# Southern Europe > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Southern_Europe > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Southern_Europe.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Europe > Source revision: 1357212963 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Southern region of Europe}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}} [[File:Mediterranean Sea 16.61811E 38.99124N.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|The geographical and ethno-cultural borders of southern Europe are the [Pyrenees](/source/Pyrenees), the [Alps](/source/Alps), and the [Balkan Mountains](/source/Balkan_Mountains) to the north and the [Mediterranean Sea](/source/Mediterranean_Sea) to the south.]] '''Southern Europe''' is a loosely defined region of [Europe](/source/Europe). It is also known as '''Mediterranean Europe''', as its geography is marked by the [Mediterranean Sea](/source/Mediterranean_Sea). Southern Europe is focused on the three peninsulas located in the extreme south of the European continent. These are the [Iberian Peninsula](/source/Iberian_Peninsula), the [Italian Peninsula](/source/Italian_Peninsula), and the [Balkan Peninsula](/source/Balkans). These peninsulas are separated from the rest of Europe by towering mountain ranges, respectively by the [Pyrenees](/source/Pyrenees), the [Alps](/source/Alps) and the [Balkan Mountains](/source/Balkan_Mountains). The location of these three peninsulas in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, as well as their mountainous reliefs, provide them with very different types of climates (mainly [subtropical](/source/subtropics) [Mediterranean](/source/Mediterranean_climate)) from the rest of the continent. Moreover, these mountains have acted as a barrier to population movement and cultural exchange, rendering both the climate and cultures distinct from those of the rest of Europe. Different other methods can be used to define southern Europe, including its [political](/source/politics), [economic](/source/economy), [historical](/source/history), and [cultural](/source/culture) attributes.{{cite book|author1=Trudy Ring|author2=Noelle Watson|author3=Paul Schellinger|title=Southern Europe: International Dictionary of Historic Places|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fYH7AQAAQBAJ|date=5 November 2013|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-134-25965-6}}{{cite book|author1=José María Magone|author2=Magone, José María Magone|title=The Politics of Southern Europe: Integration Into the European Union|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KOj2BwVxczUC&pg=PA292|year=2003|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-97787-0|pages=292–}}{{cite book|title=Europe, Southern: Italy, Cyprus, Greece, European Turkey: Selected References|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IZgyAQAAIAAJ|year=1992|publisher=Air University Library}}[https://books.google.com/books?id=1t2CAgAAQBAJ&lpg=PA210 Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology], Alan Barnard and Jonathan Spence. Retrieved 10 October 2015.[https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-countries-make-up-southern-europe.html Which Countries Make Up Southern Europe?] WorldAtlas{{cite web|url=https://www.fao.org/3/Y1997e/y1997e0z.htm |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 - Chapter 30. Southern Europe |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |date=2000 |access-date=2021-11-26}} Culturally, Southern Europe is predominantly [Romance-speaking](/source/Romance_languages) and Roman Catholic. Politically, nine of the southern European countries form the [EU Med Group](/source/EU_Med_Group). Southern Europe also loosely corresponds to the European part of the [Mediterranean Basin](/source/Mediterranean_Basin). Southern Europe has been shaped by a long and complex history rooted in the [Mediterranean world](/source/Mediterranean_world). Early civilizations such as the [Phoenicians](/source/Phoenicians) established extensive trade networks that linked the region’s coasts and islands. [Ancient Greece](/source/Ancient_Greece) and [Rome](/source/Ancient_Rome) later integrated much of Southern Europe into a shared classical framework constituting the base of [European civilization](/source/Western_culture). During the Middle Ages, Southern Europe experienced centuries of political fragmentation and external invasions. The Renaissance and the [Age of Discovery](/source/Age_of_Discovery) expanded Southern Europe’s influence and global connections, in particular to [Latin America](/source/Latin_America). From the late modern period onward, however, Southern Europe generally lagged behind northern Europe in industrialization and economic development, remaining more agrarian and subject to political instability. This gap persisted into the 20th century, despite later industrial growth and modernization driven by state intervention and European integration. == Geography == {{Further|Iberian Peninsula|Italian geographic region|Southeast Europe}} Geographically, southern Europe is the southern portion of the [Europe](/source/Europe)an continent. This definition is relative, although largely based on history, culture, [climate](/source/climate), and flora, which is shared across the region. Southern Europe is primarily shaped by the [Mediterranean Sea](/source/Mediterranean_Sea), while also encompassing territories bordering the [Atlantic Ocean](/source/Atlantic_Ocean) to the west and the [Black Sea](/source/Black_Sea) to the east, as well as inland regions, often mountainous in character. Southern Europe can be subdivided into three geographically separate [subregions](/source/Subregion):{{cite book |author=Robert E. Dickinson |date=1969 |title=The Makers of Modern Geography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1yXJBQAAQBAJ |publisher=[Routledge](/source/Routledge) Library Editions: Social and Cultural Geography |page=16 |isbn= 9781317907336|quote=Other German writers of this period [such as [August Zeune](/source/August_Zeune)] also believed that geographical study should have its basis in natural rather than in political units. [...] He divided Europe into its major divisions. Southern Europe falls into three units — the Pyrenean, Alpine, and Balkan peninsulas.}}{{cite book | url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/3_dimensional_Earth/vM-PudEOSEIC | title=3-dimensional Earth | publisher=[Barnes & Noble Books](/source/Barnes_%26_Noble_Books) | author=Connolly, Sean | year=2000 | pages=20 | quote=Southern Europe, bordering the Mediterranean, is mainly mountainous and dry. Great mountain ranges, including the Pyrenees, Alps, and Balkans, separate this southern region from the rest of the continent.