· Europe is the second smallest continent in the world after Australia. Many different languages are spoken in Europe. The most important are English, Spanish, Russian, French, Italian, German and Portuguese.
· The name Europe might have come from Europa, the daughter of Phoenix in Greek mythology. Or from Ereb, a Phoenician word for sunset.
· The first major civilization in Europe was in the island of Crete 4,000 years ago. It is known as the Minoan Culture, after the legendary King Minos.
· The Volga is the longest river in Europe. It is mentioned in many Russian books and songs.
· Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe, is actually an extinct volcano with two craters.
· In northern Europe the landscape is mostly flat, while in the south, it is mountainous and hilly. The Swiss, French and Austrian Alps are a great tourist attraction for skiing. Many warm areas around the Mediterranean Sea are famous holiday resorts.
· There are many beautiful old cities in Europe like London, Paris, Moscow and Rome. Many European cities with old and historic buildings have become busy tourist attractions.
· The French civil engineer Gustave Eiffel designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The Tower was built to be a temporary part of the World fair in 1889. When the fair ended, the French people decided to keep it.
· The famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy was completed in 1350, it has been leaning ever since.
· In 1992, Euro Disney Theme park was opened outside Paris.
· Since forming the European Union in 1993, Europe has become more unified. Members of the European Union, the EU, now enjoy much more freedom and free trade.
© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
