Europe's eastern frontier is the Ural Mountains in Russia. The boundary extends to the Caspian Sea, the Kura River in the Caucasus, and on to the Black Sea; the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles conclude the Asian boundary. In the south the Mediterranean Sea separates Europe from Africa. The western boundary is the Atlantic Ocean. Europe is spread over almost 3.8 million sq. miles, has 6.7% of the earth’s land with nearly 729 million people.

Europe has been occupied by numerous peoples and nations. Man probably migrated to Europe from the east in several waves, probably by a no longer existing land bridge from Asia Minor into the Balkans and from grasslands north of the Black Sea. By 4000 B.C. Europe had a substantial human population. Forests, mountains, and swamps kept peoples separate into groups for long periods. Migrations led to some intermixing of people. Except for the northern part of the continent, Europe is densely populated. Eleven cities have population of more than two million, London, Moscow and Paris being the largest.

A world leader in economic activities, Europe is the birthplace of modern science and of the Industrial Revolution. In the 19th century, Europe had world dominance as it acquired technological superiority. The Industrial Revolution began in England in the 18th century and changed the world with use of complex machinery, increased production and new forms of economic organization. Since the mid-20th century formation of European Union (EU), the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have spurred growth.