page_title: Geography of Europe
section_title: Plains and lowlands
hierarchical_section_title: Geography of Europe / Plains and lowlands
caption_attribution_description: English: View from near Maslarovo village across the Danubian Plain towards the central Balkan Mountains (90 km distance)
context_page_description: Europe is traditionally defined as one of seven continents. Physiographically, it is the northwestern peninsula of the larger landmass known as Eurasia; Asia occupies the eastern bulk of this continuous landmass and all share a common continental shelf. Europe's eastern frontier is delineated by the Ural Mountains in Russia. The southeast boundary with Asia is not universally defined, but the modern definition is generally the Ural River or, less commonly, the Emba River. The boundary continues to the Caspian Sea, the crest of the Caucasus Mountains, and on to the Black Sea. The Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles conclude the Asian boundary. The Mediterranean Sea to the south separates Europe from Africa. The western boundary is the Atlantic Ocean. Iceland, though on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and nearer to Greenland than Mainland Europe, is generally included in Europe for cultural reasons and because it is over twice as close to mainland Europe as mainland North America. There is ongoing debate on where the geographical centre of Europe falls.
context_section_description: Great European Plain, the largest landscape feature of Europe
  East European Plain
  Lower Danubian Plain, between Balkan Mountains and Southern Carpathians
  Danubian Plain (Bulgaria)
  Wallachian Plain
  North European Plain
  North German Plain (German section)
  Beauce, France
  Baetic Depression (Andalusian Plain), between Sierra Morena and Baetic System
  British Lowlands
  Central Swedish lowland
  Ebro Basin (Ebro Depression), between Pyrenees and Sistema Ibérico
  Meseta Central is a high plain plateau in central Spain (occupies roughly 40% of the country), between Cantabrian Mountains and Sistema Central
  Pannonian Plain, between Alps, Dinaric Mountains and Carpathian Mountains
  Po Valley, also known as Padan Plain, between Alps and Apennines
  Swiss Central Plateau, between the Jura Mountains and Swiss Alps
  Upper Rhine Plain, between Vosges Mountains and Black Forest Mountains
  Upper Thracian Plain, between Balkan Mountains (Sredna Gora) and Rila-Rhodope massif
  Other European coastal plains
caption: View across the Bulgarian section of the Lower Danubian Plain towards the central Balkan Mountains 90 km away
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