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European geography

Geographical and climatic characteristics

Europe is the abbreviation of Europe, located in the northwest of the old hemisphere, bordering the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Atlantic Ocean in the west, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea in the south. The mainland is east to the polar Urals (66 degrees east longitude 10 minute, 67 degrees 46 minutes north latitude), south to Cape Maroqi (5 degrees 36 minutes west longitude, 36 degrees north latitude), west to Cape Rocca (9 degrees 3 west longitude/Kloc-0 minute, 38 degrees 47 minutes north latitude), and north to Cape Noqin (27 degrees 42 minutes east longitude). In the east, the Ural Mountains, ural river, Caspian Sea, Caucasus Mountains, Bosporus Strait, Marmarakhi and Da Daniil Strait divide Asia; South across the Mediterranean and Africa; The Greenland Sea and the Danish Strait separate the Northwest from North America. Area 1.0 1.6 thousand square kilometers (including islands), accounting for about 6.8% of the world's total land area, only larger than Oceania, making it the sixth continent in the world. There are more than 73 1 10,000 residents (including the whole population of Russia in the middle of 1.994), accounting for about 12.9% of the world population, making it the continent with the highest population density. The urban population accounts for about 64% of the population of the whole continent, ranking third among all continents after Oceania and North America. Europe has the densest population distribution in the west, with more than 200 people per square kilometer in the middle of the Rhine River basin, the Paris Basin, eastern Belgium and the lower reaches of the Thames. Most residents in Europe are white (Europa). Residents belong to the following language families: Indo-European, accounting for 95% of the total population of the whole continent, including Slavic, Germanic, Latin, Albanian, Greek and Celtic; Uralic language family, including Finnish, Ugric and Samoyed. Most residents believe in Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodox Church. The Vatican is located in the northwest corner of Rome, Italy. It is a city within a city and the center of Catholicism in the world. Natural Environment The European continent is a big peninsula extending from the Eurasian continent to the Atlantic Ocean, accounting for 1/5 of the Eurasian continent. With a coastline of 37,900 kilometers, the mainland is the most tortuous and complicated continent in the world, with the most severe cutting. Many peninsulas, islands, ports and inland seas that go deep into the mainland. The general feature of European topography is that glaciers are widely distributed and mountains converge to the south. Plateau, hills and mountains above 200 meters above sea level account for about 40% of the whole continent, and plains below 200 meters above sea level account for about 60% of the whole continent. The average elevation of the whole continent is 300 meters, the lowest. The Alps across the south are the highest mountains in Europe, with an average elevation of about 3000 meters. The mountains are majestic, many peaks are covered with snow all year round, and glaciers develop in the valleys. The main peak of Mont Blanc is 4807 meters above sea level. The backbone of the Alps extends eastward to the Carpathian Mountains, southeast to the Villepin and Tenera Mountains, south to the Apennines, and southwest to the Pyrenees. There are Urals Mountains at the junction of Europe and Asia in the east. Mount Elbrus, the main peak of the Caucasus Mountains in the southeast, is 5642 meters above sea level, which is the highest peak in Europe. There are Scandinavian mountains in northern Europe. Plains and hills are mainly distributed in eastern and central Europe, mainly including Eastern Europe Plain (also known as Russian Plain, accounting for about half of the whole continent), Bode Plain (also known as Central Europe Plain) and Western Europe Plain. The lowlands along the northern coast of the Caspian Sea are 28 meters below sea level, which is the lowest point of the whole continent. Iceland in southern and northern Europe has many volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. Among the continents in the world, European rivers are evenly distributed, with dense river networks and abundant water, and there are many short and abundant rivers. Most rivers originate in Central Europe and flow into Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Caspian Sea, Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea respectively. The longest river in Europe is the Volga River, with a total length of 3,690 kilometers. The Danube is the second longest river, with a total length of 2850 kilometers. Europe is a continent with many small lakes, most of which are formed by glaciation. For example, Finland is known as the "country of thousands of lakes". There are more than 60,000 lakes in China, and the inland water area accounts for more than 9% of the country's total area. There are many large moraine lakes and tectonic lakes in the foothills of Alps, and rivers in mountainous areas mostly flow through lakes. Lake Geneva and other lakes have become famous tourist attractions. Most of Europe is located in the north temperate zone, with a mild and humid climate. The western Atlantic coast is cool in summer, mild in winter, rainy and foggy, which is a typical maritime temperate broad-leaved forest climate. The east is far from the ocean and belongs to the continental temperate broad-leaved forest climate. The northern part of the eastern European plain belongs to temperate coniferous forest climate. The arctic ocean coast is cold in winter and cool and short in summer, which belongs to the frozen tundra climate. The southern Mediterranean coastal area is warm and rainy in winter and hot and dry in summer, which belongs to the subtropical Mediterranean climate.

