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. City-states were unique in that they were governed not by a hereditary ruler, but by a political body that represented its citizens. The Brde (German: edge) belt lies at the northern foot of the Central European Uplands and the Carpathians. 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. In terms of shape, Europe is a collection of connected peninsulas and nearby islands. 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. The goals of the program are local, regional, and global. 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. Whats the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, in manufacturing and agriculture Europe still occupies an eminent, if no longer necessarily predominant, position. 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 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. In the Alps, Mont Blanc rises to a height of 15,771 feet (4,807 metres), which is the highest point on the continent. Thrace is the western part of Turkey on the European continent.. International economic and military organizations developed on either side of the Iron Curtain. The Kimmel Falls are the tallest in Europe and also 5th in the list of the worlds highest waterfalls. Italian fashion is also an important cultural export. It is bounded by the North Sea in the north and west. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. Latin, the language of Rome, evolved into French in the western region, and Italian in the south. 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. The greater part of Europe, however, combines low elevation with low relief. With such a large number of nationalities compacted into such a small area, Europe strongly supports individual cultural identities and products.The European Capitals of Culture program, started in 1985, has become one of Europes most important and high-profile cultural events. Western Europe and parts of Central Europe generally fall into the temperate maritime climate (Cfb), the southern part is mostly a Mediterranean climate (mostly Csa, smaller area with Csb), the north-central part and east into central Russia is mostly a humid continental climate (Dfb) and the northern part of the continent is a subarctic climate (Dfc). The Kimmel Falls are in Hohe Tauen National Park and are one of Austrias most visited tourist attractions. A fjord is a long and narrow inlet of the sea that is surrounded by high, rugged cliffs. 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. 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. World War II also left more than 40 million refugees, contributed to the independence of European colonies throughout the world, and devastated the urban infrastructure of many European cities.As a result of the devastation of World War II, Western Europes leadership in global politics diminished. Geographically, Turkey forms a natural land bridge between the old world continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. This article treats the physical and human geography of Europe. Borders between existing nations, such as Poland and Russia, were entirely redrawn.World War II (1939-1945) left about 43 million Europeans dead, including about 6 million who died in the Holocaust. Europe has less precipitation in the east than in central and western 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. Topography and bathymetry are shown in a combination of color with shaded relief. 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.. Although this area remains heavily forested, the continent's forests were drastically reduced as a result of intense urbanization throughout human history. Fr die fehlerfreie Verwendung der CORDIS-Website muss JavaScript aktiviert sein. Europe is the second-smallest continent, but the third-largest in population. Europe's highest peak, Mount Elbrus at 5,642 meters (18,510 feet), is in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia. 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. 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. Mount Olympus is Greece's highest mountain at 9,570 feet (2,917 meters) above sea level. Wcz obsug JavaScript. 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? The northern plains are delimited in the west by the Scandinavian mountains and the mountainous parts of the British Isles. The Volga River in Russia. 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. Roma are a people and culture native to central and eastern Europe. Brussels is considered to be the largest city of Belgium, according to the population of the Brussels-Capital Region. Here are 21 things about this amazing continent that may just surprise you. Flag. 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. The 4,506 sq. Huge herds of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) feed on these tiny plants.The taiga, which stretches across northern Europe just south of the tundra, is composed of coniferous forests, with trees such as pine, spruce, and fir. 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. 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. These ideas have been tested during times of peace and military conflict, and continue to be redefined today.Historic IssuesEuropes early political history can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome, both of which profoundly affected how Western civilizations govern their territories and citizens.Described as the birthplace of democracy, ancient Greece revolved around the polis, or city-state. Topography describes the physical features of an area of land. Sweden has a long history that began with prehistoric hunting camps in the southernmost part of the country. Glaciation is the process of land being transformed by glaciers or ice sheets. 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. Because of their remoteness, however, all these regions have distinct dialects that differ slightly from their parent language. Topography is the study of the Earth's surface. Swiss-Italian is distinguishable from Italian.Romansch, an endangered language, is also derived from Latin. The debate surrounding the cartoons also intensified strained relations between the Islamic world and the West.In 2010, the French government dismantled illegal immigrant camps throughout France. All rights reserved. Protests developed across the Muslim world, and demonstrators set fire to Danish embassies in Lebanon, Iran, and Syria. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Among the alternative boundaries proposed by geographers that have gained wide acceptance is a scheme that sees the crest of the Greater Caucasus range as the dividing line between Europe and Asia, placing Ciscaucasia, the northern part of the Caucasus region, in Europe and Transcaucasia, the southern part, in Asia. Topographic maps (often called topo maps for short) are large scale maps, often greater than 1:50,000, which means that one inch on the map equals 50,000 inches on the ground. Bitte aktivieren Sie JavaScript. The two largest peninsulas are mainland Europe and Scandinavia to the north, divided from each other by the Baltic Sea. Southward of the limits of the northern glacial ice are vales and hills, with the Paris and London basins typical examples. Nations that use the euro as a unit of currency are called the eurozone.Leadership of the EU, split among different branches and institutions, is a working model of international cooperation. San Marino and Vatican City, two fully sovereign nations, are both completely surrounded by Italy. In 2005, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons featuring Islamic subjects. Key Facts. Europe's population is 741.4 million people. Switzerland, federated country of central Europe. 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. The North European Plain remains the most densely populated region of Europe.Central UplandsThe Central Uplands extend east-west across Central Europe and include western France and Belgium, southern Germany, the Czech Republic, and parts of northern Switzerland and Austria.The Central Uplands are lower in altitude and less rugged than the Alpine region and are heavily wooded. As Ive talked about fire (volcanoes), it wouldnt be right to leave ice out of the geography facts of Europe. Si prega di abilitare JavaScript. During the harsh winter, the Sami ate all parts of the animal. January average range from 13C in southern Spain and southern Greek islands to -20C in the northeastern part of European Russia. Many of its events encouraged community involvement and civic engagement. Antwerp is the biggest city of the country. It is the continent's second largest island (after Great Britain). 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. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. It is the continent's second largest island (after Great Britain). Read important geography facts about Ireland and information about Ireland's landscapes, topography, and coastline. The Balkan peninsula is separated from Asia by the Black and Aegean Seas. 2. 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. ft. home is a 4 bed, 4.0 bath property. A landlocked country of towering mountains, deep Alpine lakes, grassy valleys dotted with . Some of these facts about Europe are newer than others. It was clear as well that a succession of climates, markedly different from those of the Mediterranean borderlands, were to be experienced as Europe was penetrated from the south. The low starting elevation makes the Volga a slow flowing river. The southeast boundary with Asia is not universally defined, but the modern definition is generally the Ural River or, less commonly, the Emba River. Topography Facts - Earth Science. Europe extends from the island nation of Iceland in the west to the Ural Mountains of Russia in the east. When it . The political cartoons sought to engage in the debate surrounding Muslim extremism. 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. A growing percentage of people in urban areas are employed in a wide range of service activities, which have come to dominate the economies of most countries. 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. Updates? Corrections? 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. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. 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