Europe

Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. Physically and
geologically, Europe is the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, west of Asia. Europe is
bound to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south
by the Mediterranean Sea, to the southeast by the Caucasus Mountains and the Black
Sea and the waterways connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. To the east,
Europe is generally divided from Asia by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the
Ural River, and by the Caspian Sea.
Europe is the world's second-smallest continent in terms of area, covering about
10,400,000 square kilometres (4,010,000 sq mi) or 2.0% of the Earth's surface. The only
continent smaller than Europe is Australia. In terms of population, it is the third-largest
continent (after Asia and Africa) with a population of some 690,000,000 or about 11%
of the world's population. However, the term continent can refer to a cultural and
political distinction or a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about
Europe's precise borders, area, and population.
The European Union (EU), comprising 27 member states, is the largest political and
economic entity by area and population covering the European continent, while Russia
(excluding portions in Asia) is the second largest entity and largest country. The EU has
the world's largest economy with an estimated nominal GDP of 14.2 trillion USD
(2006) accounting for 35% of world GDP.

Population Population
Name of region and Area
(1 July, 2002 density Capital
territory, with flag (km²)
est.) (per km²)
Eastern Europe:
Belarus 207,600 10,335,382 49.8 Minsk
Bulgaria 110,910 7,621,337 68.7 Sofia
Czech Republic 78,866 10,256,760 130.1 Prague
Hungary 93,030 10,075,034 108.3 Budapest
Moldova 33,843 4,434,547 131.0 Chişinău
Poland 312,685 38,625,478 123.5 Warsaw
Romania 238,391 21,698,181 91.0 Bucharest
Russia 3,960,000 106,037,143 26.8 Moscow
Slovakia 48,845 5,422,366 111.0 Bratislava
Ukraine 603,700 48,396,470 80.2 Kiev
Northern Europe:
Åland (Finland) 1,552 26,008 16.8 Mariehamn

Denmark 43,094 5,368,854 124.6 Copenhagen

Estonia 45,226 1,415,681 31.3 Tallinn
Faroe Islands 1,399 46,011 32.9 Tórshavn
(Denmark)
Finland 336,593 5,157,537 15.3 Helsinki
Guernsey 78 64,587 828.0 St Peter Port
Iceland 103,000 307,261 2.7 Reykjavík
Ireland 70,280 4,234,925 60.3 Dublin
Isle of Man 572 73,873 129.1 Douglas
Jersey 116 89,775 773.9 Saint Helier
Latvia 64,589 2,366,515 36.6 Riga
Lithuania 65,200 3,601,138 55.2 Vilnius
Norway 324,220 4,525,116 14.0 Oslo

Svalbard and Jan 62,049 2,868 0.046 Longyearbyen

Mayen Islands (Norway)
Sweden 449,964 9,090,113 19.7 Stockholm
United Kingdom 244,820 60,201,000 244.2 London
Southern Europe:
Albania 28,748 3,544,841 123.3 Tirana
Andorra la
Andorra 468 68,403 146.2
Vella
Bosnia and
51,129 3,964,388 77.5 Sarajevo
Herzegovina
Croatia 56,542 4,390,751 77.7 Zagreb
Gibraltar (UK) 5.9 27,714 4,697.3 Gibraltar
Greece 131,940 10,645,343 80.7 Athens
Italy 301,230 58,751,711 191.6 Rome
Macedonia 25,333 2,054,800 81.1 Skopje
Malta 316 397,499 1,257.9 Valletta
Montenegro 13,812 616,258 44.6 Podgorica
Portugal 91,568 10,084,245 110.1 Lisbon

San Marino 61 27,730 454.6 San Marino

Serbia 88,361 9,663,742 109.4 Belgrade
Slovenia 20,273 1,932,917 95.3 Ljubljana
Spain 498,506 40,077,100 80.4 Madrid

Vatican City 0.44 900 2,045.5 Vatican City

Western Europe:
Austria 83,858 8,169,929 97.4 Vienna
 Belgium 30,510 10,274,595 336.8 Brussels
France 547,030 59,765,983 109.3 Paris
Germany 357,021 83,251,851 233.2 Berlin
Liechtenstein 160 32,842 205.3 Vaduz
Luxembourg 2,586 448,569 173.5 Luxembourg

