Geography of Europe
Click to enlarge
From a strict geographical point of view, Europe is not actually an independent continent, but is part of the continent of Eurasia, which also includes Asia. However, Europe is still often seen as a continent in its own right.
The European continent, with access to a large number of bodies of water, is separated from Asia Ural mountains on the territory of Russia, as well as the Caspian and Black Seas. The continent is separated from Africa by the Mediterranean Sea.
Mountains and plains of Europe
Alps
Located in south-central Europe, these mountains stretch over 1,100 kilometers in length, starting from the coast of southern France (near Monaco), through Switzerland, northern Italy and Austria, then through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and ending in Albania off the Adriatic coast.
Known for its spectacular scenery, glaciers, lakes and valleys, as well as the most better conditions on the planet for skiing, the Alps are the source of many rivers and tributaries, including the Danube, Po, Rhine, and Rhone.
The highest point is Mont Blanc (4,807 m).
Apennines
The Apennine Mountains, where almost all of Italy's rivers originate, including the Arno, Tiber, and Volturno, are 1,350 km long, they are the core of Italy, and stretch along the entire length of the Apennine (Italian) Peninsula, ending on the island of Sicily.
The highest point is Corno Grande (2,914 m).
Balkan mountains
These mountains begin in Serbia and extend throughout Bulgaria. Some spurs of this mountain system pass through the territory of Albania, Greece, and Macedonia.
The most famous mountain in this mountain system is Olympus, the highest and most impressive mountain in Greece, its height is 2,918 m.
Great Hungarian Plain (Alfeld)
Located in the south-eastern part of Europe, and surrounded by mountains, this plain contains several small forests and several large meadows. Its average altitude is only 100 meters above sea level, and conditions are often dry, so great importance for the plain there is snow flow from the Alpine and Carpathian mountains in winter.
Carpathians
This mountain range, located in Eastern Europe, is the source of several rivers: the Dniester, Tisza, and Vistula. They form a natural border between Slovakia and southern Poland, and extend far south into Ukraine and Romania.
The highest point is Gerlachovsky Štit, in northern Slovakia, height – 2,655 m.
Meseta
The Meseta (also called the Iberian Meseta, or Castilian Highlands) covers almost half of the entire territory of Spain. This high plateau is located at a distance of 700 m above sea level in the north, and 600 m above sea level in the south.
The plateau is surrounded by several mountain ranges, including the Cantabrian Mountains, the Sierra de Gata, and Sierra de Guadarrama in the north, and the Sierra Morena and Sierra Nevada in the south. These mountains separate the Meseta from the Costa Verde, the Ebro Valley, Mediterranean Sea, and Andalusia.
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees stretches from the Bay of Biscay (in the west) to the Gulf of Lyon (in the east).
To the south of the mountains is Spain, to the north is France, and inside the mountain range itself is Andorra.
NASA Images
Click to enlarge
These mountains form the natural border between France and Spain, and stretch over 400 km in length, from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea. The highest point is Aneto Peak (3,404 m).
Scandinavian mountains
This jagged mountain system stretches along eastern border Norway and western Sweden. The highest point is Kebnekaise (2,123 m).
Central European Plain
The fertile lands of the Central European Plain extend north and northeast of the Alps, all the way to the Baltic Sea, and into Denmark, southern Finland, Norway, and Sweden. To the east, the plain extends to Russian territory and beyond, with a total length of over 4,000 km.
These lands are generally flat, with a small number of hills, and this also includes the Central Russian Upland. Agriculture is widespread on the plain, and all around there is a large number of agricultural communities.
Massif Central
This mountain range in southwestern France is the source of the Allier, Creuse, and Loire. Its approximate size is 85,001 sq. km, the highest point is Puy de Sancy (1,885 m).
Rivers of Europe
Hundreds of rivers and their tributaries flow across the European continent. The longest of them (over 900 km long), as well as the most famous and remarkable, will be listed below.
Volga
The Volga is the largest river in the European part of Russia. It flows through central Russia and is considered the national river of Russia. Its length is 3,692 km.
Dnieper
Rising in southwestern Russia, the river flows south through Belarus, then southeast through Ukraine, before emptying into the Black Sea. The total length is 2,285 km.
