Iceland, having area of 103 000 km, is larger than Ireland (84 406 km). From the smallest town in the world to the biggest church on earth, and from a knighted penguin to a country free of mosquitoes, there are hundreds of random and fun facts about Europe. Understanding Europe's Topography. Ireland is an island nation on the westernmost edge of 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. Population growth is comparatively slow, and median age comparatively high in relation to the world's other continents. The landlocked countries in Europe are: Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, Liechtenstein (which is doubly landlocked), Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Moldova, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Vatican City. The temperature difference between summer and winter gradually increases from coastal northwest Europe to southeast inland Europe, ranging from Ireland, with a temperature difference of only 10C from the warmest to the coldest month, to the area north of the Caspian Sea, with a temperature difference of 40C. The Iron Curtain took on the physical shape of border defenses, walls, and limited diplomacy. 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. Glaciation too has left its mark over wide areas, and the processes of erosion and deposition have created a highly variegated and compartmentalized countryside. Among the continents, Europe is an anomaly. 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 overall population of Europe is set to drop from roughly 590 million to 542 million by 2050. The spacious eastern steppes and, to the west and north, primeval forests as yet only marginally touched by human occupancy further underlined environmental contrasts. Switzerland's administrative capital is Bern, while Lausanne serves as its judicial centre. The tallest mountain in Europe is Mount Elbrus in Russia. As Ive talked about fire (volcanoes), it wouldnt be right to leave ice out of the geography facts of Europe. This article treats the physical and human geography of Europe. 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. Literally, Europa is now thought to have meant Mainland, rather than the earlier interpretation, Sunset. It appears to have suggested itself to the Greeks, in their maritime world, as an appropriate designation for the extensive northerly lands that lay beyond, lands with characteristics vaguely known yet clearly different from those inherent in the concepts of Asia and Libyaboth of which, relatively prosperous and civilized, were associated closely with the culture of the Greeks and their predecessors. Europe's eastern frontier is usually delineated by the Ural Mountains in Russia, which is the largest country by land area in the continent. Those are coastal and interior lowlands, central uplands and plateaus, the northwestern highlands, and southern Europe. Establishing fishing limits, protecting threatened habitats, and encouraging sustainable consumption habits are some efforts supported by European conservationists. I think this makes it easy to assume they are not part of continental Europe. Physical features, weather-related phenomena, and local resources had a deep impact on how historic European cultures prospered, interacted, and believed their world worked.The geography and climate of the Mediterranean region, for example, directly influenced Greek mythology. 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. Kosovo is a. 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. This is a main theme of The Odyssey, an epic poem written by Homer, in which these key elements of the sea both help and hurt the hero.Other cultures developed around the unique resources at their disposal. Regional climatic contrasts nevertheless exist: oceanic, Mediterranean, and continental types occur widely, as do gradations from one to the other. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. The Grand Canal, Venice, Italy. The continent, excluding Russia, contains less than one-tenth of the total population of the world, but in general its people are well educated and highly skilled. For discussion of major cities of the continent, see specific articles by namee.g., Rome, Warsaw, and London. 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. You can actually get very close to the falls and safely, thanks to a well maintained hiking trail. Indeed, Turkey has sought membership in the European Union (EU), and the Republic of Cyprus joined the organization in 2004. Glaciers are found in a surprisingly large number of European countries, including Iceland, Norway, Spain, France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. 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. Brussels is considered to be the largest city of Belgium, according to the population of the Brussels-Capital Region. Europe also supports high densities of population, concentrated in urban-industrial regions. Topography Facts - Earth Science. This linguistic diversity is present in the Alpine regions of many contemporary European countries today.Switzerland, for example, has four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansch. Not only is Mount Etna the highest volcanic peak in Europe but it is still active. Ive enjoyed my journey through some facts of European geography hope you did too! 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). There are more bicycles than people in the country (22.3 million bicycles and 17 million people). This description is simplified. That broad territory reveals no simple unity of geologic structure, landform, relief, or climate. Please enable JavaScript. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. Even though the country borders have been redrawn since the Soviet days, the continental borders never have. The Kimmel Falls are the tallest in Europe and also 5th in the list of the worlds highest waterfalls. Europe's highest peak, Mount Elbrus at 5,642 meters (18,510 feet), is in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia. The Holocaust was the mass murder of Jews under the Nazi regime. 4. Flora & FaunaMuch like its physical regions, Europe's plant and animal communities follow a general north-south orientation. These nations do not feel an obligation to accept illegal immigrants, seeing them as both a threat and a burden.Supporters of the crackdown want to stop illegal immigration. 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. Eastern Europe is everything east of Germany, Austria, and Italy. The tundra, found in Iceland and the northern reaches of Scandinavia and Russia, is a treeless region where small mosses, lichens, and ferns grow. 21,946 km 2 (8,473 sq mi) Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region, on the coast of the Black Sea. 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. 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. Por favor, active JavaScript. As observed on Germany's physical map, the country's topography varies significantly from north to south. Many of its events encouraged community involvement and civic engagement. The worn-down Ural Mountains also belong in that category, and their highest point, Mount Narodnaya (6,217 feet [1,895 metres]), corresponds approximately to that of the Massif Central in south-central France. Elevations in those areas are mainly between about 500 and 2,000 feet (150 and 600 metres), and many steep slopes are to be seen. Luxembourg is landlocked, separated from the North Sea by Belgium.. The two largest peninsulas are mainland Europe and Scandinavia to the north, divided from each other by the Baltic Sea. European countries saw an increase in immigration after World War II. It runs for 2,294 miles through central Russia. Here are 21 things about this amazing continent that may just surprise you. Check out this amazing list of Austria facts that include history, food, culture, and more. 1. The goals of the program are local, regional, and global. In this case, the region of Western Europe includes the regions of northern Europe, southern Europe, Central Europe, and the British Isles. The program highlights Europes rich cultural diversity, celebrates its cultural ties, and brings people of different European backgrounds together. 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