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introduction
EUROPEAN UNION'S MEMBER COUNTRIES |
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Europe's family of nations has grown again. In this milestone 50th anniversary year Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union bringing the total number of members to 27, adding new facets to the diverse mix of peoples, places, cultures and traditions which is Europe 2007.
The Union (EU) is a family of democratic European countries, committed to working together for peace and prosperity. It is not a state intended to replace existing states, nor is it just an organisation for international cooperation. The EU is unique. Its member states have set up common institutions to which they delegate some of their sovereignty so that decisions on specific matters of joint interest can be made democratically at European level. There is no other comparable grouping of nations in the world which manages to maintain national diversity while cooperating on the most important issues which affect the lives of its citizens.
Initially just six nations, today the EU embraces 27 countries and almost 500 million people and it deals with a wide range of issues of direct importance for everyday life.
In terms of pure geography the Union is big but by no means large in world terms. Russia, the United States and China are significantly larger. But as an economic power Europe rivals all the other nations of the world. Generally, the European nations are among the world's most prosperous and that prosperity has grown rapidly in the last 50 years.
Europe is a continent with many different traditions and languages, but also with shared values such as democracy, freedom and social justice. The EU respects the different cultures and traditions but also defends these shared values. It fosters cooperation among the peoples of Europe, promoting unity while preserving diversity and cultural identity and ensuring that decisions are taken as close as possible to the citizens.
We have profiled every nation state, summarising the essential information about the constituent parts of the European Union at 50. How big? How many people? What is the basic geography and history. What have been the main political events of recent years? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the economy? Who are the individual states' most famous citizens and what do they like to eat? All those questions and more are answered in our member country profiles. You can select any one by clicking on the list of Member Countries on the left.
To find more detailed information about EU members and EU candidates business and investment opportunities please click here.
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