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On this Wikipedia article -- List of countries and dependencies by area -- it appears to show that other than Russia, none of the forty largest countries and dependencies by area are located mostly or completely in Europe (even Turkey, a mostly Asian transcontinental country, is only #37 on this list). What exactly are the reasons for this? I would think that the European balance of power politics which have historically been implemented played at least some role in causing this, since it prevented any one European country (with the exception of Russia) from permanently becoming too large or powerful. Also, I know that Europe is full of ethnic diversity and that its borders (unlike the borders in, say, Africa) are often more-or-less based on the locations of various ethnic groups. Which other reasons exactly am I missing here, though?
Basically because Europe is mountainous and the mountain ranges split it up into small and middle sized units. The major exception, the Great European Plain, is a long strip which would be an awkward shape for an Empire.
The same holds good for the Mideast. The whole area between the Indus and the Atlantic has usually been made up of such states. There has been the occasional Empire, but they are the exceptions that prove the rule. The longest lived ones, the Roman and Ottoman, were based on the Mediterranean, and held the core of the Europe-Mideast area for several centuries each, but the region is simply too big for any power to hold more than a portion of it for any length of time.
The converse situation prevails in India and China. There, the mountain barriers hive off entire "sub-continents" so that Empires covering those whole regions are far more common. Further west, you get the odd Empire at one end or the other, or in the centre, but always leaving a lot out.
it's because the most prevalent form of transportation
was walking. separate ethnicities, languages, characteristics
developed within mere leagues of each other.
The real reasons European countries are small is because they were based upon tribal groupings that developed into kingdoms and principalities. All one has to do is view the subdivisions of each nation to see their origins.
Spain = 14 basic divisions
Germany = 16 different divisions
Italy = 20 different divisions
And so it goes. Wikipedia will give you good general background on any European nation and its divisions with extensive background. Read that and your question will be answered.
Ukraine 603,500 0.41% Europe, Eastern Largest all-European country,
Maybe true question is - how did Russia come to be so large?
The only way I can see your question possibly answered, as there is no answer to it, as it is historically incorrect one, is to look at ENTIRE history of that part of the world.
HISTORICALLY, not as of the last so many years, there have been VERY large countries in Europe. Galician Dukeship; Poland; France; Roman Empire, for that sake. Austro-Hungary.
But the problem with them is - they were always conglomerates. Europe is saturated in huge number of small ethnicities and nationalities. Most of them strive for independence, so the very moment the Big Master falls, they all fall apart like cards house. Look at Yugoslavia. Artificially created, fell apart as soon as the hand, holding it together, passed away.
Also, this territory has historically been a playground to forces, that really run the world. It is much much easier to run small countries, than manage one large fella, Russian Bear being a best example. Many tried and no one managed. Remeber, DIVIDE ET IMPERA!
On the other hand, if you look at Russian expansion, they expanded pretty much into barren land. Population density in some eastern and northern parts of Russia runs in tenths of a person per 100 km sq. Who's gonna separate and go independent? And for what good reason - to be eaten by wild game, killed by cold, or picked by well wishing American liberators? Besides, a lot of that scarcely populated land is manned by Slavs, or hard ball old faith Christians, known as Raskolniki. They are fiercely patriotic and Mother Russia is godlike country for them. Also, for other folks, like mongoloids of Kazkhstan, or Turkmens, etc, it is much safer to stick with Russians, than get under crazed Muslims of Afghanistan or Iran.
So truly, kilt of European countries is a never ending change and to take a still picture of it and say - why this is what it is, is historically incorrect. It changed before, it will change again. It all goes only as The City decides.
Ethnic and religious differences. Also Europe is very densely populated, so they could afford to have such small countries because even in such small spaces they have high amount of people
With a few exceptions, European countries pretty well conform to language groups. Those evolved over many centuries before the modern national boundaries were drawn, and the present boundaries remain pretty durable because they separate cultures who speak different languages.
If you went back several centuries and drew lines on a map showing linguistic groups, they would look quite a lot like a modern map of Europe, and once monarchies and their wars ceased to exist, the linguisge-based borders have solidified.
It is surprising now often an appeal to linguistics can lead one toward an answer to a lot of historical questions.
I think you've forgotten migratory moves caused by either climate changes or pressures from other civilizations. For example, when the Mongols invaded eastern Europe, many tribes fled to the west and intermingled with those already there.
I think one of the most amazing books ever written on the subject is The History of the English-Speaking Peoples by Sir Winston Churchill. It may sound dry but, when I read it 40+ years ago, it was quite interesting and very well written.
After the World Wars especially, it appears that Europe's countries are aligned roughly with ethnic groups.
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