Area or Zona?

Question

te gustará saber que en España existe una extensa área en el centro del país
 
To me 'extensa zona' sounds better but what is the difference?
Gracias

Silvia Píriz · Accepted Answer

Hola David L.
Both área and zona can refer to a region or part of a country, but they carry slightly different nuances.
In this sentence, una extensa área en el centro del país emphasizes a large geographical expanse, which is why área works well. Zona often refers to a more specifically defined or delimited region (for example, zona industrial, zona turística, zona residencial).
That said, una extensa zona en el centro del país would also be grammatically correct and would sound natural to many native speakers. The choice here is mainly stylistic rather than a strict rule.
Hasta pronto
Silvia