The average population density is 115 people/km2.
The region is located on the Mediterranean peninsulas - the Iberian, Apennine and Balkan. EGP features:
1) the countries are located on the main sea routes from Europe to Asia, Africa and Australia, and Spain and Portugal - also to Central and South America, which affected the development of the region.
2) The location between Central Europe and the Arab countries of North Africa, which have multilateral ties with Europe.
All countries (except the Vatican) are members of the UN, the OECD, and the largest are members of NATO and the European Union. Malta is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations led by Great Britain.
Natural conditions and resources. The Mediterranean Sea largely determined the similarity of the natural conditions of the region.
The lack of fuel p.i. There is almost no oil here, very little natural gas and coal. Non-ferrous metals: Al (Greece belongs to the top three European leaders), mercury, Cu, polymetals (Spain, Italy), tungsten (Portugal). Huge stocks of building materials - marble, tuff, granite, cement raw materials, clay.
In the southern European countries, the river network is underdeveloped.
Large tracts of forests have survived only in the Pyrenees and the Alps. The average forest cover of the region is 32%.
Natural and recreational resources: warm seas, many kilometers of sandy beaches, lush vegetation, picturesque landscapes, numerous sea and mountain resorts, as well as areas favorable for mountaineering and skiing, etc. Population. Traditionally, Southern Europe is characterized by a high birth rate, but the natural population growth is low: from 0.1% per year in Italy to 0.4-0.5% in Greece, Portugal and 0.8% in Malta. Women account for 51% of the region's population.
Peoples: belonging to the Romance group of the Indo-European language family - the Portuguese, Spaniards, Galicians, Catalans, Italians, Sardinians, Romansh; Greeks (Greek group of the Indo-European family); Albanians (Albanian group of the Indo-European family); Maltese (Semitic group of the Semitic-Hamitic language family); Turks (Turkic group of the Altaic language family); Basques (in the rank of a separate family). The composition of the population in the countries of the region is predominantly homogeneous. High rates of mono-ethnicity are characteristic of Portugal (99.5% - Portuguese), Italy and Greece (98% of Italians and Greeks, respectively), and only in Spain a significant proportion (almost 30%) of national minorities: Catalans (18%), Galicians ( 8%), Basques (2.5%), etc.
Religion: Catholic Christians (Z and C), Orthodoxy (V).
Placement of the population. The highest density - in fertile valleys and coastal lowlands, the lowest - in the mountains (Alps, Pyrenees), in some areas up to 1 person / km2.
The level of urbanization in the region is much lower than in other parts of Europe: only in Spain and Malta, up to 90% of the population lives in cities, and, for example, in Greece and Italy - more than 60%, in Portugal - 36%.
The active population is about 51 million people. In general, 30% of the active population is employed in industry, 15% in agriculture, and 53% in the service sector.
Features of economic development and. The countries of the region still lag economically behind the highly developed states of Europe. Although Portugal, Spain, Greece and Italy are members of the EU, but all of them, except Italy, lag behind the leaders in many socio-economic indicators. Italy is the economic leader of the region, belongs to highly developed industrial and agricultural countries, with a clear trend towards the formation of a post-industrial type of economy. At the same time, contrasts in the development of many industries and production, in the social sphere, in the socio-economic conditions of the North and South, are still significant in the country. Italy lags behind many highly developed countries in terms of scientific and technological development. Ahead of some countries of Western Europe in terms of net income from tourism, it is inferior to them in terms of the scale and intensity of international trade and credit and financial transactions. Spain. It is the second country in the region in terms of socio-economic development. In the Spanish economy, a significant role is played by the public sector, which accounts for up to 30% of the country's GDP. The state carries out economic programming, controls the railways, the coal industry, a significant part of shipbuilding and ferrous metallurgy. In the second half of the 80s. XX Art. Portugal experienced a significant economic recovery. The average GDP growth during this period was one of the highest in the EU and amounted to 4.5-4.8% per year, in 2000 the GNP was 159 billion dollars. Greece has a larger GNP than Portugal (181.9 billion . in 2000). The country's industry is significantly monopolized by large local and foreign capital (mainly the United States, Germany, France and Switzerland). Up to 200 companies receive over 50% of all profits. Greece has rather high inflation rates for EU countries (3.4% per year). Government measures to reduce it (cutting state subsidies, freezing wages, etc.) predetermine social instability.
Economy.
‒ mechanical engineering (production of automobiles, household appliances, technological equipment for light and food industries)
‒ furniture industry
‒ production of building products and equipment
- light industry (fruit and vegetable canning, oilseeds - production of olive oil, winemaking, pasta, etc.)
- agriculture: farming - growing a variety of subtropical crops: citrus fruits, wood oils, grapes, vegetables, fruits, essential oil plants, etc.
‒ animal husbandry - sheep breeding and, in small volumes, beef cattle breeding
‒ merchant shipping and ship repair
Southern Europe includes 8 countries and one dependent territory - Gibraltar (possession of Great Britain) (table). feature region is the location here of the smallest state-the city of Vatican City, whose territory is 44 hectares, and the oldest republic in the world - San Marino
Table 5 - Countries of Southern Europe
| Country | Capital | Area, thousand km | |||
| Andorra | Andorra la Vella | 0,467 | 0,07 | ||
| Vatican | Vatican | 0,00044 | 0,001 | - | |
| Greece | Athens | 132,0 | 10,4 | ||
| Gibraltar (UK) | Gibraltar | 0,006 | 0,03 | ||
| Spain | Madrid | 504,7 | 39,2 | ||
| Italy | Rome | 301,3 | 57,2 | ||
| Malta | Valletta | 0,3 | 0,37 | ||
| Portugal | Lisbon | 92,3 | 10,8 | ||
| San Marino | San Marino | 0,061 | 0,027 | ||
| Total | 1031,1 | 118,1 | Medium - 115 | Medium - 175000 |
important feature of the economic and geographical position of the countries of Southern Europe, located on the peninsulas and islands of the Mediterranean Sea, is that they are all on the main sea routes from Europe to Asia, Africa and Australia, and Spain and Portugal - also to Central and South America. All this, since the time of the great geographical discoveries, has affected the development of the region, the life of the countries of which is closely connected with the sea. No less significant is the fact that the region is located between Central Europe and the Arab countries of North Africa, which have multilateral ties with Europe. The former metropolises of Portugal, Italy and Spain still retain influence on some African countries. All countries (except the Vatican) are members of the UN, the OECD, and the largest are members of NATO and the European Union. Malta is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations led by Great Britain.
Natural conditions and resources. The region is located on the Mediterranean peninsulas - the Iberian, Apennine and Balkan. Only Italy is part of mainland Europe. The Mediterranean Sea largely determined the similarity of the natural conditions of the region. There is an acute shortage of fuel in the region useful fossils. There is almost no oil here, very little natural gas and coal. However, the rich are deposits of various metals, especially colored ones: bauxite(Greece belongs to the top three European leaders), mercury, copper, polymetals(Spain, Italy), tungsten(Portugal). Huge reserves building materials – marble, tufa, granite, cement raw materials, clay. underdeveloped in southern European countries river network. Large arrays forests survived only in the Pyrenees and the Alps. The average forest cover of the region is 32%. Natural and recreational resources are extremely rich. These are warm seas, many kilometers of sandy beaches, lush vegetation, picturesque landscapes, numerous sea and mountain resorts, as well as areas favorable for mountaineering and skiing, etc. There are 14 national parks in the region. The unique natural resource potential of the region has contributed to the significant development of the agricultural sector and tourism and recreational activities in its countries.