Monaco 1.95 31,987 16,403.6 Monaco

Netherlands 41,526 16,318,199 393.0 Amsterdam

Switzerland 41,290 7,301,994 176.8 Bern

Central Asia:
Kazakhstan 2,717,300 600,000 1.6 Astana
Western Asia:
Azerbaijan 39,730 4,198,491 105.7 Baku
Georgia 49,240 2,447,176 49.7 Tbilisi
Turkey 24,378 11,044,932 453.1 Ankara
Total 10,396,619 694,270,001 66.8

Etymology
In Greek mythology, Europa was a Phoenician princess who was abducted by Zeus in
bull form and taken to the island of Crete, where she gave birth to Minos,
Rhadamanthus and Sarpedon. For Homer, Europe (Greek: Εὐρώπη) was a
mythological queen of Crete, not a geographical designation. Later Europa stood for
mainland Greece, and by 500 BC its meaning had been extended to lands to the north.
In etymology one theory suggests the name Europe is derived from the Greek words
meaning broad (eurys) and face (ops) – broad having been an epithet of Earth itself in
the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European religion; see Prithvi (Plataia). A minority,
however, suggest this Greek popular etymology is really based on a Semitic word such
as the Akkadian erebu meaning "sunset" (see also Erebus).
From the Middle Eastern vantagepoint, the sun does set over Europe, the lands to the
west. Likewise, Asia is sometimes thought to have derived from a Semitic word such as
the Akkadian asu, meaning "sunrise", and is the land to the east from a Middle Eastern
perspective. For centuries, the Turks used the term Frengistan (land of the Franks) in
referring to Europe.
The majority of major world languages use words derived from "Europa" to refer to the
continent – e.g. Chinese uses the word Ōuzhōu, which is an abbreviation of the
transliterated name Ōuluóbā zhōu.
Geography
Physiographically, Europe is the northwestern constituent of the larger landmass known
as Eurasia, or Africa-Eurasia: Asia occupies the eastern bulk of this continuous
landmass (save the Suez Canal separating Asia and Africa) and all share a common
continental shelf. Europe's eastern frontier is now commonly delineated by the Ural
Mountains in Russia (Strabo, Geography 11.1, took the Tanais River to be the
boundary, as did early Judaic sources). The southeast boundary with Asia is not
universally defined. Most commonly the Ural or, alternatively, the Emba River serve as
possible boundaries. The boundary continues to the Caspian Sea, the crest of the
Caucasus Mountains or, alternatively, the Kura River in the Caucasus, and on to the
Black Sea; the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles conclude the Asian
boundary. The Mediterranean Sea to the south separates Europe from Africa. The
western boundary is the Atlantic Ocean; Iceland, though nearer to Greenland (North
America) than mainland Europe, is generally included in Europe. There is ongoing
debate on where the geographical centre of Europe is.
Due to sociopolitical and cultural differences, there are various descriptions of Europe's
boundary; in some sources, some territories are not included in Europe, while other
sources include them. For instance, geographers from Russia and other post-Soviet
states generally include the Urals in Europe while including Caucasia in Asia.
Numerous geographers consider Azerbaijan's and Armenia's southern border with Iran
and Turkey's southern and eastern border with Syria, Iraq, and Iran as the boundary
between Asia and Europe. Similarly, the island of Cyprus, though closest to Turkey
(Asia Minor), is frequently included in Europe.

In another usage, Europe is increasingly being used as a short-form for the European
Union (EU) and its members, currently consisting of 27 member states and the
candidate countries negotiating for membership, and several other countries expected to
begin negotiations in the future (see Enlargement of the European Union). This
definition, however, excludes non-members such as Switzerland, Norway and Russia.

• Physical geography
Land relief in Europe shows great variation within relatively small areas. The southern
regions, however, are more mountainous, while moving north the terrain descends from
the high Alps, Pyrenees and Carpathians, through hilly uplands, into broad, low
northern plains, which are vast in the east. This extended lowland is known as the Great
European Plain, and at its heart lies the North German Plain. An arc of uplands also
exists along the north-western seaboard, beginning in the western British Isles and
continuing along the mountainous, fjord-cut spine of Norway.
This description is simplified. Sub-regions such as Iberia and Italy contain their own
complex features, as does mainland Europe itself, where the relief contains many
plateaus, river valleys and basins that complicate the general trend. Iceland and the
British Isles are special cases. The former is a land unto itself in the northern ocean
which is counted as part of Europe, while the latter are upland areas that were once
joined to the mainland until rising sea levels cut them off.
 • Demographics

Since the Renaissance, Europe has had a dominating influence in culture, economics
and social movements in the world. European demographics are important not only
historically, but also in understanding current international relations and population
issues.

