Europe is the 6th largest continent, located primarily in the northern and eastern hemispheres, consisting of 51 countries with Russia being the largest and Vatican City the smallest. The continent is known for its diverse physical geography, including major peninsulas, mountain ranges such as the Alps, and significant rivers like the Danube and Rhine. Europe is bounded by the Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and features various seas and natural straits that have crucial economic and transport significance.

1. EUROPE
Physical Map

2. 6th largest continent
Comprises westernmost part
of Eurasia
Located entirely in Northern
Hemisphere & mostly in Eastern
Hemisphere
Bounded by –
N: Arctic Ocean
W: Atlantic Ocean
S: Mediterranean Sea & Black
Sea
E: Asia

3. Total Countries: 51 (including Cyprus and Armenia)
Largest : Russia (39,72,400 km2 ) 39% of the continent
Smallest: Vatican City (.44 km2 )
Highest population: Russia - 15% of Europe’s population
Covers about 1,01,80,000 sq.km or 2% of the Earth's surface
(6.8% of land area)
Europe Continent

4. Peninsulas of Europe

5. 6 major Peninsulas in Europe:
• Northern Peninsulas: Scandinavian and Jutland
Peninsula
• Southern Peninsulas: Iberian Peninsula, Italian
Peninsula, Balkan Peninsula and Crimean Peninsula
EUROPE - Peninsula of Peninsulas

7. SCANDINAVIAN
PENINSULA
• Norway
• Sweden

8. JUTLAND PENINSULA
• Denmark
• Northern portion of
Germany

9. IBERIAN
PENINSULA
• Portugal
• Spain
• Andorra

10. ITALIAN PENINSULA
• Italy
• San Marino
• The Vatican City

11. BALKAN PENINSULA
• Albania
• Bosnia and
Herzegovina
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Greece
• Macedonia
• Moldova
• Montenegro
• Romania
• Serbia
• Kosovo
• Slovenia
• Turkey

12. Sovereignty over the peninsula is currently disputed
between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.
CRIMEAN PENINSULA

13. PHYSICAL DIVISIONS

14. 1. Western Uplands/Northern Highlands
2. North European Plains/ Northern Lowlands
3. Central Uplands
4. Southern Alpine Region
4 main Landforms:

16. Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden,
and Denmark), Finland, Iceland,
Scotland, Ireland, the Brittany
region of France, Spain, and
Portugal.
Defined by hard, ancient rock
shaped by glaciations.
Abundant marshlands, lakes,
and fjords (fjords in Iceland &
Scandinavia).
Western Uplands/
Northern Highlands

17. Extends from southern
UK to Russia.
Includes parts of France,
Belgium, Netherlands,
Germany, Denmark,
Poland, the Baltic states
(Estonia, Latvia, and
Lithuania), Belarus.
Most lies below 152
meters (500 feet) in
elevation - home to
many navigable rivers -
Rhine, Weser, Elbe,
Oder and Vistula.
North European Plains

18. Extend east-west across
central Europe and include
western France and Belgium,
southern Germany, the Czech
Republic, and parts of
northern Switzerland and
Austria.
Lower in altitude and less
rugged than the Alpine
region; heavily wooded
The Central Uplands
Mainly two rivers drain the region: Rhine & Rhone

19. Include ranges in the
Italian and Balkan
peninsulas, northern
Spain, and southern
France.
The region includes the
mountains of the Alps,
Pyrenees, Apennines,
Dinaric Alps, Balkans,
and Carpathians
Southern Alpine Mountains System
High elevations, rugged plateaus, and steeply sloping land define the
region
The Alpine region also includes active volcanoes, such as Mount Etna
and Mount Vesuvius in Italy

20. The Alps
• Highest in Europe
• Stretching approximately
1,200 km across eight
countries: Austria, France,
Germany, Italy,
Liechtenstein, Monaco,
Slovenia, and Switzerland.
• Cuts Italy off from the rest
of Europe.
• Mont Blanc (4807 m) is the highest peak.