Population. Traditionally, Southern Europe is characterized by a high birth rate, but the natural population growth is low: from 0.1% per year in Italy to 0.4-0.5% in Greece, Portugal and 0.8% in Malta. Women account for 51% of the region's population. The majority of the population belongs to the southern (Mediterranean) branch of e caucasoid race. During the era of the Roman Empire, most of them were Romanized, and now peoples belonging to the Roman group predominate here. Indo-European language family(Portuguese, Spaniards, Galicians, Catalans, Italians, Sardinians, Romansh). Exception are: Greeks(Greek group of the Indo-European family); Albanians(Albanian group of the Indo-European family), represented in Italy; Gibraltar (Germanic group of the Indo-European family); Maltese(Semitic group of the Semitic-Hamitic language family). Maltese is considered to be a dialectal form of Arabic; Turks(Turkic group of the Altaic language family) - there are many of them in Greece; Basques(in the rank of a separate family) - live in the historical region of the Basque Country in northern Spain. Composition of the population in the countries of the region is mostly homogeneous. High indicators of mono-ethnicity characteristic of Portugal (99.5% - Portuguese), Italy and Greece (98% of Italians and Greeks, respectively), and only in Spain a significant proportion (almost 30%) of national minorities: Catalans (18%), Galicians (8%) , Basques (2.5%), etc. The majority of the population - Christians. Christianity is represented by two branches: Catholicism(west and center of the region); Orthodoxy(East of the region, Greece). In Southern Europe is the spiritual and administrative center of the Roman Catholic Church - the Vatican, which exists in the IV century. Part of the Turks, Albanians, Greeks - Muslims.
Population posted unevenly. highest density- in fertile valleys and coastal lowlands, the smallest - in the mountains (Alps, Pyrenees), in some areas up to 1 person / km 2. Level of urbanization in the region is much lower than in other parts of Europe: only in Spain and Malta, up to 90% of the population lives in cities, and, for example, in Greece and Italy - more than 60%, in Portugal - 36%. Human Resources make up about 51 million people. In general, 30% of the active population is employed in industry, 15% - in agriculture, 53% - in service industry. Recently, many employees from Eastern and South-Eastern Europe come to Southern Europe for the fruit and vegetable harvest season, who cannot find work in their own countries.
Features of economic development and general characteristics of the economy. The countries of the region still lag economically behind the highly developed states of Europe. Although Portugal, Spain, Greece and Italy are members of the EU, but all of them, except Italy, lag behind the leaders in many socio-economic indicators. Italy is the economic leader of the region, belongs to highly developed industrial and agricultural countries, with a clear trend towards the formation of a post-industrial type of economy. At the same time, contrasts in the development of many industries and production, in the social sphere, in the socio-economic conditions of the North and South, are still significant in the country. Italy lags behind many highly developed countries in terms of scientific and technological development. Ahead of some countries of Western Europe in terms of net income from tourism, it is inferior to them in terms of the scale and intensity of international trade and credit and financial transactions. Spain. It is the second country in the region in terms of socio-economic development. In the Spanish economy, a significant role is played by the public sector, which accounts for up to 30% of the country's GDP. The state carries out economic programming, controls the railways, the coal industry, a significant part of shipbuilding and ferrous metallurgy. In the second half of the 80s. XX Art. Portugal experienced a significant economic recovery. The average GDP growth during this period was one of the highest in the EU and amounted to 4.5-4.8% per year, in 2000 the GNP was 159 billion dollars. Greece has a larger GNP than Portugal (181.9 billion in 2000). The country's industry is significantly monopolized by large local and foreign capital (mainly the United States, Germany, France and Switzerland). Up to 200 companies receive over 50% of all profits. Greece has rather high inflation rates for EU countries (3.4% per year). Government measures to reduce it (cutting state subsidies, freezing wages, etc.) predetermine social instability.
AT MGRT the countries of the region are represented by individual branches of engineering (production of cars, household appliances, technological equipment for the light and food industries), the furniture industry, the production of building products and equipment, light industries (fruit and vegetable canning, oilseeds - the production of olive oil, winemaking, pasta, etc.). P.). Agriculture is dominated by branches of agriculture - the cultivation of various subtropical crops: citrus fruits, wood oils, grapes, vegetables, fruits, essential oil plants, etc. Due to the insufficient forage base, livestock breeding is dominated by sheep breeding and, in small volumes, beef cattle breeding. The countries of the region are actively developing merchant shipping and ship repair. They are the undisputed leaders in the development of international tourism. Warm sea, Mediterranean climate, rich subtropical vegetation, numerous monuments of ancient culture and architecture are the main factors due to which Southern Europe is a favorite place for recreation and entertainment for many tourists in the world, the largest tourist center.
5. General characteristics of the countries of Eastern (Central) Europe
The countries of Eastern (Central) Europe as a socio-political and economic integrity began to single out in the 90s of the XX century. This is due to the collapse of the former USSR and the socialist system, the formation of independent states. The region covers 10 countries (Table 6). The economic and geographical position of Eastern Europe is distinguished by the following features : land surveying in the west with highly developed countries, and in the east and southeast - with Russia and the countries of Southeast Europe - potential markets for Eastern Europe; passage through the region of trans-European transport routes of the meridional and latitudinal directions. Over the past 10 years in EGP (economic and geographical position) of the region, the following changes : the collapse of the USSR, the formation of the CIS and new countries; unification of Germany; the collapse of Czechoslovakia, as a result of which two independent states were formed: the Czech Republic and Slovakia; the appearance on the southern borders of "unstable" in relation to the military-political state of the neighbors - the Balkan countries, Yugoslavia.
Table 6 - Countries of Eastern Europe
| Country | Capital | Area, thousand km | Population, million people / km 2 | Population density, persons / km 2 | GNP per capita, USD (2000) |
| Belarus | Minsk | 207,6 | 10,0 | ||
| Estonia | Tallinn | 45,1 | 1,4 | ||
| Latvia | Riga | 64,5 | 2,4 | ||
| Lithuania | Vilnius | 65,2 | 3,7 | ||
| Poland | Warsaw | 312,6 | 38,6 | ||
| Russia (European part) | Moscow | 4309,5 | 115,5 | ||
| Slovakia | Bratislava | 49,0 | 5,4 | ||
| Hungary | Budapest | 93,0 | 10,0 | ||
| Ukraine | Kyiv | 603,7 | 49,1 | ||
| Czech | Prague | 78,8 | 10,3 | ||
| Total | 5829,0 | 246,4 | Medium - 89 | Medium - 8600 |
Political and socio-economic changes influenced the formation of the modern political map of Eastern Europe. As a result of the collapse of the USSR, independent states were formed: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia. A new political and economic association emerged - the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The Baltic countries were not included in it. In the process of profound revolutionary changes, the countries of Eastern Europe entered a period of political and economic reforms, actively asserting the principles of real democracy, political pluralism, and a market economy. All countries in the region are members of the UN. Russia, Ukraine and Belarus - in the CIS, Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary - in NATO. Natural conditions and resources. The length of the coastline (excluding Russia) is 4682 km. Belarus, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic do not have access to the World Ocean. Climate in the predominant part of the territory - temperate continental. Natural resources. The region has significant mineral resources , in terms of their richness and diversity, it occupies one of the first places in Europe. He fully satisfies his needs in coal , brown coal . On the oil and gas Russian subsoil is rich, there are insignificant reserves in Ukraine and Hungary, as well as in the south of Belarus. Peat lies in Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, in the north of Ukraine, the largest reserves of oil shale - in Estonia and Russia. A significant part of the fuel and energy resources, especially oil and gas, countries are forced to import. Ore minerals are: iron ores , manganese , copper ores , bauxites , mercury nickel . Among non-metallic mineral resources are available rock salt , potassium salt , sulfur , amber , phosphorites, apatites . The average forest cover of the region is 33%. To the main recreational resources belong to the sea coast, mountain air, rivers, forests, mineral springs, karst caves. The region has the most famous sea resorts.
