States & Regions

Aug 21

2 min read

States, provinces, territories and regions divide countries for government, statistics or planning. These units can be useful for finding laws and services, but the same label may mean different things in different countries.

High-altitude aerial view of a capital city transitioning through leafy suburbs and patchwork farmland to winding rivers, reservoirs and forested mountain ranges under clear natural daylight. — A broad aerial view connecting a capital city with surrounding suburbs, farmland, river systems and forested mountain ranges, illustrating the environmental diversity that can exist within a single administrative region.

What This Index Covers

This index covers first-order and selected lower-order administrative areas, official statistical regions and clearly identified planning regions. It records the classification used, parent country, current name and code, then connects each area with ecological and resource records. It keeps administrative, statistical, ecological and cultural regions separate.

Browse Resources

Browse the resource areas currently organised under this index. Links can be added as reviewed articles and records are published.

States, provinces and territories - Browse major administrative divisions under their parent country.

Official regions - Record statistical or planning regions only with their defining authority and purpose.

Boundary and name changes - Track current and former names, code updates and effective dates.

Environmental responsibilities - Link to the correct agencies, laws and management responsibilities.

Cross-border ecosystems - Follow catchments, habitats, species and pressures that extend beyond one jurisdiction.

Local scale - Continue to towns, cities, local government and site records where available.

Read First

Before using these resources for identification, growing, harvesting, conservation, community work or other practical decisions, read:

Political, Statistical and Ecological Boundaries Are Different

Administrative Boundaries and Codes Can Change

How to Check Current Laws and Local Authorities

Coverage and Evidence

There is no single worldwide hierarchy that gives every type of state or region the same meaning. Boundaries and codes can change, and some statistical areas are not legal jurisdictions. In Australia, the ASGS is designed for statistics and should not automatically be used as a legal boundary. Verify the current authority, purpose and effective date before using a regional record.

The Earth Resource Map and Learn library are being built progressively. Indexed means that a topic or resource can be connected to its identity, source and broad context; it does not mean that every claim has been verified or localised. Evidence is assessed claim by claim. Where information is missing, uncertain, restricted or location-dependent, that limitation should remain visible.

Last Reviewed

20 August 2026

This date records review of this index-page copy and its resource structure. Individual articles, records, laws, project details and evidence may have different publication and review dates.