World map showing the location of Europe.
'Europe' is one of the seven traditional
continents of the
Earth.
Physically and
geologically, Europe is the westernmost
peninsula of
Eurasia, west of
Asia. Europe is bounded to the north by the
Arctic Ocean, to the west by the
Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the
Mediterranean Sea, to the southeast by the
Caucasus Mountains and the
Black Sea and the waterways connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. To the east, Europe is generally divided from Asia by the
water divide of the
Ural Mountains, the
Ural River, and by the
Caspian Sea.
Europe is the world's
second-smallest continent in terms of
area, covering about 10,180,000 square kilometres (3,930,000 sq mi) or 2.0% of the Earth's surface. The only continent smaller than Europe is
Australia. It is the third most populous continent (after Asia and
Africa) with a population of 710,000,000 or about 11% of the world's population. Europe's overall
population density is one of the highest in the world. However, the term ''continent'' can refer to a
cultural and political distinction or a
physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europe's precise borders, area, and population. Of Europe's 48
countries,
Russia is its largest by area and population, while the
Vatican is the smallest. Europe is the birthplace of the
European Union, a union founded in 1993 (but the roots of which date back to the 1950s) to enhance political, economic, and social co-operation and integration; currently, it comprises twenty-seven
member states.
Etymology
In ancient
Greek mythology, '
Europa' was a
Phoenician princess who was abducted by
Zeus in bull form and taken to the island of
Crete, where she gave birth to
Minos,
Rhadamanthus and
Sarpedon. For
Homer, 'Europe' (
Greek: ''; see also
List of traditional Greek place names) was this mythological queen of Crete, not a geographical designation. Later ''Europa'' stood for
mainland Greece, and by 500 BC its meaning had been extended to lands to the north.
In etymology one theory suggests the name ''Europe'' is derived from the Greek words meaning broad (''eurys'') and face (''opsis'') – ''broad'' having been an
epithet of
Earth itself in the reconstructed
Proto-Indo-European religion; see
Prithvi (''Plataia''). A minority, however, suggest this Greek
popular etymology is really based on a
Semitic word such as the
Akkadian ''erebu'' meaning "to go down, set",
[1] cognate to Phoenician '' 'ereb'' "evening; west" and Arabic
Maghreb, Hebrew
ma'ariv. (see also ''
Erebus'').
The majority of major world languages use words derived from "Europa" to refer to the continent – e.g. Chinese uses the word '' (歐洲), which is an abbreviation of the transliterated name '' (歐羅巴洲). However, for centuries, the
Turks used the term ''Frengistan'' (land of the
Franks) in referring to Europe.
[2]
History
Main articles: History of Europe
The origins of Western
democratic and
individualistic culture are often attributed to
Ancient Greece: these Greek political ideals were rediscovered in the late 18th century by European philosophers and idealists. Another major influence on Europe came from the
Roman Empire which left its mark on
law,
language and
government. It also saw the
legitimization of Christianity after three centuries of imperial
persecution.
After the
decline of the Roman Empire, Europe entered a long period of changes arising from what is known in America as the
Age of Migrations. That period has been known as the "
Dark Ages" to
Renaissance thinkers. Isolated monastic communities in
Ireland,
Scotland and elsewhere carefully safeguarded and compiled written knowledge accumulated previously.
During this time, the western part of the Roman Empire was 'reborn' as the
Holy Roman Empire, later called
Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. The eastern part of the Roman Empire became known in the west as the
Byzantine Empire. The 'Byzantines' themselves still called themselves ''Basileia tōn Romaiōn'' - the Empire of the Romans. In 1453, when the
Ottoman Empire conquered the Byzantine capital
Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire ceased to exist, with a small hold out state of
Trebizond which lasted until 1461.
Map of Europe made by Gerardus Mercador
The
Renaissance and the
New Monarchs marked the start of a period of discovery, exploration, and increase in scientific knowledge which had its roots in
Italy. In the 15th century,
Portugal opened the age of discoveries, soon followed by
Spain. They were later joined by
France, the
Netherlands and
England in building large colonial empires with vast holdings in
Africa,
the Americas, and
Asia.
After the age of discovery, the ideas of
democracy took hold in Europe. Struggles for independence arose, most notably in
France during the period known as the
French Revolution. This led to vast upheaval in Europe as these revolutionary ideas propagated across the continent. The rise of democracy led to increased tension within Europe on top of the tension already existing due to competition within the
New World. The most famous of these conflicts happened when
Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power and set out on a conquest, forming a new
French Empire, which soon collapsed. After these conquests Europe stabilised, but the old foundations were already beginning to crumble.
