Editing Regions of Europe (section)

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{{About|groups of sovereign countries|regions and non-sovereign countries within the European Union|Region (Europe)}}
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[[Europe]] is often divided into regions and subregions based on geographical, cultural or historical factors. Since there is no universal agreement on Europe's regional composition, the placement of individual countries may vary based on criteria being used. For instance, the [[Balkans]] is a distinct geographical region within Europe, but individual countries may alternatively be grouped into [[Southeast Europe|Southeastern]], [[Southern Europe|Southern]], [[Central Europe|Central]] and [[Eastern Europe]].

Regional affiliation of countries may also evolve over time. [[Malta (island)|Malta]] was considered an island of [[North Africa]] for centuries,<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Falconer |first1=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B3Q29kWRdtgC&pg=PA50 |title=Dissertation on St. Paul's Voyage |last2=Falconer |first2=Thomas |date=1872 |publisher=BiblioLife |isbn=978-1-113-68809-5 |page=50 |access-date=23 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327020614/https://books.google.com/books?id=B3Q29kWRdtgC&pg=PA50 |archive-date=27 March 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> but is now considered a part of Southern Europe.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chapman |first1=David |last2=Cassar |first2=Godwin |date=October 2004 |title=Valletta |journal=Cities |volume=21 |issue=5 |pages=451–463 |doi=10.1016/j.cities.2004.07.001}}</ref> The exact placement of the [[Caucasus]] has also varied since classical antiquity<ref>''[[Histories (Herodotus)|Histories]]'' 4.38. Cf. James Rennell, ''The geographical system of Herodotus examined and explained'', Volume 1, Rivington 1830, [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_enQ-AAAAcAAJ/page/n274 p. 244]</ref> and is now regarded by many as a distinct region within or partly in Europe.<ref>[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]”, [https://www.britannica.com/place/Caucasus Caucasus], June 2021: “another scheme identifies the Aras River and the Turkish border as the line of continental demarcation, thereby locating Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in Europe.”</ref> [[Greenland]], and partially [[Iceland]], is geographically a part of [[North America]] but has been politically and culturally influenced by Northern European countries for more than a millennium.<ref>Dale Mackenzie Brown. [http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/greenland/ "The Fate of Greenland's Vikings"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111090459/http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/greenland/}}. ''Archaeological Institute of America'': 28 February 2000</ref> As such, several regions are often included as belonging to a [[Greater Europe]], including [[Anatolia]], [[Cyprus]], the [[South Caucasus]], [[Siberia]], [[regions of Kazakhstan|Asian Kazakhstan]] (the part of [[Kazakhstan]] located east of [[European Kazakhstan]]), [[Greenland]], as well as the [[special territories of members of the European Economic Area|overseas territories of EU member states]].