Europe is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, bordered by the Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Asia. Its eastern boundary is conventionally drawn through the Ural Mountains, Ural River, Caspian Sea, Caucasus region and Turkish Straits, although exact definitions vary.
Europe is one of the world's smaller continents by area, but it has had large political, cultural, scientific, economic and military influence.
Geography
Europe includes peninsulas, islands, plains, mountains, rivers and coastlines. Major features include the Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathians, Scandinavian Mountains, Danube, Rhine, Volga, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea and Baltic Sea.
The continent is closely connected to Asia as part of the larger landmass of Eurasia. The idea of Europe is therefore partly geographical and partly historical and cultural.
Regions
Europe is often divided into regions such as Northern Europe, Western Europe, Southern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Europe. These divisions are not fixed and can change depending on political, cultural or statistical use.
The United Nations geoscheme and organisations such as the Council of Europe use their own membership and regional categories. The European Union is a political and economic union, not the same thing as the continent.
History
Europe's history includes ancient Greece and Rome, medieval kingdoms, Christianity, Islam in parts of the continent, the Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, colonial expansion, industrialisation and modern nation states.
The twentieth century brought two world wars, fascism, communism, the Holocaust, decolonisation, the Cold War, European integration and the expansion of democratic institutions in many states.
Economy and Institutions
Europe contains some of the world's largest developed economies as well as smaller and transition economies. Manufacturing, finance, services, agriculture, technology, tourism, energy and education all play important roles.
Important institutions connected with Europe include the European Union, Council of Europe, European Court of Human Rights, NATO and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
Culture
European culture includes many language families, religions, national traditions, regional identities, artistic movements and philosophical traditions.
The continent has had major influence in literature, music, architecture, science, law, political thought, sport and education, but it is not culturally uniform.
See Also
References
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