Some current and past issues in European demographics have included religious
emigration, race relations, economic immigration, a declining birth rate and an aging
population. In some countries, such as the Republic of Ireland and Poland, access to
abortion is currently limited; in the past, such restrictions and also restrictions on
artificial birth control were commonplace throughout Europe. Furthermore, three
European countries (The Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland) have allowed a limited
form of voluntary euthanasia for some terminally ill people.
In 2005, the population of Europe was estimated to be 728 million according to the
United Nations, which is slightly more than one-ninth of the world's population. A
century ago, Europe had nearly a quarter of the world's population. The population of
Europe has grown in the past century, but in other areas of the world (in particular
Africa and Asia) the population has grown far more quickly. According to UN
population projection, Europe's share will fall to 7% in 2050, numbering 653 million.

• Biodiversity

Having lived side-by-side with agricultural peoples for millennia, Europe's animals and
plants have been profoundly affected by the presence and activities of man. With the
exception of Scandinavia and northern Russia, few areas of untouched wilderness are
currently found in Europe, except for various national parks.

The main natural vegetation cover in Europe is forest. The conditions for growth are
very favourable. In the north, the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift warm the
continent. Southern Europe could be described as having a warm, but mild climate.
There are frequent summer droughts in this region. Mountain ridges also affect the
conditions. Some of these (Alps, Pyrenees) are oriented east-west and allow the wind to
carry large masses of water from the ocean in the interior. Others are oriented south-
north (Scandinavian Mountains, Dinarides, Carpathians, Apennines) and because the
rain falls primarily on the side of mountains that is oriented towards sea, forests grow
well on this side, while on the other side, the conditions are much less favourable. Few
corners of mainland Europe have not been grazed by livestock at some point in time,
and the cutting down of the pre-agricultural forest habitat caused disruption to the
original plant and animal ecosystems.
Eighty to ninety per cent of Europe was once covered by forest. It stretched from the
Mediterranean Sea to the Arctic Ocean. Though over half of Europe's original forests
disappeared through the centuries of deforestation, Europe still has over one quarter of
its land area as forest, such as the taiga of Scandinavia and Russia, mixed rainforests of
the Caucasus and the Cork oak forests in the western Mediterranean. During recent
times, deforestation has been slowed and many trees have been planted. However, in
many cases monoculture plantations of conifers have replaced the original mixed
natural forest, because these grow quicker. The plantations now cover vast areas of land,
but offer poorer habitats for many European forest dwelling species which require a
mixture of tree species and diverse forest structure. The amount of natural forest in
Western Europe is just 2–3% or less, in European Russia 5–10%. The country with the
smallest percentage of forested area (excluding the micronations) is the Republic of
Ireland (8%), while the most forested country is Finland (72%).

In temperate Europe, mixed forest with both broadleaf and coniferous trees dominate.
The most important species in central and western Europe are beech and oak. In the
north, the taiga is a mixed spruce-pine-birch forest; further north within Russia and
extreme northern Scandinavia, the taiga gives way to tundra as the Arctic is approached.
In the Mediterranean, many olive trees have been planted, which are very well adapted
to its arid climate; Mediterranean Cypress is also widely planted in southern Europe.
The semi-arid Mediterranean region hosts much scrub forest. A narrow east-west tongue
of Eurasian grassland (the steppe) extends eastwards from Ukraine and southern Russia
and ends in Hungary and traverses into taiga to the north.

Glaciation during the most recent ice age and the presence of man affected the
distribution of European fauna. As for the animals, in many parts of Europe most large
animals and top predator species have been hunted to extinction. The woolly mammoth
and aurochs were extinct before the end of the Neolithic period. Today wolves
(carnivores) and bears (omnivores) are endangered. Once they were found in most parts
of Europe. However, deforestation caused these animals to withdraw further and further.
By the Middle Ages the bears' habitats were limited to more or less inaccessible
mountains with sufficient forest cover.

