Western European countries. List of Western European countries and their capitals Western European cities list

Europa is named after the heroine of ancient Greek mythology, Europa, a Phoenician princess who was kidnapped by Zeus and taken to the island of Crete. The origin of this name itself, as the French linguist P. Chantrain concludes, is unknown. The most popular etymological hypotheses in modern literature were proposed in antiquity (along with many others), but are controversial: One etymology interprets it from the Greek roots evri- and ops- as “wide-eyed.” According to the lexicographer Hesychius, the name Europia means "land of sunset, or dark", which was defined by later linguists as "sunset".

The name Europe for a part of the world is absent in ancient Greek literature (in the Homeric hymn to Apollo of Pythia, only Northern Greece is named Europe) and was first recorded in the “Description of the Earth” by Hecataeus of Miletus (late 6th century BC), the first book of which is dedicated to Europe.

The ancient Greeks initially considered Europe to be a separate continent, separated from Asia by the Aegean and Black Seas, and from Africa by the Mediterranean Sea. Convinced that Europe was only a small part of the huge continent, which is now called Eurasia, ancient authors began to draw the eastern border of Europe along the Don River (such ideas are already found in Polybius and Strabo). This tradition prevailed for almost two millennia. In particular, according to Mercator, the border of Europe runs along the Don, and from its source - strictly north to the White Sea.
In the 15th century, when Muslims were driven out of almost all of Spain and the Byzantines from Asia (by the Turks), Europe briefly became almost synonymous with Christendom, but today most Christians live outside its territory. In the 19th century, almost all of the world's industry was located in Europe; today, most of the products are produced outside its borders. In 1720, V.N. Tatishchev proposed drawing the eastern border of Europe along the ridge of the Ural Mountains, and further along the Yaik River (modern Ural) up to the mouth flowing into the Caspian Sea. Gradually, the new border became generally accepted, first in Russia, and then beyond its borders. Currently, the border of Europe is drawn: in the north - along the Arctic Ocean; in the west - along the Atlantic Ocean; in the south - along the Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara, Black Seas; in the east - along the eastern foot of the Ural Mountains, the Mugodzharam Mountains, along the Yaik River (modern Ural) to the Caspian Sea, from there along the Kuma and Manych rivers to the mouth of the Don (or along the Caucasus Range to the Black Sea). Europe also includes nearby islands and archipelagos.

Countries of Europe

Eastern Europe:
Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia

Northern Europe:
, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia,

The article talks about the countries of the European subregion. Comparisons of their current state with the past are provided. Powers are highlighted that have still managed to maintain their positions both on the political and economic world stage.

Western European states

This is a subregion that contains Western European powers. This definition has a geographical context.

The UN positions the region as a community of almost a dozen countries (9):

• Austria;
• Belgium;
• France;
• Germany,
• Liechtenstein;
• Monaco;
• Holland;
• Switzerland.

In the current political situation, EU members are positioned as part of the Western world.

To demonstrate the variability of political processes, it is worth paying attention to the following table:

Table “Integration of Western European countries”

Today the list of Western European countries is as follows:

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• Austria;
• Andorra;
• Belgium;
• Great Britain;
• Germany;
• Ireland;
• Liechtenstein;
• Monaco;
• Netherlands;
• France;
• Switzerland.

General economic and geographical characteristics of the region

The subregion of Western Europe includes almost three dozen states (26), which differ strikingly in many respects. This is one of the developed strongholds of the world system of capitalist orientation.

Rice. 1. Luxembourg.

Luxembourg is a small state that does not have natural access to the sea. However, it is not only an economic power, it also has significant historical and strategic significance. During the period of Spanish influence, Luxembourg was once an important state that significantly influenced the Western Hemisphere.

The countries of Western Europe and the capital still conceal many mysteries and secrets of the past.

Western Europe occupies leading positions in such areas as world economy and politics. It is also the birthplace of significant discoveries in geography and the industrial revolution.

Rice. 2. Steam engine in units from the time of the industrial revolution.

The states of the subregion are united not only geographically, but also economically. Great prospects are also noted in political relations.

The changes within the European state and society that occurred at the dawn of civilization influenced the situation of modern economic and political development of the world. Countries from this region are recognized as economic leaders. All this led to the transition to the capitalist path of their development. Countries such as Holland, England and France contributed to this.

Rice. 3. EU flag.

These states had access to the Atlantic and actively participated in the emergence of the world markets known today.

What have we learned?

We found out which states are part of the European subregion. We indirectly got acquainted with their economic potential and learned what position the countries of the region occupy in the world among other states that are part of the mainland. Supplemented knowledge of geography for 7th grade.

