Major Religions of Each Country
1. Albania
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Christianity is by far the most prevalent religion in Southern Europe, with the majority of its adherents (over half) being Catholic. Atheists and agnostics are the second most prevalent, comprising almost a fifth of the region’s population. Eastern Orthodoxy is the second main branch of Christianity in Southern Europe, but has nowhere near as many followers (14%) as Catholicism, and Islam (Sunni and Shia) has a significant following (6%).
The Vatican, Vatican CityMap of Atheist/Agnostic Concentrations in EuropeChurch of the Holy Sepulchre, a Famous Eastern Orthodox ChurchMecca, a Holy Site of Islam |
Map of Predominant Religions of Europe
Explanation:
Within Southern Europe, Roman Catholicism is mainly in the western portion, whereas Eastern Orthodoxy is prevalent in a smaller subregion in the east. This division is mainly due to the East-West Schism, or the Schism of 1054, when the Pope and Patriarch of the Western and Eastern halves of the Roman Empire mutually excommunicated one another after decades of political and theological conflict. The Pope of the western church’s following are the predecessors of the modern Catholic Church, and the Patriarch’s eastern church eventually developed into the Eastern Orthodoxy of today. Christianity was originally brought into Southeastern Europe from Jerusalem in the Middle East and spread through Europe’s Mediterranean region, and eventually throughout the Roman Empire after it was adopted as the Empire’s official religion. Islam was first introduced into Europe (spreading from the Middle East all the way into Spain) by the Moors in the 6th century; however, Spain’s Islamic population was expelled in the 13th century. Today, Islam is most prevalent in the eastern portion of Southern Europe, where the Ottoman Empire ruled from the 13th to the 18th century; there are still large Muslim populations in the Balkan area, despite the Ottoman Empire having lost its control over the region in 1922. Jews have historically been persecuted in Southern Europe, as they have always been a minority group, and in the past decade, there has been a spike in Islamophobia, or the fear of Muslims and their culture, as more and more Muslim immigrants and refugees enter European countries. Irreligion is also very prevalent in Southern Europe; in fact, today Europe as a whole is less religious than the United States, the Middle East, or any other traditional center of religion.
Within Southern Europe, Roman Catholicism is mainly in the western portion, whereas Eastern Orthodoxy is prevalent in a smaller subregion in the east. This division is mainly due to the East-West Schism, or the Schism of 1054, when the Pope and Patriarch of the Western and Eastern halves of the Roman Empire mutually excommunicated one another after decades of political and theological conflict. The Pope of the western church’s following are the predecessors of the modern Catholic Church, and the Patriarch’s eastern church eventually developed into the Eastern Orthodoxy of today. Christianity was originally brought into Southeastern Europe from Jerusalem in the Middle East and spread through Europe’s Mediterranean region, and eventually throughout the Roman Empire after it was adopted as the Empire’s official religion. Islam was first introduced into Europe (spreading from the Middle East all the way into Spain) by the Moors in the 6th century; however, Spain’s Islamic population was expelled in the 13th century. Today, Islam is most prevalent in the eastern portion of Southern Europe, where the Ottoman Empire ruled from the 13th to the 18th century; there are still large Muslim populations in the Balkan area, despite the Ottoman Empire having lost its control over the region in 1922. Jews have historically been persecuted in Southern Europe, as they have always been a minority group, and in the past decade, there has been a spike in Islamophobia, or the fear of Muslims and their culture, as more and more Muslim immigrants and refugees enter European countries. Irreligion is also very prevalent in Southern Europe; in fact, today Europe as a whole is less religious than the United States, the Middle East, or any other traditional center of religion.