Facts about Europe, Europe Facts Facts about Europe Major CitiesMoscow, Paris, London, Istanbul, and Madrid Largest Country by AreaRussia Smallest Country by AreaVatican City Smallest Country by PopulationVatican City Largest City by PopulationLondon, U.K. Highest PointMt. Elbrus (5,642 meters), Caucasus Range, Russia Lowest PointCaspian Sea (-28 meters), Russia Major ReligionsCatholicism, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodox Major LanguagesGerman, French, English, Italian, Polish Spanish, Romanian, and Dutch Europe Geography Facts The Vatican City is Europe's smallest country by area and population. Germany is Europe's largest country by population. Know about the Top 10 largest countries in Europe by population. Mt. Elbrus (5,642 meters) in Russia is the highest point in Europe. The Caspian Sea bordering Russia is the lowest point in Europe. Out of the top 10 largest lakes in Europe, six are in Russia . The biggest is Lake Ladoga. Russia also home to the deepest lake in the world - Lake Baikal. Europe's largest and longest river is the Volga that runs through central Russia.

The Kimmel Falls in Austria are the tallest in Europe. Gouffre Mirolda in France is considered the deepest cave in Europe. Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland is one of the biggest glaciers in the world. Continent name: Europe Story behind the name: It is widely believed that Europe is named after “Europa”, the Phoenician princess from Greek mythology. Area: Europe has a land area of 10,181,000 square kilometers or 3,837,000 square miles. Population: Upwards of 731,000,000, according to 2009 estimates. Center of Europe: The location of the geographical center of Europe is widely contested, with over 10 cities/villages vying for this honor. Each claimant is right, as far as their methodology of marking the hypothetical center of Europe is concerned. Methodologies and their appropriateness are highly subjective, hence this contest is unlikely to have a clear winner. However, one of the finest “record keepers” of our times—the Guinness Book of World Records—states that the village of Bernotai in Lithuania is the geographic center of Europe.

The government of Lithuania has erected a monument to mark the location – 54 degrees, 54 minutes latitude and 25 degrees, 19 minutes longitude. Euro: Euro as a common currency is used by 23 countries: Austria Gateway to the Baltics! Several countries claim to be at the heart of Europe, but according to the research of the French National Geographic Institute, the one and only geographical central point of the continent is in Lithuania, a fact that has even won recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records. In 1989, a group of French scientists from the institute announced that the geographical centre of Europe was just to the north of the Lithuanian capital Vilnius – 26 kilometres to be exact – near the village of Purnuškės. The map references of their version of the centre of Europe are 54 degrees, 54 minutes latitude and 25 degrees, 19 minutes longitude. These references were defined only after a re-estimation of the boundaries of the European continent.

The northern point was defined at Spitsbergen (80°45‘N - 20°35‘E), the southern point in the Canary Islands (27°38‘N – 17°58‘W), the eastern point at the crest of the Urals (67°59‘N – 66°10‘E) and the western point in the Azores (39°27‘N – 31°16‘W). The boundary of the continent runs along the Kara River, the highest crest of the Urals, along the Ural River and the Caspian Sea, along to the Apsheron Peninsula, over the highest crests of the Caucasus mountains, through the Black Sea and the channels of the Dardanelle and the Bosphorus, along the eastern shore of the Aegean – the border between Greece and Turkey – and through the Mediterranean Sea and the Gibraltar channel. According to these estimates of the boundaries of Europe, the Canary Isles, Madeira and the Azores, were attached to Europe together with Iceland.

The scientists did not take into account the location of Malta in the middle of the Mediterranean; however, this would change the location of the geographical centre of Europe by only 100 metres. Taking into consideration the precision of these calculations, Europe’s geographical centre could in fact be located at any point in Lithuania, having the form of an irregular square approximately 1,100 metres north-south and 800 metres east-west. After the centre was defined, the need for proper marking naturally arose. The first marker for the geographical centre, a stone with a metal plate, was placed on a hill near Bernotai in 1991. But unfortunately this monument has not survived intact. Some time passed before the Association of Lithuanian Geographers initiated the marking of the site with a nine-tonne boulder found in the local fields. Another metal plate with inscriptions was fixed on the stone. A reserve for the European Geographical Centre was arranged in 1992. It covered Girija Lake, Bernotai Hill and a burial ground for pagans called an alkakalnis, as well as surrounding woods and fields.

It is presumed that from the first to the fifth centuries a defensive castle stood on Bernotai Hill. Archaeologists have found stoneware with lined surfaces here. Every year the number of tourists visiting Lithuania is constantly growing. With this in mind, the State Tourism Department at the Ministry of Economy and the Vilnius District Administration began give the geographical centre of Europe greater visibility. On 1 May 2004, the date Lithuania entered the European Union, the sculptor Gediminas Jokūbonis unveiled at the site his composition of a column of white granite, the top of which is rimmed by a crown of stars. In this symbolic way, Lithuania’s historical links with Europe and the poignant return of Lithuania to the family of European nations was approved once more. All Europeans are invited to visit the site of the geographical centre of Europe in Lithuania, at least once in their lives. P.S. From 2015 Summer You will get a special Certificate that you have visited the Geographical center of Europe. Don't miss the chance to get it for free. Europa - Geographic Centres of European countries The Geographic Centre of ...

