In Europe, about 10% of the world's population is concentrated. There are more than forty states on its territory. What are the areas of European countries? Which states are the smallest, and which are the largest?
A map of Europe
Europe is located in the northern hemisphere of the planet andis one of the smallest parts of the world. It is less than Australia and Oceania. Despite its small size (10 million sq. Km.), It boasts the largest number of countries per unit area.
The territory of Europe is divided into four regions:
- Northern - Denmark, Norway, Ireland, Iceland, the Baltic countries, etc.
- Southern - Italy, Spain, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, etc.
- Western - France, Great Britain, Germany, Austria, etc.
- Eastern - Ukraine, Bulgaria, Poland, Moldova, etc.
The areas of European countries are rather unstableunits. Since the formation of the first states, their territories underwent changes: they merged into large alliances or disintegrated into separate entities, they were conquered or even completely destroyed.
As colonizers, for example, showed themselvesGreat Britain, France, Netherlands, Portugal. The disputes over certain territories do not stop even now. This is evidenced by modern unrecognized or partially recognized states: Kosovo, Transnistria and others.
Squares of European countries
Depending on the counting system, in Europeallocate from 42 to 50 states. Some have the status of pygmy. They are officially recognized as independent states, with their politics, economy and government, but they are extremely small and small.
A country | Area in sq. M. km |
Andorra | 467 |
Malta | 316 |
Liechtenstein | 160 |
San marino | 61 |
Monaco | 2,02 |
Vatican | 0,44 |
Among them is the Vatican, which alsois the smallest state in the world. This is an enclave - it is surrounded on all sides by Italy and is located right in the center of Rome. The Vatican is a theocratic monarchy ruled by the head of the world Catholic community, the Holy See.
Площади европейских стран могут трактоваться differently. For example, Russia covers a vast territory of Europe and is considered the largest country within it. However, it is located not only in the European, but also in the Asian part of the continent.
Some mills own island territories(Italy, Spain, France, Great Britain, etc.), which may be located far beyond Europe. If we take into account this moment, then the second largest country in Europe will be Denmark, and the third - France. If we take into account the area without overseas possessions, then Ukraine will take the second place. To describe all the countries of the European part of the world, it will take a long time, let's consider only some of them.
Order of Malta
The Order of Malta is a quasi-state andoften indicated among dwarf countries. This is a military monastic order, which originated from the Christian organization during the crusades in 1048. His main task was to protect and help pilgrims in the Holy Land.
Now the Order is located in Rome and declaresyourself as a sovereign state. In the world it supports more than a hundred countries. The Order of Malta has its own government, currency (Maltese scudo), passports and postage stamps. The area of the state is 0.012 square kilometers, and its capital is located within the palace.
Order members, Knights and Ladies, total 13,500person. They are required to lead a righteous lifestyle and participate in charitable activities. They are also divided into three classes, which differ in the severity of the vow and prescriptions. The head of state is the Prince and Grand Master of the Order of St. John.
Bulgaria
It belongs to the average size of the state.It is home to 7.2 million people. The country is located in the south-east of Europe, surrounded by Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, Turkey and Greece. The area of Bulgaria is almost 111 thousand square kilometers and occupies 103 place in the world.
It was founded in the year 681.Since then, she has changed the boundaries, the capital and the form of government, but she has always been the successor of the Bulgarian statehood. The main religion of the country is Orthodox Christianity.
Interesting Facts:
- the area of Bulgaria is only slightly larger than the area of Iceland;
- here, for the first time in Europe, the Cyrillic alphabet was adopted;
- By the number of archaeological sites and monuments of UNESCO, it is the third country in the world;
- Bulgaria is one of the oldest states in Europe;
- there are more than four thousand caves in the country.
France
France is located in the western part of the continent.It is washed by the Mediterranean and North Seas, the Atlantic Ocean and the waters of the English Channel. It is adjacent to eight countries, including Italy, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland.
The area of the country of France is 674.7 thousand square meters. kmIt covers not only mainland lands, but also islands. The country includes 20 overseas and dependent territories, as well as the Mediterranean island of Corsica.
Interesting Facts:
- most of the country's population belongs to the Gallo-novels, and its name was taken from the ancient Germanic tribes of the Franks;
- French (also from the Romance group) until the XV century was the official language in England;
- here is the largest mountain in Europe - Mont Blanc;
- Gothic and Baroque originated in France;
- the country ranks first in the world in the production of wines and liquors.
Latvia
The Republic of Latvia is one of the northern countries of Europe. It is home to almost 2 million people. The area of Latvia is 64,589 square meters. km It is surrounded by Russia, Lithuania, Estonia and Belarus.
The country is washed by the Baltic Sea and Rigaby the bay. It is densely covered with forests. Marshes occupy ten percent of the territory. Latvia has a rich flora and fauna, which is being carefully monitored. The quality of environmental activities of the country ranks second in the world.
Interesting Facts:
- the overwhelming majority of believers in the country are Lutherans;
- The largest city of the Baltic States is the capital of Latvia - Riga;
- The country's national flag is one of the oldest in the world;
- Lithuanian is the only related language for Latvian;
- Latvia has a lot of amber, so it is considered a national symbol.
We hope our article was interesting and useful for you.
