Home > Region (Europe)

Examples of regions include:

• Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in the UK. The UK has also defined regions of England that are perhaps less culturally well-defined.
• French régions, especially Bretagne, Corsica, Languedoc and others which have been historically culturally distinct.
• Italian regioni which are not just geographic, but administrative divisions. The island-regions of Sardinia and Sicily, and also Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino Alto-Adige, Valle d'AostaAosta Valley (in French Vallee d'Aoste in Italian Valle d'Aosta is a mountainous region in north-western Italy, the smallest of the regions. It is bordered by France to the west, Switzerland to the north and the region of Piedmont to the south. The region have a special autonomous status.
• SpanishThe Kingdom of Spain is a country located in the southwest of Europe. It shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra. To the northeast, along the Pyrenees mountain range, it borders France and the tiny principality of Andorra. It inc comunidades autónomas, especially CataloniaComunitat Autonoma de Catalunya In detail Capital Barcelona Official languages Spanish and Catalan In Val d'Aran, also Aranese. Area total % of Spain Ranked 6th 32 114 km² 6,3% Population Total (2003) % of Spain Density Ranked 2nd 6 506 440 15,6% 190,73/k, Basque CountryEuskal Autonomia Erkidegoa Comunidad Autonoma del Pais Vasco Capital Vitoria-Gasteiz Official languages Basque and Spanish Area total % of Spain Ranked 14th 7 234 km² 1,4% Population Total (2003) % of Spain Density Ranked 7th 2 108 281 5,0% 291,44/km² Dem, GaliciaComunidade Autonoma de Galicia Capital Santiago de Compostela Official languages Galician and Castilian Area total % of Spain Ranked 7th 29 574 km² 5,8% Population Total (2003) % of Spain Density Ranked 5th 2 737 370 6,5% 92,36/km² Demonym English Galicia and others which have been historically culturally distinct.
• GermanThe Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland is one of the world's leading industrialized countries, located in the middle of the European Union. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark and the Baltic Sea, to the east LänderGermany is a federation of 16 provinces (or states) called Lander (singular Land or officially Bundeslander (singular Bundesland German federal state . Each Land is represented at the federal level in the Bundesrat. The 16 Lander are: # Baden-Wurttemberg.
• The Västra Götaland Region, Skåne Region, and Gotland in Sweden have in a process of devolution been named as regions
• The Regions of Finland serve as forums of cooperation for the local authorities in Finland.

Note that some regions are located outside of continental europe. French ones are called départements d'outre mer or régions d'outre mer, when all are called in french: régions ultrapériphériques; but what is the english word for régions ultrapériphériques? Exemples:

• Azores ; Guadeloupe Islas Canarias

The current historical trend in Europe is for the devolution of power to the regions from the central authorities. Examples of this trend include the devolution process in Britain (the Scotland Act 1998, the Government of Wales Act 1998) and the current negotiations in France concerning increased autonomy for Corsica.

The politics of the regionalism have also had their impact on the pan-European level. The regions of Europe have lobbied for an increased say in EU affairs, especially the German Länder. This has resulted in the creation by the Maastricht treaty of the Committee of the Regions, and provision for member states to be represented in the Council by ministers from their regional governments. The desire of the German Länder however has been frustrated by other member states, which are opposed to direct involvement by the regions in EU decision-making. The German Länder successfully lobbied the German government (which has in turn lobbied the European Council) for the 2004 IGC to deal with the division of powers between the EU, national and regional levels of government.

The Council of Europe also has a Congress of Local and Regional Authorities , similar to the EU's Committee of the Regions.