Today, the brown bear lives primarily in the Balkan peninsula, Scandinavia, and Russia;
a small number also persist in other countries across Europe (Austria, Pyrenees etc.),
but in these areas brown bear populations are fragmented and marginalised because of
the destruction of their habitat. In addition, polar bears may be found on Svalbard, a
Norwegian archipelago far north of Scandinavia. The wolf, the second largest predator
in Europe after the brown bear, can be found primarily in Eastern Europe and in the
Balkans, with a handful of packs in Spain and Scandinavia.
Other important European carnivores are Eurasian lynx, European wild cat, foxes
(especially the red fox), jackal and different species of martens, hedgehogs, different
species of snakes (vipers, grass snake...), different birds (owls, hawks and other birds of
prey).
Important European herbivores are snails, amphibian larvae, fish, different birds, and
mammals, like rodents, deer and roe deer, boars, and living in the mountains, marmots,
steinbocks, chamois among others.
Sea creatures are also an important part of European flora and fauna. The sea flora is
mainly phytoplankton. Important animals that live in European seas are zooplankton,
molluscs, echinoderms, different crustaceans, squids and octopuses, fish, dolphins, and
whales.
History
The origins of Western democratic and individualistic culture are often attributed to
Ancient Greece, though numerous other distinct influences, in particular Christianity,
can also be credited with the spread of concepts such as egalitarianism and universality
of law.
After the decline of the Roman Empire, Europe entered a long period of changes arising
from what is known as the Age of Migrations. That period has been known as the "Dark
Ages" to Renaissance thinkers. Isolated monastic communities in Great Britain, Ireland
and elsewhere carefully safeguarded and compiled written knowledge accumulated
previously.
During this time, the western part of the Roman Empire was "reborn" as the Holy
Roman Empire, later called Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. The eastern
part of the Roman Empire became known in the west as the Byzantine Empire. The
'Byzantines' themselves still called themselves Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωµαίων Basileia tōn
Romaiōn - the Empire of the Romans. In 1453, when the Ottoman Empire conquered
the Byzantine capital Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire ceased to exist, with a
small hold out state of Trebizond which lasted until 1461.
The Renaissance and the New Monarchs marked the start of a period of discovery,
exploration, and increase in scientific knowledge. In the 15th century, Portugal opened
the age of discoveries, soon followed by Spain. They were later joined by France, the
Netherlands and England in building large colonial empires with vast holdings in
Africa, the Americas, and Asia.
After the age of discovery, the ideas of democracy took hold in Europe. Struggles for
independence arose, most notably in France during the period known as the French
Revolution. This led to vast upheaval in Europe as these revolutionary ideas propagated
across the continent. The rise of democracy led to increased tension within Europe on
top of the tension already existing due to competition within the New World. The most
famous of these conflicts happened when Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power and set out
on a conquest, forming a new French Empire, which soon collapsed. After these
conquests Europe stabilised, but the old foundations were already beginning to crumble.
The Industrial Revolution started in Great Britain in the late 18th century, leading to a
move away from agriculture, much greater general prosperity and a corresponding
increase in population. Many of the states in Europe took their present form in the
aftermath of World War I. From the end of World War II through the end of the Cold
War, Europe was divided into two major political and economic blocks: Communist
nations in Eastern Europe and Capitalist countries in Southern Europe, Northern Europe
and Western Europe. About 1990, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the wider Iron
Curtain, and the Soviet Union the Eastern Block disintegrated.
European integration has been a theme in European relations since the end of the second
World War, and has accelerated since the end of the Cold War. The European Union,
the successor to the European Community, has enlarged from 6 original founding
members to 27 today. The potential admission of Turkey is contentious, as it involves a
transcontinental country with a predominantly Muslim population. Polls suggest that
most Europeans are against membership of Turkey, including three-quarters of the
population in Germany, the country in Europe with the largest community of Turkish
immigrants. Also, Turkey is considered to occupy the northern part of Cyprus since it
invaded in 1974. Cyprus is a European Union member therefore negotiations are
expected to be lengthy. The European Union has developed from a trade-oriented
organisation into one resembling a confederation in a number of respects. European
membership of NATO has also increased since the end of the Cold War, with the
admission of a number of Eastern European countries.

Politics
The politics of Europe deals with the continually evolving politics within the continent.
It is a topic far more detailed than other continents due to a number of factors including
the long history of nation states in the region as well as the modern day trend towards
increased political unity amongst the European states.
The current politics of Europe can be traced back to historical events within the
continent. Likewise geography, economy and culture have contributed to the current
political make-up of Europe.

Modern European politics is dominated by the European Union, since the fall of the
Iron Curtain and the collapse of the Eastern Bloc of Communist states. With the end of
the Cold War, the EU expanded eastward to include 25 member states that are
represented in the European Parliament.
Despite vastly improved relations between Russia and the Western European states
since the end of the cold war, recently tensions have risen over the spread of 'Western'
organisations, particularly the EU and NATO, eastwards into former USSR states.
Most European states have either joined, or stated their ambition to join, the European
Union. This has led to governments overhauling corrupt and overly-bureaucratic
systems in order to bring themselves in line with membership criteria. This in turn has
led to improved relations between former enemies, such as Greece and Turkey.
There are few conflicts within Europe, although there remain problems in the Balkans
and the Caucasus.