Did you know, that since 1805 geographers have designated several places to be the centre of Europe ? It is said, that already under the reign of Napoleon, the first of these points was fixed: in Germany, in the community of Neualbenreuth . But in 1989, during M. Gorbachovï¿½s visit in Vilnius, again a French institution, the French National Geographic Institute, designated a place near the Lithuanian village of Purnu ï¿½kes , about 30km north of Vilnius, as the geographic centre of Europe . After re-estimation of the boundaries of the European continent the references of the geographical centre of Europe were defined as following: 54ï¿½, 54ï¿½ latitude and 25ï¿½, 19ï¿½ longitude. If you want to know, how this point was defined, you can continue reading here ! In 1992 Lithuania set aside land for the creation of a national park .

Thus Europos Parkas was created, an open air museum featuring all sorts of abstract and modern sculptures expressing a unique vision of the centre of Europe, including one constructed from TV sets, which was noted as the largest sculpture in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. While Europos Parkas is not at the actual centre, its creation embodies the Lithuanian take on this honour. In 2004 the area was re-decorated in order to celebrate the EU enlargement. Another place which claims to be the centre of Europe is the city of Suchowola in north-eastern Poland. Slavomir Szabo from Slovakia who has travelled around Europe quite a lot, claims, that the Church of St. John near Kremnickï¿½ Bane is located in the centre of Europe. You might now also bei interested to find out which are the extreme points of Europe and which are the extreme points of the EU as well as of some member states. In most European countries people tried to identify the centre of their country. In some countries, we could not find an official centre, and therefore consulted maps and tried to estimate the centre. The best maps we found are offered by Worldatlas and Lonely Planet .

We did our best to find as many centres of European countries as possible in: United Kingdom The geographical centre of Austria is located in the little town of Bad Aussee in the picturesque Salzkammergut area. This centre was defined in the course of a contest in 1949. back to EU member states Belgium has got two places which were defined as its geographical centre: the old centre in Ittre. It is marked by two grinding stones in front of the city hall. The new geographical center of Belgium, calculated in 1990, is more in the east, in Nil-Saint-Vincent-Saint-Marti, in the commune of Walhain, in the Brabant province. It is marked by a small pyramidal monument. The exact geographic figures are: 50ï¿½38'28" latitude North and 04ï¿½40'05" longitude East. back to EU member states Several places claim to be the geographical centre of Bulgaria .

The town of Gabrovo is situated along the two banks of the Yantra River, at the northern foot of the Shipka Balkan Mountain, about 22km from one of these centres, which is located in Uzana , a mountain village. The geographic centre is marked with a memorial sign. The town of Kazanluk in the gorgeous Valley of Roses at the foot of the Balkan Mountains, is another place which claims the title. Near the town you can visit the Kazanluk Tomb , a UNESCO World Heritage Site. back to EU member states It was very difficult to find a place which could be called the centre of Croatia . We contacted Tatjana Klobucar, the Croatian Spring Teacher 2005 and 2006, and she had a really interesting explanation: There's no real geographical centre in Croatia due to the "weird" shape of the country. There is a place which was declared the centre of the coast, but none for the whole country. The way geographers measure the centre, would actually define a place in Bosnia, and that's not logical.

What I actually found out is that in the so-called " Flower Square " in the capital - Zagreb - a huge globe was put up, which is supposed to be the exact spot of the 16th Meridian, and this is somehow considered a kind of geographical centre. Tatjana further informed us, that Croatia has got an official centre of its coast , which is located in the city of Biograd . back to EU member states The spot which is considered by many as the geographical center of Cyprus is located on top of a small hill just outside the village of Dhali in the Ambeleri area. As a matter of fact, the capital of Cyprus, Lefkosia/Nicosia is also not far from the geographical centre. It lies just to the north of the geographical centre of the island at an elevation of 160 metres. The city has a population of about 230.000, by far the biggest on the island. 195,000 people live in the government-controlled southern quarter while the rest live in the Turkish-occupied northern quarter.

Unfortunately, Lefkosia has the unenviable legacy of being the last divided capital of Europe, following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. back to EU member states The geographical centre of the Czech Republic is located in Čï¿½hoï¿½ť . It was determined to be on a private meadow approximately 400m from the church which became famous 55 years ago for the aforementioned Čï¿½hoï¿½ť miracle . During an advent mass on Sunday, December 11th, 1949 in the village of Čï¿½hoï¿½ť in Eastern Bohemia, a 50cm long cross on the main altar moved several times from side to side. The whole event has remained a mystery until now. back to EU member states Odder , a middle-sized town on the East coast of Jutland 20km south from Denmarkï¿½s second largest town, Aarhus, is considered the geographical centre of Denmark. The spot is marked by a large oak tree and a small stone . back to EU member states Suure-Jaani , is located in the centre of Estonia .

