Europe is made up of 46 different countries. The Caspian Sea and the Black Sea as well as the Ural Mountains mark the divide between Europe and Asia. The most visited place in Europe is Disneyland, Paris. Bulgaria is the oldest country in Europe and it hasn’t changed its name since 681 AD. Iceland has no mosquitoes at all. Not even one. Greenland is the biggest island in the world. Europe is home to the Danube, Rhine, and Volga Rivers. Europe is home to the smallest country in the world, the Holy City or the Vatican. Europe is home to the birthplace of democracy and Western culture in the ancient civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Most of Europe now uses the same currency called the Euro. The area of Russia that is west of the Ural Mountains is usually considered part of Europe. The area to the east of the Urals is considered part of Asia. The Industrial Revolution began in Europe in Great Britain.
The warm, sunny climate of Southern Europe creates a vastly different culture than that of Northern or Eastern Europe. Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece are just some of the countries of this region, which enjoys a casual, easygoing atmosphere. The majority of these countries speak Romance languages, which are descended from Latin. The cuisine in this region tends to be spicier and makes use of local in-season produce and seafood caught on the coasts of these countries. Most of the residents of this area are Roman Catholic or Orthodox.
England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Austria are some of the countries that make up Western Europe. Cuisine varies widely from one country to the other and no one dish or one way of cooking symbolizes the entire area. The languages and religions vary greatly as well, making Western Europe more diverse and harder to define by region. Even the currency varies, as the countries of the United Kingdom, except for Ireland, have not followed suit in adopting the euro but have retained their own system.
Several Eastern European countries share a history of Communist rule. While Communism has left its mark in this region, it's now a thing of the past for countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania. Most residents of Eastern European countries belong to either the Roman Catholic Church or a variety of Orthodox churches, which play a large part in determining many of their holidays and celebrations. The residents of countries in this region typically speak variations of Slavic languages.
Northern Europe includes the Nordic countries, such as Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. The occupants of these countries speak Nordic languages -- also known as North Germanic or Scandinavian languages -- such as FInnish, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian. These countries offer a wide mix of traditional small towns and modern, big cities. Commercial fishing plays a large part of the cultures of these lands that alternate between long hours or daylight and long hours of dark during the course of the year.
Comment on the Blog and tell us which regions you would prefer to live and why?
The European Union grew out of a desire for peace in a war-torn and divided continent. Five years after World War II ended, France and Germany came up with a plan to ensure their two countries would never go to war against each other again. The result was a deal signed by six nations to pool their coal and steel resources in 1950. Seven years later a treaty signed in Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC) - the foundations of today's European Union. The UK was one of three new members to join in the first wave of expansion in 1973. Today the EU has 28 member states with a total population of more than 500 million.
The United Kingdom, also called the U.K., consists of a group of islands off the northwest coast of Europe.
It is a unique country made up of four nations:
England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Sports and literature are among the United Kingdom's cultural claims to fame. Soccer, rugby, cricket, boxing, and golf were all invented in Britain. And the U.K. has produced many great writers, including William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and Robert Burns. J.K. Rowling, the writer of the Harry Potter books, is British.
Britain's system of government has developed over many centuries. Kings once ruled with advice from a council of religious leaders and nobles.
Elizabeth II has been Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand since 6 February 1952.
This council eventually expanded into the Parliament, which now passes all the country's laws. Today, the monarch (which can be a king or queen) has no real power but is the ceremonial head of state.
