In antiquity, the Greek historian Herodotus mentioned that the world had been divided by unknown persons into the three continents of Europe, Asia, and Libya (Africa), with the Nile and the River Phasis forming their boundaries-though he also states that some considered the River Don, rather than the Phasis, as the boundary between Europe and Asia. The use of the term "Europe" has developed gradually throughout history. The British Isles and Scandinavia are not included in Europe proper. European integration led to the formation of the Council of Europe and the European Union in Western Europe, both of which have been expanding eastward since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.Įuropa regina map from Münster (1570). During the Cold War, Europe was divided along the Iron Curtain between NATO in the west and the Warsaw Pact in the east. Both World Wars were largely focused upon Europe, greatly contributing to a decline in Western European dominance in world affairs by the mid-20th century as the United States and Soviet Union took prominence. Between the 16th and 20th centuries, European nations controlled at various times the Americas, most of Africa, Oceania, and large portions of Asia. It played a predominant role in global affairs from the 16th century onwards, especially after the beginning of colonialism. Įurope, in particular Ancient Greece, is the birthplace of Western culture. Europe is the third-most populous continent after Asia and Africa, with a population of 733 million or about 11% of the world's population. Of Europe's approximately 50 states, Russia is the largest by both area and population (although the country has territory in both Europe and Asia), while the Vatican City is the smallest. Yet the borders of Europe-a concept dating back to classical antiquity-are somewhat arbitrary, as the primarily physiographic term "continent" can incorporate cultural and political elements.Įurope is the world's second-smallest continent by surface area, covering about 10,180,000 square kilometres (3,930,000 sq mi) or 2% of the Earth's surface and about 6.8% of its land area. Europe is bordered by the Arctic Ocean and other bodies of water to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and the Black Sea and connected waterways to the southeast. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting the Black and Aegean Seas. EuropeĮurope ( / ˈ jʊər ə p/ YEWR-əp or / ˈ j ɜːr ə p/ YUR-əp ) is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation).
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