檢視 Europe 的原始碼

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|+<big><big>'''Europe'''</big></big>
| align=center colspan=2 style="background:#f9f9f9;" |

[[Image:LocationEurope.png|250px|Location of Europe.]]
|-
| '''[[Area]]''' || 10,180,000&nbsp;km² (3,930,000&nbsp;[[sq mi]])
|-
| '''[[Population]]''' || 710,000,000
|-
|'''[[Demonym]]:'''|| European
|-
| '''[[Government]]''' || 48 [[country|countries]], 27 of which are in the [[European Union]]
|-
| '''Internet [[Top-level domain|TLD]]''' || [[List of Internet top-level domains|Multiple]]
|-
| '''Calling Code''' || [[List of country calling codes|Multiple]]
|}

'''歐洲'''（歐羅巴洲） is one of the seven traditional [[continent]]s of the [[Earth]]. [[Physical geography|Physically]] and [[geology|geologically]], Europe is the westernmost [[peninsula]] of [[Eurasia]], west of [[Asia]].  Europe is bounded to the north by the [[Arctic Ocean]], to the west by the [[Atlantic Ocean]], to the south by the [[Mediterranean Sea]], to the southeast by the [[Caucasus Mountains]] and the [[Black Sea]] and the waterways connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. To the east, Europe is generally divided from Asia by the [[water divide]] of the [[Ural Mountains]], the [[Ural (river)|Ural River]], and by the [[Caspian Sea]].

Europe is the world's [[Continent#Area and population|second-smallest]] continent in terms of [[area]], covering about 10,180,000&nbsp;square kilometres (3,930,000 sq mi) or 2.0% of the Earth's surface. The only continent smaller than Europe is [[Australia (continent)|Australia]]. It is the third most populous continent (after [[Asia]] and [[Africa]]) with a population of 710,000,000 or about 11% of the [[World population|world's population]]. However, the term ''continent'' can refer to a [[human geography|cultural and political]] distinction or a [[physical geography|physiographic]] one, leading to various perspectives about Europe's precise borders, area and population. Of Europe's 48 [[country|countries]], [[Russia]] is the largest by area and population, while the [[Vatican City|Vatican]] is the smallest.

Europe is the birthplace of [[Western culture]]. European nations played a predominant role in global affairs from the 16th century onwards, especially after the beginning of [[colonization]]. By the 17th and 18th centuries European nations controlled most of [[Colonisation of Africa|Africa]], [[Colonization of the Americas|the Americas]] and large portions of [[Asia]]. [[World War I]] and [[World War II]] led to a decline in European dominance in world affairs as the [[United States]] and [[Soviet Union]] took preeminence. The [[Cold War]] between those two [[superpower]]s divided Europe along the [[Iron Curtain]]. [[European integration]] led to the formation of the [[Council of Europe]] and the [[European Union]] in Western Europe, both of which eventually expanded to include Central and Eastern Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

{{Europe Labelled Map|float=right}}

==Definition==
The term 'Europe' has multiple uses. Its principle ones are [[politics|political]] and [[geography|geographical]].

* Politically, Europe comprises those countries in the [[European Union]], but may at times be used more casually to refer to both the EU together with other non-EU countries generally, in the same region.

* Physically and geographically, Europe is the westmost [[peninsula]] of the [[continent]] of [[Eurasia]]; its limits are well defined by [[sea]] to the North, South and West, and by a slightly arbitrary boundary [[#Geography and extent|discussed below]] on the east and south-eastern side. The [[Ural mountains]] are usually taken as the eastern limit of Europe; certainly points beyond are not usually considered to be part of the continent.

In addition, people in countries such as [[Great Britain]], [[Scandinavia]] and the [[Mediterranean]] islands, may routinely refer to [[Continental Europe|"continental" or "mainland" Europe]] (or simply "the Continent"), as a term for the main land mass containing countries such as [[France]].<ref>For example [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/4238758.stm here] (sports game between England and "continental Europe") and [http://www.gowest.co.uk/ here] (travel services in Great Britain and "mainland Europe").</ref>

==Etymology==
{{wiktionary|Europe}}
In ancient [[Greek mythology]], '''[[Europa (mythology)|Europa]]''' was a [[Phoenicia]]n princess who was abducted by [[Zeus]] in bull form and taken to the island of [[Crete]], where she gave birth to [[Minos]], [[Rhadamanthus]] and [[Sarpedon]]. For [[Homer]], '''Europe''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: {{polytonic|Εὐρώπη}} ''{{Unicode|Eurṓpē}}''; see also [[List of traditional Greek place names]]) was this mythological queen of Crete, not a geographical designation. Later ''Europa'' stood for [[Geography of Greece|mainland Greece]], and by 500 BC its meaning had been extended to lands to the north.

In etymology one theory suggests the name ''Europe'' is derived from the Greek words meaning broad (''eurys'') and face (''opsis'')—''broad'' having been an [[epithet]] of [[Earth]] itself in the reconstructed [[Proto-Indo-European religion]]; see [[Prithvi]] (''Plataia''). A minority, however, suggest this Greek [[popular etymology]] is really based on a [[Semitic]] word such as the [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] ''erebu'' meaning "to go down, set",<ref name="Etymonline: European">{{cite web| url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=European| title=Etymonline: European| accessdate=2006-09-10}}</ref> [[cognate]] to Phoenician '' 'ereb'' "evening; west" and Arabic [[Maghreb]], Hebrew ''ma'ariv''. (see also ''[[Erebus]]'').

The majority of major world languages use words derived from "Europa" to refer to the continent—e.g. Chinese uses the word ''{{Unicode|Ōuzhōu}}'' (歐洲), which is an abbreviation of the transliterated name ''{{Unicode|Ōuluóbā zhōu}}'' (歐羅巴洲). However, for centuries, the [[Turkish people|Turks]] used the term ''Frengistan'' (land of the [[Franks]]) in referring to Europe.<ref name="davison">{{cite journal |author=Davidson, Roderic H. |title=Where is the Middle East? |journal=Foreign Affairs |volume=38 |pages=p. 665–675 |year=1960}}</ref>

==History==
[[Image:Europe countries map en.png|thumb|right|Political map (neighbouring countries in Asia and Africa also shown)]]
{{main|History of Europe}}
{{See also|Medieval demography}}

=== Prehistory ===
{{main|Prehistory}}
[[Homo georgicus]], which lived roughly 1.8 million years ago in [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], is the first [[hominid]] to have so far been discovered in Europe.<ref>{{cite journal | author = A. Vekua, D. Lordkipanidze, G. P. Rightmire, J. Agusti, R. Ferring, G. Maisuradze, et al. | year = 2002 | title = A new skull of early ''Homo'' from Dmanisi, Georgia | journal = Science | volume = 297 | pages = 85–9}}</ref>  Other hominid remains, dating back roughly 1 million years, have been discovered in [[Spain]].
<ref> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6256356.stm The million year old tooth from [[Atapuerca]], [[Spain]], found in June 2007]</ref>[[Neanderthal man]] (named for the [[Neander Valley]] in [[Germany]]) first migrated to Europe 150,000 years ago and disappeared from the fossil record about 30,000 years ago. The Neanderthals were supplanted by modern humans ([[Cro-Magnons]]), who appeared around 40,000 years ago.<ref name="natgeo 21">National Geographic, 21.</ref>
During the latter part of this period, a period of [[megalith]] construction took place, with many megalithic monuments such as [[Stonehenge]] being constructed throughout Europe. <ref>[[Richard J. C. Atkinson|Atkinson]], R J C, ''Stonehenge'' (Penguin Books, 1956)</ref>

=== Development of complex society===
In terms of human society, Prehistoric Europe was inhabited by nomadic bands and (subsequently) tribal cultures. Early [[city-state]]s and [[state]]s spread broadly from the [[Fertile Crescent]] (~ 5000 BC) outward, leading to the various [[Persian empire]]s (~ 700 BC) and the city-states of [[Ancient Greece]] (~700 BC), followed by the [[Roman Republic]] (founded ~ 500 BC in modern-day [[Italy]]) and subsequent [[Roman Empire|Empire]], and the northward spread of organised states gradually throughout the rest of Europe over the following millennium.