Population. On the territory of Eastern Europe, excluding Russia, there are 132.1 million people, including the European part of Russia - 246.4 million. The largest population is in Ukraine and Poland. In other countries, it ranges from 1.5 to 10.5 million people. Demographic situation is quite complex, which is due to the consequences of the Second World War, the increase in urbanization and the industrial development of states associated with it. As in most other European countries, natural population growth has significantly decreased in recent decades, primarily due to a sharp decline in the birth rate, and in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Slovakia it has become negative. The population is also declining - the birth rate is lower than the death rate, which has led to the aging of the population. The sex composition of the population is dominated by women (53%). Representatives of the transitional (Central European) group predominate among the inhabitants of the region caucasian race . Countries have mostly heterogeneous ethnic composition . The population belongs predominantly to a bilingual family: Indo-European and Ural . The region is dominated Christianity , represented by all directions: Catholicism professed in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, a significant number of Hungarians and Latvians; orthodoxy - in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus; Protestantism (Lutheranism ) - in Estonia, the majority of Latvians and part of the Hungarians; to Uniate (Greek Catholic ) churches will be occupied by western Ukrainians and western Belarusians.
Population placed relatively evenly. The average density is almost 89 persons/km a.s.l. The level of urbanization is low - on average 68 %. The urban population is constantly increasing. Human Resources approximately 145 million people (56%). Industry employs 40-50 % working population, in agriculture - 20-50%, in the non-manufacturing sector - 15-20%. Since the mid 90s. XX century In the countries of Eastern Europe, the economic emigration of the population has increased significantly in search of work and permanent earnings. Perceptible and intra-regional migration from the eastern regions (Ukraine, Russia, Belarus) to the economically developed western countries of the same region - Poland, the Czech Republic. In terms of GDP and its level per capita, the UN divides the countries of the region into 3 groups : 1) Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia (20-50% of GDP per capita from the US level); 2) Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia (10-20%); 3) Ukraine, Belarus, Russia (less than 10%). All states of the region belong to countries with an average level of socio-economic development.
AT ICPP countries are represented by areas fuel and energy complex (coal, oil, gas), metallurgy, chemical industry (mainly branches of basic chemistry and coal chemistry), individual branches mechanical engineering , timber industry complex, light (textile, knitwear, footwear, etc.) and food (meat and fish processing, sugar, oil and flour milling, etc.) industry. The agricultural specialization of countries is determined by the cultivation grain (wheat, rye, barley, corn), technical (sugar beet, sunflower, flax, hops) and fodder crops , potatoes, vegetables etc.. animal husbandry It is represented mainly by dairy and meat cattle breeding, pig breeding, and poultry farming. Fishing has long been traditional in the Baltic Sea countries. Industry. The leading sector of the economy of the countries of the region is industry, mainly processing (engineering, metallurgical complex, chemical, light and food, etc.). Transport. In Eastern Europe there are all types of transport. An important task for the countries of the region is to bring the transport system up to EU standards. Foreign economic relations countries of Eastern Europe are still being formed and do not have a clearly defined orientation. For the most part, foreign trade serves the needs of this region's own, since the products of many countries are not yet competitive on the world market. AT export , which amounts to 227 billion dollars, is dominated by products of mechanical engineering, chemical and light industries, some products of non-ferrous metallurgy. Foreign economic relations Ukraine with the countries of the region: significant volumes of exports of Ukrainian goods go to Russia, Belarus, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and the largest amount of imports to Ukraine - from Russia, Poland, Belarus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania. Eastern Europe is rich in resources for development recreational industry and tourism.
6. General characteristics of the countries of South-Eastern Europe
Southeast Europe covers 9 countries of the former socialist camp, located near the southeastern part of Europe, not included in the region of Eastern (Central) Europe (Table 6)
Table 6 - Countries of South-Eastern Europe
| Country | Capital | Area, thous. km | Population, million people / m 2 | Population density, persons / km 2 | GNP per capita, USD (2000) |
| Albania | Tirana | 28,7 | 3,4 | ||
| Bulgaria | Sofia | 110,9 | 8,1 | ||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Sarajevo | 51,1 | 3,4 | ||
| Macedonia | Skop’є | 25,7 | 2,0 | ||
| Moldova | Kishinev | 33,7 | 4,3 | ||
| Romania | Bucharest | 237,5 | 22,4 | ||
| Serbia and Montenegro | Belgrade | 102,2 | 10,7 | ||
| Slovenia | Ljubljana | 20,3 | 2,0 | ||
| Croatia | Zagreb | 56,6 | 4,7 | ||
| Total | 666,7 | Medium-95 | Medium - 4800 |
The region has a rather favorable economic and geographical position due to its location on the routes from Southwest Asia to Central Europe. The states of the region border on the countries of Eastern, Southern and Western Europe, as well as South-Western Asia, are washed by the seas of the Atlantic (Black, Adriatic), and through the Mediterranean Sea have access to transport routes in the Atlantic Ocean. Religious-ethnic conflicts (Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro) negatively influence the features of the political and geographical position of the region. All countries in the region have economies in transition. They are members of the UN, Moldova is a member of the CIS.
natural conditions. The countries of the region are rich in diverse landscapes. Climate in most of the territory temperate continental, only in the south and southwest subtropical Mediterranean. To obtain stable crops, large areas are irrigated here. Natural resources. Hydropower resources region are among the most powerful in Europe. Mineral resources are diverse, but the availability of them in the countries of the region is not the same. Largest reserves hard coal - in Transylvania (Romania), insignificant - to the west of Sofia in Bulgaria. Brown coal occurs in Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Bulgaria, Albania, Slovenia. The only country in the region that is fully provided with its own oil and gas , - Romania. All others depend on their imports. H ernozems occupy large territories of Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova. The woods covering over 35% of the territories are the national wealth of the countries of the region. The region has significant recreational resources. Favorable agroclimatic resources led to the development of a fairly significant agricultural sector in most countries of the region. Population. demographic situation characterized by the same trends as in most other European countries. It is characterized by a sharp decline in the birth rate and natural increase, which is due to socio-economic factors. There are more women than men in the region (51 and 49%). Most countries in the region are dominated by representatives of the southern group e uropeoid race. In the northern regions, the majority of the population belongs to Central European racial types . South East Europe - ethnically and religiously heterogeneous region, which predetermines numerous conflicts. Constant military conflicts gave rise to significant migrations of the population. In the countries of the region, a large percentage national minorities , and in some of them there was a territorial mixture of ethnic groups (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro). The inhabitants of the region belong to Indo-European language family, Altaic and Ural families . Religious composition also quite varied. The vast majority of the population professes Christianity (Orthodox - Bulgarians, Romanians, Moldavians, Serbs, Montenegrins, a significant part of the Macedonians, and Catholics - Slovaks, Croats, part of the Romanians and Hungarians) and Islam (Albanians, Kosovo Albanians, Bosnians, Turks). In Albania, the entire population is Muslim. Population placed evenly. Increasingly affects the distribution of the population urbanization associated primarily with the movement of rural residents to cities. Human Resources make up over 35 million people. Employment in agriculture is very large - 24%, and in Albania - 55%, the highest figure for Europe, 38% of the population is employed in industry, construction and transport, 38% - in the service sector. One of important issues region is to overcome the socio-demographic and religious-ethnic crisis that arose in the countries of the former Yugoslavia.
Features of economic development and general characteristics of the economy. By the level of socio-economic development of the region's countries belong to the medium developed. Only Albania meets the criteria for a developing country. The structure of the economy is dominated by industrial-agrarian countries. Each country is characterized by specific features of the transition period .
AT MGRT the countries of the region are represented by non-ferrous metallurgy, certain branches of the chemical industry (production of fertilizers, soda, perfumes and cosmetics), sectors of transport, agricultural engineering, machine tools, furniture, light industry (production of clothing, footwear, leather products) and food (sugar, oil, fruit and vegetable canning , tobacco, wine) industry. AT agriculture traditionally dominated by agriculture with cultivation grain (wheat, barley, corn) and industrial crops (sugar beet, sunflower, tobacco, essential oil plants). Significant development has vegetable growing, horticulture, viticulture . In the countries of the Black Sea and Adriatic coast, developed tourist and recreational complex .
Foreign economic relations. There are close economic ties between the countries of the region. They are export products for 33.9 billion dollars: oil products, agricultural products, etc. Imported (45.0 billion dollars) fuel, manufactured goods, equipment, etc. The main trading partners are the countries of the EU, CIS, Austria, Germany, Italy, Turkey, etc. Ukraine exports a lot of goods to Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria, imports - mainly from Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Slovenia.
