Europe

Europe is a part of the world with an area of 10,400,000 km², stretching from Asia in the east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west.

The highest point in Europe is Mount Elbrus in Russia with a height of 5,642 m. The highest point in Western Europe is Mount Blanc in the Alps with a height of 4,807 m. to the Caspian Sea. The largest freshwater lake in Europe is Ladoga.

The climate of Europe varies from subtropical on the coasts of the Mediterranean and Black Seas in the south, to subarctic on the coasts of the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean in the north. Europe has a huge number of opportunities for the traveler, a variety of cultures and places from urban metropolises to beautiful landscapes.

 

Regions

Iberia
Andorra, Gibraltar, Spain and Portugal
The countries of the Iberian Peninsula are famous for their rich and distinctive culture, as well as friendly and cheerful people.

France and Monaco
France is one of the most attractive countries for tourists in the world. History, culture, fashion, wines, cheeses and of course cuisine. France can offer the sights of Paris, winter holidays in the Alps, castles of the Loire Valley, Normandy and Brittany, holidays on the French Riviera.

Apennines
Vatican, Italy, Malta, San Marino
Rome, Florence, Venice and Pisa are on the itineraries of many world travelers, and these are just a few of the many. Italy and the neighboring states have a stunningly rich history and culture.

British Isles
United Kingdom, Ireland, Guernsey, Maine, Jersey
Great Britain is a country with a rich history and culture, the core of the former British Empire, which for centuries included many cultures and at the same time remained intact. Ireland is known for its distinctive customs, traditions, folklore, and amazing natural scenery.

Benelux
Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg
An economic union of countries, each of which is not similar to each other. The Netherlands is known for its windmills, dams, clogs, cheese, bicycles and tulips, its liberal social order and famous artists. Belgium is a bilingual country with interesting historical cities. Luxembourg is a monarchical microstate in the hills of the Ardennes.

Central Europe
Austria, Hungary, Germany, Liechtenstein, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Switzerland
Central Europe connects east and west, is a region where Germanic culture coexists with Slavic. Home to countless historic cities, fairytale castles, forests, mountain ranges, chief among them the Alps.

The Baltic States
Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia
Three small states that are famous for their long beaches on the Baltic Sea, medieval old towns and beautiful natural landscapes.

Scandinavia
Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Faroe Islands, Finland, Sweden
Breathtaking landscapes: mountains, lakes, glaciers, geysers, waterfalls, volcanoes, fjords and skerries.

Russia, Ukraine and Belarus
Russia is a huge country stretching from Europe to the Pacific Ocean. Ukraine is a tourist-friendly country with authentic cities of Odessa, Lviv and Kyiv and the tourist coasts of the Black and Azov Seas. To the north of Ukraine lies Belarus - a country with an economic and political regime that is surprising for modern Europe.

Balkan region
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro
The Balkans is a region with a rich, often turbulent, history. Mountainous landscapes, forests and lakes, against which you can see monasteries and fortresses, impress tourists. Also interesting are the historical cities that developed under the influence of different cultures.

Greece, Turkey and Cyprus
European countries with the highest number of sunny days. A great place for beach lovers or tourists interested in ancient history. In the territories of the current countries in the past there were well-known states such as Byzantium, Urartu, Armenian Cilicia and the Ottoman Empire. A large number of Ottoman, Armenian and Greek architectural structures have been preserved in Turkey.

South Caucasus
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia
The mountain system of the Caucasus, which stretches from the Black to the Caspian Sea, is a natural border between Europe and Asia. Historical heritage, richness of landscapes and unique natural conditions make the region interesting from a tourist point of view. At the same time, several local zones of territorial conflicts create certain problems for travelers.

 

Towns

Amsterdam — the canals, Anne Frank House, Rembrandt, coffee shops and the red light district
Berlin — geopolitical interests divided the city between east and west for 45 years; now it is the capital of reunified Germany and an international cultural center
Brussels — a truly international city with the European institutions, the Grand Place, Manneken Pis and the Atomium
Istanbul — the only metropolis on two continents, a fascinating melting pot of east and west
London — the vibrant, multicultural capital of the United Kingdom with its Tower Bridge and Big Ben
Moscow — the largest city in Europe is known for its nightlife and the iconic Kremlin
Paris — the city of love on the Seine with its Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame
Prague — a magical city with its beautiful bridges over the Vltava
Rome — this city breathes history; every street corner has cultural heritage that is even more impressive

 

Other destinations

Alps — the highest mountain range in Europe, the word alpinism is derived from this
Etna — the largest active volcano in Europe can be found on the island of Sicily
Camargue — nature reserve in the south of France
Ibiza — fun island belonging to the Balearic Islands, known for its big clubs
North Cape — the northernmost tip of continental Europe
Plitvice Lakes — the famous turquoise lakes with caves and waterfalls
Santorini — remains of a volcano that exploded nearly 4,000 years ago with Akrotiri, the Pompeii of the Aegean Sea
Stonehenge — prehistoric stone circle located in England
Þingvellir — nature reserve at the intersection of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates

 

When to visit Europe

Climate of Europe is largely milder than other regions at this altitude due to a warm Gulf Stream. Overall the continent is very diverse in terms of climates that may range from Arctic desert to a hot Mediterranean climate in the South. Summers in the northwest are usually cool and rainy. Scandinavia in the very North part of the continent can be very extreme in winters with little light, while summers are mild with so called White Nights then the daylight may persist till midnight. Southern Europe on the other hand is influenced by African continent. It is dry and can be unbearably hot in July and August. If you chose this time of the year you might have to deal with forest fires that are quite frequent. These are also the busiest months of the year in terms of tourist load. More preferable months to travel to Europe usually range from May to September. However if you want to ski in Europe February and March will probably suit you better. Although you have to execute certain degree of common sense since the trails in Europe have less safety precautions.

 

Info

What makes Europe so attractive? Is it the fjords in Norway, the beaches of Spain, the architecture of Saint Petersburg or the real cosiness of the Low Countries? Wherever you are in Europe, you will always be fascinated by the beautiful cultural heritage that the continent has to offer. In a trip through Europe you will discover that the regions of Europe are linked by a tumultuous history, but also that there is a great diversity of languages and cultures in a relatively small area.

Europe is one of the most densely populated areas in the world and, with London, Paris and Rome, among others, has unique world cities that are known all over the world. But you are also in the right place in Europe for peace and unspoilt - just think of the emptiness of Scandinavia, the vast mountain areas in Switzerland and the spas in Central Europe. Moreover, all these areas are relatively easy to visit, because tourist facilities in the continent are very extensive. Europe offers something for everyone!

 

History

Classical antiquity

Ancient Greece is often pointed to as the starting point of modern European history — Greece is therefore referred to as the cradle of Europe. Although this is actually unjustified, this is not surprising, because the cultural heritage of the Ancient Greeks still captures the imagination today. Until 1000 BC. Greece was ruled by many different leaders of various origins. The area grew into a mixture of independent city-states, many of which established colonies in the Mediterranean. Classical Greek culture, centered around Athens, reached its peak in the fifth century BC, before being replaced by Philip II of Macedon in 338 BC. to be conquered.

Under Philippus, Macedonia had taken control of Greece diplomatically and militarily (definitely after the Battle of Chaeronea). When the news of Philip's death came to the attention of the Greeks, they believed that under his inexperienced son the Macedonian hegemony would soon end, but after an unexpected invasion by Alexander the Great (Pella, July 26, 356 BC — Babylon, 10 or 13 June 323 BC), they had to submit again. He caused a massacre in Thebes. Before that, he went to war against the rebellious regions of Thrace and Illyria, in northern Macedonia. Alexander the Great united the fighting Greek poleis and conquered Persia and Egypt, among others.

The written history of the Roman Empire begins when the Greeks founded some cities in the south of the country. The Etruscans ruled in the north and the Greeks in the south, and right between those two areas was the disputed province of Latium, where the Romans lived. Rome became the most important city of this area and gained more and more power. After the Romans first conquered the surrounding cities, they defeated the in the 4th century BC. the Etruscans and in the 3rd century BC. the Greeks in the south. Thus they eventually obtained the entire Italian peninsula and began their many wars of expansion.

