The culture of Europe is a composite of many myriad influences. The continent has been the birthplace for many civilizations, and the Culture of Europe is influenced by geography, religion and a number of other factors. The Culture of Europe became influential during the Renaissance period, influencing many Asian thinkers as well.
The Culture of Europe is a fluid entity, there is no fixed definition for it since geographically, Europe is part of the Eurasian subcontinent. The Roman Empire influenced the parts it occupied, neatly diving Eastern and Western Europe.
The Christian-Islamic tension also affected Europe culturally. Western Europe is predominantly Christian, while Eastern Europe, once ruled by the powerful Ottoman rulers, has a sizeable Muslim population. Industrialization also influenced the free thinkers of Western Europe, from Britain to Italy.
Any study on the Culture of Europe will be incomplete without something on European languages. Russian is spoken by the largest number of people in Europe, and German comes second. The European Union has 21 official languages. European literature, starting from Renaissance Era scientific books, to social commentaries and fiction, also influence thinkers across the world.
|