Southern Europe (over 1696 thousand km2, 180 million people) is the second region in Europe in terms of territory (after Eastern Europe) and population.
Most of the countries of Southern Europe, with the exception of Spain, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Yugoslavia, belong to the small countries of Europe, occupying an area, each in particular, less than 100 thousand km2.
The territory of the region is quite clearly divided into three large sub-regions in the form of peninsulas - the Iberian, Apennine, Balkan.
In southern Europe, there are also islands in the northern part of the Mediterranean Sea - Crete, Sicily, Sardinia, the Balearic Islands, etc.
Southern Europe is very elongated along the parallel - at a distance exceeding 4000 km., And compressed along the meridian, barely exceeding 1000 km.
In general, the economic - geographical position of Southern Europe is characterized by the following features: 1) the proximity of the region to North Africa. Such a neighborhood has a decisive influence not only on natural features, but also on the ethnogenesis of the peoples living here, 2) proximity to the countries of Southwest Asia, rich fuel and energy resources, which are lacking in Southern Europe, 3) the wide length of maritime borders with the Atlantic Ocean , with the seas of the Mediterranean basin, in particular the Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, Aegean, as well as the western part of the Black Sea, diversified and influences the economic activity and beneficial economic relations of the North European countries with all continents of the world, 4.) The Mediterranean is an ancient region of human civilization , it is also called the "cradle of European civilization", because Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome had a decisive influence on the historical fate of neighboring countries and all of Europe.
So, the macro-region of Southern Europe is a special community, due not only to the typical features of the Mediterranean climate, but also to the similarity of historical fate, culture, traditions, and even the level of socio-economic development.
Economic - geographical assessment of natural conditions and resources. Southern Europe, although not territorially compact, is rather homogeneous in terms of morphostructural and climatic characteristics.
Southern Europe is the most mountainous among the European macro-regions, occupying more than three quarters of its territory. The highest mountains are mainly located in the north of the region, on the borders with Western and Central-Eastern Europe. Thus, the Pyrenees separate Spain from France, the high Alps are a natural border between Italy, France, Switzerland and Austria, and the Southern Carpathians fence off the Southern region from Central and Eastern Europe with their northern slopes.
The hinterland of Southern Europe is occupied by medium-altitude mountain ranges - the Iberian mountains, the Apennine mountain system, the Balkan mountains and plateaus, as well as plains.
The mountain system of Southern Europe is located in the zone of Alpine folding. The relative youth of these structures is evidenced by geological processes that continue to this day. This is reminiscent of frequent and strong earthquakes, as well as volcanic activity.
Mountain ranges covered with Mesozoic limestone are often exposed, forming bizarre landforms in the form of steep peaks, jagged ridges, and so on. Karst phenomena are common here. Where sedimentary rocks (fliesch) protrude to the surface, soft forms of mountains are formed, mainly with rich vegetation.
One of the main natural resources of the South of Europe is a mild climate, very favorable for human life. Here it is typically Mediterranean in most of the region - dry hot summers, mild rainy winters, early springs and long warm autumns. The growing season in the region lasts 200-220 days. And in the south of the Iberian Peninsula and in Sicily - even longer. Here, the temperature regime contributes to the vegetation of plants throughout the year.
All this is a good prerequisite for growing two crops: in the winter season - low heat-loving crops (cereals, vegetables), and in the summer - late varieties of rice, tea, figs, olives, citrus fruits.
The aridity of the climate is most pronounced in summer - in the inner subregions, in particular in Central and Eastern Spain, even in the temperate climatic zone of the Middle and Lower Danube lowlands, in the east of the macroregion.
In winter, maritime air masses of temperate latitudes prevail. They bring warm heavy rains from the Atlantic.
In general, there is little rainfall. The level of moistening of the surface of the macroregion tends to decrease in the eastern and southern directions. This confirms the growth of continental climate.
The territory of Southern Europe belongs to the weakly secured water resources. Their greatest shortage is felt in Greece, Italy, Spain. For the latter, this problem has become a priority. Despite this, some mountainous areas with full-flowing swift rivers have significant water resources. These include the rivers of northern Spain - the Ebro with its tributaries, the Duero, the Tajo, as well as the Dinaric Highlands, the Balkans, and others.
The land resources of Southern Europe are concentrated mainly in river valleys or in intermountain basins. The exception is the Iberian Peninsula, a large part of which is occupied by a vast plain, but it requires intensive irrigation.
Brown (Mediterranean) soils predominate in the South European macroregion, rich in minerals and are characterized by a significant content of humus. More humid northern areas, such as Portugal, northern Italy, have brown soils but are depleted in carbonates, so they must be fertilized to obtain high yields. The forest resources of Southern Europe are negligible. Only a few arrays are of industrial importance. Thus, the Iberian Peninsula is rich in cork oak forests, which allows Spain and Portugal to be the main exporters of cork products in the world. The forests on the Balkan Peninsula are well preserved, especially in the Dinaric Highlands, in the Southern Carpathians. But in general, the forest coverage of the South is very low. In some countries it does not exceed 15-20%, in Greece - 16%. In addition, the forests of the south are often devastated by fires.
The recreational resources of the South of Europe are very valuable and promising for use. Natural conditions, as well as a variety of vegetation cover, landforms, the presence of sea beaches, unique historical monuments create favorable conditions for the development of various types of tourism and recreation.
Among the mineral resources of the greatest wealth of the South European countries are ferrous ores, non-ferrous metals and non-metallic materials. The main iron ore deposits are located in Spain, which has its own iron ore base. The ores of Spain contain 48-51% of the metal, while the rich ores of Sweden and Ukraine contain 57-70% of the metal.
Significant reserves of aluminum raw materials are bauxites of Greece, copper reserves - Spain, mercury - Spain, Italy, potash salts - Spain.
The energy resources of the South European countries are represented by coal, lignite (Spain, Italy), oil (Romania, Slovenia), uranium (Spain, Portugal), but not all of them are of industrial importance.
Southern Europe is famous throughout the world for building materials, in particular marble, tuff, granite, clay, raw materials for the cement industry, etc.
Population. About 180 million people live in Southern Europe, which is more than 27.0% of the total European population. It ranks second in Europe in terms of population. Among the southern European countries, three countries stand out with the largest population: Italy (57.2 million people), Spain (39.6 million people) and Romania (22.4 million people), which account for two-thirds of the population, or 66.3% of the total number of residents in the region.
In terms of population density (106.0 inhabitants/km2), Southern Europe exceeds the European average by 74%, but lags among the inner European regions of industrialized Western Europe, where the population density is 173 individuals/km2, in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe this figure is much lower - more than 94 individuals/km2. Among individual countries, the most densely populated is the industrially developed and long-given state-gifted Italy (190 abs/km2), Albania (119.0 abs/km2). Less dense are such countries of the Balkan Peninsula as Croatia (85.3 ind./km2), Bosnia and Herzegovina (86.5 ind./km2), Macedonia (80.2 ind./km2) and Spain (77.5 ind./km2) . So, the center of Southern Europe - the Apennine Peninsula is the most densely populated, in particular the fertile Padana Plain and most of the coastal lowlands. The least densely populated are the highlands of Spain, where there are less than 10 people per km2.
In the South European macro-region, the birth rate is almost the same as in the Western European macro-region - 11 children per 1,000 inhabitants and is second only to Northern Europe, where this figure in 1999 was almost 12%. Among individual countries, Albania occupies the first place in this indicator, where the birth rate reaches 23 people per 1 thousand inhabitants per year, and the natural increase is 18 people. On the second - Macedonia, where these figures are 16 and 8, respectively, and on the third - fourth - Malta, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the industrialized countries of the South, the birth rate is much lower. So, in Italy - 9% with a negative growth (-1), in Slovenia - 10 people with zero natural growth. Infant mortality is slightly higher in southern European countries than in Western and Northern Europe, but four deaths per 1,000 live births are lower than in Eastern Europe. Among individual countries, it is in the Adriatic-Black Sea subregion, in particular in Albania, Macedonia, Romania and the former Yugoslavia - respectively 33, 24, 23, 22 and 18 child deaths per 1000 births. Thus, mortality is highest in post-socialist countries with low living standards.
