Summary of the lesson "Countries of Southern Europe. Italy"

Southern Europe is a geographic region, which usually includes countries located on the coast, regardless of their culture and history. Thus, in addition to those powers that are part of the social concept of Europe, the western part of Turkey is often equated with this region, although this issue is still controversial.

Countries in this region

The states that are located in this are well known to everyone, so now we will briefly list them, and also call their capitals:

• Albania - Tirana.
• Serbia - Belgrade.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina - Sarajevo.
• Cyprus - Nicosia.
• Macedonia - Skopje.
• Slovenia - Ljubljana.
• San Marino - San Marino.
• Croatia - Zagreb.
• Portugal - Lisbon.
• Spain Madrid.
• Montenegro - Podgorica.
• Monaco - Monaco.
• Italy Rome.
• Andorra - Andorra la Vella.
• Greece - Athens.
• Vatican - Vatican.
• Malta - Valletta.

In addition to Turkey, there is another "disputed" country that some geographers include in this area - France. However, the majority does not accept this version, based on the fact that the climate in this state is too cold.

Geographical position

The southern part of Europe is conveniently located on the peninsulas, which, with their shores, overlook the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. For example, Spain and Portugal, as well as Andorra, are on Italy, San Marino and the Vatican are on the Apennine, and Greece is on the Balkan. Powers such as Cyprus and Malta do occupy separate islands located in the Mediterranean basin. It is due to the fact that all these countries are facing the waters of this warm sea, the climate here has developed very mild and warm. It is called so - the Mediterranean, and depending on the latitude, the name changes from subtropical to tropical. Southern Europe is a very mountainous area. In its western part, Spain separated from France by the Pyrenees, in the central Alps they pass clearly along the border of Italy, and in the east the Southern Carpathians approach the region.

Territory and population

The diversity of nature, relief, cultures and population, as well as many mysteries and secrets, keeps the historical region of Southern Europe. Its area is 1033 thousand square meters. km., and the total population is over 120 million people. However, it is impossible to say something general about the culture of the entire region. Differences can be traced even in the fact that some countries are too urbanized, while the inhabitants of others prefer to live in villages. For example, in Spain the percentage of urbanization is 91%, in Italy - 72%, and in Portugal - only 48%. Remarkably, almost all of Southern Europe is inhabited by the indigenous inhabitants of this area - Mediterranean Caucasians live here. Many countries have a minimum percentage of natural population growth. Therefore, this race is considered one of the aging on earth.

Local climate and tourism

Everyone knows that the southern cities of Europe are a real magnet for any traveler. Some go here to see the sights, but most people come to the Mediterranean resorts to enjoy the local warmth and sun. The most important thing is that in the summer months it is not stuffy and not sultry here, but simply very warm. The air temperature rises to 28-30 degrees, and the coolness that comes from the sea fills the air with moisture, which makes it much easier to endure the heat. Such well-known resort cities as Genoa, Malaga, Barcelona, ​​Lisbon, Cadiz, Athens, Naples and many others annually attract millions of tourists from all over the world.

Nature and economics

Southern Europe is a rich region. A lot of minerals are concentrated in its bowels - mercury, copper, aluminum, uranium, gas, sulfur, mica and much more. Therefore, it is well developed here. In regions remote from cities, there are numerous farms, in connection with this, most of the rural population of Europe is engaged in animal husbandry. Each of the above countries receives a considerable share of income from tourism. This region is considered one of the most visited in the world, because there are hotels and restaurants for every taste and budget. But nevertheless, agriculture is considered the most important, and most importantly, the most ancient in Southern Europe. Nature decreed that it is here that olives, grapes, citrus fruits, dates, legumes grow best, and, of course, a wide variety of vegetables and fruits.

Conclusion

The region of Southern Europe is not only an attractive and picturesque corner of the world, but also a historically important territory. A significant part of world culture was born here, which later spread to other areas of the planet. The great heritage of Greece and Rome, the barbarism of Gaul and other regions of the Iberian Peninsula - all this came together and became the basis for our current traditions.

