Places to Know in Europe

Belgium• Belgium is known

for its art, cathedrals, medieval cities and castles, fine chocolates, beers, gourmet foods and friendly, hospitable people.

Belgium

Quick Facts and Figures Official Name Kingdom of Belgium

Capital City Brussels (1.75 million)

Latitude/Longitude 50° 50'N, 4° 00'E

Languages Dutch, French, German

Official Currency: the Euro

Population 10,339,000

Religions Catholic, Protestant

Land Area 32,820 sq km

Belgium• Landforms The coastal area is a series of sandy

beaches, backed by protecting dunes.

Inland, up to the Meuse River, the land is generally flat, with numerous canals and dikes. It's criss-crossed by many small tributaries of the Schelde River.

East of the Meuse, forested hilly conditions rise to the flat-topped mountains of the Ardennes Region. The highest point is the Botrange, at 2,276 ft.

France• France today is a

sophisticated powerhouse of architecture, art, cinema, cuisine, fashion, literature, music and wine. Its countless attractions, enchanting culture and pastoral countryside attract more visitors than any other country on the planet.

FranceCapital City- Paris (pop. 2,208,900) (2006 est.) The Paris metro areas now exceeds 12.1 million Cities- (largest by population) Paris, Marseille, Lyon. Toulouse, Nice, Nantes, Strasbourg Currency- EuroLanguage- French Population -60,656,200 (2006 est.) Religions- Catholic (85%), Muslim, Protestant, others

France

• Landforms France, the second largest country in Europe, is partially covered central, north and west by a relatively flat plain that's punctuated by some time-worn low rolling hills and mountains.

Germany

• As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation, Germany remains a key player in the continent's economic and defense organizations, as well as being one its most popular tourist destinations.

Germany• Capital City Berlin (pop. 3,302,190) (2006 est.)

Cities (largest by population) Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Essen, Dortmund, Stuttgart

Currency Euro

Language German

Population 82,431,400 (2006 est.)

Religions Protestant (34%), Catholic (34%), Muslim (4%), unaffiliated/others (28%)

Germany

• The North European Plain extends across the northern reaches of the country; this flat, lowland terrain is dissected by numerous bogs, rivers and streams, and is mostly used as farmland.

• By size, Germany is the seventh-largest European country and from north to south the topography varies quite dramatically.

Italy• Italy has so much to see and do,

from skiing in the Alps, the historic and stylish cities of Florence, Milan, Naples, Siena, Turin and Venice, coastal cities and quaint little villages, and of course Rome and the Holy See (Vatican).

The boot-shape peninsula of Italy, extending into the central Mediterranean Sea is a rugged, mountainous country of simply stunning scenery that also includes the popular island destinations off the southern coast.

Italy • Capital City Rome (pop.

5,208,000) (2006 est.)

Cities (largest by population) Milan, Naples, Rome, Palermo, Venice, Turin, Bologna

Currency Euro

Language Italian, others

Population 58,103,000 (2006 est.)

Religions Catholic

The northern reaches of the country are dominated by varied ranges of the Alps, a massive stretch of mountains that extends from France to Austria, and

then south along the Adriatic Sea. Italy's highest point near the summit of Mont Blanc , a mountain it shares with France, rises to 4,748 m.

About 30% of Italy's land area consists of plains with some low, marshy areas, especially along the Adriatic Sea, from Ancona north to Venice. The coastline of the country features numerous large and small bays, as well as gulfs.

Poland• Poland, a central European

country, is situated on the southern end of the Baltic Sea.

It's an ancient land, one with a tragic history of military invasions, occupations and the brutal experience of warfare.

Since the end of World War II, and the eventual fall of Communism, Poland has moved to a free-market system. It's still struggles with a complete economic revolution, but the 21st Century has definitely arrived.

Poland• Official Name Republic of Poland

• Population 38,576,000

• Capital City Warsaw (1.6 million)

• Latitude/Longitude 52° 00'N, 20° 00'E

• Languages Polish (official) •

Official Currency Zloty •

Religions Catholic, others

Land Area 304,460 sq km (117,552 sq miles) Landforms Fronting the Baltic Sea, a lowland plain blends into sandy beaches and dunes. The northern regions are somewhat hilly, and flat, fertile farmlands dominate the Central Lowlands. Moving south, the land rises into hilly uplands that front the Sudetic and Carpathian Mountain ranges. The tallest peaks are in the Tatra Mountains. The highest point is Rysy at 8,187 ft. The Oder, Vistula and Warta are the country's major rivers. Numerous small lakes dot the far northeast.

Poland

Russia

Russia • European Russia is the

mass of Russian land west of the Ural Mountains It's indicated above in a medium shade of green, fronting Europe.

It is not a separate country, but rather called European Russia because of its political and cultural blending with European countries and peoples.

