thumb|upright=1.25|The geographical and ethno-cultural borders of southern Europe are the [[Pyrenees, the Alps, and the Balkan Mountains to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.]]

Southern Europe is a loosely defined region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Southern Europe is focused on the three peninsulas located in the extreme south of the European continent. These are the Iberian Peninsula, the Italian Peninsula, and the Balkan Peninsula. These peninsulas are separated from the rest of Europe by towering mountain ranges, respectively by the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Balkan Mountains. The location of these three peninsulas in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, as well as their mountainous reliefs, provide them with very different types of climates (mainly subtropical Mediterranean) from the rest of the continent. Moreover, these mountains have acted as a barrier to population movement and cultural exchange, rendering both the climate and cultures distinct from those of the rest of Europe.

Different other methods<!--than physical geography--> can be used to define southern Europe, including its political, economic, historical, and cultural attributes. Culturally, Southern Europe is predominantly Romance-speaking and Roman Catholic. Politically, nine of the southern European countries form the EU Med Group. Southern Europe also loosely corresponds to the European part of the Mediterranean Basin.

Southern Europe has been shaped by a long and complex history rooted in the Mediterranean world. Early civilizations such as the Phoenicians established extensive trade networks that linked the region’s coasts and islands. Ancient Greece and Rome later integrated much of Southern Europe into a shared classical framework constituting the base of European civilization. During the Middle Ages, Southern Europe experienced centuries of political fragmentation and external invasions. The Renaissance and the Age of Discovery expanded Southern Europe’s influence and global connections, in particular to Latin America. From the late modern period onward, however, Southern Europe generally lagged behind northern Europe in industrialization and economic development, remaining more agrarian and subject to political instability. This gap persisted into the 20th century, despite later industrial growth and modernization driven by state intervention and European integration.

Geography

Geographically, southern Europe is the southern portion of the European continent. This definition is relative, although largely based on history, culture, climate, and flora, which is shared across the region. Southern Europe is primarily shaped by the Mediterranean Sea, while also encompassing territories bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Black Sea to the east, as well as inland regions, often mountainous in character. Southern Europe can be subdivided into three geographically separate subregions:

  • The westernmost region (Southwest Europe), which consists mainly of the Iberian Peninsula, separated from the rest of Europe by the Pyrenees, a mountain range forming a nearly straight line from the Atlantic Ocean to the western Mediterranean Sea. It also consists of the Balearic Islands. The region is shared by five countries:
  • Andorra
  • Portugal (mainland)
  • Spain (mainland and Balearic Islands)
  • Part of France: Cerdagne in the Pyrénées-Orientales
  • Part of the United Kingdom: Gibraltar
  • The most central region, which consists mainly of the Italian Peninsula,Italic Peninsula,