Originating in southwestern Russia, south of Moscow, the river flows southeast to the Volga River before turning sharply west to empty into the Sea of Azov. The total length is 1,969 km.
Danube
Originating in the Black Forest region of Germany, this river flows through Central Europe, in countries such as Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. The river forms the border between Romania and Bulgaria, then flows through the territory of Romania into the Black Sea.
The river is 2,850 km long and is one of the most significant trade waterways on the continent.
Loire
Recognized as France's longest river, the navigable Loire River begins at the foot of the Massif Central, then flows north and west along central France before emptying into the Bay of Biscay. Length – 1,020 km.
Audra
Rising in the mountains of eastern Czech Republic, the river flows west and north through south-central Poland, eventually emptying into the Baltic Sea. Length – 912 km.
Italy's longest river begins in the Alpine peaks, flows from west to east along northern Italy, and ends in the Adriatic Sea. Its length is 652 km.
Rhine
Originating in the mountains of southeastern Switzerland, this legendary river flows west to form Switzerland's northeastern border with Germany, then heads due north into western Germany, where it forms that country's border with France, and then cuts through the Netherlands, ending in the North Sea.
Numerous tributaries of the river flow in all directions, the total length of the river is 1,319 km.
Rona
Originating high in Swiss Alps, this fast river flows through Lake Geneva, then heads south through southeastern France, before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea.
Small tributaries of the river flow in all directions, the total length is 485 km.
Tacho
The Tagus River rises in the central highlands of Spain, then flows southwest through Portugal, then south to Lisbon, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Its length is 1,007 km.
Shannon
Rising in the north-west of Ireland, the river flows through several lakes before turning west and eventually emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. Length – 370 km.
Elbe
Originating in the Czech Republic, the Elbe River flows north through Germany and into the North Sea near the city of Cuxhaven. Its length is 1,165 km.
After the collapse of the USSR, the territory foreign Europe comprises Western Europe and western regions of Eastern Europe. The eastern part is represented by the west of the East European Plain with a characteristic relief of low, predominantly low-lying plains from the Baltic countries to the Black Sea coast. The relief of the western part is characterized by great dissection. In the northern part of Eastern Europe, the relief is dominated by the low-lying Baltic plains. To the south there is a strip of hills: Belorusskaya Gryada, Oshmyanskaya elevation, Minsk elevation. Then the lowland plain of Polesie. Then the Volyn, Podolsk, Dnieper, and Black Sea lowlands, and in the very south of the territory - Crimean mountains. The relief of Western Europe is characterized by an alternation of mountain belts and flat areas from north to south. In the extreme north-west of Europe there are medium-high Scandinavian mountains and the Scottish Highlands, which to the south gives way to a wide strip of plains: first elevated (Norland, Småland), and then lowland (Central Swedish, lowlands of Finland, Central European, Greater Poland, North German, etc.) . The relief of Central Europe consists of an alternation of short, steeply sloped, flat-topped ridges, which are horst massifs (Rhine Slate, Šumava, Vosges, Black Forest, Sudetenland, Ore) and plains lying between them (Bohemian-Moravian Elevation, Lesser Poland Elevation, Upper Rhine lowland, Swabian Jura plateau, etc.). To the south stretches a powerful mountain belt consisting of the ridges of the Pyrenees, Alps, and Carpathians. Then again a belt of plains can be traced, differing in height and size. South of the Pyrenees is a vast expanse Iberian Peninsula, where the relief is dominated by high and elevated plains (Old Castilian Square, New Castilian Square, Messeta). South of the Alps is the relatively narrow Padan lowland plain. The Carpathians are bordered from the south by the Middle Danube and Lower Danube plains. Another mountain belt stretches across the south of Europe (Andalusian mountains, Apennines, Dinara, Pindus, Stara Planina, Rhodopes). Thus, on the territory of Western Europe there are mountains of all levels of altitude: low mountains (Ardennes, Pennines, etc.). Middle mountains (Scandinavian, Ore, Sudetes, Cantabrian, etc.), high mountains (Alps, Pyrenees, Dinara, etc.). The most high peak Europe - Mont Blanc (4807 m) is located in the Western Alps. The variety of plains in height is also great: lowland (Garonian, Andalusian, Padanian, Central European, Lower Danube, Finnish plains), elevated (Bohemian-Moravian, Småland, Normandy, etc.), high (Central Massif, Messeta, etc.). The lowest region of western Europe is the Dutch coast North Sea, where the absolute heights are several meters below sea level. Average - 300 m.
