Europe is a part of the world that is part of the continent of Eurasia. On its territory there are 54 states, most of which have a relatively small area. This part of the world consists not only of continental countries, but also of islands. About a quarter of its territory falls on the peninsula, including the Balkan, Scandinavian, Kola, Apennine and others.
In order to correctly determine the area of Europe, one must take into account that the border between Europe and Asia runs along the Caucasus Range, although this division is conditional. Despite the fact
that countries such as Armenia and Azerbaijan are difficult to territorially attribute to this part of the world, they are nevertheless reckoned to it because of political, moral and ethical considerations.
The total area of Europe
If we take into account all the territories that today are European, then its area is 10,180,000 km², of which 720 thousand km² are islands. The largest state is Russia, although it is partially located in Asia. The second and third countries by area are Ukraine and France, respectively, with a difference of 30 thousand km². It should be noted that the current political situation between Russia and Ukraine may lead to the fact that the territory of the Crimean peninsula will pass to the first. In this case, the area of France and Ukraine will become almost the same, with a difference of only 3 thousand km², although this will not affect the area of Europe.
Political division
Conventionally, the area of European states is divided into three parts: Eastern, Western and Central. Previously, this division was exclusively political in nature, and now geographical position is also taken into account.
The largest countries that belong to
Western Europe are Austria, Great Britain, Germany, France and Switzerland. To the eastern part, most include such states as Russia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Ukraine and others. Central European states play a very important role in the political arena, and Croatia, Slovenia, Poland, and Slovakia are ranked among them.
Historical state
Previously, sovereign states such as Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro were the territory of one country - Yugoslavia, which broke up in 2006. Before its disbandment, Yugoslavia was one of the largest countries in Europe, and its territory was 255 thousand km².
Dwarf states
In this part of the world there are also a number of dwarf states, which, although small in size, play important roles in political relations.
The smallest of these countries and at the same time the most influential is the Vatican. This city-state is an Italian enclave located in Rome. Although the Vatican’s independence is supported by the whole of Europe, the area of this state is only 0.44 km². Other dwarf countries in this part of the world include San Marino, Monaco, Malta, Liechtenstein and Andorra.
Summing up, it should be noted that the area of Europe was constantly changing in connection with events that influenced the political picture of the world. However, it has always remained one of the largest and most significant parts of the world.