THE CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND POLITICAL-CULTURAL FRAMEWORKS

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to examine why Europe has historically and continues to be recognized as a separate continent despite constituting the western part of the Eurasian landmass from a geological and physical perspective. The article systematically analyzes the role of physical-geographical factors, including tectonic structure, water resources, and climatic characteristics, alongside historical, political, religious, and cultural influences in shaping the concept of "Europe."

The study covers a broad historical trajectory, ranging from ancient Greek cartography and the expansionist policies of the Roman Empire to the Great Schism of 1054, the emergence of the concept of "Eastern Europe" during the Enlightenment, and the geopolitical structure of the contemporary European Union. Particular attention is devoted to the acceptance of the Ural Mountains as the boundary between Europe and Asia and its relationship with the modernization policies of the Russian Empire (Bassin, 1991). Furthermore, the study analyzes the reassessment of Europe's eastern boundaries in the context of the conflict in Ukraine and the geopolitical transformations in the South Caucasus, as well as the changing nature of the intangible boundaries separating the concepts of the "East" and the "West."q