Europe

It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.

The Atlantic Ocean occupies an elongated, S-shaped basin extending longitudinally between Europe and Africa to the east, and the Americas to the west.

It comprises the westernmost part of Eurasia.

Eurasia is the combined continental landmass of Europe and Asia.

Since around 1850, Europe is most commonly considered to be separated from Asia by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas and the waterways of the Turkish Straits.

It is an endorheic basin (a basin without outflows) located between Europe and Asia, to the east of the Caucasus Mountains and to the west of the broad steppe of Central Asia.

Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere.

Ordered from largest in area to smallest, they are: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.

The geographic border also does not follow political boundaries, with Turkey, Russia and Kazakhstan being transcontinental countries.

It is a transcontinental country largely located in Asia; the most western parts are located in Europe.

Since around 1850, Europe is most commonly considered to be separated from Asia by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas and the waterways of the Turkish Straits.

The mountain range forms part of the conventional boundary between the continents of Europe and Asia.

Politically, Europe is divided into about fifty sovereign states of which the Russian Federation is the largest and most populous, spanning 39% of the continent and comprising 15% of its population.

Fifty-six generally recognized sovereign states, one de facto state with limited, but substantial, international recognition, and five largely unrecognized de facto states with limited to no recognition, are listed with territory in Europe and/or membership in international European organisations.

Although the term "continent" implies physical geography, the land border is somewhat arbitrary and has been redefined several times since its first conception in classical antiquity.

It is the period in which Greek and Roman society flourished and wielded great influence throughout Europe, North Africa and Western Asia.

Europe had a total population of about 741 million (about 11% of the world population).

Figures for the population of Europe vary according to how one defines the boundaries of Europe.

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.

Western Europe has an Oceanic climate, far southern Europe has a Mediterranean climate, and eastern Europe is classified as having a Continental climate.

Since around 1850, Europe is most commonly considered to be separated from Asia by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas and the waterways of the Turkish Straits.

At 2428 km, it is the third-longest river in Europe after the Volga and the Danube, and the 18th-longest river in Asia.

The geographic border also does not follow political boundaries, with Turkey, Russia and Kazakhstan being transcontinental countries. Politically, Europe is divided into about fifty sovereign states of which the Russian Federation is the largest and most populous, spanning 39% of the continent and comprising 15% of its population.

The East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD. Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants, the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th century.

Europe, in particular ancient Greece, was the birthplace of Western civilization.

Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization, Occidental culture, the Western world, Western society, and European civilization, is a term used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, belief systems, political systems and specific artifacts and technologies that have some origin or association with Europe.

Renaissance humanism, exploration, art and science led to the modern era. Since the Age of Discovery started by Portugal and Spain, Europe played a predominant role in global affairs.

The Age of Discovery, or the Age of Exploration (approximately from the beginning of the 15th century until the end of the 18th century), is an informal and loosely defined term for the period in European history in which extensive overseas exploration emerged as a powerful factor in European culture and which was the beginning of globalization.

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.

North America is the third largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Since the Age of Discovery started by Portugal and Spain, Europe played a predominant role in global affairs.

Spain ({{lang-es|España}} {{IPA-es|esˈpaɲa||Es-España.ogg}}), officially the Kingdom of Spain ({{lang-es|Reino de España|links=no}}),{{efn|name=a}}{{efn|name=b}} is a country mostly located on the Iberian Peninsula in Europe.

The Industrial Revolution, which began in Great Britain at the end of the 18th century, gave rise to radical economic, cultural and social change in Western Europe and eventually the wider world.

Western Europe is the region comprising the western part of Europe.

Both world wars took place for the most part in Europe, contributing to a decline in Western European dominance in world affairs by the mid-20th century as the Soviet Union and the United States took prominence.

At 3.8 million square miles (9.8 million km 2 ), the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles (10.1 million km 2 ).

During the Cold War, Europe was divided along the Iron Curtain between NATO in the West and the Warsaw Pact in the East, until the revolutions of 1989 and fall of the Berlin Wall.

The Iron Curtain was the name for the physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991.

The division of Eurasia into two continents reflects East-West cultural, linguistic and ethnic differences which vary on a spectrum rather than with a sharp dividing line.

Historically, Asia (excluding Siberia) was regarded as the East, and Europe was regarded as the West.

Further European integration by some states led to the formation of the European Union (EU), a separate political entity that lies between a confederation and a federation.

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of {{EUnum}} member states that are located primarily in Europe.

The currency of most countries of the European Union, the euro, is the most commonly used among Europeans; and the EU's Schengen Area abolishes border and immigration controls among most of its member states.

The Schengen Area is an area comprising 26 European states that have officially abolished passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders.

In 1949 the Council of Europe was founded, following a speech by Sir Winston Churchill, with the idea of unifying Europe to achieve common goals.

The Council of Europe (CoE; Conseil de l'Europe, CdE) is an international organisation whose stated aim is to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe.

Europe, in particular ancient Greece, was the birthplace of Western civilization.

Classical Greek culture, especially philosophy, had a powerful influence on ancient Rome, which carried a version of it to many parts of the Mediterranean Basin and Europe.

The fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD and the subsequent Migration Period marked the end of ancient history and the beginning of the Middle Ages.

Europe was first reached by modern humans 40,000 years ago.