Europe
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| The Simple English Wiktionary has a definition for: Europe. |
Europe is a continent. It is the western part of Eurasia. It is separated from Asia by the Ural Mountains in Russia and the Bosporus strait in Turkey.
Europe is surrounded by water on three sides. On the west is the Atlantic Ocean. To the north is the Arctic Ocean. The Mediterranean Sea separates Southeastern Europe from Africa.
There are more than 50 countries in Europe. Most of these countries are members of the European Union.
Europe covers about 10,180,000 square kilometres[dubious ] (3,930,000 square miles). This is 2% of the Earth's surface (6.8% of its land area).
As of 2017, about 510 million people lived in Europe.[1]
Europe makes 44% of the world's wine.
Europe contains the world's second most active volcano.
Greenland, in Europe, Is the world's biggest island - considering Australia is a continent!
Europe is a major tourist attraction. People come from all over the world to see its many World Heritage Sites and other attractions.
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Origin of Name[change | change source]
Europe is named after a princess in Greek mythology called "Europa." The myth says that Zeus kidnapped Europa and took her to Crete, where she became the mother of King Minos (whom Europe’s first civilisation derives its name, the Minoans, from).
The name "Europa" was later used to describe Greece. Then, as the rest of modern-day. Europe started to have cities and empires, the entire area West of the Ural Mountains came to be called "Europa."
History[change | change source]
Main article: History of Europe
The history of Europe is long and has many turns. Many great countries originated from Europe. Greek mythology and the beginning of western civilization came from European nations.
Some of the major periods in European history have been:
- Ancient Greek Civilisation (Minoan, Mycenaean, Classical, Hellenistic): c.1600 BC to 146 BC
- Roman Civilisation (Roman kingdom, Roman Republic and Roman Empire): 753BC-476
- Medieval Civilisation (Early, High, Late): 476 to 1492
- Early Modern Era (Renaissance, Reformation, Age of Discovery, Enlightenment): 1492-1789
- 19th Century, 20th Century and 21st Century (French Revolution, Napeoleonic Wars, Industrial Revolution, Colonialism, World War 1, World War 2, Cold War) 1789-present
Regions and countries[change | change source]
Andreas M. Kaplan describes modern Europe as a continent where many different cultures live closely together, "embracing maximum cultural diversity at minimal geographical distances".[2]
There are several major regions of Europe:
Within these regions, there are more than 50 independent European countries. The largest is the Russian Federation, which covers 39% of Europe.
The European city with the largest population is Istanbul. The country with the largest population is the Russian Federation. About 15% of Europeans live in Russia.
Two European countries, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, are on islands called the British Isles.
Climate[change | change source]
Most of Europe lies in temperate climate zones.
However, there are many different climates throughout Europe. For example, during the winter, it may be snowing and -30 degrees Celsius for 4-5 months in Finland. Yet it may be much warmer, with no snow at all except on high mountains, in Spain.
European Union[change | change source]
Main article: European Union
The European Union is a confederation of 28 European countries. These countries agree to follow common laws so that their citizens can move and trade in EU countries almost the same as they do in their own. Nineteen of these countries also share the same type of money: the euro.
List of Countries[change | change source]
Albania
Andorra (Principality of)
Armenia
Austria (EU)
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium (EU)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria (EU)
Croatia (EU)
Czech Republic (EU)
Cyprus (EU)
Denmark (EU)
Estonia (EU)
Finland (EU)
France (EU)
Georgia
Germany (EU)
Greece (EU)
Hungary (EU)
Iceland Note: Geologically located in Europe and North America. (Official Candidate of EU.)
Ireland (EU)
Italy (EU)
Kazakhstan Note: Geologically located in Europe and Asia
Latvia (EU)
Liechtenstein
Lithuania (EU)
Luxembourg (EU)
Malta (EU)
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro (Official Candidate of EU.)
Netherlands (EU)
Norway
Poland (EU)
Portugal (EU)
Republic of Macedonia (Official Candidate of EU.)
Romania (EU)
Russia
Serbia (Official Candidate of EU.)
Slovakia (EU)
Slovenia (EU)
Spain (EU)
Sweden (EU)
Switzerland
Turkey Note: Geologically located in Europe and Asia. (Official Candidate of EU.)
Ukraine
United Kingdom (Leaving EU in March 2019)
Vatican City
References[change | change source]
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Europe. |
- ↑ "World Populations Prospects, the 2015 RevisionS". United Nations - Department of Economic and Social Affairs - Population Division.
- ↑ "Andreas M. Kaplan: European Management and European Business Schools: Insights from the History of Business Schools, European Management Journal, 2014".