In recent years, the average life expectancy of the population in the region has increased to 70 years for men and 76 years for women. Men live longer in Greece (75 years) and in Italy, Andorra, Malta, respectively, 74 years, and women - in Italy, Spain and Andorra, respectively, 81 years. According to UN forecasts, in the next ten years, the average life expectancy of men and women in Southern Europe should increase to 73 and 79 years, respectively.
Southern Europe is the least urbanized on the European continent. Here, 56.1% of the population lives in cities. The largest cities in the region are Athens (3662 thousand), Madrid (3030), Rome (2791), Belgrade, Zaragoza, Milan, Naples, Bucharest and others. Most of the southern cities were founded a very long time ago, back in the pre-Christian era. In many of them, monuments of the ancient period and later eras (Rome, Athens and dozens of other equally famous southern cities) have been preserved.
Southern Europe is quite racially homogeneous. The population of the region belongs to the Mediterranean or southern branch of the Caucasian large race (white). Her characteristic features are small stature, dark wavy hair and brown eyes. Almost the entire population of southern Europe speaks the languages of the Indo-European language family. The population of Italy, Spain, Romania, Portugal belongs to the Romance peoples who speak languages that are formed from ancient Latin. Their largest groups are Italians, Spaniards, Romanians. In the high Alpine regions of Italy live Ladino, Friuli, who speak Romansh, in Spain - Catalans and Galicians. Portugal is settled by the Portuguese. Southern Slavs live on the Balkan Peninsula. These include Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats, Slovenes and Macedonians. The South Slavic peoples belong to the Mediterranean race. In addition to the Slavs, Albanians and Greeks live here. The South Slavic influence is strong in the language and culture of the Albanians. Ethnic Greeks are the descendants of the ancient Greeks - Hellenes, who were strongly influenced by the Slavs. The anthropological type of modern Greeks differs from the ancient Greek, speech has changed.
From non-Roman peoples on the Iberian Peninsula live the Basques, who inhabit a small area of Northern Spain. These are the descendants of the Iberians - an ancient population who have preserved their language and cultural elements. Most of the population of Romania are Romanians, who formed into a single nation from two close peoples - the Vlachs and the Moldavians.
Economic and geographical position of Southern Europe
Southern Europe is very elongated along the parallel - for a distance exceeding 4000 km and compressed by the meridian, barely exceeding 1000 km. The main communications with the outside world for most of them are carried out by sea.
Although the macroregion is not territorially compact, it is quite homogeneous in terms of morphostructural and climatic features.
Figure 2 - Mountain systems of Southern Europe
Southern Europe is the most mountainous among the European macro-regions (Figure 2).
There are three physical-geographical regions: the Pyrenees, the Apennines, the Balkans.
The Iberian Peninsula is located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and is influenced by both of these basins. It forms the westernmost, Atlantic outpost of the Mediterranean. The peninsula is located close to Africa, from which it separated geologically recently, isolated from the rest of Europe by the wall of the Pyrenees. It is more massive than other Mediterranean peninsulas; its outlines, formed by fault lines, are almost rectilinear; the surface structure is dominated by plateaus and blocky mountains with small areas of lowlands.
The basis of the Iberian Peninsula is the Meset massif, composed of crystalline rocks and bordered from the north and south by mountain structures of the Alpine orogenic belt. From the side of the Atlantic Ocean, the peninsula is limited by a fault system, which is characterized by strong seismicity.
Meseta is characterized by a combination of plains with blocky mountains. Its inner parts, where the folded base is covered by strata of sedimentary rocks and the heights are 500-800 m, form the plateau of Old (in the north) and New (in the south) Castile. On their outskirts rise folded-block ridges, massifs and plateaus, composed of crystalline (Cantabrian, Iberian mountains) and limestone rocks (Central Cordillera, Catalan and Toledo mountains). The highest height (up to 2600 m) and the complexity of the structure reaches the Central Cordillera, which separates the plateaus of Old and New Castile from each other. In the south and southeast rise the folded ranges of the Cordillera Betica, or Andalusian mountains.
The Pyrenees serve as an important physical and geographical border between the Mediterranean and Central Europe. This mountain system, in terms of average height, is the second in Europe after the Alps, although its highest peaks are significantly inferior to the highest parts of the Alps. Yielding to the Alps in height, the Pyrenees are much less dissected and inconvenient to cross. The highest is the middle part of the mountains, composed of crystalline rocks. Peak Aneto in the Maladeta massif reaches a height of 3404 m. A significant role in the formation of the relief of this part of the Pyrenees belongs to the ancient glaciation, during which the highest parts of the mountains were covered with glaciers that left behind giant cirques. Sharp, impregnable peaks, steep slopes and wild gorges are characteristic of the highest part of the Pyrenees, which is almost devoid of passes, there are no railways or highways. To the west and east the mountains gradually decrease. Their outlying parts are not composed of crystalline rocks, but limestone and loose deposits, crossed by mountain passes, along which railways and highways are laid, connecting Spain with France. However, there are relatively few through routes through the Pyrenees. The first railway through these mountains was built only in 1915.
In the west, the Pyrenees merge with the Cantabrian Mountains, the eastern part of which - the Biscay Mountains - orographically, tectonically and geologically serves as a continuation of the Pyrenees. The western part of the Cantabrian mountains - the Asturian mountains (over 2500 m) are composed of more ancient rocks, have a great height, the relief is distinguished by sharpness of forms. The northern slope facing the Bay of Biscay is especially steep and strongly dissected. It is traversed by narrow, gorge-like valleys, through which turbulent streams rush down.
The southern mountain system of the Iberian Peninsula (Andalusian Mountains) is close to the Alps. It begins above the Strait of Gibraltar with a high rock and stretches to the northeast. The continuation of the Andalusian mountains can be traced in the form of low rises in the Balearic Islands. Probably, in the past, this mountain system merges with the northern Apennines and the Alps.
The Andalusian mountains consist of two zones, different in relief and geological structure. The southern crystalline zone is higher. Its array - the Sierra Nevada (Snowy Mountains) - reaches 3482 m (Mount Mulasen). On the peaks of the Sierra Nevada, snowfields remain for almost the entire summer and there is a small cirque glacier, the southernmost in Europe. Traces of Quaternary glaciation and strong erosional dissection create features of a typical high-mountain relief in many parts of the crystalline zone. A longitudinal tectonic depression separates from the crystalline outer limestone zone with a wide development of karst relief. In deep tectonic basins, a dense population is concentrated and agriculture is developed. On the Mediterranean side, the Andalusian mountain system is girded by the hilly, cultivated and densely populated Andalusian Riviera.
The lowlands encircle the peninsula also in the west, southwest and southeast. Between the Meseta and the Andalusian mountains in the Guadalquivir river basin is the Andalusian lowland, in the west at the foot of the Meseta - the Portuguese, in the southeast - the Murcia and Valencia. The flat, dune-girdled shores of these lowlands are interrupted by deep lagoons protruding into the land, in which the major port cities of Spain and Portugal are located. In the southwest of Spain it is Cadiz, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean - the capital of Portugal, Lisbon.
The Apennine region includes the Apennine Peninsula, the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, etc.
The Alpine tectonic structures of the Apennines in the extreme south merge with the Hercynian structures of the Calabria Peninsula. This combination is also characteristic of Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica.
The ancient Paleozoic massif of Tyrrenida sank in the Neogene and Quaternary, forming the Tyrrhenian Sea and islands. This was accompanied by volcanic activity, which does not fade even now: Vesuvius, Etna, Stromboli.
In the relief, a large role is played by water erosion. Quaternary glaciation in the mountains was limited.
