Europe is one of Earth's central continents, located entirely in the northern hemisphere, and mostly in the eastern hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. It comprises the westernmost part of Eurasia continental landmass. Since around 1850, Europe is most commonly considered to be separated from Asia by the watershed divides of the Uraland Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas and the waterways of the Turkish Straits. Although the term "continent" implies physical geography, the land border is somewhat arbitrary and has moved since its first conception in classical antiquity. The division of Eurasia into two continents reflects East-West cultural, linguistic and ethnic differences, some of which vary on a spectrum rather than with a sharp dividing line. The border does not follow political boundaries, with Turkey, Russia, and Kazakhstan being transcontinental countries.
It covers about 10,180,000 square kilometres, or 2% of the Earth's surface (6.8% of land area), and it is considered the smallest continent, in terms of geographical appearance. Politically, Europe is divided into about fifty sovereign states of which the Russian Federation is the largest and most populous. Europe, particularly ancient Greece, was the birthplace of Western civilization. The Age of Enlightenment, the subsequent French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars shaped the continent culturally, politically and economically from the end of the 17th century until the first half of the 19th century. The Industrial Revolution, which began in Great Britain at the end of the 18th century, gave rise to radical economic, cultural and social change in Western Europe and eventually the wider world. Europe is also known for the Council of Europe, an international organization, which aims to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe, and the European Union, a confederation in which aims to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services and capital within the internal market, enact legislation in justice and home affairs and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries, and regional development.
Europe is heavily featured in the villain tournaments context, displayed by its various countries including Great Britain, England, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, and Greece to represent its existence. It also appears as as the central continent, that most of the wars' events take place followed by the continents of Asia, Africa, North America, and South America, and Oceania.