List of countries in southern Europe. Tourism: capitals, cities and resorts. Maps of foreign states of the Southern Europe region.

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The sunniest, most cheerful and fertile region of the Old World, Southern Europe seems to have been created by the Creator exclusively for the tireless enjoyment of life. Absolutely everything that the soul and body needs is harmoniously combined in its open spaces: a wonderful climate, a warm sea and wonderful beaches - for any color and texture: pebble, white sand, and rocky, delicious, and most importantly, healthy cuisine, on whose ingredients they acquire a healthy blush even for slender young ladies, a variety of wines (also for every color and taste), and finally - an impressive number of sights and cultural objects, as well as (where without it!) Exciting and, importantly, high-quality shopping. In a word, there would be a desire - to realize anything is possible in Southern Europe.

It is easy to remember the countries of the region by reaffirming the rule: this includes everything related to the “southern shores”, primarily the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

These are the states located on the Iberian and Apennine peninsulas: Portugal, Spain, Andorra and Italy, Vatican, San Marino, respectively, plus the owners of their own access to the sea Monaco and Greece neighboring them, the blessed Mediterranean islands of Malta and Cyprus and the countries of the Balkan Peninsula : Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, etc.

From a tourist point of view, Southern Europe is the most resort region of the “civilized” abroad, without focusing on the Arab surroundings or tropical exoticism. A high-quality beach holiday in a sedately noble European setting with a large share of spiritual food in the form of a rich “excursion”. Among other things, all the conditions for the “exchange of experience” are created here - thanks to a single Schengen visa, it costs nothing to combine a vacation somewhere on the Cote d'Azur with an excursion in the footsteps (and works) of da Vinci or a good time on the Alpine heights. As for the pricing policy, here Southern Europe offers simply massive coverage: if you want, go to the popular Greek resort for a couple of hundred EUR “from the nose”, or if you want, go to the pompous openwork palace on the Croisette. In this sense, South European beaches compare favorably with exotic ones - the shock of all five senses, of course, is not the same, but tourists with any scale of spending can afford to splash around in foreign territorial waters.

Somewhere in the Mediterranean

What else is good about Southern Europe is the climate that is pleasant for the domestic sense of touch. On the one hand, there are no sudden changes in the weather - summers are traditionally hot, winters are moderately cool. On the other hand, the longed-for warmth in the midst of the Russian winter (say, +18 ° C on the Italian "heel" in January) and the real Mediterranean summer, as opposed to the restless northern cyclones - with air trembling from the heat, cicadas torn in every way, piercing blue of the sea and sky and soothing warm evenings somewhere on the terrace of a fish restaurant in Cyprus.

And of course, one cannot fail to mention the mouth-watering dishes of southern European cuisines, the mere sight of which makes even the staunchest adherents of gastronomic asceticism cloud their minds. All these soft cheeses, olives and new wine, juicy tomatoes and fresh greens, a deafening variety of fish and seafood, an Edenic amount of ripe fruits, sweets, cakes and tartlets ... In general, you already understood that in Southern Europe you should definitely go into everything heavy, despite the conventions and despite the treacherously crawling to the next "top ten" arrow of the scales!

Table 4 - Nordic countries

Northern Europe has a favorable economic and geographical position, which is determined by the following traits : demarcation of the countries of the region into Western and Eastern Europe; access to the seas of the Atlantic Ocean: the Baltic, Northern, Norwegian and two seas of the Arctic Ocean - Greenland and Barents; location at the intersection of important sea and air routes from Europe to North America; land proximity to Russia, which offers the prospect of close contacts and a huge sales market, as well as maritime proximity to the Baltic countries, influence their political and economic situation; neighborhood on the southern borders with highly developed EU countries (three countries of the region - Denmark, Sweden and Finland - are members of the EU).

There are many similarities in the historical development, geographical location, language and culture of the peoples of the Nordic countries. All countries are members UN: Denmark, Iceland, Norway - members of NATO; Since 1814, Sweden has adhered to the principle of non-participation (neutrality) in military-political blocs and military conflicts in foreign policy.

