In Areal Differentiation(AD), we give importance to the study of regions in

geography. The region should be studied in geography, it was emphasized in Areal

differentiation (AD). In regional synthesis, importance is given to the "process of
studying the region", which describes how the region should be studied.

In one line:

Regional Synthesis =study(spatial, temporal, human)

In regional synthesis, dividing the geographic components, concepts, and processes

related to a geographic event or geographic region into separate parts, comparing it
to a geological time scale [present, 100 years ago, 1000 years ago, millions of years
ago] and emphasis is placed on the study by synthesizing of related concepts,
components, and processes; This type of study in geography comes under regional
synthesis.
For example,
From a regional synthesis point of view, the geographical study of volcanic activity
includes,
 the spatial distribution of current volcanic activity, as well as how volcanic activities
occur on geographic time scales (present, 100 years ago, 1000 years ago, millions of years).
 It also emphasizes the study of how volcanic activity affects and how it affects other
geological phenomena.

The geographical study of the Himalayan region from the point of view of regional
synthesis includes the following:
 To identify the various components of the natural and cultural landscape of the
Himalayan region.
 Geographical distribution of events.
 Comparing all events on a geological time scale.
 synthesizing all related components

In this type of geographical study, the emphasis is on regional synthesis.

The following diagram explains the summary of regional synthesis:

 Regional Synthesis

An American Geographer, J. L Berry explained the regional synthesis through the

geographical matrix.
As per Berry, geographical region or phenomenon should be studied from three
perspectives:
 Spatial point of view
 Temporal point of view
 The human point of view

In Geographical Matrix, there are three dimensions:

 1st dimension[ rows] represents attributes.

 2nd dimension [Columns] represents locations.
 3rd dimension represents Time.

In the matrix, each cell has a geographical fact.

The following diagram shows the basic features of the Berry geographical matrix of the Delhi
NCR Region (in this matrix we considered Mathura location as part of the Delhi NCR region).
 Berry's Regional Synthesis

As per Berry's geographical matrix, there are ten approaches to doing regional analysis for a
particular region, and the same are listed below:

 By comparing two cells within a row, we get the spatial variation of geographic features. In the
above geographic matrix, the first geographic feature is temperature. The temperature of New Delhi is X1
while the temperature of Old Delhi is Y1.
 Within the same column, different cells show localized geographic features. In the above
geographic matrix, the New Delhi localized regional analysis variables are temperature, rainfall, and
humidity.
 The spatial variation can be studied by comparing the two lines.
 Regional differentiation can be studied by comparing two columns.
 Study of sub-matrix.
 By comparing a row over time, we get to know the spatial variation of that place. Example
Comparing the present temperature of New Delhi with the temperature of 100 years ago will give us an
idea of how the temperature of New Delhi is changing over time.
 We can get the sequence occupancy of a particular location by comparing the same column over
time.
 Comparing a row with another row in the time dimension
 Comparing a column with other columns in the time dimension.
 Comparing and studying sub-matrices in the time dimension

What is the importance of regional synthesis at present?

 The rise of global temperature or climate change is not a sudden phenomenon and it is
not uniform worldwide. By using regional synthesis one can easily get a trend of temperature rise
region-wise over time.
 It helps to study of sequence occupancy of the region.
 Regional synthesis helps to analyze regional inequality within and with another region by
comparing economic variables and also tells us what the state of regional inequality was over
time.