ABSTRACT
Two basic organizational approaches characterize geography. In systematic, or topical, geography, study is focused on the phenomena rather than on area. In a regional study, the focus is upon a specific portion of the world; all physical, cultural, economic, or political factors that can help achieve an understanding of that region are studied. The seven regions represent a series of compromises and generalizations designed to communicate the rich variety of cultural landscapes within the state without overly fragmenting an understandable pattern. The seven regions include two sprawling metropolitan-oriented regions, the central corridor, the Highlands of the northwest, the Pinelands "empty areas," the southwestern agricultural area, and the unique environment of the seashore. The New York-Northeastern New Jersey Metropolitan region, or New York Metro for short, includes all of Hudson, Essex, and Union counties, lower Passaic County, the easternmost part of Somerset, and the northern half of Middlesex County.
