ee.json

{"code":"ee","name":"European Union","region":"Europe","background":"The evolution of what is today the European Union (EU) from a regional economic agreement among six neighboring states in 1951 to today's hybrid intergovernmental and supranational organization of 27 countries across the European continent stands as an unprecedented phenomenon in the annals of history. Dynastic unions for territorial consolidation were long the norm in Europe; on a few occasions even country-level unions were arranged - the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Austro-Hungarian Empire were examples. But for such a large number of nation-states to cede some of their sovereignty to an overarching entity is unique.\r\n\r\n","geo":{"Location":"Europe between the North Atlantic Ocean in the west and Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine to the east","Map references":{},"Area":{"total":{"quantity":4324,"unit":"sq km"}},"Area - comparative":"less than one-half the size of the US","Land boundaries":{"total":{"quantity":12440.8,"unit":"km"},"border countries":"Albania 282 km, Andorra 120.3 km, Belarus 1,050 km, Croatia 999 km, Holy See 3.2 km, Liechtenstein 34.9 km, Macedonia 394 km, Moldova 450 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Norway 2,348 km, Russia 2,257 km, San Marino 39 km, Serbia 945 km, Switzerland 1,811 km, Turkey 446 km, Ukraine 1,257 km"},"Coastline":{"quantity":65992.9,"unit":"km"},"Maritime claims":"NA","Terrain":"fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast; mountainous in the central and southern areas","Elevation extremes":{"lowest point":"Lammefjord, Denmark -7 m; Zuidplaspolder, Netherlands -7 m","highest point":"Mont Blanc 4,807 m; note - situated on the border between France and Italy"},"Land use":{"arable land":"NA","permanent crops":"NA","other":"NA"},"Irrigated land":{"quantity":182913,"unit":"sq km"},"Natural hazards":"flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic","internationalEnvironmentAgreements":{"signed but not ratified":"Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds","partyTo":["Air Pollution","Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides","Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants","Air Pollution-Sulphur 94","Antarctic-Marine Living Resources","Biodiversity","Climate Change","Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol","Desertification","Hazardous Wastes","Law of the Sea","Ozone Layer Protection","Tropical Timber 83","Tropical Timber 94"]},"naturalResources":["iron ore","natural gas","petroleum","coal","copper","lead","zinc","bauxite","uranium","potash","salt","hydropower","arable land","timber","fish"],"environmentalIssues":["NA"],"climate":["cold temperate","potentially subarctic in the north to temperate","mild wet winters","hot dry summers in the south"]},"people":{"Population":492387,"Age structure":{"0-14 years":{"quantity":15.44,"unit":"%"},"15-64 years":{"quantity":67.23,"unit":"%"},"65 years and over":"17.33% (male 35,376,333/female 49,853,361) (2009 est.)"},"Median age":"note - see individual country entries of member states (2009 est.)","Population growth rate":{"quantity":0.098,"unit":"%"},"Birth rate":{"quantity":9.83,"unit":"births/1,000 population"},"Death rate":{"quantity":10.33,"unit":"deaths/1,000 population"},"Net migration rate":{"quantity":1.48,"unit":"migrant(s)/1,000 population"},"Sex ratio":{"at birth":{"quantity":1.06,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"under 15 years":{"quantity":1.05,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"15-64 years":{"quantity":1,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"65 years and over":{"quantity":0.73,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"total population":{"quantity":0.95,"unit":"male(s)/female"}},"Infant mortality rate":{"total":{"quantity":5.61,"unit":"deaths/1,000 live births"},"country comparison to the world":"","male":{"quantity":6.26,"unit":"deaths/1,000 live births"},"female":{"quantity":4.93,"unit":"deaths/1,000 live births"}},"Life expectancy at birth":{"total population":{"quantity":78.82,"unit":"years"},"country comparison to the world":"","male":{"quantity":75.7,"unit":"years"},"female":{"quantity":82.13,"unit":"years"}},"Total fertility rate":{"quantity":1.51,"unit":"children born/woman"},"HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate":"note - see individual country entries of member states","HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS":"note - see individual country entries of member states","HIV/AIDS - deaths":"note - see individual country entries of member states","Languages":{"Languages":"Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish"},"School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)":"NA","religions":["Roman Catholic","Protestant","Orthodox","Muslim","Jewish"]},"government":{"Union name":{"conventional long form":"European Union","abbreviation":"EU"},"Political structure":"a hybrid intergovernmental and supranational organization","Capital":{"name":"Brussels (Belgium), Strasbourg (France), Luxembourg","geographic coordinates":"(Brussels) 50 50 N, 4 20 E","time difference":"UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)","daylight saving time":"+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October"},"Member states":"27 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK; note - candidate countries: Croatia, Iceland, Macedonia, Montenegro, Turkey","Independence":{"Independence":"7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed establishing the EU); 1 November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered into force)"},"National holiday":"Europe Day 9 May (1950); note - the day in 1950 that Robert SCHUMAN proposed the creation of what became the European Coal and Steel Community, the progenitor of today's European Union, with the aim of achieving a united Europe","Legal system":"unique supranational law system in which, according to an interpretive declaration of member-state governments appended to the Treaty of Lisbon, \"the Treaties and the law adopted by the Union on the basis of the Treaties have primacy over the law of Member States\" under conditions laid down in the case law of the Court of Justice; key principles of EU law include fundamental rights as guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and as resulting from constitutional traditions common to the EU's states","Suffrage":"voting for the European Parliament is permitted in each member state at 18 years of age; universal","Executive branch":{"Executive branch":"under the EU treaties there are three distinct institutions each of which conducts functions that may be regarded as executive in nature:","the European Council":"brings together heads of state and government, along with the president of the European Commission, and meets at least four times a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the development of the Union and to issue general policy guidelines; leaders of the EU member states appointed former Belgian Prime Minister Herman VAN ROMPUY to be the first full-time president of the European Council in November 2009; he took office on 1 December 2009 and will serve a two-and-one-half-year term, renewable once; his core responsibilities include chairing the summits each year and providing policy and organizational continuity","the Council":"consists of ministers of each EU member state and meets regularly in different configurations depending on the subject matter; it carries out policy-making and coordinating functions (also legislative functions); although the name is similar, the \"Council\" is an institution distinct from the head of state-level \"European Council\"; ministers of EU member states chair meetings of the Council based on a six-month rotating presidency","the European Commission":"is comprised of 27 members, one from each member country; each commissioner is responsible for one or more policy areas; its responsibilities include promoting the general interest of the EU, acting as \"guardian of the Treaties,\" executing the budget and managing programs, ensuring the Union's external representation, and additional duties; its president is Jose Manuel BARROSO (since 2004); the president of the European Commission is designated by member state governments and confirmed by the European Parliament; working from member state recommendations, the Commission president then assembles a \"college\" of Commission members; the European Parliament confirms the entire Commission for a five-year term; the next confirmation process will likely be held in January 2015"},"Legislative branch":{"Legislative branch":"two legislative bodies consisting of the Council of the European Union (27 member-state ministers having 345 votes; the number of votes is roughly proportional to member-states' population) and the European Parliament (736 seats; seats allocated among member states in proportion to population; members elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term); note - the Council is the main decision-making body of the EU, although the Commission proposes most EU legislative acts","elections":"last held on 4-7 June 2009 (next to be held in June 2014)","election results":"percent of vote - EPP 36%, S&D 25%, ALDE 11.4%, Greens/EFA 7.5%, ECR 7.3%, GUE/NGL 4.8%, EFD 4.3%, independents 3.7%; seats by party - EPP 265, S&D 184, ALDE 84, Greens/EFA 55, ECR 54, GUE/NGL 35, EFD 32, independents 27"},"Judicial branch":"Court of Justice of the European Union (ensures that the treaties are interpreted and applied uniformly throughout the EU, resolves disputed issues among the EU institutions, issues opinions on questions of EU law referred by member state courts) - 27 judges (one from each member state) appointed for a six-year term; note - the court can sit in chambers, in a \"Grand Chamber\" of 13 judges, or as the full court; General Court (a court below the Court of Justice) - 27 judges appointed for a six-year term; Civil Service Tribunal - 7 judges appointed for a three-year term","Political parties and leaders":"Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left or GUE/NGL [Lothar BISKY]; Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group or EFD [Nigel FARAGE and Francesco SPERONI]; European Conservatives and Reformists Group or ECR [Michael KAMINSKI]; Group of Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Rebecca HARMS and Daniel COHN-BENDIT]; Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE [Guy VERHOFSTADT]; Group of the European People's Party or EPP [Joseph DAUL]; Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament or S&D [Martin SCHULZ]","Diplomatic representation in the US":{"chief of mission":"Ambassador Joao P. Castanheira do VALE DE ALMEIDA","chancery":"2175 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037","telephone":"[1] (202) 