The morphosculptural structure of Foreign Europe has the following structural patterns. Scandinavian Peninsula, South coast Baltic Sea, Great Britain and Ireland, foothills of the Alps, Pyrenees: ancient glacial-exoral in the north and glacial-accumulative in the south landforms. Alps, Carpathians - modern glacial forms. Karst is most widespread on the Balkan and Amenignan Peninsulas, as well as in Great Britain and Ireland, in the Alps, and partly in the Hercynian midlands of Europe. The main modern morphosculptures are fluvial and are distributed almost everywhere.
Europe is rich in mineral resources. Significant reserves of iron, manganese, and chromite ores are concentrated in the Archean structures of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Significant reserves of colored and rare metals zinc, lead, tin, mercury, uranium, polymetallic ores. Lowland strip Central Europe rich in deposits of the Kamenny and Brown corners: the Ruhr basin in Germany, the Silesian basin in Poland are associated with piedmont Paleozoic troughs. Here in Germany there are reserves of potassium salts. On the shelf of the North Sea there are oil reserves and, in the Netherlands, in the north-west of Germany - gas reserves. Reserves of copper, zinc, lead (Carpathians, Balkan Peninsula), and bauxite (Alps, Carpathians) were discovered in Alpine mountain structures. There is oil in the Cis-Carpathian foothill trough and in the Middle Danube lowlands. Brown coals and salts are common in many depressions.
Foreign Europe has quite diverse resources of fuel, mineral and energy raw materials.
But it must be taken into account that almost all known mineral deposits on European territory have long been known and are on the verge of depletion. Therefore, this region needs resource imports more than others in the world.
Features of the relief of Europe
The relief of foreign Europe is quite diverse. In the east, low-lying plains prevail, which stretch in a wide strip from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. In the south, hills dominate: Oshmyany, Minsk, Volyn, Crimean mountains.
The territory of the western part of Europe is highly dissected. Here, as you move from north to south, mountain ranges alternate with stripes of plains and lowlands. In the north are the Scandinavian Mountains. Further to the south: Scottish Highlands, high plains (Norland, Småland), lowlands (Central European, Greater Poland, North German, etc.). Then again there follows a mountainous strip: these are Sumava, Vosges and others, which alternate with the plains - Lesser Poland, Bohemian-Moravian.
In the south are the highest European mountain ranges - the Pyrenees, the Carpathians, the Alps, then again the plains. At the southernmost tips of foreign Europe there is another mountain belt, which consists of such massifs as the Rhodope Mountains, the Apennines, the Andalusian Mountains, the Dinara Mountains, and the Pindus Mountains.
This diversity determined the uneven occurrence of minerals. Reserves of iron, manganese, zinc, tin, copper, polymetallic ores, and bauxite are concentrated in the mountains and on the Scandinavian Peninsula. Significant deposits of brown and hard coal and potassium salts have been discovered in the lowlands. The coast of Europe, washed by the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, is an area where oil and gas fields occur. Especially a lot of fuel resources lie in the north. Northern shelf developments Arctic Ocean still remain a priority.
Types of minerals
Despite the diversity of minerals in foreign Europe, the reserves of only some of them can be assessed as significant shares in the world reserve. In numbers this can be expressed as follows:
. hard and brown coal— 20% of the world reserve;
. zinc— 18%;
. lead— 14%%
. copper— 7%;
. oil, natural gas, iron ores, bauxite — 5-6%.
All other resources are presented in insignificant quantities.
By production coal Germany is in the lead (Ruhr, Saar, Aachen, Krefeld basins). It is followed by Poland (Upper Silesian Basin) and Great Britain (Welsh and Newcastle Basins).
The richest deposits brown coal also located in Germany (Halle-Leizipg and Lower Lausitz basins). There are rich deposits in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.
Every year, for example, 106 billion tons of coal are mined in Germany, and 45 billion tons in the UK.
Potassium salts V industrial scale mined in Germany and France.
Uranium ores- in France (deposits: Limousin, Forez, Morvan, Chardonnay) and Spain (Monasterio, La Virgen, Esperanza).
