Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It comprises the westernmost part of Eurasia and is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east.
The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. Its members have a combined area of 4,233,255.3 km² and an estimated total population of about 447 million.
The outstanding growth industry of tourism—supplementing business, professional, and student travel—brings employment and foreign exchange to many Europeans, especially in the Mediterranean countries, with their combination of sunshine, beaches, scenery, and historical monuments. The world-renowned cities of Europe attract large numbers of tourists as well. In fact, European countries are consistently among the top tourist destinations of the world; they draw visitors from within Europe as well as from other continents.
