The continent also comprises numerous islands, somenotably the Faroes and Icelandlocated at a distance from the mainland. It was a barbarian worldthat is, a non-Greek one, with its inhabitants making bar-bar noises in unintelligible tongues. 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. 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. 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). Establishing fishing limits, protecting threatened habitats, and encouraging sustainable consumption habits are some efforts supported by European conservationists. Today much of topography is focused on creating 3D representations of the Earth's surface. Fun Facts about Europe Europe is home to the smallest country in the world, the Holy See or the Vatican. The population within the standard physical geographical boundaries was 701 million in 2005 according to the United Nations. 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. Europes largest and longest river is the Volga. 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. Among the continents, Europe is an anomaly. 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. Europe is a peninsula of the Eurasian supercontinent and is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian Seas to the south. Of the top 10 largest lakes in Europe, 6 are in Russia, although 1 partly sits in Estonia. This article treats the physical and human geography of Europe. The name Europe, or Europa, is believed to be of Greek origin, as it is the name of a princess in Greek mythology. The biggest is Lake Ladoga, which covers just under 7,000 square miles and sits close to St. Petersburg. These events had a devastating effect on Denmarks reputation as a progressive and welcoming country. A convenient division is made by a line linking the base of the peninsula of Jutland with the head of the Adriatic Sea. The population of the City of Brussels is ~175,000. Slavic-based civilization dominates much of the territory occupied by the former Soviet Union from the Baltic and Black seas to the Pacific Ocean. Greater Milan is the largest Metropolitan Area in Italy. City-states were unique in that they were governed not by a hereditary ruler, but by a political body that represented its citizens. 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). Europe has less precipitation in the east than in central and western Europe. In the Pyrenees and the Sierra Nevada of Spain, the highest of the peaks exceed 11,000 feet (3,400 metres). The well-watered plateaus give rise to many rivers and are well adapted to pastoral farming. 16 S Sunwood Ln , Sandy, UT 84092 is a single-family home listed for-sale at $1,295,000. The language survives in Switzerland because of the remote location of its native speakers.Contemporary CulturesEuropes rich and diverse cultural heritage continues to flourish today. Europe is the second-smallest continent. Whats the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom. Other political institutions of Rome persist throughout Europe and former European colonies. The city of Milan is regarded as a major fashion capital, hosting an international fashion week twice a year. The most common way to show this is using topographical maps. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Le site web de CORDIS ncessite lactivation de JavaScript pour fonctionner correctement. Europes continuing economic achievements are evidenced by its high standard of living and its successes in science, technology, and the arts. East of the Vistula River, Europes expansive lowlands have something of the scale and character of those of northern Asia. The Iron Curtain was an ideological boundary that divided Europe into two blocsWestern countries influenced by the United States, and Eastern countries influenced by the Soviet Union. This description is simplified. In terms of shape, Europe is a collection of connected peninsulas and nearby islands. Ethnic Groups / People of Europe are at 87. It covers an area of 357,022 km2 (137,847 sq mi). Read important geography facts about Ireland and information about Ireland's landscapes, topography, and coastline. [citation needed] These two halves are separated by the mountain chains of the Pyrenees and the Alps/Carpathians. Omissions? [2] A prehistoric perspective would include Britain and Ireland as the core of a further very significant European peninsula prior to the post-glacial rise in sea-levels.[3]. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. Some critics argue these attitudes are xenophobic. All rights reserved. The tallest mountain in Europe is Mount Elbrus in Russia. 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. Europe has a diversity of terrains, physical features, and climates. Topography studies the . 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. Around 400 CE, the Alemanni, a Germanic tribe, invaded present-day northern Switzerland. To contact our editors please use our contact form. 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 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. Topography describes the physical features of an area of land. Europes eastern boundary, however, is not a cultural, political, or economic discontinuity on the land comparable, for example, to the insulating significance of the Himalayas, which clearly mark a northern limit to South Asian civilization. The Sami followed and cared for these herds during their grazing cycle. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Glaciation too has left its mark over wide areas, and the processes of erosion and deposition have created a highly variegated and compartmentalized countryside. Please enable JavaScript. Editor of, Professor of Geography, Birkbeck College, University of London, 194770. Fewer than a million people are fluent in Romansch. Europe's eastern frontier is usually delineated by the Ural Mountains in Russia, which is the largest country by land area in the continent. Only Oceania has less landmass. Population growth is comparatively slow, and median age comparatively high in relation to the world's other continents. In the face of an economic crisis, EU citizens of poorer member countries, such as the Roma of Bulgaria and Romania, often migrate to more developed EU countries in search of work. Many of the most socially and economically powerful elements of these societies will be led by immigrants.Developing countries, such as those in eastern and southern Europe, are expected to bear the worst of the depopulation trend. Encyclopedic entry. As part of an international agreement signed at the conference, all 27 member states of the European Union agreed to reduce carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2020 (from 1990 levels).The EU also notified the UN of a conditional offer to increase this cut to 30 percent, provided that other major emitters agree to take on their fair share of a global reduction effort. This conditional offer illustrates the tension that was present at the conference between developed countries high carbon emissions and developing countries low or rising carbon use. It is the smallest country both in size and population. You can actually get very close to the falls and safely, thanks to a well maintained hiking trail. 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. Imperialism is a policy that has been used throughout history, most notably by European powers and the United States. This map shows the physical features of Europe, surrounding lands, and offshore areas. The overall population of Europe is set to drop from roughly 590 million to 542 million by 2050. Philosophers and politicians have used these writings to uphold and defend the democratic tradition ever since.Roman civilization had a major influence on Western concepts of law, government, and the military. The most important rivers in Europe are Danube, Volga, Rhine, Elbe, Oder and Dnieper, among others. The city is home to the headquarters of luxury brands such as Valentino, Gucci, Versace, and Prada. Glaciation is the process of land being transformed by glaciers or ice sheets. Some reindeer herds have a home range of up to 5,000 square kilometers (1,930 square miles). 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. Greeces many earthquakes, and the tsunamis they caused, were connected to the sea god Poseidon, known as the Earth Shaker. 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