What Is Europe Like?

Europe is the name given to one of the seven continents of the world. It is in fact the second smallest continent by area after Australasia. It only takes up 10,180,000 km² which is only 2% of the Earth’s surface and 6.8% of the Earth’s land area. The biggest country in Europe is by far Russia which takes up a whopping 3,960,000 km² – which is more than a third of the total for the whole of Europe. In contrast the smallest country in Europe is Vatican City which only covers 0.44 km² – that isn’t even 1 square kilometre.

Europe has many different physical features such as mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, lowlands and seas. One of the most famous mountain ranges is the Alps which stretch from the east border of France covering the following six countries: France; Austria; Germany; Italy; Switzerland and Slovenia. It is most famous for its stunning slopes.

Europe is also home to the Pyrenees which serve as a natural border between France and Spain. Another separating range in Europe is the Ural Mountains which in theory separate Europe from Asia.

The longest river in Europe is the River Volga which runs through Russia into the Caspian Sea. It is 3,692 km long.

The longest lake in Europe is the Lake Ladoga which runs through North West Russia, near St. Petersburg. It is the 14th biggest river in the world and takes up a surface area of 17,700 km².

Also another of Europe’s features is the East European Plain which is made up of a series of river basins. It is also the largest mountain-free part of Europe’s landscape. It takes up 3,999,998.4 km².

Another feature of Europe is lowlands. The main one being called the North European Lowlands – it is also known as the North European Plain. Together with the East European Plain – which I talked about above – they form the European Plain.

The biggest island in Europe is Great Britain which takes up 218,595 km². After this comes Iceland which takes up 101,826 km² – that is less than half of Great Britain’s area.

The highest point in Europe is Mount Elbrus in Russia. It is part of the Caucasus Mountain range. It is 5642 m above sea level and is close to the Russian border with Georgia.

In contrast the lowest point in Europe – which is also in Russia – is the Caspian Sea shore, which is 28 m below sea level.

Also the highest point in a country in Europe is a mountain in Kazakhstan called Khan Tengri – which translates as “Lord of the Sky” – which is 7010 m high. This doesn’t count as the highest point because it is in the part of Kazakhstan which is in Asia.

The highest point in Great Britain is Ben Nevis which is in Scotland and is 1344 m high. In addition the longest river in Great Britain is River Severn which is 354 km long.

What Climate Zones Are There In Europe?

There are many different types of climate zones around the world. However in Europe there are five main climate zones which are the following:

• Alpine Climate Zone
• Arctic/Tundra Climate Zone
• Temperate/Maritime Climate Zone
• Mediterranean Climate Zone
• Continental Climate Zone

Out of these five the most common two are temperate climate and Mediterranean climate.

Here is a little bit of information about each different climate zone:

Temperate/Maritime Climate

The main features of temperate climate are that there is a relatively small variation in temperature between the seasons and rain that generally falls all year round. Temperate zones get more rain in the winter from the effect of low-pressure zones coming in from the Atlantic driven by the prevailing westerlies. The city for this climate is Lisbon.

Mediterranean Climate

Recently the Mediterranean has become a great tourist area, especially for the British – who come from a temperate climate. This is largely because of the climate that this are has to offer. The main features of this climate are long hot summers – almost always filled with sunshine and mild wetter winters. The city for this climate is Madrid.

Continental Climate

Continental also known as Steppe land is a type of climate, which occurs mainly in the inside of big areas of land’. The word steppe is a Russian one, meaning open grassy plains without forest; it has come to be used for all such similar areas around the world. The city for this climate is Vienna.

Arctic/Tundra Climate

The tundra is a bleak and treeless place. It is cold through all months of the year summer is a brief period of milder climates when the sun shines almost 24 hours a day. It has been called “the land of the midnight sun”. But even the sun can’t warm the tundra much. The short summer lasts only 6 to 10 weeks. It never gets any warmer than 45 or 50° F. The city for this climate is St Petersburg.

Alpine Climate

Alpine climate is the name given to the average weather of a region above the tree line. The climate becomes colder the higher you go. This is because air gets colder as it rises. It is one of the coldest climates in the world. This is also because of the height above sea level. It is very much like the Tundra climate. Both the alpine and the tundra climates are cold and dry throughout the year. The Alpine climate is also similar to the arctic climate. The city for this climate is Zurich.

However on the Map below some of these climates have different names.

Here are the names for each one:

• Temperate/Maritime Climate – Subtropical Dry Summer
• Mediterranean Climate – Semiarid
• Continental Climate – Humid Continental
• Arctic/Tundra Climate – Tundra
• Alpine Climate – Highland

How Does Climate Vary Across Europe?

Climate varies across Europe in two ways which are from east to west and from north to south.

From north to south the main factors which affect the climate are the distance from the equator and prevailing winds.

Latitude – Distance From Equator

This affects the climate from north to south of Europe because the further north you go from the equator the colder the climate will be because you will se less of the sun because of the fact that the Earth is tilted.

Prevailing Winds

Prevailing winds affect the climate from north to south of Europe because it hits the north more therefore making the north colder than the south.

From the East to west the main factor which affects the climate in prevailing winds.

Prevailing Winds

Prevailing winds affect the climate from east to west of Europe because these winds originate from the west so therefore it is going to be colder and wetter on the west of Europe because these winds are cold and wet.

Why Does Climate Vary Across Europe?

Climate varies for many different reasons. However there are five main factors which affect the climate in an area. Those five are the following:

• Latitude – Distance From Equator

The sun’s rays (solar energy) are most concentrated at the equator. The Earth’s surface gets hottest there. The further north from the Equator that you go, the cooler the climate gets. This is because the Earth’s surface is curved, and the sun’s rays strike the surface at a shallowerangle, and therefore are spread over a larger area. As a result, the ground heats up less, and the atmosphere is heated less. This explains why it is warmer in Madrid than it is in St Petersburg.

• Distance From Sea/Coast

Sea temperature varies less through the year than land temperature. This is due to the sea taking a longer time to cool down and heat up than the land. This means that the sea is cooler than the land in summer, which keeps coastal areas like Lisbon cooler than inland areas such as Madrid in summer. The sea is warmer than the land in winter, keeping coastal areas such as Lisbon warmer in winter than inland areas such as Madrid.

• Altitude – Height Above Sea Level

The higher that you go above sea level, the cooler the temperature is. Temperature falls by 1°C for every 100mincrease in altitude. Also the higher a place is, the more precipitation it will receive.

• Prevailing Winds

This means the most frequently occurring wind direction. In Europe, this would be from the Atlantic Ocean. This means that the air has travelled from the south-west over sea, and is mild in temperature, and is wet in its humidity.

• Ocean Currents

The coast of WesternEurope is affected by a warm ocean current that originates in the tropicalregions. This makes the climate milder in winter.

How Do Differences In Climate Across Europe Affect People’s Lives?

Houses

The impact the climate has on houses is that for example in warm areas such as Spain you would have a flat roof as the amount of rain is much less than in England where you would have an A frame roof and you would also have double glazed windows.

Clothes

In hot areas such as Lisbon you are more likely to wear t-shirts more often than not. However in St Petersburg for example, almost all year round you would wrap up warmly and wear lots of layers and very rarely wear only one or two layers of clothing.

Food

Food is affected a lot because depending on different climates certain crops can and can’t be planted. For example in Italy you are able to grow olives whereas in England that is not possible.

Leisure Activities

Leisure activities such as sailing can only be done in certain weathers all the time.