Europe”-the word calls to mind a land of famous old buildings, scenic countryside, and time-honored traditions。 Europe is rich in history。
   Ancient stone castles, lavish palaces, and beautiful cathedrals dot the land。 But it’s also one of the world’s most vibrant, modern places。
  
Europe attracts visitors from around the world。 They come to see its historic landmarks, world-class art museums, and great natural beauty。
   Scenic attractions include the rolling green hills of the British Isles, towering peaks of the Swiss Alps, and sunny Mediterranean beaches。
  
PENINSULAS AND ISLANDS
Europe is considered a separate continent。 But it’s actually a peninsula-a piece of land that juts out from a mainland into water。
   Europe is a giant peninsula sticking west out of Asia, the mainland。
The Ural Mountains east of Europe divide the continent from Asia。
   The mountains run right through Russia。 Russia lies partly in Europe and partly in Asia。
Europe has many smaller peninsulas of its own。
   Greece and Italy are peninsulas。 Spain and Portugal share another peninsula called Iberia。 In the north, Denmark occupies the small peninsula of Jutland。
   Sweden and Norway occupy the larger Scandinavian Peninsula。
Europe also includes many islands, such as Great Britain, Ireland, Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, and Crete。
   All of these islands and peninsulas give Europe a long coastline and many harbors, inlets, and seaports。
A CROWDED CONTINENT
Europe is the second smallest of the world’s seven continents。
   Only Australia is smaller。 Europe is about the same size as the United States。 Yet it has almost three times as many people。
  
About 729 million people live in Europe。 That makes it the most crowded of all the continents。 Europe is divided into more than 40 countries, and Europeans speak more than 60 languages。
  
Europe is home to dozens of great cities。 Many of them, such as London and Paris, date to ancient times。 Among Europe’s other famous cities are A。