Northern Europe
Geography
A region of the European continent consisting of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales), the Republic of Ireland, the Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) and Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden).
To the south of Iceland and west of the United Kingdom lies the Atlantic Ocean; to the east of the UK and west of Denmark is the North Sea; and to the west of Norway is the Norwegian Sea.
Notable cities include London (the capital of England), Oslo (Norway), Copenhagen (Denmark), Helsinki (Finland), Dublin (Republic of Ireland), Edinburgh (Scotland) and Stockholm (Sweden).
Politics,Economics and Religion
Many of these states are members of the European Union and share favorable trade status, a shared currency (in some countries), defense and economic strategies and allow free travel for their citizens between borders.
Some of the Nordic countries, such as Demark, Sweden and Norway, have attained recognition as having some of the highest standards of living in the world while others like the former Soviet Balkan states are still in the process of rebuilding their economies.
Tourism is broad natured and can include cultural sights of interest as well as geographic features.
Economies are equally as broad based with industry, agriculture, technology, mining and manufacturing making up parts of a country's GDP.
Elected parliamentary government rule is the standard way of operation for nearly all even if, like the United Kingdom, some also retain a constitutional monarchy.
History
All of the nations of the region each have their own rich and unique history.
Language is specific to country but English is commonly spoken.
Climate
Westward countries have more temperate climates while lands further north are colder and can have arctic conditions.
In the far north, the amount of sunshine during the day will vary depending upon the season, with some days in the summer experiencing almost around-the-clock sunshine.
Western Europe
Geography
The United Nations formally classifies Western Europe into nine countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands and Switzerland.
Switzerland, Luxembourg and the tiny Principality of Liechtenstein are the only landlocked nations in the region.
France has two coastlines with the Atlantic to the west and Mediterranean Sea to the south while Germany has ports in both the North Sea and Baltic Sea.
Monaco, another tiny nation, lies entirely on the Mediterranean coast and is the most densely populated nation on earth with 32,000 residents (many millionaires) living on just under two square kilometers of land.
The Alps mountain range begins in Austria and runs through many of these nations.
The Matterhorn, found in Switzerland, is the best known of these peaks famous for their year-round beauty.
Politics,Economics and Religion
190 million people live in these nine nations, with Germany having the largest population (85 million) and the fifth largest gross domestic product in the world; the Rhine-Ruhr region of Germany is one of the most populous industrial regions on the planet.
France, with 65 million souls, ranks seventh on GDP.
Together these two G8 member countries account for 8% of the world's economic power.
Christianity is the most practiced form of worship.
All of the countries have democratic governments of various forms (republics, parliaments) while Belgium, Monaco, Lichtenstein and the Netherlands also have constitutional monarchies.
Luxembourg is the exception and also has the unique distinction of being the only country in the world with a Grand Duke serving the role of a monarch.
History
French and German are the most spoken languages in the area with many regional dialects.
Many cultural and scenic points of interest can be found liberally spread across all of these countries.
Climate
Generally speaking the climate is temperate with moderate to warm summers and cold winters.
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Eastern Europe
Geography
Consisting of Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and the Ukraine, the region stretches across Eurasia from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic and is home to 300 million people.
By far the largest member is the Russian Federation, the world's largest country by area stretching for 8,000 kilometers at its widest.
On the western side of Russia is the north-south running Ural Mountains which serve as a natural divide between the country and the rest of Europe.
The majority of Russians live in the southern regions with the capital of Moscow numbering 10 million residents.
Eastward of Russia, Ukraine (46 million) is the second-highest populated country followed by Poland (38 million) and Romania (22 million).
Politics,Economics and Religion
Once under the mantle of the Soviet Union, the nations of Eastern Europe continue to forge paths of prosperity and independence away from the shadow of communism.
Life in post-Soviet Russia has been a struggle for its citizens as the country re-forges itself under capitalism and the global marketplace.
Recent years have seen Russia achieve financial successes due to its vast resource-based industry, pushing up the standard of living for the average commoner and creating some fabulously wealthy billionaires.
Russia faces growing concern over mounting crime, widespread corruption, terrorism and the need to rebuild its aging infrastructure.
Those countries that were members of the former Soviet Union have had to also undergo major changes in government and enterprise but generally have had easier transformation to Western values than Russia herself as they have smaller populations, favorable climates and low military demands.
History
This area is steeped in centuries of history with many old castles, churches and structures built in a wide variety of architectural styles.
Climate
A wide range of climate can be found in Russia with the northern climes (such as Siberia) retaining arctic or sub-arctic temperatures annually while the southern most points are subtropical and have warm summers.
Southern Europe
Geography
Many diverse nations can be found here: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, Portugal, the Republic of Macedonia, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, Gibraltar and the tiny city-state of Holy See (Vatican City), the world's smallest recognized country.
Politics,Economics and Religion
The countries lying in the northern portion of the Mediterranean Sea region make up some of the wealthiest members of the European Union.
Nearly one-quarter of a billion people live in these nations and enjoy relatively stable forms of government, robust economies and a higher standard of living than their neighbours in Eastern Europe and Asia.
History
Each nation has its own rich historical background, unique language and cultural traditions dating back thousands of years. For example, Greece has records that stretch back thousands of years and is considered one of the birthplaces for western civilization and science.
While ethnicity is diverse, language is more specific and usually spoken in a particular country.
Most citizens closer to the western side of the region speak a romance language, one that has its origins with the ancient Roman Empire and Latin, this is the case with Romanian, Italian, Spanish and Aromanian.
Slavic languages are predominant in the east - Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzgovenia.
Many cities and sites of international importance are to be found here: Rome and the Colosseum; Athens and the Parthenon; Madrid and its stunning architecture; and the magnificence of Holy See (Vatican City), the spiritual center for Catholics worldwide.
Climate
Bordered in the south by the Mediterranean Sea, Southern Europe enjoys favorable year-round weather and is an ideal destination for Northern Europeans wanting a holiday close to home.