Hey everybody, Brian here, and welcome back to Southwestern Europe. If you've already
watched our introduction to this region in, Southwest Europe: physical characteristics,
hopefully we've whetted your appetite to learn more about the culture of this magnificent
corner of the world. And speaking of appetite, perhaps you'll want to enjoy a French croissant,
an Italian cannoli, or Portuguese pastel de nata while you watch. Now if you've run out
of these tasty treats I guess you'll just have to grab your passport, pack a bag,
and fly over to enjoy them with us here. As you may recall Southwestern Europe consists of France,
Andorra, Spain, Portugal, Monaco, Italy, San Marino, Vatican City,
and Malta. Our objective today will be to analyze the people and culture of these nations
including population, statistics, ethnicity, religion, language, government, and economics.
The population. Let's start by discussing the population of this region. At a density of
nearly 340 people per square mile, it's about as packed as a seafood restaurant on the Amalfi coast
in July. By comparison, the world's population density is 129 people per square mile of land.
France, Italy, and Spain rank 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively in the European Union for population.
Add Portugal, and these 4 countries contain nearly all of the just over 183 million people who live
in the region. For our lesson, let's call these countries the core 4. On the other hand,
tiny Malta, Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, and Vatican City have fewer than one million people
combined. Over 80% of the population lives in an urban area in many of these countries.
Compare that to the world's average of 56% and you'll see that the Southwestern Europeans don't
mind getting cozy with each other. And you've likely heard of some of these world-famous cities.
Maybe you'd like to enjoy a croissant while gazing at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or perhaps
you prefer taking in some flamenco in Madrid, or you can take a historical tour of Rome and see
the Parthenon, The Forum, and the Colosseum. Yes, the cities of Southwestern Europe have so
much culture and history to offer. However, you may find the area a bit less crowded as
years go by. The population in this region is projected to decline significantly by the
year 2050. The death rate is outpacing the birth rate and the cost of living in these countries is
fairly high compared to the income so people are postponing marriage and having fewer children.
Additionally, many are leaving for economic opportunities elsewhere. While these cities are
cultural hubs there is greater earning potential elsewhere in Europe. But, we'll get to the economy
later. Those who do stay in southwestern Europe have plenty of time to enjoy it. The region has
some of the longer life expectancies of the world. People in Italy and Spain enjoy nearly
84 years of life compared with 79 years in the U.S. Apparently pasta and paella do the body good.
Politics and economy. Each of the core 4 countries are part of the European Union and all of the
countries in the southwestern region rate highly on world measurements of political freedom.
This means that in general, their citizens are not denied basic human rights and they
are able to participate in the democratic process. The GDP in Southwestern Europe is
high compared to the world's average but lags behind the northern countries in western Europe.
On average, all of western Europe's GDP per capita was $39,770 US dollars in 2019. Each of the core 4
fell below this average. While there is a GDP per capita gap between northern and southern Europe,
there is a similar gap even within Southern European countries. Northern Italy, led by the
city of Milan, is industrial powerhouse and center of fashion design. In 2016 northern Italy's GDP
per capita was about $38,000 US dollars compared to $20,000 US dollars in agrarian Southern Italy.
Spain experiences a similar phenomenon between its industrial north near Madrid and its rural south.
Among the large southern European countries, France has the strongest economy,
powered by telecommunications, shipbuilding, and aerospace engineering. But when you think about
Southwestern Europe? You're likely not dreaming about France's robust telecommunications industry
or Madrid's industrial plants. You want to enjoy the endless beaches, delicious food,
and the rich culture of the area; and you're not alone. Millions of people each year contribute
to the tourism economy of these countries. In 2019 France, Spain, and Italy placed 1st, 2nd,
and 5th in the world respectively for total visitors. These travelers spend many, euros, on
fine champagne, yamon, and lasagna and that money flows right into the economies of these countries.
There are many reasons to visit Southwestern Europe so let's see what else this region has to
offer in terms of culture. Culture. Stained glass windows, high vaulted ceilings, flying buttresses,
where are you? If you guessed an old European church or cathedral, you guessed right. Big
city to small village, a church is right there in the center of nearly every town.
