Which Countries Make up Europe?
Some of the countries that make up Europe include the United Kingdom, France and Spain. European countries are divided into European Union member states and non-member states.
Countries that are members of the European Union include:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- The Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
Non-EU member states include:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Iceland
- Kazakhstan
- Liechtenstein
- Macedonia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Norway
- Russia
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- Vatican City
When the European Union first formed in 1951, the only member states were Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. It has since expanded to include many more member states. All of these states, with the exception of the United Kingdom, have adopted the Euro as their currency. The European Union formed as a means of establishing a trade relationship, and it has strong economic ties with the United States. In addition to participating member states, there are countries that benefit from the union without being members. This includes Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Turkey.
In addition to internationally recognized states, there are some states that receive partial recognition from the United Nations that exist within Europe. This includes:
- Abkhazia, which is part of Georgia
- Kosovo, which is part of Serbia
- Nagorno-Karabakh, which is part of Azerbaijan
- Northern Cyprus, which is part of Cyprus
- Transnistria, which is part of Moldova
- South Ossetia, which is part of Georgia
Europe is bordered by Asia, and it rests across the Mediterranean Sea from Africa. Some countries also have territory in Asia, including Russia and Kazakhstan.
