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Contributor: Suzanne Riordan. Lesson ID: 13821
How much do you know about Europe? Where is it? How big is it? How many countries does it have? What are the cultures and religions of its people? Take a tour of Europe!
Europe has one large country that occupies two continents, and one tiny country that lies inside a city!
Keep reading to found out!
Europe is a continent full of beautiful mountains, deep forests, ancient and modern cities, and a diverse collection of countries, cultures, and peoples!
Watch Europe Geography Introduction, from Josiah Ruhl, for a quick overview:
Location
Find Europe (in red) on this world map:
Europe borders Asia on the east, the Arctic Ocean on the north, the Atlantic Ocean on the west, and the Mediterranean and Black Seas on the south.
The name Europe comes from Greek words meaning "broad face" and is also associated with the Phoenician goddess, Europa.
Population
Europe is the third most populated continent, after Asia and Africa. It has 742 million people.
Size
Europe is the second smallest continent in total land area (the smallest is Australia).
Countries
Europe is made up of 51 countries!
We can't explore them all here, so let's take a look at a few:
Russia
Russia is so big that it is spread between two different continents: Europe and Asia.
It takes up 37% of the European continent all by itself and is almost two times the size of the United States. Though more of its land lies in Asia, more of Russia's population lives on the European side.
Moscow, the capital, is not only the largest city in Russia but in all of Europe.
The name Russia comes from the Kievan Rus, an empire in the Middle Ages.
Most people in Russia speak Russian; however, there are some other languages spoken. Around 20 percent of the people follow the Russian Orthodox religion.
Russia is rich in natural resources such as oil, gas, and wood.
Vatican City
The Vatican is the smallest country. The Vatican is a country located inside the city of Rome, Italy!
Let's take a closer look at Vatican City, its history, and the treasures of art and culture it contains.
Watch Little Europe: The Vatican City, from Rick Steves' Europe:
France
France is the most popular tourist destination in Europe.
Watch the second half of Top Tourist Attractions in France from WatchMojo.com:
Nordic Countries
The Nordic countries include Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
These countries are considered to be some of the most beautiful places in the world.
All the European Countries
Here's a list of the countries in Europe, in alphabetical order.
Languages
Listen as kids from different European countries sing in their own languages!
They sung in their own languages in The Voice Kids | TOP 6 from The Voice Europe:
Now that you've been introduced to Europe, move on to the Got It? section to get acquainted with another European country of your choice!
Supplies
Resources Referenced in the Lesson
Suggested Reading
Europe (A True Book: The Seven Continents) by Joana Costa Knufinke
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