The Roman Empire reached its peak under Emperor Trajan. In the third and second centuries BC. the Punic Wars were fought against the city of Carthage. The famous Carthaginian general Hannibal traveled with his army via Spain over the Alps and fought throughout Italy before being chased away. After Carthage in 146 BC. was finally defeated, the Romans were the greatest power in the Mediterranean. Many originally Carthaginian and Greek colonies in Africa, France and Spain now belonged to the Roman Empire. Around 200 B.C. Greece itself also came under Roman rule and with it the Greek colonies in the east, such as those in Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine and Egypt.

Julius Caesar conquered between 60 and 50 BC. all of Gaul, after which Emperor Claudius added Britannia to the empire 100 years later. Trajan was the last great conqueror. At the beginning of the second century he conquered Dacia and large parts of the Parthian empire, although that area soon had to be given up again. Under Trajan, the Roman Empire reached its greatest extent. The territory now ran from northern England to Egypt. His successors consolidated the borders. All attempts to defeat the Teutons and occupy their territory failed. A long period of relative peace followed. The Romans spread Latin and Roman culture throughout the conquered territories. Germanic tribes were allowed at the borders and were allowed to live in Belgium, for example, if they adhered to the Roman rules.

After several centuries, slowly but surely decay set in. The Roman Empire was the first of its kind to cover such a vast area. The arrival of Christianity marked a major upheaval for the Empire. Initially, the Christians were severely persecuted because they did not want to pay divine honor to the emperors and the Roman gods. In 313 Christianity was recognized by Constantine and in 392 it was even made the state religion by Theodosius I. Then hard times began for non-Christians. Citizens' attitudes toward the military also changed—Christians did not find it desirable to work in the military or for the state. The Empire therefore began to rely more and more on foreigners (Germans) in important positions in the army. This led to great political complications, which led to the downfall of the western part in 476 with the fall of the last capital, Ravenna. The eastern part, which we now call the Byzantine Empire, also came close to demise, but then experienced several more flourishes. In the Early Middle Ages it was always one of the most important players on the European political scene. After Constantinople was sacked by the Crusaders in 1204, the empire also declined. The last remnants of the Byzantine Empire fell in 1453 (Constantinople) and 1461 (Greece).

The presence of the Romans in this large area is not only visible through a large number of monuments and ruins, such as the Porta Nigra in Trier and Hadrian's Wall in the United Kingdom, but also through the influence of the languages. For example, Romance languages such as French, Italian and Spanish originated from the language spoken by the Roman soldiers and settlers stationed there. You can trace the northern border of the Roman Empire to this day, because this is still the language border between the Romance languages, which are derived from Latin, and the Germanic languages that were spoken outside the empire. Until recently, Latin and Greek were used as international languages by the elite, which means that many academic terms are still derived from these languages. All in all, classical antiquity can be seen as the foundation of modern Western civilization.

 

Middle Ages

The period after the collapse of the Roman Empire (circa 330 to 950) is known in current European historiography as the Early Middle Ages — sometimes the term Dark Ages is also used for this period, because there were large population movements with looting and a sharp decline in standard of living and population. Little written information has survived about the conditions of this chaotic period. Initially, literacy declined in the early Middle Ages. This tendency came to an end when the Carolingian Empire came into being, in which Charlemagne founded schools. The use of money is also largely disappearing in favor of transactions in kind. Money is still used as a yardstick.

The legal system became watered down during this time, each tribe had its own customary law that was followed as much as possible. The Frankish princes traveled from palace to palace to monitor the implementation of their laws and to administer justice. After Charlemagne, the system of Frankish counts changed to a feudal system. The Christianization of Europe began, reaching its peak towards the end of the Middle Ages. Several tribes converted to Christianity.

The High Middle Ages (from about 950 to 1270) are an important period in the history of Western Europe. Scholasticism emerged in science at this time. The papacy also reached the height of its power during this period. There was a long battle over who should have the highest authority in Europe: the Church or the German Emperor. This is called the Investiture Controversy. In Germany, the Saxon house ruled with, among others, Hendrik I, Otto I, and Otto III, later the Frankish house with, among others, Hendrik III and Hendrik IV. In France, Hugo Capet was the progenitor of the Capetians and all other French kings after him. England was conquered in 1066 by William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy.

After the year 1000, more stability came to medieval Europe. The raids of the Vikings, who had long ravaged Western Europe, came to an end. In Spain, the Reconquista was deployed, pushing back the Moors from Spain. Due to the improving farming methods, the population began to increase steadily. Numerous new villages and towns were founded. The existing cities, mostly founded by the Romans, also started to grow again. Long-distance trade also started again. This is evident, for example, from Marco Polo's trip to China. Northern Italy in particular, with the Repubbliche Marinare, and the County of Flanders, with Bruges as the hub of trade between Northern and Southern Europe, quickly grew into rich areas. From 1080, the first universities emerged and progress was made in art and architecture. In this period the great Romanesque and later Gothic cathedrals were built. Due to the increasing prosperity, prosperous and powerful cities could enforce city rights.

The late Middle Ages (from circa 1270 to 1500) was a period of crisis in Europe. The plague (1347-1352) or black death caused tens of millions of victims at that time. Nobody knew what to do against this virus, the scientific knowledge was insufficient (if one could speak of scientific knowledge at that time). The virus spread at lightning speed, and the whole of Europe fell under the spell of the Black Death. Rich and poor were affected. There was already transport of people through Europe. Some accidentally discovered methods of diving into the virus: isolation and there is also talk of similar vaccines. Whole families were affected. Many houses, land, facilities, farms, fields, craft workshops, legacies were left unattended and empty.

 

Modern time

In 1492 the discovery of America takes place by Columbus — although this continent was actually already discovered in the year 1000 by the Icelandic Viking Leif Eriksson. In addition, more and more areas in Asia were discovered. Spain, Portugal, France, the Netherlands and England became very adept at colonizing the newly discovered territories. It is during that period that Europe sails the world's seas and oceans. The Renaissance is considered a transitional period from the Middle Ages to modern times.

In 1870-1871 the Franco-Prussian War takes place between France and a number of German states led by Prussia. The war would lead to a victory for Prussia and its allies and resulted in the establishment of the German Empire, uniting the German states. This war laid the foundations of decades of tension between Germany and France. These poor relations between the European countries would develop into World War I, when Austrian Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand was shot dead by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. The style of warfare was in many ways the same as during the Prussian Wars—World War I is best known for the endless trench warfare in northern France and western Flanders.

The Allies, which included France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia, won the war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Germany was transformed into the democratic Weimar Republic, had to surrender territory and was obliged by the Treaty of Versailles to pay heavy reparations. The provisions of the treaty were considered humiliating by the Germans. The reparations led to hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic in 1923—yet the subsequent period would come to be known as the Roaring Twenties, when women stripped off corsets, hair was cropped, and skirts reached to the knees. This period came to an end in 1929 with the New York stock market crash, which had worldwide catastrophic consequences and ushered in the Great Depression. Germany was particularly hard hit — in the already unstable Weimar Republic, Adolf Hitler came to power from the National Socialist Party in 1933. This led to the outbreak of World War II in 1939.

Although World War II had a huge impact on Europe, the continent experienced rapid economic growth after the war, in part because of the Marshall Plan. With the United Nations, the IMF and the European Community, a political structure emerged that is still active today. Only since the end of the Second World War has there been relative stability in Europe.

However, this only applied to the western half of the continent. Since the end of the war, Europe has been divided into two military blocs. The Western European countries became democratic market economies under the banner of the United States and NATO, while the Eastern European countries became communist one-party states under the banner of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. This division of Europe between East and West is called the Iron Curtain, and the city of Berlin came to symbolize this division with the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961. In 1962, with the Cuban Missile Crisis, this Cold War threatened to become a global nuclear war.

