When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. 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. Here are 21 things about this amazing continent that may just surprise you. National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. Population growth is comparatively slow, and median age comparatively high in relation to the world's other continents. Some of these facts about Europe are newer than others. 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. 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 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). The population within the standard physical geographical boundaries was 701 million in 2005 according to the United Nations. The Holocaust was the mass murder of Jews under the Nazi regime. Biology, Ecology, Earth Science, Geology, Geography, Physical Geography. Topography studies the . If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. Glaciation is the process of land being transformed by glaciers or ice sheets. World War II also left more than 40 million refugees, contributed to the independence of European colonies throughout the world, and devastated the urban infrastructure of many European cities.As a result of the devastation of World War II, Western Europes leadership in global politics diminished. The continent is awash with stunning beaches so its only right that the facts of European geography include its longest beach. Among the continents, Europe is an anomaly. Europe Facts for KS2 Children. 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. To read all future answers to your comment, please bookmark this page. 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 goals of the program are local, regional, and global. Italian fashion is also an important cultural export. The boundary continues to the Caspian Sea, the crest of the Caucasus Mountains (or, less commonly, the river Kura in the Caucasus), and on to the Black Sea. 4. The northern plain contains the old geological continent of Baltica, and so may be regarded as the "main continent", while peripheral highlands and mountainous regions in south and west constitute fragments from various other geological continents. A convenient division is made by a line linking the base of the peninsula of Jutland with the head of the Adriatic Sea. Iceland is usually included in Europe because it is over twice as close to mainland Europe as mainland North America. Updated: 07/28/2022 Table of Contents La Boule measures 7.5 miles and is served by a lovely and ancient seaside town where many of the French elite have holiday homes. Please enable JavaScript. The consensus is, however, that the largest glacier in Europe is the Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland. Europe Europe, second smallest of the world's continents, composed of the westward-projecting peninsulas of Eurasia (the great landmass that it shares with Asia) and occupying nearly one-fifteenth of the world's total land area. Turku officials hope to inspire other European countries to undertake similar projects.Europe also strengthens ties between its diverse peoples and cultures by supporting multilingual education. To contact our editors please use our contact form. In the Pyrenees and the Sierra Nevada of Spain, the highest of the peaks exceed 11,000 feet (3,400 metres). It includes parts of France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Poland, the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), and Belarus.Most of the Great European Plain lies below 152 meters (500 feet) in elevation. Topography describes the physical features of an area of land. But, I agree - the lines are very blurred. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Europe extends from the island nation of Iceland in the west to the Ural Mountains of Russia in the east. It is the continent's second largest island (after Great Britain). The 4,506 sq. 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. You can actually get very close to the falls and safely, thanks to a well maintained hiking trail. 33 forms the majority of the population while 54 are ethnic minorities. The western boundary is the Atlantic Ocean. The name Europe may also come from combining the Greek roots eur- (wide) and -op (seeing) to form the phrase wide-gazing.Europe is often described as a peninsula of peninsulas. A peninsula is a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. By the end of the war, the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires collapsed and broke into a dozen separate nations. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. Many of its events encouraged community involvement and civic engagement. The tallest mountain in Europe is Mount Elbrus in Russia. [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]. As a continent with hugely diverse topography, the geographical facts about Europe are going to be an interesting collection. Actually, geographically Russia and former Soviet republics are Europe and always have been. Population Density188 people per square kilometer, Highest ElevationMount Elbrus, Russia (5,642 meters/18,510 feet), Most Renewable Electricity ProducedIceland (99.9%; hydropower, geothermal), Largest Urban AreaMoscow, Russia (16.2 million people), Largest WatershedVolga River (1.38 million square km/532,821 square miles). Examples of such physiographic features can be found in the Southern Uplands of Scotland, the Massif Central of France, the Meseta Central of Spain, and the Bohemian Massif. The Louvre is the most visited attraction in Europe In this case, the region of Western Europe includes the regions of northern Europe, southern Europe, Central Europe, and the British Isles. The link between these peninsulas has made Europe a dominant economic, social, and cultural force throughout recorded history.Europe's physical geography, environment and resources, and human geography can be considered separately.Europe can be divided into four major physical regions, running from north to south: Western Uplands, North European Plain, Central Uplands, and Alpine Mountains.Western UplandsThe Western Uplands, also known as the Northern Highlands, curve up the western edge of Europe and define the physical landscape of Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, and Denmark), Finland, Iceland, Scotland, Ireland, the Brittany region of France, Spain, and Portugal.The Western Uplands is defined by hard, ancient rock that was shaped by glaciation. 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. Only Oceania has less landmass. 3. The eastward limits now adopted by most geographers exclude the Caucasus region and encompass a small portion of Kazakhstan, where the European boundary formed by the northern Caspian coast is connected to that of the Urals by Kazakhstans Emba River and Mughalzhar (Mugodzhar) Hills, themselves a southern extension of the Urals. The western part of the continent clearly has a high proportion of coastline with good maritime access and often with inland penetration by means of navigable rivers. Slavic-based civilization dominates much of the territory occupied by the former Soviet Union from the Baltic and Black seas to the Pacific Ocean. The climate supports a wide variety of seasonal crops. Associated vegetation and soil forms also show continual variety, but only portions of the dominant woodland that clothed most of the continent when humans first appeared now remain. The European bison (Bison bonasus), the heaviest land animal on the continent, is one of the most threatened species.Beginning in the 20th century, many governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have worked to restore some of Europe's rich biodiversity. 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. 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. Whats the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom? Turkey and Cyprus in particular, while geologically Asian, possess elements of European culture and may be regarded as parts of Europe. The coasts of the northwestern highlandsand in particular the fjords of Norwayinvite maritime enterprise. 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. Ireland: geography and landscape. 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. More than 200 languages are spoken in Europe. The biggest is Lake Ladoga, which covers just under 7,000 square miles and sits close to St. Petersburg. The European Union created a $957 billion rescue package for the EU economy, primarily for countries that had unsustainable debt rates. The city is home to the headquarters of luxury brands such as Valentino, Gucci, Versace, and Prada. 957 billion rescue package for the EU economy, primarily for countries that had unsustainable debt rates usually in. Usually included in Europe is the continent is awash with stunning beaches so its only right the... 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