Europe

Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east. Europe shares the landmass of Eurasia with Asia and is often separated from Asia by natural features like the Ural Mountains and the Ural River.

Europe is the second-smallest continent. It is home to around fifty countries, with Russia being the largest. In 2021, Europe had a population of about 745 million people.

The culture of Europe has deep roots in ancient Greece and ancient Rome. Europe played an important role in history through exploration and later events. Today, many European countries are part of the European Union, which works to promote peace, trade, and cooperation among its members.

Etymology

Further information: Europa (consort of Zeus)

In ancient Greek mythology, Europa was a Phoenician princess. Many think her name comes from Ancient Greek words meaning "wide" and "face." This suggests she had a broad outlook. Others believe the name might have come from older languages before Greek, or even from words meaning "west" in some ancient cultures.

Today, many languages use versions of her name when talking about Europe. For example, in Chinese, the word for Europe is Ōuzhōu, a shorter form of the full name Ōuluóbā zhōu. Some Turkic languages still use an older name meaning "land of the Franks."

Definition

Further information: Boundaries between the continents § Asia and Europe

See also: List of transcontinental countries

Contemporary definition

Clickable map of Europe, showing one of the most commonly used continental boundaries^[u] Key: blue: states which straddle the border between Europe and Asia; green: countries not geographically in Europe, but closely associated with the continent

Europe is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. To the east, Europe shares land with Asia. Common boundaries include the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains, the Black Sea, and waterways connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.

Islands like Iceland are part of Europe, while Greenland is part of North America. Some places, like Cyprus and Malta, are culturally and politically part of Europe even though they are geographically closer to Asia.

History

Main article: History of Europe

Prehistory

Main article: Prehistoric Europe

During long cold times called glacials, Europe had many icy periods. These ended about 10,000 years ago, and now we are in a warm time called the Holocene.

Early humans lived in Europe a very long time ago. Modern humans arrived between 43,000 and 40,000 years ago, maybe even earlier.

Farming began in Europe around 7000 BCE in Greece and the Balkans. People raised animals and made pots. Big stone buildings like Stonehenge were built then.

Classical antiquity

Main article: Classical antiquity

See also: Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome

Ancient Greece started many ideas we still use today, like democracy and science. Athens made the first democratic government in 508 BCE.

Rome came after Greece. Rome helped shape laws, languages, and governments. Rome grew to include places like Spain, North Africa, and Britain. The Roman Empire became very powerful. Christianity became its official religion. The empire’s capital moved to Constantinople. The Western Roman Empire ended in 476 CE.

Early Middle Ages

Main articles: Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages

See also: [Dark Ages](/wiki/Dark_Ages_(historiography) and Age of Migrations

As the Roman Empire weakened, many people moved around Europe. Monasteries kept knowledge safe. The Byzantine Empire stayed strong.

Charlemagne, a king, became Holy Roman Emperor in 800 CE. This started the Holy Roman Empire. New countries formed and many people became Christian.

High and Late Middle Ages

Main articles: High Middle Ages, Late Middle Ages, and Middle Ages

See also: Medieval demography

Life improved in Europe between 1000 and 1250. Cities grew and became important for trade.

Local rulers and church leaders had most of the power. The Catholic Church guided culture and learning. In 1054, Christianity split into two groups. The Byzantine Empire faced many battles and fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. A sickness called the Black Death hurt Europe greatly.

Early modern period

Main article: Early modern period

See also: Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution, and Age of Discovery

The Renaissance was a time of new ideas in art, learning, and science. It began in Florence.

The Reformation started in 1517 when Martin Luther questioned the Catholic Church. This led to wars. Countries like Portugal explored new lands.

18th and 19th centuries

Main article: Modern history

See also: Industrial Revolution, French Revolution, and Age of Enlightenment

Wars changed Europe’s balance of power. The French Revolution brought big changes. The Industrial Revolution brought new machines and factories, changing cities and lives. Europe’s population grew a lot during this time.

20th century to the present

Main articles: Modern era and History of Europe

See also: World War I, Great Depression, Interwar period, Second World War, Cold War, and History of the European Union

The 20th century had two big wars and hard times for many people. After the wars, countries in Europe worked together through groups like the European Union. Recent events have brought new changes to Europe.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Europe

Europe is the western part of the landmass called Eurasia. It has more coast than any other continent. Oceans and seas are on three sides. The north has the Arctic Ocean, the west has the Atlantic Ocean, and the south has the Mediterranean Sea. Europe’s land changes quickly. The south is full of mountains like the Alps and Pyrenees, while the north has wide, flat plains known as the Great European Plain.

Climate

Main article: Climate of Europe

Europe mostly has a mild climate because of the Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current that flows from the Gulf of Mexico to Europe. This makes places like Aveiro in Portugal warmer than cities at the same latitude in other parts of the world, such as New York City. The climate gets colder as you move north and east across the continent.

