European Commission Directorate-General for Communication Manuscript updated in March 2010

LETS EXPLORE EUROPE!

Europe: a beautiful continent with a fascinating history !t has produced many of the world"s famous scientists# in$entors# artists and composers# as well as popular entertainers and successful sports people %or centuries Europe was plagued by wars and di$isions &ut in the last '0 years or so# the countries of this old continent ha$e at last been coming together in peace# friendship and unity# to wor( for a better Europe and a better world )his boo( for children *roughly + to 12 years old, tells the story simply and clearly %ull of interesting facts and colourful illustrations# it gi$es a li$ely o$er$iew of Europe and e-plains briefly what the European .nion is and how it wor(s Go to the website: http://europa eu/europago/e-plore 0ou"1ll find lots of fun 2ui33es and games to test your (nowledge4 5a$e fun e-ploring4

European .nion

Lets explore Europe!

Hello! Welcome to Europe!
6e come from different countries and spea( different languages# but this continent is the home we share Come with us and let"s e-plore Europe together4 !t will be an ad$enturous 7ourney through time and space and you"ll find out loads of interesting things 8s we go along# test yourself to see how much you"$e learnt Go to our website europa.eu/europago/explore and try the 2ui3 about each chapter 8t school# e-plore further4 8s( your teacher to tell you more about each of the topics in this boo( )hen do some deeper research in the school library or on the !nternet 0ou could e$en write your own boo(let about what you ha$e disco$ered 9eady: )hen let"s begin4

Whats i this !oo"#

Page 8 continent to disco$er Getting around ;anguages in Europe Climate and nature %arming )he sea 8 7ourney through time %orty famous faces < pull-out boo( )he story of the European .nion 6hat the E. does )he E. and its neighbours < map )he European .nion countries ;et"s e-plore Europe4 =ui3 5ow the E. ta(es decisions )omorrow>and beyond .seful lin(s for you and your teacher

$ co ti e t to %isco&er
Europe is one of the world"s se$en continents )he others are 8frica# @orth and Aouth 8merica# 8ntarctica# 8sia and 8ustralia/Bceania Europe stretches all the way from the 8rctic in the north to the Mediterranean Aea in the south# and from the 8tlantic Bcean in the west to the .ral mountains *in 9ussia, in the east !t has many ri$ers# la(es and mountain ranges )he map on page C tells you the names of some of the biggest ones )he highest mountain in Europe is Mount Elbrus# in the Caucasus mountains# on the border between 9ussia and Georgia !ts highest pea( is D 'C2 metres abo$e sea le$el )he highest mountain in western Europe is Mont &lanc# in the 8lps# on the border between %rance and !taly !ts summit is o$er C E00 metres abo$e sea le$el 8lso in the 8lps is ;a(e Gene$a < the largest freshwater la(e in western Europe !t lies between %rance and Awit3erland# goes as deep as ?10 metres and holds about E+ trillion litres of water )he largest la(e in central Europe is &alaton# in 5ungary !t is FF (ilometres *(m, long and co$ers an area of about '00 s2uare (ilometres *(m2, @orthern Europe has e$en bigger la(es# including Aaimaa in %inland *1 1CF (m2, and GHnern in Aweden *more than D D00 (m2, )he largest la(e in Europe as a whole is ;a(e ;adoga !t is located in north-western 9ussia and it is the 1Cth largest la(e in the world !ts surface co$ers an area of 1F F00 (m2

The co ti e t o' Europe

[Map] $. *1, *2, *?, *C, *D, *', *F, *. *E, *+, *10, *11, *12, *1?, *1C, *1D, *1', (. *1F, *1E, *1+, *20, *21, *22, .. *2?, *2C, *2D, *2', *2F, *2E, *2+, SE$S/O(E$)S @orwegian Aea @orth Aea Mediterranean Aea &lac( Aea &altic Aea 8tlantic Bcean English Channel R+,ERS ;oire 9hine Elbe )agus Danube Gistula Dnieper Golga 6estern D$ina L$-ES ;a(e Bnega ;a(e Aaimaa ;a(e ;adoga ;a(e GHnern ;a(e &alaton ;a(e Gene$a /OU)T$+)S $). /OU)T$+) R$)0ES Iyrenees 8lps Caucasus Mountains .ral Mountains Jolen Mountains Mont &lanc C E0E m Mount Elbrus D 'C2 m

