40+ Interesting facts About Europe

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  1. Europe is the 2nd smallest continent after Australia. However, it has the 2nd highest population density after Asia.
  2. The North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea separates Europe from North America and Africa. However, there is no clear boundary between Asia and Europe. The frontier between these two continents generally includes the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Aegean Sea, the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus Strait, the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, and the Greater Caucasus.
  3. There are 44 sovereign countries in Europe. Russia, a transcontinental country, is the largest and most populous European country. The largest and most populous countries entirely inside Europe are Ukraine and Germany.
  4. Historians divide European history into various periods according to their characteristics. The most prominent periods include ancient history, Middle Ages, Renaissance, industrial revolution, and European colonization.
  5. The two world wars in the 20th Century declined the dominance of Western Europe in global affairs. The USA and the USSR became the leaders of two opposite camps (capitalism and communism) after WW2. European countries joined one of these camps during the Cold War.
  6. According to estimates, modern humans (Homo sapiens) arrived in Europe around 210,000 years ago. Researchers have found this after examining a human skull discovered in a cave in southern Greece. (Source)
  7. Three European countries (Sweden, Norway, and Finland) have the highest number of islands in the world. Countries on other continents have relatively far fewer islands. (Source)
  8. Plovdiv in Bulgaria is the oldest inhabited city in Europe, founded around 6000 BCE. The other oldest inhabited cities on this continent are Argos (Greece), Nitra (Slovakia), and Bratislava (Slovakia). The estimated founding year of all these cities is about 5000 BCE. (Source)
  9. Temperatures in Europe have increased twice the global average rate in the last three decades, the highest in the world. It resulted in heat waves, wildfires, floods, and a reduction in the ice thickness of glaciers. (Source)
    A wildfire
    Extreme temperatures have caused wildfires in Europe

  10. Europe has the highest ratio of coastline to total area than any other continent. It is due to the irregular shape of its coastline.
  11. Norway has the longest coastline in Europe and one of the longest in the world. Other European countries having a significant coastline length are Greece and the UK. (Source)
  12. The Scandinavian Mountains in the Scandinavian Peninsula are the longest mountain range in Europe (1,095 miles). The Carpathian Mountains (900 miles) and Alps (750 miles) are the 2nd and 3rd longest on this continent. (Source)
  13. The European plain, extending from Western to Eastern Europe, is one of the greatest uninterrupted flat regions of the earth’s surface. Its width is nearly 200 miles in Western Europe but reaches more than 2,000 miles in Eastern Europe. Most of this plain has an elevation of less than 500 feet.
  14. Nineteen of the twenty countries with the best water quality are in Europe. The water quality score in six countries (Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK) is 100. (Source)
  15. Finland, Ireland, Norway, France, and Netherlands have the highest overall score on the food security index. There are eight European countries among the top ten countries on this list. (Source)
  16. Monaco has the highest median age (55.4 years) in the world. Four European countries are among the five sovereign countries with the highest median age. (Source)
  17. Only 14 countries around the globe grant full rights to women. Except for New Zealand, the remaining 13 countries with gender equality are in Europe. (Source)
  18. The northernmost international tripoint is in Europe. The international borders of Norway, Sweden, and Finland meet at this place.
  19. Europeans speak numerous languages. These belong to three main language groups: Romance (French, Spanish, Italian, etc.), Germanic (German, Dutch, Swedish, etc.), and Slavic (Russian, Ukrainian, Slovene, Polish, etc.).
  20. Many European countries receive immigrants from former colonies due to vast economic opportunities. The two leading examples are the United Kingdom and France. The UK attracts citizens from Commonwealth nations, while France receives workers from Francophone countries of North Africa and Asia.
  21. People of European descent have a sizable population in various regions around the globe. These include the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, and southern Africa. It primarily happened after the colonization of these areas by European nations.
  22. The majority religion in Europe is Christianity, followed by more than 72% of people. Around 20% of Europeans are irreligious, while nearly 7% follow Islam.
  23. Europe has the highest number of UNESCO world heritage sites. More than 500 cultural, natural, or mixed sites are on this continent. (Source)
  24. St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City is the world’s largest church. Eight of the ten largest churches are in Europe. (Source)
  25. Most European countries have abolished monarchies during the 19th and 20th centuries. However, twelve countries still have retained a form of monarchy with little political power. These include the UK, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Monaco, etc. (Source)
  26. The area of primary forests in Europe is more than 1.4 million hectares in 34 countries. Nearly 89% of these conifer and broadleaf forests are in protected areas. (Source)
  27. Bialowieza forest, on the border of Belarus and Poland, is a vast primary forest in Europe. This forest with conifer and broadleaf trees covers an area of 141,885 hectares (82,308 ha in Belarus and 59,577 ha in Poland). It contains the largest population of European bison. (Source) 
    An oak tree in Bialowieza forest
    Bialowieza is one of a few primary forests in Europe

  28. The eight oldest zoos in the world are in Europe. The three oldest are in Austria, France, and the UK. (Source)
  29. The summit of Mount Elbrus (Russia) is the highest point, while the Caspian Sea shore is the lowest point on the continent.
  30. The Volga (3,692 km) is the longest river in Europe. Other successive rivers are the Danube (2,860 km), Ural (2,428 km), and Dnieper (2,290 km).
  31. Four European countries have the highest GDP per capita in the world. These are Luxembourg, Ireland, Switzerland, and Norway. (Source)
  32. European countries have the highest death rate in the world. The top five are Lithuania, Serbia, Romania, Latvia, and Bulgaria. (Source)
  33. Finland, Denmark, and Iceland are the happiest countries in the world. Out of the ten happiest countries, eight are European. (Source)
  34. Malbork Castle in Poland is the largest in the world. Seven of the world’s ten largest castles are in Europe. (Source)
  35. The ten most environmentally friendly countries are in Europe. The top three eco-friendly countries are Denmark, the UK, and Finland. (Source)
  36. European countries are among the top arms exporters in the world. Seven of the ten largest arms exporters are in Europe.
  37. The nine oldest flags in the world belong to European countries. Denmark, Austria, and Latvia are three of the oldest flag-bearing countries. (Source)
  38. France and Spain receive the highest number of international tourists in the world. There are five European countries among the ten most visited countries. (Source)
  39. Theopetra Cave (Greece), Cave of El Castillo (Spain), and Chauvet Cave (France) are the three oldest archaeological sites in the world. Five of the six ancient archaeological sites are in Europe. (Source)
  40. Nine of the ten countries with the highest consumption of alcohol per capita are in Europe. The top three of these are Czechia (14.26), Latvia (13.19), and Moldova (12.85). (Source)
  41. More than 50% of babies in at least 10 European countries are born without marriage. The highest proportion of babies outside marriage is in Iceland (70%), while the lowest is in Greece (9.4%). Their numbers have increased by 15% between 2000 and 2016. (Source)
  42. Vatican City and Monaco are the world’s smallest countries. San Marino, Liechtenstein, and Malta are also among the smallest nations. (Source)
  43. The Netherlands, Montenegro, and Denmark have the highest average height in the world. All the world’s ten tallest countries are in Europe. (Source)

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