Europe

Europe is one of the seven continents of the world, and one that possesses many of the world’s most influential and culturally vibrant cities, as well as a variety of interesting and beautiful geographic regions. Throughout history, Europe has changed its political and geographic boundaries, something that continues even today.

Traditionally, the countries of Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdon, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweeden, and Finland have been the most important in historical and geopolitical matters. Countries such as Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltics were controlled by the U.S.S.R during the time of the cold war, but after the fall of the Soviet Union, were reformed into the European political body. The break-up of Yugoslavia furthered the addition of new members to Europe by adding Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovenia. Today, judging Europe by members of the European Union, there are 27 members, although this is not an accurate portrayal of the geographic region, as some Caribbean islands are included in the union, as is French Guyana in South America.

Most of today's Western ideas about government, laws, art, religion, and other branches of the humanities have their origins in Europe (from which many of the original ideas came from the ancient Greeks). Democracy is just one such of these ideas which was born with the Greeks, rediscovered and redeveloped by Europeans, and then spread throughout the world. Many of today's ideas regarding enlightened thought and philosophy, as well as some of the most well-recognized and important works of Western art originated during the period of the Renaissance. Michaelangelo and DiVinci are but two examples. The Renaissance was a period of cultural and scientific advancement, pursuit of knowledge and learning, and was a revival and rediscovery of many of the ancient Greeks’ ideas, which were to become the foundations for modern Europe.

The land that Europe occupies has been the site for many wars between nations, monarchies, and ideals. It was birthplace and staging ground for large portions of the two of the largest wars the world has ever known--World Wars I and II. The first World War was a precursor to the second, more expanded one which came a few years after and cost the lives of over 60 million people.

The geography of Europe is varied and includes mountain ranges, such as the Alps, Urals, Pyrenees, and Carpathians, which bisect countries, and provide resorts and places for winter sports. The southernmost countries such as Spain, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, and Malta, lie on the Mediterranean Sea, and typically enjoy a fair, temperate climate with a good deal of sun. The more northern states of Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, lie amid the North Atlantic, North Sea, and Baltic Sea, and are colder, having a sub arctic climate. The central region of Europe, including France, Germany, Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic, and so on, typically have a temperate climate, although very hot days in the summer, and very cold days in the winter are becoming more common.

Europe is home to some of the world's greatest museums, cultural heritage sites, and monuments. The Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, Versailles, and Eiffel Tower are just some of the more well-known in Paris. Italy holds the Coliseum, Tower of Pisa, and Vatican City. Each country is home to so many important museums, architectural marvels, and monuments, that a full list would be pages long.

Each of the countries that makes up Europe possesses its own traditions, cultures, and typically, languages, making Europe one of the world’s top tourist destinations. Transportation on the continent is first-class with a network of trains, highways, and air carriers connecting the separate countries. The proximity of so many unique cultures combined with the ease of travel and security of the union, is what keeps drawing tourists in each year, and will assure that Europe stays at the top of the tourism industry for years to come.