Europe boasts some of the world's premier tourist destinations. The Eiffel Tower of Paris and the Colosseum of Rome are two prime examples of sights worth seeing on “the old continent”, as Europe is sometimes known. While it's the second smallest of Earth's continents (180,000 km²) after Oceania, Europe is the third most populous after Asia (3,800 million inhabitants) and Africa (910 million inhabitants). Its 731 million people make up about 11% of the world's population. Plan your vacations in Europe and discover its rich and diverse cultures. It's a great place to make friends and since English is spoken as a second language almost everywhere you won't encounter insurmountable language barriers.