Russia• Official Name Russian Federation

Population 145,934,000

Capital City Moscow (8.4 million)

Largest Cities (metro areas) Moscow (12 million), St. Petersburg (4.8 million), Nizhnij Novgorod (1.9 million), Novosibirsk (1.4 million), Sverdlovsk (1.4 million)

Languages Russian (official), others

Official Currency Ruble

Religions Russian Orthodox, others

Land Area The country is approximately 5,592 miles, (9000km) west to east, with a total land area of 17,075,400 sq km, (6,592,812 sq miles)

Russia• Landforms The broad European Plain, or Volga River Plain extends

from the Ural Mountains to its western borders. In the far southwest the Caucasus Mountains slice across the land. The country's highest point, Mt. Elbrus, is located here, at 18,481 ft. (5,633m). The central and southern areas include large fertile areas, marsh, steppes (plains without trees) and massive coniferous forests. Siberia is a combination of frozen tundra, with rolling hills rising to plateaus, and numerous rugged mountain ranges. The northeast, south-central and southeast areas are covered by a wide variety of mountain ranges. Russia has more than 100,000 rivers with a length of 7 miles, or greater. Significant rivers include the Volga, Dnieper and Dvina (in the east) and the Lena, Ob, and Yenisey (central). Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, at 5,310 ft. (1,620m).

SpainSeparated from western Europe by the Pyrenees and from Africa by the Strait of Gibraltar, the Iberian Peninsula (occupied by Spain and Portugal) was long an attractive target for expanding Mediterranean empires and greedy outsiders.

SpainCapital City Madrid (pop. 4,512,500) (2006 est.) The Madrid metro area now exceeds 5.9 million Cities (largest by population) Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Malaga and Murcia Currency Euro

Language Castilian (official), plus the (3) recognized regional languages of Basque, Catalan and Galecian Population 40,341,500 (2006 est.) Religions Catholic (95%), others

Spain

• Spain is the third largest country in Europe and 45% covered by the Meseta Plateau. That plateau is rarely flat, and is in reality a mostly hilly highland area divided by the Cordillera Central (mountains), and then ringed by additional mountain ranges, north, east and south. In the west the Meseta slopes gently down into neighboring Portugal.

Ukraine• Ukraine gained its independence

in 1991, with the breakup of the former Soviet Union.

Rich in natural resources, Ukraine was once called the "Breadbasket of Europe," because of its fertile soil and beneficial climate conditions.

Sadly, the tragic 1986 Chornobyl nuclear accident (just north of Kiev) still lingers, and dangerous land contamination and radioactivity concerns are viable problems.

Ukraine• Capital City Kiev

Latitude/Longitude 49° 00'N, 32° 00'E

Languages Ukrainian, Russian, others

Official Currency Hryvna

Religions Ukrainian Orthodox, others

Population 49,506,000

Ukraine

• Land Area 603,700 sq km (223,090 sq miles)

Landforms Mountainous areas southwest (the Carpathians), and south (the Crimean chain). Most of the land consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus. Dnipro River and its many tributaries disect the country.

United Kingdom

• The United Kingdom (UK) is arguably Europe's most influential country. In simple terms, it's the union of the individual countries of England, Scotland and Wales, collectively called Great Britain.

United Kingdom

• Capital City London (pop. 7,592,300) (2006 est.)

Cities (largest by population) London, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Sheffield, Bradford

Currency British Pound (GBP)

Language English, Welsh, Scottish form of Gaelic

Population 60,441,500 (2006 est.)

Religions Christian (72%), Muslim, Hindi, others

English Channel

Mediterranean Sea

DANUBE• Beginning in the Black Forest region of Germany,

it flows across central Europe and the countries of Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Yugoslavia. It then forms the border between Romania and Bulgaria, turning north across Romania to eventually end in the Black Sea.

It's (1,771 miles) (2,850 km) in length, and one of the most significant commercial waterways on the continent.

RHINE

• Forming in the mountains of southeastern Switzerland, this legendary river flows west, forming Switzerland's northeastern border with Germany, then runs directly north through western Germany, finally dissecting the Netherlands and ending in the North Sea.

Numerous tributaries and branches run in all directions, and in overall length is (820 miles) (1,319 km).

Alps•Located in south-central Europe, they extend for almost 700 miles in a crescent shape from the coastline of southern France (near Monaco) into Switzerland, northern Italy and Austria, then southeast through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Yugoslavia) as the (Dinaric Alps). They end in Albania on the rugged coastline of the Adriatic Sea.

Known for stunning scenery, glaciers, lakes and valleys and the best skiing conditions on the planet, they're the source of many rivers and tributaries including the Danube, Po, Rhine and Rhone.

The highest point is Mont Blanc at 15,771 ft. (4,807m)

PYRENEES

• These mountains form the natural border between France and Spain and extend for about 270 miles from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea. The highest point is Pico de Aneto at 11,168 ft. (3,404m)

URAL MOUNTAINS

• The Urals are 1,640 miles (2,640km) in length and extend from the northern-edge of the Russian Federation down through Kazakhstan. They form a natural border between Asia and Europe. The highest point is Mt. Narodnaya at 6,214 ft. (1,894m).

Iberian Peninsula• Located on the

southwestern tip of the European continent, the Iberian Peninsula, includes the countries of Andorra, Portugal and Spain, and the British Crown colony of Gibraltar. At the nearest point, it is only 5 miles (8km) from the continent of Africa.

Scandinavian Peninsula

• The Scandinavian Peninsula of northern Europe includes the countries of Norway and Sweden.