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Western European countries are considered the most developed region in the world. Residents of other countries have always associated these states with beauty, wealth, serenity and prosperous capitalism. Which countries are included in the Western group, what are their characteristics and prospects, we will consider further.

The phenomenon of the emergence of European civilization has been causing conflicting opinions for many centuries. There are several theories. According to one of them, the ancient Greeks became the founders of Western European civilization. According to another opinion, its origins occurred in the 15th and 16th centuries during the period of major geographical discoveries and the emergence of capitalist reformations.

The countries of Europe have gone through a series of turning points. For many centuries this territory passed through numerous stages of development. She changed many moral principles and goals. For modern people, this is the most developed region on the planet.

The main list of Western countries includes powers that are conditionally divided into four groups:

• large;
• small;
• smaller;
• dwarf.

A total of about 300 million people live in all countries. Many of them are immigrants who came to the West in search of good jobs. Migrant workers account for about 20 million people.

Most of the powers of Western Europe are members of the European Union. This is the largest association of states, which is a leader in the volume of industrial and small-scale production. The countries are economically developed, so the region is considered financially secure.

Important! Western countries have a very rich culture. World famous musicians, artists, writers, and athletes were born in this territory.

Differences from other regions of the planet

The countries of Western Europe have a number of features that distinguish them from other countries of the world:

1. Language. Almost every nation in Western Europe uses languages ​​that belong to the Germanic and Romance languages ​​for communication and writing. The most common is English. This language is considered native to almost 400 million inhabitants. Even non-Germanic languages ​​once underwent strong Germanization. These include Hungarian, Slovak and Czech languages.
2. Alphabet. The indigenous people of the western region, as well as the colonies that were once under their control, use the Latin alphabet, which appeared in the 7th century BC.
3. Religion. Most of the nations of Europe embrace Protestantism and Catholicism. Among the population there is a huge percentage of atheists who do not welcome any religion. Catholicism in the 10th century became an independent part of Orthodoxy. After 400 years, Catholics began to abuse their religious views, so Protestantism arose as a counterweight.

List of Western European countries

According to geographical location, the list of Western countries includes the following states:

• Austria;
• Belgium;
• Great Britain;
• Germany;
• Ireland;
• Liechtenstein;
• Luxembourg;
• Monaco;
• Netherlands;
• France;
• Switzerland.

Western powers are also located in Northern and Central Europe. Therefore, the list can be supplemented:

• Greece;
• Denmark;
• Iceland;
• Cyprus;
• Malta;
• Norway;
• Portugal;
• Finland.

The listed countries are part of the European Union.

Many people also include the USA, New Zealand, South Korea, Australia, Canada and Japan in the Western Euroregion. However, not all states meet the criteria by which they can be considered representatives of Western territories.

Western civilization

Western civilization is usually called a complex of cultural, economic and political aspects. It is characterized by constant development and the unbridled desire of a person for new achievements. It is distinguished by expanded democracy, market relations, and developing production.

The West is characterized by such features as prosperity, cultural wealth, and developed infrastructure. Residents of the region live in conditions of freedom, high salaries and a decent standard of living.

The West is the most advanced in the economic sphere. 25 European countries are located in leading positions in the world economy. The history of economic development began with the approval in 1957 of the Rome Agreement establishing the European Economic Community. After this historical moment, these countries experienced rapid economic growth.

Today's Western Europe adheres to one economic mechanism. The share of these states in world GDP is 24%. There are four most economically developed powers in the region. They own 70% of GDP. These are large countries inhabited by large numbers of people.

Germany is the first of the four. Each resident accounts for more than 47 thousand dollars of GDP. The German economy is the largest in Europe. It exports the largest number of machinery, equipment and chemicals.

The UK is a leader in the services sector. Almost 75% of the population works in the field of insurance, banking and other services. The share of industry is decreasing every year. Today, manufacturing and mining remain the developed industries in the UK. Agriculture provides only 1% of GDP.

France is in third place. It is also represented by the service sector, as well as transport and oil and gas production.

Italy closes the top four. But the country is gradually plunging into a state of crisis, and it remains to be seen whether it will be able to regain its position. According to many experts, Italy is the weak link of the European Union, since both economic and demographic indicators are declining. If a default is declared, the state will become the main cause of the collapse of the world economy.

Other countries

The remaining powers on the list are small-industrial. The share of GDP in these countries is much lower than that of the top four:

• The Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium – 20%;
• residents of Norway, Austria, Finland, Denmark and Greece get 8%;
• for Malta, Portugal, Iceland, Luxembourg, Cyprus and Ireland the GDP is only 2%.

The vector of economic development of Western European countries is not uniform. It is characterized by leaps, rapid growth and equally rapid decline.