}}{{cite web |url=https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/europe-physical-geography/ |title=Europe: Physical Geography |date=4 January 2012 |publisher=[National Geographic Society](/source/National_Geographic_Society) |access-date=8 February 2026 |quote=Europe's main peninsulas are the Iberian, Italian, and Balkan, located in southern Europe}} *The westernmost region (Southwest Europe), which consists mainly of the [Iberian Peninsula](/source/Iberian_Peninsula), separated from the rest of Europe by the [Pyrenees](/source/Pyrenees), a mountain range forming a nearly straight line from the Atlantic Ocean to the western Mediterranean Sea.{{cite book | url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Birds_of_the_Iberian_Peninsula/BgIzBgAAQBAJ | title=The Birds of the Iberian Peninsula | publisher=[Bloomsbury Publishing](/source/Bloomsbury_Publishing) | author1=de Juana, Eduardo | author2=Garcia, Ernest | year=2015 | pages=10 | quote=The Pyrenees provide a clear boundary, and a significant biological barrier, between the Peninsula and the rest of Europe. They run for over 450km southeastwards from the Basque coastlands at the southeastern corner of the Bay of Biscay [Atlantic] across Navarra and Aragón to approach the Mediterranean in Catalonia.}} It also consists of the [Balearic Islands](/source/Balearic_Islands). The region is shared by five countries: ** [Andorra](/source/Andorra) ** [Portugal](/source/Portugal) (mainland) ** [Spain](/source/Spain) (mainland and Balearic Islands) ** Part of [France](/source/France): [Cerdagne](/source/French_Cerdagne) in the [Pyrénées-Orientales](/source/Pyr%C3%A9n%C3%A9es-Orientales){{NoteTag|Located in the [Ebro Basin](/source/Ebro) of the Iberian Peninsula. France as a whole is usually defined as a [Western Europe](/source/Western_Europe)an country.}} ** Part of the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom): [Gibraltar](/source/Gibraltar){{NoteTag|A [British Overseas Territory](/source/British_Overseas_Territories).|name="Gibraltar"}} *The most central region, which consists mainly of the [Italian Peninsula,Italic Peninsula](/source/Italian_geographic_region),{{NoteTag|If the smaller [Apennine Peninsula](/source/Apennine_Peninsula) (bordered by the [Apennines](/source/Apennines)) is considered, then the region excludes most of Northern Italy and the southern slopes of the Alps}}{{NoteTag|Most of the Italian Peninsula is on the [Eurasian Plate](/source/Eurasian_Plate), while some parts such as [Apulia](/source/Apulia) are on the [Adriatic Plate](/source/Adriatic_Plate). [Pantelleria](/source/Pantelleria), the [Pelagian Islands](/source/Pelagian_Islands), and some parts of [Sicily](/source/Sicily) are located on the [African Plate](/source/African_Plate), near the boundary between the African Plate and the [Eurasian Plate](/source/Eurasian_Plate).{{Cite web|url=https://africa-arabia-plate.weebly.com/ |title=African & Arabian Tectonic Plates |author=Taylor Combaluzier |publisher=[McGill University](/source/McGill_University), Montréal |access-date=18 June 2022}}}} separated from the rest of Europe by the [Alps](/source/Alps), a mountain range forming an arc from the western Mediterranean Sea to the [Adriatic Sea](/source/Adriatic_Sea).{{cite book | url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Western_Europe_2003/M9QYndAPmuQC | title=Western Europe 2003 | publisher=[Taylor & Francis Group](/source/Taylor_%26_Francis_Group) | author=Europa Publications | year=2002 | pages=357 | quote=Mainland Italy comprises a long peninsula, which stretches from the Alps, along the borders with France to the north-west, Switzerland and Austria to the north and Slovenia to the north-east, south into the Mediterranean Sea.}} It also consists of the islands of [Sicily](/source/Sicily), [Sardinia](/source/Sardinia), [Corsica](/source/Corsica) and [Malta](/source/Malta). The region is shared by nine countries: ** [Italy](/source/Italy){{NoteTag|The [United Nations geoscheme](/source/United_Nations_geoscheme) includes Italy as a whole in southern Europe, although [its northernmost regions](/source/Northern_Italy) are sometimes associated with [Central Europe](/source/Central_Europe).{{cite journal|access-date=29 January 2026|first=Peter|last=Jordan|journal=Europa Regional|year=2005|title=Großgliederung Europas nach kulturräumlichen Kriterien|trans-title=The large-scale division of Europe according to cultural-spatial criteria|volume=13|issue=4|pages=162–173|publisher=Leibniz-Institut für Länderkunde (IfL) |location=Leipzig|via=Ständiger Ausschuss für geographische Namen (StAGN)|url=http://www.stagn.de/DE/1_Der_StAGN/Publikationen/StAGN_GGEuropa/grosseu_node.html}}|name="Italy"}} ** [Malta](/source/Malta){{NoteTag|Malta is located about halfway between mainland Europe and Africa.{{cite book | url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mediterranean_Wines_of_Place/i1HcDwAAQBAJ | title=Mediterranean Wines of Place | publisher=Lockwood Press | author=Leonard, Albert Leonard | year=2020 | pages=79}} In [geology](/source/geology), the Maltese Islands is located on the [African Plate](/source/African_Plate). The island group lies approx. 200 km south of the boundary between the African Plate and the [Eurasian Plate](/source/Eurasian_Plate).{{Cite journal|url=http://www.annalsofgeophysics.eu/index.php/annals/article/viewFile/3053/3096 |title=Seismic history of the Maltese Islands and considerations on seismic risk: Earthquakes in Malta |last=Galea |first=Pauline |year=2007 |journal=Annals of Geophysics |volume=50|issue=6|pages=725–740|access-date=5 June 2015}} In [political geography](/source/political_geography), Malta is considered a European country. The [United Nations geoscheme](/source/United_Nations_geoscheme) includes Malta in Southern Europe.|name="Malta"}} ** [Monaco](/source/Monaco){{NoteTag|Sometimes included. The [United Nations geoscheme](/source/United_Nations_geoscheme) includes Monaco in [Western Europe](/source/Western_Europe).|name="Monaco"}} ** [San Marino](/source/San_Marino) ** [Vatican City](/source/Vatican_City) ** Part of [Croatia](/source/Croatia): [Istria County](/source/Istria_County) ** Part of [France](/source/France): [Alpes-Maritimes](/source/Alpes-Maritimes) and [Corsica](/source/Corsica){{NoteTag|The [United Nations geoscheme](/source/United_Nations_geoscheme) includes France as a whole in [Western Europe](/source/Western_Europe).|name="Metropolitan France"}} ** Part of [Slovenia](/source/Slovenia): municipalities of [Ankaran](/source/Municipality_of_Ankaran), [Izola](/source/Municipality_of_Izola), [Koper](/source/Municipality_of_Koper) and [Piran](/source/Municipality_of_Piran) ** Part of [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland): [Ticino](/source/Ticino){{NoteTag|Located in the [Po Basin](/source/Po_(river)) on the south side of the Alps.{{cite book |author=James Redfern |date=1971 |title=A Lexical Study of Raeto-Romance and Contiguous Italian Dialect Areas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m5RsDwAAQBAJ |publisher=[Mouton Publishers](/source/Mouton_Publishers) |page=38 |isbn= 9783110824841|quote=The canton of the Ticino marks the geographic descent from high Alps to plain and is, therefore, a land of climatic as well as linguistic transition, where heat and abundant moisture favor almonds, figs, and all the fruits common to southern Europe, except the olive.