A subregion is a part of a larger region or continent and is usually based on location. Cardinal directions, such as south are commonly used to define a subregion. United Nations subregions The Statistics Division of the United Nations (UN) is in charge of the collection, processing, and dissemination of statistical information for the UN. In 1999, it developed a system of macro-geographical (continental) regions, subregions, and other selected economic groups to report advances towards achieving numerous millennial development goals worldwide. These statistical divisions were devised for statistical purposes and is used for carrying out statistical analysis. The division's first publication was the book World's Women 2000: Trends and Statistics in 2000. According to the UN, the assignment of countries or areas to specific groupings is for statistical convenience and does not imply any assumption regarding political or other affiliation of countries or territories. Subregions by continent The following is a non-exhaustive list of subregions, arranged alphabetically by region (i.e., by continent); in the UN geoscheme, higher-level, macro-geographical regions are arranged to the extent possible according to continents. Afro-Eurasia Africa by the United Nations Statistics Division's geoscheme (see also: UN geoscheme for Africa): Northern Africa Eastern Africa Central or Middle Africa Southern Africa Western Africa by geography: North Africa (Also known as Saharan Africa) Maghreb (AKA Northwest Africa, also including Mauritania, which most geographers consider as a part of West Africa; some geographers consider Libya as a part of Northeast Africa and Western Sahara as a part of West Africa) Northeast Africa (including Egypt, the Horn of Africa, and the Sudans; some geographers consider Egypt, Libya, and the Sudan as Northeast Africa instead) Sub-Saharan Africa (AKA Tropical Africa) Central Africa (AKA Congo, Equatorial Africa or Middle Africa) East Africa (AKA Nile) Northeast Africa (including Egypt, the Horn of Africa, and the Sudans; some geographers consider Egypt, Libya, and the Sudan as Northeast Africa instead) Horn of Africa Southeast Africa (also including Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho, which most geographers consider as part of Southern Africa) Southern Africa (AKA Kalahari) West Africa (AKA Niger) Guinea (region) Sudan (region) by physiography: Congo Basin Kalahari Basin Kalahari Desert Namib Nile Basin Sahara Sahel Sudanian savanna East Sudanian savanna Sudd West Sudanian savanna by economics: African Monetary Union (AMU) Arab League (including some Western Asian countries) Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Common Monetary Area (CMA) Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN-SAD) Council of