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. 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. MLS # 1863863 Lands lying at high elevations can, of course, be lands of low relief, but on the European continent relief tends to become more rugged as elevation increases. As glaciers receded from the area, they left a number of distinct physical features, including abundant marshlands, lakes, and fjords. 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. Lets take a short tour around some of the most notable geographical facts about Europe. San Marino and Vatican City, two fully sovereign nations, are both completely surrounded by Italy. By size, Germany is the seventh-largest European country. 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. Por favor, active JavaScript. The study also showed that only 8 percent of respondents considered language-learning unimportant.The European Union has adopted a multilingual language policy with the goal that everyone should be able to speak at least two languages in addition to their own. The consensus is, however, that the largest glacier in Europe is the Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland. Around 10% of the world's population lives in Europe. Those highland areas include lands of abundant rainfallwhich supplies hydroelectricity and water to industrial citiesand provide summer pastures for cattle. Wcz obsug JavaScript. 2. The goals of the program are local, regional, and global. Literally, Europa is now thought to have meant Mainland, rather than the earlier interpretation, Sunset. It appears to have suggested itself to the Greeks, in their maritime world, as an appropriate designation for the extensive northerly lands that lay beyond, lands with characteristics vaguely known yet clearly different from those inherent in the concepts of Asia and Libyaboth of which, relatively prosperous and civilized, were associated closely with the culture of the Greeks and their predecessors. It is one of the biggest glaciers in the world, covering almost 9,000 sq km (3,500 square miles). Fun Facts about Europe Europe is home to the smallest country in the world, the Holy See or the Vatican. 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. In many places, including the Mediterranean and North seas, waters have been overfished. The name Europe, or Europa, is believed to be of Greek origin, as it is the name of a princess in Greek mythology. Political geography is the internal and external relationships between governments, citizens, and territories. 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. Europe is traditionally defined as one of seven continents. Europe's population is 741.4 million people. It is the continent's second largest island (after Great Britain). Early Europeans, in fact, shaped global ideas of citizenship and government. Nearly 100% of Ukraine's adult population is literate. 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. Trees also grow in that southernmost region, including the Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), cypress, and cork oak (Quercus suber). Russia is Europe's largest country. Flag. Editor of, Professor of Geography, Birkbeck College, University of London, 194770. Indented by numerous bays, fjords, and seas, continental Europes highly irregular coastline is about 24,000 miles (38,000 km) long. [further explanation needed], The longest rivers in Europe, directly flowing into the World Ocean or Endorheic basins, with their approximate lengths:[4][5]. 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). 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? Corrections? Fewer than a million people are fluent in Romansch. 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. The euro is the second-most popular currency (behind the American dollar) and is used daily by more than 320 million people. Europe extends from the island nation of Iceland in the west to the Ural Mountains of Russia in the east. Read important geography facts about Ireland and information about Ireland's landscapes, topography, and coastline. 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. It even includes roads! 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. 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 name Europe may also come from combining the Greek roots eur- (wide) and -op (seeing) to form the phrase wide-gazing.Europe is often described as a peninsula of peninsulas. A peninsula is a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides. 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. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. 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. All rights reserved. Whats the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom? The population within the standard physical geographical boundaries was 701 million in 2005 according to the United Nations. By the end of the war, the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires collapsed and broke into a dozen separate nations. Topography studies the . 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. 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. These journeys varied in length, depending on the migration patterns of specific reindeer herds. Other political institutions of Rome persist throughout Europe and former European colonies. Kazakhstan and Russia are in Asia. Ireland: geography and landscape. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. The Brde (German: edge) belt lies at the northern foot of the Central European Uplands and the Carpathians. 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. Understanding Europe's Topography. This includes Morriscastle and Ballinesker beaches. Europe Facts for KS2 Children. The northern lowlands are areas of glacial deposition, and, accordingly, their surface is diversified by such features as the Valdai Hills of western Russia; by deposits of boulder clay, sands, and gravels; by glacial lakes; and by the Pripet Marshes, a large ill-drained area of Belarus and Ukraine. 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. Veuillez activer JavaScript. The Sami followed and cared for these herds during their grazing cycle. All the major bodies of water in Europe have been fished for centuries. All rights reserved. Switzerland's small sizeits total area is about half that of Scotlandand its modest population give little indication of its international significance. 