Western Europe: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Western Europe.ogv|alt=View of the earth from space|thumb|Video taken by the crew of [[Expedition 29]] on board the [[International Space Station|ISS]] on a pass over Western Europe]]

[[File:Western Europe to Central India.ogv|alt=View of the earth from space|thumb|Video taken by the crew of [[Expedition 29]] on board the [[International Space Station|ISS]] on a pass from Western Europe to central [[India]]]]

'''Western Europe''' is the region comprising the westerly countries of [[Europe]]. While the term has a geographic context, another main definition developed during the [[Cold War]] (approx. 1945-1991) to describe the countries associated with the [[Western European Union]] (1954–2011; now part of the [[European Union]] (EU)), a defensive alliance drafted in 1948 among non-communist European nations during the Cold War, as opposed to the countries of the [[Eastern Bloc]] (or [[Warsaw Pact]]). Countries [[Culture of Europe|culturally]] and [[Geography of Europe|geographically]] associated with other European regions that avoided [[Soviet Empire|Soviet influence]] during the Cold War are usually included, while western members of the former Eastern Bloc (with the exception of [[Eastern Germany]]) are excluded.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}}

==Historical divisions==

[[Image:Expansion of christianity.jpg|thumb|[[The Great Schism]] in [[Christianity]], the predominant religion in Western Europe at the time.]]

[[File:Europe-blocs-49-89x4.svg|thumb|right|250px|Political situation in Europe during the [[Cold War]]]]

The world changed dramatically with the fall of the [[Iron Curtain]] in 1989. The Federal Republic of Germany peacefully absorbed the German Democratic Republic, leading to the [[German reunification]]. COMECON and the Warsaw Pact were dissolved, and in 1991, the Soviet Union ceased to exist. Several countries which had been part of the Soviet Union regained their full independence.

===Western European Union===

[[Image:KarteWEUStaaten.png|thumb|150px|right|Former [[Western European Union]] - its members and associates<ref>[http://www.globalslaveryindex.org/ Walk Free Foundation – Global Slavery Index 2013 | Explore the Index<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>]]

In 1948 the [[Treaty of Brussels]] was signed between between [[Belgium]], [[France]], [[Luxembourg]], the [[Netherlands]] and the [[United Kingdom]]. It was further revisited in 1954 at the [[London and Paris Conferences#Paris|Paris Conference]], when the [[Western European Union]] was established. It was declared defunct in 2011, after the [[Treaty of Lisbon]], and the Treaty of Brussels was terminated. When the Western European Union was dissolved, it has 10 member countries, 6 associate member countries, 5 observer countries and 7 associate partner countries.

===Intermediate Region===

[[File:Intermediate Region Western Boundary FR.JPG|thumb|150px|right|Geopoliticall Occident of Europe]]

The [[Intermediate Region]] is an established [[geopolitics|geopolitical]] model set forth in the 1970s by the [[Greece|Greek]] historian [[Dimitri Kitsikis]]. Under this model, the lands between the [[Adriatic Sea]] and the [[Indus River]] form the Intermediate Region, and are considered a bridge between [[Western culture|Western]] and [[Eastern world|Eastern civilisations]].

===United Nations geoscheme===

The [[United Nations geoscheme]] is a scheme devised by the [[United Nations Statistics Division]] based on the [[UN M.49|M49 coding classification]], which divides the world into macro-geographical [[region]]s and [[subregion]]s.<ref name=a>[http://millenniumindicators.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm United Nations Statistics Division - Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications]</ref> The geoscheme for Europe is divided into 4 groups: [[Eastern Europe]], [[Northern Europe]], [[Southern Europe]] and Western Europe. Western Europe consists of includes 9 countries:

*[[Austria]]

*[[Belgium]]

*[[France]]

*[[Germany]]

*[[Liechtenstein]]

*[[Luxembourg]]

*[[Monaco]]

*[[Netherlands]]

*[[Switzerland]]

===Western European and Others Group===

The [[Western European and Others Group]] is one of several unofficial [[UN Regional Groups|Regional Groups]] in the [[United Nations]] that act as [[voting bloc]]s and negotiation forums. Regional voting blocs were formed in 1961 to encourage voting to various UN bodies from regional groups.

{{col-begin}}

{{col-1-of-3}}

*{{flag|Andorra}}

*{{flag|Austria}}

*{{flag|Belgium}}

*{{flag|Denmark}}

*{{flag|Finland}}

*{{flag|France}}

*{{flag|Germany}}

*{{flag|Greece}}

{{col-2-of-3}}

*{{flag|Iceland}}

*{{flag|Ireland}}

*{{flag|Italy}}

*{{flag|Liechtenstein}}

*{{flag|Luxembourg}}

*{{flag|Malta}}

*{{flag|Monaco}}

*{{flag|Netherlands}}

{{col-3-of-3}}

*{{flag|Norway}}

*{{flag|Portugal}}

*{{flag|San Marino}}

*{{flag|Spain}}

*{{flag|Sweden}}

*{{flag|Switzerland}}

*{{flag|United Kingdom}}

{{col-end}}

===United Nations Statistics Division===

[[Image:Europe subregion map UN geoschme.svg|thumb|150px|Regions used for statistical processing purposes by the [[United Nations Statistics Division]] (Western Europe highlighted in cyan).]]

The [[United Nations]] Statistics Division published in 2011 considers Western Europe to consist of the following countries,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm#europe |title=Composition of macro geographical (continental) regions, geographical sub-regions, and selected economic and other groupings |publisher=United Nations Statistics Division|date=2011-09-20 |accessdate=2012-07-19}}</ref> except in the case of [[United Nations Regional Groups]], in which the term also includes northern and Southern Europe:

*{{flagcountry|Austria}}

*{{flagcountry|Belgium}}

*{{flagcountry|France}}

*{{flagcountry|Germany}}

*{{flagcountry|Liechtenstein}}

*{{flagcountry|Luxembourg}}

*{{flagcountry|Monaco}}

*{{flagcountry|Netherlands}}

*{{flagcountry|Switzerland}}

According to the UN Statistics Division, ''the assignment of countries or areas to specific groupings is for statistical convenience and does not imply any assumption regarding political or other affiliation of countries or territories by the United Nations''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49.htm |title=Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications (M49) |publisher=United Nations Statistics Division|date=|accessdate=2012-07-19}}</ref>

===European Union===

[[File:EU28-2013 European Union map.svg|thumb|150px|right|European Union countries]]

The [[European Union]] ('''EU''') is an [[Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union|economic]] and [[Politics of the European Union|political]] union of {{EUnum}} [[Member state of the European Union|member states]] that are located [[Outermost regions|primarily]]<!--Please do not remove this. Parts of Spain and France are outside Europe, and the geographical location of Cyprus is not clear. This word has been extensively discussed.--> in [[Europe]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Basic information on the European Union|url=http://europa.eu/about-eu/basic-information/index_en.htm|work=European Union|publisher=europa.eu|accessdate=4 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite dictionary |encyclopedia=Oxford English Dictionary |title=European |quote=5 b. spec. Designating a developing series of economic and political unions between certain countries of Europe from 1952 onwards, as '''''European Economic Community, European Community, European Union''''' |url=http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/65099?redirectedFrom=European#eid |accessdate=3 October 2011}}</ref>

===CIA definition===

[[File:CIA Western-Europe-map2.png|thumb|right|150px|[[CIA]]: Western Europe (orange) and Southwestern Europe (dark orange)]]

The [[CIA]] divides Europe into various smaller subregions.

{{portal|Geography<!-- |Eurasia -->|Europe<!-- |Western Europe -->}}

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