▁Asian ▁boundary . ▁The ▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁separ ates ▁Europe ▁from ▁Africa . ▁The ▁western ▁boundary ▁is ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean . ▁I cel and , ▁though ▁on ▁the ▁Mid - At l antic ▁R idge ▁and ▁near er ▁to ▁Green land ▁( N orth ▁America ) ▁than ▁Main land ▁Europe , ▁is ▁generally ▁included ▁in ▁Europe ▁for ▁cultural ▁reasons ▁and ▁because ▁it ▁is ▁over ▁twice ▁as ▁close ▁to ▁main land ▁Europe ▁as ▁main land ▁North ▁America . ▁There ▁is ▁on going ▁debate ▁on ▁where ▁the ▁ge ographical ▁centre ▁of ▁Europe ▁falls . ▁ ▁Over view ▁▁ ▁Some ▁ge ographical ▁texts ▁refer ▁to ▁a ▁E uras ian ▁continent ▁given ▁that ▁Europe ▁is ▁not ▁surrounded ▁by ▁sea ▁and ▁its ▁sout he astern ▁border ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁various ly ▁defined ▁for ▁centuries . ▁ ▁In ▁terms ▁of ▁shape , ▁Europe ▁is ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁connected ▁pen ins ulas ▁and ▁nearby ▁islands . ▁The ▁two ▁largest ▁pen ins ulas ▁are ▁main land ▁Europe ▁and ▁Sc and in avia ▁to ▁the ▁north , ▁divided ▁from ▁each ▁other ▁by ▁the ▁Balt ic ▁Sea . ▁Three ▁smaller ▁pen ins ulas — I ber ia , ▁Italy , ▁and ▁the ▁B alk ans — emer ge ▁from ▁the ▁southern ▁margin ▁of ▁the ▁main land . ▁The ▁B alk an ▁pen ins ula ▁is ▁separated ▁from ▁Asia ▁by ▁the ▁Black ▁and ▁A ege an ▁Se as . ▁Italy ▁is ▁separated ▁from ▁the ▁B alk ans ▁by ▁the ▁Adri atic ▁Sea , ▁and ▁from ▁I ber ia ▁by ▁the