21. Pyrenees
It extends for about 500 km. Aneto is the highest peak (11,168 ft)
Andorra is a tiny sovereign state in the heart of the chain
It forms a natural
border between
France and Spain
Separates the
Iberian Peninsula
from rest of Europe

22. Parallel smaller
chains
Extending 1,200 km.
They divide the
Italian peninsula
between east and
west.
Corno Grande -
highest point
(2,912 m)
Apennine
Mountains

23. The Balkan Mountains
Stretch from
east of Serbia
to the Black
Sea at the east
of Bulgaria.
They extend
for about 530
km.
Highest peak is
Mt. Olympus
(2918 m)

24. Mountain
system in
Eurasia
between Black
Sea and
Caspian Sea
They form a natural barrier between Europe and Asia to the south.
Europe's highest mountain, Mount Elbrus, 5642 m
Other Mountain ranges: Caucasus Mountains

25. Forms part of
the
conventional
boundary
between the
continents of
Europe and
Asia.
Ural
Mountains
They extend about 2,500 km and cover Russia and
Kazakhstan. Mount Narodnaya (1,895 m ) is the highest point

26. ISLANDS
The larger islands:
Great Britain, Ireland,
Iceland, Greenland,
(all located in the
North Atlantic)
Smaller Mediterranean Sea
islands:
Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily,
Belearic
Mt. Etna - Europe’s largest active volcano located on Sicily

27. SEAS of Europe

28. MAJOR SEAS bordering EUROPE - North
White
Sea

29. English Channel-
separates France and
Great Britain - South
Hampton (Britain) is main
port.
Dover Strait – shortest sea
route between England
and European Mainland,
famous for under sea
tunnel.
Kiel Canal- connects north
sea to Baltic sea

30. Gulf of Bothnia- northern
extension of Baltic sea
Gulf of Finland- Arm of
Baltic sea, low salinity and
important ports- Helsinki,
St. Petersburg and Tallinn

31. MAJOR SEAS bordering EUROPE - South

33. Connects Atlantic Ocean
to Mediterranean Sea
Separates the Iberian
Peninsula in Europe from
Morocco in Africa
Known as key to
Mediterranean

34. 3 straits:
Strait of Kerch
(joins sea of
Azov and
Black sea)
Bosporus
Strait
Dardanelles
Strait

35. Natural strait connecting
Black Sea to Sea of
Marmara
Also known as Istanbul
Strait
Separates the European
part from the Asian
part of Istanbul

36. Bosporus Strait
and Dardanelles
Strait together
known as Turkish
Straits and
separate Asian
Turkey from
European Turkey

40. RIVERS Source - Mouth SIGNIFICANCE
Volga Russia - Caspian Sea Longest & largest river of Russia
Danube Germany - Black Sea 2nd largest. Passes through 10 countries, including
capitals of 4 countries - Austria, Hungry, Serbia,
Slovakia.
Rhine Switzerland - North sea Boundary between France and Germany; one of
the largest non-Russian origin rivers after
Danube; flows through 9 countries
Rhone Gulf of Lions-
Mediterranean
Switzerland and France, connected to Rhine by
canal
Dnieper Russia - Black sea Passes through Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine;
economically important – hydroelectric plants
and navigable waterways
Seine English Channel Paris is located on it

41. RIVERS DRAINS INTO SIGNIFICANCE
Po Adriatic sea Italy’s longest river
Tiber Tyrrhenian sea Rome located on it, Italy
Elbe Czech Republic -
North sea
Hamburg located on it, Germany
Weser North sea Exclusively in Germany
Oder Baltic sea Makes boundary between Germany
and Poland
Ebro Mediterranean sea Drains Spain
Vistula Poland - Baltic sea Longest & largest river of Poland.
Warsaw (capital of Poland) located
on it