Southern Europe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (May 2008)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

At the moment this article is only a list. This list itself does not provide the information that this article should include. Please help Wikipedia by expanding this article, and once it is a sufficient article please remove this message.

The term Southern Europe can have four definitions:

1 Geographical definition
2 Political definition
3 Climatical definition
4 Phytogeographical/Botanical definition
5 Linguistic definition
6 Notes

[edit] Geographical definition

Geographically, Southern Europe would be the south 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. Countries geographically considered part of Southern Europe include:

[edit] Iberian Peninsula

Andorra
Gibraltar
Portugal (including: Madeira and Azores)
Spain (including: Balearic Islands)

The southern half of Europe is shown in shades of red.

[edit] Southern France

France (including: Corsica)
Monaco

[edit] Italian peninsula

Italy (including: Sardinia, and Sicily.)
San Marino
Vatican City

[edit] Central Europe

[edit] Balkan Peninsula

Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Greece (including: Aegean Islands, Crete and Ionian Islands.)
Montenegro
Republic of Macedonia
Serbia

[edit] Other

[edit] Political definition

The Southern European countries in the UN classification in sub-regions.

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:

Albania
Andorra
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Gibraltar
Greece
Italy (including: Sardinia, and Sicily.)
Republic of Macedonia
Malta
Montenegro
Portugal (including: Madeira and Azores.)
San Marino
Serbia
Slovenia
Spain (including: Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla.)
Vatican City

[edit] Climatical definition

This map shows the areas of Europe with mediterranean climates.

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

The Mediterranean area presents similar landscapes throughout, including:

dry hills
small plains
pine forests
olive trees

The area which is considered climatically Southern Europe is:

Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina (coasts)
Croatia (coasts)
Cyprus
France (southeast coast, and the island of Corsica)
Gibraltar
Greece
Italy (except the Po River plain and Alps region)
Malta
Monaco
Montenegro
Portugal (northeast and southern two-thirds)
Spain (southern half and eastern coast)
Turkey (Aegean and Mediterranean coasts)

[edit] Phytogeographical/Botanical definition

The European floristic regions

Southern Europe's flora is that of the Mediterranean and Submediterranean, which is typically for this area. The Mediterranean and Submediterranean climate in Europe comprises the following countries and territories:^[1]

Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Greece
France (the southern and southeastern part, and the island of Corsica)
Hungary (the southwestern part till the Balaton lake)
Italy
Macedonia
Malta
Montenegro
Portugal (the southern half)
Romania (only the southern part along the Danube river)
Serbia
Slovenia
Spain ( excepting the northwestern part)
Switzerland (only Ticino)
Turkey (the coastal regions)
Ukraine (only the southern part of Crimea)

[edit] Linguistic definition

Linguistical definition of south Europe. Latin Europe in blue; South Slavic countries, Albania and Greece in green.

Countries lingustically included in Latin Europe are often associated with Southern Europe, especially Southwest Europe (see Latin Arch).

Countries included in the linguistic definition of Southern Europe include:

Andorra
Belgium (In Wallonia, where French is spoken.)
Italy
France
Gibraltar
Malta
Moldova (Bordering Romania, and speaking Romanian language.)
Monaco
Portugal (Including: Madeira and Azores.)
Romania
San Marino
Spain (Including: Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla.)
Switzerland (Regions where French, Italian and Romansh is spoken.)
Vatican City

There is a similar approach when it comes to the South Slavs and their states:

[edit] Notes

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

v • d • e

Regions of the world

	Africa	Maghreb · Northern · Central · Southern · Western · Eastern
	Americas	North ^{(Anglo · Northern)} · Middle ^{(Central · Caribbean)} · South ^{(Latin · Southern Cone)}
	Asia	Central · Eastern ^{(Far East · Asia-Pacific)} · Northern ^(Siberia) · Southern ^{(Indian subcontinent)} · Southeastern · Southwestern/Western
	Europe	Western · Central · Eastern · Northern · Southern

	Middle East	Arabian Peninsula · Caucasus · Levant ·
	Oceania	Australasia · Melanesia · Micronesia · Polynesia
	Polar	Arctic · Antarctica
	Oceans	World · Arctic · Atlantic · Indian · Pacific · Southern
See also Continents of the world