In 1968, the Brezhnev Doctrine was passed, under which the Soviet Union would not allow countries to leave the Warsaw Pact. The Soviet Union had already intervened in the Hungarian Uprising in 1956, and would intervene again in 1968 to quell the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia. The protests of the Polish trade union movement Solidarity followed in the 1980s. It was not until the Brezhnev Doctrine was abolished in 1988 by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that numerous revolutions started, with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the end of the Warsaw Pact. East and West Germany would officially reunite in 1990. In 1991, even the Soviet Union fell apart into separate republics.

New countries were not only created in eastern Europe, but also in Yugoslavia, republics declared themselves independent. Slovenia declared independence on June 25, 1991, followed by Croatia the following day. This is very much against the wishes of the rulers in Belgrade. Eventually Bosnia-Herzegovina would also declare independence, an area in which Muslims, ethnic Croats and ethnic Serbs live. This sparked the wars in Yugoslavia, which included the fall of Srebrenica, the worst act of genocide in Europe since World War II. The end of the war was laid down in the Dayton Accords, but tensions are still present in this region.

After the Second World War, a number of countries in Europe decided that more intensive cooperation was needed to prevent future wars. At the initiative of Robert Schuman and Paul-Henri Spaak, the European Community was introduced in 1956 with "the six": Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands would henceforth transfer some economic powers to a supranational organization. The European Community was succeeded in 1992 by the European Union (EU). The EU is a supranational and intergovernmental union of countries, currently made up of 27 member states. A number of important parts of this European integration for travelers:

The Schengen treaties provide for free movement of persons within the European Union
The euro is the legal tender of 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union

 

Nature and climate

Europe is only a small continent, so there are not many significant differences in climates as in larger continents. However, Europe is very densely populated; there are even more people than in Africa, three times as large. Because so many people live in Europe, there is relatively little room for nature and animals. Nevertheless, there are a number of very impressive (predatory) animals living in Europe, such as wolves, bears and white-tailed eagles.

 

Arrive

Passport and visa

Entry rules vary by country. A large number of European countries belong to the Schengen zone. Citizens of European Union or EFTA member states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) only need to carry a valid passport or identity card to enter the Schengen zone — they never need a visa, no matter how long the visit takes . Nationals of other countries must carry a valid passport and, depending on nationality, require a visa.

Only nationals of the following non-EU/EFTA countries do not require a visa to enter the Schengen zone: Albania*, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina*, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Croatia, North Macedonia*, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro*, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Serbia*/**, Seychelles, Singapore, Taiwan*** (Republic of China), United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela, South Korea, as well as persons with a British National (Overseas) passport, a Hong Kong SAR passport or a Macau SAR passport.

Visitors from these visa-free countries are not allowed to stay for more than 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen zone as a whole, and are in principle not allowed to work during their stay (although there are a number of Schengen countries that do allow nationals of certain nationalities to travel). work — see below). The counter starts the moment you enter a member state of the Schengen zone and does not expire if you leave a certain Schengen country for another Schengen country or vice versa. However, New Zealand nationals may stay longer than 90 days if they only visit certain Schengen countries - see [1] for an explanation from the New Zealand government.

If you are a non-EU/EFTA national (even from a visa-free country, with the exception of Andorra, Monaco or San Marino), make sure your passport is stamped when entering and leaving the Schengen zone . Without a stamp on entry you can be treated as having exceeded the length of stay on departure; without a stamp on departure, you may be denied entry to the Schengen zone the next time due to exceeding the length of stay in a previous trip. If you can't get a stamp, keep documents such as boarding passes, transport tickets and ATM receipts, as these can help convince border police that you have legally entered the Schengen area.

Be aware that:
(*) nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia require a biometric passport to enjoy visa-free travel;

(**) nationals of Serbia with passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (residents of Kosovo with Serbian passports) are required to apply for a visa;

(***) Nationals of Taiwan must have their ID number recorded in their passport in order to enjoy visa-free travel.

 

Travel around

There are no border controls between countries that have signed and implemented the Schengen treaties. These are the Member States of the European Union (except Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. In addition, a visa issued for a member state of the Schengen zone is valid for all member states that have signed and implemented the treaties. But beware: not all EU member states have signed the Schengen treaties, and there are also member states of the Schengen zone that are not members of the European Union. This means that there may be customs checks but no immigration checks (if you are traveling within Schengen but from/to a non-EU country) or there may be immigration checks but no customs check (if you are traveling within the EU but from/to a non-EU country). -Schengen country).

Airports in Europe are divided between "Schengen" and "non-Schengen" sections, which correspond to "domestic" and "foreign" sections in other countries. If you fly from outside Europe to a Schengen country and then travel on to another Schengen country, you can complete customs and immigration checks in the first country and then travel directly to the second country without any further checks. Traveling between a Schengen country and a non-Schengen country will result in the usual border controls. Remember that whether or not you are traveling within the Schengen zone, many airlines require that you always be able to present a passport or identity card.

An example of the implications that Schengen can have for the traveler:
Traveling from Germany to France (both EU, both Schengen): No checks
Traveling from Germany to Switzerland (both Schengen, Switzerland not in the EU): Customs controls, but no immigration controls
Traveling from France to the UK (both EU, UK not in Schengen): immigration checks, but no customs checks
Traveling from Switzerland to the UK: Immigration and Customs Controls

 

By plane

The following list is an incomplete summary of low-cost airlines operating scheduled services within Europe. In addition, almost every European country has one or more national airlines operating domestic flights and direct flights to other European countries. The distinction between these two categories is becoming increasingly blurred now that various national companies have restarted after bankruptcy as a cheap alternative.

Corendon
easyjet
Eurowings
Ryanair
Transavia
Tuifly

 

By train

The train network in Europe is very extensive. There are several high-speed trains that connect the major cities of Europe at a speed of 250–300 km/h, this is the Belgian Thalys (connects Paris, Brussels, Cologne and Amsterdam, the Eurostar (between Brussels South and London via the channel tunnel), the TGV in France which also has connections with Zurich in Switzerland and Milan in Italy and the German ICE connects the major cities in Germany and also has connections with major cities located in the border area of Germany's neighboring countries. of course also the regular trains with which you can reach all of Europe. The train network of Europe is the responsibility of the countries themselves and is usually in the hands of the government. There are also private railway companies such as in Great Britain and Switzerland. you travel thanks to the partnerships between the different railway companies, but you cannot speak of a uniform European railway network Many countries in Europe have different technologies (4 different voltages, different in Belgium, France, Germany,... and different railway width in Russia, Spain and Portugal), special trains are being developed for this purpose that can run in several countries.

CityNightLine (Germany,Netherlands,Austria,Switzerland,Denmark,Czech Republic).
EuroCity EC.
EuroNight (Italy,Spain,Germany,Austria,France,Hungary,Switzerland,Czech Republic).
EuroStar Italy.
TGV Luria
TGV Mediterranean
Cisalpino CIS
Pau Casals Hotel Train
Tallo Spain
A good travel planner can be found on the site of the Deutsche Bahn (http://www.bahn.com/i/view/NLD/nl/index.shtml) and the Austrian Railways (http://www.oebb.at /)

InterRail Pass
With an InterRail pass you can travel freely for 16 or 22 days or a whole month in a selection of 28 European countries, plus Turkey. These countries are divided into 8 zones, which you can combine with each other. The price of your InterRail pass depends on the number of zones you choose, but also on your age (younger or older than 26).

Zone A Great Britain, Ireland
Zone B Finland, Norway, Sweden
Zone C Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland
Zone D Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Zone E Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands
Zone F Morocco, Portugal, Spain
Zone G Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Turkey and the shipping lines
Italy-Greece: Ancona/Bari - Igoumenitsa/Patras
Zone H Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia

More information on sncb; NB: if you want to travel with high-speed trains or with night trains you have to pay a surcharge. For more information from the Netherlands, see the NS Hispeed home page.

