Southern Europe is the name given to the region of Europe that consists of the southern peninsulas of the continent. The Iberian Peninsula, comprising of Spain and Portugal, the Apennine peninsula, which is the peninsula of Italy, and the Balkan Peninsula, with several smaller countries.
The Iberian Peninsula is nested between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, separated form Africa by the Strait of Gibraltar. Europe's westernmost and southernmost extreme points can both be found on the Iberian Peninsula. Spain is taking up around 85% of the peninsula's are, the remaining 15% is Portugal's land.
The Italian Peninsula is the center of the three large peninsulas, lying in the center of the Mediterranean Sea. Almost the entire territory of the peninsula is taken by Italy, with only 2 micro states sharing it, San Marino and Vatican City.
The easternmost peninsula of the Southern Europe map is called the Balkan Peninsula. It is shared by Greece, Albania, and the states of former Yugoslavia: Slovenia at the southeastern slopes of the Alps, Croatia on the Adriatic coastline, Bosnia between Croatia and Serbia, Serbia, and the small countries of Kosovo, Montenegro and Macedonia. The remaining countries of the peninsula, Bulgaria, Romania are often regarded as being part of Eastern Europe rather than southern Europe.
