![Centre of Europe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Centre_of_Europe.jpg)
The location of the
geographical centre
In geography, the centroid of the two-dimensional shape of a region of the Earth's surface (projected radially to sea level or onto a geoid surface) is known as its geographic centre or geographical centre or (less commonly) gravitational centre. I ...
of Europe depends on the definition of the borders of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, mainly whether remote islands are included to define the
extreme points of Europe
This is a list of the extreme points of Europe: the geographical points that are higher or farther north, south, east or west than any other location in Europe. Some of these positions are open to debate, as the definition of Europe is diverse.
...
, and on the method of calculating the final result. Thus, several places claim to host this hypothetical centre.
Current claimants
Locations currently vying for the distinction of being the centre of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
include:
* the village of
Kremnické Bane
Kremnické Bane (german: Johannesberg; hu, Jánoshegy) is a village and municipality in Žiar nad Hronom District in the Banská Bystrica Region of central Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovens ...
or the neighbouring village
Krahule
Krahule (german: Blaufuss; hu, Kékellő, until 1890: ) is a village in Žiar nad Hronom District in the Banská Bystrica Region of central Slovakia. It is the only municipality in Slovakia that officially uses German along with Slovak.
History ...
, near
Kremnica
Kremnica (; german: Kremnitz, hu, Körmöcbánya) is a town in central Slovakia. It has around 5,300 inhabitants. The well-preserved medieval town built above important gold mines is the site of the oldest still-working mint in the world.
Name
...
, in central
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
* the small town of
Rakhiv
Rakhiv ( uk, Рахів, ; yi, ראַכעוו, hu, Rahó, ro, Rahău, rue, Рахово; see below) is a city located in Zakarpattia Oblast (province) in western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Rakhiv Raion (district). Population: ...
, or the village of
Dilove
Dilove ( uk, Ділове) is a village located in Rakhiv Raion of Zakarpattia Oblast in Ukraine.
There has been a marble quarry in the village since 1947.
History
Dilove was first mentioned in writing in 1615 and belonged to the Kingdom of H ...
near Rakhiv, in western
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
* the village of
Girija, near
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
, in
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
* a point on the island of
Saaremaa
Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring . The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island and west of Muhu island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago. The capital of the island i ...
in
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
* a point near
Polotsk
Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Distr ...
, or in
Vitebsk
Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest ci ...
, or near
Babruysk
Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 209 ...
, or near lake Sho in
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
* a point near the town of
Tállya
Tállya is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary, 45 kilometres from county seat Miskolc, in the famous Tokaj-Hegyalja wine district.
Geography
Tállya is located at . According to the 2001 Census the village has a total ...
, in north-eastern
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
Extreme points of Europe
History of claims
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
The first official declaration of the Centre of Europe was made in 1775 by the Polish royal astronomer and cartographer
Szymon Antoni Sobiekrajski Szymon is a Polish version of the masculine given name Simon.
Academics
*Szymon Askenazy – a historian and diplomat who served as the first Polish representative at the League of Nations
*Szymon Datner – a Polish-Jewish historian and anti-Nazi ...
, who calculated it to be in the town of
Suchowola
Suchowola (; lt, Suchovola, be, Сухаволя ''Suchavolja'') is a town in north-eastern Poland in Sokółka County, located on both banks of the Olszanka River. It is situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship (since 1999), having previously be ...
near
Białystok
Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area.
Białystok is located in the Białystok Up ...
in modern north-eastern
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
. The method used was that of calculating equal distances from the extreme points of Europe: the westernmost point in Portugal; the easternmost point in the Central Urals; the northernmost point in Norway; and the southernmost point in Greece (islands were not taken into consideration). There is a monument commemorating that definition in Suchowola .
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
Blaufusz, today in
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
![KremnickeBane-stred-europy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/KremnickeBane-stred-europy.jpg)
In about 1815 there was a declaration that the centre of Europe was located near the mining town of
Kremnica
Kremnica (; german: Kremnitz, hu, Körmöcbánya) is a town in central Slovakia. It has around 5,300 inhabitants. The well-preserved medieval town built above important gold mines is the site of the oldest still-working mint in the world.
Name
...
, on a hill that forms the water division between the basins of the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.
