home Biology Which countries are in southern Europe. List of Western European countries and their capitals. Flora and fauna

Which countries are in southern Europe. List of Western European countries and their capitals. Flora and fauna

Southern Europe usually includes countries on the coast mediterranean sea- the countries of the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal, Spain, Andorra), Monaco, the states located on the Apennine Peninsula (Italy, the Vatican, San Marino), Greece, as well as the island states of Malta and Cyprus.

Sometimes, Southern Europe also includes Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the southern regions of Ukraine such as Odessa, Kherson and Nikolaev, as well as the European part of Turkey.

Southern Europe also includes quasi public education Order of Malta (today's territory is just one mansion in Rome and a residence in Malta).

List of countries and their capitals:

Geographical position

It is based on the Cenozoic (Apennine, Balkan Peninsula) and Hercynian (Pyrenean Peninsula) folding. The relief of the countries is elevated, there are many minerals: aluminum, polymetallic, copper, mercury (Spain is one of the leaders in the extraction of pyrites and mercury), uranium, iron ores, sulfur, mica, gas.

Climate

Southern Europe is known for its hot climate, rich history and warm Mediterranean waters. The countries of southern Europe border on France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria. Turkey in the east with Syria, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Armenia, Iran, Georgia. In all countries of Southern Europe, a subtropical Mediterranean climate prevails, therefore, warm temperatures around +24 ° C prevail in summer, and rather cool in winter, around + 8 ° C. Precipitation is sufficient, about 1000-1500 mm per year.

Nature

Southern Europe is almost entirely in the zone of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs, which has survived only on the Mediterranean coast (there was a glacier, and the mountains delayed it, and the trees moved over the mountains). Fauna: roe deer, servals, markhors, foxes, monitor lizards, wolves, badgers, raccoons. Flora : strawberry trees, holm oaks, myrtles, olives, grapes, citrus fruits, magnolia, cypresses, chestnuts, junipers.

Population

High population density, from 100 or more people per km². The predominant religion is Christianity (Catholicism).

The level of urbanization of the countries of Southern Europe: Greece - 59%, Spain - 91%, Italy - 72%, Malta - 89%, Portugal - 48%, San Marino - 48%. The natural increase in these countries is also low: Greece - 0.1 Spain - 0 Italy - (-0.1) Malta - 0.4 Portugal - 0.1 San Marino - 0.4 From which we can conclude that in these countries are also experiencing "nation aging".

Specialization in MGRT

In most countries, the mining industry, agriculture, mountain pasture animal husbandry, the production of machinery and instruments, fabrics, leather, the cultivation of grapes and citrus fruits are widespread. Tourism is very common. Spain ranks second in the world in terms of tourism (France ranks first). The main branch of specialization, in addition to international tourism, is agriculture, in particular, this area is rich in grapes, olives, quite high rates in the cultivation of cereals and legumes (Spain - 22.6 million tons, Italy - 20.8 million tons), as well as vegetables and fruits (Spain - 11.5 million tons, Italy - 14.5 million tons). Despite the predominance of agriculture, there are also industrial areas, in particular, the cities of Genoa, Turin and Milan are the main industrial cities of Italy. It should be noted that they are located mainly in the north, closer to the countries of Western Europe.

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Southern Europe is a region located in the south of Europe. The countries that make up this region are located mainly on the Mediterranean coast. The population is approximately 160 million people.

List of Southern European countries: Albania, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vatican, Italy, Spain, Macedonia, Malta, San Marino, Portugal, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro.

The largest country is Italy, with a population of 61 million, and the smallest is San Marino, with a population of just over 30,000. The population density is quite high, on average from 10 people per km2.

In the countries of Southern Europe, there is mainly a subtropical Mediterranean climate, the average summer temperature is +25 degrees, and in winter - +8 degrees. The fauna and flora of this part of Europe is represented by species that have not been affected by the glacier. You can meet roe deer, markhorn goats, servals, monitor lizards, foxes, badgers and raccoons, and from the fauna: holm oaks, olives, myrtles, cypresses, junipers, chestnuts and other amazing plants. Every year, the pleasant Mediterranean climate attracts millions of tourists from all over the world.