• European Union
The European Union or EU is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 27
states. It has many activities, the most important being a common single market,
consisting of a customs union, a single currency (adopted by 12 out of 25 member
states), a Common Agricultural Policy and a Common Fisheries Policy. The European
Union also has various initiatives to co-ordinate activities of the member states.
The EU, considered as a unit, has the largest economy in the world with a 2005 GDP of
12.18 trillion USD. There is also a trend of moving towards increased cooperation in
terms of common defence and foreign policy.
The union has evolved over time from a primarily economic union to an increasingly
political one. This trend is highlighted by the increasing number of policy areas that fall
within EU competence: political power has tended to shift upwards from the member
states to the EU. The further development of the political compentencies of the EU is
the subject of heavy debate within and between some member states.

• Commonwealth of Independent States

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a confederation consisting of 12 of
the 15 states of the former Soviet Union, (the exceptions being the three Baltic states).
Although the CIS has few supranational powers, it is more than a purely symbolic
organization and possesses coordinating powers in the realm of trade, finance,
lawmaking and security. The most significant issue for the CIS is the establishment of a
full-fledged free trade zone / economic union between the member states, launched in
2005. It has also promoted cooperation on democratisation and cross-border crime
prevention.

• North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is a military alliance of mainly
European states, plus the United States of America and Canada. The organisation was
founded as a collective security measure following World War Two.

This provision was intended so that if the Soviet Union launched an attack against the
European allies of the United States, it would be treated as if it was an attack on the
United States itself, which had the biggest military and could thus provide the most
significant retaliation. However the feared Soviet invasion of Europe never came.
Instead, the provision was invoked for the first time in the treaty's history on 12
September 2001, in response to the September 11 attacks on the United States the day
before.

• GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development

GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development is a regional
organization of four CIS states: Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova. The group
was created as a way of countering the influence of Russia in the area, and it has
received backing and encouragement from the United States. Though at one point it was
generally considered to have stagnated, recent developments have caused speculation on
the possible revival of the organization.

Economy
The economy of Europe is comprised of more than 710 million people in 48 different
states. Like other continents, the wealth of Europe's states varies, although the poorest
are well above the poorest states of other continents in terms of GDP and living
standards. The difference in wealth across Europe can be seen in a rough East-West
divide. Whilst Western European states all have high GDPs and living standards, many
of Eastern Europe's economies are emerging from the collapse of the USSR and former
Yugoslavia. Throughout this article "Europe" and derivatives of the word are taken to
include selected states that are geographically in Asia, bordering Europe - such as
Azerbaijan and Cyprus.
As a continent, Europe has the largest economy. Europe's largest national economy is
that of Germany, which ranks third globally in nominal GDP, and fifth in purchasing
power parity (PPP) GDP; and its second is that of the United Kingdom, which ranks
fifth globally in nominal GDP and sixth in PPP GDP. The European Union is the
world's largest (as determined by the IMF and the World Bank - 2005) or second largest
economy (CIA World Factbook - 2006) if counted as a single unit -- see List of
countries by GDP (PPP).

• Economic development

Pre-1945: Industrial growth

Prior to World War II, Europe's major financial and industrial states were the United
Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy. The Industrial Revolution, which began in
Britain, had spread rapidly across Europe, and before long the entire continent was at a
high level of industry. World War I had briefly led to the industries of some European
states stalling, but in the run-up to World War II Europe had recovered well, and was
competing with the ever increasing economic might of the United States of America.

However, World War II caused the destruction of most of Europe's industrial centres,
and much of the continent's infrastructure was laid to waste.

1945-1990: The Cold War era

Following World War II, Europe's economy and infrastructure was in tatters. The vast
majority of Eastern European states came under the control of the USSR in what
became the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON), and therefore a
communist market-system (Yugoslavia also adopted this type of market-system but it
was not USSR-controlled). Those states that retained free-markets were given vast
amounts of aid by the USA in order to help rebuild their state of economy.
Many Western European governments moved to link their economies, laying the
foundation for what would become the European Union. This meant a huge increase in
shared infrastructure and cross-border trade. Whilst these Western European states
rapidly improved their economies, by the 1980s, the economy of the COMECON was
struggling, mainly due to the massive cost of the Cold War. The GDP and living
standard of Eastern European states were also behind those of their Western neighbours.
Even free-market Greece, situated in South-Eastern Europe, struggled due to
geographical isolation from Western Europe.