We could just estimate, as no official centre of this country has been nominated. It seems not to be the exact geographical centre, but the nearest town to this centre. The tragic battle of ancient Estonians for freedom took place in the parish of Suure-Jaani on St. Matthew's Day, September 21, 1217. In the 17th century the name of the ancient village Valula was replaced by the name of Suure-Jaani in honour of St. Johannes, the guardian angel of the church. With its 1350 inhabitants and the church, graveyards and grammar school, Suure-Jaani is today a small town in the middle of Estonia and one of the centres of the neighbouring parishes. It has become a peaceful living place. back to EU member states The city of Kajaani , the provincial capital of the Kainuu region, which is part of Oulu province, claims to be the geographical centre of Finland. The city was founded in 1651 by Count Per Brahe and is now home to 36,000 people.

back to EU member states France seems to be the only EU country where the capital city also claims to be the geographical centre. In the centre of Paris, surrounded by the rush of the Seine, lie two very different islandsï¿½lï¿½Ile St. Louis and lï¿½Ile de la Citï¿½. Together they represent all the contradictions that make up Paris. The larger oneï¿½lï¿½Ile de la Citï¿½is quite literally the centre of France . It is here that you find the brass marker designating Point Zï¿½ro, the exact point from which all distances in France are measured. Befittingly, the geographic centre of France lies just in front of the centre of French culture, history, and imaginationï¿½Notre-Dame de Paris. But Paris is not the only place. There are at least three villages in the Berry region which also claim this title. Here you can see a map of the various regions of France.

If you travel to southern Cher , you should not miss to visit the three villages: Vesdun ( map ), Bruï¿½re-Allichamps ( map ) and Saulzais-le-Potier ( map ) all have a case, although Bruï¿½re has history and mathematics on its side. back to EU member states There are even six towns which claim to be the centre of Germany. This is due to the various methods which were applied in the procedure of finding the geographical centre. Five places have a common website: Niederdorla and Oberdorla, two small villages near Mï¿½hlhausen/Thï¿½ringen were declared the centre of Germany in 1989. Krebeck, a community near Gï¿½ttingen/Niedersachsen is the only place outside Thï¿½ringen which was nominated the geogrpahical centre of Germany by the Geodï¿½tische Institut in Munich. Flinsberg, is one of two small viellages in the county of Eichsfeld.

Jens Levenhagen from the University of Bonn declared this place the geogrpahical centre of his home country in 1991. In 1996, Norbert Glï¿½ckner from Gera, nominated Silberhausen, also in the county of Eichsfeld, as the geographical centre. Finally, in 1997 Burkhard Happ from the Pedagocial University Erfurt claimed, that Landstreit, a village with only 12 inhabitants 10km north of the famous Wartburg , is the geographical centre. And here is the sixth town: The "Institut fï¿½r theoretische Geodï¿½sie" in Bonn found out in 1998, that after the EU enlargement, Cï¿½lbe near Marburg in Hessen should be honoured with the title of the geographical centre of Germany. back to EU member states Greece seems to be different. There, you can visit the centre not only of the country but even the Omphalos (naval) of the ancient world in Delphi .

back to EU member states The geographical centre of Hungary can be found in the small town of Pusztavacs (Pest county), 54km southeast of Budapest. back to EU member states Ireland again has a number of geographical centres . One of them is to be found in eastern county Roscommon , at a point 3km (2 miles) south of Athlone town. The county of Westmeath alone boasts to be home to three exact geographical centres of Ireland: one, Hodsonï¿½s Pillar , is located on an island in Lough Ree; another is marked by a hill-tower near Glassan; and perhaps the one with the greatest claim, the Cat Stone, is to be found near Mullingar. The latter, also called the Hill of Uisnech , aside from its geographical significance is traditionally known as Ail na Mï¿½reann, the Stone of Divisions. This point on the map once marked the convergence of Irelandï¿½s five ancient provinces ï¿½ Ulster, Leinster, Connacht, Munster and Meath.

The Hill of Uisnech stands in the middle of Irelandï¿½s prairies, or the central bog as itï¿½s sometimes called. Once youï¿½ve marvelled at the monolithic structure at the summit known locally as the Cat Stone ï¿½ and indeed it does resemble a cat ready to pounce ï¿½ a panoramic view over the very heart of Ireland is available. There are some more topographical bullï¿½s eyes of Ireland: Birr in Offaly, and Kinnitty Castle . back to EU member states There are at least three places which claim to be the geographical centre of Italy . Placed exactly in the centre of the Italian peninsula, Narni is located on a hilltop jutting into the Nera Valley on a majestic spur and crowned by a formidable papal fortress. Commanding one end of a steep gorge, it was once the gateway into Umbria, the last post before the Tiber Valley and the undefended road to Rome. As you can read on a travertine headstone placed in the central square "S. Rufo" Rieti is the geographical centre of Italy, the "Umbilicus Italiae" as Latin people said.

Of the ancient "Reate" you can see some sections of the boundary wall, in the area of the Oberdan Square, and the Roman bridge situated under the modern one built during the post-war period. The city of Monteluco in Umbria also claims to be the geographical centre of Italy. The geographical centre of Latvia is a small town called Keipene in central Latvia. back to EU member states The geographical centre of Lithuania is situated approximately 6.7km northwest of the town of Kedainiai , at 55ï¿½ East. Apart from that, Lithuania is also home to the official geographical centre of Europe . back to EU member states Ettelbrï¿½ck is located near the geographic center of Luxembourg and is a busy commercial center. Ettelbrï¿½ck City Hall was designed by Luxembourg architect Sosthï¿½ne Weis and was built in 1906. The State Archives building is a former military hospital (built in 1857) that later accommodated the few military forces granted to Luxembourg by the Treaty of London in 1867.

The building was going to be demolished in the 1960s, but it was finally decided to move the State Archives there in 1968. back to EU member states The tiny village of Liya in Malta has some lovely old villas and gardens with orange groves - in fact oranges are the symbol of this village. Not many tourists come to Liya, but its Chapel - Our lady of Miracles in St. Saviours Street - is said to be built on the exact geographical centre of Malta. back to EU member states Utrecht is a lively city in the geographical centre of the Netherlands . It is not only an important junction where traffic, trade, distribution and services meet and mingle, but also a true knowledge centre: apart from Utrecht University it houses important research institutes and several other institutes of higher education. With its 300,000 inhabitants, Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands and with no less than one sixth of the inhabitants being students, Utrecht is a real student city. Just outside Amersfoort , where intersecting motorways come very close to marking the geographical centre of the Netherlands, a wood of large, old trees surrounds an old family estate.

The earliest "castle" dates back to about 1410, but this was a significant distance from the current "chateau" which dates back to 1923. The foundation stone for the Gardens of Op de Haar , which are situated in the middle of the wood, was laid in 1958. The Belgen monument (near Amersfoort), dedicated to the victims of WWI, also claims to have been erected at the geographical centre of the Netherlands. The geographical centre of Poland is Piątek , situated 30km north of Łodz . Some sources even claim, that the centre of Europe is located in Poland, in the city of Suchowola in north-eastern Poland. back to EU member states Two cities claim to be in or near the geographical centre of Portugal . One of them is Mortagua , a town and municipality of the Viseu district. We have to thank Joï¿½o Paulo Pereira, who read this website very carefully and helped us find the "centro geodï¿½sico de Portugal", which is called Picoto da Milriï¿½a and is located near Vila de Rei .

back to EU member states The grographical centre of Romania is located in the village of Dealu Frumos (Schï¿½nberg) in Transylvania. The village is famous for its "Saxon" fortified church . Sibiu is the most important city in the area. back to EU member states The geographical centre of Slovakia is the mountain range of Lubietovsky Vepor (1255m), the dominant feature of the surrounding landscape. Its range is almost 3km long and it has three peaks. Lubietovsky Vepor is also a protected area . Slavomir Szabo from Slovakia who has travelled around Europe quite a lot, claims, that the Church of St. John near Kremnickï¿½ Bane is located in the centre of Europe. back to EU member states It was difficult to find the geographical centre of Slovenia . But we were supported in our research by Janja Jakoncic Faganel, the Slovenian Spring Teacher 2003, with whom our school has cooperated for years now in the project East Enlargement - West Enlargement .

She helped us find the geographical centre of Slovenia which is located near the villages of Spodnja Slivna and Vace , which became famous for the remarkable Vace situla which was excavated there in 1882. back to EU member states Madrid , the capital of Spain is not only the highest capital in Europe, but also one of those capitals which are really located in the geographical centre of the country. One source even claims, that the Puerta del Sol two blocks from the Plaza Callao is the exact geographic centre of Spain. Here you can also find the "kilometer 0" plaque, marking the center of the Spanish road network. It is the starting point from where all the highway distances are measured. back to EU member states In 1947 , the Geographic Institute of Stockholm's University College undertook to define the geographical centre of Sweden. The researchers "attached" the Swedish islands to the coast to create a model of Sweden's total land area. The centre was defined as the centre of gravity of the model and proved to be situated at Flataklocken in what is now the municipality of ï¿½nge. Today there are an outlook tower, a cottage, windbreaks and barbecue pits.

It is also possible, to obtain a Centre Certificate there. It is one of the three most sought after certificates in Sweden. The others represent visits to Smygehuk and Treriksrï¿½set, Swedens southernmost and northernmost points respectively. back to EU member states There are numerous definitions of the geographical centre of the United Kingdom . Wikipedia even offers a whole website of the centre points of the UK . Other sources mention further geographical centres: -- One of them is Dunsop Bridge near Slaidburn. -- Another one is the Ribble Valley , which is bounded by the fells of The Forest of Bowland to the north, the Yorkshire Dales to the east. The valley is dominated by the Pendle Hill most famous for the story of the Lancashire or Pendle Witches and their subsequent trial at Lancaster Castle in 1612. You may follow the witches' trail from Barrowford through the Pendleside villages to Lancaster. In 1652 near the hill's summit George Fox had a vision which led to the founding of the Quakers . -- A third one is the Isle of Man in the middle of the Irish Sea.

-- A fourth one is the Borough of Blackburn, the largest settlement in East Lancashire. The centre of Iceland is virtually a desert of volcanic debris. The geographical centre of the country is probably located a little bit north-east of the Hofsjï¿½kull , which is the third largest glacier in Iceland after Vatnajï¿½kull and Langjï¿½kull covering an area of 925 sqkm. Its highest peak reaches 1765m. back to EU candidate countries The geographical centre of Macedonia seems to be somewhere south of the city of Veles , which is best known for the Book of Veles , a text of ancient Slavic religion and history. back to EU candidate countries As Montenegro declared itself independent from Serbia in June 2006, we had to update this website and to find the geographical centre. We estimate, that it is located somewhere between Niksic and Kolasin . If an attentive reader of this page can tell us a name of a place between these twp towns, we will be very grateful. Please send us an e-mail . Encamp is a parish of 8,200 inhabitants located in the geographic centre of Andorra.

The nearby ski station of El Pas de la Casa-Grau Roig has several slopes which are considered among the best ones in the Pyrenees. back to mini states You can certainly imagine, that it was rather difficult to define centres for the mini states. We again used the maps of Lonely Planet and came to the conclusion, that the geographical centre of Liechtenstein should be somewhere near Gaflei . back to mini states The Principality of Monaco is a city state and the second-smallest country in the world (after the Vatican City ), located between the Mediterranean Sea and France along the French Riviera or Cï¿½te d'Azur. Consisting mostly of the old city of Monaco and later built-up areas, it is also the most densely populated independent country in the world. We made up our minds, that the port of Monaco seems to be the centre. back to mini states San Marino claims to be the world's oldest republic still in existence, founded in AD 301 by a Christian stonemason named Marinus. Its geographical centre seems to be somewhere north-east of the Monte Titano (756m), which is also the highest mountain of San Marino.

On the top of Mount Titano three wonderful towers rise: Rocca, Cesta and Montale built by the San Marino people as an effective system of fortifications linked together by the powerful walls. back to mini states The magnificent St. Peter's Basilica which now stands in the centre of Vatican City was built to replace the original structure built by Constantine, the first Christian emperor. Constantine's basilica was a remarkable piece of art, his men moved a million tons of earth in order to create a platform for the structure. Constantine went to such lengths because he believed that this was the very spot where Peter was buried, on the side of the Vatican Hill. This tradition remained strong throughout the ages but without concrete proof. Then in 1939 archaeologists discovered a whole street of Roman mausoleums under the floor of St Peter's. View a picture gallery ! back to non-members For finding the geographical centre of Belarus , we again consulted the Lonely Planet Map, and we asked Vladimir Kalinin, with whom we are working on the project Austria meets Belarus . We decided, that the village of Dudutki is the geographical centre of Belarus. The whole village is an ethnographical museum, which connects the past and the present.

It is a museum of handicrafts, where a piece of clay, steel or wood is brought to life before your eyes. The museum was founded in 1993, and it covers the territory of 160 hectares. In the Dudutki museum activities and entertainment harmoniously combine nature and history. back to non-members It was similarly difficult to find the geographical centre of Bosnia-Herzegovina . From the map we found out, that the geographical centre is probably located somewhere between Travnik and Zenica . back to non-members It is rather difficult to decide where the geographical centre of Moldova is located. We calculated, that it must be a little bit north of the capital Chisinau, between Str ăşeni and Cricova . back to non-members For Trondheim patriots, the city is the centre of Norway . Trondheim is as much the technological capital today as it was the Norwegian capital centuries ago. The city around the meandering River Nidelva, the city of timber dwellings, the city of winter, the city surrounded by beautiful hills. Trondheim is situated next to a large fjord - Trondheimsfjorden (126 km long).

Trï¿½ndelag is often referred to as Midt-Norge (the middle part of Norway). back to non-members The geographical centre most difficult to find was the one of Russia. As the country has changed its shape dramatically since the breakdown of the Soviet Union, the places which were nominated the centre of the Soviet Union ( Novosibirsk , Tomsk and Krasnoyarsk ) can no longer claim this title. Nowadays, the geographical centre must be somewhere in the Krasnoyarsk Region on the Jenissei River , between the estuaries of the Podkamennaja Tunguska River and the Upper Tunguska River . The Tunguska Region is famous for a mysterious explosion which took place there on June 30, 1908. According to scientists, the most probable reason for this phenomenon was either a comet or an asteroid. back to non-members The canton of Obwalden is located in the centre of Switzerland . The geographical centre of the country seems to be somewhere south-west of the capital, Sarnen . With its central location, Obwalden has been able to establish itself as a significant tourist location since the 19th century.

Two of the mountains, Pilatus and Titlis , are the main attractions. Winter sports, in particular skiing and snowboarding, attract many tourists. During the summer, tourists enjoy hiking and mountaineering. back to non-members According to the map, the geogrpahical centre of the Ukraine must be located somewhere in a triangle between Kirovohrad , Cherkasy and Oleksandrija . mapsofworld One comment Continent name: Europe Story behind the name: It is widely believed that Europe is named after “Europa”, the Phoenician princess from Greek mythology. Area: Europe has a land area of 10,181,000 square kilometers or 3,837,000 square miles. Population: Upwards of 731,000,000, according to 2009 estimates. Center of Europe: The location of the geographical center of Europe is widely contested, with over 10 cities/villages vying for this honor. Each claimant is right, as far as their methodology of marking the hypothetical center of Europe is concerned.

Methodologies and their appropriateness are highly subjective, hence this contest is unlikely to have a clear winner. However, one of the finest “record keepers” of our times—the Guinness Book of World Records—states that the village of Bernotai in Lithuania is the geographic center of Europe. The government of Lithuania has erected a monument to mark the location – 54 degrees, 54 minutes latitude and 25 degrees, 19 minutes longitude. Euro: Euro as a common currency is used by 23 countries: Austria Geographical centre of Europe - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki More info on Geographical centre of Europe Wikis Geographical centre of Europe: Wikis Advertisements Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . Related top topics From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This map shows some of the locations of claimants to the title of Centre of Europe The location of the geographical centre of Europe depends on the definition of the borders of Europe , mainly whether remote islands are included to define the extreme points of Europe , and on the method of calculating the final result.

Thus, several places claim to host this hypothetical centre. Contents Locations currently vying for the distinction of being the centre of Europe include: Bernotai, or Purnuškės near Vilnius in Lithuania ; a point on the island of Saaremaa in Estonia ; the village of Krahule , near Kremnica in central Slovakia ; the small town of Rakhiv , or the village of Dilove near Rakhiv, in western Ukraine ; Suchowola , north of Białystok , in north-eastern Poland ; and Toruń in the northern part of central Poland ; a point near Polotsk in Belarus ; Historical measurements Austrian-Hungarian marker in Ukraine Mount Tillenberg/Dyleň (in the background, as seen from Neualbenreuth , Bavaria) Modern day Ukraine: In 1887, geographers from the Austro-Hungarian Empire set up a historical marker and a large stone in what is today a part of Ukraine , believed to mark the geographic centre of Europe.

The interpretation of the worn Latin inscription on the monument is debated, with some claiming that the marker is merely one of a number of fixed triangulation points for surveying purposes established around the territory of the former Empire. The external borders of Europe taken into account during the calculations are not known. According to the description, the methodology used for the calculation is that of the geometrical middle point of the extreme latitudes and longitudes of Europe, so the stone was located at 48°30′N 23°23′E﻿ / ﻿48.5°N 23.383°E﻿ / 48.5; 23.383 . However, the actual location of the monument seems rather 47°57.5′N 24°11′E﻿ / ﻿47.9583°N 24.183°E﻿ / 47.9583; 24.183﻿ (Dilove, Ukraine (monument)) and not the coordinates to which they relate.

The village of Dilove located on the Tisza river, close to the Romanian border, in the county of Rakhiv in the Transcarpathian region. Modern day Czech Republic/Bavaria: Austrian geographers also marked the 939 metre high Tillenberg ( Dyleň ) near the Bohemian city of Eger/Cheb with a copper plate as the centre of Europe. As the border to Germany/Bavaria runs 100m west of the mountaintop, the German village of Neualbenreuth uses this for promotional purposes. Bayerischer Rundfunk journalists asked the Institut für Geographie of the University of Munich to verify the claims. The institute concluded that the centre lies further to the south, in Hildweinsreuth near Flossenbürg . German measurements German Empire geographers did their own geographic analysis at the beginning of the 1900s and concluded that the Austrian measurements were incorrect. The German scientists stated that the true geographic centre of Europe was in the Saxon capital city of Dresden , near the " Frauenkirche " church.

Soviet measurements Measurements done after World War II by Soviet scientists again proclaimed Rakhiv and Dilove (in Russian: Rakhov and Dyelovoye) to be the geographical centre of Europe. The old marker in the small town was renewed, and a major campaign to convince everyone of its validity was undertaken. Slovakia Another possible centre of Europe is the Central Slovak town of Krahule , near the mining town of Kremnica , now a famous centre for winter sports. There is now a stone commemorating the point at 48°45′N 18°55′E﻿ / ﻿48.75°N 18.917°E﻿ / 48.75; 18.917 as well as a hotel and a recreation centre called "Centre of Europe". Current measurements Austria The Austrian town of Frauenkirchen , near the border to Hungary, holds a patent (Österreichisches Patentamt, Aktenzeichen AM 7738/2003) for being the geophysical centre of Europe (not of the EU).

The number of claimed centres, as well as the Austrian patent, was subject of a December 2007 speech of the Minister-President of Bavaria, Günther Beckstein . [1] Lithuania Monument in Bernotai, Lithuania After a re-estimation of the boundaries of the continent of Europe in 1989, Jean-George Affholder, a scientist at the Institut Géographique National (French National Geographic Institute) determined that the Geographic Centre of Europe is located at 54°54′N 25°19′E﻿ / ﻿54.9°N 25.317°E﻿ / 54.9; 25.317﻿ (Purnuškės (centre of gravity)) . [2] The method used for calculating this point was that of the centre of gravity of the geometrical figure of Europe. This point is located in Lithuania , specifically 26 kilometres (16 miles) north of its capital city, Vilnius , near the village of Purnuškės.

A monument, composed by the sculptor Gediminas Jokūbonis and consisting of a column of white granite surmounted by a crown of stars, was erected at the location in 2004. An area of woods and fields surrounding the geographic centre point and including Lake Girija, Bernotai Hill, and an old burial ground, was set aside as a reserve in 1992. The State Tourism Department at the Ministry of Economy of Lithuania has classified the Geographic Centre monument and its reserve as a tourist attraction. This location is the only one listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the geographical centre of Europe. 17 km away lies Europos Parkas , Open Air Museum of the Centre of Europe, a sculpture park containing the world's largest sculpture made of TV sets, now partially collapsed.

[3] Hungary It is claimed that a 1992 survey found that the geometric centre of Europe is in the village of Tállya, Hungary 48°14′10″N 21°13′33″E﻿ / ﻿48.23610°N 21.22574°E﻿ / 48.23610; 21.22574 [4] [5] . In 2000, a sculpture was erected in the village, with a table on it declaring the place the "Geometric Centre of Europe" [6] .

