Continental Europe

Continental Europe, also called mainland Europe, is the connected land part of Europe, without the islands around it. Sometimes people call it the European continent or just "the Continent." When we think of Eurasia as one big land, Europe is seen both as its own continent and as a smaller part of it, called a subcontinent. This area connects many countries and cultures, making it an important place in the world.

Conceptual history

The land of the old Carolingian Empire helped shape the idea of mainland Europe. In the 1950s, this idea was used to bring Europe closer together through European integration (see also multi-speed Europe).

Most people think of mainland Europe as the large part of Europe, not including islands like the Greek islands, Cyprus, Malta, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, the Balearic Islands, Great Britain, and Ireland. Other faraway islands like the Canary Islands, Madeira, the Azores, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Svalbard are also not included.

Sometimes the Scandinavian Peninsula is not counted as part of mainland Europe because it is mostly connected to the rest of Europe by water — the Baltic Sea or North Sea — instead of by land.

Great Britain and Ireland

Great Britain is the largest island in Europe. It is close to the mainland. The closest point between Great Britain and the mainland is the Strait of Dover, which is only 21 miles wide. People in Great Britain and Ireland often call the mainland of Europe "the Continent." Sometimes, the word "Europe" is used to mean the mainland too.

The word "continental" can describe things that come from or are popular in mainland Europe, like certain types of breakfast or styles of travel. In 1994, a tunnel called the Channel Tunnel was built, connecting Britain to France under the sea. This tunnel allows people to travel between the two places by train.

Scandinavia

The Scandinavian Peninsula is connected to continental Europe, but the main land path runs along the 66th parallel north. People used to travel to the rest of Europe by sea, across the Baltic Sea or North Sea. Because of this, Scandinavia is often seen as separate from continental Europe, and even the European Union treats it this way. In traditional Germanic studies, "continental" means Europe without the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Britain, Ireland, and Iceland. In Denmark, the part called Jutland is part of continental Europe.

People in Scandinavia see their region as unique and different from continental Europe, much like people in Britain do. In Swedish and Norwegian, words like Kontinenten or Kontinentet refer to continental Europe but leave out Sweden, Norway, and Finland (though Denmark is included). This idea of being separate is supported by differences in culture and climate.

In 1998 and 2000, the Great Belt Bridge and Øresund Bridge were built, creating a direct land connection from the Scandinavian Peninsula to the Danish mainland, including islands like Zealand and Funen. This was a big change, as noted by the New York Times, which said "Copenhagen is linked to the Continent".

Mediterranean and Atlantic islands

People on islands sometimes call the main land part of their country "the Continent."

For example, in France, the main land part is called l'Hexagone, or "the Hexagon," because it looks like a six-sided shape on a map. In Italy, the main land part is called lo Stivale, or "the Boot," because it looks like a boot. In Spain, the main land part is called peninsular Spain.

Island parts of countries, like Corsica in France, the Aegean Islands and Crete in Greece, Sardinia and Sicily in Italy, the Azores and Madeira in Portugal, and the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands in Spain, are not part of the main land.