Answer to Question 1
Answer: An example of a formal region would be New York State. It is the area over which the government of New York State has jurisdiction. An example of a functional region would the area that can receive a radio station signal. An example of a vernacular region could be those areas where people have an allegiance to a particular sports team.
Answer to Question 2
Answer: Geography examines the spatial distribution of physical and cultural phenomena on the landscape. It also investigates the patterns of those phenomena which form distinct regions, as well as the interrelationships among those regions.