Places are locations on Earth with distinct characteristics - both human and physical - that give them meaning and distinguish them from other locations. Places are created on a variety of scales, from local to global, and often influence how people identify themselves. A person may introduce themselves as an Austinite, a Texan, an American, and/or an Asian American. Physical characteristics of place include landforms and climate while cultural characteristics include language, economic systems, and population.

Regions are areas defined by unifying physical and/or human characteristics. A region is a space that shares one or more qualities or characteristics. A region is a basic unit of study in geography. There are three types of regions:

- Formal, defined by related, measurable characteristics such as climate, vegetation, or religion (ex. North America, Sahara desert)

- Functional,organized around a central place and its connections (ex. Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Alamo Area Council of Governments, Texas Education Agency Education Service Center regions)

- Perceptual, defined by people's perceptions or attitudes (ex. the baseball map above)

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