by 1500, western europeans cities such as paris and london were globally unique in their

Further from the sea, seasonal differences are more noticeable than close to the coast.Įuropean culture is the root of Western civilisation, which traces its lineage back to ancient Greece and ancient Rome. The European climate is largely affected by warm Atlantic currents that temper winters and summers on much of the continent, even at latitudes along which the climate in Asia and North America is severe. Europe had a total population of about 745 million (about 10% of the world population) in 2021 the third-largest after Asia and Africa. Politically, Europe is divided into about fifty sovereign states, of which Russia is the largest and most populous, spanning 39% of the continent and comprising 15% of its population. Įurope covers about 10.18 million km 2 (3.93 million sq mi), or 2% of Earth's surface (6.8% of land area), making it the second-smallest continent (using the seven-continent model).

Europe is commonly considered to be separated from Asia by the watershed of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Greater Caucasus, the Black Sea and the waterways of the Turkish Straits. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east. It shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with both Africa and Asia. ^ 'Europe' as defined by the International Monetary Fund.Įurope is a continent comprising the westernmost peninsulas of Eurasia, located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. Istanbul is a transcontinental city which straddles both Asia and Europe. ^ Figures include only European portions of transcontinental countries.

By 1500, western europeans cities such as paris and london were globally unique in their