ABSTRACT
The use of the regional method to describe a country implies that the region is regarded as a formal unit, but the description of regions in their own right is not limited in this way and it is possible to recognise functional regions. The formal region has been regarded, up to this point, as a homogeneous unit, but even this requires some qualification. The grouping of small homogeneous regions such as a limestone plateau and a clay vale into formal regions such as the scarp lands reduces one of the major problems of regional geography—where to draw the boundaries; and leads to the idea of functional regions. The functional region puts the emphasis on Man's economic activities and in particular this will involve a study of how different areas work together to produce such end products as food, clothes, houses and luxuries.
