Western Europe

Western Europe is a region of Europe located in the northern and western areas of the Eurasian continent. The region includes the countries of Andorra, Belgium, France, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, and the Netherlands. (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg are sometimes grouped together and called Benelux.) Depending on the regionalization scheme used, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the countries of Scandinavia are also sometimes included in the region.

Western Europe as defined here is bordered on the north by the English Channel and the North Sea and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Its eastern border touches Central Europe (Germany and Switzerland) and part of Southern Europe (Italy). To the south lie both the Mediterranean Sea and Spain, another part of Southern Europe. The region covers approximately 240,000 square miles. The population of Western Europe in 2015 was just over ninety-three million people, making it the smallest of Europe’s regions in population. France is by far the largest country in both area (constituting nearly 90 percent of the region) and population (with nearly 70 percent of the people). Belgium and the Netherlands make up most of the rest of the area and population.

Western Europe, particularly France, has long been a political and economic power in Europe. Many former French colonies, particularly those in Africa, continue to maintain close ties with their former colonial ruler. The region still plays a major role in world politics. France remains an influential world power, and Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is home to several bodies of the European Union (EU), a multistate economic and political union that includes much of Europe. Brussels is also headquarters for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Hague, which is located in the Netherlands, is home to the International Court of Justice of the United Nations (UN).

The region has also played an important role in European and world culture over the centuries. France contributed thinkers, authors, and scientists to the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment, naturalism, and existentialism; and French painters pioneered such movements as Impressionism. Paris, the largest city in the region, has attracted artists, musicians, writers, and gourmands with its rich traditions of artistic achievement, experimentation, and fine food. Dutch painters such as Rembrandt van Rijn, Frans Hals, and Jan Vermeer were major figures in sixteenth-century art, and they remain admired in the twenty-first century.

Historical Perspective

Much of Western Europe was conquered by the Roman Empire. In the early centuries CE, Germanic peoples moved into the region. One of these groups was the Franks, from whom France takes its name. In the ninth century, the Frankish king, Charlemagne, forged a large empire that included much of Western and Central Europe. That empire divided into parts after his death, and the western part became the core of modern France. France emerged as a major political power on the European continent during the Middle Ages. It was not until the sixteenth century, however, that the French monarchy consolidated its power over France, and at that point, France began an intense competition with England, Spain, and later Germany for domination of European affairs. That competition was carried to a broader stage when France established colonies in North and South America, Africa, and Asia. The French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars that followed helped spread the ideas of nationalism and resistance to absolute authority throughout Europe. France, the Netherlands, and Belgium all played important roles in the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century.

Belgium and the Netherlands were controlled by other powers for many centuries. Together, they won independence from Spain in the late sixteenth century, and the Dutch in what is now the Netherlands soon used their merchant fleet to take the lead in the European spice trade with Asia. At this time, the Dutch successfully created a republican form of government, although they later adopted a constitutional monarchy. Belgium gained independence from the Netherlands in 1830.

France, the Benelux countries, and Liechtenstein were the scene of brutal combat in both World War I and World War II. Many people suffered during the Nazi occupation in the latter conflict. France and the Benelux countries joined with Germany and Italy in the 1950s to form the economic compact that decades later evolved into the EU.

Geography and Climate

The great expanse of the Coastal European Plain that covers most of the region makes Western Europe a generally a low-elevation area. Large parts of the two Low Countries, Belgium and the Netherlands, are just a few feet above sea level. The Dutch have drained water from marshes to create liveable land, building dikes and dams to hold back the North Sea and prevent flooding. The Alps are a mountain chain that is found in southeastern France; the Pyrenees are located in southwestern France, where Andorra is located. The Massif Central, a region of plateaus cut by valleys, rises in south central France.

The Rhine River separates France and Germany, flowing south to north and reaching the North Sea in the Netherlands. Other important rivers, all in France, are the Seine, which flows to the English Channel; the Loire and Garonne, which end in the Atlantic; and the Rhône, which empties into the Mediterranean.

Western Europe has been densely populated for so many centuries that much of the natural flora and fauna of the region have been virtually replaced. While some areas have been urbanized for hundreds of years, others have been cultivated intensely for much longer periods. In the Netherlands, dairy farms and tulip farms have replaced the land’s natural marshes. French orchards, farms, and vineyards have taken the place of forests. Some wild areas do remain, including the Ardennes Forest, which stretches through Belgium, northeastern France, and Luxembourg, reaching as far as the Pyrenees and Alps.

Most of the region has a humid temperate climate, partly as a result of the North Atlantic Current, which carries warm waters from the Gulf of Mexico to the continent’s western shores. Temperatures are relatively mild despite the relatively high latitudes. Paris is located farther north than Toronto, Canada, for example, but it generally has the higher average temperatures. Southern France and Monaco have a Mediterranean climate, which is marked by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.

Economy

The countries of Western Europe are among the most industrialized countries of the world. The largest three—France, the Netherlands, and Belgium—rank among the top fifty in the world in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) and per-capita GDP. The region is generally wealthy; Luxembourg has the second and Liechtenstein the third highest per-capita income in the world. While industry remains important to most of these countries, they have largely shifted to postindustrial economies, with services forming the dominant sector. Nevertheless, agriculture is still important in France and the Netherlands. Although the Netherlands is small, it produces a food surplus and profitable flower crops, and it ranks second in the world in agricultural exports. Luxembourg has shifted from relying mainly on the iron and steel industries to focusing on banking and finance.

Shipping is a major activity for the Low Countries and France. The Netherlands ships more freight than any other EU country, and Rotterdam, Antwerp, Amsterdam, and Marseilles rank among the EU’s five leading ports for freight.

Tourism is a major industry in the region. France is the world’s number one tourist destination. Such landmarks as Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, and the Eiffel Tower draw millions to Paris annually. Other French regions that attract tourists include the Loire River valley and the Riviera (on the Mediterranean coast). Amsterdam in the Netherlands is also an important tourist destination, and tiny Monaco—with its sunny climate, casinos, and generous tax laws—is a famed playground for the wealthy.

Demographics

Western Europe, particularly the Benelux countries, is highly urbanized, but almost a quarter of France’s people live in rural areas. French is the chief language of that latter country. In addition, French is the official language in France and Monaco, and it is one of the three official languages in both Belgium and Luxembourg. Dutch is the main language of the Netherlands and an official language of Belgium. Other languages spoken in the region include German, Italian, and English.

The populations in Western Europe are generally aging, with about as many people sixty-five years old and older as fifteen and younger. These demographics pose a challenge for the governments as they strive to maintain their generous social welfare programs, which include health insurance, pensions for the retired, and unemployment insurance. In the early years of the twenty-first century, for example, the Netherlands cut back on its benefits to try to reduce costs.

Immigration has helped lead to some population growth in some countries, but the growing number of immigrants has created tension. European countries are becoming less homogenous ethnically and religiously as immigration from other regions rises, particularly from the Muslim countries of North Africa, Southeast Asia, and Southwest Asia. Concern among the people of European ancestry that the national culture is changing has been compounded by several terrorist incidents carried out by Muslim extremists in the new century, including the 2015 attacks in Paris. These incidents have contributed to the rise of nationalist parties. At the same time, many Muslims feel concern and anger over poverty, joblessness, and poor education. The integration of Muslims and other immigrants into Western European society remains a major issue.

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