=== Classical antiquity ===
{{main|Classical Antiquity}}
{{seealso|Ancient Greece|Ancient Rome}}
[[Image:Selinonte Temple E2.jpg|thumb|left|The Greek Temple of Hera, [[Selinunte]], [[Sicily]]]]
[[Ancient Greece]] had a profound impact on Western civilization. Western [[democracy|democratic]] and [[individualism|individualistic]] [[culture]] are often attributed to Ancient Greece.<ref name="natgeo 76">National Geographic, 76.</ref> The Greeks invented the [[polis]], or city-state, which played a fundamental role in their concept of identity.<ref name="natgeo 82">National Geographic, 82.</ref> These Greek political ideals were rediscovered in the late 18th century by European philosophers and idealists. Greece also generated many cultural contributions: in [[philosophy]], [[humanism]] and [[rationalism]] under [[Aristotle]], [[Socrates]], and [[Plato]]; in [[historiography|history]] with [[Herodotus]] and [[Thucydides]]; in dramatic and narrative verse, starting with the epic poems of [[Homer]];<ref name="natgeo 76"/> and in [[science]] with [[Pythagoras]], [[Euclid]], and [[Archimedes]].<ref>{{Harvard reference| first=Thomas Little | last=Heath| authorlink= T. L. Heath| title=A History of Greek Mathematics, Volume I| publisher=Dover publications| year=1981| isbn=0486240738}}</ref><ref>{{Harvard reference| first=Thomas Little| last=Heath| authorlink= T. L. Heath| title=A History of Greek Mathematics, Volume II| publisher=Dover publications| year=1981| isbn=0486240746}}</ref><ref>Pedersen, Olaf. ''Early Physics and Astronomy: A Historical Introduction''. 2nd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993. </ref>

Another major influence on Europe came from the [[Roman Empire]] which left its mark on [[Roman law|law]], [[Latin|language]], [[Roman engineering|engineering]], [[Roman architecture|architecture]], and [[centralized government|government]].<ref name="natgeo 77">National Geographic, 76-77.</ref> During the ''[[pax romana]]'', the Roman Empire expanded to encompass the entire [[Mediterranean Basin]] and much of Europe.<ref>{{citation|last=McEvedy|first=Colin|title=The Penguin Atlas of Medieval History|publisher=Penguin Books|year=1961}}</ref> [[Stoicism]] influenced emperors such as [[Hadrian]], [[Antoninus Pius]], and [[Marcus Aurelius]], who all spent time on the Empire's northern border fighting [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]], [[Picts|Pictish]] and [[Scottish people|Scottish]] tribes.<ref name="natgeo 123">National Geographic, 123.</ref><ref> Foster, Sally M., ''Picts, Gaels, and Scots: Early Historic Scotland.'' Batsford, London, 2004. ISBN 0-7134-8874-3</ref> [[Christianity]] was eventually [[Constantine I and Christianity|legitimized]] by [[Constantine I]] after three centuries of imperial [[Persecution of Christians|persecution]].

=== Dark Ages ===
{{main|Late Antiquity|Early Middle Ages}}
{{seealso|Dark Ages|Age of Migrations}}
[[Image:Rolandfealty.jpg|thumb|right|[[Roland]] pledges [[fealty]] to [[Charlemagne]], [[Holy Roman Emperor]]]]
During the [[decline of the Roman Empire]], Europe entered a long period of change arising from what is known in America as the [[Age of Migrations]]. There were numerous invasions and migrations amongst the [[Ostrogoths]], [[Visigoths]], [[Goths]], [[Vandals]], [[Huns]], [[Franks]], [[Angles]], [[Saxons]], and, later still, the [[Vikings]] and [[Normans]]. <ref>{{citation|last=McEvedy|first=Colin|title=The Penguin Atlas of Medieval History|publisher=Penguin Books|year=1961}}</ref> Renaissance thinkers such as [[Petrarch]] would later refer to this as the "[[Dark Ages]]".<ref>[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-5037%28194301%294%3A1%3C49%3ASROTQO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-W Renaissance or Prenaissance], ''Journal of the History of Ideas'', Vol. 4, No. 1. (Jan., 1943), pp. 69-74. </ref> Isolated monastic communities in Ireland, Scotland and elsewhere carefully safeguarded and compiled written knowledge accumulated previously; very few written records survive and much literature, philosophy, mathematics, and other thinking from the classical period disappeared from European popular currency.<ref>[[Norman Cantor|Norman F. Cantor]], ''The Medieval World 300 to 1300''.</ref>

During the Dark Ages, the [[Western Roman Empire]] fell under the control of Celt, Slav and Germanic tribes. The Celtic tribes established their kingdoms in [[Gaul]], the predecessor to the Frankish kingdoms that eventually became [[France]].<ref name="natgeo 140">National Geographic, 140</ref> The Germanic and Slav tribes established their domains over Central and Eastern Europe respectively.<ref name="natgeo 143">National Geographic, 143-145.</ref> Eventually the [[Franks|Frankish tribes]] were united under [[Clovis I]].<ref name="natgeo 162">National Geographic, 162.</ref> [[Charlemagne]], a Frankish king of the [[Carolingian]] dynasty who had conquered most of Western Europe, was anointed "Holy Roman Emperor" by the Pope in 800. This led to the founding of the [[Holy Roman Empire]], which eventually became centered in the German principalities of central Europe.<ref name="natgeo 166">National Geographic, 166.</ref> 

The [[Eastern Roman Empire]] became known in the west as the [[Byzantine Empire]]. Based in [[Constantinople]], they viewed themselves as the natural successors to the Roman Empire.<ref name="natgeo 210">National Geographic, 210.</ref> Emperor [[Justinian I]] presided over Constantinople's first golden age: he established a [[Code of Justinian|legal code]], funded the construction of the [[Hagia Sophia]] and brought the Christian church under state control.<ref name="natgeo 135">National Geographic, 135.</ref> Fatally weakened by the sack of Constantinople during the [[Fourth Crusade]], the Byzantines fell in 1453 when they were conquered by the [[Ottoman Empire]].<ref name="natgeo 211">National Geographic, 211.</ref>

=== Middle Ages ===
{{main|High Middle Ages|Late Middle Ages}}
[[Image:Richard3.jpg|thumbnail|left| [[Richard 1]] and [[Philip II of France|Philip II]], during the [[Third Crusade]]]]
The Middle Ages were dominated by the two upper echelons of the social structure: the nobility and the clergy. Feudalism already developed in [[France]] in the [[Early Middle Ages]], but soon spread throughout Europe.<ref name="natgeo 158">National Geographic, 158.</ref> The struggle between the nobility and the monarchy in England led to the writing of the [[Magna Carta]] and the establishment of a [[parliament]].<ref name="natgeo 186">National Geographic, 186.</ref> The primary source of culture in this period came from the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. Through monasteries and cathedral schools, the Church was responsible for education in much of Europe.<ref name="natgeo 158"/>

The [[Papacy]] reached the height of its power during the High Middle Ages. The [[East-West Schism]] in 1054 split the former Roman Empire religiously, with the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] in the [[Byzantine Empire]] and the [[Roman Catholic Church]] in the former Western Roman Empire. In 1095 [[Pope Urban II]] called for a [[Crusades|crusade]] against [[Muslims]] occupying [[Jerusalem]] and the [[Holy Land]].<ref name="natgeo 192">National Geographic, 192.</ref> In Europe itself, the Church organized the [[Inquisition]] against heretics. In [[Spain]], the [[Reconquista]] concluded with the fall of [[Granada]] in 1492, ending over seven centuries of Muslim rule in the [[Iberian Peninsula]].<ref name="natgeo 199">National Geographic, 199.</ref>

Europe was devastated in the mid-14th century by the [[Black Death]], which killed an estimated 25 million people - a third of the European population at the time.<ref name="natgeo 158"/> Successive epidemics led to increased religious fervor,<ref name="natgeo 159">National Geographic, 159.</ref> a result of which was widespread [[persecution of Jews]].<ref name="natgeo 223">National Geographic, 223.</ref>

=== Early modern period ===
[[Image:Sanzio 01.jpg|thumb|[[School of Athens|The School of Athens]] by [[Raphael]]. Contemporaries such as [[Michelangelo]] and [[Leonardo da Vinci]] (centre) are portrayed as classical scholars.]]

{{main|Early modern period}}
{{seealso|Renaissance|Protestant Reformation|Age of Discovery}}
The [[Renaissance]] was a period of cultural change originating in Italy in the fourteenth century. The rise of a [[Renaissance humanism|new humanism]] was accompanied by the recovery of forgotten [[Renaissance#Assimilation of Greek and Arabic knowledge|classical and Arabic knowledge]] from monastic libraries and the Islamic world.<ref name="natgeo 159"/><ref>[[Roberto Weiss|Weiss, Roberto]] (1969)   ''The Renaissance Discovery of Classical Antiquity'', ISBN 1-597-40150-1</ref><ref>cob Burckhardt|Burckhardt, Jacob (1878), [http://www.boisestate.edu/courses/hy309/docs/burckhardt/burckhardt.html ''The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy''], trans S.G.C Middlemore, republished in 1990 ISBN 0-14-044534-X </ref> The Renaissance spread across Europe between the 14th and 16th centuries: it saw the flowering of  art, philosophy, music and the sciences, under the joint patronage of royalty, the nobility, the Roman Catholic Church and an emerging merchant class.<ref name="natgeo 254">National Geographic, 254.</ref><ref>Jensen, De Lamar (1992), ''Renaissance Europe'', ISBN 0-395-88947-2</ref><ref>{{citation|last=Levey|first=Michael|title=Early Rennaissance|publisher=Penguin Books|year=1967}}</ref> Patrons in Italy, including the [[Medici]] family of [[Florence|Florentine]] bankers and the [[Pope]]s in [[Rome]], funded prolific [[quattrocento]] and [[cinquecento]] artists such as [[Raphael]], [[Michelangelo]] and [[Leonardo da Vinci]].<ref name="natgeo 292">National Geographic, 292.</ref><ref>{{citation|last=Levey|first=Michael|title=High Rennaissance|publisher=Penguin Books|year=1971}}</ref>

