Switzerland's small sizeits total area is about half that of Scotlandand its modest population give little indication of its international significance. Indebted countries must now deal with strict budgets and declining incomes while more financially stable countries are forcing taxpayers to help fund the financial rescue.The status of immigrants is also a source of tension and debate in Europe. Those highland areas include lands of abundant rainfallwhich supplies hydroelectricity and water to industrial citiesand provide summer pastures for cattle. The boundary continues to the Caspian Sea, the crest of the Caucasus Mountains (or, less commonly, the river Kura in the Caucasus), and on to the Black Sea. All in all, Europe enjoys a considerable and long-exploited resource base of soil, forest, sea, and minerals (notably coal), but its people are increasingly its principal resource. Geography of Europe Europe is traditionally defined as one of seven continents. A convenient division is made by a line linking the base of the peninsula of Jutland with the head of the Adriatic Sea. The proportion of people older than 65 will grow from 16 percent to 28 percent. 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. Looking for interesting facts about Austria? When it . The city of Milan is regarded as a major fashion capital, hosting an international fashion week twice a year. Europe has less precipitation in the east than in central and western Europe. Rocks of all geologic periods are exposed, and the operation of geologic forces during an immense succession of eras has contributed to the molding of the landscapes of mountain, plateau, and lowland and has bequeathed a variety of mineral reserves. National Geographic News: New Fault Found in EuropeMay 'Close Up' Adriatic Sea, National Geographic News: Volcanic Ash Stops Europe FlightsWhy Ash Is Dangerous, European Environment Agency: European Land Cover, National Geographic Education: Mapping EuropeLand Mammal Range. 4. Critics argue the move was racist.Future IssuesAn important predictor of Europes political and economic future is its efforts to minimize the effects of climate change.Europe is often seen as a world leader in environmentally friendly technologies and legislation. 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.Europe's main peninsulas are the Iberian, Italian, and Balkan, located in southern Europe, and the Scandinavian and Jutland, located in Northern Europe. To read all future answers to your comment, please bookmark this page. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. Many of Europe's fjords are located in Iceland and Scandinavia.North European PlainThe North European Plain extends from the southern United Kingdom east to Russia. As observed on Germany's physical map, the country's topography varies significantly from north to south. The northern plain contains the old geological continent of Baltica, and so may be regarded as the "main continent", while peripheral highlands and mountainous regions in south and west constitute fragments from various other geological continents. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Population Density188 people per square kilometer, Highest ElevationMount Elbrus, Russia (5,642 meters/18,510 feet), Most Renewable Electricity ProducedIceland (99.9%; hydropower, geothermal), Largest Urban AreaMoscow, Russia (16.2 million people), Largest WatershedVolga River (1.38 million square km/532,821 square miles). Volcanic rocks add to the diversity of those regions. Mount Olympus became the first national park in Greece. The relationship between the United States, with a free-market economy, and the Soviet Union, with a communist economy, was known as the Cold War.The Iron Curtain represents Europes political geography during the Cold War. Europes largest islands and archipelagoes include Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land, Svalbard, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, the British Isles, the Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Crete, and Cyprus. The well-watered plateaus give rise to many rivers and are well adapted to pastoral farming. The Iron Curtain was an ideological boundary that divided Europe into two blocsWestern countries influenced by the United States, and Eastern countries influenced by the Soviet Union. Trade relations beyond its frontiers also drew the remoter regions into its sphere. Economically, Russia and former Soviet states are not part of what we think of as Europe these days, because they are not part of the European Union. Turku officials hope to inspire other European countries to undertake similar projects.Europe also strengthens ties between its diverse peoples and cultures by supporting multilingual education. Europe is the second-smallest continent. Ethnic Groups / People of Europe are at 87. For discussion of individual countries of the continent, see specific articles by namee.g., Italy, Poland, and United Kingdom. They are very detailed and are often produced on large sheets of paper. Roma are a people and culture native to central and eastern Europe. Europe is home to the birthplace of democracy and Western culture in the ancient civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. A fjord is a long and narrow inlet of the sea that is surrounded by high, rugged cliffs. Germany's location at the heart of Europe has shaped its history both for good and bad. These features typically include natural formations such as mountains, rivers, lakes, and valleys. 