🇪🇺 20 Europe Geography Facts Every Student Should Know

Europe is the world's 2nd-smallest continent by area but 3rd-largest by population.

1. Europe has 44 sovereign countries (most lists).
2. Russia is the largest by area; Vatican City is the smallest.
3. The Volga is Europe's longest river at 3,531 km.
4. Mount Elbrus in Russia (5,642 m) is Europe's highest peak.
5. The Mediterranean Sea borders 21 countries across 3 continents.
6. Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge — splitting between two tectonic plates.
7. The EU has 27 member states (post-Brexit).
8. Norway has the world's longest fjord coastline.
9. Switzerland has 4 official languages: German, French, Italian, Romansh.
10. The Danube flows through 10 countries — the most of any river.
11. Monaco is the most densely populated country on Earth.
12. The Netherlands has 26% of its land below sea level.
13. Greenland (geographically Arctic, politically Danish) is the world's largest island.
14. The Strait of Gibraltar separates Europe from Africa by just 14 km at its narrowest.
15. Vatican City is the smallest country in the world (0.49 km²).
16. Finland has 188,000 lakes — the most per capita.
17. Andorra is the world's only country whose official language (Catalan) isn't a national language anywhere else.
18. The Channel Tunnel between UK and France is the longest undersea tunnel section in the world (37.9 km).
19. Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan are the only "doubly landlocked" countries.
20. Iceland has no mosquitoes — at all.