The European Community grew from 6 original members following World War II, to
12 in this period. The emphasis placed upon resurrecting West Germany's economy led
to it overtaking the UK as Europe's largest economy.

1991-2003: Rise of the EU

When communism collapsed in Eastern Europe and the USSR around 1991, these states
struggled to adapt to free-market systems. There was, however, a huge variation in
degrees of success, with Central European states such as Hungary, Slovenia, Romania
and Poland adapting reasonably quickly, whilst post-Soviet states such as Russia and
Ukraine struggled to reform their crumbling infrastructures.
Western Europe was quick to develop economic ties with the newly democratic East.
While the former Soviet states dealt with change, Yugoslavia descended into civil war.
Europe's largest economy, Germany, struggled upon unification in 1991 with former
communist East Germany. The Russian controlled Eastern part of the country had had
much of its industrial infrastructure removed during the cold war, and for many years
the West struggled to build the East up to an equal level.

Peace did not come to Yugoslavia for a decade, and by 2003, there were still many
NATO and EU peacekeeping troops present in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, and
Kosovo. War severely hampered economic growth, with only Slovenia making any real
progress in the 1990s.
The economy of Europe was by this time dominated by the EU, a huge economic and
political organization with 15 of Europe's states as full members. EU membership was
seen as something to aspire to, and the EU gave significant support and aid to those
Central and Eastern European states wishing to work towards achieving economies so
as to pass the entry criteria. During this time, 12 of the 15 members of the EU became
part of the Eurozone, a currency union launched in 1999, whereby each member uses a
shared currency, the Euro, which replaced their former national currencies. Those three
states to remain outside the Eurozone and continue with their own currency were
Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

2004-2007: EU expansion
In early 2004, 10 mostly former communist states joined the EU in its biggest ever
expansion, enlarging the union to 25 members, with another eight making associated
trade agreements. The acceding countries are bound to join the Eurozone and adopt the
common currency Euro in the future. The process includes the European Exchange Rate
Mechanism, which some of these countries are already part of.
Most European economies are in very good shape, and the continental economy reflects
this. Conflict and unrest in some of the former Yugoslavia states and in the Caucasus
states are hampering economic growth in those states, however.

In response to the massive EU growth, in 2005 the Russian dominated Commonwealth

of Independent States (CIS) created a rival trade bloc to the EU, open to any previous
USSR state, (including both the European and Asian states). 12 of the 15 signed up,
with the three Baltic states deciding to align themselves with the EU. Despite this the
three causcus states have in the past said they would one day consider applying for EU
membership, particuarly Georgia.
The EU remained committed to increasing membership to cover the Balkans. Romania
and Bulgaria joined on 1 January 2007, whilst FYR Macedonia, Turkey and Croatia had
all been accepted as candidate countries too, leaving only Serbia and Montenegro,
Albania and Bosnia. However, Montenegro decided in a referendum on May 21, 2006
to dissolve the state union of 'Serbia and Montenegro' leaving both Montenegro and
Serbia as independent states, and the UN indicated it would favour independence for
Kosovo; a decision on the future of Kosovo is expected sometime in 2007.

However, following the accession of Romania and Bulgaria the EU pledged to "slow
down" its enlargement, as it copes with almost doubling in size within three years.
Culture
The Culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures of
Europe. Whether it is a question of West as opposed to East; Catholicism and
Protestantism as opposed to Eastern Orthodoxy; Christianity as opposed to Islam; many
have claimed to identify cultural fault lines across the continent. There are many
cultural innovations and movements, often at odds with each other, such as Christian
proselytism or Humanism. Thus the question of "common culture" or "common values"
is far more complex than it seems.
European culture also has a broad influence beyond the continent of Europe due to the
legacy of colonialism. In this broader sense it is sometimes referred to as Western
Civilization. Nearly all of the Americas were ruled by European powers at one time or
another, and some parts of the New World, such as French Guiana, still are. The vast
majority of the population of the Americas speak European languages, specifically
Spanish, English, Portuguese, French and to a much lesser extent Dutch. Additionally
the cultures of the European colonial powers (Spain, Britain, the Netherlands, Portugal,
Russia, Belgium and France) exert a strong influence.
The legacy has spread European culture elsewhere in the world. Europe profoundly
influenced on the cultures of Africa, India, Australia, and other places colonised or
settled by Europeans.

