Microregion

A microregion is a small geographic unit used mainly for planning and statistical analysis. It typically encompasses a cluster of neighboring municipalities that share functional links in terms of employment, commerce, infrastructure, or service provision. The concept focuses on the interdependencies between urban centers and their surrounding areas, capturing patterns of daily activity that cross administrative borders.

Microregions are usually not formal political jurisdictions. Their boundaries are defined by statistical agencies or planning authorities and can vary by country or program. Common criteria for delineation include commuting patterns, market areas for goods and services, transportation networks, and levels of economic integration, as well as population thresholds and land-use characteristics. The result is a unit that aims to reflect real-world interdependencies rather than purely geographic proximity.

Brazil provides a widely cited example of microregions, as defined by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). In Brazil, municipalities are grouped into microregions within larger mesoregions to facilitate regional statistics, planning, and the allocation of resources. The arrangement helps analyze regional disparities and plan public services, though it does not confer independent political authority on the microregions themselves.

Definitions and usage of microregions differ internationally. Some countries use the term primarily for statistical classification, while others have formal planning frameworks that recognize microregions as functional areas. The term is often used alongside related concepts such as mesoregions, macroregions, and metropolitan areas to describe nested levels of regional organization.

See also mesoregion, macroregion, metropolitan area, regional planning.