northern Bavaria formed where the Rednitz and Pegnitz join in Fürth; it flows north through Erlangen and Forchheim and meets the Main at Bamberg.

Reignac (Gironde) — commune in southwestern France Reignac, Gironde Reignac is a small French commune in the Gironde department, located in the southwestern region known for vineyards, rural landscapes and local heritage within the greater Bordeaux…

Reinach: Swiss places and a surname Reinach Reinach refers to two Swiss municipalities (in Aargau and Basel-Landschaft) and a family name. This article explains their identities, differences, historical notes, and practical…

Remetea, Bihor Remetea is a rural commune in Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north‑western Romania. It is a typical agricultural locality with Romanian and Hungarian cultural influences an…

Rems-Murr-Kreis Rems-Murr-Kreis is a rural district in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, centered on Waiblingen. It covers river valleys, towns, forests and vineyards and forms part of the greater Stutt…

Renala Khurd Tehsil Renala Khurd is a tehsil (administrative subdivision) of Okara District in Punjab, Pakistan, composed of 18 union councils with a largely agricultural economy and the town of Renal…

Rendsburg-Eckernförde district (Schleswig-Holstein, Germany) Rendsburg-Eckernförde Overview of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, a district in Schleswig-Holstein: geography, history, administration, economy, transport and points of interest around Rendsburg and Eckernförde.

Reno (river) — from the Northern Apennines across Emilia-Romagna to the Adriatic Reno (river) The Reno is a major river in northeastern Italy, originating in the Northern Apennines in Tuscany and running across the Po plain through Emilia‑Romagna toward the Adriatic Sea.

Renville County, North Dakota Renville County is a sparsely populated county in northwestern North Dakota with Mohall as its county seat; its economy is primarily agricultural and it features broad prairie land…

Republic County, Kansas Republic County is a sparsely populated county in northern Kansas on the Nebraska border, with Belleville as its county seat and a landscape dominated by agriculture and small town…

Republic of Crimea Peninsula in the northern Black Sea with a complex history and disputed status since 2014; administered by Russia but widely recognized under international law as part of Ukraine.

Cyprus: Island nation in the Eastern Mediterranean Republic of Cyprus Cyprus is an EU island nation in the Eastern Mediterranean, near Africa. Explore its history, mixed Greek and Turkish communities, capital Nicosia, and key sectors including touris…

Ireland (Republic of Ireland): overview, language, history and government Republic of Ireland An introductory article on the Republic of Ireland covering geography, people, languages, government, economy, and notable facts for general reference.

Republic of Upper Volta — historical French colony now Burkina Faso Republic of Upper Volta Former French territory in West Africa, created as Upper Volta in the early 20th century, reorganized mid-century, and independent in 1960; later renamed Burkina Faso in 1984.

Republican River — Great Plains river of Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas Republican River Major central Great Plains river rising in eastern Colorado, flowing 453 miles through Nebraska and Kansas to join the Smoky Hill and form the Kansas River; important for irrigatio…

Republika Srpska: entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina Republika Srpska Republika Srpska is one of the two constitutional and legal entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with its own institutions, majority Serb population, and a distinct administrative a…

Retezat Mountains: peaks, glacial lakes, and Romania's first national park Retezat Mountains High massif in Romania's Southern Carpathians known for rugged peaks, numerous glacial lakes (including Lacul Bucura), rich biodiversity and the Retezat National Park.

Réunion (French island, region and overseas department) Réunion Réunion is a French island in the Indian Ocean known for rugged volcanic landscapes, a multicultural Creole society, and active volcanism centered on Piton de la Fournaise.

Reuss (river) — Swiss river flowing from the Alps to the Aare Reuss (river) The Reuss is a major Swiss river rising in the Alps, flowing through Lake Lucerne and joining the Aare at Brugg. It is 164 km long and drains a basin of about 3,426 km².

Reutlingen (district) — Landkreis in Baden-Württemberg Reutlingen (district) Reutlingen is a Landkreis in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It sits on the edge of the Swabian Alb and includes towns such as Reutlingen, Metzingen and Bad Urach; economy, nat…

Reutte District (Außerfern) — geography, history and highlights Reutte District Reutte District (Außerfern) in Tyrol, Austria: an alpine district bordering Bavaria and Vorarlberg, known for mountain landscapes, the Lech valley, border routes and historic sites…

Rey County (Ray) — Tehran Province, Iran Rey County Rey County is an administrative division in Tehran Province centered on the ancient city of Rey (Shahr-e Rey). It is historically significant and now integrates with the Tehran met…

Rhäzüns — municipality in the Imboden region of Graubünden, Switzerland Rhäzüns Rhäzüns is a small municipality in the Imboden region of the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, known for its mineral springs, bottled water brand Rhäzünser and a local beer tradit…

Rhein-Erft-Kreis Rhein-Erft-Kreis is a rural district west of Cologne in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, named for the Rhine and Erft rivers and noted for its industrial history and cul…

Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis A rural district in central Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, centered on Simmern; known for Hunsrück hills, river valleys, agriculture, forests, and small towns with historic sites a…

Rhein-Kreis Neuss Rhein-Kreis Neuss is a district in western North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, centered on the city of Neuss; notable for Roman origins, mixed industry, and its location in the Rhine–…

Rhein-Lahn-Kreis: overview, landscape, administration and sites Rhein-Lahn-Kreis Rhein-Lahn-Kreis is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, centered on the spa town Bad Ems. It comprises river valleys, historic towns, and rural municipalities with strong…

Rhein‑Neckar (Rhein‑Neckar‑Kreis): region and district in Baden‑Württemberg Rhein-Neckar Overview of the Rhein‑Neckar district in northwest Baden‑Württemberg, its geography, towns, history, economy, transport and notable cultural sites along the Rhine and Neckar rivers…

Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Its administration is based in Ludwigshafen and it comprises towns and municipalities in the Rhine‑Neckar region s…

Rhein-Sieg-Kreis Rhein-Sieg-Kreis: a district in southern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, surrounding Bonn. Overview of geography, administration, history, economy, transport, and notable features…

Rheine: city on the Ems in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Rheine Rheine is the largest city in the Steinfurt district, located on the Ems River in northwest North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is a regional centre for commerce, culture and trans…

Rheinfelden (Germany and Switzerland) Rheinfelden Rheinfelden denotes two adjacent towns facing each other across the Rhine: Rheinfelden (Aargau) in Switzerland and Rheinfelden (Baden) in Germany. They share history, riverfronts a…

Rheinfelden District (Aargau, Switzerland) Rheinfelden District Administrative district in northern Aargau along the Rhine, centered on the town of Rheinfelden; contains 14 municipalities and forms a cross-border region with Germany.

Rheingau-Taunus — district in Hesse, Germany Rheingau-Taunus Administrative district in western Hesse, Germany, spanning the western Taunus hills to the Rhine; known for vineyards, spa towns, historic sites, forests and mixed rural-urban eco…

Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis: district of the Bergisches Land in North Rhine-Westphalia Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis Overview of the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis: location, geography, municipalities, history, economy and administration in the Bergisches Land region of North Rhine-Westphalia, German…

Rheintal (Wahlkreis) — constituency of the canton of St. Gallen Rheintal (Wahlkreis) Rheintal (Wahlkreis) is a constituency of the canton of St. Gallen in eastern Switzerland. It covers part of the Rhine valley and groups neighbouring municipalities for cantonal el…