Size comparisons among European nations 2022

Europe is the second-smallest continent, making up around 10.18 million km2 (3.93 million sq mi), about 2% of the Earth's surface (6.8% of land area (using the seven-continent model). Politically, Europe is divided into around fifty independent states, with Russia being the largest and most populous with a population of 15% and a land area of 39%. In 2018, there were 746 million people living in Europe, or about 10% of the world's population. Even at latitudes along which the climate in Asia and North America is harsh, the European continent's winters and summers are generally moderated by warm Atlantic currents. Seasonal variations are more obvious farther from the coast than they are close to it.