Europe Geography

Despite its small size, Europe is more densely populated than any continent except Asia. Most European countries are highly urbanized. And some of the world's most historic cities are found here. London, England, Paris, France, Rome, Italy, Berlin, Germany, Athens, Greece, and Moscow Russia to name a few. Humans have populated Europe for tens of thousands of years because it has a largely favorable geography. About a third of the continent is arable or good for farming. A much higher percentage than on most other continents. And its northern forests offer ample timber resources. The climate is generally mild, in part because the warm, Gulf Stream current flows from the Gulf of Mexico and along Europe's western coast. Large rivers coarse through the continent, providing important channels for transportation and trade. 

These rivers include the Danube, the Rhine, the elbe, the rhone, and Europe's longest river, the Volga. Europe has relatively low elevations, except for the Alpine mountain system that runs west to east. These mountains, the carpathians, Balkans, Alps, and Pyrenees form a natural barrier between northern and southern Europe. Northern Europe is cooler, wetter and more heavily forested than the south. Scandinavia and northern Russia both reaching above the Arctic circle have large stretches of permanently frozen subsoil called tundra. The south, sheltered from northern winds by the mountains, is drier and warmer. The Mediterranean region has a warm, subtropical climate. 

The continent is commonly divided between eastern and Western Europe. Many of the countries in Eastern Europe, along with Russia, were once part of the Soviet Union. Russia is almost twice as large an area as the United States or China, stretching 4800 miles along the Arctic circle from Europe to the Pacific Ocean. It forms the entire northern border of Asia. While most of Russia's land area lies east of the Ural Mountains in Asia, most Russian people live on the European side. That's because Asian Russia or Siberia is one of the least hospitable places on earth with its long, severe winters and recorded temperatures of 90° below zero Fahrenheit. South of the Arctic deserts and frozen tundra are vast swampy flatlands called the Tyga, which is also the world's largest forest zone. 

The Tiger is a belt of mostly coniferous or needle bearing evergreen trees, which begins in Scandinavia and covers much of Siberia. The Tiger is the primary source of Europe's timber. Unlike most of Europe, Russia is rich in mineral resources, especially oil, coal, natural gas, and iron. But rugged terrain, bitter climate and great distances, especially in Siberia, have presented huge obstacles to collecting these resources. Much of Europe boasts fertile farmland and temperate climates. In addition, it also possesses great natural beauty thanks to its spectacular coasts and mountains. It is easy to see why this region has attracted people for thousands of years.