Bne of Europe"s longest ri$ers is the Danube !t rises in the &lac( %orest region of Germany and flows eastwards through 8ustria# Alo$a(ia# 5ungary# Croatia# Aerbia# &ulgaria# Moldo$a and .(raine to 9omania# where it forms a delta on the &lac( Aea coast !n all# it co$ers a distance of about 2 ED0 (m Bther big ri$ers include the 9hine *about 1 ?20 (m long,# the Elbe *about 1 1F0 (m, and the ;oire *more than 1 000 (m, Can you find them on the map: &ig ri$ers are $ery useful for transporting things 8ll (inds of goods are loaded onto barges that carry them up and down the ri$ers# between Europe"s sea ports and cities far inland

'

0etti g arou %
Did you (now that railways were in$ented in Europe: !t was in England that George Atephenson introduced the first passenger train in 1E2D 5is most famous locomoti$e was called Kthe 9oc(et" and it reached speeds of more than C0 (ilometres per hour *(m/h, < which was really fast for those days )oday# Europe"s high-speed electric trains are $ery different from those first steam engines )hey are $ery comfortable and they tra$el at speeds of up to ??0 (m/h on specially built trac(s More trac(s are being built all the time# to allow people to tra$el 2uic(ly between Europe"s big cities 9oads and railways sometimes ha$e to cross mountain ranges# wide ri$ers or e$en the sea Ao engineers ha$e built some $ery long bridges and tunnels )he longest road tunnel in Europe is the ;aerdal tunnel in @orway# between &ergen and Bslo !t is more than 2C (m long and was opened in the year 2000 )he longest railway tunnel in Europe is the Channel )unnel !t carries Eurostar high-speed trains under the sea between Calais in %rance and %ol(estone in England# and it"s more than D0 (m long

)he highest bridge in the world *2CD metres tall, is the Millau Giaduct in %rance# which was opened in 200C )wo of the longest bridges in Europe are the Bresund road and rail bridge *1' (m long, between Denmar( and Aweden and the Gasco da Gama road bridge *more than 1F (m long, across the ri$er )agus in Iortugal )he Gasco da Gama bridge is named after a famous e-plorer# and you can read about him in the chapter K8 7ourney through time" Ieople also tra$el around Europe by plane# because air tra$el is 2uic( Aome of the world"s best planes are built in Europe < for e-ample# the K8irbus" Different European countries ma(e different parts of an 8irbus# and then a team of engineers puts the whole plane together )he fastest e$er passenger plane# the Concorde# was designed by a team of %rench and &ritish engineers Concorde could fly at 2 1'0 (m/h < twice the speed of sound < and could cross the 8tlantic in less than three hours4 *Most planes ta(e about eight hours , Concorde too( its final flight in 200? %aster than any plane are space roc(ets# such as 8riane < a 7oint pro7ect between se$eral European countries Ieople don"t tra$el in the 8riane roc(et: it is used to launch satellites# which are needed for )G and mobile phone networ(s# for scientific research and so on Most of the world"s satellites are now launched using these European roc(ets )he success of Concorde# 8irbus and 8riane show what can be achie$ed when European countries wor( together

La guages i Europe
Ieople in Europe spea( many different languages Most of these languages belong to three large groups or Kfamilies": Germanic# Ala$ic and 9omance )he languages in each group share a family li(eness because they are descended from the same ancestors %or e-ample# 9omance languages are descended from ;atin < the language spo(en by the 9omans 5ere"s how to say KGood morning" or K5ello" in 7ust a few of these languages 0erma ic Danish Dutch English German Awedish Sla&ic &ulgarian C3ech Iolish Alo$a( Alo$ene Dobr tro Dobr rno Dzie dobr Dobr rno Dobro jutro God morgen Goedemorgen Good morning Guten Morgen God morgon Roma ce %rench !talian Iortuguese 9omanian Apanish Bonjour Buongiorno Bom dia

Bun dimineaa
Buenos das

!t"s not hard to see the family li(eness in these e-amples &ut there are other European languages that are less closely related# or not at all related# to one another 5ere"s how to say KGood morning" or K5ello" in se$eral of these languages &as2ue &reton Catalan Estonian %innish Gaelic *Acottish, Gree( !gun on Demat Bon dia 'ere $ommi(ust ) *++ $uomenta Madainn m$at$ /a#imera 5ungarian !rish ;at$ian ;ithuanian Maltese 6elsh " regge#t Dia d$uit %abr&t %abas r tas %,G-od.a t,'ajba Bore da