Balkan Flex Pass
For travelers interested in Southeast Europe, the Balkan Flexpipass may be a solution: Unlimited train travel for 5, 10 or 15 days in a month through Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Romania and Turkey. You can buy the Flexipass at stations in those countries; or much more expensive, on the web.

The pitfall is that many trains in the region are already cheap and that the Balkan Flexpiass is only profitable if you make longer train journeys.

 

By bus

See also the page Bus travel in Europe for more information.

With the Eurolines bus company you can reach almost all countries in Europe and travel through part of Morocco. Eurolines is a Belgium-based umbrella company that cooperates with many other bus companies.

If you want to travel through Europe for a longer period of time, you can buy a Eurolines pass, the price depends on whether you opt for 15 days or 1 month and on the season and your age. This allows you unlimited travel between 40 different major cities that Eurolines serves.

Eurolines is probably the cheapest way to travel through Europe, you have really rock bottom prices in some destinations such as Brussels-Bratislava for 28 euros round trip if you book long enough in advance. The fact that you have to make a long bus trip can make traveling tiring. Some people who have a fear of flying spend dozens of hours on the bus to travel from London to Prague, for example.

Transport by coach is relatively very safe, so safe that Statistics Netherlands does not keep separate statistics for the Netherlands. In 2009, 720 traffic fatalities occurred in the Netherlands, 7 of which belonged to the category other, which includes coaches.

 

By car

Europe has an excellent road network. From the North Cape to Gibraltar or from Turkey to Great Britain: you can reach everything. In Germany you can even drive as fast as you want on many motorways (under your own responsibility). European traffic regulations are becoming more and more harmonised, but watch out for differences from country to country! In Great Britain, Cyprus and Malta, people drive on the left! The maximum speed on the motorway is 120 km/h or 130 km/h in most countries. You can consult the toll rates in Europe on the excellent ANWB website

 

By boat

There are several rivers that are easily accessible by boat. The Danube, Meuse, Rhône and Rhine are a few examples of this.

Furthermore, Europe is bounded by the sea in the north, west and south and it is therefore possible to travel from Helsinki on the Baltic Sea, via the North Sea, the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea to the Bosphorus near Istanbul. to sail. Various parts of this trip, as well as other routes, are also served by regular ferries.

There are also many channels in a number of countries. France in particular has thousands of kilometers of canals that have been constructed between the major rivers. Especially between the areas where minerals were traditionally extracted to areas with a lot of industry. Before the minerals were discovered, there was already a lot of transport of wood (trunks) and agricultural products from various areas, such as Burgundy to Paris and the surrounding area.

You will also find connecting canals between the Mediterranean Sea and the Bay of Biscaye, such as Canal du Midi and beyond.

 

Language

More than 70 languages are spoken in Europe. One language won't get you very far in Europe. The most common language is English. This is the standard language on the British Isles, but in Scandinavia in particular many people are also proficient in it, while in the south and east of Europe this language is not common. French and German are also understood in many European countries. In the East, many people, especially the elderly, master Russian.

 

To buy

Rich diversity and cultural heritage, the presence of age-old craft traditions and fine industries, as well as a number of the world's most famous brands in all types of luxury and premium goods make Europe a shopper's paradise. There are regional specialties to be bought in every corner of the continent, and the main shopping streets and department stores in many European metropolises are shopping destinations that attract eager shoppers from all over the world.

In terms of less glamorous shopping, Europe generally poses few problems. Retail is well developed in most countries, and you shouldn't have a problem finding stores offering basic groceries and other necessities almost everywhere except in the most remote and uninhabited areas. Issues such as shop opening hours or credit card acceptance, however, vary widely from one country to another, as does the likelihood of vendors speaking foreign languages. Europe is known for its fashion and designer clothes. Luxury watches and high-end jewelery are also renowned.

The Euro
The euro (symbol: €, EUR) is the common currency of many – though not all – countries in the European Union, and a few others, eliminating the need to exchange currencies when moving from one country to another. One euro equals 100 cents; sometimes referred to as "euro centers" to differentiate them from their US and other counterparts.

Those countries that have replaced their national currencies are commonly referred to as the Eurozone. Euros are sometimes accepted in European countries outside the Eurozone, but not universally, and in shops and restaurants the exchange rate may not be in your favour. Many hotels outside the Eurozone also accept payments in Euros.

ATM
Throughout Europe, ATMs are readily available. They will accept various debit and credit cards. While a large number of ATMs may offer free cash withdrawals, some operators will charge their own fees for doing so, usually a percentage of the amount withdrawn, with a fixed minimum amount. This is in addition to any fees already imposed by your card issuer. Read the labels and warnings on the machine before using them. Usually the machine will indicate the fee for the withdrawal you are about to make and ask you to confirm it.

European ATMs usually have no letters on the keyboard. PINs longer than 4 digits are generally no longer a problem.

Tips
Tipping practices vary from country to country in Europe. In most countries, tipping is not required and prices displayed must include all fees and service charges.

Costs and taxes
Europe is generally an expensive continent; especially the Nordic countries, Switzerland, big cities and tourist areas. In general, prices are highest in the northwest and lowest in the southeast. For souvenirs, prices will often be lower in smaller stalls than in larger shops. During dinner, many items may appear on your bill that you may not expect to be charged for (e.g. water, bread) - ask before sitting down. However, some countries are generally very cheap by American or Western European standards. In these countries — most of which are former Soviet states with low levels of tourism — prices are low (although they might be high in local currency), and travelers can get a full dinner with drinks for as low as $20 USD.

In the EU, most goods and services must include value added tax (VAT) in published prices. The VAT may be refundable if you are a non-resident and take the goods out of the EU unused. Simply request a voucher from the shop and show it to customs at the exit point. To be safe, look for a VAT refund sticker on your shop door or window.

 

To eat

European cuisines are extremely diverse. There is a huge difference between the products historically available in the cold Mediterranean north and south of Europe and, of course, the development of national cuisines has greatly depended on the available goods. Cuisines also often vary significantly between different parts of the same country.

However, most European cuisines share some characteristics and many are held in high esteem around the world, despite having relatively short traditions compared to, say, Chinese cuisines. Perhaps the most famous of European cuisines is French, which has had a strong influence on the development of haute cuisine. Italian cuisine is equally known and loved for its genuine flavours. In addition, all other countries have signature dishes: think Spanish tapas, Austrian pastries, German cakes, English Sunday roast or Turkish kebabs.

Meat plays an important role in most European cuisines. Where Asian cuisine favors morsels of meat, many European dishes include full portions. Steaks (of various meats) are popular across the continent, as are sauces of all kinds. Potatoes became a major source of starch after Columbus' voyages initiated trade with the Americas, as well as breads, pastas, pastries, and some forms of dumplings.

The traditional ingredients depend on the local climate. As a general rule, fruits, vegetables and spices become more common and diverse the further south you go.

Food scenes in European cities have been heavily influenced by food from the rest of the world. Europeans willingly mix their regional food traditions with those of other parts of Europe, Asia and the Americas, leaving locals and visitors alike with a wealth of options in most of the larger cities. Due to the high levels of immigration from the former colonial empires, the cuisines of Asia, Africa and the Americas are well represented in the major cities of the respective former colonial metropolises.

Tipping for waiters varies by country and by establishment, but a ten percent tip can be perfectly reasonable in many places. You will almost never get the inflated thirty percent "tax and tip" bill, and in many countries, tipping is completely optional.

Drinks
Culturally Europeans have a rather liberal approach to alcohol.

Wine
In some regions of Europe, in the Mediterranean area, a very high quality wine has been produced since ancient times and with great dedication. Some European countries can boast the most appreciated wines in the world, France and Italy among them. In Spain, sangria, or red wine (with the exception of Catalonia where it is customary to use sparkling wine or white wine) with chopped fruit and sugar, is the most famous and typical drink.

Beer
Inhabitants of the "Beer Belt" of the UK, Ireland, Benelux and Central Europe drink high quality beer in large quantities. Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and the Czech Republic produce some of the best beers in Europe and possibly the world. Visitors from many countries, especially those in East Asia or North America, will find that European beers have a more intense and stronger flavor and often a higher alcohol content than one found at home.

In Europe, as elsewhere, the most popular beers are lagers, also known as Pilsner after the Czech city of Pilsen which originated the style. A Czech Pilsner will taste markedly different from most non-Czech breweries, being a little "smoother" and sometimes more "buttery" in flavour.
The UK, Ireland and partly Belgian abbey breweries, on the other hand, have strong brewing traditions, brewing with fast fermenting yeast which gives it a sweet, hoppy and fruity taste. These come in bitter, clear, soft and brown varieties.
Wheat beers are very popular in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands and come in many different varieties. Traditional German Hefeweizen is unfiltered and cloudy, while Kristall is filtered and looks a lot like beer. Belgian witches like Hoegaarden are typically mild in flavor and enjoyed in the summer, sometimes with a wedge of lemon on the side. And in a class of their own are spontaneously fermented lambics, which are very acidic and not to everyone's taste!
Stout (porter) is a British and Irish speciality, with Guinness available across the continent. Made from roasted malts, the stout is dark and strong in both flavor and alcohol content, hence the name.

Most European nations have a national brand; such as Guinness, Carlsberg, Heineken or Stella are sold almost everywhere, but the really good beers are often the smaller local brands, which don't try to appeal to everyone. Microbreweries have had a major resurgence across the continent. If you really want to indulge yourself, try one of the Volksfeste, which are held in many German cities, the most famous being the Munich Oktoberfest, where despite the name, drinking starts at the end of September! The area with the highest density of breweries in the world is Franconia, north of Bavaria if you're curious.

Spirits
As elsewhere, vodka, rum and gin are available everywhere. The Nordics, Eastern Europe and Russia have a special affection for vodka, and if you've only tried the usual suspects like Smirnoff or Absolut so far; you should try the vodka there; you might be amazed at how tasty things can be. Elsewhere, most regions have a local specialty that local drinking buddies will gladly stuff you with and eagerly await your goofy faces when your throat and taste buds scream in pain. It is most likely slivovitz (also called rakija) in southeastern Europe and the Balkans (especially in Serbia), a fruity brandy with a strong flavor, usually made from plums. It is similarly called aniseed flavored raki drink which is also popular in Greece, Turkey and the Balkans. Other forms of liqueur, based on grapes, such as traditional brandy (including cognac) and port, are popular in the UK and south-western Europe. Greece and Italy produce the popular ouzo/sambuca which, along with the related resurgent absinthe, is made with star anise and sugar, giving it a licorice flavor; keep an eye out for the many party tricks associated with those drinks. In Northern Europe, you're likely to be served schnapps, usually made from grains or potatoes accented by traditional herbs like dill or blackthorn; be careful, it activates suddenly without much warning. In northern Germany, korn is the liqueur of choice, a clear drink made from grains and usually unfiltered. Finally, it comes as no surprise to many that whiskey (or scotch) is popular with the Scots and Irish. While all of these drinks have strong regional roots, you'll generally find one or two types, in virtually any bar on the continent.

 

Tourist infrastructure

Accommodation in Europe differs significantly from country to country, but most travelers across the continent sleep in hotels. Most mid-sized cities have at least one hotel and usually have a couple in different price ranges. Rooms are generally expensive: they usually cost around €90-300 a night, and prices are even higher if you're staying in one of the high-end hotels in most big cities. These hotels usually have some facilities, including TV, telephone, breakfast, etc. Some countries, such as France, also have roadside hotels that are somewhat similar to motels in the United States.

Due to the relatively high cost of accommodation, hostels are popular with young travellers. All big cities have them, but they are hard to find outside the typical tourist spots. At around €15-30 per night (for a bed in a dorm), hostels are significantly cheaper than hotels. Quality varies widely across the continent. Hostels in Eastern Europe are much cheaper and sometimes much lower quality than those in the Western part.

Camping is also popular with Europeans themselves. These range from camping in Scandinavia freely anywhere as long as nothing is damaged and no fences are crossed, to 'long term' camping in places like Germany and Italy where some people spend most of their weekends and holidays in semi -permanent caravans. Campsites are usually a cheap and comfortable way to stay - some even offer pre-made tents or caravans, which are already equipped with most of your basic needs - but they can sometimes be awkward to get to if you can't or don't want to go in the car. Many campgrounds have shuttle services, but they may not run all hours of the day or very often.

There are also several bizarre means of accommodation to stay in. In Sweden you can sleep in a hotel made entirely of ice; Greece and Türkiye have sandstone hotels or rock caves; and Sveti Stefan in Montenegro is an island village that has been entirely converted into accommodation.

 

Safety

For emergencies, you can dial 112 in any EU member country and most other European countries, even when it's not the main local number for emergency services. All emergency centers within the EU are required by law to be able to connect you with an English speaking operator. 112 can be called from any GSM phone, usually even from blocked or SIM-free phones. Calls from a phone without a SIM card are handled differently in some countries; for example, the German authorities ignore them altogether.

Although there is an ongoing civil war in eastern Ukraine and terrorist attacks in European countries have attracted world attention, Europe is generally one of the least violent continents. In most European cities, the main risks for visitors are pickpockets and bag-snatching. Using common sense and being aware of your surroundings can help greatly reduce your risk of these events. Some countries, such as Russia and Belarus, have problems with corruption and misconduct by authorities. There are organized crime groups (mafia) in southern Italy and Russia, but it takes effort to get involved in such matters as a tourist.

Pickpocketing is rampant in many of Europe's most touristic cities and is a problem in many other places, so it pays to take extra precautions and protect your valuables as much as possible. Barcelona, Rome, Prague, Madrid, Paris and Florence in particular have a reputation for being hangouts for pickpockets.

Alcohol is an integral part of many European cultures and abuse can lead to violence and poor judgement. In general, you don't see these problems in bars and pubs, but alcohol can cause problems on the streets at night.

Other crime-related problems are drug use and gang violence (which are more common in Britain and France). The few "problem areas" to avoid are the run-down suburbs of some urban areas (particularly in Europe's largest cities); some places in eastern and southern Europe have much higher violent crime rates and can be very dangerous for non-locals, but these areas shouldn't be of interest to the average tourist. Central and Western Europe are generally the safest regions.

Attitudes towards LGBT people vary widely. While most Western countries allow same-sex marriage and are tolerant of sexual minorities (at least in large, cosmopolitan cities), Eastern Europe and especially Russia can be a dangerous destination for LGBT travellers.

While rivalry between neighboring nations is usually at a friendly level and many European countries have been multicultural for generations, racism remains a problem in parts of Europe. It is more frequently directed against migrants and domestic minorities than visitors, but people of African and Middle Eastern descent in particular may in some circumstances face hostility. Similar to homophobia, racism is more explicit in Eastern Europe, where some governments repeatedly stoke xenophobic fears to gain political advantage. Perhaps the most widespread bigotry is anti-Gypsyism or opposition to "Gypsies" (Roma and other groups of travellers). Even open-minded and cosmopolitan people can have bigoted views on this matter.

Europe can be very urban and densely populated in general, but there is also wilderness. As always be prepared when traveling in rural and forested or mountainous areas.

 

Health situation

Most restaurants in Europe, at least within the EU, maintain high standards of hygiene and in most countries tap water is safe to drink. For more precise details on these topics, as well as for general information on emergency care, pharmaceuticals, standards of dentistry, etc., see the "Health situation" section in the country-specific articles.

EU/EEA/Swiss citizens must apply for (or bring) the free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which guarantees access to public healthcare within the European Union, as well as in Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the United Kingdom, under the same terms as a resident of the country you are visiting. If you are used to free healthcare in your country, remember that some Member States require patient fees.

 

Respect the customs

Customs vary greatly between countries, even between neighbours, and not much can be said about European codes of conduct in general. That said, attitudes tend to be more conservative the further east you go, particularly in Russia and the rest of the former Soviet Union. For example, in Russia, it's a big misstep for a man not to pay for a woman, even if they're not romantically involved.