Political intrigue within the Church in the mid-14th century caused the [[Western Schism|Great Schism]]. During this forty-year period, two popes - one in [[Avignon]] and one in [[Rome]] - claimed rulership over the Church. Although the schism was eventually healed in 1417, the papacy's spiritual authority had suffered greatly.<ref name="natgeo 193">National Geographic, 193.</ref> The Church's power was further weakened by the [[Protestant Reformation]] of [[Martin Luther]], a result of the lack of reform within the Church. The Reformation also damaged the Holy Roman Empire's power, as German princes became divided between Catholic, Protestant and [[Calvinist]] faiths.<ref name="natgeo 256">National Geographic, 256-257.</ref>  This eventually led to the [[Thirty Years War]] (1618-1648), which crippled the Holy Roman Empire and devastated much of Germany. In the aftermath of the [[Peace of Westphalia]], [[France]] rose to predominance within Europe.<ref name="natgeo 269">National Geographic, 269.</ref>

[[Image:MercatormapFullEurope16thcentury.jpg|thumb|left|Map of Europe made by [[Gerardus Mercator]]]]
The Renaissance and the [[New Monarchs]] marked the start of an [[Age of Discovery]], a period of exploration, invention, and scientific development. In the 15th century, [[Portugal]] and [[Spain]], two of the greatest naval powers of the time, took the lead in exploring the world.<ref>{{citation|last=John Morris Roberts|title=Penguin History of Europe|year=1997|publisher=Penguin Books|id=ISBN 0140265619}}</ref><ref name="natgeo 296">National Geographic, 296.</ref> [[Christopher Columbus]] discovered the [[New World]] in the 1498, and soon after the Spanish and Portuguese began establishing colonial empires in the Americas.<ref name="natgeo 338">National Geographic, 338.</ref> [[France]], the [[Netherlands]] and [[England]] soon followed in building large colonial empires with vast holdings in [[Africa]], [[the Americas]], and [[Asia]].

=== 18th and 19th centuries ===
{{main|Modern History}}
{{seealso|Industrial Revolution|French Revolution|Age of Enlightenment}}

The [[Age of Enlightenment]] was a powerful intellectual eighteenth century movement in which scientific and reason-based thought predominated.<ref>{{citation|last=Goldie|first=Mark|last2= Wokler|first2=Robert |title=The Cambridge History of Eighteenth-Century Political Thought|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2006|id=ISBN 0521374227}}</ref><ref>{{citation|last=Cassirer|first=Ernst |title=The Philosophy of the Enlightenment|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=1979|id=ISBN 0691019630}}</ref><ref name="natgeo 255">National Geographic, 255.</ref> Discontent with the aristocracy and clergy's monopoly on political power in France resulted in the [[French Revolution]] and the establishment of the [[French First Republic|First Republic]]: the monarchy and many of the nobility perished during the initial [[reign of terror]].<ref>{{citation|last=Schama|first=Simon|publisher=Knopf|title=Citizens: a chronicle of the French revolution|year=1989|id=ISBN 0394559487}}</ref> [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon Bonaparte]] rose to power in the aftermath of the French Revolution and established the [[First French Empire]] that, during the [[Napoleonic Wars]], grew to encompass large parts of Europe before collapsing in 1815 with the [[Battle of Waterloo]].<ref name="natgeo 360">National Geographic, 360.</ref><ref>{{citation|last=McEvedy|first=Colin|title=The Penguin Atlas of Modern History|publisher=Penguin Books|year=1972|id=ISBN 0140511539}}</ref>

[[Napoleonic Empire|Napoleonic rule]] resulted in the further dissemination of the ideals of the French Revolution, including that of [[nation-state]], as well as the widespread adoption of the French model for [[centralized government|administration]], [[Napoleonic code|law]] and [[Education in France|education]].<ref>{{citation|last=Lyons|first=Martyn| Napoleon Bonaparte and the Legacy of the French Revolution|publisher= St. Martin's Press|year= 1994|ISBN 0-312-12123-7}} </ref><ref>{{citation|last=Grab|first=Alexander|title=Napoleon and the Transformation of Europe (European History in Perspective) |publisher=Palgrave MacMillan|year=2003|id=ISBN 0-33-68275-0}}</ref><ref name="natgeo 350">National Geographic, 350.</ref> The [[Congress of Vienna]] was convened after Napoleon's downfall. It established a new balance of power in Europe centered on the five "[[great power]]s": the [[United Kingdom]], [[France]], [[Prussia]], [[Austrian Empire|Habsburg Austria]] and [[Russia]].<ref name="natgeo 367">National Geographic, 367.</ref> This balance would remain in place until the [[Revolutions of 1848]], during which liberal uprisings affected all of Europe except for Russia and Great Britain. The revolutions were eventually put down by more conservative elements and few reforms resulted.<ref name="natgeo 371">National Geographic, 371-373.</ref> In 1867 the [[Austro-Hungarian empire]] was [[Ausgleich|formed]]; and  1871 saw the unification of [[Italian unification|Italy]] and [[Unification of Germany|Germany]] as [[nation-states]] from smaller principalities.
<ref>{{citation|last=Davies|first=Norman|title=Europe: A History|publisher=Oxford University Press| year=1996|id=ISBN 0198201710}}
</ref>

The [[Industrial Revolution]] started in [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] in the last part of the 18th century and spread throughout Europe. The invention and implementation of new technology resulted in rapid urban growth, mass employment and the rise of a new working class.  <ref>{{citation|first=George Macaulay|last=Trevelyan|title=A shortened history of Engand|publisher=Penguin Books|year=1988|id=ISBN 0-14-010241-8}}</ref>  Reforms in social and economic spheres followed, including the [[Factory Acts| first laws]] on [[child labor]], the legalization of [[Trade Union]]s  <ref>{{citation | last=Webb|first= Sidney|first= Webb|last= Beatrice | title=History of Trade Unionism | publisher= AMS Press | year=1976 | id=ISBN 0-404-06885-5}}</ref> and the [[abolition of slavery]]. <ref>{{citation|first=George Macaulay|last=Trevelyan|title=English Social History|publisher=Longmans, Green|year=1942}}</ref> [[Karl Marx]]'s [[Manifesto of the Communist Party]] was published in [[London]] in 1848. <ref>{{citation|last=McLellan|first=David| year=1973|title=Karl Marx: His Life and Thought|publisher=Harper & Row|id=ISBN 0060128291}}</ref><ref name="natgeo 369">National Geographic, 369.</ref>

=== 20th century and present ===
{{main|Modern History|History of Europe}}
{{seealso|World War I|Great Depression|World War II|Cold War|History of the European Union}}

[[Image:Europe 1914.png|right|thumb|250px|European military alliances in 1914; [[Central Powers]] purplish-red, [[Allies of World War I|Entente Powers]] grey and neutral countries yellow]]
The first half of the 20th century was dominated by two world wars and an economic depression. [[World War I]] was fought between 1914 and 1918. It started when [[Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria]] was assassinated by [[Gavrilo Princip]].<ref name="natgeo 407">National Geographic, 407.</ref> All European nations were drawn into the war, which was fought between two series of alliances: the [[Entente Powers]] (led by [[French Third Republic|France]], [[Russian Empire|Russia]] and the [[United Kingdom]], joined later by [[Italy]] and the [[United States]]) and the [[Central Powers]] (led by [[Austria-Hungary]], [[German Empire|Germany]] and the [[Ottoman Empire]]). The war's casualties, both civilian and military, were around 40 million.<ref name="natgeo 440">National Geographic, 440.</ref> World War I changed the map of Europe. Russia was plunged into the [[Russian Revolution (1917)|Russian Revolution]], after which  the [[Russian empire|Tsarist monarchy]] was replaced by the [[communist]] [[Soviet Union]].<ref name="natgeo 480">National Geographic, 480.</ref> [[Austria-Hungary]] and the [[Ottoman Empire]] collapsed and broke up into separate nations, and many other nations had their borders redrawn or eliminated altogether. The [[Treaty of Versailles]] was harsh towards [[Germany]], upon whom it placed full responsibility for the war and imposed heavy sanctions.<ref name="natgeo 443">National Geographic, 443.</ref>

Economic instability, caused in part by debts incurred from the First World War, brought about the worldwide [[Great Depression]] during the 1930s, precipitated by the [[Wall Street Crash of 1929]]. [[Fascism|Fascist movements]] developed throughout Europe during the economic crisis, placing leaders [[Adolf Hitler]] of [[Nazi Germany]], [[Francisco Franco]] of [[Spain]] and [[Benito Mussolini]] of [[Italy]] in power. <ref> {{citation|last=Hobsbawm|first=Eric|The Age of Extremes: A history of the world, 1914-1991|publisher=Vintage|year=1995|id=ISBN 978--0-73005-7}}</ref><ref name="natgeo 438">National Geographic, 438.</ref> [[Image:Yalta Conference.jpg|thumb|left|The "[[Allies of World War II|Big Three]]" at the [[Yalta Conference]]. Seated are [[Winston Churchill]], [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] and [[Joseph Stalin]].]]

