Download EUROPE

EUROPE
The use of the term "Europe" has developed gradually throughout history. 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.[9]
Europe's eastern frontier was defined in the 1st century by geographer Strabo at the River
Don Flavius and the Book of Jubilees described the continents as the lands given by Noah
to his three sons; Europe was defined as stretching from the Pillars of Hercules at the
Strait of Gibraltar, separating it from Africa, to the Don, separating it from Asia.
A cultural definition of Europe as the lands of Latin Christendom coalesced in the 8th
century, signifying the new cultural condominium created through the confluence of
Germanic traditions and Christian-Latin culture, defined partly in contrast with
Byzantium and Islam, and limited to northern Iberia, the British Isles, France,
Christianized western Germany, the Alpine regions and northern and central Italy. The
concept is one of the lasting legacies of the Carolingian Renaissance: "Europa" often
figures in the letters of Charlemagne's cultural minister, Alcuin This division—as much
cultural as geographical—was used until the Late Middle Ages, when it was challenged
by the Age of Discovery.The problem of redefining Europe was finally resolved in 1730
when, instead of waterways, the Swedish geographer and cartographer von Strahlenberg
proposed the Ural Mountains as the most significant eastern boundary, a suggestion that
found favour in Russia and throughout Europe.
Europe is now generally defined by geographers as the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia,
with its boundaries marked by large bodies of water to the north, west and south;
Europe's limits to the far east are usually taken to be the Urals, the Ural River, and the
Caspian Sea; to the south-east, the Caucasus Mountains, the Black Sea and the waterways
connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea Because of sociopolitical and cultural
differences, there are various descriptions of Europe's boundary. For example, Cyprus is
approximate to Anatolia (or Asia Minor), but is often considered part of Europe and
currently is a member state of the EU. In addition, Malta was considered an island of
Africa for centuries,while Iceland, though nearer to Greenland (North America), is also
generally included in Europe.
Sometimes, the word 'Europe' is used in a geopolitically limiting way to refer only to the
European Union or, even more exclusively, a culturally defined core. On the other hand,
the Council of Europe has 47 member countries, and only 27 member states are in the
EU. In addition, people living in insular areas such as Ireland, the United Kingdom, the
North Atlantic and Mediterranean islands and also in Scandinavia may routinely refer to
"continental" or "mainland" Europe simply as Europe or "the Continent".
In ancient Greek mythology, Europa was a Phoenician princess whom Zeus abducted
after assuming the form of a dazzling white bull. He took her to the island of Crete where
she gave birth to Minos, Rhadamanthus and Sarpedon. For Homer, Europe (Greek:
Εὐρώπη, Eurṓpē; see also List of Greek place names) was a mythological queen of
Crete, not a geographical designation. Later, Europa stood for central-north Greece, and
by 500 BC its meaning had been extended to the lands to the north
Geography of Europe
Europe makes up the western fifth of the Eurasian landmass.Land relief in Europe shows
great variation within relatively small areas. The southern regions are more mountainous,
while moving north the terrain descends from the high Alps, Pyrenees, and 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 the islands of Britain and Ireland, and then continues along
the mountainous, fjord-cut, spine of Norway.
Main article: Climate
of Europe
Europe lies mainly in the temperate climate zones, being subjected to prevailing
westerlies.
The climate is milder in comparison to other areas of the same latitude around the globe
due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream is nicknamed "Europe's central
heating", because it makes Europe's climate warmer and wetter than it would otherwise
be. The Gulf Stream not only carries warm water to Europe's coast but also warms up the
prevailing westerly winds that blow across the continent from the Atlantic Ocean.
Therefore the average temperature throughout the year of Naples is 16 °C (60.8 °F),
while it is only 12 °C (53.6 °F) in New York City which is almost on the same latitude.
Berlin, Germany; Calgary, Canada; and Irkutsk, in the Asian part of Russia, lie on around
the same latitude; January temperatures in Berlin average around 8 °C (15 °F) higher than
those in Calgary, and they are almost 22 °C (40 °F) higher than average temperatures in
Irkutsk.