Human population

Europe is the most populous continent. The urban population accounts for about 64% of the population of the whole continent, ranking third among all continents after Oceania and North America. Europe has the densest population distribution in the west, with more than 200 people per square kilometer in the middle of the Rhine River basin, the Paris Basin, eastern Belgium and the lower reaches of the Thames. Most residents in Europe are white (Europa). Residents belong to the following language families: Indo-European, accounting for 95% of the total population of the whole continent, including Slavic, Germanic, Latin, Albanian, Greek and Celtic; Uralic language family, including Finnish, Ugric and Samoyed. Most residents believe in Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodox Church. The Vatican is located in the northwest corner of Rome, Italy. It is a city within a city and the center of Catholicism in the world.

culture

European countries have many taboos about western numbers, colors, flowers and animals. Westerners generally taboo "13" and "Friday" because of Christian legends; Many western countries regard black as a symbol of funeral; In international communication occasions, it is customary to avoid using azaleas, chrysanthemums, carnations and yellow flowers for guests; In addition, animals such as elephants, peacocks and cranes, which are regarded as auspicious, festive and longevity in China, are also taboo in some western countries, and are regarded as synonymous with stupidity (Britain), adulteress (Britain, France) and stupid person (France) respectively.

Due to the differences of national cultures, European countries have many characteristics. Friendly gestures, such as waving, mean "hell" in Greece. When the Greeks say goodbye, they will wave to each other. Therefore, remembering the following tips about the characteristics of national culture and customs in European countries will be very beneficial to the development of transnational cultural and economic activities.

Belgians love to combine business and entertainment, like to entertain others and like to be entertained by others. Pay attention to appearance and the title of business partner;

Hungarians are superstitious and are not allowed to put dishes made of poultry on the New Year's table. Think that in that case, luck will fly away with the birds;

Danes like saunas and drinking, and wine is more expensive. If you entertain a sauna or bring a few more bottles of scotch whisky in business activities, you can increase your conversation and it is the best gift;

Norwegians pay attention to punctuality and keep a certain distance from others. When visiting or attending a family dinner, prepare gifts such as flowers or candy for the hostess. When you go out to make friends, don't scare the river bird (Norway's national bird). Generally speaking, red is considered as a popular color.

Germans are famous for their efficiency. German negotiators have serious personal relationships, so they should get used to wearing suits on various occasions (don't put your hands in your pockets, which is considered impolite). Gifts should be personal, even in the name of the company;

Greeks love to take a nap, which is caused by the subtropical climate. Saying "good afternoon" can include saying "good night" after midnight. The Greek way of operation is more traditional, and bargaining can be seen everywhere;

Austrians don't like to eat shrimp in the New Year. Because shrimp will walk backwards, which symbolizes bad luck. If you eat shrimp, it is difficult to make progress in the new year.

Spaniards who emphasize personal credibility would rather suffer a little loss than admit their mistakes publicly. If you think they have suffered unintentional losses in the agreement and helped them, you will win their friendship and trust forever.

The French are the most patriotic. No matter how good you speak English, you will ask for negotiations in French and never give in. Pay great attention to dress and wear the best clothes possible during the talks;

For political and historical reasons, Irish people avoid using red, white and blue (the colors of the British flag). In addition, Irish law prohibits Irish people from getting divorced;

Italians are less rigid than Germans and more enthusiastic than French. But when dealing with business, it is usually not emotional. Slow decision-making, not discussing with employees, but unwilling to make a hasty statement;

Luxembourg people, descendants of Germans. Because the country is small, most people go home for dinner by bus at noon and don't work at noon;

The Dutch, once the most orthodox people in Europe, love cleanliness and order. When doing business, I hope you make an appointment in advance before coming to Holland. Frank and frank personality;

The Portuguese are very much like the Greeks, easy-going and sociable. Wear a suit in spite of the hot weather. When negotiating with them, you should wear a neat coat and tie in public and social occasions.