!n the language of the 9oma people# who li$e in many parts of Europe# KGood morning" is %as$o d es ;earning languages can be great fun < and it"s important on a continent li(e ours Many of us en7oy going on holiday to other European countries# and getting to (now the people there )hat"s a great opportunity to practice the phrases we (now in different languages

0ou can find all of the E. countries" flags on page ?E

(limate a % ature
Most of Europe has a Ktemperate" climate < neither too hot nor too cold )he coldest places are in the far north and in the high mountains )he warmest places are in the far south and south-east )he weather is warmest and driest in summer *roughly Lune to Aeptember, and coldest in winter *roughly December to March, Europe had record-brea(ing hot summers in 200? and 200' !s this a sign that the climate is changing: Climate change is a worldwide problem that can only be sol$ed if all countries wor( together

(opi g 1ith the 1i ter

6ild animals in cold regions usually ha$e thic( fur or feathers to (eep them warm# and their coats may be white to camouflage them in the snow Aome spend the winter sleeping to sa$e energy )his is called hibernating Many species of birds li$e on insects# small water creatures or other food that cannot easily be found during cold winter months Ao they fly south in the autumn and don"t return until spring Aome tra$el thousands of (ilometres# across the Mediterranean Aea and the Aahara Desert# to spend the winter in 8frica )his seasonal tra$elling is called migrating

E 2o3i g the spri g a % summer

6hen spring comes to Europe *March to May,# the weather gets warmer Anow and ice melt &aby fish and insect lar$ae swarm in the streams and ponds Migrating birds return to ma(e their nests and raise their families %lowers open# and bees carry pollen from one plant to another )rees put out new lea$es which catch the sunlight and use its energy to ma(e the tree grow !n mountain regions# farmers mo$e their cows up into the high meadows# where there is now plenty of fresh grass

10

Cold-blooded animals such as reptiles also need the sun to gi$e them energy !n summer# especially in southern Europe# you will often see li3ards bas(ing in the sunshine and hear the chirping of grasshoppers and cicadas

$utum 4 a time o' cha ge

!n late summer and autumn# the days grow shorter and the nights cooler Many delicious fruits ripen at this time of year# and farmers are (ept busy har$esting them @uts too ripen in autumn# and s2uirrels will gather and store heaps of them ready for the winter Many trees shed their lea$es in autumn because there is no longer enough sunshine for the lea$es to be useful )hey gradually change from green to shades of yellow# red# gold and brown )hen they fall# carpeting the ground with colour )he fallen lea$es decay# enriching the soil and pro$iding food for future generations of plant life )his yearly cycle of the seasons# and the changes it brings# ma(e the European countryside what it is < beautiful# and $ery $aried

11

5armi g
Bn high mountains and in the far north of Europe# farming is impossible because it is too cold for crops to grow &ut e$ergreen trees such as pines and firs can sur$i$e cold winters )hat is why Europe"s coldest places are co$ered with e$ergreen forests Ieople use the wood from these forests to ma(e many things < from houses and furniture to paper and cardboard pac(aging %urther south# most of the land is suitable for farming !t produces a wide $ariety of crops including wheat# mai3e# sugar beet# potatoes and all sorts of fruit and $egetables 6here there is plenty of sunshine and hardly any frost *near the Mediterranean# for e-ample,# farmers can grow fruit such as oranges and lemons# grapes and oli$es Bli$es contain oil which can be s2uee3ed out of the fruit and used in preparing food Grapes are s2uee3ed to get the 7uice# which can be turned into wine Europe is famous for its $ery good wines# which are sold all o$er the world Mediterranean farmers also grow lots of other fruit and $egetables )omatoes# for e-ample# ripen well in the southern sunshine &ut $egetables need plenty of water# so farmers in hot# dry regions will often ha$e to irrigate their crops )hat means gi$ing them water from ri$ers or from under the ground

12

Grass grows easily where there is enough rain# e$en if the soil is shallow or not $ery fertile Many European farmers (eep animals that eat grass < such as cows# sheep or goats )hey pro$ide mil(# meat and other useful products li(e wool and leather Many farmers also (eep pigs or chic(ens )hese animals can be raised almost anywhere because they can be (ept indoors and gi$en specially prepared feed Chic(ens pro$ide not only meat but eggs too# and some farms produce thousands of eggs e$ery day %arms in Europe range from $ery big to $ery small Aome ha$e large fields < which ma(es it easy to har$est crops using big machines Bthers# for e-ample in hilly areas# may ha$e small fields 6alls or hedgerows between fields help stop the wind and rain from carrying away soil# and they can be good for wildlife too Many city people li(e to spend wee(ends and holidays in the European countryside# en7oying the scenery# the peace and 2uiet and the fresh air 6e all need to do what we can to loo( after the countryside and (eep it beautiful

1?