As a continent, the economy of Europe is currently the largest on Earth and it is the
richest region as measured by assets under management with over $32.7 trillion
compared to North America's $27.1 trillion in 2008. In 2009 Europe remained the
wealthiest region. Its $37.1 trillion in assets under management represented one-third of
the world’s wealth. It was one of several regions where wealth surpassed its precrisis
year-end peak. As with other continents, Europe has a large variation of wealth among its
countries. The richer states tend to be in the West; some of the Eastern economies are still
emerging from the collapse of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia.
European and bordering nations by GDP (nominal) per capita in 2006
The European Union, an intergovernmental body composed of 27 European states,
comprises the largest single economic area in the world. Currently, 16 EU countries share
the euro as a common currency. Five European countries rank in the top ten of the worlds
largest national economies in GDP (PPP). This includes (ranks according to the CIA):
Germany (5), the UK (6), Russia (7), France (8), and Italy (10).[
Facts About Europe
1. Europe stands as the second smallest continent in the world, by area. Yet, it has a
cultural diversity which can hardly be found in any part of the world. Besides, it also
controls a large amount of the world’s political and financial decisions. It is also the 3rd
most populous continent in the world
2. Europe is also home to the world’s smallest country- the Vatican and also the
world’s largest- Russia- one of the most astounding facts about Europe
3. Another point in this list of facts about Europe is that in the 17th and the 18th
century, Europe had controlled most of the world. The saying that ‘Sun never sets in the
British rule’ was a correct epitome.
4. The borders of Europe are not very clear, even today. They just refer to socio cultural
boundaries.
5. The Greek civilization, which is said to be the forerunner of the modern western
culture, had its home in Europe only. Famous scientists and thinkers such as Archimedes,
Pythagoras and Euclid were a part of this very civilization.
6. One of the most unknown facts about Europe remains that there was a period in the
history of Europe, known as the ‘age of migrations’, which led to the diversity in the
present European culture that we see today. This period was seen after the fall of the
Roman Empire and there was a large scale movement of the German, Roman, Saxon and
Celtic tribes to various parts of Europe. This has led to a conglomeration of the cultures
of Europe, as we see it today.
7. Renaissance was another period in the history of Europe which has led to the
uprising of the new humanism and knowledge- definitely one of the most renowned facts
about Europe.
8. The First World War is supposed to have started in Europe, with the assassination of
the archduke of Austria and involved almost the whole of Europe in it. This war had left
more than 40 million people dead.
9. Although most of Europe’s forests have been lost during the ages of deforestation,
almost one quarter is still forest area in Europe, with the Taiga forests dominating the
vegetation. Some rainforests in parts of the Caucasus and Oak forests in the
Mediterranean regions still remain untouched- an unbelievable fact, considering the rapid
deforestation that Europe has seen over the years.
10. The formation of the EU has been the only one of its kind in the world. This body
of integrated economics among member countries has led to rapid development of free
economy in Europe and is projected to be one of the most decisive organizations in the
coming years.
The idea of a European "continent" is prevalent but not universally held. Some
geographical texts refer to a Eurasian Continent, or to a European subcontinent, given
that Europe is not surrounded by sea and its Southeastern border has always been vaguely
defined, and disputed.
In terms of shape, Europe is a collection of connected peninsulas and nearby islands. The
two largest peninsulas are "mainland" Europe and Scandinavia to the north, divided from
each other by the Baltic Sea. Three smaller peninsulas—Iberia, Italy and the Balkans—
emerge from the southern margin of the mainland. The Balkan peninsula is separated
from Asia by the Black and Aegean Seas. Italy is separated from the Balkans by the
Adriatic Sea, and from Iberia by the Mediterranean Sea, which also separates Europe
from Africa. Eastward, mainland Europe widens much like the mouth of a funnel, until
the boundary with Asia is reached at the Ural Mountains and Ural River (or, less
commonly, the Este River), the Caspian Sea and Caucasus Mountains.
Land relief in Europe shows great variation within relatively small areas. The southern
regions are mountainous, while moving north the terrain descends from the high Alps,
Pyrenees and Carpathians, through hilly uplands, into broad, low northern plains, which
are vast in the east. An arc of uplands also exists along the northwestern seaboard,
beginning in the western British Isles and continuing along the mountainous, fjord-cut
spine of Norway.