Today, the region has plunged into a state of crisis, which arose due to a decrease in production and trade volumes in the sphere of ferrous metal, coal mining and the textile industry.

Western countries have good scientific and technological potential, which opens up great prospects for them. Europe is accustomed to investing large financial resources in science, the amount of which often reaches 2% of GDP. By the way, the USA invests up to 16%, while Japan invests less than the West.

Important! Today, the Eurozone is actively increasing the number of nuclear power plants, producing large volumes of medicines, and leading in certain branches of mechanical engineering and the production of communications equipment.

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The agricultural sector accounts for 8%. But the number of people involved in cultivating land and raising livestock has been rapidly declining over the years, although production volumes are growing. Germany, the United Kingdom and France remain the leaders in agricultural production.

In contact with

Western Europe is a geographical and political-economic region of the world. What countries are included in Western Europe? The division of European states into separate regions is quite arbitrary. You can add a territory to the list of a specific association according to one of two groups of principles:

In contact with

• geographical;
• political and economic.

Classification of Western European countries

Geographically, Western European powers occupy the narrowest part of the Eurasian continent. Based on this, the countries included in Western Europe include:

1. Belgium.
2. France.
3. Netherlands.
4. Luxembourg.
5. Monaco.

Some sources include countries located in the central part of the Old World as part of the Western European region:

1. Germany.
2. Liechtenstein.
3. Austria.
4. Switzerland.

Also, Western European states often include two powers that, according to the UN classification, belong to the northern region. These countries are:

1. Great Britain.
2. Ireland.

Thus, most classifications classify 11 countries located on the northwestern tip of the Eurasian continent as the Western European region.

Based on geopolitics and economics, experts classify a number of countries geographically located in other regions of the Old World as Western European states. These include members of the European Union.

This is interesting: what is the system of three worlds?

The list of the Western European region can be supplemented with other states:

Area and dimensions

The total area of ​​the Western European region is about 3.9 million square meters. km. By size they are usually divided into large, medium, small and dwarf states.

Major Western European countries:

Middle Western European countries:

• Iceland.
• Ireland.
• Austria.
• Portugal.
• Greece.

Small Western European states:

• Denmark.
• Netherlands.
• Belgium.
• Switzerland.

Dwarf Western European states:

• Liechtenstein.
• Luxembourg.
• Andora.
• San Marino.
• Monaco.
• Vatican.

It should be noted that the states of the Old World are not equal in their economic and technical development. There are significant differences in social development and living standards between the advanced and less developed countries of the region. Moreover, the economic well-being of a country does not depend on its size. Often the smaller countries of Western Europe are more prosperous and economically stable countries.

Population of the region

Western Europe is one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is generally accepted that modern Western European powers are experiencing a “demographic winter.” The age composition of these countries is dominated by the elderly population. In some regions, for example, in Germany, the phenomenon of natural population decline is observed - mortality exceeds birth rate. This is associated with an increase in the rate of labor immigration to Western European territories. The main flow of immigrants, including illegal ones, comes from countries in Africa and the Middle East.

The national composition of the indigenous population of Western European countries is quite homogeneous, since most ethnic groups belong to the Indo-European language group. The ethnic distribution of the population sometimes does not coincide with state borders. In Europe there are both mononational countries and multinational states. Mononational countries include Iceland, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Austria, Italy and Germany. They consider themselves a mononational state, but note the existence of national minorities in Great Britain, France and Spain. Two or more nations live on the territory of Belgium and Switzerland.

The existence of national minorities is associated with the strengthening of separatist tendencies in countries such as Great Britain and Spain. The population of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Catalonia insist on declaring their independence from the governments of these countries and the right to independence.

The indigenous Western Europeans mainly profess Christianity. Historically, Protestantism predominates in the northern regions of the Old World, while Catholicism is firmly entrenched in the south of this region.

Urbanization level

The level of urbanization in the Western European region is approaching 90%. This is where the largest cities in the world are located: London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rome. These cities play a leading role in the economy, politics, and culture of not only this part of the world, but the whole world.

At the same time, it was in the countries of the Old World that the phenomenon of suburbanization began - the outflow of the population to the countryside and suburbs. This process is associated with increasing levels of industrial, sound and light pollution in large European cities. Moreover, even in rural areas, the urban type of life predominates.

Tourism in Europe

Foreigners travel to the Western European region most often for two purposes: to find work and to see the beauty and historical monuments that this region is rich in.

Tourists are attracted to this region primarily for historical and cultural reasons:

• a large number of historical and architectural monuments;
• high level of spiritual and material development;
• excellent level of education of the indigenous population.