The
Industrial Revolution started in
Great Britain in the late 18th century, leading to a move away from agriculture, much greater general prosperity and a corresponding increase in population. Many of the states in Europe took their present form in the
aftermath of World War I. From the end of
World War II through the end of the
Cold War, Europe was divided into two major political and economic blocks:
Communist nations in
Eastern Europe and
Capitalist countries in
Southern Europe,
Northern Europe and
Western Europe. Disintegration of the
Iron Curtain and
Eastern Block accelerated in 1989 with the fall of the
Berlin Wall, culminating in the formal dissolution of the
Soviet Union in 1991.
European integration has been a theme in European politics since the end of the first World War, and has accelerated since the end of the
Cold War. Against the background of the devastation and suffering during the second World War as well as the need for reconciliation after the war, the idea of European integration led to the creation of the
Council of Europe in Strasbourg in 1949, which produced in 1950 the
European Convention on Human Rights with its
European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. After the fall of the
Berlin Wall, former communist countries in central and eastern Europe were able to accede to the Council of Europe, which now comprises all 47 states in Europe with the exception of Belarus due to its non-democratic government. In 1951, a few European states agreed to confer powers over their steel and coal production to the
European Coal and Steel Community in Luxembourg. This transfer of national powers to a "Community" to be exercised by its Commission was paralled under the 1957 Treaties of Rome establishing the
European Atomic Energy Community and the
European Economic Community in Brussels. The present
European Union, the successor to the
European Communities, has enlarged from 6 original founding members to 27 today. The European Union has developed from a trade-oriented organisation into one resembling a confederation in a number of respects. The European Union, or EU, describes itself as a family of democratic European countries, committed to working together for peace and prosperity. The organisation oversees co-operation among its members in diverse areas, including trade, the environment, transport, security, science, education and employment. Human rights and democracy remain the domain of the Council of Europe, thus extending these standards to the whole of Europe.
European membership of
NATO has also increased since the end of the Cold War, with the admission of a number of eastern European countries.
Geography and extent
Main articles: Geography of Europe
Political map (neighbouring countries in Asia and Africa also shown)
, Europe is the northwestern constituent of the larger landmass known as
Eurasia, or
Africa-Eurasia:
Asia occupies the eastern bulk of this continuous landmass and all share a common
continental shelf. Europe's eastern frontier is now commonly delineated by the
Ural Mountains in
Russia (
Strabo, ''Geography'' 11.1, took the
Tanais River to be the boundary, as did early
Judaic sources). The southeast boundary with Asia is not universally defined. Most commonly the
Ural or, alternatively, the
Emba River serve as possible boundaries. The boundary continues to the
Caspian Sea, the crest of the
Caucasus Mountains or, alternatively, the
Kura River in the
Caucasus, and on to the
Black Sea; the
Bosporus, the
Sea of Marmara, and the
Dardanelles conclude the Asian boundary. The
Mediterranean Sea to the south separates Europe from
Africa. The western boundary is the
Atlantic Ocean;
Iceland, though nearer to
Greenland (
North America) than mainland Europe, is generally included in Europe. There is ongoing debate on where the
geographical centre of Europe is. ''For detailed description of the boundary between Asia and Europe see
transcontinental nation.''
Due to sociopolitical and cultural differences, there are various descriptions of Europe's boundary; in some sources, some territories are not included in Europe, while other sources include them. For instance, geographers from
Russia and other post-Soviet states generally include the Urals in Europe while including Caucasia in Asia. Similarly, numerous geographers consider
Azerbaijan's and
Armenia's southern border with
Iran and
Turkey's southern and eastern border with
Syria,
Iraq and Iran as the boundary between Asia and Europe because of political and cultural reasons. Also, despite being very close to Asia,
Cyprus Island is often included in Europe due the same considerations.
Physical geography
Land relief in Europe shows great variation within relatively small areas. The southern regions, however, 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
Britain and
Ireland, and then continues along the mountainous,
fjord-cut, spine of
Norway.
This description is simplified. Sub-regions such as the
Iberian Peninsula and
Italy contain their own complex features, as does mainland Central Europe itself, where the relief contains many plateaus, river valleys and basins that complicate the general trend. Sub-regions like
Iceland, Britain and Ireland 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.
Biodiversity
Biogeographic regions of Europe
Having lived side-by-side with agricultural peoples for millennia, Europe's animals and plants have been profoundly affected by the presence and activities of man. With the exception of
Fennoscandia and northern
Russia, few areas of untouched wilderness are currently found in Europe, except for various national parks.
