Geography of Europe

This article relates to the Géographie of the Europe in a detailed way.

Europe is one of the seven Continent S. the terrestrial limiting of Europe are sometimes fuzzy. This one would be, in the traditional European vision, separated from the Asia to the is by the solid mass of the the Ural, the river the Ural, the Caspian Sea and the solid mass of the the Caucasus. The straits of the the Bosphorus and Gibraltar respectively separate Europe from Asia and the Africa. The continent is bordered with the western by the Atlantic Ocean and with the Northern by the Arctique. The sea the Mediterranean delimits the continent with the southern. Are considered European Iceland (located geologically on Europe-America separation), and the principal islands of the Mediterranean - the case of Cyprus is more the subject to deposit, at least on the geographical level. Up to now the delimitation is clear, but it becomes complicated with the cases of the Russia, classified politically in Europe, and the Turkey, which have a good part of their territory in Asia.

In the current vision, which achieves unanimity, the contour of Europe can be refined and think starting from the Member States of the the Council of Europe.

Some islands of the Atlantique (Madeira, the Canaries, the Azores) that the geography does not attach to this continent are regarded as European by the origin of their settlement and their Culture. It is also the case of the Greenland, which belongs to the Denmark. It will not be forgotten finally that certain countries of Western Europe preserved some remote colonies whose inhabitants find de facto European, for example for the France the departments and overseas territories.

Europe has a surface of a little more than 10 million square kilometers, precisely 10  392  855  km ². That represents a third of the Africa or a quarter of the Asia or America.

One can distinguish five great geographical areas: Eastern Europe, Central Europe, Europe of the South, Western Europe and Northern Europe.

It should be noted that the Eastern borders of Europe are before any policies: the limit of the Ural is due to the cartographers of the tsar Pierre I {{er}} '' Large the '' at the 18th century. In the same way, the border was moved high peaks of the Caucasus towards the Caspienne at the beginning of the 19th century to justify the annexation of the Georgia and the Arménie in the Russian Empire. From a more scientific point of view, if one refer to the Plate tectonics , Europe and the continental part of the Asia are one and even continent, called Eurasia. Also, some Geographer S eminent, such as Alexander von Humboldt, regarded Europe as simple a Presqu'île of the Asia.

Physical geography

Geology

See also: Geology of Europe

The geology of Europe is extremely varied and complex. It is this large variety which is at the origin of the multitude of landscapes present through the continent.

Principal rivers and rivers

See also: Liste_de_fleuves_dans_le_monde#Europe, Lists of the rivers of Europe

Important rivers of Europe and their approximate length:

Lakes and inland seas

See also: List of the lakes of the monde#Europe, List of the lakes of Europe

Principal islands and peninsulas

See also: Liste_des_listes_d%27%C3%AEles#Europe, List of the islands of Europe

Principal the Péninsule S is the Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway), the Iberian peninsula (Spain, Portugal), the Italian Péninsule (Italy, Saint Sailor, the Vatican), the Balkans (Greece, Albania, Bosnia-Herzégovine, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia).

The peninsula of Cola (Russia), the Jutland (Denmark), the Brittany (France) and the the Crimea (Ukraine) are also European peninsulas of important surface.

The principal European islands are:

  1. the United Kingdom, with more than 218.000 km ². It gathers the England, the Scotland and the Wales. It belongs to the the United Kingdom.
  2. Iceland, with more than 103.000 km ².
  3. Ireland, with more than 70.000 km ². Most of the island composes the Ireland and the north-eastern portion belongs to the the United Kingdom.
  4. Sicily, with more than 25.000 km ². It belongs to the Italy.
  5. Sardinia, with more than 24.000 km ². It belongs to the Italy.
  6. Cyprus, with more than 9.200 km ².
  7. Corsica, with more than 8.700 km ². It belongs to the France.
  8. Crete, with more than 8.300 km ². It belongs to the Greece.
  9. Sjælland, with more than 7.000 km ². It belongs to the Denmark.
  10. Eubée, with more than 3.900 km ². It belongs to the Greece.
  11. Majorque, with more than 3.600 km ². It belongs to the Spain.
  12. Fyn, with more than 3.400 km ². It belongs to the Denmark.

Plains and plates

  • the Plaines of Eastern Europe
  • the Plateaux of Northern Europe
  • the Plaine of Pannonia
  • the plate of the Meseta is a plate of the center of Spain

Assembly lines

See also: Liste_des_massifs_montagneux#Europe, List of the assembly lines of Europe, Liste_des_sommets_par_continent#Europe, List of the tops of Europe

The principal European assembly lines are:

Climate

Europe is characterized by a great number of penetrations of arm of the sea between Péninsule S, which thus contribute to moderate the Climat continent, in addition heated on its Western frontage by the Gulf Stream .

The major part of the continent is located under moderate Latitude S and knows thus four well marked Saison S. The coastal regions of the Atlantic facade know a oceanic Climat, softened by the Gulf Stream , while the large plain of the North-East is characterized by a continental Climat. One can also distinguish the mountain Climat from the areas of altitude (the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Scandinavian Alps) as well as the Mediterranean Climat particularly lenient of the contour of the the Mediterranean. The polar Climat as for him is present in particular at the extreme north of Europe in the Scandinavian countries and in Iceland.

Human geography

Country

Europe consists of 49 countries.

Geography by country and zone

Insular countries

Country having the name of their capital

Country whose capital is not more the big city

List countries classified by the number of countries which they border

Areas of Europe

Traditionally, Europe is divided on the economic plan into four point cardinals: Western Europe, Northern Europe, Europe of the South and Eastern Europe. The concept of Central Europe gradually emerged after the end of the Cold war.

Western Europe

The Western Europe corresponds to the Western part of Europe. Its definition is very variable. The term generally corresponds still to the worldwide located at the west of old the Iron curtain.

Northern Europe

The Northern Europe gathers the countries of Scandinavia. Are sometimes added the Baltic States, the Iceland and the the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

Europe of the South

The Europe of the South corresponds overall to the country giving on the sea the Mediterranean.

The Central Europe

The Central Europe is the area of the Europe located geographically at the center of Europe. Still, the definition is very variable.

Eastern Europe

The Europe of the East is the oriental party of the Europe, limited to the east by the the Ural and the the Caucasus. Strictly speaking, the countries of Eastern Europe would be: the Bielorussia, the Estonia, the Latvia, the Lithuania, the Russia, the Ukraine and the Moldavie.

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