Origin
The name Europe seems to have been derived from the word 'Europa'. Conceived by the Greeks, Europa is thought to have meant 'mainland'. European art and culture still reflects the imprint of this great empire of the 2nd century AD.

In the 19th and 20th centuries modern science first took root in this place. It spread to other continents in the form of colonialisation by these countries. The story of Britishers coming into India and ruling the country for more than 200 years is too well known to be repeated here.

Features
The huge, young Alpine mountain chain, which includes the Pyrenees, Alps, Apennines, Carpathians and Caucasus traverses the continent from west to east.

Mont Blanc in the Alps at 15,771 feet and Mt. Elbrus in the Caucasus at 18,481 feet are the highest points.

The fertile European plain stretches from the Atlantic coast of France to the Urals. The climate is mild and generally humid in the west and northwest, dry in summer (Mediterranean type) in the south, and humid with cool summers in the east. Except for the north, Europe is densely populated.

Countries
The countries of Europe are Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, European Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, European Russia, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, European Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom (Great Britain and Northern Ireland), Vatican City, and Yugoslavia.