Summary
Europe is a continent small in area but densely populated and with many countries: around 50. It lies in the northern hemisphere and borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Arctic to the north and Asia to the east, from which the Ural Mountains separate it. It is very fragmented into peninsulas —the Iberian, the Italian, the Balkan, the Scandinavian— and islands.
Politically, many of its countries form the European Union, and several share a currency, the euro. Notable features include the Alps and the Pyrenees, and rivers such as the Volga (the longest), the Danube and the Rhine. Major European cities are Paris, London, Rome, Berlin and Madrid.
Key points
- Europe is in the northern hemisphere; it borders Asia at the Ural Mountains.
- It is small in area but has around 50 countries.
- Very fragmented: peninsulas (Iberian, Italian, Balkan, Scandinavian) and islands.
- Many countries form the European Union; several use the euro.
- Notable mountains: the Alps and the Pyrenees.
- Important rivers: the Volga (the longest), the Danube and the Rhine.
- Major cities: Paris, London, Rome, Berlin and Madrid.