The European Union is the world's seventh-largest territory by area
In short: Spanning from the Arctic to the tropics, the European Union covers over 4 million square kilometers. While it occupies less than half of the European continent, its reach extends to overseas territories in South America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic, creating a vast and diverse geographic footprint.
The European Union is a multinational polity consisting of 27 member states. While the majority of its territory is situated on the European continent, the Union includes Cyprus, which is geographically located in West Asia. The EU's land borders extend to 21 other countries and 3 dependent territories. Its vast reach is further defined by a coastline of approximately 66,000 km, which borders the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, and the Baltic Sea.
The Union's geography is characterized by a significant dichotomy: the mountainous highlands of Southern Europe and the vast, partially underwater northern plains. These regions are separated by major mountain chains, including the Pyrenees, Alps, Carpathian, and Balkan Mountains. The northern plain is considered the 'main continent' because it contains the old geological continent of Baltica, while the peripheral highlands in the south and west are fragments from various other geological continents.
Climate across the Union is exceptionally diverse due to its overseas territories, ranging from Arctic to tropical zones. However, the majority of the population resides in areas with Mediterranean, temperate maritime, or warm summer continental and hemiboreal climates. The Gulf Stream plays a critical role in shaping these patterns, warming the western region to temperatures that would otherwise be unattainable at similar latitudes on other continents.
Water systems are central to the Union's geography, with the Danube serving as one of its most important rivers. The Union's territory also encompasses significant mountain ranges like the Scandinavian Mountains and the Caucasus. While the Alps host the highest mountain in the Union, Mont Blanc, the region's varied geology gives rise to diverse landscapes, ranging from the rolling plains of Hungary to the coastal strands of the Iberian Peninsula.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Geography of the European Union
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