Although the continent is more integrated than ever, many Europeans have a strong national identity. Avoid generalizations about regions such as "Eastern Europe". Just what exactly constitutes "Eastern" Europe and "the Balkans" are burning issues in some countries, as people from such countries do not like to be associated with negative stereotypes or their communist past. Phrases like "old Eastern Bloc" and "former Soviet state" might be true in the right context, but they're awkward in everyday usage. "Central Europe" is usually a rather Eastern safe term. Similarly, Estonia likes to be called Nordic. When in doubt, just use the country name.

Even within countries there are often ethnic and religious conflicts and secessionist movements, which can make the question of national identity exceptionally delicate.

Just as Nazi symbols are illegal to display in Germany and Austria, it is illegal to display Soviet and/or Communist symbols in Germany (almost never enforced), Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Moldova.

 

Sport

Europe is the cradle of world sport, since it has many successes and progress in them. The most important and most practiced sport is soccer. The English, Spanish, Italian, German and French league are the five most important in the world. Other equally recognized worldwide are the Portuguese, the Dutch and the Russian league. In the national teams, five of the eight teams that have won the Soccer World Cup (Germany, Italy, England, France and Spain) are European.

Rugby is widely practiced in Western Europe. The Six Nations Tournament, where the teams of England, Italy, France, Wales, Scotland and Ireland meet, is where the six rugby powerhouses in the northern hemisphere meet.

Other popular sports are basketball, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and golf, among others. Regarding the Olympic Games, the European countries with the most accumulated medals are the former Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Hungary.

The Summer Olympic Games have been held in Greece (twice in Athens), England (three times in London), Germany (Berlin and Munich), France (twice in Paris), Italy (Rome), Spain ( Barcelona), the Netherlands (Amsterdam), Belgium (Antwerp), Sweden (Stockholm), Finlandis (Helsinki) and Russia (Moscow).

Instead, the Winter Olympic Games have been held three times in France (Chamonix, Grenoble and Albertville), three times in Italy (two in Cortina d'Ampezzo and one in Turin), Yugoslavia (Sarajevo), Austria (in twice in Innsbruck), in Switzerland (twice in Sankt Moritz), in Norway (Oslo and Lillehammer), in Germany (twice in Garmisch-Partenkirchen) and in Russia (Sochi).

 

Going out

Going out in Europe is possible in several countries. Some attractions for the Dutch are Lloret de Mar, Salou, Hersonissos and Blanes, for example. Camping in Germany or France is very popular for families with children. English tourists like to go to Rhodes and Ibiza. The English cruise tours are also very popular.

 

Name

The name "Europe" goes back to the ancient Greek Εὐρώπη (Eurṓpē). It was understood as a composite of εὐρύς, eurýs, "far, wide" and ὄψ, óps, "sight, face", from which the meanings "the one with the wide sight" or "the broad-faced" result.

According to Greek mythology, Eurṓpē was a Phoenician king's daughter who the god Zeus, appearing in the form of a bull, kidnapped by swimming on his back to Crete. According to linguistics, the name comes from the Semitic and was Greekized. The origin of the Akkadian or Phoenician word (ʕ)erebu or (ʕ)arab "set" (referring to the sun) and the derived Phoenician ʕerob "evening, west" (on the association of evening with the cardinal point cf Occident and the Arabic Maghreb, which is based on the same Semitic word root as apparently Europe, namely ʕrb or ġrb "to pass"; for the Semitic guttural sound at the beginning, which was not adopted into Greek, cf. ʕ and ġ).

In the 5th century BC, the Greek writer and geographer Herodotus referred the term Eurṓpē, which initially only referred to the Peloponnese as a geographical term, also to the land masses north of the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, which he described as Asia (Asía) and Africa ( Libýe) difference.

Europe itself is the namesake of the chemical element europium, discovered in 1890.

 

Geography

Europe has no clear geographic or geological boundary to the east with Asia. That is why the “borders of Europe” are a question of social agreement. A geographical definition of Europe is always arbitrary. According to a well-known phrase by Bernard-Henri Lévy, Europe is “not a place, but an idea”. Today, when drawing the border between Europe and Asia, the definition of Philip Johan von Strahlenberg is usually followed to a large extent. After that, the Ural mountains and river form the eastern border of Europe. Between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea, the border line runs through the Manych lowlands north of the Caucasus mountains, since a strait once connected the Caspian Sea with the Black Sea in its place. The globe shown above draws – slightly deviating from it – the border along the main Caucasus ridge; this boundary is preferred in English and French-speaking countries (→ inner-Eurasian border).

Overall, Europe has an area of around 10.5 million square kilometers, making it the second smallest continent after Australia. The northernmost point of mainland Europe is Kinnarodden on the North Kinn Peninsula in Norway, the southernmost is Punta de Tarifa in Spain, and the westernmost is Cabo da Roca in Portugal. The north-south extension is about 3800 km. The European mainland measures about 6000 km in an east-west direction, from the Ural mountains in Russia to the Atlantic coast of Portugal.

 

Climate

The continent lies mainly in the temperate latitudes. The climate in Europe is milder compared to areas of the same latitude in other parts of the world due to the influence of the relatively warm Gulf Stream. The average annual temperature in Bordeaux, for example, is 12.8 °C, while Halifax (Nova Scotia) in Canada, which is at almost the same latitude, only reaches 6.3 °C.

In large parts of western Europe, mild winters contrast with cool summers. In areas that are far from the sea, i.e. also from its climatic balancing influence, the temperature differences are greater in different seasons. In most parts of Eastern Europe, the climate is predominantly continental due to the lack of the sea in the immediate vicinity. Cold winters and hot summers are prevalent in these regions.

Due to the rotation of the earth and the associated deflecting force, winds mainly come from the west. Since winds mainly blow from the Atlantic Ocean in the coastal areas of Western Europe, it rains almost all year round. In Eastern and Central Europe, on the other hand, the amount of precipitation is comparatively low, since the influence of the sea on these regions is too small. Mountains also have a strong influence on the amount of precipitation. For example, parts of the north-western Alps are among the areas in Europe with the highest precipitation, while central Alpine valleys are comparatively dry. In this case, the Alps act as a barrier for rain fronts.

In areas near the Mediterranean, the climate is predominantly Mediterranean with subtropical winter rains. The dry and very warm summers are followed by mild and z. T. rainy winters. The mean air temperature in summer is between 22 °C in the western and 27 °C in the eastern Mediterranean. In winter between 8 °C in the Aegean, while the northern border of the Mediterranean near Venice has January temperatures of only 3 °C. In summer there are mainly winds from the north, the Etesia. In winter, on the other hand, westerly winds from the direction of the Atlantic Ocean often bring precipitation with them. Due to the still relatively high water temperatures in autumn and winter, the precipitation totals, especially in stagnant areas (rising rain) of the eastern border of the Adriatic Sea, reach the highest values in Europe. In Montenegro they are a maximum of over 4500 mm/a (Crkvice) and are therefore almost twice as high as in the storage areas of the Northern Alps. In winter in particular, cold wind currents cause an exchange of air masses between polar cold air and the subtropical air masses. These winds blow in particular on natural relief outflows such as the Mistral in the Rhone Valley and the Bora over the low-lying passes in the Kvarner Gulf and in front of Istria.

In the north of Europe there is an arctic climate, in the south-east on the Volga, on the other hand, there is a continental climate with hot summers and little precipitation. So it can e.g. For example, there is still snow in Lapland, while Sicily is complaining about the summer heat, it rains constantly on the Shetland Islands and Andalusia has been plagued by years of drought.

