Why does Southern Europe, which has superior natural conditions, lag far behind Western Europe in its economy?

Because Western Europe has richer resources than Southern Europe.

Southern Europe refers to the Balkans, the Apennines, the Iberian Peninsula and nearby islands south of the Alps. It is the collective name for European countries south of the Alps. It is separated from Africa and Asia by the Strait of Gibraltar to the southwest, the Dardanelles Strait, Marmara and the Bosporus to the southeast. Including Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania and Greece on the Balkan Peninsula; Italy, San Marino and the Vatican on the Apennine Peninsula; Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Monaco on the Iberian Peninsula; In addition to the countries and territories mentioned above, it also includes Malta and the northwest corner of Turkey. It covers an area of ??1.66 million square kilometers. The population is approximately 174 million (1984).

It borders the Black Sea to the east, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The three peninsulas of Southern Europe are relatively complex in structure and topography. Plateaus dominate and plains are small. Western Europe is located on the east coast of Western Europe and the Atlantic Ocean. Since the opening of the new route, it has become the main window for European exchanges. Most of Southern Europe is found in Europe, except for the Iberian Peninsula and Italy. It is blocked by mountains and poorly connected to the rest of Europe. It borders North Africa and Western Asia, which have lower economic levels. Western Europe is dominated by plains, followed by low hills, with fertile soil, a temperate marine climate zone, superior hydrothermal conditions and a good agricultural foundation. Complete infrastructure. However, Southern Europe has many mountain ranges, narrow plains and complex geological conditions. Most of them are located in Mediterranean climate zones. The agricultural foundation is weak and economic development and construction are difficult. Southern Europe has many earthquakes and volcanoes.

In terms of resources: Western Europe is rich in resources, such as North Sea fisheries, North Sea oil fields and French iron ore. Southern Europe lacks energy and water resources, and exploiting the resources (ecological factors) is difficult and expensive. Western Europe has extremely convenient transportation, extremely developed shipping, many excellent ports and bays, convenient external economic connections, and perfect inland transportation. Southern Europe is affected by terrain conditions, which makes inland transportation inconvenient, and foreign transportation outside the countries along the Mediterranean Sea is inconvenient. In terms of workforce: Western Europe's education system is perfect. In addition to foreign talents, its talent advantages are very obvious. The foreign population also brings sufficient labor force. In terms of talent, Southern Europe is obviously not as good as Western Europe, and there is a serious brain drain.