EuropE

ContinenT? stretching from the NorthSea? and the AtlanticOcean? in the west to the UralMountains? in the east. From the MediterraneanSea? in the south to the NorthPole?. Europe is the western fifth of the EurAsian? landmass.

Perhaps the name Europe is derived from EuropA, but probably things are the other way around or the explanation is based on a coincidence (as with the MyrmiDons?).

Europe hat a long history of great cultural and economic achievement, starting with the ancient Greeks and Romans. From the 15th century European nations, particularly SpaiN?, PortugaL?, FrancE, and Britain, built large colonial empires, with vast holdings in AfricA?, AmericA, and AsiA?. The IndustrializatioN? started in 18th century from here. After WorldWarTwo? and in the ColdWar EuropE was divided in two major political and economic blocs—CommunisT? nations in EasternEurope? and CapitalistiC? countries in WesternEurope?. Arround 1990 the Eastern bloc broke up. See HistoryOfEurope.

E. comprises at the beginning of the year 2001 the following countries:

    AlbaniA,
    AndorrA,
    AustriA,
    BelaruS?,
    BelgiuM?,
    BosniaAndHerzegovina?,
    BulgariA?,
    CroatiA?,
    CzechRepublic?,
    DenmarK,
    EstoniA?,
    FinlanD,
    FrancE,
    GermanY (Federal Republic of)
    GreecE?,
    HungarY?,
    IcelanD,
    IrelanD? (Republic of),
    ItalY,
    LatviA?,
    LiechtensteiN?,
    LithuaniA?,
    LuxemburG,
    Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of)
    MoldovA?,
    MonacO?,
    NetherlandS?,
    NorwaY?,
    PolanD,
    PortugaL?,
    RomaniA?,
    RussiA?,
    SlovakiA?,
    SanMarino?,
    SloveniA?,
    SpaiN?,
    SwedeN,
    SwitzerlanD?,
    TurkeY (Republic of)
    UkrainE?,
    UnitedKingdom?,
    VaticaN?,
    YugoslaviA? (Federal Republic of)