The main natural vegetation cover in Europe is mixed
forest. The conditions for growth are very favourable. In the north, the
Gulf Stream and
North Atlantic Drift warm the continent. Southern Europe could be described as having a warm, but mild climate. There are frequent summer droughts in this region. Mountain ridges also affect the conditions. Some of these (
Alps,
Pyrenees) are oriented east-west and allow the wind to carry large masses of water from the ocean in the interior. Others are oriented south-north (
Scandinavian Mountains,
Dinarides,
Carpathians,
Apennines) and because the rain falls primarily on the side of mountains that is oriented towards sea, forests grow well on this side, while on the other side, the conditions are much less favourable. Few corners of mainland Europe have not been grazed by
livestock at some point in time, and the cutting down of the pre-agricultural forest habitat caused disruption to the original plant and animal ecosystems.
Eighty to ninety per cent of Europe was once covered by forest. It stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the
Arctic Ocean. Though over half of Europe's original forests disappeared through the centuries of
deforestation, Europe still has over one quarter of its land area as forest, such as the
taiga of Scandinavia and Russia, mixed
rainforests of the Caucasus and the
Cork oak forests in the western Mediterranean. During recent times, deforestation has been slowed and many trees have been planted. However, in many cases monoculture
plantations of
conifers have replaced the original mixed natural forest, because these grow quicker. The plantations now cover vast areas of land, but offer poorer habitats for many European forest dwelling species which require a mixture of tree species and diverse forest structure. The amount of natural forest in Western Europe is just 2–3% or less, in European Russia 5–10%. The country with the smallest percentage of forested area (excluding the micronations) is
Iceland (2%), while the most forested country is Finland(72%).
In temperate Europe, mixed forest with both
broadleaf and
coniferous trees dominate. The most important species in central and western Europe are
beech and
oak. In the north, the taiga is a mixed
spruce-
pine-
birch forest; further north within Russia and extreme northern Scandinavia, the taiga gives way to
tundra as the Arctic is approached. In the Mediterranean, many
olive trees have been planted, which are very well adapted to its arid climate;
Mediterranean Cypress is also widely planted in southern Europe. The semi-arid Mediterranean region hosts much scrub forest. A narrow east-west tongue of Eurasian
grassland (the
steppe) extends eastwards from Ukraine and southern Russia and ends in Hungary and traverses into taiga to the north.
Main articles: Fauna of Europe
Glaciation during the most recent
ice age and the presence of man affected the distribution of
European fauna. As for the animals, in many parts of Europe most large animals and top
predator species have been hunted to extinction. The
woolly mammoth was extinct before the end of the
Neolithic period. Today
wolves (
carnivores) and
bears (
omnivores) are endangered. Once they were found in most parts of Europe. However, deforestation caused these animals to withdraw further and further. By the
Middle Ages the bears' habitats were limited to more or less inaccessible mountains with sufficient forest cover. Today, the brown bear lives primarily in the Balkan peninsula, Scandinavia, and Russia; a small number also persist in other countries across Europe (Austria, Pyrenees etc.), but in these areas brown bear populations are fragmented and marginalised because of the destruction of their habitat. In addition,
polar bears may be found on
Svalbard, a
Norwegian archipelago far north of Scandinavia. The wolf, the second largest predator in Europe after the brown bear, can be found primarily in
Eastern Europe and in the Balkans, with a handful of packs in Spain and Scandinavia.
Other important European carnivores are
Eurasian lynx, European
wild cat,
foxes (especially the
red fox),
jackal and different species of
martens,
hedgehogs, different species of
reptiles snakes (
vipers,
grass snake...), different
birds (
owls,
hawks and other
birds of prey).
Important European
herbivores are
snails,
amphibian larvae,
fish, different birds, and
mammals, like
rodents,
deer and
roe deer,
boars, and living in the mountains,
marmots,
steinbocks,
chamois among others.
Sea creatures are also an important part of European flora and fauna. The sea flora is mainly
phytoplankton. Important animals that live in European seas are
zooplankton,
molluscs,
echinoderms, different
crustaceans,
squids and
octopuses, fish,
dolphins, and
whales.
Biodiversity is protected in Europe through the
Council of Europe Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (
Bern Convention), which has also been signed by the
European Community as well as non-European states.
Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of Europe,
Aging of Europe
The population growth/decline of European countries
Since the
renaissance and the
age of discovery, Europe has had a major influence in culture, economics and social movements in the world. European demographics are important not only historically, but also in understanding current international relations and population issues.
Some current and past issues in European demographics have included
religious emigration,
race relations,
economic immigration, a declining
birth rate and an
aging population. In some countries, such as the
Republic of Ireland and
Poland, access to
abortion is currently limited; in the past, such restrictions and also restrictions on artificial birth control were commonplace throughout Europe. Furthermore, three European countries (
The Netherlands,
Belgium and
Switzerland) have allowed a limited form of
voluntary euthanasia for some terminally ill people.