The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...
and
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
, near St. John Baptist Church. The method used for calculating is unknown, but from the description given on the commemorative plaque located near the church , it seems that it has been the centre of the smallest circle circumscribed on Europe (yet the limits of Europe taken into consideration are not known). The title of the "Centre of Europe" is also claimed by the neighbouring village
Krahule
Krahule (german: Blaufuss; hu, Kékellő, until 1890: ) is a village in Žiar nad Hronom District in the Banská Bystrica Region of central Slovakia. It is the only municipality in Slovakia that officially uses German along with Slovak.
History ...
(ancient Blaufuß), which used to belong to the same parish, now a famous centre for winter sports, with a hotel and recreation centre called "Stred Európy" ("Centre of Europe").
Transcarpathia
Transcarpathia may refer to:
Place
* relative term, designating any region beyond the Carpathians (lat. ''trans-'' / beyond, over), depending on a point of observation
* Romanian Transcarpathia, designation for Romanian regions on the inner or ...
, today in
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
In 1887, geographers from the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
set up a historical marker and a large stone in what is today a part of Ukraine, believed to mark the geographic centre of Europe. The interpretation of the worn
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
inscription
Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...
on the
monument
A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...
is debated, with some claiming that the marker is merely one of a number of fixed
triangulation
In trigonometry and geometry, triangulation is the process of determining the location of a point by forming triangles to the point from known points.
Applications
In surveying
Specifically in surveying, triangulation involves only angle me ...
points for surveying purposes established around the territory of the former empire. The external borders of Europe taken into account during the calculations are not known. According to the description, the methodology used for the calculation is that of the geometrical middle point of the extreme
latitude
In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pol ...
s and
longitude
Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east–west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek letter l ...
s of Europe, so the stone was located at . However, the actual location of the monument seems rather and not the coordinates to which they relate. This is near the village of
Dilove
Dilove ( uk, Ділове) is a village located in Rakhiv Raion of Zakarpattia Oblast in Ukraine.
There has been a marble quarry in the village since 1947.
History
Dilove was first mentioned in writing in 1615 and belonged to the Kingdom of H ...
located on the
Tisza
The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa, is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. Once, it was called "the most Hungarian river" because it flowed entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national borders.
The Tisza be ...
river, close to the
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
n border, in the county of
Rakhiv
Rakhiv ( uk, Рахів, ; yi, ראַכעוו, hu, Rahó, ro, Rahău, rue, Рахово; see below) is a city located in Zakarpattia Oblast (province) in western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Rakhiv Raion (district). Population: ...
in the
Transcarpathian region.
= Soviet measurements
=
Measurements done after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
by
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
scientists reconfirmed the Austria-Hungarian claim that
Rakhiv
Rakhiv ( uk, Рахів, ; yi, ראַכעוו, hu, Rahó, ro, Rahău, rue, Рахово; see below) is a city located in Zakarpattia Oblast (province) in western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Rakhiv Raion (district). Population: ...
and Dilove to be the geographical centre of Europe. The old marker in the small town was renewed, and a major campaign to convince everyone of its validity was undertaken.
Tillenberg/Dyleň, today in the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
/
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
![Mittelpunkt Europas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Mittelpunkt_Europas.jpg)
Austrian geographers also marked the 939-metre-high
Tillenberg (
Dyleň) near the
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
n city of
Eger/Cheb with a copper plate as the centre of Europe. As the border to Germany/Bavaria runs 100 m west of the mountaintop, the German village of
Bad Neualbenreuth
Bad Neualbenreuth (before September 2019: ''Neualbenreuth'')Bayerischer Rundfunk
Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR; "Bavarian Broadcasting") is a public-service radio and television broadcaster, based in Munich, capital city of the Free State of Bavaria in Germany. BR is a member organization of the ARD consortium of public broadcas ...
journalists asked the Institut für Geographie of the
University of Munich
The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich or LMU; german: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) is a public research university in Munich, Germany. It is Germany's List of universities in Germany, sixth-oldest u ...
to verify the claims. The institute concluded that the centre lies further to the south, in
Hildweinsreuth near
Flossenbürg.
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
In 1988 using
Spherical trigonometry
Spherical trigonometry is the branch of spherical geometry that deals with the metrical relationships between the sides and angles of spherical triangles, traditionally expressed using trigonometric functions. On the sphere, geodesics are gr ...
with the three corners of Europe as
Cabo de São Vincente in the west,
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen (; formerly known as West Spitsbergen; Norwegian: ''Vest Spitsbergen'' or ''Vestspitsbergen'' , also sometimes spelled Spitzbergen) is the largest and the only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norw ...
in the north and
Astrakan in the east, Arne Wennberg calculated
Landskrona
Landskrona (old da, Landskrone) is a town in Scania, Sweden. Located on the shores of the Öresund, it occupies a natural port, which has lent the town at first military and subsequent commercial significance. Ferries operate from Landskrona t ...
as the midpoint of Europe. A monument is built on the town square in the form of a pen stuck in stone.
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
![Travel time by car or ferry from the geographical center of Europe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Travel_time_by_car_or_ferry_from_the_geographical_center_of_Europe.jpg)
After a re-estimation of the boundaries of the
continent
A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...
of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
in 1989,
Jean-George Affholder, a scientist at the
Institut Géographique National
An institute is an organisational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body.
In some countries, institutes can ...
(French National Geographic Institute) determined that the geographic centre of Europe is located at . The method used for calculating this point was that of the
centre of gravity
In physics, the center of mass of a distribution of mass in space (sometimes referred to as the balance point) is the unique point where the weighted relative position of the distributed mass sums to zero. This is the point to which a force may ...
of the
geometrical figure
A shape or figure is a graphical representation of an object or its external boundary, outline, or external surface, as opposed to other properties such as color, texture, or material type.
A plane shape or plane figure is constrained to lie on ...
of Europe.
This point is located in
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
, near the village of
Girija. A monument, composed by the sculptor Gediminas Jokūbonis and consisting of a column of white granite surmounted by a crown of stars, was erected at the location in 2004. An area of woods and fields surrounding the geographic centre point and including Lake Girija, Bernotai Hill, and an old burial ground, was set aside as a reserve in 1992. The State Tourism Department at the Ministry of Economy of Lithuania has classified the Geographic Centre monument and its reserve as a tourist attraction. 17 km away lies
Europos Parkas
Europos Parkas (the "Park of Europe") is a 50-hectare open-air museum located 17 km from Vilnius, Lithuania. The museum gives an artistic significance to the geographic centre of the European continent (as determined by the French National ...
, ''Open Air Museum of the Centre of Europe'', a sculpture park containing the world's largest sculpture made of TV sets.
It is the only Geographical Centre of Europe with recognition in the
Guinness Book of World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
.
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
![Tállya légifotó1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/T%C3%A1llya_l%C3%A9gifot%C3%B31.jpg)
It is claimed that a 1992 survey found that the geometric centre of Europe is in the village of
Tállya
Tállya is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary, 45 kilometres from county seat Miskolc, in the famous Tokaj-Hegyalja wine district.
Geography
Tállya is located at . According to the 2001 Census the village has a total ...
, Hungary . In 2000, a sculpture was erected in the village, with a table on it declaring the place the "Geometric Centre of Europe".
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
![Polotsk Centr Evropy 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Polotsk_Centr_Evropy_1.JPG)
In 2000 Belarusian scientists Alexey Solomonov and Valery Anoshko published a report that stated the geographic centre of Europe was located near Lake Sho (; be, Шо) in
Vitsebsk Voblast
Vitebsk Region or Vitebsk Oblast or Viciebsk Voblasts ( be, Ві́цебская во́бласць, ''Viciebskaja voblasć'', ; rus, Ви́тебская о́бласть, Vitebskaya oblast, ˈvʲitʲɪpskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a region (oblast ...
.
The scientists used a special computer program that takes Europe in a single entity – the White Sea and the Baltic Sea, Britain and Ireland were included in the program as continental zone objects. It is assumed that in the calculations to determine the center of Europe, one must take into account the inland waters of Europe and the Ural Mountains, the eastern border of Europe.
Scientists from the Russian
(russian: ЦНИИГАиК) confirmed the calculations of Belarusian geodesists that the geographical centre of Europe is located in
Polotsk
Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Distr ...
. A small monument to the Geographical Centre of Europe was set up in Polotsk on 31 May 2008.
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
![Eesti Saaremaa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Eesti_Saaremaa.png)
It is claimed that if all the islands of Europe – from the
Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
to
Franz Joseph Land
, native_name =
, image_name = Map of Franz Josef Land-en.svg
, image_caption = Map of Franz Josef Land
, image_size =
, map_image = Franz Josef Land location-en.svg
, map_caption = Location of Franz Josef ...
and from
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
to
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
– are taken into consideration then the centre of Europe lies at in the village of
Mõnnuste
Mõnnuste is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western Estonia.
It is one of the claimants to the title of the geographical centre of Europe.
Before the administrative reform in 2017, the village was in Lääne-Saare Parish
Lää ...
