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TheEuropean Plain or theGreat European Plain is aplain inEurope and is a major feature of one of four major topographical units of Europe – theCentral and Interior Lowlands.[1] It is the largestmountain-freelandform in Europe, although a number ofhighlands are identified within it.
The Great European Plain stretches from thePyrenees mountains and the French coast of theBay of Biscay in the west to the RussianUral Mountains in the east, including parts of Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, and Kazakhstan.[2] Most of the Great European Plain lies below 500 feet (152 metres) in elevation. It has coastlines in the west and northwest to marginal seas of theAtlantic Ocean, in the northeast to seas of theArctic Ocean, and in the southeast to theBlack Sea. To the south of the Middle European Plain stretch the central uplands and plateaus of Europe elevating to the peaks of theAlps, theCarpathian Mountains and theBalkan Mountains. To the northwest across theEnglish Channel lie theBritish Isles and their lowlands, while across several straits north of theJutland Peninsula lies theCentral Swedish lowland in theScandinavian Peninsula, which is part of theFennoscandia ecoregion.
Most of the plain lies in thetemperate broadleaf and mixed forestbiome, while its far eastern portion extends intosteppe of the ecoregionEurasian Steppe.
Beside the Great European Plain, there are other, smaller European plains such as thePannonian Basin or Mid-Danube Plain, which lies inCentral Europe,Padana Plain which is located in the valley of thePo river, theThracian Plain withMaritsa river, and lowlands of theBritish Isles.
The Great European Plain is divided into theNorth European Plain (Central/Middle European Plain) and theEast European Plain. The subdivision is a historical one, rather thangeomorphological: the Russian portion of theEast European Plain is also known as the Russian Plain which covers almost all ofEuropean Russia.
InWestern Europe, the plain is relatively narrow (mostly within 200 miles or 320 kilometres in width) in the northern part of Europe, but it broadens significantly toward its eastern part inWestern Russia.[2]
The plains are cut by many important rivers like theLoire,Rhine andVistula in the west; theNorthern Dvina andDaugava flowing northwards in East Europe and Russia and theVolga, theDon and theDnieper flowing southwards ofEuropean Russia.
The European plain was once largely covered by forest, before human settlement and the resultingdeforestation that occurred. One of the last (and largest) remnants of this primeval forest isBiałowieża Forest, which straddles the border betweenBelarus andPoland. Now the European Plain is the most agriculturally productive region of Europe. Ecological regions include:
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The large uninterrupted flatland of the European Plain provides very little geographic protection against invasion.[3] This has been a continuing problem for states whose heartlands are on the European Plain, especiallyRussia,Poland andFrance, the latter of which was invaded through the plain three times since 1870, two of which successfully occupied the country.[3] Historically, the plains have been the site of numerous battles and invasions, as they offer relatively easy access to neighboring countries and provide an open space for armies to maneuver. They also play a major role in theEuropean Union as a key region for trade and industry. The EU's Common Agricultural Policy, which regulates agricultural production, is also heavily influenced by the plains. The plains are also a major center for the production of renewable energy. Additionally, the plains are also home to many of Europe's most important cultural and historical sites.[4]
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57°30′00″N29°00′00″E / 57.5000°N 29.0000°E /57.5000; 29.0000
