Europe is one of the two parts of the world that make up the continent of Eurasia. However, due to a number of geographical, cultural, economic and political factors, Europe is further divided into subregions. As we will see later, despite the fact that the studied part of the world is relatively small, the differences between its individual sections are still significant. So, what are the subregions of Europe and what are their features? Let's try to answer these questions.
The history of the division of Europe
Before we begin to study the subregions of Europe, let's delve into history to understand what the geographical zoning of this land area is based on. It should be noted that, unlike most other parts of the world, this is not a separate continent, and therefore does not have clearly defined boundaries. This circumstance led to the fact that the territory, which was included in the geographical concept of “Europe”, had different borders in different historical periods.
Even the ancient Greeks came up with the division of the mainland on which they lived. By Asia they understood Phenicia (present Lebanon) and all the territories that lie east of it, and by Europe - lands west of this country. In the north, the Hellenes drew a border along the Tanais River (present Don).
For the first time, a proposal to divide Europe and Asia along the Ural Range was made in 1720. But even then, the entire Caucasus, including the north, was attributed to Asia. Later, the border began to “slide” all the south. At present, most of the specialists in the entire Caucasus are included in Europe, and the border with Asia is carried out by them along the Ural Mountains and along the Emba River.
Nevertheless, there are territories that some geographers attribute to one part of the world, and others to the opposite. These include Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Israel and Cyprus.
In the period after the Second World War, the division of Europe on a political basis into Western and Eastern was adopted. The structure of the East included the countries of the socialist camp, and the West - all the rest. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the socialist system, the former division into sub-regions of Europe has completely outlived itself. Although other types of zoning existed in the earlier period, they are now being used more and more often.
Modern zoning of Europe
What are the subregions of Europe in the most relevant classification? Currently, the most commonly used division into five main parts:
- Western Europe;
- Central Europe;
- Northern Europe;
- Southern Europe;
- Eastern Europe.
In the future, we will talk about each of these parts in more detail, having studied, in turn, their grouping into lower-level geographical units.
Zoning of Western Europe
Currently, Western Europe includes countries such as Germany, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco, Andorra, and the Netherlands. Although purely from a geographical point of view, Germany would nevertheless be more correctly attributed to the Center, but regionalization also takes into account economic and political factors. Sometimes Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein are included in the same category, although they can often be found also included in Central Europe. In addition, the UK and Ireland are sometimes included in the North.
What are the subregions of Western Europe? Here, a separate group stands out France, Monaco and Andorra. This is due not only to the neighborhood, but also to the fact that France presents these dwarf states at the international level, including the UN.
Great Britain and Ireland represent separately the subregions of Foreign Europe. No matter where they are included, in the North or West of the continent, these countries are united together. This group of states can be called the British, or Island, subregion. This community is justified not only by geographical proximity, but also by the long path of joint historical development.
Another subregion of Western Europe is the Benelux countries. From the abbreviation it is not difficult to understand that this group consists of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. These are also countries of the same cultural and historical community, moreover, they are currently united in an economic union.
The last state, which is individually included in the subregions and countries of Foreign Europe, is Germany. However, in cases where Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria are referred to Western Europe, they are combined with Germany in one group. This is facilitated by geographical and cultural proximity, because in all these countries, the majority of the population speaks German.
Central Europe
Zoning of Central Europe is the most difficult. This is due to the fact that in different versions a lot of countries can be included both in this subregion and in almost all neighboring ones. The following countries are traditionally considered to be attributed to Central Europe : Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Often, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and sometimes even Germany, are also included here. In addition, some experts attribute the Baltic countries (Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania) to Central Europe, although most still see them as an integral part of the North.
This region can be conditionally divided into two subregions: East Central European (Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania) and Balkan (or Yugoslav), which include the countries of the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia). Geographically, Romania can also be included in the last group of states, but for economic and political reasons, this country still more often belongs to the East-Central European subregion.
Southern Europe
The subregions of southern Europe can be divided into three complexes: the Pyrenees, Apennines and Balkans.
The first group includes Spain, Portugal, as well as Gibraltar, which is a British overseas territory, but at the same time having the attributes of statehood. In addition, Andorra is sometimes included in the same group, although it belongs to Western Europe by other specialists.
The whole of Italy enters the Apennine subregion, as well as the dwarf states surrounded by its territory - San Marino and the Vatican. In addition, Malta is most often included here, since this island country is closest to the Apennine Peninsula.
The Balkan subregion of Southern Europe includes Bulgaria, Albania and Greece. This also includes the European part of Turkey along with Istanbul. Sometimes the island of Cyprus is also included here, due to its cultural proximity to Greece, but by most geographers it is still regarded as part of Asia.
Division into subregions of Northern Europe
Subregions of Northern Europe also suggest dividing into parts. This includes Fennoscandia, the Baltic states and island Northern Europe.
Fennoscandia includes Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The last two countries also separate into the Scandinavian subregion proper, since only they are geographically located on the peninsula of the same name.
The Baltic countries are Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Island Northern Europe is Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The Faroes are a possession of Denmark with a certain independence.
Eastern European countries
We have studied the subregions of Foreign Europe, now it is time to turn to the territories that were once part of the USSR. If during the Cold War, all the countries of the socialist camp belonged to Eastern Europe, including Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania, which now belong to Central Europe, now now the post-Soviet states are exclusively included in this region.
Conventionally, the subregions of Eastern Europe can be divided into two large groups: Slavic and Caucasian. The first group includes Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, as well as Moldova. Although the latter is dominated by a population of not Slavic but Romance origin, which, however, only confirms the convention of the name of this group of countries.
The countries of the Caucasian group for the most part are not completely, but only partially located in the territory of geographical Europe. Some experts generally relate them to Asia. These states are Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, as well as partially recognized republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Kazakhstan stands apart, its lands east of the Emba River are also Europe, but their relative weight is relatively small relative to the total area of the country.
UN classification
In addition, there is an official UN classification of European regions. It differs from the above in that it divides the mainland not into five parts, but into four: North, West, South and East. However, this grouping cannot be called one that takes into account all the features of the development of the region.
According to this classification, the countries we referred to Central Europe above are divided between Western, Southern and Eastern. Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein belong to the West, and all other states, except the countries of Yugoslavia, belong to the East. Bulgaria also belongs to Eastern Europe. The states of the former Yugoslavia are assigned to the South.
WTO classification
The World Tourism Organization has its own classification. In many ways, it resembles the UN classification. True, instead of Eastern Europe, a similar group is called Central-Eastern Europe.
The main difference from the UN classification is that the Baltic countries were transferred to the group of Central-Eastern Europe from the North, and the former Yugoslav republics from the South.
The value of classifications
Of course, various classifications cannot influence the existing state of affairs in any way. They only allow you to streamline the list of states for more convenient work with it.
At the same time, one should not forget that such classifications are eternal, since they rely not only on the geographical factor, but also on the economic and political one, which can change. In addition, generally accepted grouping criteria may change over time.