Editor of, Professor of Geography, Birkbeck College, University of London, 194770. Around 10% of the world's population lives in Europe. Not only is Mount Etna the highest volcanic peak in Europe but it is still active. At its largest, Rome controlled approximately 6.5 million square kilometers (2.5 million square miles) of land.The Roman approach to conquering and controlling territory is often considered to be the basis of Western imperialism. Updates? Furthermore, the Mediterranean coastlands of North Africa and southwestern Asia also exhibit some European physical and cultural affinities. Longest beach The longest beach in Ireland is a continuous 20km stretch of sand in County Wexford connecting Cahore Point to The Raven Point. Some critics argue these attitudes are xenophobic. 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. 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. 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 program has provided a lasting economic boost to cities and regions, raised their international profiles, and enhanced their images in the eyes of their own inhabitants.Each year, two or three cities are chosen to produce a year-long program of cultural events. Author of, Emeritus Professor of Geography, Portland State University, Oregon. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. Ireland: geography and landscape. Europe has a long history of human development and is considered the birthplace of Western Civilization. The Anatolian peninsula is the westernmost point of Asia, divided from Europe by the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. 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. 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. Arts and Music, Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, Economics, World History. 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. 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. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. Mount Olympus became the first national park in Greece. International economic and military organizations developed on either side of the Iron Curtain. Physiographically, it is the northwestern peninsula of the larger landmass known as Eurasia (or the larger Afro-Eurasia ); Asia occupies the centre and east of this continuous landmass. As a conceptual construct, Europa, as the more learned of the ancient Greeks first conceived it, stood in sharp contrast to both Asia and Libya, the name then applied to the known northern part of Africa. 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. By supporting this policy, the European Union hopes it will strengthen social, educational, professional, and economic ties in Europe and make the continent more competitive in global markets.Europes cultural products also help unify the region. 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. Iceland, having area of 103 000 km, is larger than Ireland (84 406 km). The climate supports a wide variety of seasonal crops. 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 also supports high densities of population, concentrated in urban-industrial regions. 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. Switzerland's administrative capital is Bern, while Lausanne serves as its judicial centre. A small troop of Barbary macaques lives on the tiny island of Gibraltar, between Spain and the African country of Morocco.The waters surrounding Europe are home to a number of organisms, including fish, seaweeds, marine mammals, and crustaceans. Manmade features such as roads, dams, and cities may also be included. Flourishing immigrant communities are bringing in new languages to the continent, including Arabic, Hindi, and Mandarin.A 2006 European study showed that 53 percent of respondents could speak a second language, while 28 percent could speak two foreign languages. 21,946 km 2 (8,473 sq mi) Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region, on the coast of the Black Sea. The population within the standard physical geographical boundaries was 701 million in 2005 according to the United Nations. This rescue package has caused tensions to rise between economically competitive countries and the indebted countries that they are helping to rescue. The volcanoes of Lemnos, an island in the Mediterranean, and Mount Etna, on the island of Sicily, were believed to be the forges of Hephaestus, the Greek god of fire. Those are coastal and interior lowlands, central uplands and plateaus, the northwestern highlands, and southern Europe. During this time, a number of anti-communist revolutions swept central and eastern Europe. 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. Only North Korea has such high literacy rates as Ukraine. The proportion of people older than 65 will grow from 16 percent to 28 percent. Most extensive between the Baltic and White seas in the north and the Black, Azov, and Caspian seas in the south, the lowland area narrows westward, lying to the south of the northwestern highlands; it is divided also by the English Channel and the mountains and plateaus of central Europe. The country is also home to a number of outstanding schools for automotive design, such as the Hochschule Esslingen and Hochschule Pforzheim.Political GeographyEuropes long history and economic progress have been shaped by its political geography. Population growth is comparatively slow, and median age comparatively high in relation to the world's other continents. 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. The Kimmel Falls are the tallest in Europe and also 5th in the list of the worlds highest waterfalls. The name Europe, or Europa, is believed to be of Greek origin, as it is the name of a princess in Greek mythology. Iceland and the British Isles are special cases. The Netherlands is a country located in Northwestern Europe. The northern plains are delimited in the west by the Scandinavian mountains and the mountainous parts of the British Isles. Europe's main peninsulas are the Iberian, Italian, and Balkan, located in southern Europe, and the Scandinavian and Jutland, located in Northern Europe. The continents eastern boundary (north to south) runs along the Ural Mountains and then roughly southwest along the Emba (Zhem) River, terminating at the northern Caspian coast. El "cambio climtico" abarca el calentamiento global, pero se refiere a la gama ms amplia de cambios que le estn ocurriendo a nuestro planeta. 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. Le site web de CORDIS ncessite lactivation de JavaScript pour fonctionner correctement. The creation of the European Economic Community in 1957 and the EU in 1993 greatly enhanced economic cooperation between many of the continents countries. Europe Europe, second smallest of the world's continents, composed of the westward-projecting peninsulas of Eurasia (the great landmass that it shares with Asia) and occupying nearly one-fifteenth of the world's total land area. Imperialism is a policy that has been used throughout history, most notably by European powers and the United States. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. In this case, the region of Western Europe includes the regions of northern Europe, southern Europe, Central Europe, and the British Isles. Europe is traditionally defined as one of seven continents. The western part of the continent clearly has a high proportion of coastline with good maritime access and often with . Geography of Europe Europe is traditionally defined as one of seven continents. Yet it was not until the 19th and 20th centuries that modern science was able to draw with some precision the geologic and geographic lineaments of the European continent, the peoples of which had meanwhile achieved domination overand set in motion vast countervailing movements amongthe inhabitants of much of the rest of the globe (see Western colonialism). Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, and North Macedonia constitute a contiguous landlocked agglomeration of eight countries in Central Europe and the Balkans, stretching from Geneva all the way to Skopje. This program must not only highlight the citys unique cultural heritage, but also feature new events that unite a range of cultural practices from across Europe. From there it flows to the Caspian Sea. On February 17, 2008, the province of Kosovo declared independence from Serbia and became Europe's youngest country. These physical features allowed for early communication, travel, and agricultural development. [citation needed] These two halves are separated by the mountain chains of the Pyrenees and the Alps/Carpathians. 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. During the harsh winter, the Sami ate all parts of the animal. Wcz obsug JavaScript. France is known for being a world power and has been an economic and cultural center of Europe for hundreds of years. Continental shelvesformer land surfaces that have been covered by shallow seasare a feature of peninsular Europe, while the coasts themselves are both submerged or drowned, as in southwestern Ireland and northwestern Spain, and emergent, as in western Scotland and southern Wales, where raised former beaches are in evidence. Europe's population is 741.4 million people. Historically, Europe has been a center of immigration. Germany's location at the heart of Europe has shaped its history both for good and bad. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Mount Olympus is Greece's highest mountain at 9,570 feet (2,917 meters) above sea level. The North European Plain, common to much of Poland, northern Germany, and Denmark, broadens in western France and continues, across the narrow seas, in southeastern Great Britain and Ireland. It stands 10,922 feet high on the coast of the Mediterranean island Sicily. From the smallest town in the world to the biggest church on earth, and from a knighted penguin to a country free of mosquitoes, there are hundreds of random and fun facts about Europe. Kazakhstan. Imperialism is a policy of extending a nations power and influence through diplomacy or military force. These journeys varied in length, depending on the migration patterns of specific reindeer herds. For discussion of major cities of the continent, see specific articles by namee.g., Rome, Warsaw, and London. 2. 33 forms the majority of the population while 54 are ethnic minorities. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. 1. Elevations in those areas are mainly between about 500 and 2,000 feet (150 and 600 metres), and many steep slopes are to be seen. 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. Biology, Ecology, Earth Science, Geology, Geography, Physical Geography. Kazakhstan and Russia are in Asia. Nonetheless, in manufacturing and agriculture Europe still occupies an eminent, if no longer necessarily predominant, position. Eastward, mainland Europe widens much like the mouth of a funnel, until the boundary with Asia is reached at the Ural Mountains and Ural River, the Caspian Sea, and the Caucasus Mountains. Luxembourg is landlocked, separated from the North Sea by Belgium.. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. 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. Latin, the language of Rome, evolved into French in the western region, and Italian in the south. 5 x Fun Facts about Europe The longest town name in Europe is Lanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogo, in Wales The Czech Republic is the most beer-drinking country per capita There are more UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe than any other continent in the world The highest toilet can be found at Mount Blanc The coasts of the northwestern highlandsand in particular the fjords of Norwayinvite maritime enterprise. By the end of the war, the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires collapsed and broke into a dozen separate nations. The western boundary is the Atlantic Ocean. The Holocaust was the mass murder of Jews under the Nazi regime. Related topics are discussed in such articles as those on religion (e.g., Judaism and Roman Catholicism) and literature (e.g., Greek literature; Dutch literature; and Spanish literature). January average range from 13C in southern Spain and southern Greek islands to -20C in the northeastern part of European Russia. For discussion of individual countries of the continent, see specific articles by namee.g., Italy, Poland, and United Kingdom. Europes largest and longest river is the Volga. More than 200 languages are spoken in Europe. Holland is a nation of cyclists. Flora & FaunaMuch like its physical regions, Europe's plant and animal communities follow a general north-south orientation. In fact, many developing nations argued that the Copenhagen Accord was drafted by a small group of powerful countries and unfairly disadvantages poorer countries, many of which are expected to suffer the worst effects of climate change.The ageing of Europes population is also expected to dramatically affect the continents social, political, and financial future. Europes eastern boundary, however, is not a cultural, political, or economic discontinuity on the land comparable, for example, to the insulating significance of the Himalayas, which clearly mark a northern limit to South Asian civilization. 5. geography of Scandinavia facts. Glaciation too has left its mark over wide areas, and the processes of erosion and deposition have created a highly variegated and compartmentalized countryside. 84% of people in the Netherlands own at least one bicycle. 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. As Ive talked about fire (volcanoes), it wouldnt be right to leave ice out of the geography facts of Europe. Italy is separated from the Balkans by the Adriatic Sea, and from Iberia by the Mediterranean Sea, which also separates Europe from Africa. These camps were mostly populated by Roma, also called Gypsies. 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. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Southward of the limits of the northern glacial ice are vales and hills, with the Paris and London basins typical examples. Sub-regions such as Iberia and Italy contain their own complex features, as does mainland Europe itself, where the relief contains many plateaus, river valleys, and basins that complicate the general trend. 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. The most important rivers in Europe are Danube, Volga, Rhine, Elbe, Oder and Dnieper, among others. The Apennines, Dinaric Alps, and Balkan Mountains, as well as the arc-shaped Carpathian Mountains and their southern portion, the Transylvanian Alps, also exhibit high elevations. 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