Hitler began slowly expanding Germany's size after coming to power, incorporating [[Austria]] with the [[Anschluss]] in 1938 and later [[Czechoslovakia]] after already annexing the [[Sudetenland]] in a move that was highly contested by the other powers but ultimately permitted in hopes of [[appeasement|appeasing]] Hitler. His [[Invasion of Poland (1939)| invasion of Poland]] in 1939, [[Soviet invasion of Poland (1939)|backed by Soviet troops]], prompted France and the United Kingdom to declare war, starting [[World War II]] in Europe. <ref name="natgeo 465">National Geographic, 465.</ref><ref>{{citation|last=Taylor|first=A.J.P.|title= The Origins of the Second World War|date=1996|publisher=Simon & Schuster| id=ISBN 0684829479}}</ref>
In 1940 Germany [[blitzkrieg|quickly]] conquered the [[Low Countries]], [[Denmark]] and [[Norway]]. Aided by their newly declared allies [[Italy]], they occupied France, but failed in their [[Battle of Britain|bombing offensive on Britain]].<ref name="natgeo 510">National Geographic, 510.</ref>  In 1941 they unexpectedly turned on their former Soviet allies with an ultimately unsuccessful [[Operation Barbarossa|invasion of the Soviet Union]].<ref name="natgeo 532">National Geographic, 532.</ref> [[Empire of Japan|Japan]]'s surprise [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] drew the United States into the conflict as allies of the British and [[Free French]] forces.<ref name="natgeo 511">National Geographic, 511.</ref><ref name="natgeo 519">National Geographic, 519.</ref> By 1944 the Germans were being attacked on two fronts: by Soviet forces in the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|east]] and by British and U.S. forces in the [[Western Front (World War II)|west]]. [[Berlin]] finally fell in 1945, ending World War II in Europe. The war was the largest and most destructive in human history, with 60 million dead across the world,<ref name="natgeo 439">National Geographic, 439.</ref> including between 9 and 11 million people who perished during [[the Holocaust]].<ref name="natgeo 520">National Geographic, 520.</ref>
[[Image:European flag in the wind.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[flag of Europe]] used by the [[Council of Europe]] and [[European Union]].]]
World War I and especially World War II ended the pre-eminence of Western Europe in world affairs. After World War II the map of Europe was redrawn at the [[Yalta Conference]] and divided into two blocs, the Western countries and the [[communist]] Eastern bloc, separated by an "[[iron curtain]]". The United States and Western Europe
established the [[NATO]] alliance and later the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe established the [[Warsaw Pact]]. <ref name="natgeo 530">National Geographic, 530.</ref> The two new [[superpower]]s, the [[United States]] and the [[Soviet Union]], became locked in a fifty-year long [[Cold War]], centered on [[nuclear proliferation]]. At the same time [[decolonization]], which had already started after World War I, gradually resulted in the independence of most of the European colonies in [[Asia]] and [[Africa]].<ref name="natgeo 534">National Geographic, 534.</ref>
In the 1980s the [[glasnost|reforms]] of [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] and the [[solidarity]] movement in Poland accelerated the collapse of the Eastern bloc and the end of the Cold War.  Germany was reunited, after the symbolic [[fall of the Berlin Wall]] in 1989, and the maps of Eastern Europe had once more to be completely redrawn. <ref> {{citation|last=Hobsbawm|first=Eric|The Age of Extremes: A history of the world, 1914-1991|publisher=Vintage|year=1995| id=ISBN 978--0-73005-7}}</ref>

[[European integration]] also grew in the post-World War II years. The [[Treaty of Rome]] in 1957 established the [[European Economic Community]] between six Western European states with the goal of a unified economic policy and common market.<ref name="natgeo 536">National Geographic, 536.</ref> In 1967 the EEC, [[European Coal and Steel Community]] and [[Euratom]] formed the [[European Community]], which in 1993 became the [[European Union]]. The EU established a [[European Parliament|parliament]], [[European Court of Justice|court]] and [[European Central Bank|central bank]] and introduced the [[euro]] as a unified currency.<ref name="natgeo 537">National Geographic, 537.</ref> Beginning in the 1990s after the end of the Cold War, Eastern European countries began joining, expanding the EU to its current size of 27 European nations.<ref name="natgeo 535">National Geographic, 535.</ref>

==Geography and extent==
[[Image:Europe satellite globe.jpg|thumb|250px|A [[satellite]] composite image of Europe]]
{{main|Geography of Europe}}
<!--
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; float: right; margin-right:60px" 
!colspan=2 |Definitions of Europe
|-
|[[Image:Location of Europe.png|250px|thumb|Traditional definition of Europe]]
||[[Image:Newspaper Georgian Times New Europe definition.PNG|250px|Georgian Times new definition of Europe]]
|-
|Traditional Definition<br/> of Europe|| New Definition of Europe<br/> Proposed by the Georgian Times [http://www.geotimes.ge/index.php?m=home&newsid=2912] This is not a common definition, and why was Canada not added to "Europe"
|}-->

[[Physical geography|Physiographically]], Europe is the northwestern constituent of the larger landmass known as [[Eurasia]], or [[Afro-Eurasia]]: [[Asia]] occupies the eastern bulk of this continuous landmass and all share a common [[continental shelf]]. Europe's eastern frontier is now commonly delineated by the [[Ural Mountains]] in [[Russia]]. The first century AD geographer [[Strabo]], <ref>Strabo ''Geography 11.1''</ref> took the [[Tanais River]] to be the boundary, as did early [[Judea|Judaic]] sources. The southeast boundary with Asia is not universally defined. Most commonly the [[Ural River|Ural]] or, alternatively, the [[Emba River]] serve as possible boundaries. The boundary continues to the [[Caspian Sea]], the crest of the [[Caucasus Mountains]] or, alternatively, the [[Kura River]] in the [[Caucasus]], and on to the [[Black Sea]]; the [[Bosporus]], the [[Sea of Marmara]], and the [[Dardanelles]] conclude the Asian boundary. The [[Mediterranean Sea]] to the south separates Europe from [[Africa]]. The western boundary is the [[Atlantic Ocean]]; [[Iceland]], though nearer to [[Greenland]] ([[North America]]) than mainland Europe, is generally included in Europe. There is ongoing debate on where the [[geographical centre of Europe]] is. ''For detailed description of the boundary between Asia and Europe see [[transcontinental nation]].''

Because of sociopolitical and cultural differences, there are various descriptions of Europe's boundary; in some sources, some territories are not included in Europe, while other sources include them. For instance, geographers from [[Post-Soviet states|Russia and other post-Soviet states]] generally include the Urals in Europe while including Caucasia in Asia. Similarly, numerous geographers consider [[Azerbaijan]]'s and [[Armenia]]'s southern border with [[Iran]] and [[Turkey]]'s southern and eastern border with [[Syria]], [[Iraq]] and Iran as the boundary between Asia and Europe because of political and cultural reasons. In the same way, despite being close to Asia and Africa, the Mediterranean islands of [[Cyprus]] and [[Malta]] are considered part of Europe.

===Physical geography===
Land relief in Europe shows great variation within relatively small areas. The southern regions, however, are more mountainous, while moving north the terrain descends from the high [[Alps]], [[Pyrenees]] and [[Carpathian Mountains|Carpathians]], through hilly uplands, into broad, low northern plains, which are vast in the east. This extended lowland is known as the [[Great European Plain]], and at its heart lies the [[North German Plain]]. An arc of uplands also exists along the north-western seaboard, which begins in the western parts of [[Great Britain|Britain]] and [[Ireland]], and then continues along the mountainous, [[fjord]]-cut, spine of [[Norway]].

This description is simplified. Sub-regions such as the [[Iberian Peninsula]] and the [[Italian Peninsula]] contain their own complex features, as does mainland Central Europe itself, where the relief contains many plateaus, river valleys and basins that complicate the general trend. Sub-regions like [[Iceland]], Britain and Ireland are special cases. The former is a land unto itself in the northern ocean which is counted as part of Europe, while the latter are upland areas that were once joined to the mainland until rising sea levels cut them off.

<gallery>
Image:Albours.jpg|[[Mount Elbrus]], the highest mountain in Europe.
Image:Tara River Canyon.jpg|[[Tara River Canyon]], the deepest canyon in Europe is located in [[Montenegro]].
Image:Vourvourou-Greece.jpg|Shoreline in [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] [[Greece]].
Image:Russia_River_Volga.jpg|Europe's longest river, the [[Volga River]], at [[Yaroslavl]].
Image:Päijänne and päijätsalo.jpg|[[Päijänne]] lake and [[white nights]] in [[Finland]].
Image:Iceland Dettifoss 1972-4.jpg|[[Dettifoss]], the most powerful [[waterfall]] in Europe, is located in northeastern [[Iceland]].
Image:Grosser_Aletschgletscher_3196.JPG|[[Aletsch Glacier]], the largest glacier in Continental Europe, is located in [[Switzerland]]
Image:Cabo da Roca - Sintra - 060415 19.JPG|[[Cabo da Roca|Cape Roca]], a [[Headlands and bays|cape]] that forms the [[Extreme points of Europe|westernmost point]] of mainland Europe, is located in [[Portugal]]  
</gallery>

== Geology ==
{{main|Geology of Europe}}
The Geology of Europe is hugely varied and complex, and gives rise to the wide variety of landscapes found across the continent, from the [[Scottish Highlands]] to the rolling [[plain]]s of [[Hungary]].

Europe's most significant feature is the dichotomy between highland and mountainous [[Southern Europe]] and a vast, partially underwater, northern plain ranging from [[England]] in the west to [[Ural Mountains]] in the east. These two halves are separated by the mountain chains of [[Pyrenees]] and [[Alps]]/[[Carpathian Mountains|Carpathians]]. The northern plains are delimited in the west by the [[Scandinavian Mountains]] and the mountainous parts of the [[British Isles]]. Major shallow water bodies submerging parts of the northern plains are the [[Celtic Sea]] the [[North Sea]], the [[Baltic Sea]] complex and [[Barents Sea]].

