European Union Countries

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states located primarily in Europe. The EU was founded in 1993 by the Maastricht Treaty, and it has since grown to become the world's largest single market, with a population of over 447 million people. It operates an internal (or single) market that allows the free movement of goods, capital, services, and people between member states.

The EU has undergone several waves of expansion, with the most recent enlargement in 2013 when Croatia became the 28th member state. However, the United Kingdom withdrew from the EU in 2020, leaving the current number of member states at 27.

The Euro is the official currency of 19 out of the 27 member states of the European Union. These countries are collectively known as the Eurozone. The Euro was introduced in 1999 as a digital currency, and physical Euro coins and banknotes were introduced in 2002. Denmark and Sweden have opted to retain their currencies, while others, such as Poland and Hungary, still need to meet the criteria for joining the Eurozone.