Natural conditions and resources. most characteristic feature of the geographical location of the Nordic countries is their location near the sea, which greatly influenced both the nature and the economy of the region. Most of Finnoscandinavia (the area that covers the Scandinavian Peninsula and Finland) is located within the Baltic Shield, so fuel minerals there is no. Stocks oil on the shelf of the North Sea (Norwegian sector) - 1.2 billion tons, natural gas - 1995 billion m 3. Finland has significant peat reserves (25 million tons). Sweden belongs to the most wealthy raw uranium countries in Europe. The crystalline rocks of the Baltic Shield are rich in iron ore with iron content from 25 to 40% (Sweden), copper and lead (Finland).

Mountain rivers are the source hydropower resources . The countries of the region are sufficiently provided with fresh water. The great wealth that is called "green gold" here is forest. Natural and recreational resources very peculiar, especially in Iceland - a country of geysers and active volcanoes, located near the Arctic Circle. Features of the natural resource potential of the Nordic countries led to the development of industries of international specialization in them, in particular those related to the use of marine (shipbuilding, fish processing), forestry (timber processing, pulp and paper industry), mineral resources (fuel and energy, metallurgical industries).

Population.

By peculiarities of population reproduction countries of the region belong to the 1st type. Growth rate of the population are positive, but minimal: from 0.2% (in Denmark) and 0.3% (in Finland) to 1.1% (in Iceland). The region has one of the highest in the world life expectancy : in Sweden - 73 years (men) and 79 years (women), in Iceland - 76 years (men) and 81 years (women). The proportion of children in the total population is constantly decreasing (19%), while the proportion of older people is increasing (16%). In terms of number, women predominate over men (51 and 49%, respectively). The peoples of northern Europe mostly belong to the northern group of the big caucasian race . In the north of Scandinavia, in Lapland, the Saami live, who are classified as transitional. laponoid race, which absorbed elements of the Caucasoid and Mongoloid races.

Ethnic composition largely homogeneous. The inhabitants of the region belong to two large language families - Indo-European and Uralic. By religious signs all countries belong to the Protestant branch of Christianity, dominated by Lutheranism. Traditionally, religion has a significant impact on social and political life, since the countries of Northern Europe belong to the clerical, and only citizens of the Protestant faith have the right to hold public positions in them.

Population placement extremely uneven, which is primarily due to the natural conditions of the region. The average population density is the lowest in Europe - from 10 to 5 people / km 2. Northern Europe - urbanized region , the proportion of the urban population ranges from 63% in Finland to 92% in Iceland. Human Resources make up over 13 million people. The labor resources of the Nordic countries are traditionally characterized by a high level of education and vocational training. Accordingly, the cost of labor is quite high.

Features of economic development and general characteristics of the economy.

The Nordic countries are one of the most economically developed in the world. They formed a special model of socio-economic development (“general welfare society”, the so-called “Scandinavian socialism”), defined by the following traits : high standard of living, lack of sharp contrasts between rich and poor; a significant level of taxes (55% of profits); the average housing area is 400 m 2, Sweden ranks 1st in the world in terms of housing per capita (445 apartments for every 1000 people); 504 cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2 cars per family), up to 500 televisions and 681 telephones; high social security: officially the working week is 40 hours, in practice the average is 37 hours, paid leave is 5 weeks, expenses for children under 16 are paid, loans are provided for apartments.

Highly developed healthcare system: there are an average of 25 doctors per 10,000 people. Low unemployment, which averages 5.3% in the region. The countries of Northern Europe account for about 1% of the population and 3% of the GDP and industrial output of developed countries, but in terms of GDP per capita, they belong to the 15 most developed countries in the world. All countries in the region have a positive increase in production (from 4.8% per year in Finland to 0.7% in Norway) and insignificant indicators of average annual inflation. The Scandinavian countries have a very high standard of living.