The sea
Europe has thousands and thousands of (ilometres of coastline# which nature has shaped in $arious ways )here are tall roc(y cliffs and beaches of sand or colourful pebbles formed by the sea as it pounds away at the roc(s# century after century !n @orway# glaciers ha$e car$ed the coast into steep-sided $alleys called f7ords !n some other countries# the sea and wind pile up the sand into dunes )he highest dune in Europe *11F metres tall, is the Dune du Iyla# near 8rcachon in %rance Many (inds of fish and other animals li$e in the sea around Europe"s coasts )hey pro$ide food for seabirds# and for marine mammals such as seals 6here ri$ers flow into the sea# floc(s of waders come to feed# at low tide# on creatures that li$e in the mud

1C

People a % the sea

)he sea is important for people too )he Mediterranean was so important to the 9omans that they called it Mare nostrum: Kour sea" Down through the centuries# Europeans ha$e sailed the world"s oceans# disco$ered the other continents# e-plored them# traded with them and made their homes there !n the chapter K8 7ourney through time" you can find out more about these great $oyages of disco$ery Cargo boats from around the world bring all (inds of goods *often pac(ed in containers, to Europe"s busy ports 5ere they are unloaded on to trains# lorries and barges )hen the ships load up with goods that ha$e been produced here and which are going to be sold on other continents Aome of the world"s finest ships ha$e been built in Europe )hey include =ueen Mary 2 < one of the biggest passenger liners in the world Ahe made her first transatlantic $oyage in Lanuary 200C Europe"s seaside resorts are great places for a holiday 0ou can en7oy all (inds of water sports# from surfing and boating to waters(iing and scuba di$ing Br you can 7ust rela- < sunbathing on the beach and cooling off in the sea

5ishi g
%ishing has always been important for people in Europe 6hole towns ha$e grown up around fishing harbours# and thousands of people earn their li$ing by catching and selling fish or doing things for the fishermen and their families Modern fishing boats# such as factory trawlers# can catch huge numbers of fish )o ma(e sure that enough are left in the sea# European countries ha$e agreed rules about how many fish can be caught and about using nets that let young fish escape 8nother way to ma(e sure we ha$e enough fish is to farm them Bn the coasts of northern Europe# salmon are reared in large cages in the sea Ahellfish such as mussels# oysters and clams can be farmed in the same way

1D

Protecti g Europes coasts

Europe"s coasts and the sea are important to wildlife and to people Ao we need to loo( after them 6e ha$e to pre$ent them from becoming polluted by waste from factories and towns Bil tan(ers sometimes ha$e accidents# spilling huge amounts of oil into the sea )his can turn beaches blac( and (ill thousands of seabirds European countries are wor(ing together to try to pre$ent these things from happening again and to ma(e sure that our coastline will remain beautiful for future generations to en7oy

1'

$ 2our e3 through time

B$er thousands of years# Europe has changed enormously !t"s a fascinating story4 &ut it"s a long one# so here are 7ust some of the highlights

The Sto e $ge

)he earliest Europeans were hunters and gatherers Bn the walls of some ca$es they made wonderful paintings of hunting scenes E$entually# they learnt farming and began breeding animals# growing crops and li$ing in $illages )hey made their weapons and tools from stone < by sharpening pieces of flint# for e-ample

The *ro 6e a % +ro $ges 7 Lear i g to use metal

Ae$eral thousand years &C *before the birth of Christ,# people disco$ered how to get different metals by heating different (inds of roc( in a $ery hot fire &ron3e < a mi-ture of copper and tin < was hard enough for ma(ing tools and weapons Gold and sil$er were soft but $ery beautiful and could be shaped into ornaments ;ater# an e$en harder metal was disco$ered: iron )he best (ind of metal was steel# which was strong and didn"t easily brea(# so it made good swords &ut ma(ing steel was $ery tric(y# so good swords were rare and $aluable4

