Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europe's borders. Physically and geologically, Europe is a subcontinent or large peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia and west of Asia.

Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea, and–according to the traditional geographic definition–to the southeast by the waterways adjoining the Mediterranean to and including the Black Sea, and the Caucasus Mountains (in Caucasia). Europe's eastern frontier is vague, but has traditionally been given as the divide of the Ural Mountains and the Caspian Sea to the southeast. The Urals are considered by most to be a geographical and tectonic landmark separating Asia from Europe.

Europe is the world's second-smallest continent in terms of area, covering about 10,390,000 square kilometres (4,010,000 sq mi) or 2.0% of the Earth's surface. The only continent smaller is Australia. In terms of population, it is the third-largest continent (Asia and Africa are larger) with a population of more than 710,000,000, or about 11% of the world's population.

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BBC News | Europe | World Edition

Spain resists deal with pirates
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:23:13 -0000
Spain resists pressure to free two Somalis accused of piracy in exchange for Spanish sailors held in Somalia.
Turkey defends Sudan leader visit
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:23:21 -0000
President Abdullah Gul criticises the EU after it asks Turkey to reconsider an invitation to Sudan's president.
Babies 'cry in mother's tongue'
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:38:56 -0000
German researchers say babies begin to pick up the nuances of their parents' accents while still in the womb.

NYT > Europe

Brown Warns Afghan Leader on Corruption
By JOHN F. BURNS and ALAN COWELL Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:43:29 -0000
The prime minister said that President Hamid Karzai would lose British support if he failed to stem corruption.
Spanish Captives in Somali Waters Plead for Help
By ANDRÉS CALA Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:44:16 -0000
Crew members of a Spanish fishing ship seized by Somali pirates over a month ago pleaded with their relatives to press the Spanish government to do more to gain their release.
Brain Drain in Reverse Behind Fallen Berlin Wall
By CARTER DOUGHERTY Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:37:16 -0000
Two decades after the Berlin Wall came down, those who once left Dresden to seek work in western Germany are returning.

L.A. Times - Europe

Iraq war veteran's wife spared deportation
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
Frances Barrios, who was brought to the U.S. illegally as a child, receives humanitarian parole and can stay in Los Angeles and apply for a green card. Her husband suffers from post-traumatic stress. The U.S. government has cleared a pathway to citizenship for the illegal immigrant wife of an Iraq war veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress, the family's attorney said Thursday.
Bernerd Harding dies at 90; WWII veteran went on quest for his pilot's wings
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
As a first lieutenant, his B-24 bomber was shot down in Germany a month after the D-Day invasion of Normandy. He returned to a village there two months ago, but came up empty-handed. Bernerd Harding, a World War II pilot from New Hampshire who went on a quest two months ago to find his buried pilot's wings in Germany 65 years after his B-24 bomber was shot down, died Tuesday. He was 90.
Obama and German Chancellor Merkel meet to discuss climate change, Afghanistan
Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:44:00 -0800
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, fresh from being sworn in for her second term, met with President Obama at the White House this morning to discuss global warming and Afghanistan before she heads to Congress where she will be the first German leader to address a joint session.

UN News Centre - Europe

Working together, nations can tackle today's major challenges - Ban
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500
No country, however, powerful, can tackle alone the multiple challenges facing the world, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, stressing the need to work together on issues such as climate change, the economic crisis and global peace and security.
UN's Balkan war crimes tribunal decides to appoint defence counsel for Karadžić
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500
The United Nations war crimes tribunal set up to prosecute the worst offences committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s today instructed its registrar to appoint a defence lawyer for former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić, who stands accused of genocide.
Era of increased mobility requires better protection of migrants' rights, says Ban
Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500
In an era where people are crossing borders in greater numbers seeking better opportunities, it is more vital than ever that States safeguard the rights of migrants, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a high-level gathering in Athens today.

NYT > Europe

Brown Warns Afghan Leader on Corruption
By JOHN F. BURNS and ALAN COWELL Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:43:29 -0000
The prime minister said that President Hamid Karzai would lose British support if he failed to stem corruption.
Spanish Captives in Somali Waters Plead for Help
By ANDRÉS CALA Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:44:16 -0000
Crew members of a Spanish fishing ship seized by Somali pirates over a month ago pleaded with their relatives to press the Spanish government to do more to gain their release.
Brain Drain in Reverse Behind Fallen Berlin Wall
By CARTER DOUGHERTY Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:37:16 -0000
Two decades after the Berlin Wall came down, those who once left Dresden to seek work in western Germany are returning.
To Merkel, a Night in ’89 Was Just the First Step on a Long Path for 2 Germanys
By NICHOLAS KULISH Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:50:50 -0000
As the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall approaches, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany discussed the event and the long path Germans have taken since then to bring the two sides closer together.
Two Held in Killings of Russian Lawyer, Reporter
By ELLEN BARRY and MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:34:03 -0000
A Moscow court on Thursday reviewed charges against two suspects in the January assassination of the human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and the reporter Anastasia Baburova.
Karadzic Gets Delay, and Lawyer, in War Crimes Trial
By MARLISE SIMONS Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:49:58 -0000
The decision of the international criminal tribunal will postpone the trial of Radovan Karadzic, the former Bosnian Serb leader, until March to allow the defense time to prepare.

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