With a relatively small population, the Nordic countries are characterized by a high level of industrial development and intensive agriculture. The sectoral structure of their national economies fully corresponds to the modern structure of the economies of other highly developed countries (the share of agriculture and mining in the structure of GNP is from 2 to 4%, only in Iceland it reaches 15% due to the intensive development of fishing and sheep breeding); manufacturing and construction on average for the region account for 28% of GNP; the service sector - 67%, since a shift took place in the structure of the GNP of the Nordic countries, similar to structural changes in the world economy in general: the share of the service sector in the GNP increased, the share of agriculture decreased, and the importance of the latest high-tech industries increased. The share of R&D expenditures in the structure of GDP is constantly increasing and amounts to 3.3% in Sweden, 2.4% in Finland, 1.8% in Denmark and Norway, and 1.4% in Iceland. Sweden has become the world leader in recent years in terms of the share of R&D spending in GDP, ahead of the US (2.5%) and Japan (2.7%), while Finland ranked fifth.

AT MGRT countries of the region represented by individual sectors of the fuel and energy complex (oil and hydropower), non-ferrous metallurgy; aluminum, copper, mechanical engineering (production of ships, automobiles, electrical products and communications), a highly developed timber industry complex (production of sawn timber, pulp, paper), food industries (fish processing, meat processing, dairy and butter and cheese).

AT agriculture Intensive animal husbandry predominates (dairy and beef cattle breeding and pig breeding). In areas located beyond the Arctic Circle, reindeer are bred, and in Iceland and the Faroe Islands, sheep. Agriculture (mainly in the southern regions of the region) is represented by fodder crops; potatoes, sugar beets, wheat, barley and rye are grown. Fishing and maritime merchant shipping have long been of great importance in the life of countries.

Industry.

The countries of the region are dominated by manufacturing industry with a significant share of the power industry, the extraction of minerals and the development of forests (except for Denmark and Iceland). In the world division of labor, the main branches of specialization are energy, metallurgy, timber processing, and mechanical engineering.

Agriculture- one of the most productive sectors of the economy of the countries of the region. Agricultural labor productivity high in all countries. According to statistics, one Danish farmer can feed 150 people (American and English - 60, German and French - up to 40 people). In the region's agriculture, there is a pronounced livestock direction, which accounts for 70-80% of agricultural production. crop production is of secondary importance.

Transport.

The countries of the region and their regions are interconnected (except for Iceland) by all means of transport, which form a complex transport network. Sea transport - main in the region. Railway transport ranks 2nd in terms of cargo turnover and plays a major role in domestic long-distance transport in Sweden and Finland.

Lake transport developed in Sweden and Finland, where the lakes are connected by canals and have access to the sea. Motor transport creates significant competition for rail transport. Air Transport developed, in international air transportation an important role is played by CAC - the association of airlines of the Scandinavian countries. Directly from North Sea offshore platforms underwater pipelines oil is transported to the UK and natural gas to Germany.

The countries of the region are quite active subjects foreign economic relations. They work out 2 % industrial products of developed countries and give 5% of their exports. The main trading partners are the countries of the European Union and the USA. The foreign economic interests of the countries of the region also reach Ukraine: significant volumes of its exports go to Finland and Sweden. Norway and Denmark, and the largest amount of imports to Ukraine - from Finland, Denmark, Sweden. Nordic countries have significant development resources tourist and recreational activities .

Southern Europe includes 8 countries and one dependent territory - Gibraltar (possession of Great Britain) (table). feature region is the location here of the smallest state-the city of the Vatican, whose territory is 44 hectares, and the oldest republic in the world - San Marino

