Location:
Europe between the North Atlantic Ocean in the west and Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine to the east
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 4,324,782 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
Area - comparative:
less than one-half the size of the US
Land boundaries:
total: 12,440.8 km
border countries: Albania 282 km, Andorra 120.3 km, Belarus 1,050 km, Croatia 999 km, Holy See 3.2 km, Liechtenstein 34.9 km, Macedonia 394 km, Moldova 450 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Norway 2,348 km, Russia 2,257 km, San Marino 39 km, Serbia 945 km, Switzerland 1,811 km, Turkey 446 km, Ukraine 1,257 km
note: data for European Continent only
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
Coastline:
65,992.9 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
Climate:
cold temperate; potentially subarctic in the north to temperate; mild wet winters; hot dry summers in the south
Terrain:
fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast; mountainous in the central and southern areas
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lammefjord, Denmark -7 m; Zuidplaspolder, Netherlands -7 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m; note - situated on the border between France and Italy
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]
Natural resources:
iron ore, natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, lead, zinc, bauxite, uranium, potash, salt, hydropower, arable land, timber, fish
Land use:
arable land: NA
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: NA
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: NA
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]
Irrigated land:
182,913 sq km (2008 est.)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
Natural hazards:
flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic
Environment - current issues:
NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds