Interaction of natural, historical and cultural factors in shaping the regional identity in Europe

Specific characteristics of the environment in Europe, due to intense fragmentation of its territory, in fusion with a unique mosaic of historical and cultural heritage have created a total peculiar weave a variety of conditions affecting the regional identity. The study of these dependencies can be an interesting experience just now, when we observe a clear revival in rich traditions of the regions in whole Europe. Natural barriers of territorial expansion proved to be mountain ridges and major rivers. The boundaries of the regions based on the ridges, show that in history, natural boarders are generally more durable than the rim designated by the river. Branched Carpathian mountain system, as in the case of the Alps, created natural boundaries regions that are recorded in the ethnic and cultural divisions. Rivers not only divided, but generally more likely to connected territories in more or less compact spatial layouts. Their valleys are often natural axles, teaming up functional regions. Since the dawn of time, they attracted settlements and natural corridors marked links. Thanks rivers form an important cultural infrastructure. With the development of settlements that perpetuated the social bonds in a particular environments, came historical processes, that gradually overlapped the elements of political and administrative structures. In the result, this produced the center of power that emanated in whole cultural zone, covering various areas of activity, gradually contributing to the strengthening of the functional dependencies within a certain area. In this way, followed by the formation of regions, which could be called historical. Europe we know now, provides an exceptionally many examples of regions shaped by historical factors. The ancient Greek city-states develop their own policies and regional traditions. Roman Empire have cemented into the numerous provinces, whose names have entered the traditions of certain regions of Europe. Anglo-Saxon colonization of Britain emerged from the eighth century Kingdoms, such as Northumbria, Kent, Essex, Sussex; their legacy still exist today and nowaday counties kept these historical names. In the individual countries of medieval Europe we see, how gradually later outlines of regional divisions emerged. Germany has become a loose federation of sovereign and hereditary principalities, which deepened the political fragmentation. Italian territorial split into numerous States created the foundations for regional differences in the country. Ages perpetuated traditional territorial division of the Polish lands, which emerged from the medieval district system. Europe has been throughout the history of the place of attrition and interpenetration of different cultures and civilizations in a particular geographical environment. Cultural heritage is clear in its spatial reference. It consists of different values, forming a kind of message generation and shaping the distinctive image of the region and the country. The process of European integration has highlighted the importance of shared values, cultural and civilizational, peoples of Europe. Among the different factors influencing the regional image of Europe is important to emphasize heritage values of many cultures embedded in the rich history of each area. They determine the specific face of distinctive regions thus multicultural heritage. One example is the whole area of historical Silesia, where traditions overlap Polish, Czech and German (including the Habsburg and Prussian) identities. Different nationalities and religion contributed to the legacy of Pomerania, Warmia-Mazuria, Podlasie, Eastern Galicia, Volhynia, Grodno region, Vilnius region (Eastern Lithuania), Bukovina, Transylvania, Istria„ Corsica, Sicily and Crimea. Lusatia, Alsace and Southern Tyrol present dualistic cultural heritage, as well as Kosovo, which gained independence. Burgenland was artificially separated from the historical territory of Hungary. Multiculturalism plays a significant role in tourism