Table 5 - Countries of Southern Europe

Country	Capital	Area, thousand km	Population, million people / km 2	Population density, persons / km 2	GNP per capita, USD (2000)
Andorra	Andorra la Vella	0,467	0,07
Vatican	Vatican	0,00044	0,001		-
Greece	Athens	132,0	10,4
Gibraltar (UK)	Gibraltar	0,006	0,03
Spain	Madrid	504,7	39,2
Italy	Rome	301,3	57,2
Malta	Valletta	0,3	0,37
Portugal	Lisbon	92,3	10,8
San Marino	San Marino	0,061	0,027
Total		1031,1	118,1	Medium - 115	Medium - 175000

important feature of the economic and geographical position of the countries of Southern Europe , located on the peninsulas and islands of the Mediterranean Sea, is that they are all on the main sea routes from Europe to Asia, Africa and Australia, and Spain and Portugal - also to Central and South America. All this, since the time of the great geographical discoveries, has affected the development of the region, the life of the countries of which is closely connected with the sea. No less significant is the fact that the region is located between Central Europe and the Arab countries of North Africa, which have multilateral ties with Europe. The former metropolises of Portugal, Italy and Spain still retain influence on some African countries. All countries (except the Vatican) are members of the UN, the OECD, and the largest are members of NATO and the European Union. Malta is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations led by Great Britain.

Natural conditions and resources.

The region is located on the Mediterranean peninsulas- Iberian, Apennine and Balkan. Only Italy is part of mainland Europe. The Mediterranean Sea largely determined the similarity of the natural conditions of the region. There is an acute shortage of fuel in the region useful fossils. There is almost no oil here, very little natural gas and coal. However, the rich are deposits of various metals, especially colored ones: bauxite(Greece belongs to the top three European leaders), mercury, copper, polymetals(Spain, Italy), tungsten(Portugal). Huge reserves building materials - marble, tufa, granite, cement raw materials, clay.

underdeveloped in southern European countries river network. Large arrays forests survived only in the Pyrenees and the Alps. The average forest cover of the region is 32%. Natural and recreational resources are extremely rich. These are warm seas, many kilometers of sandy beaches, lush vegetation, picturesque landscapes, numerous sea and mountain resorts, as well as areas favorable for mountaineering and skiing, etc. There are 14 national parks in the region. The unique natural resource potential of the region has contributed to the significant development of the agricultural sector and tourism and recreational activities in its countries.

Population.

Traditionally, Southern Europe is characterized by a high birth rate, but the natural population growth is low: from 0.1% per year in Italy to 0.4-0.5% in Greece, Portugal and 0.8% in Malta. Women account for 51% of the region's population. The majority of the population belongs to the southern (Mediterranean) branch of e caucasoid race. During the era of the Roman Empire, most of them were Romanized, and now peoples belonging to the Roman group predominate here. Indo-European language family(Portuguese, Spaniards, Galicians, Catalans, Italians, Sardinians, Romansh). Exception are: Greeks(Greek group of the Indo-European family); Albanians(Albanian group of the Indo-European family), represented in Italy; Gibraltar (Germanic group of the Indo-European family); Maltese(Semitic group of the Semitic-Hamitic language family).

Consider that Maltese is a dialectal form of Arabic; Turks(Turkic group of the Altaic language family) - there are many of them in Greece; Basques(in the rank of a separate family) - live in the historical region of the Basque Country in northern Spain. Composition of the population in the countries of the region is mostly homogeneous. High indicators of mono-ethnicity characteristic of Portugal (99.5% - Portuguese), Italy and Greece (98% of Italians and Greeks, respectively), and only in Spain a significant weight (almost 30%) of national minorities: Catalans (18%), Galicians (8%), Basques (2.5%), etc. Most of the population - Christians . Christianity is represented by two branches: Catholicism(west and center of the region); Orthodoxy(East of the region, Greece). In Southern Europe there is the spiritual and administrative center of the Roman Catholic Church - the Vatican, which exists in the IV century. Part of the Turks, Albanians, Greeks - Muslims.

Population posted uneven. highest density- in fertile valleys and coastal lowlands, the smallest - in the mountains (Alps, Pyrenees), in some areas up to 1 person / km 2. Level urbanization in the region is much lower than in other parts of Europe: only in Spain and Malta, up to 90% of the population lives in cities, and, for example, in Greece and Italy - more than 60%, in Portugal - 36%. Human Resources make up about 51 million people. In general, 30% of the active population is employed in industry, 15% - in agriculture, 53% - in service industry. Recently, many employees from Eastern and South-Eastern Europe come to Southern Europe for the fruit and vegetable harvest season, who cannot find work in their own countries.

