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Our Europe Facts for Kids share lots of interesting and fun facts on the European continent.

Europe is the second smallest continent in size but the third largest in population.

The European continent houses land area of 50 countries. However, of these 50 countries only 44 have their capital city on the European continent!

Of the European countries, 27 nations belong to the European Union (EU) which is a political and economic union. Read more about the EU on our special page here.

Now we share 20 facts about Europe everyone should know. Let's start!

Top 20 Europe Facts

1. The European continent is located completely in the northern hemisphere and mainly in the eastern hemisphere.

Europe borders onto the Arctic Ocean in the North, the Atlantic Ocean in the West and the Mediterranean Sea in the South.

2. There are 50 countries in Europe with a total of more than 742 million people living on the continent in 2023.

Click on the flags to learn more about these countries in Europe (further countries will follow!):

3. Largest country: The European part of Russia covers more area than any other country. The three largest countries completely located in Europe are: The Ukraine and France. Read our Ukraine facts here.

4. Largest capital city: Moscow. The Russian capital city houses more than 13 million inhabitants within the city limits. Saint Petersburg is Russia's second largest city with 5.3 million inhabitants. Moscow is the largest city that is entirely on the European continent!

5. Smallest country: Vatican City is the smallest country not only in Europe, but also in the world. The city state, an enclave within Italy, is the smallest country both by population and by size. Read more about Vatican City here.

6. Biggest island: The biggest island on the European continent is the isle of Great Britain/ UK. Greenland is the largest island which belongs to Europe as the island belongs to Denmark. Greenland is commonly referred to as the largest island in the world. Greenland, however, is located on the North American continent!

7. Smallest town: Hum in Croatia is the smallest town not only in Europe but in the world. The town has only 30 inhabitants. Read more about Croatia here.

8. Most populous city: Istanbul, the biggest city in Turkey is commonly referred to as Europe's largest city. However, Istanbul is located on two continents: the western part belongs to Europe while the eastern parts belongs to the Asian continent. Istanbul houses about 17 million people. Read about Turkey/Türkiye here.

However, the most populous city that is located entirely in Europe is Moscow!

9. Most densely populated country: Monaco. The principality bordering the Mediterranean is the most densely populated country in the world.

10. Europe is the continent with the highest population density, which means on the European continent live the biggest number of people per square kilometre or square mile.

11. Northernmost town: Ny-Ålesundon Svalbard in Norway. Only about 35 people live there all year round, but in summer, there are about 120 people staying in the town. The town is used as a base for explorations and research.

12. Northernmost capital city: Reykjavík in Iceland is Europe's and the world's most northern capital city. Read more about Iceland here.

13. Largest landlocked country: Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in Europe and in the world. 18 million people live in Kazakhstan which is among the ten biggest countries in the world. However, only about one fifth of the country's land area is located on the European continent. The largest landlocked country located entirely on the European continent is the Czech Republic.

Landlocked countries in Europe: Many countries in Europe, mainly in central Europe, do not have access to an Ocean and share national borders only with other countries. These are landlocked countries in Europe:

Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Slovakia, Serbia, Moldova, Macedonia, San Marino and Vatican City.

San Marino and Vatican City are landlocked inside Italy, and Liechtenstein is double landlocked as it is landlocked also by countries Austria and Switzerland that are also landlocked by other countries.

14. Highest mountain: Mount Elbrus in Russia (5,642 m/ 18,510 ft) is the highest mountain in Europe. The mountain is part of the Caucasus mountain range.

The highest peak in the European Alps is Mont Blanc. The mountain which is 4,810 m/ 15,781 ft high sits on the border of Italy and France. The Alps are also the longest and highest mountain range that is located entirely in Europe!

15. Longest river: The Volga River in Russia is Europe's longest river. It is 3,692 km/ 2,295 miles long.

16. Most important commercial waterway: Danube. The river that flows through ten countries is the second longest river in Europe with 2,860 km/ 1,777 miles.

17. Largest port: The port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands is the largest and busiest container port in Europe.

18. Longest Coastline: Norway has the longest coastline in Europe with over 100,000 km/ 62,000 miles; and it is the second longest in the world. Read more about Norway.