This description is simplified. Sub-regions such as Iberia and Italy contain their own
complex features, as does mainland Europe itself, where the relief contains many
plateaus, river valleys and basins that complicate the general trend. Iceland and the
British Isles 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.
Population by country
: List of European countries by population.
Name of regiona[›]
Population
and
Area
(1 July 2010
territory, with
(km²)
est.)
flag
Åland (within
Finland)
Population
density
(per km²)
Capital
1,551
26,008
Albania
28,748
3,600,523
Andorra
468
82,403
Armenia
29,800
3,263,600
108.4 Yerevan
83,858
8,470,929
97.4 Vienna
86,600
8,521,000
97 Baku
Belarus
207,600
9,735,382
49.8 Minsk
Belgium
30,510
10,574,595
336.8 Brussels
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
51,129
4,048,500
77.5 Sarajevo
Bulgaria
110,910
7,621,337
68.7 Sofia
Croatia
56,542
4,637,460
77.7 Zagreb
9,251
863,457
85 Nicosia
Czech Republic
78,866
10,256,760
130.1 Prague
Denmark
43,094
5,568,854
Estonia
45,226
1,315,681
1,399
46,011
Finland
336,593
5,357,537
Franceh[›]
547,030
65,447,374
Austria
Azerbaijan
l[›]
Cypruse[›]
Faroe Islands
(Denmark)
16.8 Mariehamn
125.2 Tirana
146.2
Andorra la
Vella
124.6 Copenhagen
31.3 Tallinn
32.9 Tórshavn
15.3 Helsinki
109.3 Paris
Georgiam[›]
69,700
4,461,473
64 Tbilisi
357,021
81,757,600
233.2 Berlin
5.9
27,714
131,940
11,645,343
2,166,086
56,452
0.027 Nuuk
78
66,587
828.0 St. Peter Port
Hungary
93,030
10,075,034
Iceland
103,000
304,261
Ireland
70,280
4,434,925
572
80,873
301,230
60,418,711
116
89,775
64,589
2,366,515
160
35,322
65,200
3,401,138
2,586
472,569
25,333
2,054,800
316
408,009
33,843
3,834,547
131.0 Chişinău
1.95
32,087
16,403.6 Monaco
13,812
672,180
41,526
16,518,199
Norway
324,220
4,930,116
Poland
312,685
38,192,000
123.5 Warsaw
91,568
10,607,995
110.1 Lisbon
Romania
238,391
21,959,278
91.0 Bucharest
c[›]
17,075,400
141,927,297
8.5 Moscow
61
31,730
88,361
9,150,000
(7,345,000)[5]
Germany
Gibraltar (UK)
Greece
Greenland
(Denmark)
Guernseyd[›]
Isle of Mand[›]
Italy
Jerseyd[›]
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Republic of
Macedonia
Malta
b[›]
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Portugalf[›]
Russia
San Marino
Serbiag[›]
i[›]
4,697.3 Gibraltar
80.7 Athens
108.3 Budapest
2.7 Reykjavík
60.3 Dublin
129.1 Douglas
191.6 Rome
773.9 Saint Helier
36.6 Riga
205.3 Vaduz
55.2 Vilnius
173.5 Luxembourg
81.1 Skopje
1,257.9 Valletta
44.6 Podgorica
393.0 Amsterdam
14.0 Oslo
454.6 San Marino
103.6 Belgrade
Slovakia
48,845
5,422,366
111.0 Bratislava
Slovenia
20,273
2,012,917
95.3 Ljubljana
504,851
46,030,109
62,049
2,868
449,964
9,360,113
41,290
7,785,000
Turkeyn[›]
783,562
70,104,712
Ukraine
603,628
45,939,820
United Kingdom
244,820
62,041,708
0.44
900
10,180,000o[›]
832,211,436o[›]
Spain
Svalbard and Jan
Mayen Islands
(Norway)
Sweden
Switzerland
Vatican City
Total
89.3 Madrid
0.046 Longyearbyen
19.7 Stockholm
176.8 Bern
93 Ankara
76.0 Kiev
244.2 London
2,045.5 Vatican City
81.8