The economy of Southern Europe is based on mining, animal husbandry, agriculture, machinery and equipment, leather, fabrics, citrus and grapes. Autumn tourism is highly developed, Spain is in second place in the world in tourism, after France. And yet, the main industry of specialization, if we exclude tourism, is agriculture, olives, grapes, cereals and legumes, as well as fruits and vegetables are grown in Southern Europe. And in the north of the region are industrial cities such as Turin, Geno and Milan.

Southern Europe is the birthplace of the largest ancient civilizations (Greek, Roman, Gaul, etc.), the birthplace of the largest defender of Christian Europe, the birthplace of the greatest explorers and conquerors, and last but not least, the birthplace of great scientists and athletes. Southern Europe has great story, many evidence of which has survived to this day, in the form of architecture and the greatest works of art.

If you do not take into account dependent regions and not fully recognized states, then Europe for 2017 covers 44 powers. Each of them has a capital in which not only its administration is located, but also the highest authority, that is, the government of the state.

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States of Europe

The territory of Europe stretches from east to west for more than 3 thousand kilometers, and from south to north (from the island of Crete to the island of Svalbard) for 5 thousand kilometers. The European powers are, for the most part, comparatively small. With such small sizes of territories and good transport accessibility, these states either closely border on each other or are separated by very small distances.

The European continent is divided territorially into parts:

western;
eastern;
northern;
southern.

All powers located on the European continent belong to one of these territories.

There are 11 countries in the western region.
In the east - 10 (including Russia).
In the north - 8.
In the south - 15.

Let's list all the countries of Europe and their capitals. We will divide the list of countries and capitals of Europe into four parts according to the territorial and geographical position of the powers on the world map.

Western

List of states belonging to Western Europe, with a list of main cities:

The states of Western Europe are washed mainly by the currents of the Atlantic Ocean and only in the north of the Scandinavian Peninsula border on the waters of the Arctic Ocean. In general, these are highly developed and prosperous powers. But they are distinguished by an unfavorable demographic situation. This is a low birth rate and a low level of natural growth of inhabitants. In Germany, there is even a decline in population. All this led to the fact that developed Western Europe began to play the role of a subregion in the global system of population migration, it turned into the main center of labor immigration.

Eastern

List of states located in the eastern zone of the European continent and their capitals:

The states of Eastern Europe have a lower level of economic development than their Western neighbors. However, they better preserved cultural and ethnic identity. Eastern Europe is more of a cultural and historical region than a geographical one. The Russian expanses can also be attributed to the eastern territory of Europe. And the geographical center of Eastern Europe is located approximately within Ukraine.

Northern

List of states included in northern Europe, including capitals, looks like this:

The territories of the states of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jutland, the Baltic States, the islands of Svalbard and Iceland are included in the northern part of Europe. The population of these regions is only 4% of the entire European composition. Sweden is the largest country in the G8 and Iceland is the smallest. The population density in these lands is less in Europe - 22 people / m 2, and in Iceland - only 3 people / m 2. This is due to harsh conditions. climate zone. But economic indicators development, it is northern Europe that is singled out as the leader of the entire world economy.

South

And finally, the most numerous list of territories located in the southern part, and the capitals of European states:

Balkan and Iberian Peninsula occupied by these South European powers. Industry is developed here, especially ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. The countries are rich in mineral resources. AT agriculture major efforts focused on the cultivation of food products, such as:

grape;
olives;
pomegranate;
dates.

It is known that Spain is the world's leading country in the collection of olives. It is here that 45% of all olive oil in the world is produced. Spain is famous for famous artists- Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro.

European Union

The idea of creating a single community of European powers appeared in the middle of the twentieth century, or rather after the Second World War. The official unification of the countries of the European Union (EU) took place only in 1992, when this union was sealed by the legal consent of the parties. Over time, the number of members of the European Union has expanded, and now it includes 28 allies. And states that want to join these prosperous countries will have to prove their compliance with the European foundations and principles of the EU, such as:

protection of the rights of citizens;
democracy;
freedom of trade in a developed economy.

Members of the EU

The European Union for 2017 includes the following states:

There are now applicant countries to join this foreign community. These include:

Albania.
Serbia.
Macedonia.
Montenegro.
Turkey.

On the map of the European Union, you can clearly see its geography, the countries of Europe and their capitals.

