Offering a comprehensive introduction to European geography, this timely text is as authoritative as it is richly nuanced and engaging. The authors analyze the ongoing process of integration that is giving new meaning to the idea of being European, while also delineating the important subregional differences that exist among the continent's people and places. Coverage encompasses the entire region: its physical setting and environment; population and migration; work and leisure; language and religion; and political organization. Particular attention is given to the historic evolution and contemporary features of the urban environments in which the majority of Europeans live their daily lives. Combining vivid description, essential information, and cogent analysis, the text is illustrated with 200 photographs and over 45 maps.