1F

$ cie t 0reece *roughly 2000 to 200 &C < &C means before the birth of Christ,
!n Greece about C 000 years ago# people began to build cities 8t first they were ruled by (ings ;ater# around D00 &C# the city of 8thens introduced Kdemocracy" < which means Kgo$ernment by the people" *!nstead of ha$ing a (ing# the men of 8thens too( decisions by $oting , Democracy is an important European in$ention that has spread around the world Some o' the other thi gs the a cie t 0ree"s ga&e us i clu%e4 wonderful stories about gods and heroes# wars and ad$enturesM elegant temples# marble statues and beautiful potteryM the Blympic GamesM well-designed theatres# and great writers whose plays are still performed todayM teachers li(e Aocrates and Ilato# who taught people how to thin( logicallyM mathematicians li(e Euclid and Iythagoras# who wor(ed out the patterns and rules in mathsM scientists li(e 8ristotle *who studied plants and animals, and Eratosthenes *who pro$ed that the Earth is a sphere and wor(ed out how big it is ,

1E

The Roma Empire *roughly D00 &C to D00 8D < 8D means after the birth of Christ,
9ome started out as 7ust a $illage in !taly &ut the 9omans were $ery well organised# their army was $ery good at fighting and they gradually con2uered all the lands around the Mediterranean E$entually the 9oman empire stretched all the way from northern England to the Aahara Desert and from the 8tlantic to 8sia Here are some o' the thi gs the Roma s ga&e us4 good# straight roads connecting all parts of the empireM beautiful houses with courtyards and mosaic tiled floorsM strong bridges and a2ueducts *for carrying water long distances,M round-topped arches < which made their buildings solid and long-lastingM new building materials# such as cement and concreteM new weapons such as catapultsM great writers li(e Cicero and GirgilM the 9oman system of law# which many European countries still use today

1+

The /i%%le $ges *roughly D00 to 1D00 8D,

6hen the 9oman empire collapsed# different parts of Europe were ta(en o$er by different peoples %or e-ample> The (elts &efore 9oman times# Celtic peoples li$ed in many parts of Europe )heir descendants today li$e mainly in &rittany *%rance,# Cornwall *England,# Galicia *Apain,# !reland# Acotland and 6ales !n these parts of Europe# Celtic languages and culture are $ery much ali$e The 0erma ic peoples. @ot all of them settled in Germany: The $ gles a % Saxo s mo$ed to England and ruled it until 10'' The 5ra "s con2uered a large part of Europe# including %rance# between about D00 and E00 8D )heir most famous (ing was Charlemagne The 0oths *Gisigoths and Bstrogoths0 set up (ingdoms in Apain and !taly The ,i"i gs li$ed in Acandina$ia !n the E00s and +00s they sailed to other countries# stealing treasure# trading and settling where there was good farmland

The )orma s or K@orthmen"# were Gi(ings who settled in %rance *in the area we call @ormandy, and then con2uered England in 10'' 8 famous @orman tapestry shows scenes from this con2uest !t is (ept in a museum in the town of &ayeuThe Sla&s settled in many parts of eastern Europe and became the ancestors of today"s Ala$icspea(ing peoples# including &elorussians# &ulgarians# Croatians# C3echs# Ioles# 9ussians# Aerbs# Alo$a(s# Alo$enes and .(rainians 8fter the /ag3ars settled in the Carpathian &asin in the +th and 10th centuries# they founded the Jingdom of 5ungary in the year 1000 )heir descendants today li$e in 5ungary and other neighbouring countries During the Middle 8ges# (ings and nobles in Europe often 2uarrelled and there were many wars *)his was the time when (nights in armour fought on horsebac(, )o defend themsel$es from attac(# (ings and nobles often li$ed in strong castles# with thic( stone walls Aome castles were so strong they ha$e lasted until today Christianity became the main religion in Europe during the Middle 8ges# and churches were built almost e$erywhere Aome of them are $ery impressi$e < especially the great cathedrals# with their tall towers and colourful stained-glass windows Mon(s were in$ol$ed in farming and helped de$elop agriculture all o$er Europe )hey also set up schools and wrote boo(s )heir monasteries often had libraries where important boo(s from ancient times were preser$ed !n southern Apain# where !slam was the main religion# the rulers built beautiful mos2ues and minarets )he most famous ones left today are the mos2ue in Cordoba and the Giralda minaret in Ae$ille

