▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea , ▁which ▁also ▁separ ates ▁Europe ▁from ▁Africa . ▁East ward , ▁main land ▁Europe ▁wid ens ▁much ▁like ▁the ▁mouth ▁of ▁a ▁fun nel , ▁until ▁the ▁boundary ▁with ▁Asia ▁is ▁reached ▁at ▁the ▁U ral ▁Mountains ▁and ▁U ral ▁River , ▁the ▁C asp ian ▁Sea , ▁and ▁the ▁C au cas us ▁Mountains . ▁ ▁Land ▁relief ▁in ▁Europe ▁shows ▁great ▁variation ▁within ▁relatively ▁small ▁areas . ▁The ▁southern ▁regions ▁are ▁mountain ous ▁while ▁moving ▁north ▁the ▁terrain ▁desc ends ▁from ▁the ▁high ▁Al ps , ▁Py ren ees , ▁and ▁Car path ians , ▁through ▁h illy ▁u pl ands , ▁into ▁broad , ▁low ▁northern ▁pla ins , ▁which ▁are ▁vast ▁in ▁the ▁east . ▁An ▁arc ▁of ▁u pl ands ▁also ▁exists ▁along ▁the ▁north western ▁se ab o ard , ▁beginning ▁in ▁south western ▁Ireland , ▁continu ing ▁across ▁through ▁western ▁and ▁northern ▁Great ▁Britain , ▁and ▁up ▁along ▁the ▁mountain ous , ▁f j ord - cut ▁sp ine ▁of ▁Norway . ▁ ▁This ▁description ▁is ▁simplified . ▁Sub - reg ions ▁such ▁as ▁I ber ia ▁and ▁Italy ▁contain ▁their ▁own ▁complex ▁features , ▁as ▁does ▁main land ▁Europe ▁itself , ▁where ▁the ▁relief ▁contains ▁many ▁plate aus , ▁river ▁valle ys , ▁and ▁bas ins ▁that ▁comp licate ▁the ▁general ▁tr end . ▁I cel and ▁and ▁the ▁British ▁Is les ▁are ▁special ▁cases . ▁The ▁former ▁is ▁of ▁North ▁Atlantic ▁vol can ic ▁formation , ▁while ▁the ▁latter