Countries that exist wholly or partially within geographical Europe

Phespirit reports - September 2006

[ the numbers in square brackets refer to notes at the end of this table ]

NOTES

1. There is no universal agreement as to where the eastern border of Europe is defined between the Kara Sea, north of Russia, and the Black Sea entrance to the Bosphorus, dividing Istanbul in Turkey. The three most common definitions are:

   • from Kara, on the Kara Sea, following the water divide of the Ural mountains south to the source of the Ural River; following the Ural River to the Caspian Sea; following the water divide of the Caucasus mountains between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.

   • from Baydaratskaya Guba, on the Kara Sea, following the eastern side of the Ural mountains and then the Ural River south until the Mugodzhar Hills; following the Emba River to the Caspian Sea; following the Kura River from its mouth on the Caspian Sea, through the Surami passage to the Qvirila River; following the Qvirila River to its mouth by Poti on the Black Sea.

   • from Baydaratskaya Guba, on the Kara Sea, following the eastern side of the Ural mountains and then the Ural River south until the Mugodzhar Hills; following the Emba River to the Caspian Sea; from the Caspian Sea through the Kuma-Manych Depression to the tip of the Sea of Azov, joining with the Black Sea.

   In the both of the first two definitions a significant physical area of Kazakhstan is situated with the borders of Europe. In the first definition, only relatively tiny areas of Georgia and Azerbaijan are located within Europe; the second definition allows for approximately 70% of Georgia and 45% of Azerbaijan.

   The third definition, proposed in 1730 by Philip Johan von Strahlenberg and adopted by Tsarina Anna I of Russia, does not acknowledge the Caucasus mountains as the point of tectonic plate collision between the Arabian plate moving northwards with respect to the Eurasian plate.

2. Integral parts of the national territory of these countries consists of islands or mainland departments or enclaves that are situated within the continental shelf of another continent, or are otherwise geographically closer to another continent than mainland Europe. Abbreviations used:
   NA = North America, SA = South America, AF = Africa, OC = Oceania.

3. From the Black Sea coast, the geographical border of Europe passes through the deepest parts of the Black Sea to the mouth of the Bosphorus; on through the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea; through the deepest parts of the Aegean Sea to the Mediterranean and around to the Straits of Gibraltar. The line through the Aegean Sea divides the Greek Islands between continental Europe and continental Asia.

4. Europe ends in the west at the Atlantic Ocean, although Iceland - a volcanic island that emerged in the North Atlantic Ocean between Europe and North America - is considered wholly European.

5. See point [1] - the relative proportions of Russia situated in Europe and Asia depend upon which border definition is used.

6. The geographical boundary between Europe and Asia within Turkey is clearly and consistently defined as passing through the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles.

Countries culturally and/or politcally close to Europe but not within its geographical borders