Europe sometimes described as a peninsula of peninsulas is the western peninsula of the giant "supercontinent" of Eurasia and is the second-smallest continent in the world, divided from Asia by a series of watersheds, including the Ural River and the Caspian and Black Seas. Europe extends from the island nation of Iceland in the west to the Ural Mountains of Russia in the east. Europe's northernmost point is the Svalbard archipelago of Norway, and it reaches as far south as the islands of Greece and Malta.

 The connection across these peninsulas has made Europe an influential economic, social, and cultural force throughout recorded history.

Europe can be divided into four major physical regions, running from north to south: Western Uplands, North European Plain, Central Uplands, and Alpine Mountains.


Highest Elevation: 
Mount Elbrus, Russia (5,642 meters/18,510 feet)
Largest Urban Area: 
Moscow, Russia (16.2 million people)
Largest Watershed: 
Volga River (1.38 million square km/532,821 square miles)