Author of. The Republic of Ireland occupies 80 percent of this landmass, while a large chunk of land in the north, called Northern Ireland, is part of the United Kingdom.All together, the island of Ireland is made up of 32 counties. Switzerland, federated country of central Europe. 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. 2. The northern plains are delimited in the west by the Scandinavian mountains and the mountainous parts of the British Isles. 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. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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. The southeast boundary with Asia is not universally defined, but the modern definition is generally the Ural River or, less commonly, the Emba River. Spain is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula to the south of France and Andorra and to the east of Portugal. Geography of Europe Europe is traditionally defined as one of seven continents. This map shows the physical features of Europe, surrounding lands, and offshore areas. San Marino and Vatican City, two fully sovereign nations, are both completely surrounded by Italy. 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. It is the continent's second largest island (after Great Britain). 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 Important highlands in this region include the Massif Central and the Vosges in France, the Ardennes of Belgium, the Black Forest and the Taunus in Germany, and the Ore and Sudeten in the Czech Republic. Developed countries, however, are also facing economic challenges. The Anatolian peninsula is the westernmost point of Asia, divided from Europe by the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. Kosovo is a. Trade relations beyond its frontiers also drew the remoter regions into its sphere. The European Union has 23 official languages, and the continent has more than 60 indigenous languages. Editor of, Professor of Geography, Birkbeck College, University of London, 194770. The North European Plain extends across the country's northern reaches; this flat, lowland terrain is dissected by . Latin, the language of Rome, evolved into French in the western region, and Italian in the south. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. 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. The 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference was held in Copenhagen, Denmark. In fact, the tallest mountain in Europe is in Kazakhstan and is called Khan Tengri, standing 22,999 feet high, some 4,500 feet higher than the next tallest, Mount Elbrus in Russia. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Thrace is the western part of Turkey on the European continent.. The U.K. also includes Northern Ireland, which is on another island. A convenient division is made by a line linking the base of the peninsula of Jutland with the head of the Adriatic Sea. FAST FACTS OFFICIAL NAME: Ireland FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Constitutional Democracy CAPITAL: Dublin POPULATION: 5,068,050 MONEY:. Each country could easily make a contribution with an interesting fact as the landscape changes so dramatically across small spaces, unlike other continents. In partitioning the globe into meaningful large geographic units, therefore, most modern geographers treated the former Soviet Union as a distinct territorial entity, comparable to a continent, that was somewhat separate from Europe to the west and from Asia to the south and east; that distinction has been maintained for Russia, which constituted three-fourths of the Soviet Union. Read important geography facts about Ireland and information about Ireland's landscapes, topography, and coastline. ft. home is a 4 bed, 4.0 bath property. 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. Some of these concepts include the idea of an elected Senate and the stationing of military troops outside a countrys home region.World War I and World War II dramatically affected the political geography of Europe. In the Alps, Mont Blanc rises to a height of 15,771 feet (4,807 metres), which is the highest point on the continent. It is one of the biggest glaciers in the world, covering almost 9,000 sq km (3,500 square miles). 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 Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. It is 1733 meters (5,686 feet) deep and is located near the Swiss and Italian borders, in the area of the Savoy Alps close to the village of Samoens. 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. The Kimmel Falls are the tallest in Europe and also 5th in the list of the worlds highest waterfalls. Iceland is usually included in Europe because it is over twice as close to mainland Europe as mainland North America. In many places, including the Mediterranean and North seas, waters have been overfished. Topography and bathymetry are shown in a combination of color with shaded relief. Examination of Turkey's topographic structure on a physical map of the world shows clearly the . They created clothing and tents out of reindeer hides, sewing together the cloth with twine made from the animals tendons.Keeping track of herds and individual animals became increasingly important in Sami life. Flora & FaunaMuch like its physical regions, Europe's plant and animal communities follow a general north-south orientation. Ireland: geography and landscape. Europe Facts for KS2 Children. The greater part of Europe, however, combines low elevation with low relief. 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. The other landlocked countries are "standalone" landlocked, not bordering any other such European one (the emphasis is necessary, since Kazakhstan borders Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, thus forming a vast landlocked expanse in Central Asia). 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.. Here are 21 things about this amazing continent that may just surprise you. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. This idea of citizenshipof being connected to and having a voice in your communitybecame the basic building block of democracy. The goals of the program are local, regional, and global. Other European islands are much smaller. 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. Bitte aktivieren Sie JavaScript. [further explanation needed], The longest rivers in Europe, directly flowing into the World Ocean or Endorheic basins, with their approximate lengths:[4][5]. Ancient Greeks also believed reigning gods imprisoned lesser gods underneath the volcanoes. Please enable JavaScript. You cannot download interactives. Wcz obsug JavaScript. The western part of the continent clearly has a high proportion of coastline with good maritime access and often with . The geology of Europe is hugely varied and complex, and gives rise to the wide variety of landscapes found across the continent, from the Scottish Highlands to the rolling plains of Hungary. Map created by National Geographic Maps. 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. Europe is the second-smallest continent. Important Scandinavian companies focused on designed products include Electrolux, which makes home electronics, and Ikea and H&M, famous around the world for inexpensive but well-designed home furnishings and clothing, respectively. Europes boundaries have been especially uncertain, and hence much debated, on the east, where the continent merges, without sundering physical boundaries, with parts of western Asia. A peninsula is a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides. A convenient division is made by a line linking the base of the peninsula of Jutland with the head of the Adriatic Sea. Europe has less precipitation in the east than in central and western Europe. The five most spoken native languages in Europe are Russian, German, French English, Turkish and Italian. Longest beach The longest beach in Ireland is a continuous 20km stretch of sand in County Wexford connecting Cahore Point to The Raven Point. Figures for the population of Europe vary according to which definition of European boundaries is used. Swiss-Italian is distinguishable from Italian.Romansch, an endangered language, is also derived from Latin. It looks at mountains and valleys, as well as rivers and oceans. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. More than 200 languages are spoken in Europe. Even though the country borders have been redrawn since the Soviet days, the continental borders never have. Europe is the western peninsula of the giant "supercontinent" of Eurasia. Economically, Russia and former Soviet states are not part of what we think of as Europe these days, because they are not part of the European Union. Veuillez activer JavaScript. France is known for being a world power and has been an economic and cultural center of Europe for hundreds of years. 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. 4. 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. In the Pyrenees and the Sierra Nevada of Spain, the highest of the peaks exceed 11,000 feet (3,400 metres). These physical features allowed for early communication, travel, and agricultural development. This honor goes to Gouffre Mirolda in France. Iceland and the British Isles are special cases. This region is sparsely populated except in the Rhine, Rhne, Elbe, and Danube river valleys.Alpine MountainsThe Alpine Mountains include ranges in the Italian and Balkan peninsulas, northern Spain, and southern France. I think this makes it easy to assume they are not part of continental Europe. Whats the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom. Europe has a long history of human development and is considered the birthplace of Western Civilization. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. Rocks of all geologic periods are exposed, and the operation of geologic forces during an immense succession of eras has contributed to the molding of the landscapes of mountain, plateau, and lowland and has bequeathed a variety of mineral reserves. It was a barbarian worldthat is, a non-Greek one, with its inhabitants making bar-bar noises in unintelligible tongues. She or he will best know the preferred format. Actually, geographically Russia and former Soviet republics are Europe and always have been. Updates? Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. 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. The Grand Canal, Venice, Italy. Topography is the study of the Earth's surface. Topography studies the . Some reindeer herds have a home range of up to 5,000 square kilometers (1,930 square miles). 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