Languages

There are several linguistic groups widely recognised in Europe. These sometimes (but
not always) coincide with cultural and historical connections between the various
nations, though in other cases religion is considered a more significant distinguishing
factor.

• Romance languages
Romance languages are spoken more or less in south-western Europe, as well as
Romania and Moldova which are situated in Eastern Europe. This area consists of:
Andorra, Italy, Portugal, France, Spain, Romania, Moldova, French-speaking Belgium
(Wallonia, partly Brussels), French-speaking Switzerland (Romandy), Romansh-
speaking Switzerland, and Italian-speaking Switzerland. All Romance languages are
derived from the Roman language, Latin.

• Germanic languages
Germanic languages are spoken more or less in north-western Europe and some parts of
central Europe. This region consists of: Norway, Sweden, Germany, the United
Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Dutch-speaking
Belgium (Flanders, partly Brussels), Austria, Liechtenstein, most of Switzerland,
Iceland and the German-speaking areas of Wallonia, the Faroe Islands, Luxembourg,
the Swedish-speaking municipalities of Finland, and South Tyrol in Italy.
 • Slavic languages
Slavic languages are spoken in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. This area
consists of: Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic,
regions of Saxony and Brandenburg in Germany(Sorbs), Macedonia, Montenegro,
Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.

• Uralic languages
The Uralic languages are divided into three main groups, two of which have
representatives in Europe. The Finno-Permic languages are spoken in Finland, Estonia,
and parts of Sweden, Norway, Latvia, and European Russia while the Ugric languages
are spoken in Hungary and parts of Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Siberian
Russia. These two groups comprise the Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic language
family.

• Baltic languages
Baltic languages are spoken in Lithuania and Latvia. Estonia's national language is part
of the Finno-Ugric family even though it is a Baltic state geographically.

• Celtic languages
"Celtic language" was originally used only to describe the Scottish and Irish Gaelic
language; however, the term now extends to the other Gaelic and Brythonic languages.
Celtic Europe is comprised of those countries and regions where Celtic languages are
spoken. The Celtic nations are: Scotland and Ireland, Wales, Cornwall (UK County),
the Isle of Man (a British Crown dependency) and Brittany (a department in France).
These are all nations where a Celtic language is spoken and share in Celtic
organisations.
Considered Celtic nations are Galicia and Asturias (both autonomous communities of
Spain), as well as northwest Portugal. Scotland, Ireland and Wales and Some regions of
England (in addition to Cornwall) have retained a degree of Celtic influence in their
regional dialects, although England's Celtic languages died out as recently as the 18th
century in Devon and Cornwall.

• Other languages
Outside of these six main linguistic groups one can find:
- The Greek language, an Indo-European language spoken in Greece,
Cyprus, and parts of Turkey, Albania, and Italy, and in Greek diaspora
communities in several other European countries (most notably Germany).
- The Albanian language, which, like the Greek language, forms its own
independent branch of the Indo-European language family with no close living
relatives. Major Albanian-speaking communities outside Albania live in
Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Greece, Turkey, and southern Italy.
- The North Caucasian, a group that includes ethnic groups throughout the
Caucasus region (both North and South). North Caucasian languages are divided
 into two main branches: Northeast Caucasian and Northwest Caucasian. This group
includes Abkhaz, Chechens, Ingush, Bats, and a number of other smaller ethnic
groups that reside in the Caucasus.

- The South Caucasian, or Kartvelian languages, a group that includes the

Georgian language.
- The Maltese language, a heavily Romanticized Semitic language, is spoken
in Malta. Unlike other Semitic languages, Maltese is written in the Roman alphabet.
- The Basque language is spoken in parts of southern France and northern
Spain, i.e. the Basque Country.
- Turkic languages are spoken in Turkey, Azerbaijan, the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus, parts of Bulgaria, parts of Greece, parts of Romania, parts
of Macedonia, parts of Kosovo, parts of Moldova, parts of Russia, parts of
Ukraine, parts of the Caucasus and in Turkish diaspora communities in several
other European countries (most notably Germany, France, Belgium, and the
Netherlands).
- The Mongolic branch of the Altaic phylum is represented in Europe by the
Kalmyk language, which is spoken by the Kalmyk people in Kalmykia, a constituent
republic of the Russian Federation.
- English is spoken fluently by the majority of Europeans.

