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How Europe Got its Name.mp4*Disclaimer for Parents*
The video contains nudity in a Greek painting in the opening scene. Most sculptures and paintings of Greek gods, heroes, and athletes are shown without clothes. This is because the Greeks were the first people to discover how to realistically portray and even “improve” the human body in art—giving it beautifully proportioned limbs, well-developed muscles, and idealized contours.
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Google Maps
Google Maps
Use the amazing resource of Google Maps to explore Europe!
Use the amazing resource of Google Maps to explore Europe!
Google Earth
Google Earth
Use the amazing resource of Google Earth to explore the Europe!
Use the amazing resource of Google Earth to explore the Europe!
Optional Videos
Optional Videos
Below are videos of specific countries. If you have extra Internet and time, these are amazing videos to learn about specific countries in Europe!
Below are videos of specific countries. If you have extra Internet and time, these are amazing videos to learn about specific countries in Europe!
A region is an area of the world that is grouped together because of shared characteristics. One region of the world is Europe. Europe is often called both a region and a continent. Many people agree that it consists of 47 countries, which together make up around 3.9 million square miles. Europe is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the Ural Mountains, on the south by the Mediterranean Sea, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean.
Where did the name "Europe" come from?
Many people believe that Europe was named after Europa, a princess in Greek mythology. In stories, Europa was kidnapped from Asia by the god Zeus, who was disguised as a white bull. Zeus brought Europa to Europe.
Other people believe that the name Europe came from combining the Greek word parts eur, which means "wide," and op, which means "seeing." Some people think this is a reference to seeing Europe's long, wide shoreline along the Mediterranean Sea.
Europe includes four main geographic areas, or places that have common natural features.
Animals of Europe
Because Europe has different geographic areas and environments, it is also home to many different types of animals.
In the forests of the Alpine Region, you might spot a lynx whose fur coat keeps it warm in the colder temperatures.
Farmers on the North European Plain worry about the European hamster stealing their crops. This hamster is stealing wheat!
The pine marten is found mostly in the Western Highlands in the United Kingdom. The yellow fur on their necks and bushy tails make them unique.
In some parts of the Central Uplands, you might spot a European bee-eater. These colorful birds eat bees and many other insects.
Read about some of the landforms, or natural features on the earth's surface, in Europe.
What are some other landforms in Europe?
Europe is full of many other landforms! Read about some of the other landforms below:
The Italian Peninsula is in southern Europe and includes present-day Italy.
The Carpathian Mountains are located in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Serbia, and Romania.
Eyjafjallajökull is a volcano in Iceland that is covered by a large ice cap.
People began living in Europe around 43,000 years ago. At first, people settled in small communities. But over time, some of these communities grew to be cities.
All of the largest cities in Europe developed near rivers. Rivers helped these cities develop by providing ways to transport goods and access to fresh water for growing crops.
When did cities in Europe start to grow?
Although people began living in Europe over 43,000 years ago, people didn't start moving into cities in large numbers until the 18th and 19th centuries. Around that time, the Industrial Revolution began in Europe. Before, many goods were made in small batches with simple machines. But during the Industrial Revolution, larger machines were developed and more factories were built to produce many goods quickly. People moved to cities to work in factories, which helped many cities to grow.
As cities in Europe grew, they had more and more people who needed access to food, water, housing, and electricity. European cities rely on nearby rivers, lakes, and waterways to fill these needs.
Many people in Europe live in urban areas, or cities with many people, businesses, and large buildings. Other people live in rural areas, or less crowded areas where houses are more spread out and people often live on farms.
Big cities, small villages, and everything in between!
Europe is home to huge cities, small farms, and many other kinds of places. Look at some of the places where people live in Europe. How do they compare to your own home?
Far away villages
In Norway, there is a fishing village called Hamnøy (HOM-noy-ah) that is far away from other places. Hamnøy is located on a fjord (pronounced FYORD), a place where the sea reaches inland between high cliffs.
Farming communities
Moldova is a country that is heavily dependent on agriculture. Bendery is a farming community in Moldova. This image shows people in Bendery bringing their crops and products to a farmer's market to sell.
Old and big cities
Plovdiv (PLAWV-dif) is the second largest city in Bulgaria, and people began living there around 4,000 BCE! This image shows ancient ruins with the city of Plovdiv in the background.
Europe is home to many different climate zones. Climate zones are areas of the world that have similar average temperatures and rainfalls. Climate zones affect what people can grow in different areas of the world.
How do countries get crops that don't grow well in their climate zone?
Countries often buy crops from other countries with different climate zones. However, scientists also explore ways to change crops to make them easier to grow in different places. This allows many countries to grow crops that wouldn't normally be found in their climate zone!
Modifying crops isn't new!
People have been changing crops to make them taste better for thousands of years. In the past, when farmers noticed some of their crops tasting better or growing bigger, they might only plant the seeds left behind from those plants the next year. Sometimes, this resulted in a better version of the crop over time.
The land in Europe is used for many different purposes! The way land is used often depends on climate and how fertile the soil is.
Most farmland in Europe is used for large-scale farming, where farmers grow enough crops to sell and make money. Some countries such as Spain and Portugal mostly have land that is good for small-scale farming, where farmers only grow enough to feed people locally. Countries such as Norway and Sweden have less farmland, especially in the north. So, people rely on nomadic herding, or moving animals such as cattle, yaks, and sheep over large territories. Countries on the coast often use their access to oceans for large-scale fishing, catching enough fish to sell and make money.
Large-scale farming
Large-scale farming is popular in many European countries. The soil in Europe allows farmers to grow large quantities of many different crops for people to eat or use to produce other goods. This image shows a lavender farm in Lithuania.
Small-scale farming
Small-scale farms in Europe produce fewer crops than large-scale farms. However, these farms are important for providing jobs in rural areas, and they provide local produce and products. This image shows two farmers on a small-scale farm in Slovenia.
Nomadic herding
Nomadic herding is popular in countries such as Norway and Sweden. Animals such as reindeer need to roam over large areas of land. So, many herders live alongside the herd. This image shows a tent used by herders in Norway that is moved when their reindeer are taken to new areas.
Large-scale fishing
Islands and coastal countries in Europe typically have many large-scale fishers. Some fishers catch fish in the ocean, while others raise them on fish farms to produce more fish to sell. This image shows a fish farm in Montenegro.
Many natural resources are found throughout Europe. Natural resources are useful things that come directly from nature. One important natural resource many European countries produce is oil. Oil is important because it can be used to power many things, such as cars, homes, heaters, and more!
What other natural resources does Europe have?
Besides important energy resources such as oil, Europe has many other important natural resources that can be used to produce products to sell to other countries.
Manganese for steel
Some countries, such as Ukraine, have deposits of manganese, a metal that can be used to make steel. Steel is an extremely strong material used in buildings, tools, ships, cars, machines, and more. This image shows a manganese mine in Ukraine.
Clay for fine china
The United Kingdom has a special clay called kaolin (KEY-uh-lin) that is used to make fine china dishes. This image shows a kaolin quarry in Cornwall, United Kingdom.
Stone for building materials
Marble from Italy and granite from Norway and Sweden are sturdy building materials. This image shows a marble quarry site in Carrara, Italy.
In addition to selling natural resources, many European countries also export, or sell, manufactured goods. The graph shows the most common goods Switzerland makes and then exports.
What exports are European countries known for?
Many countries in Europe are known for exporting certain products.
Bohemian crystal is hand-blown glass from the Czech Republic. It is known for having intricate details and being extremely durable.
Italian fashion is an important export for Italy. Italy exports luxury clothing brands such as Valentino, Versace, Gucci, and more.
German cars are known around the world. Companies such as BMW, Volkswagen, and Mercedes are known for their quality cars.
Each of the countries in Europe has its own economy, or system of making, selling, and buying goods and services. We can compare the size of a country's economy to others with a measure called GDP. GDP calculates the total value of all goods and services produced in a country during a specific period of time. So, countries with a higher GDP have a larger economy than countries with a smaller GDP.
What does GDP stand for?
GDP stands for gross domestic product:
Gross means total.
Domestic refers to the national home, or country.
Product refers to goods and services.
So, GDP means the total value of all goods and services produced in a country. GDP can be influenced by many things, including the amount of natural resources, the number of people who have jobs, and available technology.
Which countries have the largest GDP?
GDP is measured annually. In 2012, the United States and China had the largest GDPs in the world. Their GDPs ranged from 8.2–16.2 trillion dollars.
Many countries in Europe work together to improve their economies through an international organization called the European Union, or the EU. Remember, an economy is a system of making, selling, and buying goods and services.
Why was the European Union created?
After World War II ended in 1945, some people thought having a political and economic alliance between countries would help maintain peace and prevent another war. Since that time, countries in Europe have tried different versions of an economic alliance. But it wasn't until 1993 that the EU was created.
Europe is considered a multicultural region because people of many different cultures live there. The word culture describes people's beliefs and traditions. Cultures can provide a link to the past, but they are always changing! Here are some things that people might have in common if they share the same culture:
languages
ideas
art
religious beliefs
food
history
ways of living
Celebrating a multicultural Europe
The European Capitals of Culture program was created in 1985 to celebrate the many cultures of Europe and bring Europeans closer together. Every year, two to three cities are selected by the European Union to create a year-long program of cultural events. If your city or town hosted a culture program, what events do you think it would include?
Language can be an important part of culture. Europe is home to more than two hundred different languages!
How many languages do European people speak?
Over 200 languages are spoken in Europe! Because Europeans speak so many different languages, the European Union encourages people to learn to speak at least two languages in addition to their own. Learning additional languages makes it easier to communicate with other people across Europe. Which two languages would you pick to learn?
Religion can be an important part of culture. Many different religions are represented in Europe, and the number of people following each religion changes over time. These changes can happen when people of different religions move to or from Europe or when people change their religious beliefs.
Religion can be an important part of culture. People living around Europe celebrate or honor their religious beliefs in different ways.
People from around the world live in European cities. These people immigrate to, or move to, Europe for many reasons. People from Europe also emigrate from, or leave, Europe to live in other regions around the world.
Immigration in Europe
People move to Europe for many reasons. Some people immigrate to find better jobs, or to be closer to their families, or because they like spending time in Europe.
Other immigrants are refugees, or people who were forced to leave their countries due to conflict or danger. Immigrants from countries at war often hope to move to Europe for work and safety. The European Union created laws to help protect the rights of these refugees in Europe.
Europe is a large region made up of many countries. Many people agree that there are 47 countries in Europe.
European cities rely on bodies of water such as the Danube River to support their populations. A hydroelectric power plant on the Danube River between Germany and Austria provides electricity for people to use.
An important natural resource in Europe is oil.
Oil is important because it can be used to power many things, such as cars, homes, heaters, and more. Countries such as Russia and Norway produce the most oil in Europe.
Europe is considered multicultural since people speak many different languages and represent many different cultures. Multi means "many," so multicultural means "many cultures."
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