Region can be used to mean:

1. Any considerable and connected part of a space or surface; specifically, a tract of land or sea of considerable but indefinite extent; a country; a district; in a broad sense, a place without special reference to location or extent but viewed as an entity for geographical, social or cultural reasons. The proper techniques of space delimitation covers regionalization.

   the equatorial regions

   the temperate regions

   the polar regions

   the upper regions of the atmosphere

2. An administrative subdivision of a city, a territory, a country or the European Union.
3. The geographically-specific encoding present on many commercially-produced DVDs.
4. (historical) Such a division of the city of Rome and of the territory about Rome, of which the number varied at different times; a district, quarter, or ward.
5. (figuratively) The inhabitants of a region or district of a country.
6. (anatomy) A place in or a part of the body in any way indicated.

   the abdominal regions

7. {obsolete} Place; rank; station; dignity.
8. {obsolete} The space from the earth's surface out to the orbit of the moon: properly called the elemental region.
9. For the QuickDraw data structure, see QuickDraw.

Regions are conceptual constructs and, thus, may vary among cultures and individuals.

Administrative regions

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The word "region" is taken from the Latin regio, and a number of countries have borrowed the term as the formal name for a type of subnational entity (eg, the región, used in Chile). In English, the word is also used as the conventional translation for equivalent terms in other languages (e.g., the область (oblast), used in Russia alongside with a broader term регион).

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Breaking News from The Birmingham News - al.com

Metro Birmingham forecast: Mild and gray, but rain chance slim
(205) 325-2478 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:54:51 -0000
Birmingham skies will open the day cloudy, but the rain chance through tonight stands at a minimal 20 percent. Forecasters predict a high of about 78 degrees today and a low of 69 tonight. Columbus Day: A 20 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 79. East wind around 10 mph. Monday Night: Cloudy during the early evening, then becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 65. East wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Highlights from today's Birmingham News
phickerson@bhamnews.com Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:56:08 -0000
Jefferson County hopes for a bailout, Bessemer residents ask what's in a name, and Auburn licks its woundsHOT TOPICS Jefferson County Commission and Gov. Bob Riley are hoping the $700 billion bailout could help the county refinance $2.7 billion of its sewer debt on more affordable terms, avoiding bankruptcy. Both presidential candidates pledge strong support of science and research, which is a crucial part of the state's economy. An exemption allows dozens of elementary and middle schools to meet progress goals in reading and mathematics. Bessemer soon will have a name for its new high school. UAB has been chosen by the National Institutes of Health to improve U.S. defenses against chlorine gas. Vietnamese visitors passing through Birmingham are seeking a legal fight against manufacturers of Agent Orange. Sen. Jeff Sessions brought his re-election campaign to Samford University Saturday MORE NEWS SPORTS OPENERS Auburn suffers an upset at home to Arkansas. Kevin Scarbinsky wonders if that's the smell of jet fuel. Samford University loses to Appalachian State, 35-24. Alabama waters in the Gulf teem with fish, but a short snapper season, along with the economy and gas prices, have idled boat captains. MORE SPORTS MONEY OPENERS A look at 10 days that rocked the Dow. Some Birmingham-area banks are offering deposit insurance higher than federal ceilings. Two local investment experts discuss the past few weeks. OPINION OPENERS John Archibald writes that hope from the financial meltdown isn't on Wall Street, but in the bond of another's eyes. Jerry Underwood writes that there are no easy fixes in the Wall Street tumble. Can lawmakers and commissioners work together on the sewer fix? LIFESTYLE Time to take stock. Count our blessings and forget our desires.
Heartbreak on the Plain
sgoodman@bhamnews.com Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:35:27 -0000
Auburn loses 25-22 to Arkansas, a painful end to a tumultous week.AUBURN - Auburn suffered its third loss of the season Saturday, falling 25-22 to Arkansas at Jordan-Hare Stadium. AP/DAVE MARTINAuburn players watch the final seconds of Saturday's 25-22 loss to Arkansas at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Looking on are, from left: Tyronne Green (71) Rod Smith (80), Lee Ziemba (73) and Mario Fannin (27). For the Tigers, a 19-point favorite and ranked No. 20 in the nation, it was a disappointing ending to a crazy week. The Tigers had a chance to win right up until the final minute thanks to Arkansas turnovers and a 97-yard kick return touchdown from Tristan Davis.Then Matt Harris made a diving interception with 29 seconds left on the Tigers' last chance. Arkansas had lost its last three games by a collective 139-31. The Razorbacks outgained Auburn 416-193 in the return of former Tigers offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino as Razorbacks head coach. The Tigers' second straight loss capped a tumultuous week. Coach Tommy Tuberville fired first-year offensive coordinator Tony Franklin three days before the game, then picked assistant Steve Ensminger as the playcaller for the rest of the season. Following the defeat, Tuberville even found himself answering a question about his job security in the postgame news conference. "It's been a tough week," he said. "I put our guys in a tough situation. I thought they fought hard, real hard. We didn't have a lot obviously on offense. Defensively, we couldn't get off the field. "It was just a tough night and a tough week overall. I feel really (bad) for our players. We struggled in every area."

