Regions of Europe

Europe, the westernmost portion of Eurasia, is often divided into regions and subregions based on geographical, cultural or historical factors. Since there is no universal agreement on Europe's regional composition, the placement of individual countries may vary based on criteria being used. For instance, the Balkans is a distinct geographical region within Europe but individual countries may alternatively be grouped into South-eastern Europe, Southern Europe or less commonly, Eastern Europe. Regional affiliation of countries may also evolve over time. Malta was considered an island of North Africa for centuries, but is now generally considered a part of Southern Europe. The exact placement of the Caucasus has also varied since classical antiquity and is now regarded by many as a distinct region within or partly in Europe. Greenland is geographically a part of North America but has been politically and culturally associated with Northern Europe for more than a millennium. As such, several countries are often included as belonging to a Greater Europe, including Armenia, Cyprus, Greenland, as well as the overseas territories and regions of the European Union. Groupings by compass directions are the hardest to define in Europe, since there are a few calculations of the midpoint of Europe (among other issues), and the pure geographical criteria of "east" and "west" are often confused with the political meaning these words acquired during the Cold War era. Some proposed geographical subregions of Europe include: Central and Eastern Europe Central Europe East-Central Europe Eastern Europe Northern Europe Nordic countries Baltic region Northwestern Europe Southern Europe Italy (geographical region) Southeast Europe Iberian Peninsula Western Europe Old Europe and New Europe Note: There is no universally agreed definition for continental subregions. Depending on the source, some of the subregions, such as Central Europe or South-eastern Europe, can be listed as first-tier subregions.