The Southern European, at its most general definition, is used to mean all countries in the south of Europe. However, the concept, at different times, has had different meanings, providing additional political, linguistic and cultural context to the definition in addition to the typical geographical, phytogeographic or climatic approach. Most southern European countries border the Mediterranean Sea.
Geographically, southern Europe is the southern half of the landmass of Europe. This definition is relative, with no clear limits. The Alps and Massif Central mountains constitute a physical barrier between Italy and France and the rest of Europe. Countries geographically considered part of Southern Europe include:
Dutch Electronic Dictionary