The northern plain contain the old geological continent of [[Baltica]], and so may be regarded geologically as the "main continent", while peripheral highlands and mountainous regions in south and west constitute fragments from various other geological continents. Most of the older geology of [[Western Europe]] existed as part of the ancient [[microcontinent]] [[Avalonia]].

=== Geological history ===
The geological history of Europe traces back to the formation of the [[Baltic Shield]] (Fennoscandia) and the [[Sarmatian craton]], both around 2250 million years ago, followed by the [[Volgo-Uralia]] shield, the three together leading to the [[East European craton]] (≈ [[Baltica]]) which became a part of the [[supercontinent]] [[Columbia (supercontinent)|Columbia]]. Around 1100 million years ago, Baltica and Arctica (as part of the [[Laurentia]] block) became joined to [[Rodinia]], later resplitting around 550 million years ago to reform as Baltica. Around 440 million years ago [[Euramerica]] was formed from Baltica and Laurentia; a further joining with [[Gondwana]] then leading to the formation of [[Pangea]]. Around 190 million years ago, Gondwana and [[Laurasia]] split apart due to the widening of the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. Finally, and very soon afterwards, Laurasia itself split up again, into Laurentia ([[North America]]) and an Eurasian continent. The land connection between the two persisted for a considerable time, via [[Greenland]], leading to interchange of animal species. From around 50 million years ago, rising and falling sea levels have determined the actual shape of Europe, and its connections with continents such as [[Asia]]. Europe's present shape dates to the late [[Tertiary period]] about five million years ago.<ref name="encyclopedia britannica">"[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9106055 Europe]." [[Encyclopædia Britannica]]. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 1 Dec. 2007.</ref>

== Biodiversity ==
{{seealso|Fauna of Europe}}
[[Image:Europe biogeography countries.svg|right|thumb|300px|Biogeographic regions of Europe (including Asian part of Turkey)]]

Having lived side-by-side with agricultural peoples for millennia, Europe's animals and plants have been profoundly affected by the presence and activities of man. With the exception of [[Fennoscandia]] and northern [[Russia]], few areas of untouched wilderness are currently found in Europe, except for various national parks.

The main natural vegetation cover in Europe is mixed [[forest]]. The conditions for growth are very favourable. In the north, the [[Gulf Stream]] and [[North Atlantic Current|North Atlantic Drift]] warm the continent. Southern Europe could be described as having a warm, but mild climate. There are frequent summer droughts in this region. Mountain ridges also affect the conditions. Some of these ([[Alps]], [[Pyrenees]]) are oriented east-west and allow the wind to carry large masses of water from the ocean in the interior. Others are oriented south-north ([[Scandinavian Mountains]], [[Dinaric Alps|Dinarides]], [[Carpathian Mountains|Carpathians]], [[Apennine Mountains|Apennines]]) and because the rain falls primarily on the side of mountains that is oriented towards sea, forests grow well on this side, while on the other side, the conditions are much less favourable. Few corners of mainland Europe have not been grazed by [[livestock]] at some point in time, and the cutting down of the pre-agricultural forest habitat caused disruption to the original plant and animal ecosystems.

Eighty to ninety per cent of Europe was once covered by forest. It stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the [[Arctic Ocean]]. Though over half of Europe's original forests disappeared through the centuries of [[deforestation]], Europe still has over one quarter of its land area as forest, such as the [[taiga]] of Scandinavia and Russia, mixed [[rainforest]]s of the Caucasus and the [[Cork oak]] forests in the western Mediterranean. During recent times, deforestation has been slowed and many trees have been planted. However, in many cases monoculture [[plantation]]s of [[Pinophyta|conifers]] have replaced the original mixed natural forest, because these grow quicker. The plantations now cover vast areas of land, but offer poorer habitats for many European forest dwelling species which require a mixture of tree species and diverse forest structure. The amount of natural forest in Western Europe is just 2–3% or less, in European Russia 5–10%. The country with the smallest percentage of forested area (excluding the micronations) is [[Iceland]] (2%), while the most forested country is Finland(72%).

In temperate Europe, mixed forest with both [[flowering plant|broadleaf]] and [[pinophyta|coniferous]] trees dominate. The most important species in central and western Europe are [[beech]] and [[oak]]. In the north, the taiga is a mixed [[spruce]]-[[pine]]-[[birch]] forest; further north within Russia and extreme northern Scandinavia, the taiga gives way to [[tundra]] as the Arctic is approached. In the Mediterranean, many [[olive]] trees have been planted, which are very well adapted to its arid climate; [[Cupressus sempervirens|Mediterranean Cypress]] is also widely planted in southern Europe. The semi-arid Mediterranean region hosts much scrub forest. A narrow east-west tongue of Eurasian [[grassland]] (the [[steppe]]) extends eastwards from Ukraine and southern Russia and ends in Hungary and traverses into taiga to the north.

Glaciation during the most recent [[ice age]] and the presence of man affected the distribution of [[Fauna of Europe|European fauna]]. As for the animals, in many parts of Europe most large animals and top [[predator]] species have been hunted to extinction. The [[woolly mammoth]] was extinct before the end of the [[Neolithic]] period. Today [[wolf|wolves]] ([[carnivore]]s) and [[bears]] ([[omnivore]]s) are endangered. Once they were found in most parts of Europe. However, deforestation caused these animals to withdraw further and further. By the [[Middle Ages]] the bears' habitats were limited to more or less inaccessible mountains with sufficient forest cover. Today, the [[European brown bear|brown bear]] lives primarily in the Balkan peninsula, Scandinavia, and Russia; a small number also persist in other countries across Europe (Austria, Pyrenees etc.), but in these areas brown bear populations are fragmented and marginalised because of the destruction of their habitat. In addition, [[polar bear]]s may be found on [[Svalbard]], a [[Norway|Norwegian]] archipelago far north of Scandinavia. The [[Eurasian wolf| wolf]], the second largest predator in Europe after the brown bear, can be found primarily in [[Eastern Europe]] and in the Balkans, with a handful of packs in pockets of [[Western Europe]] (Scandinavia, Spain, etc.).

Other important European carnivores are [[Eurasian lynx]], European [[wild cat]], [[fox]]es (especially the [[red fox]]), [[jackal]] and different species of [[marten]]s, [[hedgehog]]s, different species of [[List of European reptiles|reptiles]] snakes ([[Viperinae|viper]]s, [[grass snake]]…), different [[List of European birds|birds]] ([[owl]]s, [[hawk]]s and other [[birds of prey]]).

Important European [[herbivore]]s are [[snail]]s, [[List of European amphibians|amphibian]] [[larva]]e, [[fish]], different birds, and [[List of European mammals|mammal]]s, like [[rodent]]s, [[deer]] and [[roe deer]], [[boar]]s, and living in the mountains, [[marmot]]s, [[Alpine Ibex|steinbocks]], [[chamois]] among others.

Sea creatures are also an important part of European flora and fauna. The sea flora is mainly [[phytoplankton]]. Important animals that live in European seas are [[zooplankton]], [[mollusc]]s, [[echinoderm]]s, different [[crustacean]]s, [[squid]]s and [[octopuses]], fish, [[dolphin]]s, and [[whales]].

Biodiversity is protected in Europe through the [[Council of Europe]]'s [[Bern Convention]]), which has also been signed by the [[European Community]] as well as non-European states.

==Demographics==
{{main|Demographics of Europe|European ethnic groups|Aging of Europe}}
[[Image:Europe population growth 2006.png|thumb|left|The population growth/decline of European countries]]
Since the Renaissance and the [[Age of Discovery]], Europe has had a major influence in culture, economics and social movements in the world. European demographics are important not only historically, but also in understanding current international relations and population issues.

Some current and past issues in European demographics have included [[Emigration|religious emigration]], [[race relations]], [[Immigration#Why do people immigrate.3F|economic immigration]], a declining [[birth rate]] and an [[aging population]]. In some countries, such as the [[Republic of Ireland]] and [[Poland]], access to [[abortion]] is currently limited; in the past, such restrictions and also restrictions on artificial birth control were commonplace throughout Europe. Furthermore, three European countries ([[The Netherlands]], [[Belgium]] and [[Switzerland]]) have allowed a limited form of [[voluntary euthanasia]] for some terminally ill people.