, on
Saaremaa
Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring . The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island and west of Muhu island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago. The capital of the island i ...
island in western
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
. Again, no author and no method of calculation have been disclosed. The local
Kärla Parish
Kärla Parish was a municipality in Saare County, Estonia.
In 2014, it was merged with the municipalities of Kaarma and Lümanda to become the Lääne-Saare municipality.
The parish consisted of one small town, Kärla, and 22 villages: Anep ...
is seeking to verify the location and to turn it into a tourist location.
Geographic centre of the European Union
The French
Institut Géographique National
An institute is an organisational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body.
In some countries, institutes can ...
(IGN) has been calculating the changing location of what it estimates to be the geographical centre of the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
(EU) since at least 1987. Its calculations exclude such
extra-European territories of the EU as
French Polynesia
)Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze")
, anthem =
, song_type = Regional anthem
, song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui"
, image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of Frenc ...
. As the European Union (or formerly –
European Community
The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...
) has grown in the last 50 years, the geographical centre has shifted with each expansion.
1987–1990
![Eglise de Saint-André-le-Coq face sud](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Eglise_de_Saint-Andr%C3%A9-le-Coq_face_sud.jpg)
12 members: In 1987 the centre of the
European Community
The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...
of the
12 members was declared to be in the middle of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, in the village of
Saint-André-le-Coq,
département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities"), between the regions of France, admin ...
of
Puy-de-Dôme
Puy-de-Dôme (; oc, label=Auvergnat, lo Puèi de Doma or ''lo Puèi Domat'') is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the centre of France. In 2019, it had a population of 662,152.[région
France is divided into eighteen administrative regions (french: régions, singular ), of which thirteen are located in metropolitan France (in Europe), while the other five are overseas regions (not to be confused with the overseas collect ...]
of
Auvergne
Auvergne (; ; oc, label=Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Auverg ...
.
1990–1995
![003 St Clement ( 03250 )](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/003_St_Clement_%28_03250_%29.JPG)
12 members after the
reunification of Germany
German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...
. In 1990, the centre shifted some 25 km north-eastward, to the place called
Noireterre in the village of
Saint-Clément, département of
Allier
Allier ( , , ; oc, Alèir) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region that borders Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire to the east, Puy-de-Dôme to the south, and Creuse to the south-west. Named afte ...
, the same région of Auvergne. A small monument commemorating the latter discovery still exists in Saint Clément.
1995–2004
![Centre europe des 15](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Centre_europe_des_15.jpg)
15 members: Using the same techniques, the IGN has identified the geographic centre of the 15-member Union (1995–2004) to be in
Viroinval
Viroinval (; wa, Virwinvå) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium.
On January 1, 2006, Viroinval had a total population of 5,680. The total area is 120.90 km2 which gives a population density of 47 inhabi ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, at coordinates , and a monument there records that finding.
2004–2007
![Kleinmaischeid Zirkelschlag](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Kleinmaischeid_Zirkelschlag.jpg)
25 members: The 25-member Union (2004–2007), had a centre calculated by the IGN to be situated at , in the village of
Kleinmaischeid
Kleinmaischeid is a municipality in the Neuwied (district), district of Neuwied, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Between 1 May 2004 and 31 December 2006, it was the centre point of the European Union. South of Kleinmaischeid lies Großmaischei ...
,
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.
2007–2013
![Mittelpunkt Europas bei Gelnhausen-Meerholz](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Mittelpunkt_Europas_bei_Gelnhausen-Meerholz.JPG)
27 members: On 1 January 2007, with the inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria in the European Union, the geographic centre of the European Union changed to a wheat field outside of the German town
Gelnhausen
Gelnhausen () is a town, and the capital of the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located approximately 40 kilometers east of Frankfurt am Main, between the Vogelsberg mountains and the Spessart range at the river Kinzig. It is one of ...
, in the state of
Hesse
Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major histor ...
, 115 km east of the previous marker, at .