Breaking News from the Press-Register - al.com

Semmes group pushes ahead with incorporation effort
mdnewton@al.com Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:42:36 -0000
One of the winners from Tuesday's annexation vote was the group of residents trying to create their own city of Semmes.The leaders of the incorporation effort said they were forced to pause for the results of an annexation referendum along Moffett Road, which would have put several businesses within Mobile that Semmes leaders wanted to include in their new city. The Moffett Road annexation failed by about 60 votes, and Semmes residents said they are resuming their incorporation efforts. The annexation proposal may even have been a blessing in disguise. Some residents who were reluctant to support a new city might now be willing to do so to stop Mobile from encroaching on their area. "It's almost uniting the community," said Helen Joyce, one of the leaders of the incorporation effort. Joyce and others started organizing volunteers for the tedious groundwork that needs to be done before a new city can form. In order to call a public referendum on the issue, residents must gather the signatures of 15 percent of voters in the proposed area and owners of 60 percent of the land. The petition must also include four voters living on every 40 acres in the city. The petition must be submitted to the Mobile County probate judge, who would then set a date for a referendum. A majority vote would then create the new city. Joyce said one of the important parts of the incorporation effort is educating residents about what a new city of Semmes would mean. While the boundaries for a proposed city haven't been drawn in stone yet, Joyce said, they are basically looking at Howell's Ferry Road to the south and Lott Road to the north, with the east boundary near Bear Fork Road and the west boundary almost to Big Creek Lake. Such a city would have more than 20,000 residents and several schools. Joyce said details about a Semmes government are still fuzzy, but at the beginning, it would probably rely on the volunteer fire and rescue services and the Mobile County Sheriff's Office for basic services. "We would be using the services available to us, not creating another bureaucracy," she said. Now that annexation has failed, the city cannot propose another such vote in that area for at least a year. Mobile Mayor Sam Jones said he would consider trying to annex the area again if residents there asked for another vote. He said he believed a "misinformation" campaign swayed residents to vote against it. He pointed to a picture of a sign along Moffett Road that said voters would have 100 percent higher sales and property taxes if they annexed. Sales tax would have increased from 7.5 cents per dollar to 9 cents per dollar, a 21 percent increase. After a five-year window, property taxes would have increased from 48.5 mills to 63.5 mills, a 31 percent increase. Mobile County Commission President Stephen Nodine said the city's fiscal irresponsibility was the reason for the failed vote. He said he spent the day of the election telling people they should vote against coming into the city because the Mobile City Council was considering giving $450,000 to the Gulf Coast Classic football game. The council eventually voted to give the game $275,000. The County Commission gave $50,000 to the Classic. Jones said he offered the annexation vote along Moffett Road because the Kings Branch subdivision asked to join the city. Johnny Bacon, president of the Kings Branch homeowners association, said he thought they lost the vote because residents from his subdivision did not turn out in high enough numbers. "We've got 150 homes in here, but we only had 70 percent vote," he said. "If we had another 15 to 20 percent that would have voted, we would have won." Bacon said he hopes the city of Mobile sets another annexation vote in the future. "I hope Mobile tries again the next year, the year after and so forth," he said, "until they get it."
Teen shot in Happy Hill community, Mobile police say
jkramer@press-register.com Sun, 12 Oct 2008 01:48:06 -0000
A 14-year-old boy was shot in the thigh tonight in the Happy Hill community of north Mobile, police said. Cpl. Paul Workman said that the shooting occurred at about 8:30 p.m. in the 600 block of Franklin Drive. The teen was transported to the University Of South Alabama Medical Center with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, Workman said. Investigators were unable to provide a description of the shooter this evening. The teen "didn't tell us that he knew him, or if they had words," Workman said.
Audit focuses on Blakeley Park procedures
cmyers@press-register.com Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:20:54 -0000
A recently released state audit of Historic Blakeley State Park cites non-compliance with public-disclosure, record-keeping and bid requirements and says the director bypassed the board of directors in some decisions from 2005-07. JoAnn Flirt, executive director of the park north of Spanish Fort, said the issues have been, or are being, addressed and points out that the report cited no financial irregularities. The park is the site of the last major battle of the Civil War. The audit mainly focuses on Flirt's interaction with the separate Historic Blakeley Park Authority and Foundation. The Historic Blakeley Authority audit can be found at www.examiners.state.al.us/ by clicking on "Audit Reports" and then selecting audits released on "Friday, Oct. 3, 2008." (For a complete report, read Sunday's Baldwin Register.)