British people should follow the rules in everything, and their cars run in the opposite direction to other European countries. Due to the conceit of using English as their mother tongue, the British can't speak any other language except English.

Euro-market

For half a century, the EU has brought stability and prosperity to many countries. It helped improve the living standards of Europeans, developed the European single market and introduced the European single currency.

In the next decade, the EU will become one of the largest and most important trading groups in the world. Please learn more about the European market and its assets.

Eu member States

After two devastating world wars in the 20th century, many European leaders believed that the only way to establish lasting peace was to unite European countries economically and politically.

In the 1950s, the EU had only six members: Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. 1973, joined by Britain, Denmark and Ireland. Greece, Spain and Portugal are close behind. 1995, followed by Austria, Finland and Sweden. The biggest expansion took place in 2004, with 65,438+00 Central and Eastern European countries joining.

Today, there are 25 countries in the EU, and there is no doubt that it will increase in the next few years. It is not clear how many countries have joined in this period. The number of new members must depend on whether the applicant country meets various economic standards.

Member States: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands and United Kingdom.

Applicants: Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Turkey.

EU Capital: Brussels

EU flag: 12 A circle of golden five-pointed stars on a blue background.

Socio-demographic statistics

On the world map, the EU is not a big region. However, it has the third largest population in the world, second only to China and India in Asia.

Population of 25 Member States: 456,863,300.

EU population growth rate: 0. 15%

Net migration rate: 1.5 immigrants/1 000 people.

In the past 10 years, EU countries have become richer. Their national living standards have been greatly improved. They become richer, so they become more active consumers. As far as economy is concerned, the working-age population (under 64 years old) is an important factor, and life expectancy is another factor.

Life expectancy: 78.3 years.

Working age population: 67.2%

economy

The European market is a growing market. The EU is striving to improve Europe's trade status and its political and economic strength. Recently, the European Union has accepted 65,438+00 Central and Eastern European countries, whose economies are not as developed as the original 65,438+05 member countries. However, the European market can be considered as an economic power.

Gross domestic product: 9540 billion euros.

GDP growth rate: 2.4%

Inflation rate: 2. 1%

In 2004, 63% of the working-age population (under 64) in the 25 EU member states were engaged in work or business activities.

Labor force: 2150,000 people.

Industrial labor force: about 29% of the labor force.

Agricultural labor force: about 4% of the labor force.

Service industry labor force: about 67% of the labor force.

Transportation is an important part of European economy. With the economic growth, more and more products are transported to all parts of the country through various modes of transportation. The EU has an extensive transportation network, with 222,293 kilometers of railway lines, 46348 10/0 kilometers of highways, 535 12 kilometers of waterways and many important airports. Therefore, transportation has become one of the most profitable industries in the EU.

In European centers (including France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and Britain), sales is a very profitable department. Due to the high quality of infrastructure and low land prices and rents, many companies set up sales centers in these central countries.

Last but not least, the logistics industry has also become one of the major economic sectors in these six countries. Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg are the world leaders in the logistics industry. Because of their strategic location, these countries are the real gateway to Europe's huge consumer market. Warehouse management system, order picking system and follow-up system, whether hardware or software, are only part of their successful products.

money

The European Monetary Union first adopted the euro as the same currency used by financial institutions in member countries. In 2002, the euro finally became the only currency used by member countries in daily transactions.

The euro zone members that use the new currency are Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

Non-euro member countries: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The 65,438+00 new member States of Central and Eastern Europe can choose whether to adopt the euro according to strict conditions (which must meet EU financial and monetary standards).

The European single currency provides the EU with the opportunity to become a borderless market. In the next decade, the euro will surely develop in step with the EU economic market and become one of the most important currencies in the world.