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Europe

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A continent occupying the western fifth of the Eurasian landmass, bounded by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south, with its eastern edge conventionally drawn along the Ural Mountains. Its coastline is unusually long relative to its area, deeply indented by peninsulas and inland seas, which has shaped a dense pattern of port cities along nearly every stretch of its perimeter.

Facts
Area (sq km)
10,186,000 1
Wikipedia infobox marks this figure circa (c. 10,186,000 km2).
Population
745,173,774 1
2021 estimate, Wikipedia infobox (3rd most populous continent).
Lowest Point
Caspian Sea shore, Russia 2
Country Count
44 1
Ranges from roughly 44 to 50 sovereign states depending on treatment of transcontinental states (Russia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia) and states with limited recognition; 44 counts fully sovereign, widely recognised states with their primary territory in Europe.
Tectonic Plate Context
Eurasian Plate 3
Disputed
Highest Point
Mount Elbrus (conventional answer, in the Caucasus) or Mont Blanc (if the Caucasus is excluded from Europe) 4
Elbrus (5,642 m) is the standard answer under the conventional Europe/Asia boundary running through the Caucasus watershed; Mont Blanc (4,807 m), the highest peak of the Alps, is cited instead whenever the Caucasus itself is treated as outside Europe. Both are real, sourced answers to the same question, not an error in either source.
Highest Elevation (m)
5642 4
5,642 m for Elbrus under the conventional Caucasus-inclusive boundary; 4,807 m for Mont Blanc when the Caucasus is excluded from Europe. See the highest-point fact's own StatusNote.
Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

Asia, Continents

This source names Europe directly: "Asia is conventionally divided from Europe along the Ural Mountains and the Caucasus, a boundary drawn by convention rather than by any single physical barrier."

Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Central Asia, Regions

This source names Europe directly: "routes linking China, Persia, and Europe."

Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Central Europe, Regions
Source Regions of Europe (Wikipedia)
Eastern Europe, Regions
Source Regions of Europe (Wikipedia)
Northern Europe, Regions
Source Regions of Europe (Wikipedia)
Southern Europe, Regions
Source Regions of Europe (Wikipedia)
The Arctic Ocean, Bodies of Water
Source Europe (Wikipedia)
The Atlantic Ocean, Bodies of Water
Source Europe (Wikipedia)
The Mediterranean Sea, Bodies of Water
Source Europe (Wikipedia)
The Middle East, Regions

This source names Europe directly: "the meeting point of Asia, Africa and Europe."

Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Western Europe, Regions
Source Regions of Europe (Wikipedia)

Home To

Albania, Countries
Amsterdam, Cities
Andorra, Countries
Andorra la Vella, Cities
Antwerp, Cities
Athens, Cities
Austria, Countries
Barcelona, Cities
Belarus, Countries
Belgium, Countries
Belgrade, Cities
Berlin, Cities
Bern, Cities
Birmingham, Cities
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Countries
Bratislava, Cities
Bucharest, Cities
Budapest, Cities
Bulgaria, Countries
Central Europe, Regions
Source Central Europe (Wikipedia)
Chisinau, Cities
City of San Marino, Cities
Cologne, Cities
Copenhagen, Cities
Croatia, Countries
Czechia, Countries
Denmark, Countries
Dublin, Cities
Eastern Europe, Regions
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Estonia, Countries
Finland, Countries
Florence, Cities
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
France, Countries
Frankfurt, Cities
Georgia, Countries
Germany, Countries
Glasgow, Cities
Greece, Countries
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Hamburg, Cities
Helsinki, Cities
Hungary, Countries
Iceland, Countries
Ireland, Countries
Istanbul, Cities
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Italy, Countries
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Katowice, Cities
Kosovo, Countries
Krakow, Cities
Kyiv, Cities
Latvia, Countries
Lausanne, Cities
Source Wikipedia: Lausanne
Leeds, Cities
Liechtenstein, Countries
Lisbon, Cities
Lithuania, Countries
Ljubljana, Cities
London, Cities
Luxembourg, Countries
Luxembourg City, Cities
Lyon, Cities
Madrid, Cities
Malta, Countries
Manchester, Cities
Marseille, Cities
Milan, Cities
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Minsk, Cities
Moldova, Countries
Monaco, Countries
Montenegro, Countries
Moscow, Cities
Munich, Cities
Naples, Cities
Netherlands, Countries
Nizhny Novgorod, Cities
North Macedonia, Countries
North Sea, Bodies of Water
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Northern Europe, Regions
Source Northern Europe (Wikipedia)
Norway, Countries
Oslo, Cities
Paris, Cities
Source Paris (Wikipedia)
Podgorica, Cities
Poland, Countries
Porto, Cities
Portugal, Countries
Prague, Cities
Pristina, Cities
Reykjavík, Cities
Riga, Cities
Romania, Countries
Rome, Cities
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Rotterdam, Cities
Russia, Countries

Russia is transcontinental; its political and demographic core, including Moscow, sits in Europe.

Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Saint Petersburg, Cities
San Marino, Countries
Sarajevo, Cities
Scandinavia, Regions
Serbia, Countries
Seville, Cities
Skopje, Cities
Slovakia, Countries
Slovenia, Countries
Sofia, Cities
Southern Europe, Regions
Source Southern Europe (Wikipedia)
Spain, Countries
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Stockholm, Cities
Sweden, Countries
Switzerland, Countries
Tallinn, Cities
The Alps, Landforms
The Arctic, Regions
The Arctic Ocean, Bodies of Water
Source The World Factbook
The Atlantic Ocean, Bodies of Water
Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The Balkans, Regions
The Caspian Sea, Bodies of Water

The Caspian's northwestern shore, around the Volga delta and Kalmykia, sits on the European side of the conventional Europe-Asia boundary along the Caucasus crest; most of its coast is Asian.

The Danube, Bodies of Water
The Mediterranean, Regions
Source National Geographic Atlas of the World
The Mediterranean Sea, Bodies of Water
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Tirana, Cities
Turin, Cities
Ukraine, Countries
United Kingdom, Countries
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Vaduz, Cities
Valencia, Cities
Valletta, Cities
Vatican City, Countries
Venice, Cities
Vienna, Cities
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Vilnius, Cities
Wadden Sea, Bodies of Water
Source Wadden Sea Quality Status Report
Warsaw, Cities
Western Europe, Regions
Source Western Europe (Wikipedia)
Zagreb, Cities
Zurich, Cities
Source Wikipedia: Zurich
Sources
1. Europe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundationinfobox, political divisions summary
Quote, infobox, political divisions summary
Sovereign (44–50)
View the Source
1. Europe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIntroduction, continent overview
Quote, Introduction, continent overview
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere.
View the Source
1. Europe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead paragraph, first sentence
Quote, Lead paragraph, first sentence
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere.
View the Source
1. Europe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead paragraph, area sentence
Quote, Lead paragraph, area sentence
Europe covers approximately 10,186,000 square kilometres (3,933,000 sq mi)
View the Source
1. Europe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationInfobox, Population (2021 estimate)
Quote, Infobox, Population (2021 estimate)
745,173,774 (2021; 3rd)
View the Source
1. Europe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: The Arctic Ocean, Opening section, bordering waters
Quote, Associated With: The Arctic Ocean, Opening section, bordering waters
It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east.
View the Source
1. Europe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: The Atlantic Ocean, Opening section, bordering waters
Quote, Associated With: The Atlantic Ocean, Opening section, bordering waters
It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east.
View the Source
1. Europe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: The Mediterranean Sea, Opening section, bordering waters
Quote, Associated With: The Mediterranean Sea, Opening section, bordering waters
It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east.
View the Source
2. Extreme Points of Europe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLowest point entry
Quote, Lowest point entry
Caspian Sea shore, Russia (28 metres; 92 feet below sea level)
View the Source
3. Asia (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationDefinition section, plate description (Europe clause)
Quote, Definition section, plate description (Europe clause)
Almost all of Europe and a major part of Asia sit atop the Eurasian Plate, adjoined on the south by the Arabian and Indian Plate and with the easternmost part of Siberia (east of the Chersky Range) on the North American Plate.
View the Source
4. Mount Elbrus (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundationopening paragraph, summit status
Quote, opening paragraph, summit status
Mount Elbrus is the highest mountain in Russia and Europe. It is a dormant stratovolcano rising 5,642 m (18,510 ft) above sea level.
View the Source
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.View the Source
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Home To: Eastern Europe, Eastern EuropeView the Source
National Geographic Atlas of the World
National Geographic Society, 2019
National Geographic Atlas of the World
National Geographic Society, 2019World continents area table
The World Factbook
Central Intelligence AgencyView the Source
The World Factbook
Central Intelligence AgencyEurope, population summaryView the Source
Mont Blanc (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundationopening paragraph, alternative highest-point answer
Quote, opening paragraph, alternative highest-point answer
the highest mountain in Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains
View the Source
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationHome To: The Atlantic OceanView the Source
Wadden Sea Quality Status Report
Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation (Denmark, Germany, Netherlands)Home To: Wadden SeaView the Source
Wikipedia: Lausanne
WikipediaHome To: LausanneView the Source
Wikipedia: Zurich
WikipediaHome To: ZurichView the Source
Regions of Europe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Northern Europe, Subregions section
Quote, Associated With: Northern Europe, Subregions section
Some typical geographical subregions of Europe include: Central and Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and Western Europe.
View the Source
Regions of Europe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Southern Europe, Subregions section
Quote, Associated With: Southern Europe, Subregions section
Some typical geographical subregions of Europe include: Central and Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and Western Europe.
View the Source
Regions of Europe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Western Europe, Subregions section
Quote, Associated With: Western Europe, Subregions section
Some typical geographical subregions of Europe include: Central and Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and Western Europe.
View the Source
Regions of Europe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Central Europe, Subregions section
Quote, Associated With: Central Europe, Subregions section
Some typical geographical subregions of Europe include: Central and Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and Western Europe.
View the Source
Regions of Europe (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Eastern Europe, Subregions section
Quote, Associated With: Eastern Europe, Subregions section
Some typical geographical subregions of Europe include: Central and Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and Western Europe.
View the Source
Paris (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: ParisView the Source
Open Questions (1 open question)
Where does Europe end and Asia begin?

Europe and Asia form one continuous landmass, Eurasia, with no continuous physical barrier separating them. The conventional line runs along the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Greater Caucasus, the Black Sea and the Turkish straits, but this is a human convention rather than a physical fact, and the modern division reflects East-West cultural, linguistic and ethnic differences that vary on a spectrum rather than falling at a sharp line.

What would resolve this Nothing in physical geography can resolve this, since the boundary is conventional by construction; what would change the answer is a shift in which convention geographers, national governments and international bodies choose to follow, which has already moved more than once historically.
Europe (Wikipedia)
Dissenting Readings (2 dissenting readings)
In Category: Continents

The same Eurasia argument carried on Asia own in-category edge applies here in reverse: Europe is the western peninsula of one continuous Eurasian landmass, not a landmass bounded by ocean on every side the way Africa, Australia or the Americas are. Six-continent models taught across Russia, much of Eastern Europe and Japan combine Europe and Asia into a single continent for exactly this reason.

A dissenting reading, from Geography curricula of Russia, Eastern Europe, Japan and other six-continent-model traditionsEncyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Highest Point

Mount Elbrus (5,642 m) is the standard answer only under the convention that draws the Europe/Asia boundary along the Caucasus watershed, which places Elbrus on the European side. Sources that instead treat the whole Caucasus range as outside Europe, or draw the boundary further north, name Mont Blanc, on the France-Italy border in the Alps, as Europe's highest point instead; this entity's own cited source gives Mont Blanc as 4,810 m, close to but not identical with the 4,807 m this entity's primary fact carries, the two figures reflecting different survey vintages of the same peak rather than a disagreement about which peak is meant. Both Elbrus and Mont Blanc are real, sourced answers under different, genuinely used conventions, not an error in either source; this entity's own primary fact records Elbrus as the modal answer, matching the more common convention.

A dissenting reading, from a reviewerExtreme Points of Europe (Wikipedia), Wikimedia Foundation
Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the boundary between Europe and Asia?

By convention, along the Ural Mountains and the Caucasus, not by any single physical divide.

There is no single physical barrier separating the two. By long-standing convention, the line runs along the Ural Mountains and the Ural River, then across the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus region, to the Black Sea. The boundary is a cartographic and cultural convention rather than a geological one, since Europe and Asia sit on the same landmass, Eurasia.
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