Europe Physical Map
Map of the Mediterranean Sea
Effects of Southern European Physical Features
Southern Europe is a region characterized by rugged mountains and hilly slopes that cover the landscape and that have long kept groups of people from easy contact with each other. For instance, the Pyrenees separate the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe, which has led the Iberians to develop as a fairly separate cultural group that has only recently begun to diffuse with the culture of France (1600s). Additionally, the Balkan Mountains have served to isolate the Southern European Balkan peoples (people of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece) from the rest of Europe, and they developed very distinct and unique cultures. The mountains of Southern Europe, including the Alps, the Balkans, the Pyrenees, and the Apennines have served to divide the peoples into sub-groups, but the water features have united the different peoples and facilitated trade. The Mediterranean Sea is the largest body of water, and is fairly easily accessible by all of the Southern European countries; ships travelled between the city-states and kingdoms of Southern Europe throughout history, and enriched the region through the spice trade, eventually leading to the rise of the Constantine Empire. Unfortunately, the Mediterranean Sea and the other seas bordering the Southern European states (Sea of Crete, Aegean Sea, Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, Ligurian Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Balearic Sea, Alboran Sea), as well as the major rivers, such as the Danube, also facilitated the spread of the bubonic plague during the Plague of Justinian and the Black Plague (the most devastating known plague of human history), as fleas and rats would be transported along with cargo along the various overseas and riparian trade routes. To this day, settlement remains heaviest along the Mediterranean and along the major rivers (Danube and Tagus) due to the rich fishing and land resources in coastal areas.
Major Landforms of Southern Europe
Albania:
Croatia
Kosovo
Portugal
Slovenia
Vatican City
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Andorra
Greece
Malta
San Marino
Spain
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Bosnia and Herzegovina
Italy
Montenegro
Serbia
Macedonia
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Since 1453, the fall of the Byzantine Empire, there was little establishment of borders, and only a few major cities remained. Eventually, borders started becoming more established. There were several battles and wars and finally, southern Europe came to be what it is today. By 1000 AD, several countries have formed that still exist today like Croatia and Bulgaria. By 1500 AD, countries like Portugal, Spain, and France appear next to the Ottoman Empire.
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Southern Europe Political Rockeys, Ipe Nov. 2015