Europe Map 45 Countries
Carolina Schmalzried
The idea to make the European Union came
after two big wars happened in Europe.
Countries in Europe saw that
it is better to work together
than fighting against each other.
After the European Union was created,
there were no more wars between the countries
that are part of the European Union.
Thanks to the European Union,
all countries in Europe work together in peace.
The European Union made it easier for people
to move freely from one country to another.
They can live, study or work
in any country of the European Union they want.
For example, a person from France can choose
to move to Italy and work there.
Or a student from Belgium can go study in a university in Greece.
The Schengen Area is an area without borders.
In this area, people can travel from country to country freely and easily.
They do not have to go through checks and controls
when they pass from one country to another.
The melody shows how important it is
that all people are free, live in peace
and stand by each other.
The European Union believes in these values
and that is why it has chosen this melody
to be its anthem.
In June 2024, Europeans voted and elected their representatives in the European Parliament. This was democracy in action, but it is not the only way EU citizens can influence EU policy making. Read about other ways to get involved, from helping initiate new proposals to debating existing policies.
The Commission has published its fifth annual Rule of Law Report which monitors significant developments and takes stock of the rule of law situation in all EU countries. It shows that the EU is better equipped to face rule of law challenges than it was 5 years ago.
A recent survey showed many Europeans still feel that they lack sufficient information on their passenger rights. The Commission has published revised guidelines on air passenger rights, including the rights of persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air.
If you come from any of the visa-exempt countries/territories listed above and you are a family member of an EU citizen or of a national of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, please read this FAQ for more information about applying for an ETIAS travel authorisation.
Important: To avoid any problems at the border, before your travel, please contact the Consulates of all the countries you intend to visit to confirm that your personal situation exempts you from the obligation to have a visa.
A recognised refugee who resides in and holds a travel document issued by any of these countries or Ireland and you are not required to have a visa to enter any of the European countries requiring ETIAS you intend to visit
You will need an ETIAS travel authorisation if you are a stateless person who resides in and holds a travel document issued by any of these countries or Ireland and you are not required to have a visa to travel to the European countries requiring ETIAS you intend to visit
UK nationals and their family members who are beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement are exempt from ETIAS: they may reside on the territory of their EU host country and travel to other European countries requiring ETIAS as long as they hold documents proving their status.
A refugee, a stateless person or a person who does not hold the nationality of any country and you reside in any of the European countries requiring ETIAS and hold a travel document issued by that country
See here an indicative list of the relevant residence permits. Other documents authorising your stay on the territory of these countries are also accepted, if they are in line with Article 2 point 16 of Regulation (EU) 2016/399. Please consult the issuing authority to confirm if your document meets these requirements.
This exemption applies to the nationals of countries that have concluded international agreements with the EU which allow the holders of diplomatic, service or special passports to travel without a visa. This means that nationals of the following countries can travel to these European countries both without an ETIAS travel authorisation and without a visa:
Holders of diplomatic, service or special passports from other countries are also excluded from the obligation to hold an ETIAS travel authorisation. However, they may be obliged to have a visa to visit the European countries requiring ETIAS.
A member of the armed forces travelling on NATO or Partnership for Peace business, who holds an identification and individual or collective movement order provided for by the Agreement between the parties to the North Atlantic Treaty regarding the Status of their Forces.
Conditions for the entry and exit of members of rescue services, police, fire brigades acting in emergency situations as well as border guards crossing the border in exercise of their professional tasks are laid down by national law. The European countries requiring ETIAS may also conclude bilateral agreements with non-EU countries for these categories of persons. Before you travel, always check which requirements apply to you.
There are 44 countries in Europe today, according to the United Nations. The full list is shown in the table below, with current population and subregion (based on the United Nations official statistics).
Today, the Schengen Area encompasses most EU countries, except for Cyprus and Ireland. Bulgaria and Romania became the newest Member States to join the Schengen area as of 31 March 2024, any person crossing the internal air and sea borders will no longer be subject to checks. Nevertheless, a unanimous decision on the lifting of checks on persons at the internal land borders is still expected to be taken by the Council at a later date. Additionally, the non-EU States Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein also have joined the Schengen Area.
The Schengen provisions abolish checks at EU's internal borders, while providing a single set of rules for controls at the external borders applicable to those who enter the Schengen area for a short period of time (up to 90 days).
If such controls are reintroduced, the Member State concerned has to inform the Council (and thus, other Schengen countries), the European Parliament and the European Commission as well as the public. The Commission provides more information on the current reintroductions of internal border controls on the website: Temporary Reintroduction of Border Control.
On 30 November 2020 and 17 May 2021, the Commission organised two Schengen Forums. The aim was to gain better insight into the needs of Schengen States, in particular, regarding the situation at internal borders. The Forums allowed for constructive exchanges towards building a stronger and more resilient Schengen area.
The discussions on both events provided the basis for the Strategy towards a fully functioning and resilient Schengen area, which was presented by the Commission in June 2021. The Schengen Strategy took stock of the progress made on the fundamental pillars of the Schengen area and other key measures sustaining the area of freedom, security and justice. It also announced a proposal for amendment of the Schengen Borders Code.
In addition, the Schengen evaluation process to assess the readiness to join the Schengen area is ongoing for Cyprus. The Schengen Information System in Cyprus was put into operation in July 2023 and this process was already verified by a dedicated Schengen evaluation in 2023.
A break-through was reached in 1985 in Schengen (a small village in Luxembourg), with the signing of the Agreement on the gradual abolition of checks at common borders, followed by the signing of the Convention implementing that Agreement in 1990. The implementation of the Schengen Agreements started in 1995, initially involving seven EU countries.
Europe is a continent[t] located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east. Europe shares the landmass of Eurasia with Asia, and of Afro-Eurasia with both Asia and Africa.[10][11] Europe is commonly considered to be separated from Asia by the watershed of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Greater Caucasus, the Black Sea, and the waterway of the Bosporus Strait.[12]
Europe covers about 10.18 million km2 (3.93 million sq mi), or 2% of Earth's surface (6.8% of land area), making it the second-smallest continent (using the seven-continent model). Politically, Europe is divided into about fifty sovereign states, of which Russia is the largest and most populous, spanning 39% of the continent and comprising 15% of its population. Europe had a total population of about 745 million (about 10% of the world population) in 2021; the third-largest after Asia and Africa.[2][3] The European climate is affected by warm Atlantic currents, such as the Gulf Stream, which produce a temperate climate, tempering winters and summers, on much of the continent. Further from the sea, seasonal differences are more noticeable producing more continental climates.
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