Southern Europe - Southern European Countries and Capitals

Written and fact-checked by | Last Updated: January 18, 2025, 12:30 ET

Southern Europe is the southern region of Europe. Also known as Mediterranean Europe, comprises fifteen countries; Albania, Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Gibraltar, Greece, Holy See (The Vatican), Italy, Malta, Montenegro, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

List of Southern European Countries and Capitals

List of Southern European countries and their capitals along with area, population and language details. Southern European countries are Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia etc.

CountryCapitalArea (sq miles)Population (2025 est.)Official LanguageCountry CodeLat long
AlbaniaTirana11,1002.75 millionAlbanian35541.0000° N, 20.0000° E
AndorraAndorra la Vella180.780,000Catalan37642.5583° N, 1.5553° E
Bosnia and HerzegovinaSarajevo19,7413.20 millionBosnian, Croatian, Serbian38744.0000° N, 18.0000° E
CroatiaZagreb21,8513.85 millionCroatian38545.2500° N, 15.4667° E
GibraltarGibraltar2.634,000English35036.1430° N, 5.3530° W
GreeceAthens50,94210.20 millionGreek3039.0000° N, 22.0000° E
Holy See (Vatican City)Vatican City0.17800Italian, Latin37941.9040° N, 12.4530° E
ItalyRome116,30558.90 millionItalian3943.0000° N, 12.0000° E
MaltaValletta122563,000Maltese, English35635.8833° N, 14.5000° E
MontenegroPodgorica5,333620,000Montenegrin38242.7667° N, 19.2167° E
PortugalLisbon35,51610.30 millionPortuguese35138.7000° N, 9.1833° W
San MarinoSan Marino23.6334,000Italian37843.9333° N, 12.4667° E
SerbiaBelgrade34,1166.60 millionSerbian38143.8167° N, 21.1333° E
SloveniaLjubljana7,8272.12 millionSlovenian38646.1500° N, 15.0500° E
SpainMadrid195,36448.00 millionSpanish3440.4169° N, 3.7036° W
North MacedoniaSkopje9,9282.05 millionMacedonian38941.6000° N, 21.7000° E
Sources: United Nations DESA (2024–2025 est.), National statistics, World Bank.

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Southern Europe Countries

The southern part of Europe is known as southern Europe. As the Mediterranean Sea largely defines its geography, it is sometimes referred to as Mediterranean Europe. Some or all of the following nations and areas are included in definitions of Southern Europe viz Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Turkey, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Southern France, Spain, and Vatican City. The three peninsulas that make up southern Europe are its central focus. They are situated in the very south of the European continent. The Balkan Peninsula, the Apennine Peninsula, and the Iberian Peninsula fall within this category. The Pyrenees, the Alps, and the Balkan Mountains are each a vast mountain range that separates these three peninsulas from the rest of Europe.

Two of the most significant civilizations originated from Southern European Countries. One of history's most technologically and culturally advanced cultures was ancient Greece. All current European alphabets can be traced back to its alphabet. On the other hand, ancient Rome had a profound influence on Western conceptions of the military, the state, and the law. Modern Western judicial systems are built on the laws and court systems of this region.

The three largest Southern European Countries are Spain, Italy and Greece. Spain stands in the first position in terms of area with 505,370 square kilometres. Italy is in second position and Greece is in third position with 301,340 and 131,957 square kilometres respectively. The three smallest Southern European Countries by area are Vatican City, San Marino and Malta.

The three most populated Southern European Countries are Italy, Spain and Grace. Italy ranks first in terms of population with 60,297,400. Spain with the population of 47, 076,78 is in second position and Greece is in the third position with 10,716,320. The least populated Southern European Country is Vatican City.

Southern Europe Facts

RegionSouthern Europe
ContinentEurope
UN ClassificationDefined by the United Nations Statistics Division
Countries Included Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Vatican City
Number of Countries15
Total Population (2025 est.)155–160 million
Total Area1.31 million km²
Most Populous CountryItaly
Largest Country by AreaSpain
Smallest CountryVatican City
Major Cities Rome, Madrid, Milan, Barcelona, Lisbon, Athens, Naples, Valencia
Capital Cities Tirana, Andorra la Vella, Sarajevo, Zagreb, Athens, Rome, Valletta, Podgorica, Skopje, Lisbon, San Marino, Belgrade, Ljubljana, Madrid, Vatican City
Major Languages Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Serbo-Croatian, Albanian
Major Religions Christianity (Catholicism and Orthodoxy), Islam
Climate Mediterranean, temperate, alpine (mountain regions)
Economic Profile Tourism-driven economies, agriculture, manufacturing, services
Geographic Features Mediterranean coastline, Alps, Apennines, Balkan Mountains, islands
Famous For Mediterranean lifestyle, cuisine, ancient history, beaches, architecture
Time ZonesUTC+0 to UTC+2
Internet TLD.eu