Features of economic development and general characteristics of the economy.

The countries of the region still lag economically behind the highly developed states of Europe. Although Portugal, Spain, Greece and Italy are members of the EU, but all of them, except Italy, lag behind the leaders in many socio-economic indicators. Italy is the economic leader of the region, belongs to highly developed industrial and agricultural countries, with a clear trend towards the formation of a post-industrial type of economy. At the same time, contrasts in the development of many industries and production, in the social sphere, in the socio-economic conditions of the North and South, are still significant in the country.

Italy lags behind many highly developed countries in terms of scientific and technological development. Ahead of some countries of Western Europe in terms of net income from tourism, it is inferior to them in terms of the scale and intensity of international trade and credit and financial transactions. Spain. It is the second country in the region in terms of socio-economic development. In the Spanish economy, a significant role is played by the public sector, which accounts for up to 30% of the country's GDP. The state carries out economic programming, controls the railways, the coal industry, a significant part of shipbuilding and ferrous metallurgy.

In the second half of the 80s. XX century. Portugal experienced significant economic growth. The average GDP growth during this period was one of the highest in the EU and amounted to 4.5-4.8% per year, in 2000 the GNP was 159 billion dollars. Greece has a larger GNP than Portugal (181.9 billion in 2000). The country's industry is significantly monopolized by large local and foreign capital (mainly the United States, Germany, France and Switzerland). Up to 200 companies receive over 50% of all profits. Greece has rather high inflation rates for EU countries (3.4% per year). Government measures to reduce it (cutting state subsidies, freezing wages, etc.) predetermine social instability.

AT MGRT countries of the region are represented individual branches of mechanical engineering (production of automobiles, household appliances, technological equipment for the light and food industries), furniture industry, production of building products and equipment, light industry sectors (fruit and vegetable canning, oilseed - production of olive oil, winemaking, pasta, etc.) . Agriculture is dominated by branches of agriculture - the cultivation of various subtropical crops: citrus fruits, wood oils, grapes, vegetables, fruits, essential oil plants, etc.

Due to the insufficient forage base, livestock breeding is dominated by sheep breeding and, in small volumes, beef cattle breeding. The countries of the region are actively developing merchant shipping and ship repair. They are the undisputed leaders in the development of international tourism. Warm sea, Mediterranean climate, rich subtropical vegetation, numerous monuments of ancient culture and architecture are the main factors due to which Southern Europe is a favorite place for recreation and entertainment for many holidaymakers in the world, the largest tourist center.

5. General characteristics of the countries of Eastern (Central) Europe

The countries of Eastern (Central) Europe as a socio-political and economic integrity began to single out in the 90s of the XX century. This is due to the collapse of the former USSR and the socialist system, the formation of independent states. The region covers 10 countries (Table 6).

The economic and geographical position of Eastern Europe is distinguished by the following features:

Land surveying in the west with highly developed countries, and in the east and southeast - with Russia and the countries of Southeast Europe - potential markets for Eastern Europe;

Passage through the region of trans-European transport routes of the meridional and latitudinal directions.

Over the past 10 years in EGP(economic and geographical position) of the region, the following changes:

The collapse of the USSR, the formation of the CIS and new countries;

German unification;

The collapse of Czechoslovakia, as a result of which two independent states were formed: the Czech Republic and Slovakia;

The appearance on the southern borders of "unstable" in relation to the military-political state of the neighbors - the Balkan countries, Yugoslavia.

Southern Europe, as a rule, includes countries on the Mediterranean coast - the countries of the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal, Spain, Andorra), Monaco, the states located on the Apennine Peninsula (Italy, the Vatican, San Marino), Greece, as well as the island states of Malta and Cyprus.

