Regions of Europe

{{short description|Overview of European regional geography}} {{About|groups of sovereign countries|subnational regions and non-sovereign countries within the European Union|Region (Europe)}} {{Multiple issues| {{Original research|date=August 2023}} {{More citations needed|date=August 2023}} }}

Europe is often divided into regions and subregions based on geographical, cultural or historical factors. Since there is no universal agreement on Europe's regional composition, the placement of individual countries may vary based on criteria being used. For instance, the Balkans is a distinct geographical region within Europe, but individual countries may alternatively be grouped into Central, Eastern, Southeastern, or Southern Europe.

Regional affiliation of countries may also evolve over time. Malta was considered an island of North Africa for centuries,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Falconer |first1=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B3Q29kWRdtgC&pg=PA50 |title=Dissertation on St. Paul's Voyage |last2=Falconer |first2=Thomas |date=1872 |publisher=BiblioLife |isbn=978-1-113-68809-5 |page=50 |access-date=23 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327020614/https://books.google.com/books?id=B3Q29kWRdtgC&pg=PA50 |archive-date=27 March 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> but is now considered a part of Southern Europe.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chapman |first1=David |last2=Cassar |first2=Godwin |date=October 2004 |title=Valletta |journal=Cities |volume=21 |issue=5 |pages=451–463 |doi=10.1016/j.cities.2004.07.001}}</ref> The exact placement of the Caucasus has also varied since classical antiquity<ref>''Histories'' 4.38. Cf. James Rennell, ''The geographical system of Herodotus examined and explained'', Volume 1, Rivington 1830, [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_enQ-AAAAcAAJ/page/n274 p. 244]</ref> and is now regarded by many as a distinct region within or partly in Europe.<ref>Encyclopædia Britannica”, [https://www.britannica.com/place/Caucasus Caucasus], June 2021: “another scheme identifies the Aras River and the Turkish border as the line of continental demarcation, thereby locating Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in Europe.”</ref> Greenland, and partially Iceland, is geographically a part of North America but has been politically and culturally influenced by Northern European countries for more than a millennium.<ref>Dale Mackenzie Brown. [https://archive.archaeology.org/online/features/greenland/ "The Fate of Greenland's Vikings"] . ''Archaeological Institute of America'': 28 February 2000</ref> As such, several regions are often included as belonging to a Greater Europe, including Anatolia, Cyprus, the South Caucasus, Siberia, Asian Kazakhstan (the part of Kazakhstan located east of European Kazakhstan), Greenland, as well as the overseas territories of EU member states.

== Subregions == {{Multiple image | direction = vertical | width = 300 | header = Different views about regions of Europe | image1 = European_Regions_EuroVoc_(Denmark_in_Northern_Europe).png | caption1 = Regions of Europe according to EuroVoc: {{legend|#0076D3|Northern Europe}} {{legend|#E62121|Central and Eastern Europe}} {{legend|#F6D600|Southern Europe}} {{legend|#2fa128|Northwestern Europe}} | image2 = Europe subregion map UN geoscheme.svg | caption2 = Subregions of Europe by the UN geoscheme: {{legend|#4080FF|Northern Europe}} {{legend|#FF8080|Eastern Europe}} {{legend|#00FF00|Southern Europe}} {{legend|#00FFFF|Western Europe}} | image3 = Europe subregion map world factbook.svg | caption3 = Subregions of Europe based on ''The World Factbook'': {{legend|#007FFF|Northern Europe}} {{legend|#F88379|Eastern Europe}} {{legend|#D2691E|South-eastern Europe}} {{legend|#66FF00|Southern Europe}} {{legend|#FF0000|South-western Europe}} {{legend|#00FFFF|Western Europe}} {{legend|#F0DC82|Central Europe}} }}

Groupings by compass directions are the hardest to define in Europe, since there are a few calculations of the midpoint of Europe (among other issues), and the pure geographical criteria of "east" and "west" are often confused with the political meaning these words acquired during the Cold War era.{{according to whom|date=July 2025}}

Some typical geographical subregions of Europe include:{{according to whom|date=July 2025}}

* '''Central and Eastern Europe''' ** '''Central Europe''' ** '''Eastern Europe''' * '''Northern Europe''' ** '''Fennoscandia''' ** '''Baltic region''' ** '''Northwestern Europe''' * '''Southern Europe''' ** '''Italy (geographical region)''' ** '''Southeast Europe''' ** '''Iberian Peninsula''' * '''Western Europe''' ** '''Northwestern Europe''' ** '''Benelux'''

