Physical and Political Features of Europe

The Alps

A European mountain range that runs from the French Mediterranean region through the countries of France, Switzerland, and Italy. The range also reaches into Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia

Belgium

A Western European country bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea

Italy

A country in Western Europe. It is a peninsula bordered on three sides by the Mediterranean Sea and shares its northern border with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. Its climate is harsh in the north and mild in the rest of the country. It has few natural resources and little usable farmland

Ural Mountains

A mountain range in Western Russia. It runs north and south, forming a natural boundary between Europe and Asia

Rhine River

A river located in Central and Western Europe. It begins in Switzerland and flows west, where it empties into the North Sea

Mediterranean Sea

The body of water located between Western Europe and Northern Africa

English Channel

The part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates northern France from southern England. It is about 350 miles long and varies between 20 and 112 miles wide

Iberian Peninsula

The peninsula located in southwestern Europe, stretching into the Atlantic Ocean. It is where Spain and Portugal are located

Danube River

The second longest river in Europe. It runs through 10 countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, and Hungary

Poland

A country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Lithuania, Belarus, the Czech Republic, and Germany, with the Baltic Sea to its north

Ukraine

A country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia, Belarus, Poland,Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova, with the Black Sea to its south

Spain

A country in Southwestern Europe. It is located on the Iberian Peninsula, bordered by France to the north and Portugal to the west

United Kingdom

A country in Western Europe made up of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. It is located on two islands separated from the European continent by the English Channel. It has a mostly temperate climate with frequent rainfall

Germany

A country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Austria, Belgium, France, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Its climate is moderate, without long periods of either cold or heat. It is a major producer of coal, lumber, and raw minerals. In 1949, it was divided into Communist East Germany and democratic West Germany. The country reunited in 1990, when the Soviet Union collapsed

France

A country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland. It also has coasts on the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean

The Pyrenees

A mountain range that marks most of the Spanish-French border

Scandinavian Peninsula

A peninsula located in Northern Europe, containing Norway, Sweden, and part of Finland. It stretches into the Baltic, North, Barents, and Norwegian Seas

European Plain

A plain that stretches from the Pyrenees Mountains on the Spanish-French border to the Ural Mountains in Russia