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. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. 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. The region includes the mountains of the Alps, Pyrenees, Apennines, Dinaric Alps, Balkans, and Carpathians.High elevations, rugged plateaus, and steeply sloping land define the region. The Netherlands shares its maritime borders with UK and France. 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.. 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. National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. Each country could easily make a contribution with an interesting fact as the landscape changes so dramatically across small spaces, unlike other continents. Among the struggling economies that may suffer from carbon emission limits are Romania, Bulgaria, and Moldova.Thus, it seems that Europes historic disparities between north and south, west and east, will continue to widen in the future. Only Oceania has less landmass. A convenient division is made by a line linking the base of the peninsula of Jutland with the head of the Adriatic Sea. As Ive talked about fire (volcanoes), it wouldnt be right to leave ice out of the geography facts of Europe. Ancient Greeks believed it was the home of the gods. The climate supports a wide variety of seasonal crops. Por favor, active JavaScript. Switzerland's small sizeits total area is about half that of Scotlandand its modest population give little indication of its international significance. It is characterized by simple, minimalist design and low-cost mass production. The United States began to lead the Western world, while the Soviet Union, with its capital in the Eastern European city of Moscow, Russia, led the so-called Eastern Bloc. 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. These camps were mostly populated by Roma, also called Gypsies. Its major peninsulas include Jutland and the Scandinavian, Iberian, Italian, and Balkan peninsulas. Italian fashion is also an important cultural export. Critics believe the process of attaining EU membership is too difficult for Europes developing economies. Asia is not Europe ;-). 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. Understanding Europe's Topography. Europe has a diversity of terrains, physical features, and climates. European countries saw an increase in immigration after World War II. Europe is the second-smallest continent. Europes continuing economic achievements are evidenced by its high standard of living and its successes in science, technology, and the arts. Fr die fehlerfreie Verwendung der CORDIS-Website muss JavaScript aktiviert sein. Around 10% of the world's population lives in Europe. 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. 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. Updates? Roma are a people and culture native to central and eastern Europe. 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. Developed countries, however, are also facing economic challenges. Imperialism is a policy that has been used throughout history, most notably by European powers and the United States. It is the smallest country both in size and population. In 2005, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons featuring Islamic subjects. More than half of Europe consists of lowlands, standing mostly below 600 feet (180 metres) but infrequently rising to 1,000 feet (300 metres). The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Three smaller peninsulasIberia, Italy, and the Balkansemerge from the southern margin of the mainland. When it . It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south (west to east) by the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Kuma-Manych Depression, and the Caspian Sea. Europe is the second-smallest continent. Europe Facts for KS2 Children. 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 western boundary is the Atlantic Ocean. FAST FACTS OFFICIAL NAME: Ireland FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Constitutional Democracy CAPITAL: Dublin POPULATION: 5,068,050 MONEY:. 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. 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. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. 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. Desert climates are found in the European portion of Kazakhstan and South Eastern Spain. 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. The political cartoons sought to engage in the debate surrounding Muslim extremism. The population within the standard physical geographical boundaries was 701 million in 2005 according to the United Nations. 2. It is home to many navigable rivers, including the Rhine, Weser, Elbe, Oder, and Vistula. Updated: 07/28/2022 Table of Contents Some of these facts about Europe are newer than others. The Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles conclude the Asian boundary. 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. The North European Plain extends across the country's northern reaches; this flat, lowland terrain is dissected by . They are very detailed and are often produced on large sheets of paper. Still another scheme with many adherents locates the continental boundary along the Aras River and the Turkish border, thereby putting Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in Europe. Topography is the study of the Earth's surface. Trees also grow in that southernmost region, including the Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), cypress, and cork oak (Quercus suber). The name Europe, or Europa, is believed to be of Greek origin, as it is the name of a princess in Greek mythology. Lets take a short tour around some of the most notable geographical facts about Europe. Those highland areas include lands of abundant rainfallwhich supplies hydroelectricity and water to industrial citiesand provide summer pastures for cattle. Biology, Ecology, Earth Science, Geology, Geography, Physical Geography. 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. 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. January average range from 13C in southern Spain and southern Greek islands to -20C in the northeastern part of European Russia. Professor of Geography, University of Connecticut, Storrs. The Danubian and northern Italian lowlands are thus mountain-ringed islands. The northern plains are delimited in the west by the Scandinavian mountains and the mountainous parts of the British Isles. 