World History/European Union
What is the European Union?
The European Union (or EU) is a group of countries in Western, Central and Southern Europe which share political, social and economic rules. The EU started in the 1950's with only 6 countries. Today there are 27 countries in the EU and 3 more may join in the next 10 years. 15 EU countries also share the same currency - The Euro. Citizens of the European Union can live and work in any other EU country.
Countries of the European Union
There are 27 countries in the European Union today. Here is a list of countries in the order they joined:
France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Malta, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria. Croatia and Macedonia might join the EU in the next few years. Turkey may join in 10 or 15 years time.
Money of the European Union
Fifteen countries in the European Union use the same currency (money) - the Euro. These countries are France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Austria, Germany, Finland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus. Also Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, Montenegro and Andorra use the Euro but they are not part of the European Union.