Geography
What is Europe like?
Quick answer
Europe is a continent of about 50 countries, from Iceland and Portugal in the west to Russia in the east. It is small in area but has many languages, cultures and capital cities.
In one sentence
Europe is the western part of the huge Eurasian landmass, made up of around 50 countries that share a continent but speak many languages.
Explained
Europe is the second-smallest continent by area, but it has about 740 million people. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and the Ural Mountains in Russia to the east, where it meets Asia.
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The landscape changes quickly. In the north, Norway, Sweden and Finland have forests, lakes and fjords. The Alps, with Mont Blanc as the highest summit at about 4,800 metres, run through the middle. Southern countries such as Spain, Italy and Greece have warm Mediterranean coasts. The Volga is the longest river, while the Rhine, Danube and Seine are among the best known. The Danube flows through more countries than any other river in the world, ten of them.
Europe has many small countries close together, so you can cross several borders in a day. Russia is the largest country, and Vatican City, inside Rome, is the smallest in the world. Some capital cities are London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Warsaw and Athens. Many languages are spoken, but most belong to a few families: Romance (such as French, Spanish and Italian), Germanic (English, German, Dutch) and Slavic (Polish, Russian, Czech).
Europe is also home to very old history. The Romans built roads and cities here, and castles from the Middle Ages still stand across the continent. Many European countries belong to the European Union, but not all of them do. For a closer look at nations and their capitals, see capital cities.
Examples
| Country | Capital | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | London | islands, Big Ben |
| France | Paris | the Eiffel Tower, the Alps |
| Italy | Rome | ancient history, volcanoes |
| Germany | Berlin | the Rhine, forests |
| Poland | Warsaw | the Vistula |
Common mistakes
- "Europe and the EU are the same." The EU is a group of countries; several European countries are not members.
- "Europe is a separate landmass." It is joined to Asia, and the border is a line chosen by convention.
- "The UK is a continent." It is a country (four nations) on islands off the coast of Europe.
Quick quiz
Europe
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Question 1 of 4
Which mountains run through central Europe?
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For grown-ups
Related topics
Continents
Continents are the very large areas of land on Earth. In English-speaking schools you usually learn seven, but some countries count six.
Countries
A country is an area of land with its own borders, government and laws. Most lists count 195 countries in the world today.
Capital cities
A capital city is the city where a country's government is based. It is not always the biggest city: Nigeria's capital is Abuja, not Lagos.
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest continent, with 54 countries, the Sahara Desert, the River Nile, the Congo rainforest and savannas full of wildlife.
Antarctica
Antarctica is the frozen continent around the South Pole. It is the coldest, windiest and driest continent, covered by ice, and has no permanent residents.
Asia
Asia is the largest continent, covering about a third of the world's land and holding around 60 percent of its people. It has Mount Everest, the Himalayas and the most populous countries.