}}{{cite book |author=[OECD](/source/OECD) |date=2002 |title=OECD Territorial Reviews: Switzerland 2002 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=soDWAgAAQBAJ |publisher=OECD Publishing |page=80 |isbn= 9789264160651|quote=The Regio Insubrica spreads over three Italian provinces (Verbano-Cusio Ossola, Varese, Como) and the Swiss canton of Ticino. The national border cuts across a culturally and geographically homogenous territory. The region is peripheral for both countries, but it is an essential pole of communication between Northern and Southern Europe.}} Switzerland as a whole is usually considered a [Western](/source/Western_Europe) or [Central Europe](/source/Central_Europe)an country.|name="Switzerland"}} *The easternmost region ([Southeast Europe](/source/Southeast_Europe)), a loosely defined region which consists mainly of the [Balkans](/source/Balkans), the peninsula between the Adriatic, [Aegean](/source/Aegean_Sea) and Black Sea, with the [Danube](/source/Danube) forming part of its northern border, rather than the [Balkan Mountains](/source/Balkan_Mountains) themselves (to the south).{{cite journal | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363919402_Plant_phylogeography_of_the_Balkan_Peninsula_spatiotemporal_patterns_and_processes | title=Plant phylogeography of the Balkan Peninsula: spatiotemporal patterns and processes | author1=Španiel, Stanislav | author2= Rešetnik, Ivana | journal=Plant Systematics and Evolution | year=2022 | volume=308 | issue=5 |quote=The Balkan Peninsula is circumscribed by the Adriatic, Ionian, Cretan, Aegean, Marmara and Black Seas, whereas its northern continental boundaries follow the Soča-Sava-Danube river line}} It also consists of numerous islands [in the Adriatic](/source/List_of_islands_in_the_Adriatic) and [in the Aegean Sea](/source/Aegean_Islands) (notably [Crete](/source/Crete)). The region is shared by a dozen of countries: ** [Albania](/source/Albania) ** [Bosnia and Herzegovina](/source/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina) ** [Bulgaria](/source/Bulgaria){{NoteTag|Often included. The [United Nations geoscheme](/source/United_Nations_geoscheme) includes Bulgaria in [Eastern Europe](/source/Eastern_Europe).|name="Bulgaria"}} ** [Croatia](/source/Croatia) ** [Greece](/source/Greece){{NoteTag|Some [Greek offshore islands](/source/list_of_islands_of_Greece) near [Asia Minor](/source/Anatolia) are considered parts of Asia in [physical geography](/source/physical_geography).|name="Greek islands"}} ** [Kosovo](/source/Kosovo) ** [Montenegro](/source/Montenegro) ** [North Macedonia](/source/North_Macedonia) ** [Serbia](/source/Serbia){{NoteTag|Excepting the province of [Vojvodina](/source/Vojvodina)}} ** Part of [Romania](/source/Romania): [Northern Dobruja](/source/Northern_Dobruja){{NoteTag|Sometimes included. The [United Nations geoscheme](/source/United_Nations_geoscheme) includes Romania in [Eastern Europe](/source/Eastern_Europe).|name="Romania"}} ** Part of [Slovenia](/source/Slovenia): [southernmost part](/source/municipalities_of_Slovenia) ** Part of [Turkey](/source/Turkey): [East Thrace](/source/East_Thrace){{NoteTag|The European part of [Turkey](/source/Turkey).|name="Turkey"}} Additionally, several other countries are politically or culturally associated with Southern Europe without being geographically part of it. These include [Cyprus](/source/Cyprus) (an island south of the [Anatolian Peninsula](/source/Anatolian_Peninsula)),{{NoteTag|Geographically a part of Asia, considered a European country in [political geography](/source/political_geography). The [United Nations geoscheme](/source/United_Nations_geoscheme) includes Cyprus in [Western Asia](/source/Western_Asia).|name="Cyprus"}} and [Moldova](/source/Moldova) (along with the remaining part of Romania, north of the Balkan Peninsula).{{NoteTag|Occasionally included. The [United Nations geoscheme](/source/United_Nations_geoscheme) includes Moldova in [Eastern Europe](/source/Eastern_Europe).|name="Moldova"}} Further east, the coastal regions of the Black Sea and the [Caspian Sea](/source/Caspian_Sea) constitute the southernmost regions of [Eastern Europe](/source/Eastern_Europe),{{cite book | url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Environment_Culture_and_Subsistence_of_H/e_XIDwAAQBAJ | title=Environment, Culture and Subsistence of Humans in the Caucasus between 40,000 and 10,000 Years Ago | publisher=[Cambridge Scholars Publishing](/source/Cambridge_Scholars_Publishing) | author=Doronichev, Vladimir B. | year=2019 | pages=xv}}{{NoteTag|At latitudes similar to those of central and northern Italy}} although they fall outside the core definitions of Southern Europe. [Punta de Tarifa](/source/Punta_de_Tarifa), in Spain, constitutes the southernmost point of the European continent. [Gavdos](/source/Gavdos), in Greece, is the southernmost European island.{{cite book | url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Degrowth_in_Tourism/llloDwAAQBAJ | title=Degrowth in Tourism: Conceptual, Theoretical and Philosophical Issues | publisher=CABI | author=Andriotis, Konstantinos | year=2018 | pages=131}} España y Portugal.jpg|Satellite image of the Iberian Peninsula Satellite image of Italy in March 2003.jpg|Satellite image of the Italian Peninsula Wildfires Balkans July 2007-NASA.jpg|Satellite image of the Balkan Peninsula The division of Europe by cardinal directions.Center of Europe near Vilnius. Caucasus border.png|The division of Europe into the [cardinal directions](/source/cardinal_directions) from the [geographical midpoint of Europe](/source/geographical_midpoint_of_Europe) in Lithuania. The south is yellow. ==Climate== [[File:Europe Köppen Map.png|thumb|upright=1.25|European climate. Note the high diversity of [Köppen-Geiger climates](/source/K%C3%B6ppen-Geiger_climate_classification) in the southern regions.]] Southern Europe's most emblematic [climate](/source/climate) is the [Mediterranean climate](/source/Mediterranean_climate), influenced by the large subtropical semi-permanent centre of high atmospheric pressure found, not in the Mediterranean itself, but in the Atlantic Ocean, the [Azores High](/source/Azores_High). The Mediterranean climate covers [Portugal](/source/Portugal), [Spain](/source/Spain), [Italy](/source/Italy), the southern coast of [France](/source/Southern_France), coastal [Croatia](/source/Croatia), coastal [Slovenia](/source/Slovenia), southern [Bosnia and Herzegovina](/source/Herzegovina), [Montenegro](/source/Montenegro), [Albania](/source/Albania), and [Greece](/source/Greece), as well as the Mediterranean islands. Those areas of Mediterranean climate present similar vegetation and landscapes throughout, including dry hills, small plains, [pine](/source/pine) forests, and [olive](/source/olive) trees. Cooler climates can be found in certain parts of southern European countries, for example, within the mountain ranges of Spain and Italy. Additionally, the north coast of Spain experiences a wetter Atlantic climate. In the highest regions of the Alps, which border southern Europe, even an ice cap climate can be found.