Chunk

A chunk

A Chunk is a file which contains Block data. When loaded, they form 16x16x256 sections of the world. They stretch from the build limit to the Void, and contain naturally generated blocks such as Dirt, Sand, Stone, Ores, Bedrock, etc. 

Trivia

• When chunks are out-of-range-- like when walking away from the Player's base --vegetation stops growing, and certain blocks at a certain range will look completely invisible (i.e. Iron Bars, Glass, etc.)
• Each chunk does not naturally contain every type of block, though the Player can place them.
• The Player can set a distance on how many chunks to load in-game via Render Distance in Options.
  • The more chunks that are loaded, the slower Minecraft gets.
  • It is recommended on older devices to reduce the distance the chunks load in the Nether to avoid lag and/or game crashes.
• Chunks may sometimes either turn into Flat land or completely disappear due to glitches when updating from a very old version. When converting worlds from Old to Infinite, chunks are likely to be generated incorrectly.