Breaking News from The Huntsville Times - al.com

Video: Honor Flight veterans treated as heroes
shelly.haskins@htimes.com Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:01:28 -0000
Honor Flight Tennessee Valley took 127 local World War II veterans Saturday to see the the memorial dedicated to their service. The veterans arrived at Huntsville International Airport at 5 a.m., visited the World War II memorial and several others, and returned home to Huntsville to a flag-waving, cheering crowd. Saturday's trip was the sixth arranged by Honor Flight Tennessee Valley, which has taken more than 600 veterans to Washington since the group was formed last year. The trip is free to veterans thanks to donations from the community.
Sunday's weather forecast
ronnie.white@htimes.com Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:03:07 -0000
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 82. East wind between 5 and 15 mph. Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. East wind between 5 and 10 mph. Columbus Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Southeast wind between 5 and 10 mph. Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Friday: Partly cloudy, with a high near 80. Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.
Sunday's Huntsville police blotter
ronnie.white@htimes.com Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:02:35 -0000
Unless otherwise indicated, the following incidents were reported to Huntsville police Friday and Saturday. In items with incomplete addresses, police withheld the information: North precinct •An electric guitar valued at $350 was stolen from a residence on Block Ward Avenue. •A 2008-09 Dodge Avenger, no value listed, was stolen from a liquor store on Pratt Avenue. •An air conditioning unit valued at $1,400 was stolen from a residence on the 4800 block of Cottonwood Drive. •A nail gun valued at $600 was taken from a residence at 4726 Cutler Drive. •A Baby-Bhat purse valued at $80, $250 in cash, an Ohio driver's license and debit card were stolen from a vehicle at 2599 Sparkman Drive. South precinct •A cell phone valued at $300, a purse valued at $350, and debit and credit cards were stolen from a vehicle at a church at Lincoln Street and Clinton Avenue intersection. •A cell phone valued at $150 and a Rampage purse valued at $50 and some cash was stolen from a vehicle in a parking lot at the intersection of Holmes Avenue and Green Street. •A purse valued at $60, another purse, a debit and credit card and a wallet were stolen from a vehicle in a parking lot on Clinton Avenue. •Aluminum ramps valued at $150 were stolen from a residence on Ada Drive. •A keyboard valued at $200, a stereo valued at $150, a microwave and printer, valued at $25 each, were stolen from a residence on South Memorial Parkway. •Two laptops, value not listed, were stolen from a residence on Love Drive. •A kayak valued at $625 was stolen from a residence on Marinawoods Drive. West precinct •Several items, including a silver band ring, a handbag, sockets, three women's shirts, a jacket and socks valued at around $100 were stolen from a business on U.S. 72 West. •Someone stole $350 in cash from a residence at 121 Mason Court. •Someone stole $200 in cash, six credit cards and damaged the driver's side rear window at a motel on University Drive. •A desktop computer valued at $698 was stolen from Wal-Mart on University Drive. •A Cobra .380 semi-automatic valued at $200 was stolen from a residence in Boxwood Court. •A 25-inch flipdown television valued at $400 was stolen from a parking lot on Torrance Drive. •A Social Security check, no value listed, was stolen from a residence on 12th Street. •Several items of clothing, including a hooded jacket, shirt, dress and pants valued at around $100 were stolen from a department store at 5901 University Drive.

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