Sometimes Southern Europe also includes Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, southern regions of Ukraine such as Odessa, Kherson and Nikolaev, as well as the European part of Turkey.

The quasi-state formation of the Order of Malta also belongs to Southern Europe (today's territory is only one mansion in Rome and a residence in Malta).

List of countries and their capitals:

• Bosnia and Herzegovina - Sarajevo
• Albania - Tirana
• Cyprus - Nicosia
• Macedonia - Skopje
• San Marino - San Marino
• Serbia - Belgrade
• Slovenia - Ljubljana
• Croatia - Zagreb
• Montenegro - Podgorica
• Portugal - Lisbon
• Spain Madrid
• Andorra - Andorra la Vella
• Monaco - Monaco
• Italy Rome
• Vatican - Vatican
• Greece - Athens
• Malta - Valletta

Geographical position

It is based on the Cenozoic (Apennine, Balkan Peninsula) and Hercynian (Pyrenean Peninsula) folding. The relief of the countries is elevated, there are many minerals: aluminum, polymetallic, copper, mercury (Spain is one of the leaders in the extraction of pyrites and mercury), uranium, iron ores, sulfur, mica, gas.

Climate

Southern Europe is known for its hot climate, rich history and warm Mediterranean waters. The countries of southern Europe border on France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria. Turkey in the east with Syria, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Armenia, Iran, Georgia. In all countries of Southern Europe, a subtropical Mediterranean climate prevails, therefore, warm temperatures of about +24 ° C prevail in summer, and rather cool in winter, about + 8 ° C. Precipitation is sufficient, about 1000-1500 mm per year.

Nature

Southern Europe is almost entirely in the zone of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs, which has survived only on the Mediterranean coast (there was a glacier, and the mountains delayed it, and the trees moved over the mountains). Fauna: roe deer, servals, markhors, foxes, monitor lizards, wolves, badgers, raccoons. Flora : strawberry trees, holm oaks, myrtles, olives, grapes, citrus fruits, magnolia, cypresses, chestnuts, junipers.

Population

High population density, from 100 or more people per km². The predominant religion is Christianity (Catholicism).

The level of urbanization of the countries of Southern Europe: Greece - 59%, Spain - 91%, Italy - 72%, Malta - 89%, Portugal - 48%, San Marino - 48%. The natural increase in these countries is also low: Greece - 0.1 Spain - 0 Italy - (-0.1) Malta - 0.4 Portugal - 0.1 San Marino - 0.4 From which we can conclude that in these countries are also experiencing "nation aging".

Specialization in MGRT

In most countries, the mining industry, agriculture, mountain pasture animal husbandry, the production of machinery and instruments, fabrics, leather, the cultivation of grapes and citrus fruits are widespread. Tourism is very common. Spain ranks second in the world in terms of tourism (France ranks first). The main branch of specialization, in addition to international tourism, is agriculture, in particular, this area is rich in grapes, olives, quite high rates in the cultivation of cereals and legumes (Spain - 22.6 million tons, Italy - 20.8 million tons), and also vegetables and fruits (Spain - 11.5 million tons, Italy - 14.5 million tons). Despite the predominance of agriculture, there are also industrial areas, in particular, the cities of Genoa, Turin and Milan are the main industrial cities of Italy. It should be noted that they are located mainly in the north, closer to the countries of Western Europe.

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If you do not take into account dependent regions and not fully recognized states, then Europe for 2017 covers 44 powers. Each of them has a capital in which not only its administration is located, but also the highest authority, that is, the government of the state.

In contact with

States of Europe

The territory of Europe stretches from east to west for more than 3 thousand kilometers, and from south to north (from the island of Crete to the island of Svalbard) for 5 thousand kilometers. The European powers are, for the most part, comparatively small. With such small sizes of territories and good transport accessibility, these states either closely border on each other or are separated by very small distances.

The European continent is divided territorially into parts:

• western;
• eastern;
• northern;
• southern.

All powers located on the European continent belong to one of these territories.