19. Biggest Lake: Lake Ladoga near Saint Petersburg in Russia is Europe's biggest lake and one of the world's largest freshwater lakes. The lake is slightly smaller than Lake Ontario, which borders the USA and Canada.

20. Largest waterfalls: The Rhine Falls in Switzerland is the largest plain waterfall in Europe. They are 150 m/ 492 ft wide and 23 m/ 75 ft high.

More Facts about Europe

Europe Facts | People: About 10% of the world's population lives in Europe. In Russia, about 78% of the population, that is more than 110 million people live in the European part of the the world's largest country. Most of the European population groups, almost 90%, belong to one of the three Indo-European language groups of the Slavic, Romance and Germanic language groups.

According to the World Happiness Report from 2018 - 2020, the World's happiest people live in Finland - and they won for the last three years in a row!

Europe Facts | Languages: Most European languages belong to either the Romance languages (such as French, Italian, Spanish), the Germanic languages (among them are German, English) or the Slavic languages (among them Russian, Bulgarian, Polish). Russian is the language with most native speakers (about 100 million), while English as the ' lingua franca' is the language spoken by most people as first and second language (about 270 million people). The five most spoken native languages in Europe are Russian, German, French English, Turkish and Italian.

Europe Facts | Religion: Most of the European people are Christians (76%) and there are smaller numbers of Muslims (6%) and Jews and other beliefs. About 18% of all Europeans consider themselves as atheist or not religious.

Europe Facts | Animals: In Europe, there are 270 species of mammals, such as boar, bat, deer, hare and otter. Of all mammal species 15% are endangered among them the wolf, bear and the lynx. There are 75 species of amphibians in Europe, most of them are endemic species in Southern Europe such as newts and salamanders. Slightly more than half of the 800 European bird species breed in Europe, all others migrate to warmer regions during the cold winter months.

Europe Facts | Natural resources: Metals such as zinc and silver and minerals such as copper, iron ore and coal are found in Europe. Some areas in northern Europe have deposits of natural gas and oil. Common agricultural produce that are farmed in Europe are wheat, potatoes, olives, grapes, oranges.

Europe Facts | Agriculture: About 39% of the land area in Europe is grassland or used for growing crops. The most common crops are cereals such as wheat, maize and barley as well as sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables and fruits and wine. France is Europe's biggest producer of agricultural products.

Europe Facts | History: The first humans appeared on the continent about 35,000 BC. The Minoan civilisation in the Bronze Age is seen as the first culture establishing trade and 'technology' from 2700BC. Among the many ethnic groups of the continent, the Greek tribes and the Germanic and the Italic people (later also the Roman Empire) had vast influences on the whole region as had the Celts. Later during the Middle Ages, the population increased due to the Vikings, Mongols, Huns, Magyars, Tartars and many other peoples that arrived and settled in the area. Europe's modern history is largely influenced by wars, such as the 30-Year-War (1618-1648), the French Revolution (1789) and the two World Wars in the 20th century. During World War I (1914-1918) more than 8 million people lost their lives and in World War II (1939-1945) over 18 million people died on the battlefields, during bombardment of the towns and cities and in Nazi concentration camps. In 1993, the European Union was established which today includes 28 countries.

Europe Facts | Landmarks: Five out of the top ten tourist destinations in the world are located in Europe. France is the number 1 tourist destination in the world with about 90 million international tourist arrivals per year.

Among the most visited tourist sites and landmarks in Europe are:

Tower of London in the UK

Eiffel Tower in France

Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany

Alhambra in Spain

Kremlin in Russia

Acropolis in Greece

Foro Romano in Italy

Read about the world's top landmarks you really should know. Click here.
Now test your Europe Geo Knowledge with our Europe Quiz

Popular Pages

Useful Resources | Europe Facts
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Europe Facts | Kids World Travel Guide | Geography | Landmarks

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Read here our Europe facts for kids with interesting and fun facts about the countries in Europe

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Click on this image to get a better look at CANADA!

