The definition of Europe has always been both inspiring and incoherent

CURIOUSLY, THE only continent to have united under a moderately effective form of multinational government is not actually a continent. English-speakers may call Europe “the continent”, but that is because their language evolved on an island off its coast. In fact it is simply a convoluted promontory of Eurasia. This sets geographers a puzzle: where does Europe end? The eastern border especially is fuzzy. The current consensus holds that it runs through Russia along the Urals, gets vague for a while and then follows the Caucasus mountains’ watershed to the Black Sea. That makes demi-Europeans of not just Russia, Turkey and Georgia but also Kazakhstan and perhaps Azerbaijan. It puts Armenia outside Europe, though many Armenians would disagree.Clearly, Europe is more than just a geographical concept. But other definitions also lead to confusion. If Europe is wherever European powers hold sway, colonialism has ensured it spans the globe. Cross the westernmost land border of the Netherlands and you step directly into France, because you are on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, which they split. Define Europe culturally, meanwhile, and you will notice that polka music sounds more like Mexican than like Spanish flamenco, and that Greek ouzo and Lebanese arak are the same drink. Go with political values and you find many democracies outside Europe qualify, while some quasi-dictatorships inside might not. Use religion or race, and you are engaging in bigotry—nowadays seen as un-European.