The **European Union** (**EU**) is a political and economic union of 27
[states](List_of_States "wikilink") that are located primarily in
Europe. Its members have a combined area of 4,233,255.3 km<sup>2</sup>
(1,634,469.0 sq mi) and an estimated total population of about 447
million. The EU has its own currency (the Euro), common market and [open
borders](Open_Borders "wikilink").

## History

### Timeline

  - 1951: The European Coal and Steel Community is formed,
    [France](France "wikilink"), [Italy](Italy "wikilink"), [West
    Germany](West_Germany "wikilink"), [Belgium](Belgium "wikilink"),
    the [Netherlands](Netherlands "wikilink") and
    [Luxembourg](Luxembourg "wikilink") are the first members.
  - 1973: The UK, Ireland and Denmark (including Greenland) all join the
    EU.
  - 1986: Spain and Portugal join the EU
  - 1990: German reunification ensures East Germany is now a part of the
    EU.
  - 1995: Sweden, Finland and Austria join the EU.
  - 2004: Poland, Hungary, Cyprus, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia,
    Latvia and Lithuania join the EU.
  - 2007: Romania and Bulgaria join the EU.
  - 2013: Croatia joins the EU.
  - 2016: The Brexit referendum in the UK announces British intentions
    to the leave the EU.
  - 2020: The UK formally leaves the EU.

## Positives

  - The EU is the largest-scale example of open borders between
    nation-states and is largely successful.
  - No wars have broken out between EU member states since they have
    joined the EU. The continent that saw the [two
    biggest](World_War_I "wikilink") [wars](World_War_II "wikilink") in
    history soon became the most peaceful in the world.

## Negatives