Iron ores- in France (Lorraine Basin) and Sweden (Kiruna).
Copper- in Bulgaria (Medet, Asaral, Elatsite), Poland (Grodzetsky, Zlotoryysky, Presudetsky fields) and Finland (Vuonos, Outokumpu, Luikonlahti).
Oil- in Great Britain and Norway (North Sea), Denmark and the Netherlands. Currently, 21 oil and gas basins have been discovered, with a total area of more than 2.8 million sq. km. There are 752 separate oil fields, 854 gas fields.
Gas- in Great Britain, Norway, the Netherlands. The largest deposit is Gronigen. More than 3.0 trillion are mined here annually. cubic meters
Bauxite- in France (Mediterranean province, La Ruquette), Greece (Parnas-Kiona, Amorgos), Croatia (Rudopole, Niksic), Hungary (Halimba, Oroslan, Gant).
Natural resources of foreign Europe
The peculiarities of Europe's resource supply can be explained by three factors:
1. This is a relatively small area, therefore, the volume of natural resources is small.
2. Europe is one of the most densely populated regions in the world, so resources are used very actively.
3. Europeans were the first in the world to follow this path industrial development, which led not only to a significant depletion of all types of resources, but also to environmental deterioration.
Land and forest resources. The land area of foreign Europe is small - about 173 million hectares, of which 30% is allocated for arable land, 18% for pastures, 33% is occupied by forests. The highest land use ratio is in the Netherlands, Romania, Poland and Denmark - 80%, in France, Germany - 50, but in Italy and Portugal - 14-16%.
There is approximately 0.3 hectares of forest per European, while average in the world - 1.2 hectares. Long-term use has led to the fact that there are practically no natural forests left; those that exist are planted forests. Every year about 400 million cubic meters of timber are mined in Europe, mainly on the Scandinavian Peninsula. The rest of the territory is dominated by protected forests, which are not subject to felling, and therefore are not resources.
Water resources. Natural water is a scarce resource in Europe. Most of the water is used by industrial enterprises and Agriculture. Long-term uncontrolled use of water resources has led to their depletion. To date, the situation has been extremely unfavorable ecological situation- Most European rivers and lakes are heavily polluted. In all countries of foreign Europe there is an acute shortage of fresh water.
Europe is the second smallest part of the world (after Australia), which together with Asia forms the continent of Eurasia, which is the largest both in area and in population.
Basic Geographical Information
The territory of Europe is located in the western part of the Eurasian continent and occupies 10 million km². Almost all the land is in temperate zone. The regions in the south and north occupy climatic zones, respectively. The Atlantic Ocean and 16 seas wash the southwestern shores. The seas of the Arctic Ocean wash the land in the north. The Caspian Sea is located on the southeastern border. The coastline is heavily indented, ocean basins have formed great amount islands and peninsulas. Extreme points:
- north - North Cape;
- south - Cape Marroki;
- west - Cape Roca;
- east - the eastern slope of the Polar Urals.
The largest islands are Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland, New Earth, Corsica, Sicily and Sardinia. Their total area is 700 thousand km². About twenty-five percent of the territory falls on the peninsulas: Apennine, Pyrenees, Balkan, Kola and Scandinavian.
Europe is usually divided into Eastern, Western, Southern and Central parts. On political map 50 shown independent states. The largest are Russia, Ukraine (part of the country’s territory is de facto not controlled by official authorities), Germany, France, Great Britain and Italy. Europe is third, after Asia and Africa. Most countries are in a state of rapid population aging. The national composition was influenced by migration processes, revolutions and wars. Many nations have developed a complex gene pool. The dominant religion is Christianity.
Relief
On the subcontinent mountain systems combined with plains. This is due to the fact that part of the area stands on the East European Platform. Final geological structure European part acquired light 30 million years ago. Tectonic movements formed the basins of the seas and raised mountain ranges to their current heights.
Glaciers that existed thousands of years ago dramatically affected the land surface. During the melting process, they carried rocks far to the south. Huge masses of sand and clay formed lowlands called "polesie". Unlike Asia, Europe does not have high mountain ranges. The highest points are:
- Elbrus is the highest point of the subcontinent and Russia, 5642 m.
- Mont Blanc is a massif in the Western Alps, 4810 m.