In 2005 the population of Europe was estimated to be 728 million according to the
United Nations, which is slightly more than one-ninth of the
world's population. A century ago Europe had nearly a quarter of the
world's population. The population of Europe has grown in the past century, but in other areas of the world (in particular
Africa and
Asia) the population has grown far more quickly.
[3] According to UN population projection (medium variant), Europe's share will fall to 7% in 2050, numbering 653 million.
[4] Within this context, significant disparities exist between religions in relation to
fertility rates. The average number of
children per female of child bearing age is 1.38. According to some sources,
[5][6] this rate is higher among Muslims.
In 2005 the
EU had an overall net gain from
immigration of 1.8 million people, despite having one of the highest
population densities in the world. This accounted for almost 85% of Europe's total
population growth.
[7]
Political geography
Territories and regions
The countries in this table are categorised according to the
scheme for geographic subregions used by the
United Nations, and data included are per sources in cross-referenced articles. Where they differ, provisos are clearly indicated.
According to different definitions, such as consideration of the concept of
Central Europe, the following territories and regions may be subject to various other categorisations.
Name of region[8] and
territory, with flag | Area
(km²) | Population
(1 July, 2002 est.) | Population density
(per km²) | Capital |
|---|
| 'Eastern Europe:' |
| Belarus | 207,600 | 10,335,382 | 49.8 | Minsk |
| Bulgaria | 110,910 | 7,621,337 | 68.7 | Sofia |
| Czech Republic | 78,866 | 10,256,760 | 130.1 | Prague |
| Hungary | 93,030 | 10,075,034 | 108.3 | Budapest |
| Moldova[9] | 33,843 | 4,434,547 | 131.0 | Chişinău |
| Poland | 312,685 | 38,625,478 | 123.5 | Warsaw |
| Romania | 238,391 | 21,698,181 | 91.0 | Bucharest |
| Russia[10] | 3,960,000 | 106,037,143 | 26.8 | Moscow |
| Slovakia | 48,845 | 5,422,366 | 111.0 | Bratislava |
| Ukraine | 603,700 | 48,396,470 | 80.2 | Kiev |
| 'Northern Europe:' |
| Åland (Finland) | 1,552 | 26,008 | 16.8 | Mariehamn |
| Denmark | 43,094 | 5,368,854 | 124.6 | Copenhagen |
| Estonia | 45,226 | 1,415,681 | 31.3 | Tallinn |
| Faroe Islands (Denmark) | 1,399 | 46,011 | 32.9 | Tórshavn |
| Finland | 336,593 | 5,157,537 | 15.3 | Helsinki |
| Guernsey[11] | 78 | 64,587 | 828.0 | St Peter Port |
| Iceland | 103,000 | 307,261 | 2.7 | Reykjavík |
| Ireland | 70,280 | 4,234,925 | 60.3 | Dublin |
| Isle of Man[12] | 572 | 73,873 | 129.1 | Douglas |
| Jersey[13] | 116 | 89,775 | 773.9 | Saint Helier |
| Latvia | 64,589 | 2,366,515 | 36.6 | Riga |
| Lithuania | 65,200 | 3,601,138 | 55.2 | Vilnius |
| Norway | 324,220 | 4,525,116 | 14.0 | Oslo |
Svalbard and Jan
Mayen Islands (Norway) | 62,049 | 2,868 | 0.046 | Longyearbyen |
| Sweden | 449,964 | 9,090,113 | 19.7 | Stockholm |
| United Kingdom | 244,820 | 61,100,835 | 244.2 | London |
| 'Southern Europe:' |
| Albania | 28,748 | 3,544,841 | 123.3 | Tirana |
| Andorra | 468 | 68,403 | 146.2 | Andorra la Vella |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 51,129 | 4,448,500 | 77.5 | Sarajevo |
| Croatia | 56,542 | 4,390,751 | 77.7 | Zagreb |
| Gibraltar (UK) | 5.9 | 27,714 | 4,697.3 | Gibraltar |
| Greece | 131,940 | 10,645,343 | 80.7 | Athens |
| Italy | 301,230 | 58,751,711 | 191.6 | Rome |
| Macedonia | 25,333 | 2,054,800 | 81.1 | Skopje |
| Malta | 316 | 397,499 | 1,257.9 | Valletta |
| Montenegro[14] | 13,812 | 616,258 | 44.6 | Podgorica |
| Portugal[15] | 91,568 | 10,084,245 | 110.1 | Lisbon |
| San Marino | 61 | 27,730 | 454.6 | San Marino |
| Serbia[16] | 88,361 | 9,663,742 | 109.4 | Belgrade |
| Slovenia | 20,273 | 1,932,917 | 95.3 | Ljubljana |
| Spain[17] | 498,506 | 40,077,100 | 80.4 | Madrid |
| Vatican City | 0.44 | 900 | 2,045.5 | Vatican City |
