Continental philosophy is a branch of philosophy that emerged in Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries, primarily in Germany and France. It is characterized by its focus on understanding and analyzing human existence, society, and culture from a phenomenological, existential, and hermeneutic perspective. Continental philosophy often deals with complex and abstract concepts such as identity, language, power, and ethics, and applies these ideas to various disciplines, including literature, art, politics, and psychology. Major figures in continental philosophy include Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, Jacques Derrida, and Michel Foucault.