 

Flora

The vegetation in Europe can be roughly divided into four zones based on the climate: arctic, boreal, temperate and Mediterranean. Through thousands of years of use, the original vegetation of Europe in the temperate and Mediterranean zone has been destroyed down to tiny remnants. In northern Europe, only shrubs, mosses and lichens can be found in the arctic tundra. Further south in Scandinavia and northern Russia are boreal coniferous forests (mainly of spruce and pine) in which extensive bogs are embedded. In the temperate zone between the Atlantic Ocean and the Carpathians, under natural conditions, deciduous forests would presumably grow mainly with copper beeches, and in the warmest low-lying areas also with deciduous oaks and hornbeams. East of the distribution area of the common beech, roughly from the Vistula and the Dniester to the southern Urals, mixed forests would probably have developed in which English oak, small-leaved lime, Scots pine and – in the transition to the coniferous forest zone to the north – spruce play the most important role. To the south, adjoining this mixed forest zone north of the Black Sea is a region in which steppe vegetation would have developed under natural conditions.

The Mediterranean region was also originally largely forested. Without human influence, the vegetation there would be characterized by Mediterranean sclerophyllous forest, which would be dominated by evergreen oak species (mainly holm oak), in the southernmost and warmest locations also with a strong presence of olive trees, pistachios and pines. Due to the anthropogenic influence, however, Macchie or Garrigue plants grow primarily today. In the cooler areas of the Mediterranean region, various deciduous oak species, such as the downy oak, also play an important role. The original vegetation is better preserved in the middle and higher elevations of the mountains than in the lower elevations. Here, in a relatively small space, there are several superimposed altitudinal zones, whereby the individual components of such an altitudinal zone can be very different, depending on the climate. In the mountain forests of the middle upper altitudes, fir and pine species are important in addition to the common beech, in the northern mountains also spruce and larch. Above the tree line, dwarf shrub heaths, alpine grasslands and, in the Mediterranean region, thorn cushion vegetation can be found in the mountains. Towards the top, the closed vegetation is replaced by individually growing rock and rubble plants.

According to the controversial megaherbivore hypothesis, however, Europe would have been less forested before human influence, and varied pasture landscapes consisting of meadows, bushes and small hut forests would have dominated extensively, formed by herbivores such as aurochs, bison, tarpan and red deer. This hypothesis is e.g. supported by the abundance of oak and hazel pollen and the occurrence of other openland species in Central Europe during the early Holocene.

Today, most of Europe is characterized by agricultural use, the remaining forests are used intensively for forestry. There are areas that are less affected by humans, especially in the higher elevations of the mountains.

 

Fauna

Large predators such as brown bears, Eurasian wolves or lynxes can only be found in larger populations in the north or east. In the extreme north and east of Europe, reindeer and moose are still relatively common. After its extinction, the wisent from zoo stocks was released back into the wild in Eastern Europe. Red deer, roe deer and wild boar can be found in most regions of Europe. A typical European species of large animal is the chamois, which is found outside of the European mountains only in Asia Minor and the Asian parts of the Caucasus. Various species of ibex live in the Alps, Pyrenees and the Caucasus. The saiga antelope was widespread in the Middle Ages as far as the Ukraine; today it is restricted to areas on the lower reaches of the Volga in Europe. Many species were exterminated centuries ago (Ur, Tarpan). The population of birds of prey such as golden eagles, white-tailed eagles and griffon vultures has been severely decimated in recent centuries. Only in southern Europe is there a greater number of species of lizards, snakes and turtles due to the warm climate. Harbor seals and other seal species live on the coast. In the northern seas, the most famous whales are killer whales and porpoises, in the Mediterranean different species of dolphins. The best-known saltwater fish are herring and various species of tuna.

 

Cities and metropolises

The cities and municipalities form the smallest administrative units in the administrative structure of the states. Lisbon was one of the first cosmopolitan metropolises of modern times, as it was the center of a large colonial empire in the age of imperialism. As recently as 1950, four cities in today's European Union were among the 20 largest in the world. Since then, European cities have hardly grown at all, and some have lost population. These four largest EU cities today were London in second place behind New York, Paris in fourth place behind Tokyo, and Milan and Naples, which took 13th and 19th place.

However, in the second half of the 20th century, the cities of the rest of the world, especially those of developing countries, e.g. B. Mexico City, Manila or São Paulo, in terms of population and now lead the table in the world. Despite stagnation in older cities, there are numerous other processes in spatial development in the 21st century, such as e.g. B. the gentrification of inner cities.

A problem when comparing metropolises is that there are often polycentric conurbations in which the core cities are very small compared to the conurbation (e.g. Rhine-Ruhr, the Upper Silesian industrial area or central England). Therefore they do not appear in the table below, even if they are sometimes very large.

 

Time zones

The United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal and Iceland have assigned themselves to Western European Time (GMT/WET), which is identical to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). It corresponds to mean solar time at the prime meridian, which runs through London and eastern England.

All Central and some Western and Eastern European countries use Central European Time (UTC + 1 hour), these are Spain, France, Andorra, Monaco, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Malta and Albania.

Eastern European Time (UTC + 2 hours) is used by Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and Greece.

Moscow time (UST + 3 hours) use Belarus and a large part of the European part of Russia as well as Turkey.

Most states use Daylight Saving Time from late March through late October, when clocks are advanced one hour over this period. This applies to all EU states, most European non-EU states also follow this example, but not Iceland, Russia, Belarus and Turkey.

 

States partly in Europe

According to the most widely used geographical demarcation, Kazakhstan lies on the Ural River with 5.4 percent of its land area in Europe. A little more than 20% of the inhabitants are members of European nations (Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Germans). It is a member of UEFA and, as the successor state to the Soviet Union, a member of the OSCE. It is usually counted politically and culturally as part of (Central) Asia.
Russia is up to 25 percent of its area in Europe if you include the North Caucasus. Depending on how the North Caucasus is assigned, around 65 to 75 percent of the population live in the European part. The country is ethnographically, historically and culturally part of Europe. In Asia are the eastern part of the Ural region, Siberia and the Far East of Russia.
According to the traditional geographical delimitation on the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, Turkey is 3 percent of its area in Europe. About 12 percent of the population lives in the European part, above all in the old town of Istanbul, the largest city and historical capital. Turkey is a member of the Council of Europe, forms a customs union with the EU and is usually associated with Europe at international sporting and cultural events. In the political arena, the question of Turkey's membership is currently hotly debated, especially in the context of negotiations on its accession to the EU.
Taking the Caucasus watershed as the inner-Eurasian border, smaller parts of Georgia and Azerbaijan are also in Europe. Like Armenia, both countries are members of the Council of Europe.

 

Non-European possessions of European countries

Politically, Greenland belongs to Denmark, but is autonomous and has not been part of the European Union since 1985. Greenland is geographically located in North America.
Spain includes the Canary Islands off Africa and the sovereign territories off the coast of Morocco (including the exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla). Geographically they are part of Africa.
Portugal includes the Ilhas Selvagens, which are geographically part of Africa.
Territories under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, British Indian Ocean Territory, Falkland Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands , Turks and Caicos Islands
France includes the following overseas territories: Clipperton Island, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Territories, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, and Valais futuna
The Kingdom of the Netherlands includes: the “countries” of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten; and the "Special Communities" of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius.
Norway administers the non-motherland, uninhabited outskirts of Bouvet Island in the Southern Ocean.

 

Political organizations

In the middle of the 20th century, the Council of Europe was founded as the first common European institution, comprising 47 states after the end of the East-West conflict. Also of great importance is the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which was founded in 1975 as the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) across blocs and to which the USA and Canada belong alongside European countries.

In 1951, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy and France joined to form the Montanunion or EGKS (European Coal and Steel Community). The attempt to found a European Defense Community (EDC) and a European Political Community (EPG) failed in 1954 at the French National Assembly. As a result, the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and the European Economic Community (EEC) were founded in 1957 with the Treaty of Rome. From the EC merger agreement in 1967, the three European Communities (ECSC, Euratom and EEC) shared the common institutions of the Commission, the Council, the Parliament and the Court of Justice. With the Maastricht Treaty in 1993, the EEC was renamed the European Community (EC) and the European Union was also founded, which comprised the three communities and expanded the common foreign and security policy and cooperation in the area of justice and home affairs to include two intergovernmental policy areas. In 2002 the ECSC was dissolved and its functions taken over by the EC. After the eastward expansion in 2004, 2007 and 2013 and the exit of Great Britain, the EU currently has 27 member states. As of December 1, 2009, the EC was fully incorporated into the EU as a result of the Lisbon Treaty. Today 26 European countries are members of the European Union. The 27th member state of the EU, the Republic of Cyprus, is geographically part of Asia.