20

*in a separate leaflet 8'- E pages insert in the middle,

5ort3 'amous 'aces8 $ to 9

Many of the world"s great artists# composers# entertainers# in$entors# scientists and sports people ha$e come from Europe 6e mentioned some of them in earlier chapters 6e can"t possibly include all of them in this boo(# so here are 7ust C0 more names# in alphabetical order and from $arious European countries )here is a blan( space at the end for your own personal choice !t could be someone famous from your own country# or your fa$ourite European sports team or pop group 6hy not find a picture of them and stic( it into the blan( space# along with a few facts about them: )ame 8bba (ou tr3 Aweden What the3 %i%
Iop group: their songs were big hits around the world in the 1+F0s and ha$e remained so# inspiring the famous musical and film hits Mamma Mia 6riter: Ahe is best remembered for her detecti$e no$els# which ha$e gi$en her the title K=ueen of Crime" and made her one of the most important and inno$ati$e writers in the genre %ilm director: his most famous film '$e Man 1it$out 2 3ast was nominated for an Bscar and won an award at the Cannes %ilm %esti$al in 2002 Acientist: in 1+0D he disco$ered Krelati$ity" < in other words# how matter# energy and time are all related to each other 6riter: she is one of the most renowned Lewish $ictims of the 5olocaust 5er diary has become one of the world"s most widely read boo(s Composer: he wrote many pieces# including '$e 4our 5easons *1F2D, 6riter: she wrote a number of famous children"s boo(s including 3ippi %ongsto6(ing 5er boo(s ha$e been translated into numerous languages and ha$e sold o$er 1CD million copies worldwide %ashion model: she has featured on the co$er of Gogue maga3ine and posed in campaigns for brands such as Chanel and Gucci 8rtist: famous for wrapping buildings# monuments and e$en trees# in fabrics# as he did with the German parliament in 1++D Ioet: he e-plored the history of

8gatha Christie

.nited Jingdom

8(i JaurismH(i

%inland

8lbert Einstein

Germany

8nne %ran(

)he @etherlands

8ntonio Gi$aldi 8strid ;indgren

!taly Aweden

Carmen Jass

Estonia

Christo

&ulgaria

Dun Jarm Isaila

Malta

21

%ran3 ;is3t %rydery( Chopin Gabrielle KCoco" Chanel

5ungary Ioland %rance

George Michael

Cyprus

Georges 9emi *5ergN,

&elgium

5ans Christian 8ndersen

Denmar(

5elena 9ubinstein

Ioland

5omer

Greece

!$ana Jobilca

Alo$enia

Lean Monnet

%rance

L J 9owling Loan of 8rc

.nited Jingdom %rance

JriO7Pnis &arons

;at$ia

;eonardo da Ginci

!taly

Malta in poetry to confirm its cultural and national identityM his $erses later became the lyrics of the national anthem Composer: he wrote some of the world"s most difficult piano music# such as the 'rans6endenta# 5tudies Composer and pianist: he wrote many piano pieces including his famous 7o6turnes %ashion designer: her inno$ati$e women"s clothing made her an important figure in 20th century fashion !nternational pop star: he rose to fame with hits such as %ast 8$ristmas and has sold o$er E0 million singles Comic boo( writer: most famous for his comic strip '$e 2d*entures o9 'intin# which he wrote from 1+2+ until his death in 1+E? 6riter: his mar$ellous fairy tales < such as '$e :g# Du6(#ing and '$e %itt#e Mermaid < ha$e delighted generations of children around the world &usinesswoman: she founded the 5elena 9ubinstein cosmetic company# which made her one of the richest and most successful women of her time Ioet: a legendary ancient Gree( poet# traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems '$e ;#iad and '$e <d sse 8rtist: Alo$enia"s most important female painter# she produced realist and impressionist still life paintings# portraits and landscapes Iolitical figure: de$eloped the core ideas for forming the European .nion and helped establish the European Coal and Ateel Community 6riter: author of the famous )arr 3otter boo( series# which ha$e sold o$er C00 million copies worldwide 5istorical figure: she led the %rench army to se$eral important $ictories during the 5undred 0ears" 6ar and was later captured and burned at the sta(e aged 1+ Musician: (nown as the father of the Kdainas" < traditional &altic music and lyrics < his is the only portrait to appear on ;at$ian ban( notes Iainter# sculptor# architect#

