Europe

:This article is about the continent. For other meanings, see Europe (disambiguation).

Regions in Europe

Main article: Regions of Europe

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Sub-divisions of Europe are highly arbitrary, as little consensus exists on the various definitions that are proposed. No strict geographical conventions exist; the map below represents, however, the most widespread idea of what countries constitute the various regions of the continent. Often the various regions include different countries than those on the map.

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Western Europe (red)

Main article: Western Europe

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Western Europe is always assumed to include: the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, France and the Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg). It usually also includes Germany, though geographically the country may be more central European. In some circumstances, it refers to the entire western half of Europe, including the Iberian Peninsula (Spain, Portugal, Andorra), the Italian peninsula (Italy, San Marino, Vatican City), the Nordic Countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Denmark) and the Alpine Countries (Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria) and Monaco. Used in a historical or political sense (referring to Cold War divisions), this term may even include Greece and Turkey.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - Republic of Ireland - France - Benelux - Belgium - Netherlands - Luxembourg - Germany - Iberian Peninsula - Spain - Portugal - Andorra - Italian peninsula - Italy - Vatican City - Nordic Countries - Sweden - Finland - Iceland - Denmark - Alpine Countries - Switzerland - Liechtenstein - Austria - Monaco - Cold War

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Central Europe (light blue)

Main article: Central Europe

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Central Europe is not perhaps as common a term as Western or Eastern Europe. Most of the countries included in the definition are often labelled Western or Eastern. A definition of Central Europe usually includes the Visegrad Group (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary) and often also the Alpine Countries (Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Slovenia, Germany).

Related Topics:
Visegrad Group - Poland - Alpine Countries

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Eastern Europe (orange)

Main article: Eastern Europe

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Similary to Western Europe, the term Eastern Europe may be used in a strict or broad sense. It includes the European CIS States (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine). The term often includes the Caucasus or Transcaucasian countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia), though these are often also regarded as part of Asia. During the Cold War, the Eastern bloc Communist states that belonged to the Warsaw Pact (Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Baltic states, Poland etc.) were referred to as Eastern Europe. Often the term included the non Soviet-bloc countries of Albania and the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia. In a broader economic/political context, it may also encompass all of the Visegrad Group (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary) and Southeastern Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro).

Related Topics:
European CIS States - Caucasus - Transcaucasian - Asia - Cold War - Eastern bloc - Communist state - Warsaw Pact - Czechoslovakia - Hungary - Baltic states - Poland - Albania - Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia - Visegrad Group - Southeastern Europe

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Northern Europe (purple)

Main article: Northern Europe

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On the map, "Northern Europe" is depicted as only encompassing the Nordic Countries (i.e., "Scandinavia" in the widest sense: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark) and the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). The term Northern Europe does, however, usually cover a much larger area, in fact an arbitrary part of Europe north of the Alps, along with the British Isles (Great Britain and Ireland), the Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg), Northern France, Germany, sometimes Poland, and on occasion even the European part of Russia.

Related Topics:
Nordic Countries - Scandinavia - Baltic States - Alps

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Southern Europe (green)

Main article: Southern Europe

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Southern Europe is a term used in much the same ways as Northern Europe. It includes the Iberian Peninsula (Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra), the Italian Peninsula (Italy, San Marino, Vatican City), Monaco and the Balkan Peninsula (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro). Usually the remaining Mediterranean States (Cyprus, Malta) and Eastern Thrace (in Turkey) are also included. In a cultural sense, southern France (including Corsica) may be included.

Related Topics:
Iberian Peninsula - Italian Peninsula - Balkan Peninsula - Mediterranean States - Eastern Thrace

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Asia (light/dark pink)

Some states have territory lying in both Europe and Asia (Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia). Their Asian territory is coloured light pink. Some states that lie entirely on the Asian continent are considered part of Europe because of cultural and historical reasons (Armenia, Cyprus). They are coloured dark-pink. Azerbaijan's exclave of Nakhchivan is also coloured dark-pink because it is not a continuous extension of Azerbaijan's territory.

Related Topics:
Asia - Exclave - Nakhchivan

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