Most of the member states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which was also founded in the 1950s, have meanwhile joined the EU; only Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are still members. Unlike the EU, EFTA is purely a free trade zone without supranational decision-making powers.

In military terms, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is of great importance in Europe. It was founded in 1949 as a result of the emerging differences between the Western Allies and the USSR after the end of World War II. In addition to the 23 European members, the USA, Canada and Turkey are also members of NATO.

The UN's World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes a region of Europe that includes the Russian Federation and all of Turkey.

Some states do not belong geographically to Europe, but are members of European organizations

Cyprus is located in the eastern Mediterranean near the coast of Asia, which is why it is geographically included. However, historically and culturally it is closely linked to Europe and politically and culturally a member of European organizations. Since May 2004, the Republic of Cyprus has also been a member of the European Union.
Depending on the definition, the Transcaucasian states of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are partially or fully assigned to Asia. Historically and culturally, however, the two predominantly Christian states of Armenia and Georgia are linked to Europe. All three states are members of the Council of Europe and are usually assigned to Europe at international sporting and cultural events.
Israel is geographically located in Asia. It is often included in international sporting and cultural events in Europe because of its political isolation in the Arab world.

 

Population

With over 700 million inhabitants, Europe is one of the most densely populated parts of the world. The average population density is about 65 inhabitants per km². The population density is relatively high in western, central and southern Europe in particular, while it decreases sharply further towards northern and eastern Europe. The centrally located population concentration in western, central and southern Europe, which stretches in a band between the Irish Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, is classified under the designation "Blue Banana" as a megalopolis of economic and settlement geography.

 

Languages

More than 90 percent of the inhabitants of Europe speak Indo-European languages. The most common are Slavic, Germanic and Romance languages. Greek, Albanian, the Baltic and Celtic languages and Romani are also among the Indo-European languages.

The Uralic languages are the second largest language family in Europe. They are further subdivided into the Samoyedic languages, spoken by a few thousand people in far north-eastern Europe, and the Finno-Ugric languages. These primarily include Finnish, Hungarian and Estonian as official languages, as well as the Sami languages ​​spoken in Lapland and some minority languages, especially in Russia.

In the European part of Turkey, Turkish is the official and titular language, as is Kazakh in the European part of Kazakhstan. Other Turkic languages occur as minority languages in Eastern and Southeastern Europe, such as Gagauz, Tatar and Bashkir. With Kalmyk, a representative of the Mongolian language family is also spoken in Europe on the eastern edge of the continent.

Maltese, a language of the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic languages, is also represented on the island of Malta. The Basque language spoken in Spain and France is not assigned to any larger language family, its origin could not be reconstructed by modern linguistics and is still unknown. In addition, numerous other languages from other language families are spoken in Europe today, brought here by immigrants in more recent times.

Considering the main Caucasus ridge as the south-eastern border of Europe, numerous Caucasian languages, including the Adyghe-Abkhazian languages Adygean, Kabardian, Abasinic, and the various Nachish-Dagestan languages, are among the languages that have closed language areas in Europe. The Kartvelian languages, Georgian and Swan, are generally located south of the main ridge, although they slightly exceed the main ridge to the north in places. Turkic languages spoken in Europe only on the northern flank of the Caucasus are Azerbaijani, Karachay-Balkarian, Kumyk and Nogai. Ossetian continued to form an Iranian language island in the central North Caucasus, in the East Caucasus also regionally Tatic until the 19th century, the proportion of speakers of which has since declined significantly.

Based on the number of inhabitants, the Latin writing system is the most common in Europe, followed by the Cyrillic alphabet (in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and the Greek alphabet. Thanks to the Roman Catholic Church, the Latin language has survived into modern times as the written language of the continent.

 

Religions

Christianity and Islam are the most widespread religions in Europe.

About 75% of Europeans are Christians (mainly Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox).

Due to the steady influx of Christian Assyrians from northern Mesopotamia, Europe is now home to 500,000 followers of Syriac Christianity.

Between 42 and 53 million, i.e. 6-8%, are Muslims, with most Muslims living in the European parts of Russia (13-20 million). Around 16 million are Muslim immigrants and their descendants in the European Union. 9.5 million live in the European area of Turkey, 2.2 million in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 1.4-2.5 million in Albania.

Almost 1.3 million of the European population are Jews, most of them in France (about 449,000), the United Kingdom (about 295,000), Russia and Germany (about 118,000). Other religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.) are also represented with less than 0.3%.

About 17% of Europeans are non-denominational, especially in Estonia, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Russia and East Germany, otherwise v. a. in the cities.

However, religious affiliation alone says little about the actual level of religiosity in a country. According to the European Values Study, around a third of Europeans described themselves as non-religious and 5% as staunch atheists.

In Russia, the largest and most populous country in Europe (the European part of Russia has over 100 million inhabitants), over 50% are Christians, at least 30% are atheists or non-denominational and around 14% are Muslims.
In comparison, Germany has the second largest population with over 82 million inhabitants. Almost 60% are Christians, about 5% Muslims, the rest mainly atheists and non-denominational. In eastern Germany, however, non-denominational people account for up to 70%.

Christianity first reached Europe in the 1st century AD. Islam spread across the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century, but was supplanted again in the course of the "Reconquista" from the 13th to the 15th century. Europeans spread Christianity through immigration and missions to the Americas, Australia, and to a lesser extent other continents (parts of Southeast Asia, Africa, and Oceania). Today Europe is largely secularized.

The Roman Catholic Church has appointed six saints as Patrons of Europe since 1964.

 

Business

In the 19th century, Europe was the unrivaled leading economic power due to the Industrial Revolution that began in England and spread to the entire continent. Later, various international bodies and organizations, such as EFTA (European Free Trade Association) and the European Community - today's EU - brought about a growth spurt that lasted in many parts of Europe until the 1970s and partly into the 1980s. The supply of the population of Europe could also be further expanded by reducing trade restrictions. Eastern Europe is currently experiencing an economic boom and is catching up with the Western European countries. Growth is currently [2006] particularly high in the EU states of Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Slovakia, with double-digit growth rates in some cases.

With the Maastricht Treaty, 12 EU countries initially formed a currency union from 1999. From January 1, 2002, euro banknotes and coins were introduced. Today, the euro is legal tender in 18 EU countries and six other European countries.

Today Europe is a prosperous continent with large industrial metropolises, productive agriculture and a growing service sector. However, unemployment has been a widespread problem in many European countries since the 1970s. Industry and services are mainly concentrated in the metropolitan areas. In most European countries, the problem is no longer the lack of food, but overproduction and obesity. Export goods are mainly machines, steel, computer supplies and cars. Import goods include cocoa, tea, rubber, petroleum, natural gas and ores.

 

Culture

Sculpture, painting, literature, architecture and music have a long tradition in Europe. Many cities such as Paris, Vienna, Rome, Berlin and Moscow are now considered cultural centers. In addition, many cities have important theatres, museums, orchestras and other significant institutions.

 

Education

In all European countries there is compulsory education, in some also compulsory schooling, which often lasts from the 6th or 7th to the 15th or 16th year of life. Primary school is four to five years in most countries, and seven or eight years in a few countries. This is usually followed by a secondary school, which can also include different school types and types. The illiteracy rate is very low in almost all countries due to various subsidies in the education system. In many countries there are also renowned colleges and universities, some with specific specialist areas.

 

Trivia

In 2021, under the name "Journey for Life", several Zapatistas traveled to Europe, which they symbolically named Slumil K'ajxemk'op ("Land of the Rebels" in Tzotzil).