862-9500","FAX":"[1] (202) 429-1766"},"Diplomatic representation from the US":{"chief of mission":"Ambassador William E. KENNARD","embassy":"13 Zinnerstraat/Rue Zinner, B-1000 Brussels","mailing address":"same as above","telephone":"[32] (2) 508-2111","FAX":"[32] (2) 508-2063"},"Flag description":"a blue field with 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle in the center; blue represents the sky of the Western world, the stars are the peoples of Europe in a circle, a symbol of unity; the number of stars is fixed","National anthem":{"name":"\"Ode to Joy\"\"","lyrics/music":"none/Ludwig VON BEETHOVEN, arranged by Herbert VON KARAJAN"},"internationalOrganizations":["ARF (dialogue member)","ASEAN (dialogue member)","Australian Group","BIS","CBSS","CERN","EBRD","FAO","FATF","G-8","G-10","G-20","IDA","IEA","LAIA (observer)","NSG (observer)","OAS (observer)","OECD","PIF (partner)","SAARC (observer)","UN (observer)","UNRWA (observer)","WCO","WTO","ZC (observer)"]},"economy":{"Economy - overview":"Internally, the EU has abolished trade barriers, adopted a common currency, and is striving toward convergence of living standards. Internationally, the EU aims to bolster Europe's trade position and its political and economic power. Because of the great differences in per capita income among member states (from $7,000 to $78,000) and in national attitudes toward issues like inflation, debt, and foreign trade, the EU faces difficulties in devising and enforcing common policies. Eleven established EU member states, under the auspices of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), introduced the euro as their common currency on 1 January 1999 (Greece did so two years later), but the UK and Denmark have 'opt-outs' that allow them to keep their national currencies, and Sweden has not taken the steps needed to participate. Between 2004 and 2007, the EU admitted 12 countries that are, in general, less advanced economically than the other 15. Of the 12 most recent member states, only Slovenia (1 January 2007), Cyprus and Malta (1 January 2008), Slovakia (1 January 2009), and Estonia (1 January 2011) have adopted the euro; the remaining states other than the UK and Denmark are legally required to adopt the currency upon meeting EU's fiscal and monetary convergence criteria. The EU has recovered from the global financial crisis faster than expected, with business investment growing by an estimated 2% in 2010, but with public investment and housing development lagging. Strong corporate profits should enable this recovery to continue in 2011. Nevertheless, significant risks to growth remain, including, high official debts and deficits, aging populations, over-regulation of non-financial businesses, and doubts about the sustainability of the EMU. In June 2010, prompted by the Greek financial crisis, the EU and the IMF set up a $1 trillion bailout fund to rescue any EMU member in danger of default, but it has not calmed market jitters that have diminished the value of the euro. Discussions are currently under way to create a permanent European Stabilization Mechanism (ESM) in 2013, when the existing European Financial Stability Facility expires.","GDP (purchasing power parity)":{"GDP (purchasing power parity)":{"usd":14820000000000},"country comparison to the world":""},"GDP (official exchange rate)":{"usd":16070000000000},"GDP - real growth rate":{"quantity":1.8,"unit":"%"},"GDP - per capita (PPP)":{"GDP - per capita (PPP)":{"usd":null},"country comparison to the world":""},"GDP - composition by sector":{"agriculture":{"quantity":1.8,"unit":"%"},"industry":{"quantity":25,"unit":"%"},"services":{"quantity":73.2,"unit":"%"}},"Labor force":225300000,"Labor force - by occupation":{"agriculture":{"quantity":5.6,"unit":"%"},"industry":{"quantity":27.7,"unit":"%"},"services":{"quantity":66.7,"unit":"%"}},"Unemployment rate":{"quantity":9.5,"unit":"%"},"Population below poverty line":"note - see individual country entries of member states","Household income or consumption by percentage share":{"lowest 10%":{"quantity":2.8,"unit":"%"},"highest 10%":{"quantity":25.2,"unit":"%"}},"Distribution of family income - Gini index":30.4,"Investment (gross fixed)":{"quantity":18.6,"unit":"% of GDP"},"Inflation rate (consumer prices)":{"quantity":1.8,"unit":"%"},"Central bank discount rate":{"Central bank discount rate":{"quantity":1.75,"unit":"%"},"country comparison to the world":""},"Commercial bank prime lending rate":{"quantity":7.52,"unit":"%"},"Stock of narrow money":{"Stock of narrow money":{"usd":5542000000000},"country comparison to the world":""},"Stock of broad money":{"Stock of broad money":{"usd":11170000000000},"country comparison to the world":""},"Stock of domestic credit":{"Stock of domestic credit":{"usd":22650000000000},"country comparison to the world":""},"Market value of publicly traded shares":{"usd":9903000000000},"Industrial production growth rate":{"quantity":4.1,"unit":"%"},"Electricity - production":{"quantity":3078000000000,"unit":"kWh"},"Electricity - consumption":{"quantity":2901000000000,"unit":"kWh"},"Electricity - exports":"NA kWh","Electricity - imports":"NA kWh","Oil - production":{"quantity":2365000,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - consumption":{"quantity":13630000,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - exports":{"quantity":2196000,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - imports":{"quantity":8613000,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - proved