Why are countries in Europe relatively small compared to countries in the rest of the world.

Question

Kind of a showerthought, at the same time. I honestly have no idea.

In: Other

Answer 1

Basically Europe was the where all the super powers were.

So they found land and claimed it.

France and Britain basically got all of the USA and Canada and parts of Africa.

Spain got Mexico and parts of south America.

Portugal got Brazil

Germany, France and England carved up most of Africa.

Etc etc etc.

I’d argue the ottoman empire and maybe Russia were the other significant major players on the world stage until american independence. Japan was small, china and India was basically colonized and had european influences.

So tldr.

Europe took what it wanted form Africa and the americas and then after European power waned new governments took over those territories.