In 2005 the population of Europe was estimated to be 728 million according to the [[United Nations]], which is slightly more than one-ninth of the [[world]]'s population. A century ago Europe had nearly a quarter of the [[world population|world's population]]. The population of Europe has grown in the past century, but in other areas of the world (in particular [[Africa]] and [[Asia]]) the population has grown far more quickly.<ref name="UNPP 2004">[http://esa.un.org/unpp UNPP, 2004 Revision World Population Prospects: The 2004 Revision Population Database]. [[United Nations]] Population Division, 2005. Last accessed October 25, 2006.</ref> According to UN population projection (medium variant), Europe's share will fall to 7% in 2050, numbering 653 million.<ref>http://esa.un.org/unpp/p2k0data.asp</ref> Within this context, significant disparities exist between religions in relation to [[overpopulation|fertility rates]]. The average number of [[List of countries and territories by fertility rate|children per female]] of child bearing age is 1.52. According to some sources,<ref>[http://www.brookings.edu/views/op-ed/fellows/taspinar20030301.htm Brookings Institute Report]</ref><ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4385768.stm</ref> this rate is higher among Muslims.
In 2005 the [[EU]] had an overall net gain from [[immigration]] of 1.8 million people, despite having one of the highest [[population density|population densities]] in the world. This accounted for almost 85% of Europe's total [[population growth]].<ref>[http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=402 Europe: Population and Migration in 2005]</ref>

==Political geography==
===Territories and regions===
{{seealso|Demographics of Europe|List of European countries by population}}
[[Image:Location-Europe-UNsubregions.png|right|thumb|230px|[[Region]]s of Europe as delineated by the [[United Nations]] (other categorisations may vary):
{{legend|#4080FF|[[Northern Europe]]}}
{{legend|#00FFFF|[[Western Europe]]}}
{{legend|#FF8080|[[Eastern Europe]]}}
{{legend|#00FF00|[[Southern Europe]]}}]]
The countries in this table are categorised according to the [[UN geoscheme|scheme for geographic subregions]] used by the [[United Nations]], and data included are per sources in cross-referenced articles. Where they differ, provisos are clearly indicated.

According to different definitions, such as consideration of the concept of [[Central Europe]], the following territories and regions may be subject to various other categorisations. <br/>

{| border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" class="references-small" style="border:1px solid #aaa; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#ECECEC"
! Name of [[subregion|region]]{{Cref|a}} and<br/>territory, with [[flag]]
! [[List of countries by area|Area]]<br/>(km²)
! [[List of countries by population|Population]]<br/>(1 July, 2002 est.)
! [[List of countries by population density|Population density]]<br/>(per km²)
! [[Capital]]
|-
| colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Eastern Europe]]:'''
|-
| {{flagicon|Belarus}} [[Belarus]]
| align="right" | 207,600
| align="right" | 10,335,382
| align="right" | 49.8
| [[Minsk]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Bulgaria}} [[Bulgaria]]
| align="right" | 110,910
| align="right" | 7,621,337
| align="right" | 68.7
| [[Sofia]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Czech Republic}} [[Czech Republic]]
| align="right" | 78,866
| align="right" | 10,256,760
| align="right" | 130.1
| [[Prague]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Hungary}} [[Hungary]]
| align="right" | 93,030
| align="right" | 10,075,034
| align="right" | 108.3
| [[Budapest]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Moldova}} [[Moldova]]{{Cref|b}}
| align="right" | 33,843
| align="right" | 4,434,547
| align="right" | 131.0
| [[Chişinău]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Poland}} [[Poland]]
| align="right" | 312,685
| align="right" | 38,625,478
| align="right" | 123.5
| [[Warsaw]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Romania}} [[Romania]]
| align="right" | 238,391
| align="right" | 21,698,181
| align="right" | 91.0
| [[Bucharest]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Russia}} [[Russia]]{{Cref|c}}
| align="right" | 3,960,000
| align="right" | 106,037,143
| align="right" | 26.8
| [[Moscow]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Slovakia}} [[Slovakia]]
| align="right" | 48,845
| align="right" | 5,422,366
| align="right" | 111.0
| [[Bratislava]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Ukraine}} [[Ukraine]]
| align="right" | 603,700
| align="right" | 48,396,470
| align="right" | 80.2
| [[Kiev]]
|-
| colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Northern Europe]]:'''
|-
| {{flagicon|Åland}} [[Åland]] ([[Finland]])
| align="right" | 1,552
| align="right" | 26,008
| align="right" | 16.8
| [[Mariehamn]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Denmark}} [[Denmark]]
| align="right" | 43,094
| align="right" | 5,368,854
| align="right" | 124.6
| [[Copenhagen]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Estonia}} [[Estonia]]
| align="right" | 45,226
| align="right" | 1,415,681
| align="right" | 31.3
| [[Tallinn]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Faroe Islands}} [[Faroe Islands]] ([[Denmark]])
| align="right" | 1,399
| align="right" | 46,011
| align="right" | 32.9
| [[Tórshavn]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Finland}} [[Finland]]
| align="right" | 336,593
| align="right" | 5,157,537
| align="right" | 15.3
| [[Helsinki]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Guernsey}} [[Guernsey]]{{Cref|d}}
| align="right" | 78
| align="right" | 64,587
| align="right" | 828.0
| [[St Peter Port]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Iceland}} [[Iceland]]
| align="right" | 103,000
| align="right" | 307,261
| align="right" | 2.7
| [[Reykjavík]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Ireland}} [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]
| align="right" | 70,280
| align="right" | 4,234,925
| align="right" | 60.3
| [[Dublin]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Isle of Man}} [[Isle of Man]]{{Cref|d}}
| align="right" | 572
| align="right" | 73,873
| align="right" | 129.1
| [[Douglas, Isle of Man|Douglas]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Jersey}} [[Jersey]]{{Cref|d}}
| align="right" | 116
| align="right" | 89,775
| align="right" | 773.9
| [[Saint Helier]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Latvia}} [[Latvia]]
| align="right" | 64,589
| align="right" | 2,366,515
| align="right" | 36.6
| [[Riga]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Lithuania}} [[Lithuania]]
| align="right" | 65,200
| align="right" | 3,601,138
| align="right" | 55.2
| [[Vilnius]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Norway}} [[Norway]]
| align="right" | 324,220
| align="right" | 4,525,116
| align="right" | 14.0
| [[Oslo]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Norway}} [[Svalbard and Jan Mayen|Svalbard and Jan<br/>Mayen Islands]] ([[Norway]])
| align="right" | 62,049
| align="right" | 2,868
| align="right" | 0.046
| [[Longyearbyen]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Sweden}} [[Sweden]]
| align="right" | 449,964
| align="right" | 9,090,113
| align="right" | 19.7
| [[Stockholm]]
|-
| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom]]
| align="right" | 244,820
| align="right" | 61,100,835
| align="right" | 244.2
| [[London]]
|-
| colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Southern Europe]]:'''
|-
| {{flagicon|Albania}} [[Albania]]
| align="right" | 28,748
| align="right" | 3,600,523
| align="right" | 125.2
| [[Tirana]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Andorra}} [[Andorra]]
| align="right" | 468
| align="right" | 68,403
| align="right" | 146.2
| [[Andorra la Vella]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Bosnia and Herzegovina}} [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
| align="right" | 51,129
| align="right" | 4,448,500
| align="right" | 77.5
| [[Sarajevo]]
|-
| {{flagicon|CRO}} [[Croatia]]
| align="right" | 56,542
| align="right" | 4,437,460
| align="right" | 77.7
| [[Zagreb]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Gibraltar}} [[Gibraltar]] ([[United Kingdom|UK]])
| align="right" | 5.9
| align="right" | 27,714
| align="right" | 4,697.3
| [[Gibraltar]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Greece}} [[Greece]]
| align="right" | 131,940
| align="right" | 10,645,343
| align="right" | 80.7
| [[Athens]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Italy]]
| align="right" | 301,230
| align="right" | 58,751,711
| align="right" | 191.6
| [[Rome]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Republic of Macedonia}} [[Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia]]
| align="right" | 25,333
| align="right" | 2,054,800
| align="right" | 81.1
| [[Skopje]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Malta}} [[Malta]]
| align="right" | 316
| align="right" | 397,499
| align="right" | 1,257.9
| [[Valletta]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Montenegro}} [[Montenegro]]{{Cref|e}}
| align="right" | 13,812
| align="right" | 616,258
| align="right" | 44.6
| [[Podgorica]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Portugal}} [[Portugal]]{{Cref|f}}
| align="right" | 91,568
| align="right" | 10,084,245
| align="right" | 110.1
| [[Lisbon]]
|-
| {{flagicon|San Marino}} [[San Marino]]
| align="right" | 61
| align="right" | 27,730
| align="right" | 454.6
| [[San Marino, San Marino|San Marino]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Serbia}} [[Serbia]]{{Cref|g}}
| align="right" | 88,361
| align="right" | 9,663,742
| align="right" | 109.4
| [[Belgrade]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Slovenia]]
| align="right" | 20,273
| align="right" | 1,932,917
| align="right" | 95.3
| [[Ljubljana]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Spain}} [[Spain]]
| align="right" | 504,851
| align="right" | 45,061,274
| align="right" | 89.3
| [[Madrid]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Vatican City}} [[Vatican City]]
| align="right" | 0.44
| align="right" | 900
| align="right" | 2,045.5
| [[Vatican City]]
|-
| colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Western Europe]]:'''
|-
| {{flagicon|Austria}} [[Austria]]
| align="right" | 83,858
| align="right" | 8,169,929
| align="right" | 97.4
| [[Vienna]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Belgium]]
| align="right" | 30,510
| align="right" | 10,274,595
| align="right" | 336.8
| [[Brussels]]
|-
| {{flagicon|France}} [[France]]{{Cref|h}}
| align="right" | 547,030
| align="right" | 59,765,983
| align="right" | 109.3
| [[Paris]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Germany]]
| align="right" | 357,021
| align="right" | 83,251,851
| align="right" | 233.2
| [[Berlin]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Liechtenstein}} [[Liechtenstein]]
| align="right" | 160
| align="right" | 32,842
| align="right" | 205.3
| [[Vaduz]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Luxembourg}} [[Luxembourg]]
| align="right" | 2,586
| align="right" | 448,569
| align="right" | 173.5
| [[Luxembourg (city)|Luxembourg]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Monaco}} [[Monaco]]
| align="right" | 1.95
| align="right" | 31,987
| align="right" | 16,403.6
| [[Monaco]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Netherlands]]{{Cref|i}}
| align="right" | 41,526
| align="right" | 16,318,199
| align="right" | 393.0
| [[Amsterdam]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Switzerland}} [[Switzerland]]
| align="right" | 41,290
| align="right" | 7,507,000
| align="right" | 176.8
| [[Bern]]
|-
| colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Central Asia]]:'''
|-
| {{flagicon|Kazakhstan}} [[Kazakhstan]]{{Cref|j}}
| align="right" | 150,000
| align="right" | 600,000
| align="right" | 4.0
| [[Astana]]
|-
| colspan=5 style="background:#eee;" | '''[[Western Asia]]:'''{{Cref|k}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Azerbaijan}} [[Azerbaijan]]{{Cref|l}}
| align="right" | 7,110 <!--{{editnote | NOTE: Do not alter this entry without discussion—this entry exhibits the area for the portion of Azerbaijan north of the main crest of the Caucasus out of total area.-->
| align="right" | 175,200 <!--{{editnote | NOTE: Do not alter this entry without discussion -- this entry exhibits the population of the European portion of Azerbaijan north of the main crest of the Caucasus out of total population.-->
| align="right" | 24.6
| [[Baku]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Georgia}} [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]{{Cref|m}}
| align="right" | 2,000<!--{{editnote | NOTE: Do not alter this entry without discussion -- this entry exhibits the area for the portion of Georgia north of the main crest of the Caucasus out of total area.-->
| align="right" | 37,520<!--{{editnote | NOTE: Do not alter this entry without discussion -- this entry exhibits the population of the European portion of Georgia north of the main crest of the Caucasus out of total population.-->
| align="right" | 18.8
| [[Tbilisi]]
|-
| {{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Turkey]]{{Cref|n}}
| align="right" | 24,378<!--{{editnote | NOTE: Do not alter this entry without discussion -- this entry exhibits the area for the portion of Turkey northwest of the Bosporus out of total area.-->
| align="right" | 11,044,932<!--{{editnote | NOTE: Do not alter this entry without discussion -- this entry exhibits the population of the European portion of Turkey northwest of the Bosporus out of total population.-->
| align="right" | 453.1
| [[Ankara]]
|- style=" font-weight:bold; "
| Total
| align="right" | 10,176,246{{Cref|o}}
| align="right" | 709,608,850{{Cref|p}}
| align="right" | 69.7
|}
<br/>