- Dufour - the highest point in Switzerland, 4634 m.
- Liskamm is a peak on the border of Italy and Switzerland, 4527 m.
The movement of the cortex was accompanied volcanic activity. Volcano Etna, 3340 m high, is located in Sicily. There is another one on the Italian mainland active volcano, Vesuvius. The topography of Eastern Europe is dominated by uplands: Central Russian, Podolsk, and Volga. There are also lowlands here: the Black Sea and Caspian. The formation of the relief continues to this day. This is evidenced by regular earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Inland waters
Confluence of the Inn and Ilts rivers with the Danube River
Most bodies of water belong to the basin Atlantic Ocean. The most big rivers: The Rhine, Vistula and Oder are located in the Central and Eastern parts. Important role Their diet consists of melted snow waters. After the end of the flood, river levels drop. In winter they freeze.
The largest river, the Volga, begins in the Valdai Hills. It is fed by the Kama and Oka channels, and its length is 3530 km. The second largest river, the Danube, stretches for 2850 km. It connects the countries of Western Europe with each other. The Dnieper, with a length of 2201 km, is the most big river Ukraine. It begins in the Valdai Upland and ends in the Dnieper estuary of the Black Sea.
Lakes are distributed unevenly across the area. The largest is the Caspian Sea, which contains salt water. It is followed by freshwater lakes Ladoga and Onega. Other lakes are located in the southeast. These include Elton and Baskunchak.
Climate
Climate map of Europe according to Köppen
Due to its location in a temperate climate zone, the European part of the world has clearly defined seasons. The north and south of Europe are radically different from the eastern part. The annual amount of sun received in the south is several times greater than in the north. The proximity of the Atlantic Current to the North Atlantic Current increases the temperature along the western coasts.
The interaction of air masses forms frequent cyclones. They bring thaws in winter and rains in summer. Formed anticyclones give heat in summer and clear, but cold temperature in winter. Main role The transfer of air masses in the west plays a role in climate formation. Due to the plains in the east, arctic air penetrates far to the south.
The Arctic zone is dominated by cold, dry air. The sun stays low above the horizon almost all year. The subarctic belt covers the coast Barents Sea, northern Scandinavia and Iceland. Summer temperature there it rises above ten degrees Celsius. Most of Europe lies in the temperate latitude zone. The climate varies greatly between seasons. The southeast belongs to the continental zone. There are hot summers but warm winters. Southern part covers the subtropical zone. In summer there is tropical heat, and maximum winter temperature is 10°C.
Flora and fauna:
Vegetable world
The green world of the Arctic belt is represented by lichens and mosses. In the south, in the forest-tundra zone, dwarf trees and shrubs grow. Coniferous trees dominate: fir, spruce, cedar and larch. It is being replaced by a zone of deciduous forests. Oak, aspen, birch and maple grow here. The foot of the mountains is home to conifers. Below the forest belt, alpine meadows begin. The territory of the Caucasus is a zone of unique herbaceous plants and trees. There is boxwood, chestnut, and rhododendron. The flora of southern Europe is characteristic of the subtropics. Here you can see palm trees and vines. The green world of the subcontinent is diverse and multifaceted.
Animal world
In polar bears and arctic foxes. The coast is home to seals and walruses. Diverse. It is inhabited by wapiti, bears, lynxes, sables and squirrels. The fauna of broad-leaved forests is just as multifaceted. Badgers, squirrels, wild boars, deer and minks live here. The steppes are a haven for compact animals: foxes, jerboas and saigas. The mountainous regions are inhabited by chamois, goats, rams and goitered gazelles.
Minerals
Coal mines are located in England, Germany, Poland and Ukraine. There are large oil and gas fields in the Volga region. The North Sea shelf began to be developed in the second half of the 20th century. Here is a source of hydrocarbon raw materials.
Thanks to vulcanization processes, ore deposits were formed. Different kinds metals are mined in the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly, Lorraine and Krivoy Rog basins. Ore and gems are located in the Urals. There is also mercury, uranium and polymetals. Europe is the source of granite, marble and basalt.
Atmospheres. Emissions carbon dioxide form acid rain and smog. Wastewater. Active exploitation of the soil cover leads to erosion. All European countries cooperate closely with each other. Their task is to unite to stop the destructive effects of developed industry.