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. Some critics argue these attitudes are xenophobic. Moose, bear, and elk (Cervus canadensis) are native to the European taiga.Just south of the taiga is a mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees, including beech, ash, poplar, and willow. Topographic maps show a wide range of human and physical features of the Earth. Omissions? 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. Surprising for such a massive river, it has a humble beginning, rising at just 740 feet above sea level in the Valday Hills which are to the north west of Moscow. Sometimes considered a transcontinental country, it is located at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, [2] and is today generally regarded as part of Europe. Certain countries and regions have even developed an identity or branding focused on specific products and exports.Scandinavian design, for instance, is primarily focused on fashion and home wares. [citation needed] These two halves are separated by the mountain chains of the Pyrenees and the Alps/Carpathians. Topography is the study of the Earth's surface. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south (west to east) by the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Kuma-Manych Depression, and the Caspian Sea. The forests and grasslands of Western and Central Europe have been almost completely domesticated, with crops and livestock dominant.Finally, small, drought-resistant plants border the Mediterranean Sea, Europe's southern edge. It is one of the biggest glaciers in the world, covering almost 9,000 sq km (3,500 square miles). Europe has a diversity of terrains, physical features, and climates. [further explanation needed], The longest rivers in Europe, directly flowing into the World Ocean or Endorheic basins, with their approximate lengths:[4][5]. The language survives in Switzerland because of the remote location of its native speakers.Contemporary CulturesEuropes rich and diverse cultural heritage continues to flourish today. Mountain ranges, such as the Alps and the Carpathian mountains, have a highland climate with large variations according to altitude and latitude. A peninsula is a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides. Author of. Ancient Greeks believed it was the home of the gods. That civilization is distinguished from the rest of Europe by legacies of a medieval Mongol-Tatar domination that precluded the sharing of many of the innovations and developments of European Western civilization; it became further distinctive during the relative isolation of the Soviet period. The EU accepts few candidates: member states must maintain a stable, democratic form of government, a free-market economy, and commitment to the rule of law.The rapid growth of the European Union, however, has caused a number of administrative and political tensions. Europe's shape is in a constant change: The Mediterranean basin is shrinking, the Alps are rising and pushing North, and Scandinavia is still rebounding after having been crushed by the weight of a thick and huge ice sheet in the ice ages. Many of the most socially and economically powerful elements of these societies will be led by immigrants.Developing countries, such as those in eastern and southern Europe, are expected to bear the worst of the depopulation trend. The southeast boundary with Asia is not universally defined, but the modern definition is generally the Ural River or, less commonly, the Emba River. All rights reserved. About a quarter of marine mammals are threatened.Today, around 15 percent of Europe's animal species are threatened or endangered, mainly by habitat loss, pollution, overexploitation, and competition from invasive species. Europe has a long history of human development and is considered the birthplace of Western Civilization. It is home to many navigable rivers, including the Rhine, Weser, Elbe, Oder, and Vistula. [2] A prehistoric perspective would include Britain and Ireland as the core of a further very significant European peninsula prior to the post-glacial rise in sea-levels.[3]. 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. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The biggest is Lake Ladoga, which covers just under 7,000 square miles and sits close to St. Petersburg. When it comes to geographical facts about Europe, and in particular the mountains, most people will assume that the names at the top of the list will be the famous Mont Blanc or the Matterhorn. This article treats the physical and human geography of Europe. It is the continent's second largest island (after Great Britain). Bitte aktivieren Sie JavaScript. The coasts of the northwestern highlandsand in particular the fjords of Norwayinvite maritime enterprise. This idea of citizenshipof being connected to and having a voice in your communitybecame the basic building block of democracy. Ireland: geography and landscape. Europe's northernmost point is the Svalbard archipelago of Norway, and it reaches as far south as the islands of Greece and Malta.Europe is sometimes described as a peninsula of peninsulas. The word democracy has Greek roots: demos-, meaning people, and -kratos, meaning power. Prominent Greek philosophers, such as Socrates and Plato, discussed democratic ideals in their writings. These events had a devastating effect on Denmarks reputation as a progressive and welcoming country. With its central European location but geographic remoteness, the Alps region developed into a unique crossroads for Europes dominant languages, and a refuge for its archaic languages. The major peninsula of Scandinavia is mostly upland and highland, with its relief greatest at the descent to the Norwegian fjords and the sea; eastward and southward the seas are approached more gently. Today much of topography is focused on creating 3D representations of the Earth's surface. Greater relief is found in those areas in the heart of western and central Europe where uplifted and faulted massifs survive from the Hercynian orogeny, a late Paleozoic period of mountain formation. Europe Facts | Religion: Most of the European people are Christians (76%) and there are smaller numbers of Muslims (6%) and Jews and other beliefs. Of the top 10 largest lakes in Europe, 6 are in Russia, although 1 partly sits in Estonia. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. Check out this amazing list of Austria facts that include history, food, culture, and more. The Volga River in Russia is Europe's longest river. Only North Korea has such high literacy rates as Ukraine. Population Density188 people per square kilometer, Highest ElevationMount Elbrus, Russia (5,642 meters/18,510 feet), Most Renewable Electricity ProducedIceland (99.9%; hydropower, geothermal), Largest Urban AreaMoscow, Russia (16.2 million people), Largest WatershedVolga River (1.38 million square km/532,821 square miles). 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. The Louvre is the most visited attraction in Europe The European Union has established the Schengen Areaa zone where Europeans can travel from country to country without having to show their passports. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. The northern plains are delimited in the west by the Scandinavian mountains and the mountainous parts of the British Isles. It was a barbarian worldthat is, a non-Greek one, with its inhabitants making bar-bar noises in unintelligible tongues. The worn-down Ural Mountains also belong in that category, and their highest point, Mount Narodnaya (6,217 feet [1,895 metres]), corresponds approximately to that of the Massif Central in south-central France. Europe's highest peak, Mount Elbrus at 5,642 meters (18,510 feet), is in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia. A convenient division is made by a line linking the base of the peninsula of Jutland with the head of the Adriatic Sea. More than 200 languages are spoken in Europe. La Boule measures 7.5 miles and is served by a lovely and ancient seaside town where many of the French elite have holiday homes. The continent also comprises numerous islands, somenotably the Faroes and Icelandlocated at a distance from the mainland. Traders and travelers also reported that the Europe beyond Greece possessed distinctive physical units, with mountain systems and lowland river basins much larger than those familiar to inhabitants of the Mediterranean region. Steppe plains cover the north of Kazakhstan. Indented by numerous bays, fjords, and seas, continental Europes highly irregular coastline is about 24,000 miles (38,000 km) long. This description is simplified. The consensus is, however, that the largest glacier in Europe is the Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland. Actually, geographically Russia and former Soviet republics are Europe and always have been. 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. Today, this cultural wealth is used to solidify the European Community and is exported to the rest of the world as one of the continents greatest global assets.Historic CulturesIndigenous cultures shaped, and were shaped by, the varied geography of Europe. Ireland is an island nation on the westernmost edge of Europe. To contact our editors please use our contact form. In 2000 the population was 857 million, using a definition which includes the whole of the transcontinental countries of Russia and Turkey. Topography Facts - Earth Science. 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. 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. That broad territory reveals no simple unity of geologic structure, landform, relief, or climate. Fast Facts: France Official Name: French Republic Capital: Paris Population: 67,364,357 (2018) Note: This figure is for metropolitan France and five overseas regions; the metropolitan France population is 62,814,233 The city is home to the headquarters of luxury brands such as Valentino, Gucci, Versace, and Prada. Europe has a long history of human development and is considered the birthplace of Western Civilization. Furthermore, the Mediterranean coastlands of North Africa and southwestern Asia also exhibit some European physical and cultural affinities. Gouffre Mirolda is the 3rd deepest cave in the world after Krubera Cave and Illyuzia-Mezhonnogo-Snezhnaya Cave, both in Georgia (former Soviet Republic). Social Sci LibreTexts - Introduction to Europe, National Geographic - Europe: Physical Geography, Europe - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Europe - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), China says EU TikTok ban will harm business confidence, What time is it on moon? MLS # 1863863 1. The Anatolian peninsula is the westernmost point of Asia, divided from Europe by the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. The topography of the country is divided very clearly between the hilly Oesling of the . It happens to be the longest river in Europe and covers 3,692 km/ 2,295 miles long. It includes parts of France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Poland, the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), and Belarus.Most of the Great European Plain lies below 152 meters (500 feet) in elevation. 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. 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