Regions of Europe

This article is about groups of sovereign countries. For regions and non-sovereign countries within the European Union, see Region (Europe).

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 South-eastern Europe or Southern Europe.

Regional affiliation of countries may also evolve over time. Malta was considered an island of North Africa for centuries,[1] but is now generally considered a part of Southern Europe.[2] The exact placement of the Caucasus has also varied since classical antiquity[3] and is now regarded by many as a distinct region within or partly in Europe.[4] Greenland is geographically a part of North America but has been politically and culturally associated with Northern Europe for more than a millennium.[5] 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.

  1. ^ Falconer, William; Falconer, Thomas (1872). Dissertation on St. Paul's Voyage. BiblioLife. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-113-68809-5. Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  2. ^ Chapman, David; Cassar, Godwin (October 2004). "Valletta". Cities. 21 (5): 451–463. doi:10.1016/j.cities.2004.07.001.
  3. ^ Histories 4.38. C.f. James Rennell, The geographical system of Herodotus examined and explained, Volume 1, Rivington 1830, p. 244
  4. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica”, 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.”
  5. ^ Dale Mackenzie Brown. "The Fate of Greenland's Vikings" Archived 2011-01-11 at the Wayback Machine. Archaeological Institute of America: 28 February 2000