The basis of the relief is the Apennine mountain system, which crosses the Apennine Peninsula along its entire length and passes to the island of Sicily. In the north, the Apennines merge with the Maritime Alps. There is no clearly defined border between these two mountain systems, and in tectonic terms, the Northern Apennines are a direct continuation of the Alps. In the west and east, between the mountains and the seashore, there are strips of flat or hilly relief, which are not related in structure to the Apennines.
In the north, the Apennines stretch along the coast of the Gulf of Genoa, limiting the Padan plain from the south. The narrow strip between the mountains and the sea is called the Riviera: French - in the west, Italian - in the east. Within the peninsula, the Apennines deviate to the southeast and retreat quite far from the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Up to the upper reaches of the Arno River, the mountains are called the Northern Apennines. In this part, they are composed of Paleogene, mostly loose rocks and rarely exceed 2000 m. The predominance of clay deposits in the structure of the Northern Apennines creates conditions for the development of landslide phenomena, which are intensified due to the destruction of forests. Many settlements in the Northern Apennines are located in deep tectonic basins. The ancient city of Florence is located in one of these basins.
To the south, the Central Apennines are composed of Mesozoic limestones and break up into high massifs, separated by deep basins and tectonic valleys. The slopes of the massifs are mostly steep and bare. The highest parts of the mountains experienced glaciation, and glacial forms are clearly expressed in their relief. The highest peak of the Apennines - Mount Corno Grande in the Gran Sasso d'Italia massif - reaches 2914 m and is a typical carling with a sharply defined peak and steep slopes. The extermination of forests contributed to a very strong development of karst formation processes in the Central Apennines.
In the very south of the Apennines, they come very close to the Tyrrhenian coast and in some places cut off directly to the sea. Orographically, the Apennines continue on the Calabrian Peninsula under the name of the Calabrian Apennines. But the mountains of Calabria have a different age and a different structure than the rest of the Apennines. This is a dome-shaped massif composed of crystalline rocks, leveled and uplifted by faults. Obviously, it is part of an older structural complex that existed on the site of the Tyrrhenian Sea, and experienced faults and subsidence in the Neogene.
The coastal strips of the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas on the Apennine Peninsula have a different structure and relief. The strip along the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea reaches its greatest width in the north, where, among a low hilly plain, separate crystalline massifs rise - part of the same ancient land as the mountains of Calabria. Further south, ancient and young volcanic formations begin to play an important role in the structure and relief of the Predapennines. There rises a number of extinct volcanoes and stretches plains composed of volcanic rocks and dissected by rivers. On a hilly volcanic plain stands the capital of Italy, Rome. There are many hot springs in the area. Even further south, near Naples, rises the double cone of Vesuvius, one of the most active volcanoes in Europe. The vast areas around Vesuvius are covered with lava that erupted during numerous eruptions, and covered with masses of volcanic ash. The strongest volcanic eruption at the beginning of our era led to the death of three cities: Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabia, located at its foot. As a result of excavations that began back in the 19th century, Pompeii was partially freed from under the thickness of volcanic rocks and turned into a museum-reserve, widely known throughout the world.
From the side of the Adriatic Sea, at the foot of the Apennines, there is an elevated hilly strip, which is called the Subapennines. In the southern part of the Subapennina, they pass into a karst limestone plateau up to 1000 m high, which stretches from the Gargano Peninsula to the Salentina Peninsula.
The island of Sicily is almost entirely occupied by mountains, which are a tectonic continuation of the Apennines. Low-lying areas are only along the coasts. In the east of the island rises the highest and most active volcano in Europe - Etna, reaching 3340 m in height. Etna is not only the highest volcano in Europe, but also one of the most active active volcanoes on Earth. Its eruptions occurred over a long period of time with intervals of 3-5 years, more than 100 of them were strong and prolonged, claiming many human lives.
To the north of Sicily, in the Tyrrhenian Sea, is a group of volcanic Aeolian Islands, some of them permanently active volcanoes. The wide distribution of volcanism in this part of the region is associated with the lines of recent faults, along which the land that formerly occupied the Tyrrhenian Sea subsided. The sinking also caused the formation of the Straits of Messina and Tunnis and the separation of Europe from North Africa.
The islands of Corsica and Sardinia were connected with the rest of the land even in the Neogene. Both islands are mountainous, especially Corsica, whose mountains reach a height of 2700 m and are composed of crystalline rocks.
At the base of the Balkan Peninsula is the ancient Hercynian Thracian-Macedonian massif, a fragment of the Aegean, which sank in the Pliocene and Pleistocene. From ancient land there are islands in the Aegean Sea. Alpine folds in the west and north. The surface of the region is mountainous, the plains occupy small spaces. In morphostructural terms, alpine formations are distinguished (in the west and south - the Dinaric Highlands, the North Albanian Alps (Prokletie), Pindus, Epirus, the mountains of Crete) and Hercynian in the Thracian-Macedonian massif (Pirin, Rila, Rhodopes, Olympus, West Macedonian mountains ).
In the west - the Dinaric Highlands. It has two structural and morphological belts: the western one - plateau-like from Mesozoic limestones and the development of karst processes, and the eastern one - with alternation of Paleozoic and Mesozoic sandstones, shales, limestones and crystalline rocks. Max. the height in the southeastern part is the Durmitor massif, 2522 m. On the mountain plateaus, karst fields up to 60 km long are numerous, at the bottom of their lacustrine sediments and clay deposits (terra rossa). Other karst forms are widespread: karr fields, funnels, caves. This relief is best expressed on the Karst plateau - a classic example. Towards the Adriatic, the mountains drop steeply. Along the coast of the island there are ridges parallel to the coast (Dolmatian type). The coast is ingressive in nature and shows signs of recent subsidence and flooding.
To the south of Lake Skadar is the Albanian lowland with numerous hills from 50 to 400 m. Strong swamping.
In the east of the Dinaric Highlands - the complexly built mountainous regions of Shumadia, Macedonia, the northeast of the Peloponnese and the island of Euboea - Paleozoic sandstones, shales, and crystalline rocks predominate. Karst processes are poorly developed. Domed peaks, gentle slopes.
Middle Thracian-Macedonian massif of Hercynian age from block uplifts and tectonic depressions. The highest formations are the Rila mountains (the highest point is 2925 m), the Rhodopes, Pirin, Osogovska-Planina, Shar-Planina. The mountains are separated by tectonic basins and fault zones, the large ones have a meridional strike with the valleys of the rivers Vardar, Struma, Morava.
A continuation of the Dinaric Highlands - the Pindus Mountains (Zmolikas, 2637 m) stretch from north to south for 200 km - from limestone and flysch. The ridges are dissected by deep river valleys. Even further to the southeast are isolated mountain ranges limited by faults (Olympus, 2917 m; Parnassus, 2457 m).
The Peloponnese peninsula is strongly dissected, in the center of the Sparta plateau. Connected to the rest of Greece by the Corinth Canal (length 6.3 km, built in 1897).
In the northern part of the Balkan Peninsula, the plains are Thessalian, Upper Thracian, Lower Thracian, Thessaloniki.
Upper and Lower Thracian are located in the trough zone. The first of lacustrine and river sediments, with a flat surface with residual mounds of outcrops of crystalline rocks.
Lower Thracian from Neogene marine sandy-argillaceous sediments. farming centers.
In the west and north there are folds of Alpine age, at the base of the peninsula - the ancient Hercynian Thracian-Macedonian massif - a fragment of the Aegean. In the west of the Dinaric Highlands, there are thick strata of Mesozoic limestones - a wide distribution of karst forms: karst fields, funnels, depressions, caves, underground rivers, fields. The Karst Plateau is an area of classically pronounced karst landforms.
The mountains and the peninsular position played a big role in the transport system of Southern Europe. Maritime transport plays an important role in international and domestic transportation. All countries have a large merchant fleet, part of which is leased. The charter of sea vessels is especially developed in Greece. Air transport is developing intensively, carrying out both domestic and international passenger transportation. All the largest settlements of the region are interconnected by roads and railways. Through the tunnels built in the mountains, communications with the continental regions of Europe are carried out.
