Words for area/district/region: the actual difference between 地区、地帯、地域、地方 (and also 区域)?


地区 and 地方 have similar definitions, and 地帯 and 地域 are also defined similarly
(at least according to
[JMdict/EDICT](http://www.edrdg.org/jmdict/edict_doc.html):

>   1. 地区【ちく】 = district; section; sector
>   2. 地方【ちほう】= district; region; area; locality
>   3. 地帯【ちたい】= area; zone; belt (of land)
>   4. 地域【ちいき】 = area; region
>

Searching around for answers, I also found

>   5. 区域【くいき】 = limits; boundary; domain; zone; sphere; territory
>

The 類語例解辞典 dictionary [has an explanation of
sorts](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/thsrs/13827/m0u/) in Japanese, but I'm
not too confident in my Japanese skills.

What I have gathered so far:

>   * 区域 seems to be some very small area, like the premises of a factory, or
> a park.
>   * 地区 has something to do with residential areas, I think.
>   * 地方 is often used with the regions of Japan, like 「関東地方」、「東北地方」.
>

But I'm not sure if that's right, and I still don't quite understand the other
words, so I'd appreciate if someone could give an answer, at least explaining
the first four words.




If you ask about "actual" difference, the fact is that the major part of their
meanings are overlapping so you can't really find an example only one of them
is acceptable and others are not. Administrations might define these words as
they like.

However, according to my personal sense, the basic ideas are:

**地区** vs **地帯** vs **地域**

They are suitable for indicating continuous areas that surrounded by rigid
lines, belt-shaped, or have vague boundaries, respectively.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/J16wM.png)

**地方** : It's a word for regions which don't only have geographical continuity
but cultural, traditional solidarity, and at least as big as a county.

**区域** : It's artificial zoning that geographical characteristics may be
ignored. A good example is 避難区域 (evacuation zone) around Fukushima 1 power
plant, which was designated automatically by radius from the site.




If you ask about "actual" difference, the fact is that the major part of their
meanings are overlapping so you can't really find an example only one of them
is acceptable and others are not. Administrations might define these words as
they like.

However, according to my personal sense, the basic ideas are:

**地区** vs **地帯** vs **地域**

They are suitable for indicating continuous areas that surrounded by rigid
lines, belt-shaped, or have vague boundaries, respectively.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/J16wM.png)

**地方** : It's a word for regions which don't only have geographical continuity
but cultural, traditional solidarity, and at least as big as a county.

**区域** : It's artificial zoning that geographical characteristics may be
ignored. A good example is 避難区域 (evacuation zone) around Fukushima 1 power
plant, which was designated automatically by radius from the site.

