Atlantic Europe encompasses the western portion of Europe which borders the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
. The term may refer to the idea of Atlantic Europe as a cultural unit and/or as a
biogeographical region
A biogeographic realm is the broadest biogeographic division of Earth's land surface, based on distributional patterns of terrestrial organisms. They are subdivided into bioregions, which are further subdivided into ecoregions.
A biogeograp ...
.
It comprises the
British Isles
The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...
(
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
and
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
),
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, the central and northern regions of
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, northwestern and northern
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
(including
Galicia,
Asturias
Asturias (; ; ) officially the Principality of Asturias, is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwest Spain.
It is coextensive with the provinces of Spain, province of Asturias and contains some of the territory t ...
,
Cantabria
Cantabria (, ; ) is an autonomous community and Provinces of Spain, province in northern Spain with Santander, Cantabria, Santander as its capital city. It is called a , a Nationalities and regions of Spain, historic community, in its current ...
,
Southern Basque Country
The Southern Basque Country (; ) refers to the Basque territories southside of the Pyrenees, within the Iberian Peninsula.
Name
In Basque language, known as '' Euskera'', natives have referred to the Basque districts as ''Euskal Herria(k)''.
...
, and some portions of
Castile and León
Castile and León is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwestern Spain. Castile and León is the largest autonomous community in Spain by area, covering 94,222 km2. It is, however, sparsely populated, with a pop ...
), the southwestern and western portion of
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
(
Northern Basque Country
The French Basque Country (; ; ), or Northern Basque Country (, or , ), is a region lying on the west of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Since 1 January 2017, it constitutes the Basque Municipal Community (; ) presided o ...
), western
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
as well as western and northern
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
.
Weather and overall physical conditions are relatively similar along this area (with the exception of parts of Scandinavia and the
Baltic
Baltic may refer to:
Peoples and languages
*Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian
*Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...
), resulting in similar landscapes with common
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
plant and animal species. From a strictly physical point of view most of the Atlantic European shoreline can be considered a single
biogeographical region
A biogeographic realm is the broadest biogeographic division of Earth's land surface, based on distributional patterns of terrestrial organisms. They are subdivided into bioregions, which are further subdivided into ecoregions.
A biogeograp ...
.
Physical geographers label this biogeographical area as the ''European Atlantic Domain'', part of the
Euro-Siberian botanic region.
Culture
Origins
The
Atlantic Bronze Age is a cultural complex of the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
period of approximately 1300–700 BC, that marked the economic and cultural exchange between the current territories of
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
,
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
and
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
. During this time, tin from throughout Atlantic Europe was traded in the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
. Via the
Bell Beaker culture, Atlantic and Central Europe were in close cultural contact from at least the mid 3rd millennium BC, contributing to what would emerge as the
Celtic culture of the West/Central European
Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
.
Archaeologists have noted that the prehistoric peoples of Atlantic Europe presented common traits, as shown by
artifacts, artistic and architectural styles found in the region which attest to at least some form of
trade
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market.
Traders generally negotiate through a medium of cr ...
and/or cultural link. In addition, a number of genetic studies seem to interrelate specific groups of population in parts of Atlantic Europe in contrast with, for example, Central or
Mediterranean Europe.
Some examples of early cultural contact are the
European Megalithic Culture and the
Atlantic Bronze Age, or "
carp's tongue sword complex". This refers to an industry mainly based on the west coast of France and
Brittany
Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
but which clearly had links with societies in
Iberia
The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, compri ...
and
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales
* The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...
, as evidenced by products such as the
carp's tongue sword and the
end winged axe, which were widely bought and sold along the routes of the Atlantic seaways.
Atlantic Europe is also a term often used in reference to the territory occupied by the
Celtic-speaking peoples and Celtic influenced people of western Europe.
Culture at present
A number of authors have postulated that there still is a cultural continuum in Atlantic Europe, forming a cultural unit which has its roots in prehistoric times but remained until today mostly thanks to sea trade.
Geographer
A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...
s also mention the influence of the natural environment in the construction of a similar
cultural landscape along the western European coasts.
Some of the first geographers to consider this idea of Atlantic Europe were
Otero Pedrayo and
Orlando Ribeiro. Pedrayo stated in his studies about
Galicia that this territory was marked by a strong "Atlantic character", not Mediterranean, despite being part of a
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
often perceived as Mediterranean (
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
). On the other hand, while researching about his native
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, Ribeiro deepened the concepts of Atlantic Europe and Mediterranean Europe, linking southern Portugal more towards the Mediterranean culture and central and northern Portugal (together with Galicia and Asturias) to a pan-Atlantic European culture.
This idea would be further developed from the 1950s onwards by authors such as P. Flatrès,
Emyr Estyn Evans
Emyr Estyn Evans CBE (29 May 1905 – 12 August 1989) was a Welsh geographer and archaeologist, whose primary field of interest was the Irish neolithic.
Early life
He was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, the son of a Welsh Presbyterian minis ...
, A. Bouhier, Meynier, J. García Fernández,
Patrick O'Flanagan,
Richard Bradley,
Barry Cunliffe
Sir Barrington Windsor Cunliffe (born 10 December 1939), usually known as Sir Barry Cunliffe, is a British archaeologist and academic. He was Professor of European Archaeology at the University of Oxford from 1972 to 2007. Since 2007, he has been ...
,
Carlos Ferrás Sexto and
Xoán Paredes, among others.
