A time lapse map of Europe showing the changing face of the embattled continent has racked up thousands of views on YouTube, with many claiming it's the best educational video they've ever seen.

Made with "living atlas" software Centennia, the map traces the moving borders of provinces and even countries. With a click and a flicker, the Holy Roman Empire falls to ruins.

History enthusiasts can watch the Golden Horde or the Mongol khanate spring up before their eyes. Vast swathes of Europe move with shifting alliances as kings and queens roll the die. Countries are swallowed by other countries and spat back out under another name moments later.

In 3.24 minutes, the map fast forwards from 1000 AD until 2003. As the eurozone faces continuing turmoil and the world waits on tenterhooks to see if Greece will pull out of the euro, the time lapse map shows that this is far from an unusual event in Europe's history.