EUROPE Landscapes for living!

Europe is a region of outstanding landscapes, from steep mountain slopes to flat coastal plains, from icy glaciers to fiery volcanoes, from misty peatlands to scorching sands. Europeans enjoy an amazing diversity of landscapes that support the fullest range of human activities - truly landscapes for living!

With Ireland holding the European Union presidency at the time of its welcoming of ten new member states to its ranks (May 2004), we decided then that it would be nice to reflect on these landscapes, whether barren or fertile, occupied or isolated, that form a common heritage for all the people of Europe.

We invite you to explore some of these European landscapes. We hope you will enjoy them and find them inspiring.

GSI managed this project with the assistance of its partners in EuroGeoSurveys and FOREGS.

Should you wish to learn more about European landscapes and the opportunities they represent, please use the hot-links to visit the website of any of the family of European geological surveys.

Countries online: Ireland Iceland Andorra Austria France Czech Republic Finland Spain Denmark Bulgaria Belgium Netherlands Sweden Germany Estonia United Kingdom Poland Luxembourg Italy

Minister John Browne launches Landscapes for Living Site in Mount Leinster, Co. Wicklow, with Koen Verbruggen and Sophie Preteseille from GSI.

Acknowledgments Map sources: http://europa.eu.int/comm/publications/maps/index_en.htm http://geography.about.com/ People involved in GSI: Peadar McArdle, Patrick O'Connor, Matthew Parkes, Sophie Preteseille and Koen Verbruggen.