The New Childrens Encyclopedia

LIFE IN EUROPE

MUSIC

Europe is the

birthplace of

classical music,

opera, and the

modern orchestra.

These styles of

music were

performed in

concert halls or

opera houses, many

of them extremely

grand buildings, with

audiences paying to

attend. Europe’s famous

composers include Mozart,

Haydn, Bach, Beethoven, Verdi,

and Puccini.

DID YOU KNOW? FASCINATING FACTS

3

Europe is named after

Europa, a character in

Greek mythology. She was a

princess who was abducted

by the god Zeus, who had

disguised

himself

as a

white

bull.

2

Europe’s

population

is shrinking.

The average

number of births per woman

is just 1.52. Experts estimate

that by 2050 Europeans will

make up just 7 percent of

the world’s population

(currently 11 percent).

4

Swiss people eat

more chocolate

than any other nation.

Each of them munches

through an average of

251 ⁄ 2 lb (11.6 kg) of

chocolate in a year.

5

The three smallest

states in Europe are:

Monaco (30,000

residents), San Marino

(25,000 residents), and

Vatican City

(900 residents).

Vatican City is just

0.17 miles²

(0.44 km²).

1

The Danube River

flows through 10

European countries and

four European capital

cities (Vienna,

Bratislava, Budapest,

and Belgrade).

CROWDED CONTINENT

Europe is densely populated.

Overall, there are about 181 people

per square mile (70 per square

kilometer), compared to just

59 people per square mile

(23 per square kilometer) in North

America. About three-quarters of its

population live in towns and cities.

TOURISM

France is the most

visited country in the

world, with almost

82 million visitors in

2007. Tourists travel
      to Europe to see the
      many historic
      buildings and cities,
      and to relax on the
      Mediterranean
      beaches.

SPORTS

Soccer, tennis, cricket,

golf, and rugby are played

around the world, but were

all invented in Europe. Rugby,

for example, was a variant of

soccer invented at a school

in the UK in the early

19th century.

WEALTH

All the

European

countries have

high standards

of living, and

even poorer

Europeans are well off compared

to people in the developing

world. According to World Bank

statistics, the three richest

countries in the world are

Luxembourg, Norway, and

Switzerland—all in Europe.

FOOD

Pasta, pizza, croissants, moussaka,

goulash, and profiteroles are just some

of the foods that originated in Europe

and are now popular worldwide.

Cheese from France

Tapas from Spain

Pasta from Italy

Sausages

from Germany

u MOZART

(1756-1791)

CONTINENTS OF

THE WOLRD

London,

UK

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France