O'Flanagan, based on the theories of Pedrayo and Ribeiro, states that Atlantic Europe is a cultural reality that stretches along the coastal fringe of Europe, from Norway to South-Central Portugal (roughly down to the
Santarém area), and including Britain and Ireland. With this in mind, Paredes affirms that there exists a cultural landscape common to Atlantic (namely Celtic) Europe, mainly based on the settlement pattern, use and shared perception of the
lived space, thus evidencing in itself a social and cultural internal cohesion and continuity.
Bob Quinn in his documentary series
''Atlantean'' speculates that western European
Celtic culture is actually an earlier, pre-Celtic, Atlantic culture that included Atlantic Europe and people of the
Maghreb
The Maghreb (; ), also known as the Arab Maghreb () and Northwest Africa, is the western part of the Arab world. The region comprises western and central North Africa, including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Maghreb al ...
such as
Berbers
Berbers, or the Berber peoples, also known as Amazigh or Imazighen, are a diverse grouping of distinct ethnic groups indigenous to North Africa who predate the arrival of Arab migrations to the Maghreb, Arabs in the Maghreb. Their main connec ...
and that it continues today.
Atlantic Europe in politics
There is a multi-national association of regions, which acts as a co-ordinator of Atlantic European regions and its interests. This is the ''Atlantic Arc Commission''. Operative since 1989, it includes 26 regions from four member States - Great Britain, France, Spain and Portugal. The Atlantic Arc Commission is one of the seven ''Geographical Commissions in the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe''.
Genetics
The genetic link between the various Atlantic population is still under discussion. On the one hand, some studies show that modern and Iron Age British and Irish samples cluster genetically very closely with other North European populations, and not to southern Atlantic Europeans in Spain and France. However, as the authors acknowledge, the sample used is unlikely to include many members of smaller genetically isolated populations that exist within countries. On the other hand, an article published in the ''American Journal of Genetics'' indicates – after including samples from different regions within European countries – a shared ancestry throughout the Atlantic zone, from northwest Iberia (Galicia) to western Scandinavia, that dates back to end of the last Ice Age.
See also
*
Atlantic Biogeographic Region
*
Atlantic Modal Haplotype
*
Celts
The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...
and
Norsemen
The Norsemen (or Northmen) were a cultural group in the Early Middle Ages, originating among speakers of Old Norse in Scandinavia. During the late eighth century, Scandinavians embarked on a Viking expansion, large-scale expansion in all direc ...
*
Haplogroup R1b (Y-DNA)
Haplogroup R1b (R-M343), previously known as Hg1 and Eu18, is a Human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup, human Y-chromosome haplogroup.
It is the most frequently occurring paternal lineage in Western Europe, as well as some parts of Russia (e.g. the ...
*
Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...
*
Paleolithic continuity theory
*
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's extent varies depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...
Notes
Sources
*
References
*
Orlando Ribeiro, ''Portugal o Mediterrâneo e o Atlântico'', Lisboa, 1945.
*
Emyr Estyn Evans
Emyr Estyn Evans CBE (29 May 1905 – 12 August 1989) was a Welsh geographer and archaeologist, whose primary field of interest was the Irish neolithic.
Early life
He was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, the son of a Welsh Presbyterian minis ...
, ''The Atlantic Ends of Europe'', Advancety Offsiders, London, 1958.
* H.N. Savory, "Serpentiforms in Megalithic art: a link between Wales and the Iberian NW", in ''Cadernos de Estudos Galegos'' no. 84, p. 80-89, Santiago de Compostela, 1973.
*
Patrick O'Flanagan, "La Europa Atlántica: Pasado y presente. Una revisión del concepto y de la realidad'", in proceedings of ''Congreso Internacional: A periferia Atlántica de Europa: o desenvolvemento e os problemas socioculturais'', Universidade de Santiago Compostela, 1992.
* Patrick O'Flanagan, "Galicia en el marco geográfico e histórico de la Europa Atlántica", in ''Xeográfica'' no. 1, p. 115-133, 2001.
*
Barry Cunliffe
Sir Barrington Windsor Cunliffe (born 10 December 1939), usually known as Sir Barry Cunliffe, is a British archaeologist and academic. He was Professor of European Archaeology at the University of Oxford from 1972 to 2007. Since 2007, he has been ...
, ''Facing the Ocean: The Atlantic and Its Peoples, 8000 BC to AD 1500'',
OUP
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 2001.
*
Francesco Benozzo and
Mario Alinei
Mario Alinei (10 August 1926 – 9 August 2018) was an Italian linguist and professor emeritus at the University of Utrecht, where he taught from 1959 to 1987. He was founder and editor of ''Quaderni di semantica'', a journal of theoretical and a ...
, "A área galega na prehistoria lingüística e cultural de Europa", in ''A Trabe de Ouro'', no. 71, p. 13-39, Santiago de Compostela, 2007.
* Barry Cunliffe. and
John T. Koch, ''Celtic from the West: Alternative Perspectives from Archaeology, Genetics, Language and Literature'', Oxbow books, 2012.
*
Xoán M. Paredes, "A utilidade do celtismo. Celticidade galaica no S.XXI", in proceedings of ''Jornadas das Letras Galego-Portuguesas, 2012-2014'', DTS and SAGA, p. 175-190, 2015.
External links
Haplogroup R1b distribution mapMacdonald's Haplogroup mapMonuments in Atlantic EuropeAtlantic Arc Commission- The European organisation for governmental and economical cooperation of the regions of Atlantic Europe
Conference of Cities of the Atlantic Arc
{{coord, 48.0000, N, 2.0000, W, source:wikidata, display=title
Genetic history of Europe
Geography of Europe
Atlantic Ocean