Europe pOPULATION : 742,400,000 DENSITY : 183.0 persons per sq. mi MAIN LANGUAGES : Russian, German, French, English, Italian, Ukrainian, Polish, Spanish, Romanian, Dutch, Serbo-Croatian MAIN RELIGIONS : Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Judaism LARGEST CITIES : Moscow, London, Istanbul, St. Petersburg, Berlin It is the land of old battlefields, kings, and fables. It can dazzle you beyond belief. Though it is the second smallest continent it has centuries of interesting history and has been home to some of the strongest nations of all time. It had power from the ancient times when the Greeks and Romans were making a name for themselves, to the great nations of the 1700's, Spain, France, and England. It has been the land of ancient empires, medieval kings, and two world wars. It is Europe. Though Europe is the second smallest continent, it has the second largest population. Its name comes from either Ereb, which is the Phoenician word for sunset or Europa, the daughter of the Phoenix in Greek mythology. It has a diverse culture and many different kinds of people. Europe really has something for everyone.

As for Europe, a brief chronological account of its significant events begins during prehistoric times with the emergence of Homo sapiens (early man), roughly 40,000 years ago. Early inhabitants during the Paleolithic Age, in an effort to survive, grouped together into small societies such as bands, and subsisted by gathering plants and hunting for wild animals. The practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops and raising livestock began in the Neolithic Age some 9,000 years ago; stone tools were used and people began to live in small groups, or villages. As man continued to journey east-to-west acrossEurasia (a combination of Asia and Europe), knowledge of tools and new methods of organization arrived; civilizations flourished as metal axes and arrowheads improved survival. In the 8th century BC, Greecebegan to emerge from the Dark Ages. Classical Greek culture had a powerful influence on the Roman Empire, which carried a version of it to many parts of the Mediterranean regionand Northern Europe. In short, the Greek culture provided the foundation of modern Western culture. Of the great civilizations to develop in Europe, the previously mentioned Roman Empire certainly had the most lasting influence. During its often tumultuous 500-year period of innovation, it changed the continent and had a profound and lasting influence on the development of modern architecture, language, law and religion. After its collapse, the Eastern Roman Empire survived (285-1450) as the Byzantine Empire. In Western Europe, a wide series of tribes and tribal alliances moved into positions of power in the remnants of the former Roman Empire; small kingdoms were established, and the geography of Western Europe was about to change.

Member of the Club: 1. Trax 2. Chachees 3. MisIndependent 4. shanee

Member of the Club Rating: 1. Trax : 8 2. Chachees :NIL 3. MisIndependent :NIL 4. shanee :NIL CLUB'S TOTALL RATING : :8