Religions

The most popular religions of Europe are the following:

• Christianity
Roman Catholicism: Countries or areas with significant Catholic populations
are Albania, Andorra, Austria, west Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, south and west Germany, Hungary,
Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Latgale region in Latvia,
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, south Netherlands,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
central and south Switzerland, and Vatican City. There are also large Catholic
minorities in Great Britain: England, Scotland, Wales and most European
countries.
Eastern-Rite Catholicism: including west Ukraine, the "Uniates" or minority
churches follow its version of Catholicism in Bulgaria, Hungary, Macedonia,
Romania, Serbia and Slovakia, and the so-called "Greek Catholic" sects of
southern Italy (Sardinia and Sicily) and Corsica, France.
Orthodox Christianity: The countries with significant Orthodox populations
are Greece, Russia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova,
Montenegro, Armenia, Serbia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia,
easternmost Hungary, a small minority in Southern Italy, Kazakhstan, sizable
minorities in Albania, Latvia and Lithuania, small minority in Poland, Finland
 (Karelia), A relatively small minority in the European part of Turkey belong to
the Greek Orthodox church.
Protestantism: Countries with significant Protestant populations include
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, north and east Germany, Iceland, Latvia, the
Netherlands, Norway, Sweden; east, north and west Switzerland; and the United
Kingdom. There are significant minorities in France, the Czech Republic,
Hungary, and the Republic of Ireland. Smaller Protestant churches and their
missionairy work are found in Belgium, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland,
Russia, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine.

• Islam
Countries with significant Muslim population are Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Montenegro,
several republics of Russia, Serbia (especially in Kosovo), Turkey, Crimea in
Ukraine. Also, as of 2005, about 5% of EU residents identify themselves as
Muslims, with well-established immigrant communities in Germany, the United
Kingdom, Benelux countries, Sweden and France, and small but fast-growing
minorities of Muslims by recent immigration in Germany, Denmark, Greece,
Italy and France.

• Judaism
Mainly in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia and Turkey. Judaism
is said to have made a minor comeback in the Czechia, Hungary, the
Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia in recent years.

• Hinduism
Mainly among Indian immigrants in the United Kingdom, an estimated 500,000
Hindu adherents in Europe alone.

• Buddhism
Thinly spread throughout western Europe, and in Kalmykia, Russia by the
Kalmuks of Asiatic origin.

• Indigenous European pagan traditions and beliefs, many countries (a fast-

growing neopagan movement in France, Germany, Ireland and United Kingdom
is noted), and one neopagan faith Asatru recognized as a minority religion in
Iceland (since 1973), Norway and Sweden.

• Rastafari, communities in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy

and elsewhere.

• Sikhism and Jainism, small membership rolls, both mainly among Indian
immigrants in the United Kingdom.
 • Voodoo, mainly among black Caribbean and West African immigrants in the
United Kingdom and France.

• Traditional African Religions (including Muti), mainly in the United Kingdom

and France.
Other religions with few (or under a million) adherents in Europe: Animism, Christian
Scientists, Cosmotheism, Deitism, Eco-religion, Gnosticism, Heathen Paganism,
Jehovah's Witnesses, Mennonites, Moravian church, Mormonism or Latter-day Saints,
Pantheism, Polytheism, theological relativism, Scientology, Seventh-day Adventists,
Universal Life Church, Unitarians, Wiccan/magic sorcery, and Zoroastrianism.]
Millions of Europeans profess no religion or are atheist or agnostic. The largest non-
confessional populations (as a percentage) are found in the Czechia, Denmark, Estonia,
France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the former soviet countries of
Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, although most former communist countries have
significant non-confessional populations. Attendance at church is a minority activity in
most Western European countries - as an example, the Church of England attracts
around 1 million worshippers on a Sunday, which corresponds to about 2% of the
population of England.

Official religions
A number of countries in Europe have official religions, including Liechtenstein, Malta,
Monaco, Vatican City (Catholic), Greece (Eastern Orthodox); Denmark, Iceland, and
Norway (Lutheran). In Switzerland, some cantons are officially Catholic, others
Reformed Protestant. Some Swiss villages even have their religion as well as the village
name written on the signs at their entrances.
Georgia has no established church, but the Georgian Orthodox Church enjoys "de facto"
privileged status. In Finland, both Finnish Orthodox Church and Lutheran church are
official. England, a part of the UK, has Anglicanism as its official religion. Scotland,
another part of the UK, has Presbyterianism as the 'National' church, but is no longer
"official", and in Sweden, the 'National' church is Lutheran, but no longer "official".
Azerbaijan, France, Portugal, Romania, and Turkey are officially "secular".
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