Europe

Europe is located in the northern hemisphere which is determined by our latitude lines that go east-west. Europe is the second smallest of the world’s seven continents. Nevertheless Europe has more people than any other continent except Asia and Africa; and is home to more than 40 different countries.

The continent is surrounded by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Africa to the south, and Asia to the east. Europe has scarcely any desert, and a greater proportion of its land is suitable for farming than in any other continent. More than half the land—including much of Western and Eastern Europe—consists of fairly flat, low plains. In parts of Northern Europe glaciers have created a rocky landscape. Most of Western Europe has a moist and moderate climate, while Eastern Europe has cold winters and hot summers, especially in the southeast. The winter can be long and very cold in the far north.

Most Europeans are descended from other Europeans, though some Europeans are of African or Asian ancestry. The vast majority of the people speak either a Romance language (such as French, Spanish, and Italian), a Germanic language (such as German, English, and the Scandinavian languages), or a Slavic language (such as Russian, Polish, and Czech).

Some form of Christianity is the main religion in almost every European country. Most Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese, French, Austrians, Hungarians, Poles, and Belgians are Roman Catholic. Protestantism is the main religion in Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Eastern Orthodox Christians live in Greece, Russia, and other eastern and southern countries. Jews live throughout Europe, but their numbers were greatly reduced in the Holocaust carried out by Nazi Germany during World War II. Muslims live in many European countries and form the majority in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Turkey.

Did You Know?

The name Europe comes from the ancient Greeks, who called the lands to the north of Greece “Europa.”