Europe of the South

The Europe of the South generally includes the European countries of the Mediterranean circumference, with which one associates Portugal (which opens only on the Atlantic Ocean).

It is a geographical area whose definition can be variable, according to whether the point of view is climatic (Mediterranean Climat), geographical (southern half of the continent), or linguistico-cultural.

Europe of the South is generally divided into two geographical subsets presenting of the different cultural characteristics:

Europe of South-west, catholic tradition and Romance language;
Europe of South-east, located at crossed worlds Greek, Slavic, and Latin, and religions orthodoxe, Catholic and Moslem.

Geopolitical definition according to UNO

In its work and publications UNO includes 16 country in its definition. This regrouping, inevitably arbitrary, is not inevitably representative of various realities. Cutting by country imposes certain choices, like placing the Italian Tyrol within Europe of the South, and not to include Corsica there.

Portugal;
Spain;
Gibraltar;
Andorra;
Italy;
San Marino;
the Vatican;
Malta;
;
Croatia;
;
Serbia;
Greece;
;
;
Albania.

Other countries which one can include in the concept

In addition to the countries included in the definition of UNO, Europe of the South also can, according to the visions, to integrate the following countries:

Bulgaria;
Romania;
France (in particular its Southern part).

Ambiguous situation of France

The whole of France is classified in the Western Europe by UNO. However, a cutting by areas will distinguish an opposition between the Northern part of France and the Southern part, to which the lifestyle is closer to that of Italy or Spain. South-east (Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure, part of the Rhone-Alps, the Corsica ) profit from a Mediterranean climate. The South of France shares with its Spanish and Italian neighbors many common characteristics; architectural (example of the tile channel (or Roman) that one finds as far as the Vendée), gastronomical. Certain elements of the Spanish culture (Bullfight,…) finds itself in the South of France.

Geographical definition

The concept not having a precise geographical definition; there exist several complementary angles of incidence.

Natural boundary lines

Climatic conditions

The Mediterranean Climate, which in Europe relates to the Southern halves roughly and Is Iberian peninsula, the South-eastern quarter of France, the coastal regions of the Italian peninsula, Balkans and Greece, worked the traditional lifestyles and the practices food of the countries areas concerned (triptych wine/corn/olive oil).

In other areas of Europe of the south, such as the Atlantic facade, can find characteristics (temperatures, sunning) close to the Mediterranean climate, although by not having the typical estival dryness (coasts of the Atlantic, of Portugal to the Vendée).

Linguistic and cultural definition

The concept of Europe of the south is often heard from a cultural point of view more than geographical. There is, on this point also, several angles of attack.

The countries of Romance Languages, known as Latin countries S, are sometimes associated with the concept of Europe of the South.

The Balkans, whose cultural influences mix Latin influences (Romania), Greek (Greece) and Slavic (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia, Bulgaria), there are also generally associated.

Country of languages Romance, known as Latin

The cultures of the European countries of Romance Languages, known as Latin countries S, are generally associated with the concept of Europe of the South (cf Latin Europe). They form to be more precise Europe of south-west.

Catholic countries

Other Characteristics

Europe of south-west built itself on the basis of Roman law, in opposition to the Anglo-Saxon and Germanic rights of north and in Central Europe.

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