{{NoteTag|The highest mountain of Italy is [Mont Blanc](/source/Mont_Blanc) (4,810 m)}} Some parts of southern Europe have humid subtropical climates with warm and wet summers, unlike typical Mediterranean climates. This climate is mainly found in Italy and Croatia around the [Adriatic Sea](/source/Adriatic_Sea) in cities such as [Venice](/source/Venice) and [Trieste](/source/Trieste), but also further north, near the Alpine foothills, in cities such as [Como](/source/Como) and [Lugano](/source/Lugano). The high mountains of the Alps and the Pyrenees act as a significant [climatic barrier](/source/Mountain_range). An example is the [Sirocco](/source/Sirocco), a hot wind that originates in the heart of the [Sahara](/source/Sahara) and blows over Italy as far as the interior of the Alpine arc (the [Po Valley](/source/Po_Valley)), where it is prevented from spreading to the rest of Europe. Conversely, the Alps and the Pyrenees protect the Italian and Iberian peninsulas from the rain and icy winds coming from southern France, such as the [Mistral](/source/Mistral_(wind)) and the [Tramontane](/source/Tramontane). When the Mistral and the Tramontane are blowing, they provoke an [upwelling](/source/upwelling) phenomenon along the French coast: surface waters are pushed offshore, allowing deeper, cooler waters to rise to the surface near the shore. Consequently, water temperatures along the French coast remain very cool even in summer and are not representative of the rest of the Mediterranean.{{cite web|url=https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2012/07/Mediterranean_sea-surface_temperature |title= Mediterranean sea-surface temperature |publisher=ESA |date= 2012 |access-date=2021-11-19}}{{cite web|title=Fig. 3.a: Sea surface temperature of the Mediterranean Sea (water masses and physical processes). |work=The coastal dimension of maritime spatial planning |url=https://www.researchgate.net/figure/a-Sea-surface-temperature-of-the-Mediterranean-Sea-water-masses-and-physical_fig3_290100465|access-date=2021-09-04|date= January 2011 |first1=Vittorio |last1=Barale |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423020220/https://www.researchgate.net/figure/a-Sea-surface-temperature-of-the-Mediterranean-Sea-water-masses-and-physical_fig3_290100465 |archive-date= 23 April 2023 }}{{cite web|url=https://eo4society.esa.int/2019/06/24/2010-2019-sst-in-the-mediterranean/ |title=2010-2019 SST in the Mediterranean |publisher=eo science for society |date=2019-06-24 |access-date=2021-11-19}} This same kind of phenomenon takes place between the two slopes of the Balkan mountain range. == Flora == thumb|Distribution map of ''Olea europaea'' s.l. (olive tree) Southern Europe's [flora](/source/flora) is mainly characterized by [Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub](/source/Mediterranean_forests%2C_woodlands%2C_and_scrub), but also [temperate broadleaf and mixed forests](/source/temperate_broadleaf_and_mixed_forests). The Mediterranean and Submediterranean climate regions in Europe are found in much of southern Europe, mainly Portugal, Spain, Italy, Malta, Albania, Greece, Cyprus and all the mediterranean islands, but also in southeast France and the [Balkan](/source/Balkan) Mediterranean coast.{{cite web |title=Mediterranean Basin |url=https://www.cepf.net/our-work/biodiversity-hotspots/mediterranean-basin |publisher=[Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund](/source/Critical_Ecosystem_Partnership_Fund) |access-date=31 December 2020}}[Wolfgang Frey](/source/%3Ade%3AWolfgang_Frey) and [Rainer Lösch](/source/%3Ade%3ARainer_L%C3%B6sch); ''Lehrbuch der Geobotanik. Pflanze und Vegetation in Raum und Zeit''. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, München 2004 In the Mediterranean coastal areas, [olive grove](/source/olive_grove)s, [maquis shrubland](/source/maquis_shrubland), and [steppe](/source/steppe)s are very common. At higher elevations, or latitudes, they are replaced by [chestnut](/source/chestnut) and (often coppiced) mixed forests.{{cite book |author1=Stefano Mazzoleni |title=Recent Dynamics of the Mediterranean Vegetation and Landscape |page=145 |publisher=[John Wiley & Sons](/source/John_Wiley_%26_Sons) |date=2004 |isbn=978-0-470-09370-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s88vzd9PwkkC |quote=In the coastal areas, the olive groves are tightly interwoven with low maquis, garrigue and steppe, which have been widely grazed and, consequently, burned. On the other hand, low mountains and inland hills have chestnut and mixed deciduous coppiced woods. The actual boundaries between these two different vegetation landscapes can be found at different altitudes according to local climatic conditions; higher (about 1000m asl) in the eastern and southern areas, and lower and close to the sea in the central and northern basin.}}{{cite journal | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284808672_Castanea_sativa_woods_in_the_Northern_Apennines_A_phytosociological_analysis_along_ecological_gradients | title="Castanea sativa woods" in the Northern Apennines: A phytosociological analysis along ecological gradients | author=Pezzi, Giovanna | journal=Acta Horticulturae | year=2010 | volume=866 | issue=866 | pages=81-87 | quote=Castanea sativa woods, one of the most widespread habitats of southern Europe...}} Particolare della foresta di faggi - Parco Naturale dei Monti Aurunci.jpg|[Beech](/source/Beech) forest in the [Aurunci Mountains](/source/Aurunci_Mountains), Italy Castaño Santo de Istán.jpg|[Sweet chestnut](/source/Sweet_chestnut) in the Sierra Real of [Istán](/source/Ist%C3%A1n), Spain Donana.jpg|[Stone pine](/source/Stone_pine)s in [Doñana National Park](/source/Do%C3%B1ana_National_Park), Spain AlentejoPortugal1994.jpg|Oak [savanna](/source/savanna) of [Alentejo](/source/Alentejo), Portugal (''[Q. suber](/source/Quercus_suber)'' and ''[Q. rotundifolia](/source/Quercus_rotundifolia)'') Pinus halepensis forest, near Dubrovnik, Croatia - Stiller Beobachter.jpg|[Aleppo pine](/source/Aleppo_pine) forest, Croatia MonteCimone3.jpg|Temperate pine forests of [Monte Cimone](/source/Monte_Cimone), Italy LandscapeInCrete.JPG|Dry [olive](/source/olive) groove, Crete ==History== ===Early history=== thumb|upright=1.85|Roman Empire. In yellow the south-west of Europe, and in violet the south-east. thumb|upright=1.85|Eastern Roman Empire mainly focused on southern Europe The [Phoenicians](/source/Phoenicians) originally expanded from [Canaan](/source/Canaan) [port](/source/port)s, dominating trade in the [Mediterranean](/source/Mediterranean) by the 8th century BC. [Carthage](/source/Carthage) was founded in 814 BC, and the [Carthaginians](/source/Ancient_Carthage) by 700 BC had firmly established strongholds in [Sicily](/source/Sicily) and [Sardinia](/source/Sardinia) (both regions in present day [Italy](/source/Italy)), which created conflicts of interest with [Etruria](/source/Etruria). Its colonies later reached the [Western Mediterranean](/source/Mediterranean_Sea), such as [Cádiz](/source/C%C3%A1diz) in Spain and most notably [Carthage](/source/Carthage) in North Africa, and even the [Atlantic Ocean](/source/Atlantic_Ocean). The civilisation spread across the Mediterranean between 1500 BC and 300 BC.