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. 1. The western part of the continent clearly has a high proportion of coastline with good maritime access and often with inland penetration by means of navigable rivers. The tallest mountain in Europe is Mount Elbrus in Russia. Europe has a long history of human development and is considered the birthplace of Western Civilization. Glaciation too has left its mark over wide areas, and the processes of erosion and deposition have created a highly variegated and compartmentalized countryside. 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. 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. Of the top 10 largest lakes in Europe, 6 are in Russia, although 1 partly sits in Estonia. 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. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. The biggest part of the United Kingdom (also called the U.K.) is the island of Great Britain, which is made up of England, Wales, and Scotland. Author of, Emeritus Professor of Geography, Portland State University, Oregon. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). On February 17, 2008, the province of Kosovo declared independence from Serbia and became Europe's youngest country. Luxembourg is landlocked, separated from the North Sea by Belgium.. The Mediterranean Sea to the south separates Europe from Africa. The low starting elevation makes the Volga a slow flowing river. [3] [4] It is bordered to the north and northeast by Russia, to the . The former is of North Atlantic volcanic formation, while the latter consist of upland areas once joined to the mainland until cut off by rising sea levels. CORDIS website requires JavaScript enabled in order to work properly. Each country could easily make a contribution with an interesting fact as the landscape changes so dramatically across small spaces, unlike other continents. It stands 10,922 feet high on the coast of the Mediterranean island Sicily. Encyclopedic entry. The only primate native to Europe, the Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus), inhabits this Mediterranean basin. It is the smallest country both in size and population. A landlocked country of towering mountains, deep Alpine lakes, grassy valleys dotted with . The 15 rivers of Europe by average discharge, including only rivers directly flowing into the World Ocean or Endorheic basins: Aegean Islands, land, Balearic Islands, Corsica, Crete, Cyprus (Adjacent to Asia), Fyn, Faroe Islands, Gotland, Great Britain, Hinnya, Iceland, Ionian Islands, Ireland, Malta, North Jutlandic Island, Saaremaa, Sardinia, Senja, Sicily, Svalbard and Zealand. 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. 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. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Key Facts. 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. In terms of shape, Europe is a collection of connected peninsulas and nearby islands. The tundra, found in Iceland and the northern reaches of Scandinavia and Russia, is a treeless region where small mosses, lichens, and ferns grow. The well-watered plateaus give rise to many rivers and are well adapted to pastoral farming. Many of its events encouraged community involvement and civic engagement. This idea of citizenshipof being connected to and having a voice in your communitybecame the basic building block of democracy. Today, this is the German-speaking region of the country.Around this same time, Roman conquerors took over present-day southern Switzerland. The southern regions are mountainous while moving north the terrain descends from the high Alps, Pyrenees, and Carpathians, through hilly uplands, into broad, low northern plains, which are vast in the east. The European bison (Bison bonasus), the heaviest land animal on the continent, is one of the most threatened species.Beginning in the 20th century, many governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have worked to restore some of Europe's rich biodiversity. Europe also supports high densities of population, concentrated in urban-industrial regions. The cold water surrounding northern Britain and Scandinavia is home to unique species of cold-water corals. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. This is a main theme of The Odyssey, an epic poem written by Homer, in which these key elements of the sea both help and hurt the hero.Other cultures developed around the unique resources at their disposal. The major shallow water bodies submerging parts of the northern plains are the Celtic Sea, the North Sea, the Baltic Sea complex, and the Barents Sea. 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). She or he will best know the preferred format. 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. Antwerp is the biggest city of the country. 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). The map was produced using a Lambert conformal conic projection, with standard parallels at 40 degrees north . From the Greek perspective then, Europa was culturally backward and scantily settled. During this time, a number of anti-communist revolutions swept central and eastern Europe. Please enable JavaScript. 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. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. The Holocaust was the mass murder of Jews under the Nazi regime. 1. In the Pyrenees and the Sierra Nevada of Spain, the highest of the peaks exceed 11,000 feet (3,400 metres). The southeast boundary with Asia is not universally defined, but the modern definition is generally the Ural River or, less commonly, the Emba River. Przemek. Mountain ranges, such as the Alps and the Carpathian mountains, have a highland climate with large variations according to altitude and latitude. Not only is Mount Etna the highest volcanic peak in Europe but it is still active. (South of Northern Ireland is the separate country of Ireland, which gained its independence from the U.K. in 1937.) Ethnic Groups / People of Europe are at 87. 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. The central uplands and plateaus present distinctive landscapes of rounded summits, steep slopes, valleys, and depressions. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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. , Emeritus Professor of geography, Portland State University, Oregon the area, they left a number of physical... 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