The formation of the industrial structure was affected by the almost complete absence of oil and natural gas in the region - the most important sources of energy and raw materials. Mineral fuels are supplied from the countries of Northern Europe, Russia, North Africa and the Middle East. As a result, the placement of industry is characterized by an attraction to the sea coasts. Most of the enterprises of the oil refining and petrochemical industries, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, and light industry are concentrated here. The bulk of electricity is produced at thermal power plants running on fuel oil and natural gas.
In Spain, 25% of electricity is produced by nuclear power plants. In conditions of shortage of mineral fuel, the use of renewable energy sources is relevant. In Italy and Spain, the role of hydropower is great. Numerous hydroelectric power plants, providing cheap energy, are built on mountain rivers in the Alps and the Pyrenees. The increasing development of the economy of the countries of Southern Europe, receives the use of solar energy.
In the port cities of Italy, Spain, Greece, where imported oil is delivered, a powerful oil refining and petrochemical industry has been formed. Ferrous metallurgy also depends on imported raw materials. Large deposits of coal and iron ore are only in Spain, but their reserves are significantly depleted. Therefore, enterprises for the production of ferrous metals are also concentrated in port centers. Electrometallurgy prevails, as a result, the steel produced in these countries is of high quality.
Mechanical engineering is the leading industry in the large countries of the region. Its basis is the production of vehicles - cars and trucks, marine vessels. Recently, electronics and electrical engineering, instrumentation has been developing at a high pace. The brands of Italian refrigerators and washing machines, computers of the Olivetti company are world famous. In Italy, machine tool building has reached a high level.
Traditionally, the light and food industries play an important role in the economic development of the economy of the countries of Southern Europe. The countries are major producers of cotton and woolen fabrics, knitwear, clothing and footwear, furniture, and jewelry. The food industry specializes in the production of pasta, olive oil, grape wines, vegetable and fruit preserves, and juices.
Rich reserves of various building stone and raw materials for the cement industry contribute to the development of production. A significant part of the products (facing tiles, marble, cement) is exported.
A feature of agriculture in the countries of Southern Europe is the predominance of crop production over animal husbandry. The reason for this sectoral structure lies in natural conditions. The warm Mediterranean climate, combined with artificial irrigation, makes it possible to grow the world's most diverse range of agricultural plants. And the presence of a vast European market in the neighborhood contributes to the production of subtropical crops in large volumes. The disadvantage is the limited land suitable for the day of agriculture. The use of mountain slopes for agriculture is possible only with the help of terracing, which has been common in the Mediterranean countries for a long time. The most characteristic crops of the region are olives and grapes. A variety of vegetables and fruits are grown everywhere. Tomatoes stand out among vegetables, peaches, apricots, and cherries stand out among fruits. Most of the typical subtropical crops - figs, citrus - are exported. Cereals (wheat, barley, rice), legumes and gourds are produced for own needs. Of the industrial crops, sugar beets, tobacco and cotton are of the greatest importance.
The development of animal husbandry has always been hampered by the lack of a forage base. In recent years, unable to withstand the competition of highly specialized farms in Western and Northern Europe, livestock production has been declining. All the main branches of animal husbandry are represented in the region: breeding of large and small (sheep, goats) cattle, pigs, and poultry. Sheep are bred everywhere on natural pastures. Depending on the season, the herds are moved. Stable animal husbandry is combined with agriculture and is characteristic of the fertile lowlands, primarily of the Podan Plain in Italy. Here, as well as in the suburban areas of large cities, dairy farming, pig breeding and poultry farming are concentrated. Seafood plays an important role in the diet of the inhabitants of the region.
The development of the service sector is aimed at serving numerous foreign tourists. More than 180 million tourists from all over the world visit the countries of Southern Europe every year. They are attracted by favorable climate, warm sea combined with mountainous terrain, unique architectural ensembles of cities, high level of service in numerous hotels and restaurants. Mountain resorts are very popular. The traditional place of pilgrimage for believers is the Vatican. Annual income from foreign tourism in each of the major countries in the region is tens of billions of dollars.
In terms of population, Southern Europe, with about 180 million people, is the second region in Europe in terms of area (after Eastern Europe) and population. Among the southern European countries, three countries stand out with the largest population: Italy (57.2 million people), Spain (39.6 million people) and Romania (22.4 million people), which account for two-thirds of the population, or 66.3% of the total number of residents in the region.
In terms of population density (106.0 individuals / km 2), Southern Europe exceeds the European average by 74%, but is inferior among the inner European regions to industrialized Western Europe, where the population density is 173 individuals / km 2.
Among individual countries, the industrially developed Italy (190 individuals / km 2), Albania (119.0 individuals / km 2) stands out with the highest population density. Less dense are such countries of the Balkan Peninsula as Croatia (85.3 individuals / km 2), Bosnia and Herzegovina (86.5 individuals / km 2), Macedonia (80.2 individuals / km 2) and Spain (77.5 individuals /km 2). Thus, the center of Southern Europe - the Apennine Peninsula is the most densely populated, in particular the fertile Padana Plain and most of the coastal lowlands. The least densely populated are the highlands of Spain, where there are less than 10 people per km2.
In the South European macro-region, the birth rate is almost the same as in the Western European macro-region - 11 children per 1,000 inhabitants. Among individual countries, Albania occupies the first place in this indicator, where the birth rate reaches 23 people per 1 thousand inhabitants per year, and the natural increase is 18 people. On the second - Macedonia, where these figures are 16 and 8, respectively, and on the third - fourth - Malta, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the industrialized countries of southern Europe, the birth rate is much lower. So, in Italy - 9% with a negative growth (-1), in Slovenia - 10 people with zero natural growth.
Southern Europe is the least urbanized on the European continent. Here, 56.1% of the population lives in cities. The largest cities in the region are Athens (3662 thousand), Madrid (3030), Rome (2791), Belgrade, Zaragoza, Milan, Naples, Bucharest and others. Most of the southern cities were founded a very long time ago, back in the pre-Christian era. In many of them, monuments of the ancient period and later eras (Rome, Athens and dozens of other equally famous southern cities) have been preserved.
Southern Europe is quite racially homogeneous. The population of the region belongs to the Mediterranean or southern branch of the Caucasian large race (white). Her characteristic features are small stature, dark wavy hair and brown eyes. Almost the entire population of southern Europe speaks the languages of the Indo-European language family. The population of Italy, Spain, Romania, Portugal belongs to the Romanesque peoples who speak languages that are formed from ancient Latin. In the high Alpine regions of Italy live Ladino, Friuli, who speak Romansh, in Spain - Catalans and Galicians. Portugal is settled by the Portuguese. Southern Slavs live on the Balkan Peninsula. These include Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats, Slovenes and Macedonians. The South Slavic peoples belong to the Mediterranean race. In addition to the Slavs, Albanians and Greeks live here. The language and culture of the Albanians is strongly influenced by the South Slavic influence. Ethnic Greeks are the descendants of the ancient Greeks - Hellenes, who were strongly influenced by the Slavs. The anthropological type of modern Greeks differs from the ancient Greek, speech has changed.
Figure 3 - National composition of Southern Europe
Of the non-Roman peoples, the Basques live on the Iberian Peninsula and inhabit a small area of Northern Spain. These are the descendants of the Iberians - an ancient population who have preserved their language and cultural elements. Most of the population of Romania are Romanians, who formed into a single nation from two close peoples - the Vlachs and the Moldavians.
Thus, the economic and geographical position of Southern Europe is characterized by the following features:
1) the proximity of the region to North Africa. Such a neighborhood has a decisive influence not only on natural features, but also on the ethnogenesis of the peoples living here;
2) proximity to the countries of Southwest Asia, rich fuel and energy resources, which are lacking in Southern Europe;
3) the wide extent of maritime borders with the Atlantic Ocean, with the seas of the Mediterranean basin, in particular the Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, Aegean, as well as the western part of the Black Sea, has influenced and is affecting the economic activity and beneficial economic relations of the North European countries with all continents of the world in many ways;
4) The Mediterranean is an ancient region of human civilization, it is also called the "cradle of European civilization", because Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome had a decisive influence on the historical fate of neighboring countries and all of Europe.