==Economy==
[[Image:Europe gdp map-1-.png|right|thumb|European nations by GDP per capita in 2002]]
{{main|Economy of Europe}}

As a continent, the economy of Europe is currently the largest on Earth. The [[European Union]], or EU, an intergovernmental body composed of most of the European states, is one of the two largest in the world. Of the member states in the EU, Germany has the largest national economy. Thirteen EU countries share a common unit of currency, the [[euro]]. Major economic sectors in Europe include agriculture, manufacturing, and investment. The majority of the EU's trade is with the United States, China, India, Russia and non-member European states.
<br clear="right" />
== Language ==
[[Image:Languages of Europe.png|thumb|Linguistic map of Europe (simplified).]]
{{main|Languages of Europe}}
{{seealso|Eurolinguistics}}

European languages mostly fall within three language groups: the [[Romance languages]], derived from the [[Latin language]] of the [[Roman Empire]]; the [[Germanic languages]], whose ancestor language came from southern [[Scandinavia]]; and the [[Slavic languages]].<ref name="encyclopedia britannica"/>

Romance languages are spoken primarily in south-western Europe as well as [[Romania]] and [[Moldova]] which are situated in [[Eastern Europe]]. Germanic languages are spoken more or less in north-western Europe and some parts of [[central Europe]]. Slavic languages are spoken in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe.<ref name="encyclopedia britannica"/>

Many other languages outside the three main groups are spoken in Europe. The [[English language]] is unique, as it is a hybrid of the Romance and Germanic languages. The [[Celtic language]] group was once a distinct group like the Romance, Germanic and Slavic language groups but has mostly died out, with the exceptions of [[Welsh language|Welsh]] and [[Goidelic languages|Gaelic]] in the [[British Isles]] and some speakers in [[Brittany]].<ref name="encyclopedia britannica"/>

Multilingualism and the protection of regional and minority languages are recognized political goals in Europe today. The [[Council of Europe]] [[Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities]] and the [[Council of Europe]]'s [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages]] set up a legal framework for language rights in Europe.

==Religions==

{{main|Religion in Europe}}
[[Image:Europe religion map en.png|thumb|250px|Predominant religions in Europe
{{legend|#496EB8|[[Roman Catholicism]]}}
{{legend|#C44F4F|[[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christianity]]}}
{{legend|#855C99|[[Protestantism]]}}
{{legend|#3D9956|[[Sunni Islam]]}}
{{legend|#2E7340|[[Shia Islam]]}}
{{legend|#FAD000|[[Judaism]]}}
]]

The most prevalent religions of Europe are the following:
* '''[[Christianity]]'''
** '''[[Roman Catholicism]]''': Countries or areas with significant Catholic populations are [[Andorra]], [[Austria]], west [[Belarus]], [[Belgium]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Croatia]], the [[Czech Republic]], [[France]], south and west [[Germany]], [[Hungary]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Italy]], [[Latgale]] region in [[Latvia]], [[Liechtenstein]], [[Lithuania]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Malta]], [[Monaco]], south [[Netherlands]], [[Poland]], [[Portugal]], [[Romania]], [[San Marino]], [[Serbia]], [[Slovakia]], [[Slovenia]], [[Spain]], central and south [[Switzerland]], and [[Vatican City]]. There are also large Catholic minorities in [[Great Britain]]: [[England]], [[Scotland]], [[Wales]] and most European countries.
** '''[[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern-Rite Catholicism]]''' also known as "[[Eastern Catholic Churches#The term "Uniate"|Uniatism]]", is found in western [[Ukraine]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Cyprus]], [[Greece]], [[Armenia]], [[Hungary]], the [[Republic of Macedonia]], [[Romania]], [[Serbia]] and [[Slovakia]], southern [[Italy]] ([[Sardinia]] and [[Sicily]]) and [[Corsica]], [[France]].
** '''[[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christianity]]''': The countries with significant Orthodox populations are [[Greece]], [[Russia]], [[Belarus]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], the [[Republic of Macedonia]], [[Moldova]], [[Montenegro]], [[Armenia]], [[Serbia]], [[Ukraine]], [[Romania]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Cyprus]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], easternmost [[Hungary]], a small minority in Southern [[Italy]], [[Kazakhstan]], sizable minorities in [[Albania]], [[Latvia]] and [[Lithuania]], small minority in [[Poland]], [[Finland]] ([[Karelia]]).
** '''[[Protestantism]]''': Countries with significant Protestant populations include [[Denmark]], [[Estonia]], [[Finland]], north and east [[Germany]], [[Iceland]], [[Latvia]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Norway]], [[Sweden]]; east, north and west [[Switzerland]]; and the [[United Kingdom]]. There are significant minorities in [[France]], [[Slovakia]], the [[Czech Republic]], [[Hungary]], and [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], and a small minority in [[Poland]].
* '''[[Islam]]''': Countries with significant Muslim population are [[Albania]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Montenegro]], several republics of [[Russia]], [[Serbia]], [[Turkey]], [[Crimea]] in [[Ukraine]], and, from [[Western Europe]], [[France]]. <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4385768.stm Muslims in Europe: BBC Country guide]</ref>
Other religions are practiced by smaller groups in Europe, including:

* '''[[Judaism]]''' primarily in [[France]], [[Germany]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[Russia]]. At one time Judaism was practiced widely throughout the European continent, though it has dwindled in numbers since the expulsion, extermination, and exodus of [[Jewish people|Jews]] during the later portion of the second millennium.
* '''[[Hinduism]]''' mainly among [[India]]n immigrants in the [[United Kingdom]]. In 1998 there were an estimated 1,382,000 Hindu adherents in Europe alone [http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_306.html].
* '''[[Buddhism]]''' thinly spread throughout Europe.
* Indigenous European '''[[Polytheistic reconstructionism|pagan]]''' traditions and beliefs, many countries (a fast-growing neopagan movement in [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Ireland]] and United Kingdom is noted), and one neopagan faith [[Asatru]] recognized as a minority religion in [[Iceland]] (since 1973), [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]]. 
* '''[[Rastafari movement|Rastafari]]''', communities in the [[United Kingdom]], France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and elsewhere.
* '''[[Sikhism]]''' and '''[[Jainism]]''', small membership rolls, both mainly among Indian immigrants in the [[United Kingdom]].
* '''[[Voodoo]]''', mainly among [[blacks|black]] [[Caribbean]] and [[West Africa]]n immigrants in the [[United Kingdom]] and [[France]].
* '''[[African religions|Traditional African Religions]]''' (including [[Muti]]), mainly in the [[United Kingdom]] and [[France]].
* '''Other religions''' with few (or under a million) adherents in Europe: [[Animism]], [[Christian Scientists]], [[ecology|Eco-religion]], [[Gnosticism]], [[Paganism]],  [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], [[Mennonites]], [[Moravian Church]], [[Mormonism]] or [[Latter-day Saints]], [[Pantheism]], [[Polytheism]], theological [[relativism]], [[Scientology]], [[Seventh-day Adventists]], [[Universal Life Church]], [[Unitarians]], [[Wiccan]], and [[Zoroastrianism]].