Geology

Main article: Geology of Europe

See also: Geological history of Europe

Europe’s rocks and landforms tell a long story. Over a billion years ago, parts of Europe were once joined to other landmasses. Today, Europe has many different landscapes, from the high mountains in the south to the flat plains in the north. The Ural Mountains separate Europe from Asia.

Flora

Europe’s plants have changed a lot because of humans. Most of Europe was once covered in forests, but many have been cut down. Today, forests still cover a lot of the land, especially in places like Scandinavia and Russia. Common trees include beech and oak in the west, and spruce and pine in the north. In the Mediterranean, olive trees and scrub forests grow well.

Fauna

Main article: Fauna of Europe

Europe’s animals have also been affected by ice ages and humans. Large predators like wolves and brown bears are now rare, living only in parts of Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Other animals include foxes, wildcats, hedgehogs, and many types of birds and insects. Europe’s seas are home to creatures like fish, dolphins, and whales.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Europe

See also: List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe, International organisations in Europe, Regions of Europe, and European integration

Europe's politics changed a lot after the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. Today, most European countries have parliamentary democracy governments, usually as republics. A few countries still have kings or queens, but these are usually constitutional monarchies.

After the Second World War, European countries started working together. They created groups like the European Union. This union helps countries share rules and trade. Some countries use the same money, called the Eurozone. There are also smaller groups, like the Nordic Council and the Benelux.

List of states and territories

Main article: List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe

See also: Area and population of European countries

Europe has many countries. Some are fully recognized by the world, while others are not always members of groups like the United Nations.

Besides these countries, there are places with special rules. For example, Åland is a part of Finland with its own way of governing. There are also territories linked to Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Norway. These places have their own ways of managing local matters, even though they are not fully independent countries.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Europe

See also: List of sovereign states in Europe by GDP (nominal) and List of sovereign states in Europe by GDP (PPP)

Europe has the largest and richest economy of any continent. It has more than one-third of the world’s wealth, with lots of money in banks and businesses. Some countries, like those in the northwest and west, are very wealthy. Others, especially in the east and southeast, are still growing after changes in their governments.

Many European countries work together in a group called the European Union. Nineteen of these countries use the same money, called the euro. Big economies like Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Russia are among the strongest in the world. There are differences in wealth, with Monaco being one of the richest places and Ukraine one of the poorest.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Europe

See also: List of European countries by population, List of European countries by life expectancy, and Ageing of Europe

Europe has about 742 million people. This is about one-ninth of all the people in the world. The number of people in Europe is slowly going down because there are fewer births than deaths. But people moving in from other parts of the world help keep the numbers balanced.

Southern and Western Europe have some of the oldest people. Over one in five people there are older than 65. This will likely continue, and by 2050, over 30% of Europeans may be seniors. This is because families are having fewer children.

Ethnic groups

Main article: Ethnic groups in Europe

Further information: Genetic history of Europe

Europe has many different ethnic groups. There are 87 groups, and 33 of them are the main group in at least one country. The Romani people are the largest minority group in Europe.

Migration

Main article: Immigration to Europe

See also: European diaspora

Europe has the most migrants in the world. Nearly 87 million people living there were born in other countries. Moving to new places has always been important in Europe’s history. Today, many people with European ancestors live in North and South America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Languages

Main article: Languages of Europe

See also: List of European languages by number of speakers

Europe has about 225 different languages. Most of these belong to three groups: Romance languages (like French and Spanish), Germanic languages (like English and German), and Slavic languages (like Russian and Polish). There are also other language families, including Uralic languages spoken in Finland and Estonia, and Turkic languages spoken in Turkey and parts of Russia.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Europe

Christianity is the most common religion in Europe. About 76% of people say they are Christian. Islam is the second most common religion, especially in places like Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Other religions in Europe include Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism. Many people in Europe also do not follow any specific religion.

Major cities and urban areas

Further information: List of European cities by population within city limits

The largest cities in Europe are Moscow, London, and Paris. Each has over 10 million people. Other big cities are Madrid, Saint Petersburg, Milan, Barcelona, Berlin, and Rome. These cities are important for culture, business, and history.

European megacities

Moscow

London

Paris

Istanbul^[b]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Europe

Europe's culture comes from old ideas started by people from ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Over time, many different cultures mixed together, like Slavic, Latin (Romance), and Germanic groups. Places such as Strasbourg and Trieste show how these cultures blend.

Europe holds many cultural events to connect people from different backgrounds, like the European Capital of Culture and the European Youth Capital.

Sport

Main article: Sport in Europe

Many popular sports began in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom. Even though sports are well-organized with professional leagues, local and national differences still matter a lot.

Social dimension

In Europe, some people find it hard to meet their basic needs. Many Europeans spend a lot of their money just on housing, and some feel lonely. For many workers, jobs do not always feel secure.