Note: There is no universally agreed definition for continental subregions. Depending on the source, some of the subregions, such as Central Europe or South-eastern Europe, can be listed as first-tier subregions. Some transregional countries, such as Romania or the United Kingdom, can be included in multiple subregions.{{according to whom|date=July 2025}}

Common geopolitical subregions of Europe include:{{according to whom|date=July 2025}}

'''Two Europes''' * '''Old Europe and New Europe'''

'''Three Europes'''<ref>F. Braudel, Preface to Szucs J., Les trois Europes, Paris 1990</ref> * '''Eastern Europe''' * '''East-Central Europe''' * '''Western Europe'''

== Historical divisions == Europe can be divided along many differing historical lines, normally corresponding to those parts that were inside or outside a particular cultural phenomenon, empire or political division. The areas varied at different times, and so it is arguable as to which were part of some common historical entity (e.g., were Germany or Britain part of Roman Europe as they were only partly and relatively briefly part of the Empire—or were the countries of the former communist Yugoslavia part of the Eastern Bloc, since it was not in the Warsaw Pact).{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

* Greek East and Latin West: those parts that fell into the eastern (Byzantine) and Western Roman Empires.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} * Catholic and Eastern Orthodoxy in Europe: those parts on either side of the Great Schism.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} * After Reformation: countries of Western Christianity (Catholic and Protestant Churches) and Eastern Christianity (Eastern Orthodox Church, Assyrian Church of the East, Oriental Orthodox churches and the Eastern Catholic Churches){{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} ** Protestant and Catholic Europe: those parts that, in the main, left the Catholic Church during the Reformation contrasted with those that did not.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} * Communist Europe (Eastern Bloc), Capitalist Europe (Western Bloc): those parts on either side of the Iron Curtain and third world countries (neutral and non-aligned during the Cold War).{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

== Contemporary == {{Supranational European Bodies|align=right|size=500px}}

=== Economic and political === [[File:European Single Market integration.svg|thumb|upright=1.4|European Single Market integration:{{Leftlegend|#039|European Union member states form the European Single Market}}{{Leftlegend|#a050ff|Non-EU states that participate in the EU Single Market with exceptions: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland (see also EFTA)}}{{Leftlegend|#c39467|Part of a former EU state that remains partially aligned to the EU Single Market on goods: Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom (see also Brexit and the Irish border)}}{{Leftlegend|#46a43b|Non-EU states with a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU allowing for participation in selected sectors of the Single Market: EU accession candidates Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia; EU accession potential candidates: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo}}{{Leftlegend|#F29527|Non-EU states with a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area agreement with the EU allowing for participation in selected sectors of the Single Market: Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine}}{{Leftlegend|#ffd617|Non-EU states which have a bilateral Customs Union arrangement with the EU: Turkey (an accession candidate), Andorra, Monaco and San Marino}}]]

* '''European Union (EU)''' : Countries that are member states of the political and economic bloc (27 as of 2024): : Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

* '''EU Med Group''' : An alliance of Mediterranean countries within EU: : Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain.

* '''Eurozone''' : Countries that have adopted the euro as their currency: : Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Vatican City.

* '''European Free Trade Association (EFTA)''' : A free trade organisation that operates in parallel with, and is linked by treaties to, the EU: : Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

* '''Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA)''' : A free trade agreement among non-EU members: : Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo (represented by UNMIK), Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

* '''Schengen Area''' : A borderless zone created by the Schengen Agreements, comprising: : Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden; in addition, by separate agreements Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland fully apply the provisions of the Schengen ''acquis''.

* European Union Customs Union : A customs union of all the member states of the European Union (EU) and some neighbouring countries: : Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden. Andorra, San Marino, and Turkey are each in customs union with the EU's customs territory.

* '''Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)''' : An economic union of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Moldova and Uzbekistan hold observer status.

* '''Commonwealth of Independent States Free Trade Area''' : A free trade agreement among the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, and Tajikistan.

* '''Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation''' : A forum of regional economic cooperation: : Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine.

=== Other political === [[File:European Union Eastern Partnership.svg|thumb|upright=1.4|Members of the Eastern Partnership]]

* '''Council of Europe''' : An international organisation whose stated aim is to uphold human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Europe, and to promote European culture. : It has 46 member states, with approximately 820 million people.

*'''Eastern European Group''' : One of five United Nations regional groups : Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.

* '''Eastern Partnership''' and the '''Euronest Parliamentary Assembly''' : A group of former Soviet Eastern European countries cooperating with the EU: : Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

* '''European Political Community''' : An intergovernmental forum for political and strategic discussions about the future of Europe, with participants from 47 European countries.