Millions of Europeans profess no religion or are [[atheism|atheist]], [[agnosticism|agnostic]] or [[humanism|humanist]].  The largest non-confessional populations (as a percentage) are found in the [[Czech Republic]], [[Denmark]], [[France]], [[Germany]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Norway]], [[Sweden]] and the former [[soviet]] countries of [[Belarus]], [[Estonia]], [[Russia]] and [[Ukraine]], although most former [[communist]] countries have significant non-confessional populations.

===Official religions===
A number of countries in Europe have [[state religion|official religions]], including [[Liechtenstein]], [[Malta]], [[Monaco]], the [[Vatican City]] (Catholic), [[Greece]] (Eastern Orthodox), [[Denmark]], [[Iceland]], and [[Norway]] (Lutheran). In [[Switzerland]], some [[Cantons of Switzerland|cantons]] are officially Catholic, others Reformed Protestant. Some Swiss villages even have their religion as well as the village name written on the signs at their entrances.

[[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] has no established church, but the [[Georgian Orthodox Church]] enjoys ''de facto'' privileged status. In [[Finland]], both the [[Finnish Orthodox Church]] and the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland|Lutheran Church]] are official. [[England]], a part of the [[United Kingdom|UK]], has [[Anglicanism]] as its official religion. [[Scotland]], another part of the UK, has [[Presbyterianism]] as its [[national church]], but it is no longer "official", and in [[Sweden]], the national church is [[Lutheranism]], but it is also no longer "official". [[Azerbaijan]], [[France]], [[Portugal]], [[Romania]], [[Russia]],  [[Spain]] and [[Turkey]] are officially "secular".

==See also==
{{portalpar|Europe|Flag of Europe.svg}}
{{Columns-start|num=2}}
* [[History of Europe]]
* [[Culture of Europe]]
* [[Politics of Europe]]
* [[Economy of Europe]]
* [[Geography of Europe]]
* [[Geology of Europe]]
* [[Eurolinguistics]]
* [[List of European languages by country]]
* [[Prehistoric Europe]]
* [[Continental Europe]]
* [[List of extinct animals of Europe|Extinct animals of Europe]]
* [[Council of Europe]]
{{Column}}
* [[Euro]] and the [[Eurozone]]
* [[OSCE]]
* [[The European miracle]]
* [[Superpower#European Union controversy|Europe as a potential superpower]]
* [[Euroregion]] / [[Eurodistrict]]
* [[European American]]
* [[Euroscepticism]]
{{Columns-end}}

===Lists and tables===
;General
{{Columns-start|num=2}}
* [[Flags of Europe]]
{{Column}}
* [[List of European countries in order of geographical area|List of European countries by geographical area]]
{{Columns-end}}

;Demographics
{{Columns-start|num=2}}
* [[Demography of Europe]]
* [[Area and population of European countries]]
* [[European Union Statistics]]
* [[List of European countries by population]]
* [[European ethnic groups]]
{{Column}}
* [[Largest European metropolitan areas]]
* [[Largest urban areas of the European Union|Largest urban areas of the EU]]
* [[Largest cities of the European Union by population within city limits|Largest cities of the EU]]
{{Columns-end}}

;Economics
{{Columns-start|num=2}}
* [[Economy of the European Union]]
* [[Financial and social rankings of European countries]]
{{Column}}
* [[List of European countries by GDP]]
{{Columns-end}}

;Politics
{{Columns-start|num=2}}
* [[Date of independence of European countries]]
* [[List of European countries and their capitals|Capital cities of Europe]]
{{Column}}
* [[International Organisations in Europe]]
* [[Names of European cities in different languages|Alternative names of European cities]]
{{Columns-end}}

== Notes ==
{{Cnote|a|Continental regions as per [[:Image:United Nations geographical subregions.png|UN categorisations/map]]. Depending on definitions, various territories cited below may be in [[Transcontinental nation|one or both of]] Europe and [[Asia]], [[Africa]], or [[Oceania]].}}
{{Cnote|b|Includes [[Transnistria]], a region that has declared, and ''[[de facto]]'' [[list of unrecognized countries|achieved]], independence; however, it is not recognised ''[[de jure]]'' by sovereign [[state]]s.}}
{{Cnote|c|[[Russia]] is generally considered a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe (UN region) and Asia, with European territory west of the Ural Mountains and both the [[Ural River|Ural]] and [[Emba]] rivers; population and area figures are for European portion only.}}
{{Cnote|d|[[Guernsey]], [[Isle of Man]] and [[Jersey]] are [[Crown dependencies]] of the [[United Kingdom]].}}
{{Cnote|e|Montenegro declared independence from the union of [[Serbia and Montenegro]] on [[June 3]], [[2006]].}}
{{Cnote|f|Figures for [[Portugal]] include the [[Azores]] west of Portugal but exclude the [[Madeira Islands]], west of [[Morocco]] in [[Africa]].}}
{{Cnote|g|Figures for [[Serbia]] include [[Kosovo|Kosovo and Metohia]], a province administrated by the UN ([[UNMIK]]) as per [[Security Council]] [[Resolution 1244]].}}
{{Cnote|h|Figures for [[France]] include only [[metropolitan France]]: some [[Administrative divisions of France|politically integral parts of France]] are geographically located outside Europe.}}
{{Cnote|i|[[Netherlands]] population for July 2004. Population and area details include European portion only: Netherlands and two entities outside Europe ([[Aruba]] and the [[Netherlands Antilles]], in the [[Caribbean]]) constitute the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]].  [[Amsterdam]] is the official capital, while [[The Hague]] is the administrative seat.}}
{{Cnote|j|[[Kazakhstan]] is sometimes considered a transcontinental country in Central Asia (UN region) and Eastern Europe, with European territory west of the Ural Mountains and both the [[Ural River|Ural]] and [[Emba]] rivers; area figures are for European portion out of total.}}
{{Cnote|k|[[Armenia]] and [[Cyprus]] are sometimes considered transcontinental countries: both are physiographically in [[Western Asia]] but have historical and sociopolitical connections with Europe.}}
{{Cnote|l|[[Azerbaijan]] is often considered a transcontinental country in Western Asia (UN region) and Eastern Europe; population and area figures are for European portion (north of the crest of the [[Caucasus Mountains|Caucasus]] and the [[Kura River]]) out of total. This excludes the [[exclave]] of [[Nakhchivan]] and [[Nagorno-Karabakh]] (a region that has declared, and ''[[de facto]]'' [[list of unrecognized countries|achieved]], independence; however, it is not recognised ''[[de jure]]'' by sovereign [[state]]s).}}
{{Cnote|m|[[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] is often considered a transcontinental country in Western Asia (UN region) and Eastern Europe; population and area figures are for European portion (north of the crest of the [[Caucasus Mountains|Caucasus]] and the [[Kura River]]) out of total. Also includes [[Abkhazia]] and [[South Ossetia]], two regions that have declared, and ''[[de facto]]'' [[list of unrecognized countries|achieved]], independence; however, they are not recognised ''[[de jure]]'' by sovereign [[state]]s.}}
{{Cnote|n|[[Turkey]] is generally considered a transcontinental country in Western Asia (UN region) and Southern Europe: the region of [[Rumelia|Rumelia (Trakya)]]—which includes the provinces of [[Edirne Province|Edirne]], [[Kırklareli Province|Kırklareli]], [[Tekirdağ Province|Tekirdağ]], and the western parts of the [[Çanakkale Province|Çanakkale]] and [[Istanbul Province]]s—is west and north of the Bosporus and the Dardanelles; population and area figures are for European portion (including all of Istanbul) out of total population.}}
{{Cnote|o|The total area figure includes only European portions of transcontinental countries.}}
{{Cnote|p|The total population figure includes only European portions of transcontinental countries.}}

== Citations ==
{{reflist|2}}

== References ==
<div class="references-small">
* [[National Geographic]] (2005). ''National Geographic Visual History of the World''. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society. ISBN 0-7922-3695-5.
</div>

==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Europe}}

* {{wikitravel}}
*[http://www.the-map-as-history.com/maps/1_history-europe-XIX-congress-vienna.php An animated map of Europe at the time of the Congress of Vienna]
*[http://www.the-map-as-history.com/maps/3-history-europe-treaty-versailles.php An animated map of Europe at the end of the First World War]

* "Europe". ''[http://www.columbiagazetteer.org/ The Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online]''. 2005.  New York: Columbia University Press.
* [http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=13266 Europe at Night] at [[NASA Earth Observatory]]
* [http://www.coe.int/ Council of Europe]
* [http://europa.eu/ European Union]
{{Europefooter}}

{{Countries of Europe}}
{{Continents of the world}}
{{Regions of the world}}

[[bcl:Europa]]

[[Category:Continents]]
[[Category:Europe| ]]