22

;y((e ;i

Aweden

Marie Curie *Maria A(lodows(a,

Ioland

Marlene Dietrich

Germany

MC Aolaar Mi(alo7us Jonstantinas Qiurlionis @adia ComRneci

%rance ;ithuania

9omania

Iablo Iicasso IenNlope Cru3

Apain Apain

9obert Achuman

;u-embourg

Ttefan &aniU Ateffi Graf

Alo$a(ia Germany

.2

!reland

scientist# in$entor and philosopher: he painted the famous portrait of the Mona %isa and designed the first helicopter model as early as 1C+? Ainger: she released her first album in 200E and 2uic(ly rose to international fame# collaborating with stars such as Jings of ;eon and Janye 6est Acientist: with her husband Iierre she disco$ered radium < a radioacti$e metal )hey were awarded the @obel Iri3e for Ihysics in 1+0? 8ctress: she starred in many films# including the original $ersion of 2round t$e 1or#d in => Da s *1+D', 9apper: he is one of the most internationally popular and influential %rench rappers Iainter and composer: one of ;ithuania"s most famous artists# he composed 2D0 pieces of music and produced ?00 paintings 8thlete: the first person e$er to score full mar(s *10 out of 10, for gymnastics at the Blympic Games in 1+F' 8rtist: famous for his paintings in the KCubist" style 8ctress: she has starred in many international bo- office hits and wor(ed with famous directors such as 6oody 8llen and Iedro 8lmodS$ar Iolitician: although he was born near ;u-embourg# he went on to become Irime Minister of %rance 5e is widely considered to be the Kfather of Europe" )he Achuman Declaration was made on + May 1+D0 and to this day + May is designated KEurope Day" !n$entor: he in$ented the parachute in 1+1? )ennis player: she is a former number one and the only player to ha$e won all four Grand Alam singles tournaments at least four times each 9oc( band: their songs ha$e been big hits around the world since 1+E0 Ilaywright# politician: former dissident playwright who criticised

GVcla$ 5a$el

C3ech 9epublic

2?

Gasco da Gama

Iortugal

Gi$ienne 6estwood

.nited Jingdom

6olfgang 8madeus Mo3art

8ustria

the Communist regime and who was nominated for the @obel Ieace Iri3e in 200? 5e was the last Iresident of C3echoslo$a(ia and the first Iresident of the C3ech 9epublic E-plorer: one of the most successful e-plorers during the European 8ge of Disco$ery# he commanded the first ships to sail directly from Europe to !ndia %ashion designer: she brought pun( and new wa$e fashion into the mainstream in the 1+F0s and continues to be an important player in the fashion world today Musician: a composer of classical music# Mo3art produced o$er '00 wor(s and wrote his first opera in 1FF0# when he was 7ust 1C years old

My choice:

2C

The Re aissa ce *roughly 1?00 to 1'00 8D,

During the Middle 8ges# most people could not read or write and they (new only what they learnt in church Bnly monasteries and uni$ersities had copies of the boo(s the ancient Gree(s and 9omans had written &ut in the 1?00s and 1C00s# students began redisco$ering the ancient boo(s )hey were ama3ed at the great ideas and (nowledge they found there and the news began to spread 6ealthy and educated people# for e-ample in %lorence *!taly,# became $ery interested )hey could afford to buy boo(s < especially once printing was in$ented in Europe *1CCD, < and they fell in lo$e with ancient Greece and 9ome )hey had their homes modelled on 9oman palaces# and they paid talented artists and sculptors to decorate them with scenes from Gree( and 9oman stories# and with statues of gods# heroes and emperors !t was as if a lost world of beauty and wisdom had been reborn )hat is why we call this period the K9enaissance" *meaning Krebirth", !t ga$e the world: great painters and sculptors such as Michelangelo and &otticelliM talented architects li(e &runelleschiM the ama3ing in$entor and artist ;eonardo da GinciM great thin(ers such as )homas More# Erasmus and MontaigneM scientists such as Copernicus and Galileo *who disco$ered that the Earth and other planets mo$e around the sun,M beautiful buildings such as the castles in the ;oire $alleyM a new interest in what human beings can achie$e

The + %ustrial Re&olutio *roughly 1FD0 to 1EE0 8D,

8 different (ind of Kre$olution" started in Europe about 2D0 years ago < in the world of Kindustry" !t all began with an energy crisis %or thousands of years# people had been burning wood and charcoal &ut now# parts of Europe were running out of forests4 6hat else could we use as fuel: )he answer was coal )here was plenty of it in Europe# and miners began digging for it Coal powered the newly in$ented steam engines !t could also be roasted and turned into Kco(e"# which is a much cleaner fuel < ideal for ma(ing iron and steel 8bout 1D0 years ago# an Englishman called 5enry &essemer in$ented a Kblast furnace" that could produce large amounts of steel 2uite cheaply Aoon Europe was producing huge 2uantities of it# and it changed the world4 Cheap steel made it possible to build s(yscrapers# huge bridges# ocean liners# cars# fridges> Iowerful guns and bombs too

