peripheryis an example of this type of regional approach, where there is never a
clear delineation identifying where the core begins/ends, and the periphery ends/
begins. The regional designation ofhinterlandis a similar concept.
Geographers frequently draw a distinction between an area and a region. The
latter term is more precise than the former. All regions are areas, but not all areas
are regions. An area may be simply a portion of space that lacks any cohesive
quality that differentiates it from thesurrounding space. A region, on the other
hand, is distinguished by a boundary of some sort, although the boundary may
not be apparent, or even be physically manifest. A region, unlike a simple area,
does hold certain unifying characteristics that contribute to a spatial uniqueness,
although it might be the case that just the presence of a legal boundary is all that
makes the region unique. A region that indicates a significant level of uniformity
across its extent is called aformal region. Such a region might be defined on the
basis of a physical characteristic that is present, or it could be identified by a cul-
tural trait or set of traits that predominant there. For example, a space exhibiting
a specific soil type that is different from surroundingsoilscould be identified
and bounded on amap, resulting in a formal soil region. In the study oflinguistic
geography, linguistic regions are mapped and analyzed based on a common lan-
guage that is spoken or understood there. Of course, it is rarely if ever the case that
a regional quality occurs across 100 percent of the region’s spatial dimension, and
thus those defining the region must set the criteria for uniformity, i.e., 90 percent
of the region are native speakers of French, etc. But some spaces are integrated280 Region
Terra Nullius
A legal principle often invoked during the era ofimperialismto justify the acquisition and
settlement of new land. In Latin “terra nullius” roughly translates to “unclaimed territory,”
and colonizing powers often employed the doctrine when discovering and settling overseas
lands from the 1500s to the 1800s. In the case of Australia, terra nullius was used to effec-
tively claim the entire continent for British settlement, because according to British legal stan-
dards, the local inhabitants had no official rights to ownership. In recent decades native
people in Australia have challenged existing ownership rights on the basis that the doctrine
of terra nullius was illegally or unfairly applied and deprived their ancestors of property rights.
The fundamental precepts of terra nullius were followed during the colonization of Africa and
North America. In the latter case the concept of “manifest destiny” and the Turner Thesis are
both intellectually rooted in the doctrine. Antarctica remains terra nullius according to
international law. Some countries have made claims to sections of the continent, but because
there is no permanent human habitation associated with these parcels, the land remains
“unclaimed,” and ownership is not officially recognized by most of the world’s countries.