| 'Western Europe:' |
| Austria | 83,858 | 8,169,929 | 97.4 | Vienna |
| Belgium | 30,510 | 10,274,595 | 336.8 | Brussels |
| France[18] | 547,030 | 59,765,983 | 109.3 | Paris |
| Germany | 357,021 | 83,251,851 | 233.2 | Berlin |
| Liechtenstein | 160 | 32,842 | 205.3 | Vaduz |
| Luxembourg | 2,586 | 448,569 | 173.5 | Luxembourg |
| Monaco | 1.95 | 31,987 | 16,403.6 | Monaco |
| Netherlands[19] | 41,526 | 16,318,199 | 393.0 | Amsterdam |
| Switzerland | 41,290 | 7,507,000 | 176.8 | Bern |
| 'Central Asia:' |
| Kazakhstan[20] | 150,000 | 600,000 | 4.0 | Astana |
| 'Western Asia:'[21] |
| Azerbaijan[22] | 7,110 | 175,200 | 24.6 | Baku |
| Georgia[23] | 2,000 | 37,520 | 18.8 | Tbilisi |
| Turkey[24] | 24,378 | 11,044,932 | 453.1 | Ankara |
| Total | 10,176,246[25] | 709,608,850[26] | 69.7 |
See Also:
List of European countries by population
Economy
Main articles: Economy of Europe
European nations by GDP per capita in 2002
As a continent, the economy of Europe is currently the largest on Earth. The
European Union, or EU, an intergovernmental body composed of most of the European states, is one of the two largest in the world. Of the member states in the EU, Germany has the largest national economy. Thirteen EU countries share a common unit of currency, the
euro. Major economic sectors in Europe include agriculture, manufacturing, and investment. The majority of the EU's trade is with the United States, China, India, Russia and non-member European states.
Languages and cultures
Main articles: Languages of Europe
: ''See also:
Eurolinguistics''
There are several linguistic groups widely recognised in Europe. These sometimes (but not always) coincide with cultural and historical connections between the various nations, though in other cases religion is considered a more significant distinguishing factor.
Multiligualism and the protection of regional and minority languages are recognised political goals in Europe today. The
Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the
Council of Europe's
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages set up a legal framework for language rights in Europe.
Romance languages
Main articles: Latin Europe
Romance languages are spoken more or less in south-western Europe, as well as
Romania and
Moldova which are situated in
Eastern Europe. This area consists of:
Andorra,
Italy,
Portugal,
France (excluding parts of
Nord and
Alsace),
Spain,
Romania,
Moldova, French-speaking
Belgium (
Wallonia, partly
Brussels),
French-speaking Switzerland (
Romandy),
Italian-speaking Switzerland,
Italian-speaking Croatia (part of
Istria), and
Romansch speaking Switzerland. All Romance languages are principally derived from the Roman language,
Latin, as designated.
Germanic languages
Main articles: Germanic Europe
Germanic languages are spoken more or less in north-western Europe and some parts of
central Europe. This region consists of:
Norway,
Sweden,
Germany, the
United Kingdom, the
Republic of Ireland,
Denmark, the
Netherlands, Dutch-speaking
Belgium (
Flanders, partly
Brussels and the German-speaking areas east of
Wallonia),
Austria,
Hungary (
the City of Sopron,
Slovakia (
Bratislava; former "
Pressburg"),
Liechtenstein, 68-74% of
Switzerland,
Iceland, the
Faroe Islands,
Luxemburg,
Poland(areas in
Silesia,
Pomerania,
East Prussia),
France (
Alsace-
Lorraine, and
Nord-Pas de Calais), the
Swedish-speaking municipalities of Finland, and the
Alto Adige and South Tirol in
Italy.
Slavic languages
Main articles: Slavic Europe
Slavic languages are spoken in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. This area consists of:
Belarus,
Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria,
Croatia, the
Czech Republic, regions of
Saxony and
Brandenburg in
Germany (
Sorbs), the
Republic of Macedonia,
Northern Greece (
ethnic Macedonians),
Montenegro,
Poland,
Russia,
Serbia,
Slovakia,
Slovenia, the territory of
Transnistria, and
Ukraine.
