These words refer to parts of geographical or demographically entities. Section can generally describe a part of a city or country or even some natural formation: the section of desert surrounding the oasis. In its demographic sense, it might suggest a homogeneous population: the Italian-speaking section of Melbourne. But when the geographic sense predominates, no such limitations are applicable: diverse ethnic groups in that section of the country. The term is not very precise in Australia and New Zealand, but in the United States it can specifically indicate a plot of land that is one mile square, containing 640 acres. In Australia and New Zealand, there is a special use of sections as a set distance over which tram or bus passengers are conveyed for a fixed fare: The bus run to my house is just over three sections . Area is the commonest of these words and suggests a larger, possibly less clearly defined subdivision of some entity: an area of the country that breaks naturally into two sections of opposing political attitudes; those areas of coastal waters infested by sharks; an area of the city where the wealthiest families live. The word can refer also to computed square units: deserts taking up one-third of the country’s total area .

Region indicates an even larger subdivision than area; it would not be used to refer to a section of a city, for example, but would most often suggest a considerable stretch of territory with some unifying principle that distinguishes it from the surrounding territory: the main wine-growing regions of Australia; New Zealand’s best dairy-farming region .

The remaining words stress the pinpointing aspect of section, suggesting even more clear-cut or smaller subdivisions. Quarter refers specifically to a section of a city that has a noticeable homogeneity or its own identifying flavour: the Chinese quarter ; the bohemian quarter . Neighbourhood can indicate most concretely a residential grouping in towns or cities: a friendly neighbourhood . Its implication of communal peaceableness need not be present: a run-down and poorly lit neighbourhood . The word can be used also to indicate something that is merely near by or adjacent: in the neighbourhood of a shopping centre.

Locality and locale can refer to any pinpointed environment: a locality in which fresh water was plentiful. More concretely, locale can refer to the exact place of an occurrence or event: unable to fix the locale where the scuffle took place. It can refer as well to the scene or setting of a work of art: The locale of the play was an unnamed university; paintings that had Rotorua as their locale .