Always wanted to learn more about European history but could never find the time? Look no further than the time-lapse map in the video above, which has boiled down the continent's history into just three-and-a-half minutes.
The map traces changes in Europe's borders from 1000 AD until 2003, and was created using software from the Centennia Historical Atlas.
Watch the Byzantine Empire fall apart, follow the victories of the Mongols, and watch national borders shift, all accompanied by a fittingly dramatic soundtrack by Hans Zimmer from the Inception score.