Uralic languages
The
Uralic languages are divided into three main groups, two of which have representatives in Europe. The
Finno-Permic languages are spoken in
Finland,
Estonia, and parts of
Sweden,
Norway,
Latvia, and European
Russia while the
Ugric languages are spoken in
Hungary and parts of
Romania,
Slovakia,
Serbia,
Ukraine, and Siberian Russia. These two groups comprise the
Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic language family.
Turkic languages
Turkic languages are spoken as the main language in
Turkey and
Azerbaijan and as a minority language in parts of
Cyprus,
Bulgaria,
Serbia,
Greece,
Russia,
Republic of Macedonia,
Moldova,
Ukraine, the
Caucasus, and in
Turkish diaspora communities in several other European countries (most notably
Germany,
Sweden,
France,
Belgium, and the
Netherlands).
Baltic languages
Baltic languages are spoken in
Lithuania and
Latvia.
Estonia's national language is part of the
Finno-Ugric family even though it is a
Baltic state geographically.
Celtic languages
Main articles: Celtic nations
The
Celtic languages once stretched across
western and
central Europe and into
Anatolia, but today they are largely limited to the western fringe of the so-called
Celtic nations:
Ireland,
Scotland, the
Isle of Man,
Wales,
Cornwall, and
Brittany. The
Continental Celtic languages, including
Gaulish and
Celtiberian, died out by the sixth century; only the
Insular Celtic languages—the
Goidelic languages (
Irish,
Scottish Gaelic,
Manx) and the
Brythonic languages (
Welsh,
Breton,
Cornish)—have survived into modern times.
Other languages
Outside of these seven main linguistic groups one can find:
★ The
Greek language, one of the oldest European languages spoken in
Greece,
Cyprus, and parts of
Turkey,
Albania,
Georgia,
Armenia and
Italy, and in
Greek diaspora communities in several other European countries (most notably
Germany).
★ The
Ossetic language, an
Iranian language spoken in
North Ossetia-Alania and
South Ossetia (or
Ossetia, a region on the slopes of the
Caucasus mountains on the borders of
Russia and
Georgia).
★ The
Armenian language, an
Indo-European language is spoken in
Armenia and around
Eastern Europe with a variety of dialects.
★ The
North Caucasian, a group that includes ethnic groups throughout the
Caucasus region (both North and South). North Caucasian languages are divided into two main branches:
Northeast Caucasian and
Northwest Caucasian. This group includes
Abkhaz,
Chechens,
Ingush,
Bats, and a number of other smaller ethnic groups that reside in the
Caucasus.
★ The
South Caucasian, or Kartvelian languages, a group that includes the
Georgian language.
★ The
Maltese language, a heavily
Romanticised Semitic language, is spoken in
Malta. Unlike other Semitic languages, Maltese is written in the
Roman alphabet.
★ The
Basque language is spoken in the
Basque Country, i.e. parts of southern France and northern Spain.
★ The
Albanian language, which, like the Greek language, forms its own independent branch of the Indo-European language family with no close living relatives. Major Albanian-speaking communities outside
Albania live in Kosovo (
Serbia), the
Republic of Macedonia,
Montenegro,
Greece,
Turkey, and southern
Italy.
[27]
★ The
Mongolic branch of the Altaic phylum is represented in Europe by the
Kalmyk language, which is spoken by the
Kalmyk people in
Kalmykia, a constituent republic of the
Russian Federation.
Religions
Main articles: Religion in Europe
Predominant religions in Europe
The most prevalent religions of Europe are the following:
★ '
Christianity'
★
★ '
Roman Catholicism': Countries or areas with significant Catholic populations are
Andorra,
Austria, west
Belarus,
Belgium,
Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, the
Czech Republic,
France, south and west
Germany,
Hungary, the
Republic of Ireland,
Italy,
Latgale region in
Latvia,
Liechtenstein,
Lithuania,
Luxembourg,
Malta,
Monaco, south
Netherlands,
Poland,
Portugal,
Romania,
San Marino,
Serbia,
Slovakia,
Slovenia,
Spain, central and south
Switzerland, and
Vatican City. There are also large Catholic minorities in
Great Britain:
England,
Scotland,
Wales and most European countries.
★
★ '
Eastern-Rite Catholicism' also known as "
Uniatism", is found in western
Ukraine,
Bulgaria,
Cyprus,
Greece,
Armenia,
Hungary, the
Republic of Macedonia,
Romania,
Serbia and
Slovakia, southern
Italy (
Sardinia and
Sicily) and
Corsica,
France.
★
★ '
Orthodox Christianity': The countries with significant Orthodox populations are
Greece,
Russia,
Belarus,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, the
Republic of Macedonia,
Moldova,
Montenegro,
Armenia,
Serbia,
Ukraine,
Romania,
Bulgaria,
Cyprus,
Georgia, easternmost
Hungary, a small minority in Southern
Italy,
Kazakhstan, sizable minorities in
Albania,
Latvia and
Lithuania, small minority in
Poland,
Finland (
Karelia), A relatively small minority in
Turkey belong to the
Greek Orthodox Church [2].
