In 1397, Denmark's Queen Margaret created the Kalmar Union, which included Sweden, Finland, Norway . By the end of the war, the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires collapsed and broke into a dozen separate nations. The Volga River in Russia is Europe's longest river. This map shows the physical features of Europe, surrounding lands, and offshore areas. These revolutions eventually lead to the end of the Cold War, symbolized by the falling of the Berlin Wall in 1989.Contemporary IssuesEurope is now broadly defined in the context of the European Union (EU), an economic and political body officially created by the Maastricht Treaty in 1993. Przemek. [further explanation needed], The longest rivers in Europe, directly flowing into the World Ocean or Endorheic basins, with their approximate lengths:[4][5]. In this case, the region of Western Europe includes the regions of northern Europe, southern Europe, Central Europe, and the British Isles. Holland is a nation of cyclists. The program highlights Europes rich cultural diversity, celebrates its cultural ties, and brings people of different European backgrounds together. The ultimate fate of the European Space Agency's JUICE mission could drastically change should it succeed in discovering that Ganymede's ocean is both potentially habitable and accessible. The southeast boundary with Asia is not universally defined, but the modern definition is generally the Ural River or, less commonly, the Emba River. Other political institutions of Rome persist throughout Europe and former European colonies. They created clothing and tents out of reindeer hides, sewing together the cloth with twine made from the animals tendons.Keeping track of herds and individual animals became increasingly important in Sami life. In fact, the most famous symbol of the Iron Curtain was the Berlin Wall, which divided the East German city of Berlin into western and eastern-controlled parts.The economic and political demise of the Soviet Union led to the end of the Iron Curtain in the late 1980s. These camps were mostly populated by Roma, also called Gypsies. Europe has less precipitation in the east than in central and western Europe. The European Union has 23 official languages, and the continent has more than 60 indigenous languages. It is the continent's second largest island (after Great Britain). Latin, the language of Rome, evolved into French in the western region, and Italian in the south. The other landlocked countries are "standalone" landlocked, not bordering any other such European one (the emphasis is necessary, since Kazakhstan borders Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, thus forming a vast landlocked expanse in Central Asia). Southward of the limits of the northern glacial ice are vales and hills, with the Paris and London basins typical examples. The lowest terrain in Europe, virtually lacking relief, stands at the head of the Caspian Sea; there the Caspian Depression reaches some 95 feet (29 metres) below sea level. The city of Milan is regarded as a major fashion capital, hosting an international fashion week twice a year. Grades 6 - 12+ Subjects Arts and Music, Economics, Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, World History Photograph Europe Europe is the western peninsula of the giant "supercontinent" of Eurasia. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Around 10% of the world's population lives in Europe. The Balkan peninsula is separated from Asia by the Black and Aegean Seas. Flag. Europe Facts | Religion: Most of the European people are Christians (76%) and there are smaller numbers of Muslims (6%) and Jews and other beliefs. Ancient Greeks also believed reigning gods imprisoned lesser gods underneath the volcanoes. Flora & FaunaMuch like its physical regions, Europe's plant and animal communities follow a general north-south orientation. They are very detailed and are often produced on large sheets of paper. Note: Italy's capital, Rome, is the country's largest city if only the municipality (comune) is considered. Europe is the second-smallest continent, but the third-largest in population. The temperature difference between summer and winter gradually increases from coastal northwest Europe to southeast inland Europe, ranging from Ireland, with a temperature difference of only 10C from the warmest to the coldest month, to the area north of the Caspian Sea, with a temperature difference of 40C. The financial and diplomatic success of the EU has led to its rapid growth across the continent.The euro is one of the strongest currencies in the world. Nearly 100% of Ukraine's adult population is literate. The climate supports a wide variety of seasonal crops. It even includes roads! For the political geography of Europe, see, Countries consisting solely of islands or parts of islands, Countries bordering or spanning another continent, Countries whose capital is not the most populous, List of countries by the number of other countries they border, Last edited on 19 February 2023, at 19:57, List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe, List of European tornadoes and tornado outbreaks, List of the highest European ultra-prominent peaks, Special member state territories and the European Union, Language facts European day of languages, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Europe&oldid=1140367331, Lower Danubian Plain, between Balkan Mountains and, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 19:57. It was a barbarian worldthat is, a non-Greek one, with its inhabitants making bar-bar noises in unintelligible tongues. In spite of its internal diversity, Europe has thus functioned, from the time it first emerged in the human consciousness, as a world apart, concentratingto borrow a phrase from Christopher Marloweinfinite riches in a little room.. Physical features, weather-related phenomena, and local resources had a deep impact on how historic European cultures prospered, interacted, and believed their world worked.The geography and climate of the Mediterranean region, for example, directly influenced Greek mythology. Bitte aktivieren Sie JavaScript. There are also central highlands and deserts features in the south. The consensus is, however, that the largest glacier in Europe is the Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland. The Netherlands is a country located in Northwestern Europe. There are more bicycles than people in the country (22.3 million bicycles and 17 million people). The greater part of Europe, however, combines low elevation with low relief. City-states were unique in that they were governed not by a hereditary ruler, but by a political body that represented its citizens. To contact our editors please use our contact form. Population growth is comparatively slow, and median age comparatively high in relation to the world's other continents. The link between these peninsulas has made Europe a dominant economic, social, and cultural force throughout recorded history.Europes physical geography, environment and resources, and human geography can be considered separately.Today, Europe is home to the citizens of Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland), and Vatican City.Cultural GeographyEurope has a long history of human development and is considered the birthplace of Western Civilization. Can you think of anything notable you think I should have included? Only hill masses less than 800 feet (240 metres) in height rise gently within the Russian (East European) Plain, which continues northward into Finland, westward into the North European Plain, and southward in the Romanian, Bulgarian, and Hungarian plains. Some geographical texts refer to a Eurasian continent given that Europe is not surrounded by sea and its southeastern border has always been variously defined for centuries. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Longest beach The longest beach in Ireland is a continuous 20km stretch of sand in County Wexford connecting Cahore Point to The Raven Point. The five most spoken native languages in Europe are Russian, German, French English, Turkish and Italian. Strict EU regulations place a heavy burden on developing countries to compete with their more developed neighbors.The global financial crisis, which began around 2008, has caused these tensions to elevate dramatically. China says a ban on the use of TikTok by official European Union institutions will harm business confidence in Europe, With more lunar missions than ever on the horizon, the European Space Agency wants to give the moon its own time zone, The death toll has risen to at least 63 in the migrant tragedy off Italys southern coast after rescue crews recovered several more bodies, Shares have opened lower in Europe after a mixed session in Asia following a reprieve on Wall Street from recent selling pressure driven by worries over inflation and interest rates, Spain is building on its reputation in renewable energy to position itself as Europes future leader in green hydrogen. Topography is the study of the Earth's surface. The nation of Germany was divided in two. A contrast exists between the configuration of peninsular, or western, Europe and that of eastern Europe, which is a much larger and more continental area. Among the struggling economies that may suffer from carbon emission limits are Romania, Bulgaria, and Moldova.Thus, it seems that Europes historic disparities between north and south, west and east, will continue to widen in the future. As to the territorial limits of Europe, they may seem relatively clear on its seaward flanks, but many island groups far to the north and westSvalbard, the Faroes, Iceland, and the Madeira and Canary islandsare considered European, while Greenland (though tied politically to Denmark) is conventionally allocated to North America. Europe has a long history of human development and is considered the birthplace of Western Civilization. From the Greek perspective then, Europa was culturally backward and scantily settled. Still another scheme with many adherents locates the continental boundary along the Aras River and the Turkish border, thereby putting Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in Europe. (South of Northern Ireland is the separate country of Ireland, which gained its independence from the U.K. in 1937.) If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. Veuillez activer JavaScript. Reindeer herding is still an important aspect of Sami culture, which continues to thrive in northern Scandinavia and Russias Kola Peninsula.Distinct physical features had a lasting impact on how European cultures communicated with each other. The Grand Canal, Venice, Italy. These countries included Greece, Ireland, Spain, and Portugal. East of the Vistula River, Europes expansive lowlands have something of the scale and character of those of northern Asia. 12. All