2013–2020
![Mittelpunkt der EU seit 10](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Mittelpunkt_der_EU_seit_10._Mai_2014_in_Westerngrund.JPG)
28 members: On 1 July 2013, with the accession of Croatia, the geographic centre entered North-West
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
in the place
Westerngrund
Westerngrund is a community in the Aschaffenburg district in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Lower Franconia (''Unterfranken'') in Bavaria, Germany, and a member of the ''Verwaltungsgemeinschaft'' (Administrative Community) of Schöllkrippen. From 20 ...
at the river
Schulzengrundbach
The SchulzengrundbachMain-Echo Aschaffenburg, 21 July 2012: ''Grenzbach, Bindeglied, wildes Wasser: Durch Westerngrund (10): Der Westerbach – Namensgeber der Gemeinde – Einst zehn Mühlen angetrieben – verheerende Flut im August 1981.'' is ...
at . When the French
overseas department
The overseas departments and regions of France (french: départements et régions d'outre-mer, ; ''DROM'') are departments of France that are outside metropolitan France, the European part of France. They have exactly the same status as mainlan ...
Mayotte
Mayotte (; french: Mayotte, ; Shimaore: ''Maore'', ; Kibushi: ''Maori'', ), officially the Department of Mayotte (french: Département de Mayotte), is an overseas department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is loc ...
(Indian Ocean island group between
Southeast Africa
Southeast Africa or Southeastern Africa is an African region that is intermediate between East Africa and Southern Africa. It comprises the countries Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania ...
n mainland and
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
) joined the EU on 10 May 2014 (as part of France), the geographic center shifted by 500 m to , still at Westerngrund, beside a path. It is 40 km east of
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
, Germany, which is headquarters to the
European Central Bank
The European Central Bank (ECB) is the prime component of the monetary Eurosystem and the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) as well as one of seven institutions of the European Union. It is one of the world's Big Four (banking)#Intern ...
.
2020–present
![GADHEIM-EU-CENTRE-OF-POST-BREXIT](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/GADHEIM-EU-CENTRE-OF-POST-BREXIT.jpg)
27 members after
Brexit
Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or ...
: On 31 January 2020, with the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU, the geographical mid-point moved to
Gadheim
Gadheim is a village in Lower Franconia, in northern Bavaria belonging to the municipality of Veitshöchheim. It is located about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) north of Würzburg
Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia ...
near
Würzburg
Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River.
Würzburg is ...
,
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
, at .
Other calculations
The geographical midpoint of the European Union is not free from disputes, either. If some different
extreme points of the European Union
This is a list of the extreme points of the European Union — the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.
Overall
* North: Nuorgam, Finland
* South: Pointe de Langevin, Saint-Joseph, Réunion, Réunion is a ...
, like some
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
islands, are taken into consideration this point is calculated in different locations.
Eurozone
The original centre of the
Eurozone
The euro area, commonly called eurozone (EZ), is a currency union of 19 member states of the European Union (EU) that have adopted the euro (€) as their primary currency and sole legal tender, and have thus fully implemented EMU policies ...
is located in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. This location has changed with the accession of new countries into the Eurozone (e.g. Slovakia 2009).
See also
*
Central Europe
Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...
*
Centroid
In mathematics and physics, the centroid, also known as geometric center or center of figure, of a plane figure or solid figure is the arithmetic mean position of all the points in the surface of the figure. The same definition extends to any ob ...
*
Intermediate Region
The Intermediate Region is an established geopolitics, geopolitical model set forth in the 1970s by the Greece, Greek historian Dimitri Kitsikis, professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada. According to this model, the Eurasian continent is c ...
*
Geography of Europe
Europe is traditionally defined as one of seven continents. Physiographically, it is the northwestern peninsula of the larger landmass known as Eurasia (or the larger Afro-Eurasia); Asia occupies the eastern bulk of this continuous landmass and ...
*
Extreme points of the European Union
This is a list of the extreme points of the European Union — the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.
Overall
* North: Nuorgam, Finland
* South: Pointe de Langevin, Saint-Joseph, Réunion, Réunion is a ...
*
Geographical centre of Earth
The geographical center of Earth is the geometric center of all land surfaces on Earth. Geometrically defined it is the Centroid of all land surfaces within the two dimensions of the Geoid surface which approximates the Earth's outer shape. The ...
References
Further reading
* Useful short English language article that considers the claims of various localities to be the geographical centre of Europe.
A film about the "Center of Europe"
A 2004 Polish-German documentary, ''Środek Europy'' (''Die Mitte'', "The Center"), written and directed by
Stanisław Mucha Stanislav and variants may refer to:
People
*Stanislav (given name), a Slavic given name with many spelling variations (Stanislaus, Stanislas, Stanisław, etc.)
Places
* Stanislav, a coastal village in Kherson, Ukraine
* Stanislaus County, Cali ...
, shows over a dozen different locations.
{{Europe topics (small)
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
Centre
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
Geography of Vilnius