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Click on the image to get a better look at Latin America

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OFFICIAL NAME: Canada

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Federal parliamentary state

CAPITAL: Ottawa

POPULATION: 35,881,659

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: English, French

MONEY: Canadian dollar

AREA: 3,849,674 square miles (9,970,610 square kilometers)

MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Rockies, Coast, Laurentian

MAJOR RIVERS: St. Lawrence, Mackenzie

Canada is a vast and rugged land. From north to south it spans more than half the Northern Hemisphere. From east to west it stretches almost 4,700 miles (7,560 kilometers) across six time zones. It is the second largest country in the world, but it has only one-half of one percent of the world's population.

Canada features black-blue lakes, numerous rivers, majestic western mountains, rolling central plains, and forested eastern valleys. The Canadian Shield, a hilly region of lakes and swamps, stretches across northern Canada and has some of the oldest rocks on Earth.

Canada's far north lies in the frozen grip of the Arctic, where ice, snow, and glaciers dominate the landscape. Few trees grow here, and farming is not practical. Native Canadians, called First Nations people, live in this region by hunting and fishing.
Map created by National Geographic Maps

PEOPLE & CULTURE

In some ways Canada is many nations in one. Descendents of British and French immigrants make up about half the population. They were followed by other European and Asian immigrants. First Nations peoples make up about four percent of the population.

Inuit people live mostly in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Many Native Canadians live on their traditional lands, but many others have moved to cities across Canada. First Nations artwork is widely recognized and is seen as a symbol of Canadian culture.

Canada's remote north and extensive forests are home to wildlife, from bears, wolves, beavers, deer, mountain lions, and bighorn sheep to smaller animals like raccoons, otters, and rabbits. The country's lakes and rivers, which contain about 20 percent of all fresh water on Earth, are full of fish such as trout and salmon.

Canada's prairies in the south are home to bison and pronghorn antelope. Farther north are Canada's sprawling evergreen forests, which have lots of wildlife, including moose and black bears. Even farther north is the cold, bare tundra, where herds of caribou and musk ox live.

Canadians work hard to protect the native wildlife. Canada has 41 national parks and three marine conservation areas. Nevertheless, species like wolves, lynx, and Atlantic fish have been overhunted and overfished.

GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY

The British monarch is the head of state of Canada. The monarch is represented by a governor-general, who has very limited powers. Laws are made by Canada's elected federal government, which includes a parliament and a prime minister.

Britain's Quebec Act of 1774 granted Quebec its own legal and religious rights. Despite this concession, many Quebec citizens have long sought independence. In votes held in 1980 and 1995, Quebec decided to stay in Canada. But the second vote was very close, and the debate is still alive.

Canada has provided fish, furs, and other natural resources to the world since the 1500s. Today, it is a world leader in agricultural production, telecommunications, and energy technologies. The vast majority of Canada's exports go to the United States.

The first people to come to Canada arrived between 15,000 and 30,000 years ago across a land bridge that joined Asia and North America. Around A.D. 1000, the Viking explorer Leif Eriksson reached Newfoundland, Canada. He tried to establish a settlement, but it didn't last.

In the 16th century, French and British settlers arrived. Land disputes between farmers and fur traders led to four wars between 1689 and 1763. The final war, called the French and Indian War, left the British in control of Canada, but French influence remains strong even today.

In 1867, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick combined to form a dominion with its own government, parliament, and prime minister. Manitoba joined soon after. In 1931, Canada became an independent nation.

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Canada Country Profile - National Geographic Kids

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OFFICIAL NAME: Canada FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Federal parliamentary state CAPITAL: Ottawa POPULATION: 35,881,659 OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: English, French MONEY: Canadian dollar AREA: 3,849,674 square miles (9,970,610 square kilometers) MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Rockies, Coast, Laurentian MAJOR RIVERS: St. Lawrence, Mackenzie Canada is a vast and rugged land.

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Our South America Facts for Kids bring you lots of interesting and fun facts on the South American continent.

South America is the fourth largest continent in size and the fifth largest when we consider population.

The South American continent is located in the western hemisphere and mainly in the southern hemisphere.

Top 20 South America Facts

1. There are 12 countries in South America (see list on the right) and 3 dependencies with a total of more than 433 million people living on the continent.

Click on the flags to learn more about these countries:

2. Largest Country: Brazil. The country is covering more than half the continent's landmass. Did you know that Brazil is only slightly smaller than the USA?