In most countries of Southern Europe, the mining industry, agriculture, mountain pasture animal husbandry, the production of machinery and instruments, fabrics, leather, the cultivation of grapes and citrus fruits are widespread. Tourism is very common. The main branch of specialization, in addition to international tourism, is agriculture, in particular, this area is rich in grapes, olives, quite high rates in the cultivation of cereals and legumes, as well as vegetables and fruits. Despite the predominance of agriculture, there are also industrial zones, in particular, the cities of Genoa, Turin and. It should be noted that they are located mainly in the north, closer to the countries of Western Europe.
Lesson in grade 9 on the topic: "European South of Russia.
Economic - geographical position, natural conditions and resources of the region.
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Republic of Crimea, Bakhchisarai district, with. Vilino "MKOU Vilinskaya secondary school No. 1"
Goals: To assess the EGP of the European South, the North Caucasus, to introduce the symbols of the subjects of the Federation of the region, to determine the features of the natural conditions and natural resources of the region, to study the national composition, population density.
Equipment: Economic map of the European South, physical map of Eurasia, climate map of the world, textbook, presentation and presentation equipment.
During the classes:
1.Org. moment.
2. Explanation of the new material.
The North Caucasus is the most multinational region of Russia. It is a health resort and breadbasket of the country. But at the same time, this is the most unstable area. (Remember why?)
Today we will get acquainted with the featuresEuropean South of Russia.
Economic - geographical location, natural conditions and resources of the area
Determine which subjects are part of the European South. (working with map and slides)
The North Caucasian economic region is one of the largest regions of Russia. The North Caucasus is located between three seas (Black, Azov, Caspian).
The area goes to the land border of Russia: with Ukraine - the Rostov region, with Georgia - the Krasnodar Territory and all the republics except Adygea, with Azerbaijan - Dagestan.
In the east it is washed by the Caspian Sea - this is an outlet to Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran. To the west are the Black and Azov Seas. The seas are inland, but through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles there is access to the Mediterranean Sea.
The transport network is quite developed on the plains, and there are no railways in the mountainous regions, only along the coast of Tuapse - Sochi - Sukhumi (Georgia), in the east Makhachkala - Derbent - Baku.
Conclusion: EGP is beneficial, but a stable environment is needed.
It borders on the Central Black Earth and Volga economic regions.
3. Assess the natural conditions and draw a conclusion. The work is carried out in groups according to the text of the textbook, maps.
1. Relief.
2. Climate.
3.Water.
4. Soil.
5. Natural zones.
6. Mineral resources.
7. Recreational resources.
Children give characteristics in groups (slides)
1) Relief
1. Volga Upland
2. Stavropol Upland.
3.Caspian lowland.
4. Kubasskaya lowland.
5. Tersko - Kuma lowland.
6.Kumo-Manych depression
7. Central Crimean Plain
8. North Crimean lowland
9. Tarkhankut Upland
10. Crimean Mountains (Roman-Kosh 1545m), Greater Caucasus (Elbrus 5642m)
2) Moderate continental (+21-22 in summer; -5-8 in winter; 450-550 mm)
Subtropical (+22-23 in summer; +5+8 in winter; 1200 mm)
3) Not rich in water resources. The rivers Don, Kuban, Terek are mainly used for irrigation. Some rivers, in particular Kuma dry up.
4) The region is located in the zone of steppes (chernozems), semi-deserts (chestnut).
6) Mineral resources
1. Coal - Donetsk basin;
2.Gas - Stavropol, Krasnodar region;
3. Oil - Chechen Republic, Republic
Dagestan;
4. Iron ore - Kerch basin;
5. Tungsten-molybdenum ores -
Kabardino-Balkaria.
7) Recreational resources - natural cultural and historical complexes
and their elements that contribute to the restoration and development of physical and spiritual
human strength.
1. Black Sea coast. Resorts: Sochi, Anapa, Gelendzhik, Yalta, Alushta, Feodosia,
Zander.
2. Elbrus region - the region of mountaineering and skiing.
3. Caucasian mineral waters: Essentuki, Pyatigorsk, Zheleznovodsk, Kislovodsk.
Conclusion: The European South has a rich recreational, agro-climatic, land and fuel base.
The North Caucasus is the only region in Russia where the population is rapidly increasing. Now the absolute natural increase has been replaced by a decline. But Ingushetia and Dagestan have the highest growth (12%) in the country. In most republics, the birth rate remains high (why?)
Find the average population density on the map.
Determine the national composition ...
The average population density is 50 people. per km 2 . The natural increase is positive. The national composition is heterogeneous. The most multinational region of Russia. Russians dominate. There are such peoples as: Adyghes, Kabardians, Circassians, Ingush, Karachays, Ossetians, etc.
INDUSTRY
According to the table, in the appendices, determine the main areas of industry in the area ... .. p.275 (textbook).
For product manufacturing....
The North Caucasus region is the largest supplier of oil and gas. The leading sectors of market specialization are:
gas, oil, coal, non-ferrous metallurgy, various
engineering, cement and food industries. The North Caucasus is one of the oldest oil refining regions in the country. To the old regions of oil refining Grozny, Tuapse, Krasnodar in recent years
new ones were added in Ciscaucasia. Natural gas is produced mainly in
Stavropol and Krasnodar territories, and passing - in Chechnya and Dagestan.
Gas condensate is also extracted - the most valuable raw material for chemical
industry. However, the oil industry was damaged by the Chechen war
big damage. The North Caucasian region is distinguished by the richness and diversity of raw materials and fuel and energy resources. Significant reserves of natural gas. The total geological reserves of coal are about 44 billion tons. They are concentrated mainly in the Rostov region, in the eastern part of the Donbass. Anthracites predominate, occurring mainly at a depth of about 600 meters.
The North Caucasus has significant resources of non-ferrous and rare metal ores (lead, zinc, silver, tungsten, molybdenum).
coal industry
is concentrated in the Rostov region, where the eastern wing of the Donbass enters. There is also a small amount of coal in the south of the Stavropol Territory, in Kabardino-Balkaria and Dagestan.
Non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy is represented in the region. In Vladikavkaz
an electrozinc plant is operating, the Urup mining and processing plant is operating in Karachay-Cherkessia, and a tungsten-molybdenum plant is operating in Tyrnyauz.
Metallurgical plants specialize in the production of steel, pipes, and steel castings.
The Northern Caucasus is poorly provided with forest resources (it accounts for only 0.5
Which economic regions are rich in forest resources?
Their peculiarity is that 65% of the forest belongs to high-mountain forests and has no operational value. In this regard, the forests of the North Caucasus can be considered from the point of view of their recreational, health-improving and environmental usefulness.
What are recreational resources?
The chemical complex is developing mainly on local raw materials and
produces a variety of products - phosphate and nitrogen fertilizers, varnishes and paints, synthetic detergents, plastics and artificial fibers.
The branches of market specialization include agricultural
mechanical engineering and production of technological and drilling equipment for the gas and oil industry. An industry of market value is the production of electric locomotives - Novocherkassk. River and sea vessels are also produced in the North Caucasus region. New labor-intensive branches of mechanical engineering have appeared - instrument making, electrical engineering, etc. A new branch is nuclear engineering.
The basis of the economy of the North Caucasus is the electric power industry. In many
districts built thermal, nuclear and hydraulic power plants. The largest thermal power plants have been created in Krasnodar, Grozny, Novocherkassk, Nevinnomyssk, and among the hydroelectric power stations the following stand out: Tsimlyanskaya, Gizeldonskaya, Baksanskaya, Belorechenskaya. The energy system of the region is connected to the Donbass, the Volga region.
3. Summing up the lesson.
What economic region did we begin our acquaintance with in the lesson?
What entities are included in the region?
What states borders the region?
What seas does the region have access to?
4. D / Z p. 28 read., Peresk., Notebook entries.
Optional: draw a diagram of the industry of the European South.