{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.worldhistory.org/phoenicia/|title=Phoenicia|encyclopedia=[World History Encyclopedia](/source/World_History_Encyclopedia)|access-date=2017-08-09}} The period known as [classical antiquity](/source/classical_antiquity) began with the rise of the city-states of [Ancient Greece](/source/Ancient_Greece). Greek influence reached its zenith under the expansive empire of [Alexander the Great](/source/Alexander_the_Great), spreading throughout [Asia](/source/Asia). The [Roman Empire](/source/Roman_Empire) came to dominate the entire [Mediterranean Basin](/source/Mediterranean_Basin) in a vast empire based on [Roman law](/source/Roman_law) and [Roman legion](/source/Roman_legion)s. It promoted trade, tolerance, and Greek culture. By 300 AD the Roman Empire was divided into the [Western Roman Empire](/source/Western_Roman_Empire) based in Rome, and the [Eastern Roman Empire](/source/Byzantine_Empire) based in Constantinople. The attacks of the [Goths](/source/Goths) led to the [fall of the Western Roman Empire](/source/fall_of_the_Western_Roman_Empire) in 476 AD, a date that traditionally marks the end of the classical period and the start of the [Middle Ages](/source/Middle_Ages). During the Middle Ages, the [Eastern Roman Empire](/source/Eastern_Roman_Empire) survived though modern historians refer to the state as the Byzantine Empire. In Western Europe, [Germanic peoples](/source/Germanic_peoples) moved into positions of power in the remnants of the former Western Roman Empire and established [kingdoms](/source/Barbarian_kingdoms) and empires of their own. The period known as the [Crusades](/source/Crusades), a series of religiously-motivated military expeditions originally intended to bring the [Levant](/source/Levant) back into Christian rule, began. Several [Crusader states](/source/Crusader_states) were founded in the eastern Mediterranean, but they were all short-lived. The Crusaders would have a profound impact on many parts of Europe. Their [sack of Constantinople](/source/Sack_of_Constantinople_(1204)) in 1204 brought an abrupt end to the Byzantine Empire. Though it would later be re-established, it would never recover its former glory. The Crusaders would establish trade routes that would develop into the [Silk Road](/source/Silk_Road) and open the way for the merchant republics of [Genoa](/source/Republic_of_Genoa) and [Venice](/source/Republic_of_Venice) to become major economic powers. The [Reconquista](/source/Reconquista), a related movement, worked to reconquer [Iberia](/source/Iberian_Peninsula) for [Christendom](/source/Christendom). The [late Middle Ages](/source/late_Middle_Ages) represented a period of upheaval in Europe. The epidemic known as the [Black Death](/source/Black_Death) and an associated famine caused [demographic](/source/Demography) catastrophe in Europe as the population plummeted. Dynastic struggles and [wars of conquest](/source/War_of_aggression) kept many of the states of Europe at war for much of the period. In the [Balkans](/source/Balkans), the [Ottoman Empire](/source/Ottoman_Empire), a Turkish state originating in [Anatolia](/source/Anatolia), encroached steadily on former Byzantine lands, culminating in the [fall of Constantinople](/source/fall_of_Constantinople) in 1453. ===Post-Middle Ages=== {{See also|Holy League (1571)}} Beginning roughly in the 12th century in [Florence](/source/Florence), and later spreading through Europe with the development of the [printing press](/source/printing_press), a [Renaissance](/source/Renaissance) of knowledge challenged traditional doctrines in science and [theology](/source/theology), with the Arabic texts and thoughte.g. [Averroes#Commentaries on Aristotle](/source/Averroes) written in the 12th century, which was mentioned in ''[Divine Comedy](/source/Divine_Comedy)'' [http://www.divinecomedy.org/divine_comedy.php3?display?Italian?Inferno?4?121?151?45?1?????1? IV:144] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150620010334/http://www.divinecomedy.org/divine_comedy.php3?display%3FItalian%3FInferno%3F4%3F121%3F151%3F45%3F1%3F%3F%3F%3F%3F1%3F |date=2015-06-20 }} around 1320 AD bringing about rediscovery of classical Greek and Roman knowledge. The Catholic reconquest of Portugal and Spain led to a series of oceanic explorations resulting in the [Age of Discovery](/source/Age_of_Discovery) that established direct links with Africa, the Americas, and Asia. During this period, Iberian forces engaged in a worldwide struggle with Islamic societies; the battlefronts in this Ibero-Islamic World War stretched from the [Mediterranean](/source/Mediterranean_Sea) into the [Indian Ocean](/source/Indian_Ocean), finally involving the islands of [Southeast Asia](/source/Southeast_Asia) (see also: [Indo-Mediterranean](/source/Indo-Mediterranean)).{{cite book |last1=Truxillo |first1=Charles A. |title=By the Sword and the Cross: The Historical Evolution of the Catholic World Monarchy in Spain and the New World, 1492-1825}} Eventually this ecumenical conflict ended when new players—England, Holland and France—replaced Spain and Portugal as the main agents of European imperialism in the mid-17th century. European overseas expansion led to the rise of [colonial empire](/source/colonial_empire)s, producing the [Columbian Exchange](/source/Columbian_Exchange).{{cite encyclopedia|author=Richard J. Mayne |url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-58260/history-of-Europe |title=history of Europe:: The Middle Ages | encyclopedia=Britannica Online Encyclopedia |access-date=18 April 2009}} [Most of the Americas](/source/Latin_America) inherited two of Southern Europe’s main languages: Spanish and Portuguese. The combination of resource inflows from the New World and the [Industrial Revolution](/source/Industrial_Revolution) of Great Britain, allowed a new economy based on manufacturing instead of subsistence agriculture.