It is surrounded by the Arctic Ocean (north), Atlantic Ocean (west), Mediterranean Sea (south), and by the Black Sea and Caucasus Mountains (southeast) with the Caspian Sea, Ural River and mountain rage to the east. The Black Sea is actually a distant part of the Atlantic Ocean, connected by the Mediterranean Sea. The Ural Mountains run north and south through western Russia, a “natural boundary” between Europe and Asia. The mountain range runs for 2500km from the northern border of Kazakhstan right down to the coast of the Arctic Ocean. As the second smallest continent, Europe only covers about 2% of the earth's surface, but that still accounts for nearly four million square miles.
This landmass is home to well over 700 million people, more than 10% of the planet's population, in 48 different countries - pretty impressive considering Europe's “small” size. Of the 48 countries that make up Europe, 27 of them are part of the European Union (EU). The European Union is a single market in which all member states must follow a system of laws guaranteeing the freedom of movement of goods, services, capital, and, of course, people. The 27 countries, or independent sovereign states, that make up the EU, also known as member states, are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Europe generally has what is known as a temperate, maritime climate. The temperate climate has four seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter). The maritime climate means that the weather is affected by the oceans which help to maintain relatively stable temperatures throughout all four seasons. The combination temperate-maritime climate means that the winds generally blow from the west and that the westernmost countries experience the “truest” temperate-maritime climate. The westernmost countries of the landmass in question include Ireland and the United Kingdom. Europe is comprised mostly of mountains, uplands, and lowlands, which stretch from the east to the west in wide bands.
The largest, and most famous, mountain ranges in this part of the world are known as the Alps, which run from southern France and all the way through Switzerland, Austria, and Slovakia, finally ending in Romania, which leaves the mountains stretching across the middle of the continent. Since the Alps run east-west, the maritime climate also helps to stabilize the inland temperature. The North European Plain, specifically along coastal zones, is a heavily populated area, which runs all the way through Poland (east), including deeply populated rural areas as well as many large, industrial cities.
Following the Renaissance, Europe has been a major influence in culture, economics and social movements all over the world. Some major issues and concerns that have recently surfaced include religious emigration, economic immigration, race relations, and a declining birthrate partnered with an aging population. The United Nations' “population projection” increases Europe's concern regarding population, foreshadowing a drop to just 653 million in 2050. If this is true, the European population will have dropped from 11% of the planet's total population in 2005, to just 7%.
Finally, population issues aside, Europe currently has the largest economy in the world. Fifteen of the 27 countries in the European Union share a common currency (Euro) and a majority of the EU's trade takes place between India, China, Russia, the United States, and other European countries that are not EU member states. Many European countries have official religions but there are many prevalent religions across the continent, including several sects of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Rastafarian, and even Voodoo. Similar to the number of religions, many languages are spoken across Europe, but these can be grouped into three larger sections: Romance languages, Germanic languages, and Slavic languages.