★
★ '
Protestantism': Countries with significant Protestant populations include
Denmark,
Estonia,
Finland, north and east
Germany,
Iceland,
Latvia, the
Netherlands,
Norway,
Sweden; east, north and west
Switzerland; and the
United Kingdom. There are significant minorities in
France, the
Czech Republic,
Hungary, and the
Republic of Ireland. Smaller Protestant churches and their missionary work are found in
Austria,
Belgium,
Czech Republic,
Italy,
Lithuania,
Poland,
Romania,
Russia,
Serbia,
Slovakia and
Ukraine.
★ '
Islam': Countries with significant Muslim population are
Albania,
Azerbaijan,
Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria,
France,
Georgia,
Kazakhstan,
Montenegro, several republics of
Russia,
Serbia,
Turkey,
Crimea in
Ukraine. As of 2005, about 5% of EU residents identify themselves as Muslims.
Other religions are practiced by smaller groups in Europe, including:
★ '
Judaism' primarily in
France,
Germany, the
United Kingdom,
Russia and
Turkey. At one time Judaism was practiced widely through out the European continent, though it has dwindled in numbers since the expulsion, extermination, and exodus of
Jews during the later portion of the second millennium.
★ '
Hinduism' mainly among
Indian immigrants in the
United Kingdom. In 1998 there were an estimated 1,382,000 Hindu adherents in Europe alone
[3].
★ '
Buddhism' thinly spread throughout Europe, and in
Kalmykia,
Russia by the Kalmuks of Asiatic origin.
★ Indigenous European '
pagan' traditions and beliefs, many countries (a fast-growing neopagan movement in
France,
Germany,
Ireland and United Kingdom is noted), and one neopagan faith
Asatru recognized as a minority religion in
Iceland (since 1973),
Norway and
Sweden.
★ '
Rastafari', communities in the
United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and elsewhere.
★ '
Sikhism' and '
Jainism', small membership rolls, both mainly among Indian immigrants in the
United Kingdom.
★ '
Voodoo', mainly among
black Caribbean and
West African immigrants in the
United Kingdom and
France.
★ '
Traditional African Religions' (including
Muti), mainly in the
United Kingdom and
France.
★ 'Other religions' with few (or under a million) adherents in Europe:
Animism,
Christian Scientists,
Cosmotheism,
Deitism,
Eco-religion,
Gnosticism,
Heathen Paganism,
Discordianism,
Jehovah's Witnesses,
Mennonites,
Moravian church,
Mormonism or
Latter-day Saints,
Pantheism,
Polytheism, theological
relativism,
Scientology,
Seventh-day Adventists,
Universal Life Church,
Unitarians,
Wiccan/
magic sorcery, and
Zoroastrianism [4].
Millions of Europeans profess no religion or are
atheist,
agnostic or
humanist. The largest non-confessional populations (as a percentage) are found in the
Czech Republic,
Denmark,
France,
Germany, the
Netherlands,
Norway,
Sweden and the former
soviet countries of
Belarus,
Estonia,
Russia and
Ukraine, although most former
communist countries have significant non-confessional populations.
Official religions
A number of countries in Europe have
official religions, including
Liechtenstein,
Malta,
Monaco, the
Vatican City (Catholic),
Greece (Eastern Orthodox);
Denmark,
Iceland, and
Norway (Lutheran). In
Switzerland, some
cantons are officially Catholic, others Reformed Protestant. Some Swiss villages even have their religion as well as the village name written on the signs at their entrances.
Georgia has no established church, but the
Georgian Orthodox Church enjoys ''de facto'' privileged status. In
Finland, both the
Finnish Orthodox Church and the
Lutheran Church are official.
England, a part of the
UK, has
Anglicanism as its official religion.
Scotland, another part of the UK, has
Presbyterianism as its
national church, but it is no longer "official", and in
Sweden, the national church is
Lutheranism, but it is also no longer "official".
Azerbaijan,
France,
Portugal,
Romania,
Russia,
Spain and
Turkey are officially "secular".
