There are 44 countries in Europe. Ok, so there are 54 countries in Africa, 48 in Asia and 33 in Latin America… nothing remarkable, right? However, Europe is tiny compared to other continents. This means Europe has way more countries for its size than any other part of the world. But why? Why does Europe have so many countries? And why so many smaller ones and not a few big ones?
Europe’s history is fascinating! Let us breakdown some of the key reasons why Europe has a lot of smaller countries…
1. Europe’s Geography
A first reason why Europe has so many countries is the continents geography.
The continent of Europe is hugely diverse geographically. It is made up of flat-lands, mountains, rivers, islands and enormous plains. Europe is one of the most varied regions geographically in the world.
Within a comparatively small area, the geography of Europe changes dramatically. This differs from many other parts of the world where geographical features are more spread-out.
Europe has many small countries because of its varied geography. Nation states often form around geographical features. Rivers, mountains and islands all help nations to defend themselves and make for natural borders. Arable lands and large plains also often see societies establish and states begin to form.
The amount of fertile land is another geographical feature of Europe that has resulted in many smaller states forming. The amount of farmable land meant Europe could support a larger population earlier in its history. This directly led to the creation of countries and resulted in Europe being divided between many smaller nations.
2. Religious Divisions Across The Continent
A second reason why Europe is divided between many countries is because of the religious divides across the continent.
Europe has seen many great schisms along religious lines. In early European history, the divide between Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity split the continent between east and west.
At the end of the Middle Ages, the Reformation again split Europe in the west between Catholicism and Protestantism, leading to hundreds of years of bloody conflict. Southern Europe and the Balkans have also seen Muslim influence, including through the Ottoman Empire, as late as the 19th Century.
Religion played a key role in the formation of many nations. Europe’s divisions along religious lines have resulted in many nations being formed. It also resulted in antagonisms and conflicts between countries, further fuelling the divisions on the continent and reducing the historical events needed for larger more united nations to form.
The different branches of Christianity, and the role of Islam, developing within a relatively small geographical area contributed directly to Europe forming so many smaller countries.
3. Europe’s History of Conflict
A third reason why Europe has so many countries is the continents history of conflict
Europe has a bloody history. Wars have raged across the continent for centuries, even millennia. Since 1900, there have been 126 wars in Europe – and this only in the last 100 years or so!
Wars divide people. They make it less likely for coherent nations to bond together. Land taken through conquest is rarely subjugated and often leads to revolts and uprising by the population, leading to further conflicts. The staggering number of wars fought in Europe throughout its history has directly resulted in the continent being made up of many smaller countries, rather than few larger ones.
Conflicts also unite people. A country at war often rallies around its leaders, culture, politics and society. Nations can become more coherent and better organised from fighting wars. Europe is among the regions that has seen the most wars throughout history, this has directly resulted in smaller nations being formed.
Wars are pivotal points in history. Europe’s legacy of conflict has been foundational to how the continents nations have come into being.
4. Competition Between Nation States
Another reason why Europe has many smaller nations is because of the competition between the countries on the continent.
Competition between nation states is key to their development. Nations that must compete economically with countries around them have been seen throughout history to become richer. Early European history is characterised by many smaller states across the continent. As these competed economically, they were less likely to join together and more likely to become prosperous in their own right. This is key to why today Europe still has lots of smaller countries.
Trade between European countries is a further factor for why the continent has so many countries. Having lots of nations across the comparatively small geographical area means that trade and commerce flourished in Europe. This further allowed states to develop independently and reduced the incentive for countries to unite together.
Economic competition is often seen as one of the key reasons for Europe’s prosperity. However, it is also a major factor for why the continent has so many countries today.
5. The Many Different Cultures of The Continent
Europe is incredibly culturally diverse, and this is another reason why the continent has so many countries.
Nations often form around a culture. A people’s culture – their language, beliefs, arts and customs, are foundational to most countries. Europe is unique is the amount of different cultures that have formed across the continent. This has directly resulted in their being many small European countries as opposed to a few larger ones.
The huge number of languages across Europe is a great example of how culture has divided the continent. There are as many as 200 languages spoken in Europe. Although many other regions are linguistically diverse, Europe is unique in there being so many languages in such as small geographical area. The density and diversity of languages in Europe is an important reason why there are so many European countries.
Europe is famous for the differences between its countries. There is a huge variety of cultures across the continent, all in a relatively small area. In fact, this cultural diversity is key to why Europe did not develop into larger nation states.
6. Europe’s’ Political Movements
Another reason why Europe is divided into many different countries is a result of the political movements in the continents history.
Europe has had a history of political movements that have sought self-determination of their people. Often these movements have rallied around an ethnic, linguistic or cultural group and advocated for an independent country to represent them. The success of these movements throughout European history has resulted in the continent being split between many countries.
As well as the success of political movements that have fought for independent states in Europe, the failure of movements to unite the content, or conquer most of it by force, has also contributed to Europe’s current make-up of many countries.
Throughout European history there have been many attempts to dominate the continent. However, internal resistance, as well as concerted efforts by other European powers, have prevented one nation conquering the continent. This is key to why today Europe is made up of many smaller countries and not a few big ones.
7. The Lack of External Threats
A final factor that has contributed to Europe having so many countries is the lack of external threats the continent has faced.
Europe has faced remarkedly little outside interference in the last 500 years. No outside powers have invaded the continent for centuries and rarely in European history has there been a world power that could threaten the continent. This contrasts greatly with other parts of the world, where conquest, often by Europeans, meant they were unable to develop along their own lines.
The lack of external threats to Europe has been key to how the nation states of the continent developed. Without outside influence, Europe has been able to make many of its own choices. This has meant the continent developed into many smaller countries. An external threat would likely have compelled European countries to join together for mutual protection. Without this factor, Europe’s countries have been able to develop as many smaller independence states.
There are many reasons why Europe today has a lot of countries and not a few larger ones. One of the most important factors has been a lack of other nations invading and taking over Europe.