rights reserved. The Mediterranean Sea to the south separates Europe from Africa. Examples of such physiographic features can be found in the Southern Uplands of Scotland, the Massif Central of France, the Meseta Central of Spain, and the Bohemian Massif. The Iron Curtain took on the physical shape of border defenses, walls, and limited diplomacy. Brussels is considered to be the largest city of Belgium, according to the population of the Brussels-Capital Region. Greeces many earthquakes, and the tsunamis they caused, were connected to the sea god Poseidon, known as the Earth Shaker. Cults and temples centered on Poseidon were built throughout the Aegean and Mediterranean seas as a means of appeasing the god.As maritime trade and exploration developed in the region, winds and currents connected to Poseidon became important in Greek mythology. The goals of the program are local, regional, and global. The highest peaks in those ranges are Mount Corno (9,554 feet [2,912 metres]) in the Abruzzi Apennines, Bobotov Kuk (8,274 feet [2,522 metres]) in the Dinaric Alps, Mount Botev (7,795 feet [2,376 metres]) in the Balkan Mountains, Gerlachovsk Peak (Gerlach; 8,711 feet [2,655 metres]) in the Western Carpathians, and Mount Moldoveanu (8,346 feet [2,544 metres]) in the Transylvanian Alps. 2. Please enable JavaScript. Omissions? It has been somewhat problematical to pin down the biggest glacier in Europe because biggest is open to interpretation of length, depth and width, plus they can change quite dramatically in a short space of time. Europe is sometimes called a "peninsula of peninsulas", to draw attention to the fact that Europe is a relatively small, elongated appendage to Asia, and that a large part of Europe is made up of peninsulas. Regional climatic contrasts nevertheless exist: oceanic, Mediterranean, and continental types occur widely, as do gradations from one to the other. Switzerland's administrative capital is Bern, while Lausanne serves as its judicial centre. Fewer than a million people are fluent in Romansch. Superficial rock cover, elevation, drainage, and soil have sharply differentiated those lowlandswhich are of prime importance to human settlementinto areas of marsh or fen, clay vales, sand and gravel heaths, or river terraces and fertile plains. The highest elevations and the most rugged relief of the European continent are found farther south, where the structures of the Cenozoic orogeny (i.e., from the past 66 million years) provide mountain scenery. 21,946 km 2 (8,473 sq mi) Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region, on the coast of the Black Sea. Important highlands in this region include the Massif Central and the Vosges in France, the Ardennes of Belgium, the Black Forest and the Taunus in Germany, and the Ore and Sudeten in the Czech Republic. The northern plains are delimited in the west by the Scandinavian mountains and the mountainous parts of the British Isles. The empire of ancient Rome, at its greatest extent in the 2nd century ce, revealed, and imprinted its culture on, much of the face of the continent. These journeys varied in length, depending on the migration patterns of specific reindeer herds. Philosophers and politicians have used these writings to uphold and defend the democratic tradition ever since.Roman civilization had a major influence on Western concepts of law, government, and the military. Ireland is an island nation on the westernmost edge of Europe. Europe pushing for lunar time zone, Italy migrant tragedy death toll over 60; dozens missing, World shares mixed after slight gains on Wall Street, Sun, wind aplenty, Spain vies to lead EU in green hydrogen. The ancient, often mineral-laden rocks of the northwestern highlands, their contours softened by prolonged erosion and glaciation, are found throughout much of Iceland, in Ireland, and in northern and western Britain and Scandinavia. Of the top 10 largest lakes in Europe, 6 are in Russia, although 1 partly sits in Estonia. The Central Powers (led by the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Ottoman Empire) fell to the forces of the Allied Powers (led by the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire). The eastward limits now adopted by most geographers exclude the Caucasus region and encompass a small portion of Kazakhstan, where the European boundary formed by the northern Caspian coast is connected to that of the Urals by Kazakhstans Emba River and Mughalzhar (Mugodzhar) Hills, themselves a southern extension of the Urals. This linguistic diversity is present in the Alpine regions of many contemporary European countries today.Switzerland, for example, has four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansch. Europe is a peninsula of the Eurasian supercontinent and is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian seas to the south.Europes main peninsulas are the Iberian, Italian, and Balkan, located in southern Europe, and the Scandinavian and Jutland, located in northern Europe. Milan is also home to important European fashion magazines, such as Grazia, Vogue Italia, and Vera.German automotive design has a global reputation for excellence and prestige. Any questions Raven Point in Europe are Russian, German, French,! Were unique in that they were governed not by a hereditary ruler, but third-largest... 10 largest lakes in Europe is the continent has more than 60 languages... 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