reserves":{"quantity":5453000000,"unit":"bbl"},"Natural gas - production":{"quantity":181600000000,"unit":"cu m"},"Natural gas - consumption":{"quantity":487900000000,"unit":"cu m"},"Natural gas - exports":"NA cu m","Natural gas - imports":"NA cu m","Natural gas - proved reserves":{"quantity":2250000000000,"unit":"cu m"},"Current account balance":"$NA (2010)","Exports":{"Exports":{"usd":1952000000000},"country comparison to the world":""},"Imports":{"Imports":{"usd":1690000000000},"country comparison to the world":""},"Reserves of foreign exchange and gold":"$NA","Debt - external":{"Debt - external":{"usd":13720000000000},"country comparison to the world":""},"Stock of direct foreign investment - at home":"$NA","Exchange rates":"euros per US dollar -","industries":["among the world's largest and most technologically advanced, the EU industrial base includes: ferrous and non-ferrous metal production and processing, metal products, petroleum, coal, cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, construction equipment, industrial equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power equipment, machine tools and automated manufacturing systems, electronics and telecommunications equipment, fishing, food and beverage processing, furniture, paper, textiles, tourism"],"agricultureProducts":["wheat","barley","oilseeds","sugar beets","wine","grapes","dairy products","cattle","sheep","pigs","poultry","fish"],"exportCommodities":["machinery","motor vehicles","aircraft","plastics","pharmaceuticals and other chemicals","fuels","iron and steel","nonferrous metals","wood pulp and paper products","textiles","meat","dairy products","fish","alcoholic beverages"],"importCommodities":["machinery","vehicles","aircraft","plastics","crude oil","chemicals","textiles","metals","foodstuffs","clothing"]},"communications":{"Telephones - main lines in use":238000000,"Telephones - mobile cellular":466000000,"Telephone system":"note - see individual country entries of member states","Internet country code":".eu; note - see country entries of member states for individual country codes","Internet hosts":"140,277; note - this sum reflects the number of Internet hosts assigned the .eu Internet country code (2010)","Internet users":247000000},"transport":{"Airports":3383,"Airports - with paved runways":{"total":1992,"over 3,047 m":116,"2,438 to 3,047 m":340,"1,524 to 2,437 m":546,"914 to 1,523 m":422},"Airports - with unpaved runways":{"total":1391,"over 3,047 m":2,"2,438 to 3,047 m":1,"1,524 to 2,437 m":22,"914 to 1,523 m":254},"Heliports":99,"Railways":{"total":{"quantity":230237,"unit":"km"}},"Roadways":{"total":{"quantity":5814,"unit":"km"}},"Waterways":{"quantity":44103,"unit":"km"},"Ports and terminals":"Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Braila (Romania), Bremen (Germany), Burgas (Bulgaria), Constanta (Romania), Copenhagen (Denmark), Galati (Romania), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Naples (Italy), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Riga (Latvia), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden), Talinn (Estonia), Tulcea (Romania), Varna (Bulgaria)"},"military":{"Military - note":"the five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and assumed command of the ISAF in Afghanistan in August 2004; Eurocorps directly commands the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade, the Multinational Command Support Brigade, and EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina; in November 2004, the EU Council of Ministers formally committed to creating 13 1,500-man battle groups by the end of 2007, to respond to international crises on a rotating basis; 22 of the EU's 27 nations have agreed to supply troops; France, Italy, and the UK formed the first of three battle groups in 2005; Norway, Sweden, Estonia, and Finland established the Nordic Battle Group effective 1 January 2008; nine other groups are to be formed; a rapid-reaction naval EU Maritime Task Group was stood up in March 2007 (2007)"},"issues":{"internationalDisputes":["as a political union, the EU has no border disputes with neighboring countries, but Estonia has no land boundary agreements with Russia, Slovenia disputes its land and maritime boundaries with Croatia, and Spain has territorial and maritime disputes with Morocco and with the UK over Gibraltar","the EU has set up a Schengen area - consisting of 22 EU member states that have signed the convention implementing the Schengen agreements or \"acquis\" (1985 and 1990) on the free movement of persons and the harmonization of border controls in Europe","these agreements became incorporated into EU law with the implementation of the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam on 1 May 1999","in addition, non-EU states Iceland and Norway (as part of the Nordic Union) have been included in the Schengen area since 1996 (full members in 2001), and Switzerland since 2008 bringing the total current membership to 25","the UK (since 2000) and Ireland (since 2002) take part in only some aspects of the Schengen area, especially with respect to police and criminal matters","nine of the 12 new member states that joined the EU since 2004 joined Schengen on 21 December 2007","of the three remaining EU states, Romania and Bulgaria may join by late 2011, while Cyprus' entry is held up by the ongoing Cyprus dispute"]}}