France

The country itself and its capital Paris evoke primarily romantic associations. But an inquisitive tourist should not dwell on the capital’s attractions. This country has many interesting places and charming corners.

Paris

What to see in this old romantic city? Of course, you need to see the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysees, visit Montmartre and the Louvre. A tourist of any age, and especially tourists with children, will find it very interesting to spend a day at Disneyland and plunge into the atmosphere of a fairy tale.

Versailles

No tourist can visit France without seeing an example of luxury and wealth. Versailles is an example of grace and sophistication in architecture, attracting visitors all year round. One day is not enough to enjoy walks through its magnificent gardens, see amazing fountains, and stroll through the halls of the palace. This place makes people fall in love with it, forcing them to come back here again and again.

Grasse

Any modern person knows that France is the capital of perfumery. And the center of this exquisite production is Grasse. Walk through lavender fields, visit a perfume factory and simply wander around the homeland of the heroes of Suskind's famous novel - what could be more interesting?

Strasbourg

“The Capital of Christmas” is what residents and tourists call this city. On holidays, it turns into a animated illustration for fairy tales and invites you to plunge into the atmosphere of fun and anticipation of the Christmas miracle.

Germany

Tourist routes in this country are numerous and varied. Germany is rich in sights, interesting events and places, beautiful landscapes and resorts.

Munich

One of the most beautiful German cities, home of the famous Oktoberfest beer festival. The capital of Bavaria is rich in museums, concert halls, monuments of religious and secular architecture. And just a two-hour drive from Munich is a fabulous palace - Neuschwanstein Castle.

Berlin

This city harmoniously combines history and modernity, ancient buildings and modern skyscrapers, cozy taverns and trendy nightclubs. What is a must see in Berlin? The Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall, the Berlin State Opera, the Topography of Terror museum, many churches and palaces, parks and squares - this is not a complete list of places worth visiting in this city.

Baden Baden

An attractive picturesque town, famous for its healing springs, has been attracting Europeans and residents of other world regions for many years. Here you can not only improve your health and relax, but also enjoy an opera at the Festspielhaus or play in one of the oldest European casinos.

Great Britain

What to see in Foggy Albion? The answer to this question may take more than one day. Great Britain is the leader among Western European countries in terms of the number of tourists. Of course, you should start your trip from London and see the Tower, Big Ben, famous bridges and palaces, parks. The British Museum is able to attract the attention of tourists for more than one day and keep them in the capital for a long time. Where to go next? Tourists can choose between Liverpool and Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh, Stonehenge and Offa's Wall. In order to see all the interesting and beautiful places in Great Britain, you will need more than one vacation.

Western European countries are a rather conventional name for countries located in the western part of the Eurasian continent. They are united by political and economic interests, as well as common historical and cultural processes. A developed economy, transport network and a high level of socio-cultural development make this region attractive both for business relations and for the development of tourism.

Here is a map of countries in Russian and a table with sovereign states, as well as dependent territories. They include completely independent states and territories dependent on various European countries. In total, in the European part of the world there are 50 sovereign states and 9 dependent territories.

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According to the generally accepted geographical definition, the border between and Europe runs along the Ural Mountains, the Ural River and the Caspian Sea in the east, the Greater Caucasus mountain system and the Black Sea with its outlets, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles in the south. Based on this division, the transcontinental states of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkey have territories in both Europe and Asia.

The island of Cyprus in Western Asia is close to Anatolia (or Asia Minor) and lies on the Anatolian Plate, but is often considered part of Europe and is a current member of the European Union (EU). Armenia is also entirely in Western Asia, but is a member of some European organizations.

Although providing a clearer separation between and Europe, some traditionally European islands, such as Malta, Sicily, Pantelleria and the Pelagian Islands, are located on the African Continental Plate. The island of Iceland is part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which crosses the Eurasian and North American plates.

Greenland has socio-political ties to Europe and is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but is geographically closer to. Sometimes Israel is also seen as part of the geopolitical processes of Europe.

Other territories are part of European countries but are geographically located on other continents, such as the French overseas departments, the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the African coast, and the Dutch Caribbean territories of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius.

There are 50 internationally recognized sovereign states with territory located within the general definition of Europe and/or members in international European organizations, of which 44 have their capitals within Europe. All but the Vatican are members of the United Nations (UN), and all but Belarus, Kazakhstan and the Vatican are members of the Council of Europe. 28 of these countries have been members of the EU since 2013, meaning they are highly integrated with each other and partially share their sovereignty with EU institutions.

Political map of Europe with country names in Russian

To enlarge the map, click on it.

Political map of Europe with names of states/Wikipedia

Table of European countries with capitals