Europe
Second-smallest continent, birthplace of Western civilisation and European Union.
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 of Afro-Eurasia with both Africa and Asia. It is commonly considered to be separated from Asia by the watershed of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Greater Caucasus, the Black Sea, and the Turkish straits. Politically, Europe is divided into about fifty sovereign states, of which Russia is the largest and most populous, spanning 39% of the continent and comprising 15% of its population. The culture of Europe consists of a range of national and regional cultures, which form the central roots of the wider Western civilisation, and together commonly reference ancient Greece and ancient Rome, particularly through their Christian successors, as crucial and shared roots. Since the Age of Discovery, led by Spain and Portugal, Europe played a predominant role in global affairs with multiple explorations and conquests around the world. Between the 16th and 20th centuries, European powers colonised at various times the Americas, almost all of Africa and Oceania, and the majority of Asia.
- Number of sovereign states
- About fifty
- Largest country by area and population
- Russia (39% of continent, 15% of population)
- Climate influence
- Warm Atlantic currents such as the Gulf Stream
- Common currency (EU)
- Euro
- Second-largest democratic elections
- Regular popular elections every five years within the EU
Lore & Background
In classical Greek mythology, Europa was a Phoenician princess. One view is that her name derives from the Ancient Greek elements εὐρύς (eurús) 'wide, broad', and ὤψ (ōps) 'eye, face, countenance', hence Eurṓpē would mean 'wide-gazing' or 'broad of aspect'. An alternative view by Robert Beekes argues for a pre-Indo-European origin, locating toponyms related to Europa in ancient Greece and Macedonia. There have been attempts to connect the name to a Semitic term for west, such as Akkadian erebu meaning 'to go down, set' (said of the sun) or Phoenician 'ereb 'evening, west', but Martin Litchfield West stated that the match is phonologically very poor, and Beekes considers a connection to Semitic languages improbable. Most major world languages use words derived from Eurṓpē or Europa to refer to the continent; Chinese uses Ōuzhōu, and in some Turkic languages the Persian name Frangistan is used casually.
Reader's Guide
The Italian Renaissance spread across Western Europe, and the renewed humanist emphasis on art and science contributed to the transition to the modern era. From the Age of Discovery, European powers colonised the Americas, almost all of Africa and Oceania, and the majority of Asia. The Age of Enlightenment, French Revolution, and Napoleonic Wars shaped the continent culturally, politically, and economically from the end of the 17th century until the first half of the 19th century. The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain at the end of the 18th century. Both world wars began and were fought largely in Europe, contributing to a decline in Western European dominance as the Soviet Union and the United States took prominence. The EU has a common currency (euro), a single market, a customs union, and the Schengen Area abolishing internal borders. Its economy is the second-largest in the world by nominal GDP and third-largest by PPP-adjusted GDP.
Did You Know?
- Europe is the second-smallest continent using the seven-continent model, covering about 2% of Earth's surface.
- The name Europa may derive from Ancient Greek elements meaning 'wide-gazing' or from a pre-Indo-European origin, with alternative Semitic etymologies considered phonologically poor.
- The European Union's regular popular elections every five years are considered the second-largest democratic elections in the world after India's.
- The border between Europe and Asia is defined by the Ural Mountains, Ural River, Caspian Sea, Greater Caucasus, Black Sea, and Turkish straits, but is somewhat arbitrary and inconsistent.
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