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. Moose, bear, and elk (Cervus canadensis) are native to the European taiga.Just south of the taiga is a mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees, including beech, ash, poplar, and willow. Intense trade introduced many species, which often overtook native plants. It has coastlines on the Bay of Biscay (a part of the Atlantic Ocean) and the Mediterranean Sea.Spain's capital and largest city is Madrid, and the country is known for its long history, unique culture, strong economy, and very high living standards. One Capital of Culture of 2011, Turku, Finland, focused on cultures positive influence on health and well-being. Enacting regional social policies and economic legislation, especially through bodies like the European Union, may help curb that trend. 4. This honor goes to Gouffre Mirolda in France. During this time, a number of anti-communist revolutions swept central and eastern Europe. The United States and the Soviet Union built up huge nuclear arsenals, with many missiles aimed at targets throughout Europe. Wcz obsug JavaScript. Regional climatic contrasts nevertheless exist: oceanic, Mediterranean, and continental types occur widely, as do gradations from one to the other. Topography studies the . In the Alps, Mont Blanc rises to a height of 15,771 feet (4,807 metres), which is the highest point on the continent. Grades 6 - 12+ Subjects Arts and Music, Economics, Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, World History Photograph Europe Europe is the western peninsula of the giant "supercontinent" of Eurasia. By the 7th and 8th centuries, Sweden was known for its trade but in the 9th century, the Vikings raided the region and much of Europe. The U.K. also includes Northern Ireland, which is on another island. All of the events must come together under a common theme or themes. The Central Powers (led by the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Ottoman Empire) fell to the forces of the Allied Powers (led by the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire). Indented by numerous bays, fjords, and seas, continental Europes highly irregular coastline is about 24,000 miles (38,000 km) long. The biggest is Lake Ladoga, which covers just under 7,000 square miles and sits close to St. Petersburg. Kazakhstan and Russia are in Asia. It runs for 2,294 miles through central Russia. Europe's most significant geological feature is the dichotomy between the highlands and mountains of Southern Europe and a vast, partially underwater, northern plain ranging from Great Britain in the west to the Ural Mountains in the east. 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. By the end of the war, the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires collapsed and broke into a dozen separate nations. Thrace is the western part of Turkey on the European continent.. 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. This article treats the physical and human geography of Europe. 21,946 km 2 (8,473 sq mi) Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region, on the coast of the Black Sea. It even includes roads! 1. Can you think of anything notable you think I should have included? It looks at mountains and valleys, as well as rivers and oceans. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. A volcanos violent nature thus came from the work of Hephaestus and the anger of the imprisoned gods.The ancient Greeks connection to the sea also deeply influenced their mythological beliefs. The euro is the second-most popular currency (behind the American dollar) and is used daily by more than 320 million people. Topography and bathymetry are shown in a combination of color with shaded relief. She or he will best know the preferred format. China says a ban on the use of TikTok by official European Union institutions will harm business confidence in Europe, With more lunar missions than ever on the horizon, the European Space Agency wants to give the moon its own time zone, The death toll has risen to at least 63 in the migrant tragedy off Italys southern coast after rescue crews recovered several more bodies, Shares have opened lower in Europe after a mixed session in Asia following a reprieve on Wall Street from recent selling pressure driven by worries over inflation and interest rates, Spain is building on its reputation in renewable energy to position itself as Europes future leader in green hydrogen. Yet the peninsular and insular western extremity of the continent, thrusting toward the North Atlantic Ocean, providesthanks to its latitude and its physical geographya relatively genial human habitat, and the long processes of human history came to mark off the region as the home of a distinctive civilization. The Louvre is the most visited attraction in Europe 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. [citation needed] These two halves are separated by the mountain chains of the Pyrenees and the Alps/Carpathians. 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 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. About a quarter of marine mammals are threatened.Today, around 15 percent of Europe's animal species are threatened or endangered, mainly by habitat loss, pollution, overexploitation, and competition from invasive species. Above all, in southern EuropeAustria and Switzerland includedlevel, low-lying land is scarce, and mountain, plateau, and hill landforms dominate. Not only is it pretty huge (2.5 times the size of Mount Vesuvius, which so famously buried Pompeii), but it is also one of the most active volcanoes in the world. 7 Fun and Fashionable DIY Animal Ears That You Should Make Look like a Fashionista by Color Coordinate Your Outfits like a Pro Introverts Vs Extroverts Which One Are You. Slavic-based civilization dominates much of the territory occupied by the former Soviet Union from the Baltic and Black seas to the Pacific Ocean. Glaciation too has left its mark over wide areas, and the processes of erosion and deposition have created a highly variegated and compartmentalized countryside. Today much of topography is focused on creating 3D representations of the Earth's surface. Arts and Music, Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, Economics, World History. The greater part of Europe, however, combines low elevation with low relief. Sweden has a long history that began with prehistoric hunting camps in the southernmost part of the country. It's a multi-lingual continent. International economic and military organizations developed on either side of the Iron Curtain. 11. Only North Korea has such high literacy rates as Ukraine. Europe, second smallest of the worlds continents, composed of the westward-projecting peninsulas of Eurasia (the great landmass that it shares with Asia) and occupying nearly one-fifteenth of the worlds total land area. Even though the country borders have been redrawn since the Soviet days, the continental borders never have. Europe's shape is in a constant change: The Mediterranean basin is shrinking, the Alps are rising and pushing North, and Scandinavia is still rebounding after having been crushed by the weight of a thick and huge ice sheet in the ice ages. 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