Hi, Mark Lewis!   
   I read your message from 11.06.2016 19:30   
      
    AI>>> I would say "I live in the Moscow area". Region os OK too, I just   
    AI>>> prefer area.. :)   
      
    ak>> If you put it in a newspaper title you would omit "the". Because   
    ml> it is   
    ak>> all clear without "the"?  ;)   
      
    ml> no... "the" is needed for the sentence to make sense and not be "broken   
    ml> english"... perhaps this will help, though...   
      
    ml>    http://www.dictionary.com/browse/the   
      
      
   Which rule number is related to "the Moscow region/area"?   
      
   When we say "The witness from Connecticut refused to testify" we don't put   
   "the" before "Connecticut" because it is a unique place. As unique, as "Moscow   
   region". ;)   
      
   It is like "Shelock Holmes lived in Baker street." Baker street -- no article.   
   Regions names in Russia are similar to street names or the US' states where we   
   also don't put article "the".   
      
   Here there some rule I found:   
   -----Beginning of the citation-----   
   THE USE OF ARTICLES WITH PROPER NOUNS   
      
   Do's   
   geographical areas (the South, the Middle East, the Far West)   
   names of seas, oceans and rivers (the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, the Hudson)   
   gulfs, peninsulas, forests, and deserts ( the Persian Gulf, the Valdez   
   Peninsula, the Black Forest, the Sahara)   
   points on the globe (the Capricorn, the South Pole)   
      
   Don'ts   
   names of continents (America, Africa)   
   names of states, towns or cities (Illinois, Edison, Philadelphia)   
   names of streets (Main St., Astoria Blvd., Jewel Ave.)   
   names of islands (Fire Island) but: the Hebrides, the Faroe Islands (island   
   chains)   
   names of mountains (Mount Sinai, Mount Fuji) but: the Andes or the Alps   
   (ranges of mountains)   
   names of lakes and bays (Lake Ontario, San Francisco Bay) but: the Great Lakes   
   (a group of lakes)   
   ----- The end of the citation -----   
      
   Bye, Mark!   
   Alexander Koryagin   
   ENGLISH_TUTOR 2016   
      
   --- Paul's Win98SE VirtualBox   
    * Origin: Quinn's Post - Maryborough, Queensland, OZ (3:640/384)