Discover fascinating fun facts about Europe, it's geography, animals and much more below...
​
​
Population: 741 million +
​
No. Countries: 45 (47 including Turkey and Cyprus)
​
Highest Point: Mt Elbrus 5642m
​
Lowest Point: Caspian Sea -28m
​
Longest river: Volga 3690km
​
Biggest country: Russia
​
Smallest country: Vatican City
DID YOU KNOW
Italy is sometimes nicknamed 'The Boot' due to the shape of its coast. Take a closer look at the map above to see for yourself.
THE COUNTRIES OF EUROPE
Albania
Andorra
Austria
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Kosovo
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
North Macedonia
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
San Morino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Vatican City
QUICK FACTS ABOUT EUROPE
DISCOVERING THE WORLD
Throughout history the people of Europe have been pioneering in discovery and world exploration. Many famous explorers were born and set sail from the continent including Captain Cook and Sir Walter Raleigh.
​
These explorations led to the creation of the World Maps we look at today. by exploring the world people bought back information from far flung lands and helped us build a picture of the wider world!
Reindeer
Type of animal - Mammal
Maximum Length - 2.1m
Region - Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia
Diet - Grasses and Plants
Long Eared Bat
Type of animal - Mammal
Maximum Wingspan - 30cm
Region - United Kingdom
Diet - Insects and Small Animals
Hedgehog
Type of animal - Mammal
Maximum Length - 30cm
Region - West Europe
Diet - Worms, Plants and Insects
Wolverine
Type of animal - Mammal
Maximum Length - 90cm
Region - Norway, Sweden and Finland
Diet - Large Mammals
Badger
Type of animal - Mammal
Maximum Length - 90cm
Region - All over Europe
Diet - Worms, Plants and Small Animals
​
Puffin
Type of animal - Bird
Maximum Length - 63cm
Region - Iceland and Northern Europe
Diet - Fish
Both Turkey and Russia straddle two continents.
In the West they're in Europe and in the East they're in Asia!
There is a train line under the English Channel connecting the UK and France measuring just over 50km!
27 countries in Europe are part of the European Union which was set up to create free trade and political stability in 1993.
Europe is home to 50 countries including the world's largest, Russia and the world's smallest, Vatican City where the Pope lives.
The Swiss Guardsman of the Vatican City have been protecting the Pope for over 500 years since 1506!
Europe is packed with stunning art and architecture with famous artists like Italy's Michelangelo, the Netherlands Van Gogh and Spains Gaudi.
The Alps mountain range has 2 of Europe's highest mountains:
Mont Blanc - 4,810m
(France)
Matterhorn - 4,478m
(Switzerland)
19 countries in Europe share the same currency called the Euro.
Between the 16th and 20th Century European countries controlled the majority of the other continents apart from Antarctica!
EUROPE ON FILM
ACTIVITY
1. Take a look and read about my travels in Europe below.
2. Put some of the interesting information into a search engine and see if you can find what country the image is from!
Fig. 268
Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow. Did you know that Ivan the Terrible actually blinded the designer of the cathedral in 1561 to stop him building another one!
Fig. 21
Communicating over the Alps mountain range using the incredibly long Alphorn! The Alphorn was used by people to communicate over long distances. Measuring 2-3 metres long and made from wood it widens at the end to create a deeper noise.
Fig. 245
Trying my luck at the Highland Fling at the Braemar Gathering. It's a traditional dance performed wearing a kilt made of tartan fabric. The Queen visits the gathering every year to delight in dancing, caber tossing and the tug of war. Although not sure she actually takes part!
-
Learn more about British wildlife: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org
-
Listen to the Explorers Podcast and discover some legendary World explorers: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-explorers-podcast/id1161063301?mt=2
-
Discover the Braemar Gathering in Scotland: www.braemargathering.org/
Although Europe has a temperate climate (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter) its temperatures and environments differ vastly. From the icy Iceland and Svalbard in the North to the warming sun of Greece, Turkey and Portugal in the South. The middle of Europe has the most temperate of climates and is renowned for its farming, with its produce being exported all over the world.
​
Read more about the different countries of Europe and their environments and weather below:
Spain
Greece
Spain and Greece - As we move closer to the Mediterranean Sea in the South the climate gets warmer and the summers get longer. Both Spain and Greece benefit from higher temperatures ideal for growing fruit such as tomatoes and olives.
Norway
Sweden
Norway and Sweden - High up in the North both these countries reach out towards the Arctic Circle. Here temperatures can get below freezing. They have large mountainous regions in the North and in Norway there are many Fjords. These are huge inlets of water surrounded on all sides by towering mountains. They are created when icy glaciers break apart the rocks and melt.
Switzerland
Austria
Switzerland and Austria - Home to the Alps mountain range these countries are on the tall side and include the iconic Matterhorn mountain, in Switzerland, with its iconic toothed shape. Being in the centre of Europe they both have temperate
climates meaning they enjoy all 4 seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
United Kingdom
United Kingdom - This island nation is made up of 4 countries, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.The UK benefits from the Gulf Stream which is warm air blown from Mexico. This means that it doesn't get as cold as other places that sit in line with it such as Denmark and New York.
Iceland
Iceland - Firmly in the Northern Hemisphere and close to the Arctic Circle Iceland is a very unique country. It is extremely volcanic and you can actually see boiling hot water bubbling up on the surface from deep within the ground. Search for Geysers on YouTube and see how high some of the boiling jets can shoot out from the Earth.
ACTIVITY
1. Take a look at the map of Europe.
2. Pick a country and see if you can guess what it's environment and weather is like.
3. Then take a search on the internet or in a book to see if you're correct!