A macroregion is a geopolitical subdivision that encompasses several traditionally or politically defined regions or countries. The meaning may vary, with the common denominator being cultural, economical, historical or social similarity within a macroregion. The term is often used in the context of globalization.
It may refer to various kinds of grouping of nation states basing on geographical proximity.John H. Dunning (2000) "Regions, Globalization, and the Knowledge-Based Economy", In Romania, macroregiuni ("macroregions") are a higher-level subdivision of the country. Sometimes the Greater Region of Saarland-Lorraine-Luxembourg -Rhineland-Palatinate-Wallonia-French Community of Belgium- and German-speaking Community of Belgium, which has not found a specific shortcut yet, is called "the macroregion". Physiographic macroregions of China.G.W. Skinner (ed.) (1977) "The City in Late Imperial China." Stanford University Press. Regions of Brazil are often referred to as "macroregions", to avoid the confusion of the common word "region".p. 100, Trade, networks, and hierarchies: modeling regional and interregional economies, edited by Geoffrey Hewings, Michael Sonis, and David E. Boyce, Springer, 2002, . Bajío macroregion in the north-central Western Mexico is a clear example of the concept.
Other uses The term "macroregion" may be also used in the context of natural regions, like in Slovenia.
See also Mesoregion Microdistrict, Soviet and Central European urban housing schemes Microregion
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