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 About Europe |
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The world's second-smallest continent in terms of size, Europe may be defined according to any number of criteria, such as geographical, political, economic, or cultural. The definitions that result are different, and they reflect the different perceptions of Europe. Geographically, Europe is a collection of connected peninsulas. The two largest peninusulas, separated by the Baltic Sea, are mainland Europe and Scaninavia. The three smaller peninsulas of Iberia, Italy, and the Balkans extend from the mainland into the Mediterranean Sea, separating Europe from Africa.
Today 46 European countries are members of the Council of Europe, an organization independent of the European Union that was founded in 1949. Europe is increasingly being used as a short-form for the European Union (EU) and its 25 member states. A number of other European countries are negotiating for EU membership, and several more are expected to begin negotiations in the future. |
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Countries of Europe |
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The following 47 independent states have territory in Europe:
Albania, Andorra, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Madedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the Vatican City
Europe can be divided into the following seven geographic regions:
Scandinavia: Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark
British Isles: United Kingdom and Ireland
Western Europe: France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Monaco
Southern Europe: Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Italy, Malta, San Marino, and Vatican City
Central Europe: Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary
Southeastern Europe: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and the European part of Turkey
Eastern Europe: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, the European portion of Russia, and by convention the Transcaucasian countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan |
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Location |
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Europe’s designation as a continent is more from a cultural persepective than a geographic one. Geographically Europe is part of the larger landmass known as Eurasia. The Ural Mountains in Russia define the eastern boundary between Europe and Asia. The southeast boundary with Asia is also most commonly the Ural or, the Emba river. This boundary extends to the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus mountains or, the Kuma and Manych rivers, the Black Sea, and finally the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardenelles. The Mediterranean Sea in the south separates Europe from Africa. The western and northern boundaries are the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean, respectively. Iceland, while much farther away from Europe than the nearest points of Africa and Asia, is usually considered a European country. |
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Population |
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The population of Europe is about 700,000,000, approximately 11% of the world's population.With the exception of the northern third of the continent, Europe, relatively-speaking, is densely populated. The largest cities are London, Moscow, and Paris, and eleven cities are home to over two million people.
The major religion in Europe is Christianity. Roman Catholicism is the main denomination in southern and western Europe. Protestantism is dominant in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and northern Europe, while the Orthodox Eastern Church predominates in the eastern and southeastern areas of Europe. Islam is the major religion in some sections of the Balkan Peninsula and Transcaucasia.
For years, Europe has been experiencing a declining birth rate. Italy, with a birth rate of 1.3, has one of the lowest birth rates on the continent. |
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Language |
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Linguistically, and also culturally, Europe falls into the following main classifications:
Northwestern and some parts of central Europe may be considered Germanic Europe, where Germanic languages are spoken. This area consists of the United Kingdom, Iceland, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands, German-speaking Switzerland, the Flemish part of Belgium, the Swedish-speaking municipalities of Finland, and the South Tyrol part of Italy.
Southwestern Europe may be considered Latin Europe, where the Romance languages are spoken. This area consists of Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Romania, Moldova, French-speaking Belgium, French speaking Switzerland, and Italian and Rumantsch speaking Switzerland.
Central and eastern Europe may be considered Slavic Europe, where Slavic languages are spoken. This area consists of Ukraine, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, Republic of Macedonia, and Bulgaria.
In addition to the three main classifications above there are:
The Celtic regions of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, the Republic of Ireland, and Brittany. These are regions where a Celtic language is or was spoken into modern times.
Hellenic Europe is the country of Greece, and the Greek Cypriot community, where Greek is spoken.
Ibero-Caucasian regions include ethnic groups throughout the Caucasus, comprising Georgians, Abkhaz, Chechens, Balkars, and a number of other smaller ethnic groups. The Ibero-Caucasian languages, which includes Turkish, are not a part of the Indo-European language family.
Hungary, Finland, and Estonia have related languages. |
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European Union |
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The European Union or EU is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 European countries, known as member states. A major activity of the EU is the establishment and administration of a single, common market consisting of a customs union, a single currency, and common agricultural, trade, and fishing policies. The European Union's activities cover all areas of public policy, from health and economics to foreign affairs and defence.
The most important EU institutions are the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Court of Justice.
The European Union has its roots in the six member European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), founded in 1951. In 1957 the six members signed the Treaties of Rome, creating the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and the European Economic Community (EEC). The member states began the work of removing trade barriers between them, and forming a common market.
The three European communities above were merged in 1967. From this point on there was a single Commission and a single Council of Ministers, as well as the European Parliament. Today, direct elections are held for Parliament every five years.
The Treaty of Maastricht in 1992 introduced new forms of co-operation between the member states, and created the European Union of today. As a result, it has become increasingly easy for people to travel in Europe, as passport and customs checks have been abolished at most of the EU's internal borders.
In 1992 the EU decided to aspire for economic and monetary union (EMU), which would mean the introduction of a single European currency, managed by a European Central Bank. On January 1, 2002, the single currency, the euro, came into use in twelve of the then 15 countries of the EU.
At present, the EU consists of 25 member states and four appliacant states. The member states are:
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom
The applicant states are:
Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, and Turkey. |
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Currency |
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From a currency perspective, Europe may divided to those countries that have adopted the euro, and those countries that have not. Twelve countries, comprising a Eurozone of over 300,000,000 people, have adopted the euro. These countries are Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Sweden are the only EU countries that have not adopted the euro, although they may do so eventually. The European Central Bank is responsible for the monetary policy within the eurozone. Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City also use the euro, although they are not officially euro members nor members of the EU. These countries use the euro by virtue of agreements concluded with EU member states.
Andorra adopted the euro without entering into any legal arrangements with the EU, and will mint its own euro coins for the first time in 2006. Likewise, Montenegro and Kosovo, both of which used the German mark as their de facto currency, also adopted the euro without entering into any legal arrangements with the EU.
The 13 countries of the European Union that do not use the euro are Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the ten member states that joined the Union on May 1 2004, namely Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. These ten states are expected to adopt the euro between 2007 and 2012. |
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Health |
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In general, European countries have excellent public health systems in which residents are covered by state social security systems. In addition, most countries also have networks of private health insurance companies.
As of June 2004, European citizens traveling within the European Economic Area (European Union, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and Switzerland may use their European Health Insurance Card for receiving any medical assistance that might become necessary during a temporary stay in another country. The health care provided is in accordance with the legislation of the state of stay. This means that care may be free, or may require some payment up front, to be reimbursed locally or soon after the return home. |
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Cost of Living |
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Recently, Europe has become an increasingly expensive place to live. This is due in large part to the strengthening of the euro, and the weakening of the U.S. dollar. According to the Mercer Survey, London is the most expensive city in Europe, due in part to the appreciation of the pound against the dollar. The other most expensive cities in Europe are Moscow, Geneva, Zurich, and Oslo. New member states to the EU, from eastern Europe, are becoming rapidly more expensive to live in. On the other hand, the European countryside, as opposed to the major cities, offers very different and much more affordable circumstances for living. |
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