Category World Atlas

The Balkans, which makes up most of south-east Europe, are lands of rugged mountains and deep valleys. Winters are cold, but cotton, tobacco and grapes can be grown in the warm summers. Several of these countries were once part of Yugoslavia. The creation of new borders, as well as clashes between ethnic groups, has led to conflict.

Greece is one of the oldest nations in Europe. As a mountainous country, farming space is limited, and its olive groves and vineyards are scattered along the hillsides. Greece has many islands, and a large part of its economy relies on a large shipping industry and tourism.

Turkey is split between Europe and Asia by a narrow stretch of water called the Bosporus. Turkey’s coasts are warm, but the dry grasslands of its interior can be bitterly cold in winter. Turkey is famous for its craft industry, especially carpets and pottery. Its Mediterranean coastline and ancient sites also make it a popular tourist destination.

Much of central and Eastern Europe is flat, low-lying land. A large part of this is given over to farming, but native forest still remains in upland areas, where elk, wolves and bison roam. The northern part of this region has warm summers but cold winters. Crops such as potatoes and cereals are grown, and animals are farmed for their milk and meat.

Heavy industries such as mining, metal-working, car production and glass-making are important for the economy of Poland. Pollution from the burning of coal to produce electricity, and from factories and cars, threatens the environment.

In the south, the forested Sudetes and Carpathian Mountain ranges rim the Czech Republic and cover much of Slovakia. Cereals, root vegetables and livestock are farmed in the valleys. The fertile lowlands of Hungary are scattered with orchards and vineyards. All three countries have vehicle, chemical and textile industries.

The undulating lowlands of the Ukraine with their fertile “black earth” have long been intensively cultivated. There are fields of wheat, barley, sugar beet and sunflowers. Manufacturing is concentrated in the Ukraine’s southeastern cities.

The borders of Central and Eastern Europe have changed many times over the years. Until recently, many countries were controlled by, or were part of the former Soviet Union. They are now independent, and grow in prosperity.

Surrounded on three sides by the Mediterranean Sea, Italy is shaped like a boot about to kick a stone – the island of Sicily. The Alps, including the jagged, limestone Dolomites, form the border in the north. Running the length of the boot down to the toe are the thickly-wooded Apennines. Both Sicily and Sardinia are rugged, hilly islands.

Italy also has three active volcanoes: Vesuvius, Stromboli and Etna. In AD 79, Vesuvius erupted, burying the town of Pompeii. The remains of a great Roman civilization have since been uncovered.

Northern Italy is more prosperous than the south, Sicily and Sardinia. There are major industrial cities such as Milan and Turin, vineyards, and fields of wheat, maize and tomatoes.

The Vatican City, which lies within the city of Rome, is the smallest independent state in the world. It is home to the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church.

Picture Credit : Google

The Iberian Peninsula, divided between the countries of Spain and Portugal, is separated from the rest of Europe by the Pyrenees Mountains. The core of the peninsula is a plateau called the Meseta, a landscape of plains crossed by several mountain ranges.

Spain has four official languages – Galician, Catalan, Basque as well as Spanish -and several dialects. The north of the country, Spain’s industrial heartland, is cooler and wetter. Central Spain is much drier. Large areas are barren or given over to rough pasture for sheep and goats. Tourist resorts have grown up along the Mediterranean coast. Andalucía is famous for bull-fighting, sherry, orange trees and flamenco dancers.

Portugal has long held close ties with the sea. Famous for its explorers, Portuguese sailors founded colonies in Africa, Asia and America more than 500 years ago. Today, farming and fishing are among the main industries – supplying the world with anchovies, sardines, shellfish, cork and port, a sweet wine produced in the region near Porto. Along the drier south coast is the Algarve, popular with tourists.

Picture Credit : Google