ABSTRACT
Derwent Whittlesey grouped the purposes of regional study under three headings, academic study for its own sake, practical study to help in planning, and prejudiced study to bring about some preconceived end. This is specifically an attempt to change the region to some ideal, and so the danger exists of ignoring or concealing facts which may be major obstacles, in the enthusiasm and fervour of bringing about this ideal. The purposes of academic study in group probably are impossible to achieve by one man in his lifetime, and if these were the common purposes of most regional geography, Kimble's criticism would be perfectly justified. In fact, the purposes in group are the ones commonly found in practice. The 'compage' has been adopted to refer to one particular aspect of regional geography, to one particular type of region which is already quite familiar and, most of all, to one particular method of working.