* '''OECD Europe countries''' : European countries that are a part of the OECD: : Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

* '''Central European Initiative''' : A forum of regional cooperation including: : Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.

* '''Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations''' : A group of former Soviet disputed states in Eastern Europe: : Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria.

* '''Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe''' : The world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization, with 57 participating states mostly in the Northern Hemisphere.

* '''Visegrád Group''' : A cultural and political alliance of four Central European states for the purposes of furthering their European integration, as well as for advancing military, economic and energy cooperation with one another: : Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.

* '''Centrope''' : An Interreg IIIA project to establish a multinational region in Central Europe encompassing four European countries: Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.

* '''Middleeuropean Initiative''' : Promotes Central European cooperation.

* '''Three Seas Initiative'''

=== Geographical === ==== Peninsulas ==== * '''Apennine Peninsula (Italian Peninsula)''' : Located in the south of Europe, the Apennine Peninsula contains the states of Italy, San Marino, and Vatican City

* '''Balkan Peninsula''' : The Balkan Peninsula is located in Southeastern Europe and the following countries and territories occupy land on the peninsula either exclusively or partially: : Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (approximately the southern half), Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania (the Dobrudja region), Serbia, Slovenia (the coastal section), and Turkey (East Thrace){{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

* '''Fennoscandian Peninsula''' :Located in the north of Europe, including Finland, Norway, Sweden, and part of Russia{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

* '''Iberian Peninsula''' : Located in Southwestern Europe, this peninsula contains Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal, Spain, and a small part of France{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

* '''Jutland Peninsula''' :Jutland of Denmark (main part of the country excluding its islands) and the Schleswig-Holstein region of Germany{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

* '''Scandinavian Peninsula''' :Located in the north of Europe, including Norway, Sweden, and part of Finland{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

==== Regional ==== * '''Atlantic Europe''' ** United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, France, western Scandinavia and Germany. * '''Alpine countries''' : States that occupy the Alps: : Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Slovenia, Germany, France, and Italy{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

* '''Balkans region''' : In its broadest sense, encompasses Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and European Turkey

* '''Baltic Rim region''' : Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Sweden{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} :* The term '''Baltic states''' emerged after World War I referring to the new sovereign states that emerged on the east coast of the Baltic Sea: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Since World War II, the term has been used for just Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.<ref name="Bojtar">{{cite book | last1 = Bojtar | first1 = Endre | title = Foreword to the Past: A Cultural History of the Baltic People | date = 1999 | publisher = Central European University Press | isbn = 9789639116429 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Er1_CwAAQBAJ }}</ref>

* '''British Isles''' : Guernsey, The Isle of Man, the Republic of Ireland, Jersey and the United Kingdom

* '''Carpathian states''' : Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

* '''Caucasus''' : Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia; also the disputed territories of Abkhazia, and South Ossetia{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

* '''Channel Islands''' : Guernsey and Jersey

* '''Low Countries''' : Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, parts of France, and parts of Germany{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} :*'''Benelux''': Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg

* '''Nordic countries''' : Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Greenland, and Iceland{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} :*'''Scandinavia''': Sweden, Norway, Denmark{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} :*'''Fennoscandia''': Finland, Sweden, Norway and Karelia; a geological region defined by the Fennoscandian shield{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

* '''Danubian countries''' : States that lie along the River Danube: : Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

* '''Dinaric Alps''' : Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} : Serbia, Kosovo and Italy occupy a small portion of the Dinaric Alps.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

* '''Macaronesia''' : Chain of Islands in the North Atlantic : Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira; also including Cape Verde, an independent African nation.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

* '''Mediterranean countries''' : Mediterranean nations are European countries on the Mediterranean Basin: : Portugal, Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Slovenia, San Marino, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta, and the British territory of Gibraltar{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} :*'''Adriatic region''': Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

* '''Black Sea region''' : The Black Sea nations (although some sections lie within Asia) are: : Abkhazia (de facto state), Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

* '''Caspian Sea region''' : The world's largest lake which forms a section of the Asian-European border has five countries occupying its shore. Iran and Turkmenistan lie entirely within Asia while the following countries are transcontinental and have sovereignty over the Caspian Sea's European sector: : Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

=== Other groupings === * '''Blue Banana''': describing the concentration of the wealth/economic productivity of Europe in a banana-shaped band running from north west England, London, through Benelux, eastern France, western Germany to northern Italy.

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{Commons category-inline|Regions of Europe}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Regions Of Europe}} Category:Regions of Europe