Religion. And there's a reason for that. The region has overwhelmingly been devoted to
the Roman Catholic faith for centuries. In 380 CE, the Roman Empire made Catholicism,
which is the largest branch of Christianity, the official religion of the empire. Since then,
many of these lands have remained predominantly Catholic. Oh, and since I knew you were wondering,
no, flying buttresses do not actually fly. Despite this common Catholic thread,
religious devotion varies by country. 70% of Italians and Portuguese consider
religion an important part of their daily lives; compared to only 30% of the French.
Language. Speaking of French, if you've ever heard French spoken aloud, you might think
that it's a language of romance: a picnic blanket, a bottle of wine, the Eiffel Tower,
an accordion player somewhere off in the distance, je t'adore moi j'aime. You may
be surprised to find out that nearly all of the languages of this region are based on romance,
but not the Eiffel Tower picnic blanket kind. The languages of the area are called romance languages
because they're derived from Latin. The language of the Roman Empire. Roman - romance,
see the connection? Examples of romance languages include Italian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Now let's tie this all back together to our discussion about religion.
For many years Latin was the only language spoken at Roman Catholic functions,
so it makes sense that these Catholic Countries would have languages that come from Latin.
Additionally, over half of the people in Southwestern Europe can also speak conversational
English. In general, Europeans consider language learning to be important, so it's only polite to
return the favor by learning some basic phrases of the local language. While there are small
variations in regional and local culture, most countries populations are ethnically homogenous.
Often this means that a person's ethnicity matches their nationality. Over 90% of people
in Italy are ethnic Italians for example. There is however, quite a bit of diversity within the
Spaniard population. Regional groups such as the Asturian, Catalan, Basque, and Galician live in
Spain. Some Basque and the Catalan have supported independence movements for their land; and if you
visit, you will encounter different languages, culture, and cuisine in each of these regions.
Cuisine. Speaking of cuisine, well, there's one particular cultural contribution from
Southwestern Europe that many people hold near and dear to their hearts,
and stomachs; and that's food. In Italy there's a good chance that you'll need to loosen the belt
a bit because you'll be eating and eating and eating. Pasta, pizza, seafood, keep it coming.
There's a reason why Italian cuisine has been voted by Americans as their favorite foreign food.
Additionally, the 3 top wine-producing countries in the world are located
in Southwestern Europe: Italy, France, and Spain, cin-cin, alla nostra, saluti.
These lands are also known for their tradition of artistic expression. The Italian Renaissance
Era was fueled by inventors and artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo,
and their work is visited by millions to this day, particularly in the city of Florence. If you want
to see Da Vinci's most famous creation however, you'll need to go to France. In the Louvre,
in Paris, you can see the Mona Lisa. likely from a distance, and standing on your tippy-toes
to try and get a photo over the sea of people crowding around this surprisingly small painting.
Now if crowds aren't your thing, don't worry! There are many other museums in Paris. They
feature masterpieces from French artists such as Claude Monet, August Renoir, and Paul Cezanne.
Architecture. Southwestern Europe is also home to numerous architectural wonders
such as Antoni Gaudi Sagrada Familia in Barcelona,
Gustav Eiffel's eponymous tower in Paris, and the enduring symbol of the Roman Empire,
the massive Colosseum. Many of these marvels have a variety of cultural influences.
For instance, if you travel to southern Spain you can see the magnificent Alhambra,
built during the Muslim occupation in the 13th century, this enormous palace features intricate
geometric patterned designs. Yes, the culture of southwestern Europe is renowned the world over.
There's a reason why there's a seemingly endless stream of tourists flocking to this relatively
small corner of the globe. You could spend a lifetime visiting the coastal villages,
the art museums, and the world-class restaurants of the area. But for now, this brings our
adventure to a close. Did you get through your croissants, or maybe 2 or 3? I hope you enjoyed.
Merci, grazie, and muchos gracias for joining our lesson today. And until next time, keep exploring!