Southern Europe


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The term Southern Europe, at its most general definition, is used to mean "all countries in the south of Europe". However, the concept, at different times, has had different meanings, providing additional political, linguistic and cultural context to the definition in addition to the typical geographical, phytogeographic or climatic approach. Most Southern European countries border the Mediterranean Sea.

Contents

Geographical definition

Geo-Political Southern Europe
Mathematical Southern Europe

Geographically, Southern Europe is the southern half of the landmass of Europe. This definition is relative, with no clear limits. The Alps and Massif Central mountains constitute a physical barrier between Italy and France and the rest of Europe.[clarification needed]

Countries geographically considered part of Southern Europe include:

Iberian Peninsula

Southern France

  •  France (not including the North, Alpine and Atlantic parts but including: Corsica)
  •  Monaco

Italian Peninsula

Balkan Peninsula

Other

Political definition

Southern Europe as defined by the United Nations (marked green):      Northern Europe      Western Europe      Eastern Europe      Southern Europe

For its official works and publications, the United Nations Organization groups countries under a classification of regions. Southern Europe, as defined by the United Nations (the sub-regions according to the UN), comprises the following countries and territories:

Climatical definition

This map shows the areas of Europe with a Mediterranean climate.

Southern Europe's climate is that of the Mediterranean climate, which has become a typically known characteristic of the area.

The area presents similar landscapes throughout, including:

  • dry hills
  • small plains
  • pine forests
  • olive trees

The area which is considered climatically Southern Europe is:

Phytogeographical definition

The European floristic regions

Southern Europe's flora is that of the Mediterranean Region, one of the phytochoria recognized by Armen Takhtajan. The Mediterranean and Submediterranean climate regions in Europe comprise the following countries and territories:[2]

Linguistic Southern Europe

Linguistic map of Southern Europe. Latin Europe in blue; South Slavic countries, Albania, and Greece in green.

Countries of Southern Europe by main national language(s):

Romance languages

South Slavic languages

Greek language

Germanic languages

Albanian language

Semitic languages

Turkic languages

Notes

  1. ^ World Factbook
  2. ^ Wolfgang Frey and Rainer Lösch; Lehrbuch der Geobotanik. Pflanze und Vegetation in Raum und Zeit. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, München 2004
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