3. Largest City: Sao Paolo in Brazil. With more than 22 million inhabitants (2021) Sao Paulo is also one of the ten biggest cities in the world.

4. Smallest Country: Suriname. The country is one of the 10 most sparsely populated countries in the world.

5. Biggest Island: Tierra del Fuego (Spanish meaning: Land of Fire), at the southern tip of Argentina and Chile

6. Longest River: Amazon River (6,437 km/ 4,000 miles). The Amazon is not only the second longest river in the world after the Nile, but also the Amazon carries more water than the world's other 10 biggest rivers combined!

7. Highest Mountain: Aconcagua in Argentina. The mountain (6,961 m/ 22,837 ft) is located in the Andes mountain range.

The Aconcagua is considered the second highest of the world's Seven Summits after Mount Everest which is in Asia.

8. Biggest Lake: Lake Titicaca (shared by Bolivia and Peru)

9. Driest Place: While South America's rain forests also are some of the wettest places on the earth, the Atacama desert in Chile is considered the driest place on earth. Read more about the world's deserts here.

10. There are two landlocked countries in South America: Paraguay and Bolivia are located in the interior of the continent and have neither access to the Atlantic Ocean nor to the Pacific Ocean.

More South America Facts

11. History: Evidence of human life in South America dates back to 10,000 BC. One of the earliest South American civilisations are recorded in Peru. South America was colonised from the late 15th century by foreign conquistadores mainly from Spain and Portugal, but also from the Dutch, British and French.

12. People of South America: The Incas were the largest group of indigenous people in South America when the Europeans arrived. The Incan Empire lasted from 1438 until 1533. Indigenous cultures still are present in South America but the numbers are diminishing. There are still Arawaks and Caribs in Venezuela as well as Guarani in Brazil.

13. Languages in South America: Spanish is the main language in South American countries, only in Brazil people speak Portuguese and in Surinam, formerly a Dutch colony, the official language is still Dutch. Many people speak also English as a second language. Quechua, the language spoken by the Inca, is the most common indigenous language.

14. Religion: Most of the South American people are Catholics (90%), some Protestants, Jews and some indigenous people have their indigenous beliefs.

15. Tourist attractions in South America: The most popular attractions are:

Macchu Picchu in Peru

Iguazu Falls in Argentina/Brazil

Angel Falls in Venezuela

Rio de Janeiro and its Carnival in Brazil

Patagonia in Argentina/Chile

Amazon in Ecuador

Pantanal in Paraguay/Brazil

Torres del Paine National Park in Chile

16. Biggest Cities: The most populous city in South America is Sao Paulo. Almost half of the population of the South American continent lives in Brazil.

Other big cities in South America are:

Lima (Peru)

Bogota (Colombia)

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Santiago (Chile)

Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Did you know? The southernmost city in the world is on the South American continent! The city is called Ushuaia, is located on the Argentinian part of the Tierra del Fuego and more than 55,000 people live there. Read more about Argentina here.

17. Animals: In South America there are tapirs, piranhas and anacondas and many other animals.

South America is also home to many endangered animals such as the jaguar, the giant otter or the Amazonian manatee.

18. Main natural resources in South America are minerals such as iron ore (used to make steel) or copper and agricultural produce such as corn, coffee, wheat, soybean and cocoa.

19. Nature superlatives:

Atacama desert is the driest place in South America

Angel Falls are the world's highest waterfalls

Amazon River Basin is the world's largest river basin

The Andes are the world's longest mountain range

20. South America's landscape is dominated from mountains and highlands such as the Andes, river basins such as the Amazon and Orinoco and coastal plains where the Atacama Desert also belongs to.

Countries in South America that are located in the Northern Hemisphere:

Venezuela

Guyana

Suriname

French Guiana

and (the northern regions of) Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil

Test your Knowledge

Popular Pages

Useful Resources for South America Facts

Central Intelligence Agency. "South America." WorldFactBook. Last accessed 14 February 2023

National Geographic. "World Atlas for Young Explorers". Washington: 2010. pages 86-92

Millennium. "Earth Condensed - The World Atlas." Millennium House. 2009

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South America Facts for Kids | Geography | Attractions | People | Food

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20 Top South America Facts for Kids provide information on the 12 countries, lots of interesting superlatives and fun facts about the South American continent.

