The word 地带 is formed by combining two characters: 地 (dì), meaning "earth" or "land", and 带 (dài), meaning "belt" or "zone". It is a conceptual compound where the second character, 带, metaphorically extends its meaning from a physical strip or band to describe a defined geographical area. Thus, the two ideas merge to create a new concept meaning a "land belt" or "terrain zone", visually and functionally evoking a continuous stretch or region of land with particular characteristics.