• There are 11 countries in the western region.
• In the east - 10 (including Russia).
• In the north - 8.
• In the south - 15.

Let's list all the countries of Europe and their capitals. We will divide the list of countries and capitals of Europe into four parts according to the territorial and geographical position of the powers on the world map.

Western

List of states belonging to Western Europe, with a list of main cities:

The states of Western Europe are washed mainly by the currents of the Atlantic Ocean and only in the north of the Scandinavian Peninsula border on the waters of the Arctic Ocean. In general, these are highly developed and prosperous powers. But they are distinguished by an unfavorable demographic situation. This is a low birth rate and a low level of natural growth of inhabitants. In Germany, there is even a decline in population. All this led to the fact that developed Western Europe began to play the role of a subregion in the global system of population migration, it turned into the main center of labor immigration.

Eastern

List of states located in the eastern zone of the European continent and their capitals:

The states of Eastern Europe have a lower level of economic development than their Western neighbors. However, they better preserved cultural and ethnic identity. Eastern Europe is more of a cultural and historical region than a geographical one. The Russian expanses can also be attributed to the eastern territory of Europe. And the geographical center of Eastern Europe is located approximately within Ukraine.

Northern

The list of states that make up northern Europe, including capitals, looks like this:

The territories of the states of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jutland, the Baltic States, the islands of Svalbard and Iceland are included in the northern part of Europe. The population of these regions is only 4% of the entire European composition. Sweden is the largest country in the G8 and Iceland is the smallest. The population density in these lands is less in Europe - 22 people / m 2, and in Iceland - only 3 people / m 2. This is due to the harsh conditions of the climatic zone. But the economic indicators of development distinguish northern Europe as the leader of the entire world economy.

South

And finally, the most numerous list of territories located in the southern part, and the capitals of European states:

The Balkan and Iberian Peninsulas are occupied by these South European powers. Industry is developed here, especially ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. The countries are rich in mineral resources. In agriculture, the main efforts focused on the cultivation of food products, such as:

• grape;
• olives;
• pomegranate;
• dates.

It is known that Spain is the world's leading country in the collection of olives. It is here that 45% of all olive oil in the world is produced. Spain is also famous for its famous artists - Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro.

European Union

The idea of ​​creating a single community of European powers appeared in the middle of the twentieth century, or rather after the Second World War. The official unification of the countries of the European Union (EU) took place only in 1992, when this union was sealed by the legal consent of the parties. Over time, the number of members of the European Union has expanded, and now it includes 28 allies. And states that want to join these prosperous countries will have to prove their compliance with the European foundations and principles of the EU, such as:

• protection of the rights of citizens;
• democracy;
• freedom of trade in a developed economy.

Members of the EU

The European Union for 2017 includes the following states:

There are now applicant countries to join this foreign community. These include:

1. Albania.
2. Serbia.
3. Macedonia.
4. Montenegro.
5. Turkey.

On the map of the European Union, you can clearly see its geography, the countries of Europe and their capitals.

Regulations and prerogatives of EU partners

The EU has a customs policy under which its members can trade with each other without duties and without restrictions. And in relation to other powers, the adopted customs tariff applies. Having common laws, the EU countries created a single market and introduced a single monetary currency - the euro. Many EU member states are part of the so-called Schengen zone, which allows their citizens to move freely through the territory of all allies.

The European Union has common governing bodies for member countries, which include:

• European Court.
• European Parliament.
• European Commission.
• The audit community that controls the EU budget.

Despite unity, the European states that have joined the community have full independence and state sovereignty. Each country uses its own national language and has its own governing bodies. But for all participants there are certain criteria, and they must meet them. For example, coordination of all important political decisions with the European Parliament.

It should be noted that since its founding, only one power has left the European community. It was Danish autonomy - Greenland. In 1985, she was outraged by the low quotas introduced by the European Union for fishing. You can also recall the sensational events in 2016 referendum in the UK, when the population voted to leave the country from the European Union. This suggests that even in such an influential and seemingly stable community, serious problems are brewing.