{{cite web|author=Steven Kreis |url=http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/lecture17a.html |title=The Origins of the Industrial Revolution in England |publisher=Historyguide.org |date=11 October 2006 |access-date=31 January 2010}} The period between 1815 and 1871 saw a large number of revolutionary attempts and [independence wars](/source/War_of_independence). Balkan nations began to regain independence from the [Ottoman Empire](/source/Ottoman_Empire). Italy unified into a nation state. The [capture of Rome](/source/capture_of_Rome) in 1870 ended the [Papal temporal power](/source/Temporal_power_(papal)). [[File:OttomanEmpireIn1683.png|thumb|right|upright=1.4|[Ottomans](/source/Ottoman_Empire) controlled most of the Mediterranean Sea for centuries.]] ===19th to 21st century=== Mountainous terrain and fragmented coastlines hindered Southern Europe’s industrialization. During the 19th century, countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece remained predominantly agrarian, with industrial growth concentrated in only a few urban regions (notably northern Italy and Catalonia). Political instability in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balkans, along with the influence of [organized crime in Italy](/source/organized_crime_in_Italy), further undermined economic development throughout much of the 20th century.{{cite book | url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Mediterranean_City_in_Transition/KzHvqQei6zkC | title=The Mediterranean City in Transition: Social Change and Urban Development | publisher=[Cambridge University Press](/source/Cambridge_University_Press) | author=Leontidou, Lila | year=1990 | pages=90 | quote=The Southern European NICs, Portugal, Greece and Spain, were for a long period the poorest areas of capitalist Europe. Apart from slow or arrested industrialization, they offered services as tourist resorts and were financed to a large extent by emigrants' remittances. They were isolated from all major European organizations sensitive about the presence of competitive politics until their authoritarian regimes were brought down by varying forces during the mid-1970s.}}{{cite book | url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Politics_of_Southern_Europe/ElDeEAAAQBAJ | title=The Politics of Southern Europe: Integration Into the European Union | publisher=[ABC-CLIO](/source/ABC-CLIO) | author=Magone, José | year=2003 | pages=224 | quote=In spite of that, the Sicilian ''Mafia'', the Reggio-Calabrian ''N'Dranghetta'', the Neapolitan ''Camorra'' or rather ''Camorre'', and the ''Sacra Corona Unita'' in Puglia are still successful in undermining the state authority.}} The outbreak of [World War I](/source/World_War_I) in 1914 was precipitated by the rise of nationalism in Southeastern Europe as the [Great Powers](/source/Great_Powers) took up sides. The Allies defeated the [Central Powers](/source/Central_Powers) in 1918. During the [Paris Peace Conference](/source/Paris_Peace_Conference%2C_1919) the [Big Four](/source/The_Big_Four_(World_War_I)) imposed their terms in a series of treaties, especially the [Treaty of Versailles](/source/Treaty_of_Versailles). The Nazi regime under [Adolf Hitler](/source/Adolf_Hitler) came to power in 1933, and along with [Mussolini's Italy](/source/Italian_Fascism) sought to gain control of the continent by the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War). Following the Allied victory in the Second World War, Europe was divided by the [Iron Curtain](/source/Iron_Curtain). The countries in Eastern and Southeastern Europe were dominated by the [Soviet Union](/source/Soviet_Union) and became [communist state](/source/communist_state)s. The major non-communist southern European countries joined a US-led military alliance ([NATO](/source/NATO)) and formed the [European Economic Community](/source/European_Economic_Community) amongst themselves. The countries in the Soviet sphere of influence joined the military alliance known as the [Warsaw Pact](/source/Warsaw_Pact) and the economic bloc called [Comecon](/source/Comecon). [Yugoslavia](/source/Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslavia) was neutral. The common attribute of the eastern countries is that all of them have experiences with [socialism](/source/socialism), but nevertheless, the beginning of the 1990s was just roughly the same. For some of them becoming independent was the major challenge, while others needed to face with poverty and deep dictatorship also Economically, parallel with the political changes, and the democratic transition, – as a rule of law states – the previous command economies were transformed via the legislation into market economies, and set up or renewed the major macroeconomic factors: budgetary rules, national audit, national currency, central bank. Generally, they shortly encountered the following problems: high inflation, high unemployment, low economic growth and high government debt. By 2000 these economies were stabilized, and sooner or later between 2004 and 2013 some of them joined the European Union, and Slovenia introduced the euro.{{Cite journal|last=Vértesy|first=László|date=2018|title=Macroeconomic Legal Trends in the EU11 Countries|url=https://www.dialogcampus.hu/users/default/dialogcampus/uploads/elektronikus_konyvek/pga2018_01_09_vertesy.pdf|journal=Public Governance, Administration and Finances Law Review|volume=3. No. 1. 2018}} Italy became a major [industrialized country](/source/industrialized_country) again because of its post-war [economic miracle](/source/economic_miracle). The [European Union](/source/European_Union) (EU) involved the division of powers; tax, health and education handled by the nation states, and the EU had charge of market rules, competition, legal standards and environmentalism. The Soviet economic and political system collapsed, leading to the end of communism in the satellite countries in 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union itself in 1991. The European Union expanded to subsequently include many of the formerly communist European countries – [Romania](/source/Romania) and [Bulgaria](/source/Bulgaria) (2007) and [Croatia](/source/Croatia) (2013).{{cite web |title=From 6 to 27 members |url=https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/policy/from-6-to-27-members_en |website=ec.europa.eu |date=6 December 2016 |access-date=15 March 2021}} The [Gotthard](/source/Gotthard_Pass), a major and direct transport axis between northern and Southern Europe, was completed in 2016 with the [Gotthard Base Tunnel](/source/Gotthard_Base_Tunnel).{{cite book |author=Sarah Baxter |date=2017 |title=History of the World in 500 Railway Journeys |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9pAFEAAAQBAJ |publisher=[The Quarto Group](/source/The_Quarto_Group) |page=357 |isbn= 9781781319383|quote=The first Gotthard Tunnel, a 9-mile (14 km) engineering marvel of its time, was dug between 1872 and 1882; 199 men died in the process. Running between the Swiss villages of Göschenen and Airolo, it was the first modern railway link between northern and southern Europe, and it is still used today.