About 10% of the world's population is concentrated in Europe. More than forty states are located on its territory. What are the areas of European countries? Which states are the smallest and which are the largest?
Map of Europe
Europe is located in the northern hemisphere of the planet and is one of the smallest parts of the world. Only Australia and Oceania are smaller than it. Despite its small size (10 million sq. km), it boasts the largest number of countries per unit area.
The territory of Europe is conditionally divided into four regions:
- Northern - Denmark, Norway, Ireland, Iceland, the B altic countries, etc.
- Southern - Italy, Spain, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, etc.
- Western - France, UK, Germany, Austria, etc.
- Eastern - Ukraine, Bulgaria, Poland, Moldova, etc.
The areas of European countries are rather fickle units. Since the formation of the first states, their territories have undergone changes: they united into large alliances or broke up into separate entities, they were conquered or even completely destroyed.
BGreat Britain, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, for example, showed themselves as colonizers. Disputes over some 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 Europe there are from 42 to 50 states. Some have dwarf status. They are officially recognized independent states, with their own politics, economy and government, but they are extremely small in size and have a small population.
| Country | Area in sq. km |
| Andorra | 467 |
| M alta | 316 |
| Liechtenstein | 160 |
| San Marino | 61 |
| Monaco | 2, 02 |
| Vatican | 0, 44 |
Among them is the Vatican, which is also 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 global Catholic community, the Holy See.
The areas of European countries can be interpreted in different ways. For example, Russia covers a vast territory of Europe and is considered the largest country in itslimits. However, it is located not only in the European, but also in the Asian part of the continent.
Some countries own island territories (Italy, Spain, France, Great Britain, etc.), which can be located far beyond Europe. If we take this moment into account, 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 be in second place. It would take a long time to describe all the countries in the European part of the world, let's look at just a few of them.
Order of M alta
The Order of M alta is a quasi-state and is often listed among the dwarf countries. This is a military monastic order that arose from a Christian organization during the Crusades in 1048. His main task was to protect and help the pilgrims in the Holy Land.
Now the order is located in Rome and declares itself as a sovereign state. In the world it is supported by more than a hundred countries. The Order of M alta has its own government, currency (the M altese skudo), passports and postage stamps. The area of the state is 0.012 square kilometers, and its capital is located within the palace.
The members of the order, Knights and Ladies, number 13,500 people. They are obliged to lead a righteous life and participate in charitable activities. They are also divided into three classes, which differ in the severity of vows and prescriptions. The head of state is the Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Saint John.
Bulgaria
It belongs to the medium-sized countries. It is home to 7.2 million people. The country is located in the southeast of Europe surrounded by Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, Turkey and Greece. The area of Bulgaria is almost 111 thousand square kilometers and ranks 103rd in the world.
It was founded in 681. Since then, its borders, capitals and forms of government have changed, but it has always been the successor of the Bulgarian statehood. The main religion of the country is Orthodox Christianity.
Fun facts:
- Bulgaria is only slightly larger than Iceland;
- here, for the first time in Europe, the Cyrillic alphabet was adopted;
- in terms of the number of archaeological sites and UNESCO monuments, it is the third country in the world;
- Bulgaria is one of the oldest countries 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. Neighbors with eight countries, including Italy, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland.
The area of the country of France is 674.7 thousand square meters. km. It covers not only mainland lands, but also islands. The country includes 20 overseas and dependent territories, as well as the Mediterranean island of Corsica.
Fun facts:
- most of the country's population belongs toGallo-romances, and its name is taken from the ancient Germanic tribes of the Franks;
- French (also from the Romance group) was the official language in England until the 15th century;
- here is the biggest 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 Nordic countries in Europe. It is home to almost 2 million people. The area of Latvia is 64,589 sq. km. It is surrounded by Russia, Lithuania, Estonia and Belarus.
The country is washed by the B altic Sea and the Gulf of Riga. It is densely covered with forests. Marshes occupy ten percent of the territory. Latvia has a rich flora and fauna, which is carefully monitored. The country ranks second in the world in terms of environmental performance.
Fun facts:
- the overwhelming majority of believers in the country are Lutherans;
- the largest city in the B altics is the capital of Latvia - Riga;
- national flag of the country - one of the oldest in the world;
- Lithuanian is the only related language for Latvian;
- There is a lot of amber in Latvia, so it is considered a national symbol.
We hope you found our article interesting and useful.