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
The surface of Europe is a complex combination of mountain systems of varying heights, as well as hilly and undulating flat plains. This diversity of relief is largely due to its antiquity. The formation of the European landmass began 2–3 billion years ago, when one of the oldest sections of the earth’s crust, the East European Platform, was formed. In relief, the platform corresponds to the East European Plain. A further increase in land area within Europe occurred around the platform in the Paleozoic era, when the Scandinavian Mountains, the Urals and mountain structures in western Europe were formed.
Loose products of the destruction of Paleozoic mountains filled intermountain depressions throughout the Mesozoic era. Repeatedly sea waters flooded the land, leaving behind thick layers of sedimentary deposits. They covered the destroyed folded structures of the Paleozoic era, forming the cover of the so-called young platform in western Europe. Its foundation, unlike the Eastern European one, is not Archean, but Paleozoic in age.
During the Mesozoic era, as a result of divergence lithospheric plates Europe has finally separated from North America. The formation of the Atlantic basin began, and the volcanic island of Iceland was formed.
In the Cenozoic era, additional land growth occurred in southern Europe in the Mediterranean fold belt. At this time, powerful young mountain systems are formed here - the Alps, Pyrenees, Stara Planina (Balkan Mountains), Carpathians, Crimean Mountains. In the depressions of the earth's crust, extensive lowlands arose, such as the Middle Danube and Lower Danube.
The relief of Europe has acquired modern look in the last 20–30 million years. During this period, new tectonic movements occurred that significantly changed the land surface. The ancient and young mountain structures of Europe were raised and reached modern heights. At the same time, large areas of the earth's crust sank and formed sea basins and vast lowlands. Large mainland islands arose near the coasts: British, Spitsbergen, Novaya Zemlya and others. Movements of the earth's crust were accompanied by volcanic activity, which has not stopped to this day in the Mediterranean and on the island of Iceland.
The highest (3340 m) and one of the most active volcanoes, Etna, is located on the island of Sicily. Italy is home to the only active volcano on mainland Europe - Vesuvius. The eruption of this volcano in 79 AD is known, as a result of which in three days the city of Pompeii and 16 thousand of its inhabitants were buried under a layer of volcanic ash 6–7 m thick.
The Stromboli volcano is extremely interesting. This is a volcano island near the Apennine Peninsula, which has been erupting continuously for three thousand years. The volcano releases volcanic bombs and hot gases approximately every 10–20 minutes. The fiery flashes of the volcano even help sailors navigate at night. Therefore, Stromboli is called the “lighthouse” of the Mediterranean Sea.
The earth's crust in the oldest part of Europe, on the East European Platform, slowly rises in some places, and sinks in others. As a result, separate uplands (Central Russian, Podolsk, Volyn, Volga) and lowlands (Black Sea, Caspian) clearly appeared in the relief of this part of Europe.
The general cooling of the Earth's climate led to the formation of a huge ice sheet in Northern Europe about 300 thousand years ago. The glacier either advanced (during the period when the temperature decreased) or retreated (when the temperature increased). During its maximum development, the glacier reached more than 1.5 km in thickness and almost completely covered British Isles and the plains adjacent to the Northern and Baltic seas. In two tongues he descended along the East European Plain, reaching the latitude of Dnepropetrovsk.
During its movement, the glacier significantly changed the land surface. Like a gigantic bulldozer, it smoothed out hard rocks and removed the top layers of loose rocks. Polished wreckage rocks were carried away from the centers of glaciation far to the south. Where the glacier melted, glacial sediments accumulated. Boulders, clay and sand formed huge ramparts, hills, and ridges that complicated the relief of the plains. Melt water carried out masses of sand, leveling the surface and forming flat sandy lowlands - woodlands.
The formation of the relief of Europe continues to this day. This is evidenced by earthquakes and volcanism occurring in some areas, as well as slow vertical movements of the earth's crust, which is confirmed by the deepening of river valleys and ravines.
Thus, Europe has an ancient and at the same time young relief. About 2/3 of its surface is on plains, concentrated mainly in the east. Low-lying areas alternate here with hilly uplands. Mountain ranges rarely exceed 3000 m. Highest point Europe - Mont Blanc (4807 m) - located in the French Alps.
Read in the section