Estonia If all the islands of Europe, from Azores to the Franz Joseph Land and from Crete to Iceland , are taken into consideration, it is claimed that the centre of Europe lies on the island of Saaremaa in western Estonia , in Mõnnuste village, at 58°18′14″N 22°16′44″E﻿ / ﻿58.30389°N 22.27889°E﻿ / 58.30389; 22.27889﻿ (North of Torgu) . Again, no author and no method of calculation was disclosed. The local Kärla Parish is looking to verify the location and turn it into a tourist location. [7] Belarus Geographical Centre of Europe monument in Polotsk, Belarus.

In 2000 Belarusian scientists Alexey Solomonov and Valery Anoshko published a report that stated the geographic centre of Europe was located near Lake Sho ( 55°10′55″N 28°15′30″E﻿ / ﻿55.18194°N 28.25833°E﻿ / 55.18194; 28.25833 ; Belarusian : Шо) in Vitsebsk Voblast . [8] Scientists from Russian Central Research Institute of Geodesy, Aerial Survey and Cartography ( Russian : ЦНИИГАиК) confirmed calculations of Belarusian geodesists that the geographical centre of Europe is located in Polotsk 55°30′0″N 28°48′0″E﻿ / ﻿55.5°N 28.8°E﻿ / 55.5; 28.8 . A small monument to the Geographical Centre of Europe was set up in Polotsk on May 31, 2008.

[9] Possibly mistaken claims Certain people mistakenly take two notions: "geographical centre of Europe" and "geographical centre of a country lying (approximately) in the centre of Europe" to be synonymous . Such seems the genesis of the claims that the centre of Europe lies in the following places. Číhošť near Ledeč nad Sázavou , Czech Republic - place of the geometrical centre of the Czech Republic [10] . Nothing more specific is known about this claim. Piątek in the centre of Poland. [11] Braunau am Inn in Austria , in the province of Upper Austria (Oberösterreich), on the border with Germany - was declared the centre of Europe supposedly by Napoleon Bonaparte himself—certainly not for purely geographical but for political reasons.

Other calculations Based on distance calculations to the extreme points of Europe (Franz Josef Land in the Northeast, the border between the Russian Federation and the states of Georgia and Azerbaijan at the Caspian Sea in the Southeast, Crete in the South and the Azores in the Southwest) the centre of Europe will surprisingly be found in Southern Norway near 60°00′N 07°30′E﻿ / ﻿60°N 7.5°E﻿ / 60; 7.5 in the Telemark region. If only continental Europe is of interest and outlying islands like Iceland , Franz Josef Land and the Azores are being disregarded, thus having the extreme points in Northern Norway, Gibraltar and again in Crete and the Caucasus region, and again based on distances, the centre of Europe would actually be in Poland, somewhere near 53°00′N 16°45′E﻿ / ﻿53°N 16.75°E﻿ / 53; 16.75 somewhat North of the city of Poznań .

(Note: Though further east by longitude than the Caucasus region, the Ural Mountains can be disregarded as an extreme point because they are actually closer to the centre of Europe.) Geographic centre of the European Union Other locations have claimed the title of geographic centre of Europe on the basis of calculations taking into account only the territory of those states which are members of the European Union (or formerly - European Community ). IGN calculations Memorial at Viroinval (15-member-EU) Memorial at Kleinmaischeid (25-member-EU) As the European Union has been growing the last 50 years, the geographical centre shifted with each expansion. The calculations of a geographical centre were made by the French Institut Géographique National (IGN) since at least 1987.

12 members: In 1987 the centre of the European Community of the 12 members was declared to be in the middle of France , in the village of Saint-André-le-Coq (63310), département of Puy-de-Dôme (63), région of Auvergne , and next was shifted after the reunification of Germany in 1990 some 25 km north-eastward, to the place called Noireterre in the village of Saint-Clément (03250), département of Allier (03), the same région of Auvergne. A small monument commemorating the latter discovery still exists in Saint Clément.

27 members: On January 1, 2007, with the inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria in the European Union, the geographic centre of the European Union changed, to a wheat field outside of the German town Gelnhausen , in Hesse , 115 km east of the previous marker, at 50°10′21″N 9°9′0″E﻿ / ﻿50.1725°N 9.15°E﻿ / 50.1725; 9.15﻿ (Gelnhausen (27 members)) [12] . Other calculations The geographical point of the European Union is not free from disputes, either. If some different extreme points of the European Union, like some Atlantic Ocean islands, are taken into consideration this point is calculated in different locations. Most of them are located now in Germany . Eurozone The center of the Eurozone is located in France near the village of Liernais . See also Centroid Further reading Gardner, N (November 2005). "Pivotal points: defining Europe's centre" . Hidden Europe (5): 20–21. .

Retrieved 2007-01-11. Useful short English language article that considers the claims of various localities to be the geographical centre of Europe. A film about the "Centre of Europe" The Polish-German documentary production of 2004, "Die Mitte" ("Środek Europy", "The Centre"), screenplay written and directed by Stanisław Mucha, has shown more than a dozen of different locations. [13] References ^ Rede des Bayerischen Ministerpräsidenten Dr. Günther Beckstein anlässlich des Bayerischen Verfassungstages 2007 in der Münchner Residenz, Datum der Rede: 01.12.07: Wenn Sie heute auf dem Tillenberg bei Neualbenreuth auf dem so genannten Sauweg die bayerisch-tschechische Grenze entlang wandern, kommen Sie an einem Grenzstein vorbei, den Napoleon I. 1805 hat setzen lassen. Dieser Grenzstein markiert nach den damaligen Berechnungen den Mittelpunkt Europas.

