I want to introduce you to a continent. It’s not far from here, in fact most of you are familiar with it. This continent is a large piece of land, and it is at the center of most world maps -- it is filled with millions of people, who to most outsiders look alike. The countries in it have borders that have been drawn and redrawn many times, much of the map looks very different than it did a mere century ago. This continent has endured many tragedies--war, extreme poverty, famines, plagues that wiped out millions, and many violent turns of political fates. The continent I’m talking about of course is Europe.