See also
★
History of Europe
★
Culture of Europe
★
Politics of Europe
★
Economy of Europe
★
Geography of Europe
★
Transport in Europe
★
Eurolinguistics
★
Prehistoric Europe
★
Extinct animals of Europe
★
Council of Europe
★
Euro and the
Eurozone
★
OSCE
★
The European miracle
★
Europe as a potential superpower
★
Euroregion /
Eurodistrict
★
European American
★
Anti-Europeanism
★
Euroscepticism
Lists and tables
;General
★
Flags of Europe
★
List of European countries by geographical area
;Demographics
★
Demography of Europe
★
Area and population of European countries
★
European Union Statistics
★
List of European countries by population
★
Largest European metropolitan areas
★
Largest urban areas of the EU
★
Largest cities of the EU
;Economics
★
Economy of the European Union
★
Financial and social rankings of European countries
★
List of European countries by GDP
;Politics
★
Date of independence of European countries
★
Capital cities of Europe
★
International Organisations in Europe
★
Alternative names of European cities
Notes
1. Etymonline: European
2. Where is the Middle East?, Davidson, Roderic H., , , Foreign Ć'Affairs', 1960
3. UNPP, 2004 Revision World Population Prospects: The 2004 Revision Population Database. United Nations Population Division, 2005. Last accessed October 25, 2006.
4. http://esa.un.org/unpp/p2k0data.asp
5. Brookings Institute Report
6. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4385768.stm
7. Europe: Population and Migration in 2005
8. Continental regions as per . Depending on definitions, various territories cited below may be in one or both of Europe and Asia, Africa, or Oceania.
9. Includes Transnistria, a region that has declared, and ''de facto'' achieved, independence; however, it is not recognised ''de jure'' by sovereign states.
10. Russia is generally considered a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe (UN region) and Asia, with European territory west of the Ural Mountains and both the Ural and Emba rivers; population and area figures are for European portion only.
11. Guernsey is a crown dependency affiliated with the United Kingdom.
12. Isle of Man is a crown dependency affiliated with the United Kingdom.
13. Jersey is a crown dependency affiliated with the United Kingdom.
14. Montenegro declared independence from the union of Serbia and Montenegro on 3 June 2006.
15. Figures for Portugal include the Azores west of Portugal but exclude the Madeira Islands, west of Morocco in Africa.
16. Figures for Serbia include Kosovo and Metohia, a province administrated by the UN (UNMIK) as per Security Council resolution 1244.
17. Figures for Spain exclude the Canary Islands, west of Morocco and Western Sahara in Africa, and the exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which are on the northwest of the African continent.
18. Figures for France include only metropolitan France: some politically integral parts of France are geographically located outside Europe.
19. Netherlands population for July 2004. Population and area details include European portion only: Netherlands and two entities outside Europe (Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, in the Caribbean) constitute the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is the official capital, while The Hague is the administrative seat.
20. Kazakhstan is sometimes considered a transcontinental country in Central Asia (UN region) and Eastern Europe, with European territory west of the Ural Mountains and both the Ural and Emba rivers; area figures are for European portion out of total.
21. Armenia and Cyprus are sometimes considered transcontinental countries: both are physiographically in Western Asia but have historical and sociopolitical connections with Europe.
22. Azerbaijan is often considered a transcontinental country in Western Asia (UN region) and Eastern Europe; population and area figures are for European portion (north of the crest of the Caucasus and the Kura River) out of total. This excludes the exclave of Nakhchivan and Nagorno-Karabakh (a region that has declared, and ''de facto'' achieved, independence; however, it is not recognised ''de jure'' by sovereign states).
23. Georgia is often considered a transcontinental country in Western Asia (UN region) and Eastern Europe; population and area figures are for European portion (north of the crest of the Caucasus and the Kura River) out of total. Also includes Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two regions that have declared, and ''de facto'' achieved, independence; however, they are not recognised ''de jure'' by sovereign states.
24. Turkey is generally considered a transcontinental country in Western Asia (UN region) and Southern Europe: the region of Rumelia (Trakya) – which includes the provinces of Edirne, Kırklareli, Tekirdağ, and the western parts of the Çanakkale and Istanbul Provinces – is west and north of the Bosporus and the Dardanelles; population and area figures are for European portion (including all of Istanbul) out of total population.25. The total area figure includes only European portions of transcontinental countries.
26. The total population figure includes only European portions of transcontinental countries.
27. [1]
External links
★
★ "Europe". ''
The Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online''. 2005. New York: Columbia University Press.
★
Europe at Night at
NASA Earth Observatory
★
Regions of Europe
★
Council of Europe
★
EUFPC European Foreign Policy Council
★
Parks in Europe - National parks, nature parks, reserves and other protected areas.
★
History and institutions of the united Europe (videos, photos, maps,...) : European Navigator
★
International Newspaper Political, business and economic news for EU, Balkans, Russia and Eurasia. Includes news analysis, editorial and Kassandra's Notebook. : New Europe Newspaper
★
Map of Western Europe during the Last Ice Age at the
Institute of Metahistory
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