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Koalas are marsupials, related to kangaroos.

OFFICIAL NAME: Commonwealth of Australia

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Federal parliamentary democracy; Commonwealth realm

CAPITAL: Canberra

POPULATION: 23,470,145

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: English

MONEY: Australian dollar

AREA: 2,969,906 square miles (7,692,024 square kilometers)

MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Great Dividing Range, Macdonnell Ranges

MAJOR RIVERS: Murray-Darling, Murrumbidgee, Lachlan

Australia is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent. It is one of the largest countries on Earth. Although it is rich in natural resources and has a lot of fertile land, more than one-third of Australia is desert.

Most Australian cities and farms are located in the southwest and southeast, where the climate is more comfortable. There are dense rain forests in the northeast. The famous outback (remote rural areas) contains the country's largest deserts, where there are scorching temperatures, little water, and almost no vegetation.

Running around the eastern and southeastern edge of Australia is the Great Dividing Range. This 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) stretch of mountain sends water down into Australia's most important rivers and the Great Artesian Basin, the largest groundwater source in the world.
Map created by National Geographic Maps

PEOPLE & CULTURE

Australia is one of the world's most ethnically diverse nations. Nearly a quarter of the people who live in Australia were born in other countries. They come from the United Kingdom and other European countries, but also from China, Vietnam, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Australia's warm, sunny climate and abundance of open spaces gives the population a love of the outdoors. The people are also passionate about sports, including swimming, surfing, sailing, tennis, soccer, cricket, rugby, and their own invention, Australian rules football.

Australia's ecosystem is an unusual one because of its remote location. As a result, there are many animal species that occur here and nowhere else in the world, such as the platypus, kangaroo, echidna, and koala. Australia has 516 national parks to protect its unique plants and animals.

One of Australia's most amazing sites rises like an enormous whale's back from a flat red-soil desert called the Red Center. This site is called Uluru, and it is a sacred natural formation at the heart of the country. Rising 1,100 feet (335 meters) tall, it is the largest rock in the world!

Australia is home to many of the deadliest species of animals on the planet. There are 36 species of poisonous funnel-web spiders in eastern Australia. There are also 20 types of venomous snakes, including the taipan, which attacks without warning and bites repeatedly, killing its victim in minutes.

There are several types of rain forests in Australia. Tropical rain forests, mainly found in the northeast, are the richest in plant and animal species. Subtropical rain forests are found near the mid-eastern coast, and broadleaf rain forests grow in the southeast and on the island of Tasmania.

GOVERNMENT

As a commonwealth of the United Kingdom, Australia's head of state is the British monarch. Many Australians think the country should end its ties to Britain and become a republic. In a vote in 1999, Australians decided against separating from the UK, but the vote was close, and the debate continues.

Australia is an important exporter of agricultural goods like wool, wheat, beef, fruit, and wine. The country is also rich in minerals and metals and is the world's fourth largest producer of gold.

Aboriginal people arrived in Australia about 50,000 years ago. They may have traveled from Asia across land bridges that were exposed when sea levels were lower. The hardy Aborigines have learned to live in the harsh conditions of the outback.

Dutch explorers first landed in Australia in 1606, and the British began to settle there in 1788. Many settlers were criminals sent to live in Australia as punishment. For a short time, the newcomers lived peacefully with the Aboriginal people. But soon, fighting broke out over who owned the land.

In 1851, gold was discovered in Australia. A rush to find riches brought thousands of new immigrants, and by 1859, six separate colonies existed. In 1901, these colonies joined to form a British commonwealth.

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Australia Country Profile - National Geographic Kids

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Australia is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent. It is one of the largest countries on Earth.

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Photos of Mrs. Jordan exploring Vancouver, Canada!

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Photos of Mrs. Jordan exploring Vancouver, Canada!

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Exploring Ancient Mayan Ruins in Mexico!

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Exploring Ancient Mayan Ruins in Mexico!

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Ottawa is the capital of Canada.

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Take a closer look at Australia's capital!