Different Regional Views of the World
Regions of the world are viewed differently, depending on your point of view and location in the world. The UN and the World Bank both have a global perspective, with regional views. These so-called “geoschemes”, are used by the UN for statistical analysis. Although the UN itself does not always use this concept consistently, it is still a useful framework for presenting information about the world.
UN Geographical Regions
The UN regions of the world are set out in the map below.
Precious metals mine production split by the United Nations definition of geographic regions is set out below.
World Bank Geographical Regions
The World Bank regions of the world are shown in the map below. The World Bank regions are less granular than those of the UN. In addition, the World Bank regions appear to based on a political perspective whereas the UN view is more geographical. Greenland being treated as part of “Europe and Central Asia” is the most obvious difference between the two systems.
Note (1) the small “No data” zone on the hump of Africa is the disputed region of Sahrawi (Western Sahara).
Precious metals mine production split into the World Bank definition of geographic regions is set out below: