Continental Europe

Continental Europe

Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands.

The most common definition of "Continental Europe" excludes Cyprus, Ireland, Malta, the United Kingdom and its dependencies. Most definitions of Continental Europe extend the boundaries of the continent to its standard boundaries, the Ural Mountains, Ural River, Caspian Sea, and Caucasus Mountains.

Use in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the Continent is used to refer to the mainland of Europe. It is also referred to as "mainland Europe". A famous, perhaps apocryphal, British newspaper headline once read "Fog in Channel; Continent Cut Off".

Derivatively, the adjective "Continental" refers to the social practices or fashion of continental Europe, as opposed to those in Britain. Examples include breakfast and, historically, long-range driving before Britain had motorways.

Republic of Ireland

In the Republic of Ireland, the term mainland Europe is more commonly used than the term continental Europe. The latter term is used, though not to the same extent as in other countries.

Scandinavia

Map of the Scandiae islands by Nicolaus Germanus for a 1467 publication of Cosmographia Claudii Ptolomaei Alexandrini.

Especially in Germanic studies, "Continental" refers to the European continent excluding the Scandinavian peninsula, Britain, Ireland and Iceland. The reason for this is that although the Scandinavian peninsula is attached to Continental Europe by Karelia etc, it is usually reached by sea, not by land (which would require travelling north as far as Tornio at the 66th parallel north). Kontinenten – "the Continent" – is a vernacular Swedish expression excluding Sweden, Norway and Finland, but including Denmark (even the Danish archipelago) and the rest of continental Europe. In Norway, similarly, one speaks about Kontinentet as a separate entity (in most cases referring to Germany, France and the Benelux countries).

Mediterranean and other Atlantic islands

"The continent" may sometimes refer to the continental part of Italy (excluding Sardinia, Sicily, etc.), the continental part of Spain (as opposed to the Balearic islands, the Canary Islands, Alboran, etc.), the continental part of France (as opposed to Corsica, etc.), or the continental part of Portugal (as opposed to the Madeira Islands and Azores.)

See also

• Mainland
• Continental philosophy
• Central Europe
• Eastern Europe
• Northern Europe
• Southeast Europe
• Southern Europe
• Western Europe
• Geographical centre of Europe