Regulations and prerogatives of EU partners

The EU has a customs policy under which its members can trade with each other without duties and without restrictions. And in relation to other powers, the adopted customs tariff applies. Having general laws, the EU countries have created a single market and introduced a single monetary currency - the euro. Many EU member states are part of the so-called Schengen zone, which allows their citizens to move freely through the territory of all allies.

The European Union has common governing bodies for member countries, which include:

European Court.
European Parliament.
European Commission.
The audit community that controls the EU budget.

Despite unity, the European states that have joined the community have full independence and state sovereignty. Each country has its own national language and has its own governing bodies. But for all participants there are certain criteria, and they must meet them. For example, the coordination of all important political decisions with the European Parliament.

It should be noted that since its founding, only one power has left the European community. It was Danish autonomy - Greenland. In 1985, she was outraged by the low quotas introduced by the European Union for fishing. You can also recall the sensational events in 2016 referendum in the UK, when the population voted to leave the country from the European Union. This suggests that even in such an influential and seemingly stable community, serious problems are brewing.

The article contains geographical characteristics region. Talks about economic features countries of southern Europe. Contains interesting historical facts.

Briefly about the countries of Southern Europe

Southern Europe is the cradle of the greatest ancient civilizations, as well as the birthplace of the championing of Christianity throughout Europe. This region has produced the world's greatest explorers and conquerors. Southern Europe has a grandiose history. Evidence of this can be architectural structures and monuments of art.

The region's economy is based on:

mining industry;
animal husbandry;
agriculture;
the manufacture of machines and devices;
skin;
textiles;
cultivation of agricultural and horticultural crops.

The main branch of specialization is agriculture. In addition, tourism infrastructure is actively developed in Southern Europe.

Rice. 1. San Marino.

The largest industrial centers are located in the northern regions of the region.

List of Southern European countries and their capitals

Southern Europe is a region of the globe, which is localized in the southern European latitudes.

Rice. 3. Maltese representation in Rome.

The states that make up the content of the region are located for the most part on the Mediterranean coast.

Belgrade received city status in the 2nd century. This happened during the existence of the Roman Empire. Around the year 520, Slavic people began to inhabit the city.

The total population is close to 160 million people.

States of Southern Europe and their capitals:

The geographical specificity of the countries of Southern Europe, which are located on the peninsular and island areas of the Mediterranean, is that they are located on the main sea routes from Europe to Asia, Africa, and Australia. All states of the region are historically and economically closely connected with the sea.

What have we learned?

We found out which of the states that make up the region is the smallest, as well as which countries are included in Southern Europe. We learned the reason for the economic stability of some states of Southern Europe. Get an idea of the geographic location of the region.

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Southern Europe includes 8 countries and one dependent territory - Gibraltar (possession of Great Britain) (table). feature region is the location here of the smallest state-the city of Vatican City, whose territory is 44 hectares, and the oldest republic in the world - San Marino

Table 5 - Countries of Southern Europe

Country	Capital	Area, thousand km
Andorra	Andorra la Vella	0,467	0,07
Vatican	Vatican	0,00044	0,001		-
Greece	Athens	132,0	10,4
Gibraltar (UK)	Gibraltar	0,006	0,03
Spain	Madrid	504,7	39,2
Italy	Rome	301,3	57,2
Malta	Valletta	0,3	0,37
Portugal	Lisbon	92,3	10,8
San Marino	San Marino	0,061	0,027
Total		1031,1	118,1	Medium - 115	Medium - 175000

Important feature of the economic and geographical position of the countries of Southern Europe located on the peninsulas and islands of the Mediterranean Sea is that they are all on the main sea routes from Europe to Asia, Africa and Australia, and Spain and Portugal - also to Central and South America. All this since the time of the great geographical discoveries affected the development of the region, the life of the countries of which is closely connected with the sea. No less significant is the fact that the region is located between Central Europe and Arab countries North Africa who have multilateral ties with Europe. The former metropolises of Portugal, Italy and Spain still retain influence on some African countries. All countries (except the Vatican) are members of the UN, the OECD, and the largest are members of NATO and the European Union. Malta is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations led by Great Britain.

natural conditions and resources. The region is located on the Mediterranean peninsulas - the Iberian, Apennine and Balkan. Only Italy is part of mainland Europe. The Mediterranean Sea largely determined the similarity of the natural conditions of the region. There is an acute shortage of fuel in the region useful fossils. There is almost no oil here, very little natural gas and coal. However, the rich are deposits of various metals, especially colored ones: bauxite(Greece belongs to the top three European leaders), mercury, copper, polymetals(Spain, Italy), tungsten(Portugal). Huge reserves building materials – marble, tufa, granite, cement raw materials, clay. In the south European countries ah underdeveloped river network. Large arrays forests survived only in the Pyrenees and the Alps. The average forest cover of the region is 32%. Natural and recreational resources are extremely rich. These are warm seas, many kilometers of sandy beaches, lush vegetation, picturesque landscapes, numerous sea and mountain resorts, as well as areas favorable for mountaineering and skiing, etc. There are 14 national parks. The unique natural resource potential of the region has contributed to the significant development of the agricultural sector and tourism and recreational activities in its countries.

Population. Traditionally, Southern Europe is characterized by a high birth rate, but the natural population growth is low: from 0.1% per year in Italy to 0.4-0.5% in Greece, Portugal and 0.8% in Malta. Women account for 51% of the region's population. The majority of the population belongs to the southern (Mediterranean) branch of e caucasoid race. During the era of the Roman Empire, most of them were Romanized, and now peoples belonging to the Roman group predominate here. Indo-European language family(Portuguese, Spaniards, Galicians, Catalans, Italians, Sardinians, Romansh). Exception are: Greeks(Greek group Indo-European family); Albanians(Albanian group of the Indo-European family), represented in Italy; Gibraltar (Germanic group of the Indo-European family); Maltese(Semitic group of the Semitic-Hamitic language family). Maltese is considered to be a dialectal form of Arabic; Turks (Turkic group Altaic language family) - there are many of them in Greece; Basques(in the rank of a separate family) - live in historical area The Basque Country in northern Spain. Composition of the population in the countries of the region is mostly homogeneous. High indicators of mono-ethnicity characteristic of Portugal (99.5% - Portuguese), Italy and Greece (98% of Italians and Greeks, respectively), and only in Spain a significant proportion (almost 30%) of national minorities: Catalans (18%), Galicians (8%) , Basques (2.5%), etc. The majority of the population - Christians. Christianity is represented by two branches: Catholicism(west and center of the region); Orthodoxy(East of the region, Greece). In Southern Europe is the spiritual and administrative center of the Roman Catholic Church - the Vatican, which exists in the IV century. Part of the Turks, Albanians, Greeks - Muslims.

Population posted unevenly. highest density- in fertile valleys and coastal lowlands, the smallest - in the mountains (Alps, Pyrenees), in some areas up to 1 person / km 2. Level of urbanization in the region is much lower than in other parts of Europe: only in Spain and Malta, up to 90% of the population lives in cities, and, for example, in Greece and Italy - more than 60%, in Portugal - 36%. Human Resources make up about 51 million people. In general, 30% of the active population is employed in industry, 15% - in agriculture, 53% - in service industry. Recently, many employees from Eastern and South-Eastern Europe come to Southern Europe for the fruit and vegetable harvest season, who cannot find work in their own countries.

Features of economic development and general characteristics economy. The countries of the region still lag economically behind the highly developed states of Europe. Although Portugal, Spain, Greece and Italy are members of the EU, but all of them, except Italy, lag behind the leaders in many socio-economic indicators. Italy is economic leader region, belongs to highly developed industrial-agrarian countries, with a clear trend towards the formation of a post-industrial type of economy. At the same time, contrasts in the development of many industries and production are still significant in the country, in social sphere, in the socio-economic conditions of the North and South. Italy lags behind many highly developed countries in terms of scientific and technological development. Ahead of some countries of Western Europe in terms of net income from tourism, it is inferior to them in terms of the scale and intensity of international trade and credit and financial transactions. Spain. It is the second country in the region in terms of socio-economic development. In the Spanish economy, a significant role is played by the public sector, which accounts for up to 30% of the country's GDP. The state carries out economic programming, controls railways, coal industry, a significant part of shipbuilding and ferrous metallurgy. In the second half of the 80s. XX Art. Portugal experienced a significant economic recovery. The average GDP growth during this period was one of the highest in the EU and amounted to 4.5-4.8% per year, in 2000 the GNP was 159 billion dollars. Greece has a larger GNP than Portugal (181.9 billion in 2000). The country's industry is significantly monopolized by large local and foreign capital (mainly the United States, Germany, France and Switzerland). Up to 200 companies receive over 50% of all profits. Greece has rather high inflation rates for EU countries (3.4% per year). Government measures to reduce it (cutting state subsidies, freezing wages, etc.) predetermine social instability.

AT MGRT the countries of the region are represented by separate branches of mechanical engineering (production of cars, household appliances, technological equipment for light and Food Industry), the furniture industry, the production of building products and equipment, light industries (fruit and vegetable canning, oilseeds - the production of olive oil, winemaking, pasta, etc.). Agriculture is dominated by branches of agriculture - the cultivation of various subtropical crops: citrus fruits, wood oils, grapes, vegetables, fruits, essential oil plants, etc. Due to the insufficient forage base, livestock breeding is dominated by sheep breeding and, in small volumes, beef cattle breeding. The countries of the region are actively developing merchant shipping and ship repair. They are the undisputed leaders in the development of international tourism. Warm sea, Mediterranean climate, rich subtropical vegetation, numerous monuments ancient culture and architecture are the main factors due to which Southern Europe is a favorite place for recreation and entertainment for many recreants of the world, the largest tourist center.

5. General characteristics of the countries of Eastern (Central) Europe

The countries of Eastern (Central) Europe as a socio-political and economic integrity began to single out in the 90s of the XX century. It has to do with the collapse former USSR and the socialist system, the formation of independent states. The region covers 10 countries (Table 6). The economic and geographical position of Eastern Europe is distinguished by the following features : land surveying in the west with highly developed countries, and in the east and southeast - with Russia and the countries of Southeast Europe - potential markets for Eastern Europe; passage through the region of trans-European highways meridional and latitudinal directions. Over the past 10 years in EGP (economic and geographical position) of the region, the following changes : the collapse of the USSR, the formation of the CIS and new countries; unification of Germany; the collapse of Czechoslovakia, as a result of which two independent states were formed: the Czech Republic and Slovakia; the appearance on the southern borders of "unstable" in relation to the military-political state of the neighbors - the Balkan countries, Yugoslavia.

Table 6 - Countries of Eastern Europe

Country	Capital	Area, thousand km	Population, million people / km 2	Population density, persons / km 2	GNP per capita, USD (2000)
Belarus	Minsk	207,6	10,0
Estonia	Tallinn	45,1	1,4
Latvia	Riga	64,5	2,4
Lithuania	Vilnius	65,2	3,7
Poland	Warsaw	312,6	38,6
Russia (European part)	Moscow	4309,5	115,5
Slovakia	Bratislava	49,0	5,4
Hungary	Budapest	93,0	10,0
Ukraine	Kyiv	603,7	49,1
Czech	Prague	78,8	10,3
Total		5829,0	246,4	Medium - 89	Medium - 8600

Political and socio-economic changes influenced the formation of modern political map Of Eastern Europe. As a result of the collapse of the USSR, independent states were formed: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia. A new political and economic association emerged - the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The Baltic countries were not included in it. In the process of profound revolutionary changes, the countries of Eastern Europe entered a period of political and economic reforms, actively asserting the principles of real democracy, political pluralism, market economy. All countries in the region are members of the UN. Russia, Ukraine and Belarus - in the CIS, Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary - in NATO. Natural conditions and resources. The length of the coastline (excluding Russia) is 4682 km. Belarus, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic do not have access to the World Ocean. Climate in the predominant part of the territory - temperate continental. Natural resources . The region has significant mineral resources , in terms of their richness and diversity, it occupies one of the first places in Europe. He fully satisfies his needs in coal , brown coal . On the oil and gas Russian subsoil is rich, there are insignificant reserves in Ukraine and Hungary, as well as in the south of Belarus. Peat lies in Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, in the north of Ukraine, the largest reserves of oil shale - in Estonia and Russia. A significant part of the fuel and energy resources, especially oil and gas, countries are forced to import. Ore minerals are: iron ore , manganese , copper ores , bauxites , mercury nickel . Among non-metallic mineral resources are available rock salt , potassium salt , sulfur , amber , phosphorites, apatites . The average forest cover of the region is 33%. To the main recreational resources belong to the sea coast, mountain air, rivers, forests, mineral springs, karst caves. The region has the most famous sea resorts.

Population. On the territory of Eastern Europe, excluding Russia, there are 132.1 million people, including the European part of Russia - 246.4 million. The largest population is in Ukraine and Poland. In other countries, it ranges from 1.5 to 10.5 million people. Demographic situation is quite complex, which is due to the consequences of the Second World War, the increase in urbanization and the industrial development of states associated with it. As in most other European countries, natural population growth has significantly decreased in recent decades, primarily due to a sharp decline in the birth rate, and in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Slovakia it has become negative. The population is also declining - the birth rate is lower than the death rate, which has led to the aging of the population. The sex composition of the population is dominated by women (53%). Representatives of the transitional (Central European) group predominate among the inhabitants of the region caucasian race . Countries have mostly heterogeneous ethnic composition . The population belongs predominantly to two language family: Indo-European and Ural . The region is dominated Christianity , represented by all directions: Catholicism professed in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, a significant number of Hungarians and Latvians; orthodoxy - in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus; Protestantism (Lutheranism ) - in Estonia, the majority of Latvians and part of the Hungarians; to Uniate (Greek Catholic ) churches will be occupied by western Ukrainians and western Belarusians.

Population placed relatively evenly. The average density is almost 89 persons/km a.s.l. The level of urbanization is low - on average 68 %. The urban population is constantly increasing. Human Resources approximately 145 million people (56%). Industry employs 40-50 % working population, in agriculture - 20-50%, in the non-manufacturing sector - 15-20%. Since the mid 90s. XX century In the countries of Eastern Europe, the economic emigration of the population has increased significantly in search of work and permanent earnings. Perceptible and intra-regional migration from the eastern regions (Ukraine, Russia, Belarus) to the economically developed western countries of the same region - Poland, the Czech Republic. In terms of GDP and its level per capita, the UN divides the countries of the region into 3 groups : 1) Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia (20-50% of GDP per capita from the US level); 2) Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia (10-20%); 3) Ukraine, Belarus, Russia (less than 10%). All states of the region belong to countries with an average level of socio-economic development.

AT ICPP countries are represented by areas fuel and energy complex (coal, oil, gas), metallurgy, chemical industry (mainly branches of basic chemistry and coal chemistry), individual branches mechanical engineering , timber industry complex, light (textile, knitwear, footwear, etc.) and food (meat and fish processing, sugar, oil and flour milling, etc.) industry. The agricultural specialization of countries is determined by the cultivation grain (wheat, rye, barley, corn), technical (sugar beet, sunflower, flax, hops) and fodder crops , potatoes, vegetables etc.. animal husbandry It is represented mainly by dairy and meat cattle breeding, pig breeding, and poultry farming. Fishing has long been traditional in the Baltic Sea countries. Industry. The leading sector of the economy of the countries of the region is industry, mainly processing (engineering, metallurgical complex, chemical, light and food, etc.). Transport. In Eastern Europe there are all types of transport. An important task for the countries of the region is to bring transport system to EU standards. Foreign economic relations countries of Eastern Europe are still being formed and do not have a clearly defined orientation. For the most part, foreign trade serves the needs of this region's own, since the products of many countries are not yet competitive on the world market. AT export , which is 227 billion dollars, is dominated by products of engineering, chemical and light industries, some products of non-ferrous metallurgy. Foreign economic relations Ukraine with the countries of the region: significant volumes of exports of Ukrainian goods go to Russia, Belarus, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and the largest number import to Ukraine - from Russia, Poland, Belarus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania. Eastern Europe is rich in resources for development recreational industry and tourism.

6. General characteristics of the countries of South-Eastern Europe

Southeast Europe covers 9 countries of the former socialist camp, located near the southeastern part of Europe, not included in the region of Eastern (Central) Europe (Table 6)

Table 6 - Countries of South-Eastern Europe

Country	Capital	Area, thous. km	Population, million people / m 2	Population density, persons / km 2	GNP per capita, USD (2000)
Albania	Tirana	28,7	3,4
Bulgaria	Sofia	110,9	8,1
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Sarajevo	51,1	3,4
Macedonia	Skop’є	25,7	2,0
Moldova	Kishinev	33,7	4,3
Romania	Bucharest	237,5	22,4
Serbia and Montenegro	Belgrade	102,2	10,7
Slovenia	Ljubljana	20,3	2,0
Croatia	Zagreb	56,6	4,7
Total		666,7		Medium-95	Medium - 4800

The region has a rather favorable economic and geographical position due to its location on the routes from Southwest Asia to Central Europe. The states of the region border on the countries of Eastern, Southern and Western Europe, as well as South-Western Asia, are washed by the seas of the Atlantic (Black, Adriatic), and through the Mediterranean Sea have access to transport routes in the Atlantic Ocean. Religious and ethnic conflicts (Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro) negatively affect the features of the political and geographical position of the region. All countries in the region have economies in transition. They are members of the UN, Moldova is a member of the CIS.

natural conditions. The countries of the region are rich in diverse landscapes. Climate in most of the territory temperate continental, only in the south and southwest subtropical Mediterranean. To obtain stable crops, large areas are irrigated here. Natural resources. Hydropower resources region are among the most powerful in Europe. Mineral resources are diverse, but the availability of them in the countries of the region is not the same. Largest reserves hard coal - in Transylvania (Romania), insignificant - to the west of Sofia in Bulgaria. Brown coal occurs in Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Bulgaria, Albania, Slovenia. The only country in the region that is fully provided with its own oil and gas , - Romania. All others depend on their imports. H ernozems occupy large territories of Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova. The woods covering over 35% of the territories are the national wealth of the countries of the region. The region has significant recreational resources. Favorable agroclimatic resources led to the development of a fairly significant agricultural sector in most countries of the region. Population. demographic situation characterized by the same trends as in most other European countries. It is characterized by a sharp decline in the birth rate and natural increase, which is due to socio-economic factors. There are more women than men in the region (51 and 49%). Most countries in the region are dominated by representatives of the southern group e uropeoid race. In the northern regions, the majority of the population belongs to Central European racial types . South East Europe - ethnically and religiously heterogeneous region, which predetermines numerous conflicts. Constant military conflicts gave rise to significant migrations of the population. In the countries of the region, a large percentage national minorities , and in some of them there was a territorial mixture of ethnic groups (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro). The inhabitants of the region belong to Indo-European language family, Altaic and Ural families . Religious composition also quite varied. The vast majority of the population professes Christianity (Orthodox - Bulgarians, Romanians, Moldovans, Serbs, Montenegrins, a significant part of the Macedonians, and Catholics - Slovaks, Croats, part of the Romanians and Hungarians) and Islam (Albanians, Kosovo Albanians, Bosnians, Turks). In Albania, the entire population is Muslim. Population placed evenly. Increasingly affects the distribution of the population urbanization associated primarily with the movement of rural residents to cities. Human Resources make up over 35 million people. Employment in agriculture is very large - 24%, and in Albania - 55%, the highest figure for Europe, 38% of the population is employed in industry, construction and transport, 38% - in the service sector. One of important issues region is to overcome the socio-demographic and religious-ethnic crisis that arose in the countries of the former Yugoslavia.

Features of economic development and general characteristics of the economy. By the level of socio-economic development of the region's countries belong to the medium developed. Only Albania meets the criteria for a developing country. The structure of the economy is dominated by industrial-agrarian countries. Each country is characterized by specific features of the transition period .

AT MGRT the countries of the region are represented by non-ferrous metallurgy, certain industries chemical industry(production of fertilizers, soda, perfumery and cosmetic products), branches of transport, agricultural engineering, machine tool building, furniture, light industry (production of clothing, footwear, leather products) and food (sugar, oil, fruit and vegetable canning, tobacco, wine) industry. AT agriculture traditionally dominated by agriculture with cultivation grain (wheat, barley, corn) and industrial crops (sugar beet, sunflower, tobacco, essential oil plants). Significant development has vegetable growing, horticulture, viticulture . In the countries of the Black Sea and Adriatic coast, developed tourist and recreational complex .

Foreign economic relations. There are close economic ties between the countries of the region. They are export products for 33.9 billion dollars: oil products, agricultural products, etc. Imported (45.0 billion dollars) fuel, manufactured goods, equipment, etc. The main trading partners are the countries of the EU, CIS, Austria, Germany, Italy, Turkey, etc. Ukraine exports a lot of goods to Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria, imports - mainly from Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Slovenia.