Europe, the second smallest continent on Earth, has 43 countries. Some geographers consider Europe part of a landmass that includes Asia, called Eurasia. Actually, it is a large peninsula, or mass of land that is surrounded on three sides by water. Europe's climate ranges from frozen tundra to warm Mediterranean. The first great civilization in Europe reached its height in Greece about 2,500 years ago. Since then, empires have risen and fallen in Europe. Today, many different ethnic groups call Europe home.