Nun sind im Laufe der Zeit immer mehr Mittelpunkte Europas dazugekommen und haben dem bayerischen Mittelpunkt Konkurrenz gemacht - Mittelpunkte in Tschechien, in der Slowakei, in Litauen und in der Ukraine. Das österreichische Frauenkirchen hat sich seinen Mittelpunkt sogar patentieren lassen! Im Sinne der Liberalitas Bavarica schlage ich vor: Lassen wir mehrere Mittelpunkte zu. Als Bayerischer Ministerpräsident lege ich aber Wert auf die Feststellung: Bayern ist auf alle Fälle einer dieser Mittelpunkte in Europa! [1] DCP: Centre of European Continent (visit #3) (visited by Rainer Mautz ) 09-Sep-2007 -- The Geographical Centre of Europe was visited while staying in Vilnius for the “Second Lithuanian Swiss Geodetic Science Week“. This seminar was carried out as part of the cooperation between the Institute of Geodesy and Photogrammetry at ETH Zurich and the Institute of Geodesy at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU).

Geodesists have a certain affinity for computation of coordinates – so certainly a visit to the Geographic Centre of the European Continent was on the agenda. Access to the point is trivial – in contrast to confluence points which are normally not signposted. The trip to the center point is easy when traveling by car from Vilnius in NNE direction on the main road A14 towards Utena. About 25km after leaving Vilnius the site is signposted to the left and reached 1 minute after the turn-off. Even though locating the point doesn’t require a GPS receiver, I followed my habit to bring one and measure the discrepancy between mine and the official readings. At the monument (the centre of the star, picture #3) the WGS 84 coordinate reading was 54°54'23.7"N 25°19'09.3"E. The difference to the official coordinates is probably explained by taking a nearby boulder (picture #1) as the proper centre. Anyway, the location is somewhat arbitrary because there is no exact mathematical definition for such a Centre – is it where the lines between extreme points intersect? Or if the centre of gravity is the goal should islands count?

Any Geographer returning from a trip to the Ural Mountain Range will have new findings that may shift the Centre. However, the discussion about the correct coordinates is a century-long debate and will be ongoing forever, since the results of any coordinate computation strongly depends on the country where the computation is carried out. Well, the French seem to make an exception here – probably because they didn’t find an algorithm that shifted the Centre into Paris. For a more serious explanation why the “real” Centre is in the vicinity of the Lithuanian village Purnuškės let me repeat what the sign says: Several countries claim to be at the heart of Europe, but according to the research of the French National Geographic Institute, the one and only geographical central point of the continent is in Lithuania, a fact that even won recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records. In 1989, a group of French scientists from the institute announced that the geographical centre of Europe was just to the north of the Lithuanian capital Vilnius – 26 kilometres to be exact – near the village of Purnuškės.

The map references of their version of the centre of Europe are 54 degrees 54 minutes latitude and 25 degrees, 19 minutes longitude. These references were defined only after a re-estimation of the boundaries of the European continent. The northern point was defined at Spitsbergen (80°45'N – 20°35'E), the southern point in the Canary Islands (27°38'N – 17°58'W), the eastern point at the crest of the Urals (67°59'N – 66°10'E) and the western point in the Azores (39°27'N – 31°16'W). The boundary of the continent runs along the Kara River, the highest crest of the Urals, along the Ural River and the Caspian Sea, along to the Apsheron Peninsula, over the highest crests of the Caucasus mountains, through the Black Sea and the channels of the Dardanelle and the Bosphorus, along the eastern shore of the Aegean – the border between Greece and Turkey – and through the Mediterranean Sea and the Gibraltar channel.

According to these estimates of the boundaries of Europe, the Canary Isles, Madeira and the Azores, were attached to Europe together with Iceland. The scientists did not take into account the location of Malta in the middle of the Mediterranean; however, this would change the location of the geographical centre of Europe by only 100 metres. Taking into consideration the precision of these calculations, Europe’s geographical centre could in fact be located at any point in Lithuania, having the form of an irregular square approximately 1100 metres north-south and 800 metres east-west. A reserve for the European Geographical Centre was arranged in 1992. It covered Girija Lake, Bernotai Hill and a burial ground for pagans called an alkakalnis, as well as surrounding woods and fields. On 1 May 2004, the date Lithuania entered the European Union, a famous Lithuanian sculptor Gediminas Jokubonis unveiled at the site his composition of a column of white granite, the top of which is rimmed by a crown of stars. I am sure the true Centre of Europe is in Zurich-Seebach.

CP visit details: Time at the Centre: 14:00 pm Deviation time: ca. 1 hour (from Vilnius) Hiking distance: 400 m Distance to a road: ca. 500 km Topography: slightly hilly

Question: According to The Guinness Book of World Records the village of Bernotai in which country is the geographic centre of Europe?
Answer: Lithuania