The European Union is an organization of countries that works for cooperation among member states. It started out as a six nation coal and steel community in 1952 and has grown to 27 countries in 2007 . With a population of more than 500 million the European Union is one of the largest economies in the world.

Within the EU people, money and goods can move around freely. 16 of the European Union nations have a single currency: the euro.