![]() ![]() 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. 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. The Age of Enlightenment, the subsequent French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars shaped the continent culturally, politically and economically from the end of the 17th century until the first half of the 19th century. Between the 16th and 20th centuries, European powers colonised at various times the Americas, almost all of Africa and Oceania, and the majority of Asia. Since the Age of Discovery, started by Portugal and Spain, Europe played a predominant role in global affairs. Renaissance humanism, exploration, art, and science led to the modern era. The fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD and the subsequent Migration Period marked the end of Europe's ancient history, and the beginning of the Middle Ages. 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. 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. Comprising the westernmost peninsulas of Eurasia, it shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with both Africa and Asia. Europe is also a subcontinent of Eurasia and it's located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. ^ "Europe" as defined by the International Monetary Fund.Įurope is a landmass conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Istanbul is a transcontinental city which straddles both Asia and Europe. ^ Figures include only European portions of transcontinental countries. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |