Eastern Europe
Geographically the Ural Mountain range is the physical border on the eastern edge of Europe. The western boundary of the region is less well defined, however, ten countries are generally considered to make up the region. These are Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine.
Dominant physical features of the region are the Carpathian, Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the extensive North European Plain and the Black Sea which provides important shipping links to Southern Europe.
Eastern Europe is home to many of Europe’s extremes. The longest river, the Volga (3688 kilometres), flows into the Caspian Sea, the highest peak, El’brus is located in the Caucasus Mountains and the lowest point lies on the Caspian Sea coast. Rich in cultural heritage, the region boasts some of the world's most picturesque and vibrant towns and cities.