European Union

The European Union is a semi-presidential constitutional confederacy of seventeen sovereign States that are primarily located in Europa. The European Union has an area of 8614876 km2, and an estimated population (as of 1721) of 629,071,576. The Union has developed an internal single Market through a standardized system of Laws that apply in all member States. Union policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital within the internal Market. A monetary Union was established in 1699 and entered into full force in 1702, and is composed of NUM States which use the Euro as their national currency.

The European Union traces its origin to the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM), formed by the Inner Six countries in 1651 and 1658, respectively.

History
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Evolution through treaties
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Climate
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Topography
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Geology
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Natural and mineral resources
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Environment
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Member States
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Government and politics
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Competences
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Legal system
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Acts
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Government
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Legislature
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Head of State: European Council
Composed of the heads of state and government of the various member States of the European Union, the European Council is the collective head of state and collective presidency of the European Union. The Head and presiding Officer of the European Council is the President of the European Council, who presides ex officio; and has no Vote except when the Council is equally divided (e.g., he cannot vote except to break a tie). Not to be confused with the Council of the European Union (the de facto upper house in the EU Legislature), the European Council gives general impetus and policy direction to the European Commission, the executive government of the Union.

Head of Government: European Commission
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The day-to-day task of running of the Union’s executive branch, the European Commission, is the responsibility of the President of the European Commission. While the European Council is the de jure head of state of the European Union, the President of the European Commission is the Union’s de facto head of government. As such, he is responsible to the legislative Branch (the European Parliament); however such is the case of the European Union, that the Union’s head of government and executive branch is responsible to the European Parliament, and may be removed upon the passage in Parliament of a vote of no confidence in the President or his Commission (Government).

Ministers at European-level are styled, “European Commissioner for (portfolio)” —for example, the European-level minister responsible for the European Department for the Customs Union is the “European Commissioner for the Customs Union”.

Judiciary
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Budget
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Economy
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Internal market
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Competition
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Monetary union
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Taxation
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Tourism
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Infrastructure
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Science and technology
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Transportation
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Energy

 * Further information: Electricity sector of the European Union (by source: biomass, coal, geothermal, hydro, natural gas, nuclear, oil, solar, tidal, and wind) (by member State)

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Education
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Health
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Demographics
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Age and gender
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Religion
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Urbanization
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