Ham radio regions: what the term can mean
“Region” is used in several ways in amateur radio, which causes confusion. It can refer to:
- the three ITU regions that divide the world for radio spectrum allocation,
- the matching IARU regions, which organize national amateur societies,
- ITU zones and CQ zones, finer divisions used for awards and contests, or
- regional groupings inside a single country, such as US call areas.
This article separates them. If you came here for the digits in US call signs, jump to the US call area map.
The three ITU regions
The ITU splits the world into three regions for the purpose of allocating radio frequencies:
- Region 1: Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and northern Asia including the former Soviet Union and Mongolia.
- Region 2: North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean, along with Greenland.
- Region 3: most of the rest of Asia and Oceania, including Australia and the Pacific.
The exact boundaries are defined in the ITU Radio Regulations, and a few areas, such as islands in the Pacific, are assigned in ways that are not obvious from a simple map. If you need to know where a specific place falls, check the official definition.
Why regions matter
Frequency allocations can differ between regions, so a band plan that applies in one place may not apply in another. A commonly cited example is the 40 meter band: in Region 2 the amateur allocation reaches 7.300 MHz, while in Regions 1 and 3 it ends at 7.200 MHz. Similarly, the 80/75 meter band reaches 4.000 MHz in Region 2 but ends at 3.800 MHz in Region 1. Always check your own country’s rules and current band plan before transmitting, because national regulations are what actually bind you.
Regions are also useful when you are reading band plans from other countries, since voluntary band plans from societies in one region may not match your own.
IARU regions
The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) mirrors the three ITU regions. Each IARU region has its own organization of member societies, for example IARU Region 1 for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. These organizations publish voluntary band plans and coordinate on things like beacon frequencies and emergency communications within their region.
ITU zones and CQ zones
There are two zone systems you will see in operating and awards:
- ITU zones: 75 zones defined by the ITU for amateur use.
- CQ zones: 40 zones defined by CQ magazine for the Worked All Zones award and many contests.
If you operate contests, the zone you are in often forms part of the exchange. Both systems are different from the ITU regions above, so “Region 2, ITU zone 6” and “CQ zone 3” can all describe the same station. Zone maps are published by organizations that run the awards, and it is best to use their current version.
Regions inside the United States
Within the US, the digits in call signs divide the country into ten call areas, numbered 0 to 9. The ARRL also organizes its members into divisions and sections, and the FCC has its own regional groupings for assigning call signs. These are separate from the ITU regions. In ITU terms, the whole of the United States sits within Region 2, apart from Pacific territories whose placement you should verify. For an explanation of how call areas are laid out, see the call area map article.
Which state has the most hams
The answer depends on how you count and which year you look at. Larger states tend to have more licensees, and California is often mentioned as the state with the most, but the number changes constantly. The FCC license database is the best source if you need a current figure.
The 3-3-3 rule question
People searching for ham radio regions sometimes ask about a “3-3-3 rule.” It is not a recognized rule in amateur radio regulations or band plans that I can point to. It is more commonly a survival rule of thumb or a local convention, so check where you heard it before relying on it.
Related reading
- Ham radio call sign prefixes list for reading the start of any call sign.
- Ham radio call signs by country for how ITU blocks map to nations.
- Azimuth map for ham radio to see how far and in which direction other regions lie from you.