}} The Gotthard inscribes itself in a long [history of transit across the Alps](/source/History_of_the_Alps), which saw them progressively changing from an obstacle to a corridor between the [North Sea](/source/North_Sea) and the [Mediterranean Sea](/source/Mediterranean_Sea).{{cite book |author=[World Bank](/source/World_Bank) |date=2018 |title=The WEB of Transport Corridors in South Asia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JHZqDwAAQBAJ |publisher= World Bank Publications|page=186 |isbn= 9781464812163|quote=The Rhine-Alpine Corridor is a north-south corridor extending from the North Sea ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp to the Mediterranean port of Genoa in northern Italy. The corridor is a primary artery for transporting goods in Europe.}} == Demographics == thumb|250x250px|Population pyramid of southern Europe in 2023 (UN geoscheme classification) === Languages === {{See also|Languages of Europe}} ==== Romance languages ==== The most widely spoken family of languages in southern Europe are the [Romance languages](/source/Romance_languages), the heirs of Latin, which have spread from the Italian peninsula, and are emblematic of Southwestern Europe ''(See the [Latin Arch](/source/Latin_Arch).)''. By far the most common Romance languages in southern Europe are [Italian](/source/Italian_language) (spoken by over 50 million people in Italy, southern Switzerland, Malta, San Marino, and Vatican City) and [Spanish](/source/Spanish_language), which is spoken by over 40 million people in Spain, Andorra and Gibraltar. Other common Romance languages include [Portuguese](/source/Portuguese_language) (spoken in Portugal), [French](/source/French_language) (spoken in France, Monaco, and the [Aosta Valley](/source/Aosta_Valley) in Italy), [Catalan](/source/Catalan_language) (spoken in eastern Spain, Andorra, Southwestern France, and the [Sardinia](/source/Sardinia)n town of [Alghero](/source/Alghero) in Italy), [Galician](/source/Galician_language) (spoken in northwestern Spain), [Mirandese](/source/Mirandese_language) (spoken in northeast Portugal), and [Occitan](/source/Occitan_language), which is spoken in the [Val d'Aran](/source/Val_d'Aran) in Catalonia, in the [Occitan Valleys](/source/Occitan_Valleys) in Italy and in southern France.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} ==== Slavic languages ==== [Slavic Languages](/source/Slavic_languages) are spoken in several countries on the [Balkans](/source/Balkans). [Bulgarian language](/source/Bulgarian_language) ([Български език](/source/%D0%91%D1%8A%D0%BB%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8_%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BA)) is spoken in [Bulgaria](/source/Bulgaria) ([България](/source/%D0%91%D1%8A%D0%BB%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F)). [Bosnian-Serbian-Croatian](/source/Serbo-Croatian) is spoken in Kosovo, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Italy (in [Molise](/source/Molise)). [Slovenian](/source/Slovene_language) is spoken in Slovenia, Italy (in [Friuli-Venezia Giulia](/source/Friuli-Venezia_Giulia)) and Croatia (in [Istria](/source/Istria)) and [Macedonian](/source/Macedonian_language) is spoken in North Macedonia. ==== Other languages ==== [Albanian](/source/Albanian_language) is spoken in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Greece, Serbia, Croatia and Italy (particularly by the [Arbëreshë people](/source/Arb%C3%ABresh%C3%AB_people) in [southern Italy](/source/southern_Italy)). The [Hellenic languages](/source/Hellenic_languages) or [Greek language](/source/Greek_language) are widely spoken in Greece and Cyprus. Additionally, other varieties of Greek are spoken in small communities in parts of other European countries.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} English is used as a second language in parts of southern Europe. As a primary language, however, English has only a small presence in southern Europe, in Gibraltar (alongside Spanish) and Malta (secondary to Maltese). English is also widely spoken in Cyprus.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} There are other language groupings in southern Europe. [Maltese](/source/Maltese_language) is a [Semitic language](/source/Semitic_language) that is the official language of Malta, descended from [Siculo-Arabic](/source/Siculo-Arabic), but written in the Latin script with heavy Latin and Italian influences. The [Basque language](/source/Basque_language) is spoken in the [Basque Country](/source/Basque_Country_(greater_region)), a region in northern Spain and southwestern France. [Turkish](/source/Turkish_language) is a [Turkic language](/source/Turkic_language) that is spoken in Turkey, Cyprus, Kosovo, Greece, North Macedonia and Bosnia, and [German](/source/German_language) is spoken in Italy, particularly in [South Tyrol](/source/South_Tyrol).{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} === Religion === The predominant religion in southern Europe is [Christianity](/source/Christianity). Christianity spread throughout southern Europe during the Roman Empire, and Christianity was adopted as the official religion of the Roman Empire in the year 380 AD. The [historic break of the Church](/source/East%E2%80%93West_Schism) into the western half, based in [Rome](/source/Rome), and the eastern half, based in [Constantinople](/source/Constantinople), has caused different denominations of Christianity to be prominent in different parts of Europe.{{Cite book |last=Chazan |first=Robert |date=2006 |title=The Jews of Medieval Western Christendom: 1000-1500 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JxJQ_98I3R0C |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=xi |isbn=9780521616645 |access-date=26 January 2018}} [Christians](/source/Christians) in the western half of southern Europe such as Portugal, Spain and Italy, are generally [Roman Catholic](/source/Roman_Catholic). Christians in the eastern half of southern Europe such as Greece, Serbia and North Macedonia are generally [Eastern Orthodox](/source/Eastern_Orthodox). [Islam](/source/Islam) is widely practiced in Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo and Turkey and [Northern Cyprus](/source/Northern_Cyprus). Muslims are a significant minority in several countries of southern Europe such as Greece, Italy, Spain.