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Europe is located in the Northern Hemisphere. The Atlantic Ocean is to the west of the continent.

Europe is above the Equator and the very north of the continent is within the Arctic Circle. The Prime Meridian passes through London in the United Kingdom.

Europe is the second smallest continent in the world. It has over 40 countries. The world's largest country by area is Russia. Its land area spans across both Europe and Asia.

Features

Europe’s longest river is the Volga, which flows through Russia. Europe’s second longest river, the Danube, flows through ten countries. Norway has the longest coastline in Europe, stretching over 50,000km in length.

The tallest mountain in Europe is Mount Elbrus which is 5,643m high. The Alps mountain range can be found in eight different countries. It is a popular destination for tourists who enjoy winter sports like skiing and snowboarding.

Climate

Much of Europe has a temperate climate, meaning there are warm summers and colder winters.

Some northern areas have a polar climate like Norway and Sweden, and some southern areas are much warmer. For example, Greece and Spain have warmer climates.

Italy is a hotspot for active volcanoes due to its location on the boundary of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates. Italy's largest active volcanoes include Mount Vesuvius, Mount Etna, and Stromboli.

Iceland also has a lot of intense volcanic activity. It sits directly across the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, which are slowly pulling apart.

Key cities in Europe include London (in the United Kingdom), Frankfurt (in Germany), Brussels (in Belgium) and Madrid (in Spain).

Tourists visit Europe to see popular landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower (in France), the Colosseum (in Italy) and the Acropolis ruins (in Greece).

Europe has a high population density compared to other continents. This means it has a high number of people per square km of land.

Iceland is one of the world's largest producers of geothermal energy. This renewable energy heats homes and buildings using hot water and steam from underground.

Iceland sits on a boundary where two tectonic plates meet called the mid-Atlantic ridge. This makes it the ideal location for geothermal power plants.