{{citation|url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/11/29/5-facts-about-the-muslim-population-in-europe/|title=5 facts about the Muslim population in Europe|date=29 November 2017|work=[Pew Research Center](/source/Pew_Research_Center)|author=Conrad Hackett |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421074144/http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/11/29/5-facts-about-the-muslim-population-in-europe/ |archive-date= 21 April 2023 }} [Judaism](/source/Judaism) was practiced widely throughout the European continent within the Roman Empire from the 2nd century. ==Classifications based on political borders== ===''CIA World Factbook''=== [[File: Europe subregion map world factbook.svg|thumb|upright=1.15|Subregions of Europe based on the ''[CIA World Factbook](/source/The_World_Factbook)'': {{legend|#007FFF|[Northern Europe](/source/Northern_Europe)}} {{legend|#00FFFF|[Western Europe](/source/Western_Europe)}} {{legend|#F0DC82|[Central Europe](/source/Central_Europe)}} {{legend|#FF0000|[Southwest Europe](/source/Southwest_Europe)}} {{legend|#66FF00|Southern Europe}} {{legend|#D2691E|[Southeast Europe](/source/Southeast_Europe)}} {{legend|#F88379|[Eastern Europe](/source/Eastern_Europe)}}]] In the ''[CIA World Factbook](/source/The_World_Factbook)'', the description of each country includes information about "Location" under the heading "Geography", where the country is classified into a region. The following countries are included in their classification "southern Europe":{{cite web |last1=CIA |title=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240124164228/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook |archive-date= 24 January 2024 }} *[Greece](/source/Greece) *[Holy See (Vatican City)](/source/Vatican_City) *[Italy](/source/Italy) *[Malta](/source/Malta) *[San Marino](/source/San_Marino) In addition, [Andorra](/source/Andorra), [Gibraltar](/source/Gibraltar), [Portugal](/source/Portugal) and [Spain](/source/Spain) are classified as "Southwestern Europe", while [Albania](/source/Albania), [Bosnia and Herzegovina](/source/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina), [Bulgaria](/source/Bulgaria), [Croatia](/source/Croatia), [Kosovo](/source/Kosovo), [Montenegro](/source/Montenegro), [North Macedonia](/source/North_Macedonia), [Romania](/source/Romania), [Serbia](/source/Serbia) and [Turkey](/source/Turkey) (the part west of the Bosporus) are described as located in "Southeastern Europe". ===EuroVoc=== [[File:European_Regions_EuroVoc_(Denmark_in_Northern_Europe).png|thumb|upright=1.15|European regions according to [EuroVoc](/source/EuroVoc): {{legend|#0076D3|[Northern Europe](/source/Northern_Europe)}} {{legend|#67E863|[Western Europe](/source/Western_Europe)}} {{legend|#F6D600|Southern Europe}} {{legend|#E62121|[Central and Eastern Europe](/source/Central_and_Eastern_Europe)}}]] [EuroVoc](/source/EuroVoc) is a multilingual thesaurus maintained by the [Publications Office of the European Union](/source/Publications_Office_of_the_European_Union), giving definitions of terms for official use. In the definition of "southern Europe", the following countries are included:{{cite web |last1=Publications Office of the European Union |title= 7206 Europe |url=https://publications.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/th-concept-scheme/-/resource/eurovoc/100277?target=Browse |website=EU Vocabularies |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200306105548/https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/th-concept-scheme/-/resource/eurovoc/100277?target=Browse |archive-date= 6 March 2020 }} *[Cyprus](/source/Cyprus) *[Greece](/source/Greece) *[Holy See](/source/Holy_See) *[Italy](/source/Italy) *[Malta](/source/Malta) *[Portugal](/source/Portugal) *[San Marino](/source/San_Marino) *[Spain](/source/Spain) *[Turkey](/source/Turkey) ===UN geoscheme classification=== [[File:Europe subregion map UN geoscheme.svg|thumb|upright=1.15|Subregions of Europe by the [United Nations geoscheme](/source/United_Nations_geoscheme): {{legend|#FF8080|[Eastern Europe](/source/Eastern_Europe)}} {{legend|#4080FF|[Northern Europe](/source/Northern_Europe)}} {{legend|#00FF00|Southern Europe}} {{legend|#00FFFF|[Western Europe](/source/Western_Europe)}} {{legend|#C000FF|[Transcaucasia](/source/Transcaucasia)}}]] The United Nations geoscheme is a system devised by the [United Nations Statistics Division](/source/United_Nations_Statistics_Division) (UNSD), which divides the countries of the world into [regional](/source/region) and [subregional](/source/subregion) groups, based on the [M49 coding classification](/source/UN_M49). The partition is for statistical convenience and does not imply any assumption regarding political or other affiliation of countries or territories.{{cite web|url=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/|title= Methodology|website=UNSD |access-date=2019-06-17}} In the UN geoscheme, the following countries are classified as southern Europe: * {{flaglist|Albania}} * {{flaglist|Andorra}} * {{flaglist|Bosnia and Herzegovina}} * {{flaglist|Croatia}} * {{flaglist|Greece}} * {{flaglist|Italy}} * {{flaglist|Malta}} * {{flaglist|Montenegro}} * {{flaglist|North Macedonia}} * {{flaglist|Portugal}} * {{flaglist|San Marino}} * {{flaglist|Serbia}} * {{flaglist|Slovenia}} * {{flaglist|Spain}} * {{flaglist|Vatican City}} as well as the [dependent territory](/source/dependent_territory): * {{flaglist|Gibraltar}} ===European Travel Commission classification=== [European Travel Commission](/source/European_Travel_Commission) divides the European region on the basis of Tourism Decision Metrics (TDM) model. Countries which belong to the southern/Mediterranean Europe in this classification are:{{cite web |url=https://etc-corporate.org/uploads/reports/ETC-July2014-TrendsandOutlook_Public-version2.pdf |title=European Tourism 2014 – Trends & Prospects - Quarterly Report (Q2/2014) |page=5 |website=European Travel Commission |author1=Tourism Economics |date=July 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230423020222/https://etc-corporate.org/uploads/reports/ETC-July2014-TrendsandOutlook_Public-version2.pdf |archive-date= 23 April 2023 }} [Albania](/source/Albania), [Bosnia and Herzegovina](/source/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina), [Croatia](/source/Croatia), [Greece](/source/Greece), [Italy](/source/Italy), [Malta](/source/Malta), [Montenegro](/source/Montenegro), [North Macedonia](/source/North_Macedonia), [Portugal](/source/Portugal), [Serbia](/source/Serbia), [Slovenia](/source/Slovenia), [Spain](/source/Spain) and [Turkey](/source/Turkey). ==See also== {{Portal|Geography|Europe}} {{commons}} * [Central and Eastern Europe](/source/Central_and_Eastern_Europe) * [Central Europe](/source/Central_Europe) * [Eastern Europe](/source/Eastern_Europe) * [EU Med Group](/source/EU_Med_Group) * [EuroVoc#Southern Europe](/source/EuroVoc) * [Mediterranean Basin](/source/Mediterranean_Basin) * [Northern Europe](/source/Northern_Europe) * [Northwestern Europe](/source/Northwestern_Europe) * [Southeast Europe](/source/Southeast_Europe) * [Western Europe](/source/Western_Europe) == Notes == {{NoteFoot}} ==References== {{reflist|30em}} {{Europe topics (small)}} {{Regions of the world}} {{Authority control}} Category:Southern Europe Category:Regions of Europe --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Southern Europe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Europe) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Europe?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.