2D

0reat %isco&eries a % e1 i%eas *roughly 1D00 to 1+00 8D,

8t the time of the 9enaissance# trade with distant lands was becoming $ery important for European merchants %or e-ample# they were selling goods in !ndia and bringing bac( $aluable spices and precious stones &ut tra$elling o$erland was difficult and too( a long time# so the merchants wanted to reach !ndia by sea )he problem was# 8frica was in the way < and it is $ery big4 5owe$er# if the world really was round *as people were beginning to belie$e,# European ships ought to be able to reach !ndia by sailing west Ao# in 1C+2# Christopher Columbus and his sailors set out from Apain and crossed the 8tlantic &ut instead of reaching !ndia they disco$ered the &ahamas *islands in the Caribbean Aea# near the coast of 8merica, Bther e-plorers soon followed !n 1C+FW+E# Gasco da Gama < a Iortuguese na$al officer < was the first European to reach !ndia by sailing around 8frica !n 1D1+# another Iortuguese e-plorer < %erdinand Magellan# wor(ing for the Jing of Apain < led the first European e-pedition to sail right round the world4 &efore long# Europeans were e-ploring the Caribbean islands and 8merica *which they called the K@ew 6orld", and founding colonies there !n other words# they too( o$er the land# claiming it now belonged to their home country in Europe )hey too( their beliefs# customs and languages with them < and that is how English and %rench came to be the main languages spo(en in @orth 8merica# and Apanish and Iortuguese in Central and Aouth 8merica 8s time passed# Europeans sailed further and further < to China# Lapan# Aouth-East 8sia# 8ustralia and Bceania Aailors returning from these distant lands reported seeing strange creatures $ery different from those in Europe )his made scientists (een to e-plore these places and to bring bac( animals and plants for Europe"s museums !n the 1E00s# European e-plorers went deep into 8frica and by 1+10 European nations had colonised most of the 8frican continent Meanwhile# bac( in Europe# scientists were finding out more and more about about how the uni$erse wor(s Geologists# studying roc(s and fossils# began wondering how the Earth had been formed and how old it really was )wo great scientists# Lean-&aptiste ;amarc( *in %rance, and Charles Darwin *in England,# e$entually concluded that animals and plants had Ke$ol$ed" < changing from one species into another o$er millions and millions of years !n the 1F00s# people were as(ing other important 2uestions too < such as how countries should be go$erned# and what rights and freedoms people should ha$e )he writer Lean-Lac2ues 9ousseau said that e$eryone should be e2ual 8nother writer# Goltaire# said the world would be better if reason and (nowledge replaced ignorance and superstition )his age of new ideas# called the KEnlightenment"# led to great changes in some countries < for e-ample the %rench re$olution of 1FE+# when the people decided they would no longer be ruled by (ings and 2ueens Bne of their re$olutionary slogans was Kfreedom# e2uality and brotherhood" < which e$entually became the %rench national motto

The mo%er 1orl% roughly 1EE0 until today

Bther European in$entions from the 1+th and 20th centuries helped create the world we (now today %or e-ample: )he petrol engine 1EE' 9adar and the biro pen 1+?D

2'

%irst radio messages &a(elite# the first plastic @eon lighting )ele$ision and motorways

1+01 1+0+ 1+12 1+20s

!nstant coffee %irst 7et aircraft %irst computer

1+?F 1+?+ 1+C0s

)oday# roughly a 2uarter of the people wor(ing in Europe are producing things needed for the modern world: food and drin(sM mobile phones and computersM clothes and furnitureM washing machines and tele$isionsM cars# buses and lorries and lots more besides 8bout F out of e$ery 10 European wor(ers ha$e Kser$ice" 7obs !n other words# they wor( in shops and post offices# ban(s and insurance companies# hotels and restaurants# hospitals and schools# etc < either selling things or pro$iding ser$ices that people need

2F

Lear i g the lesso s o' histor3

Aadly# the story of Europe is not all about great achie$ements we can be proud of )here are also many things to be ashamed of Down the centuries# European nations fought terrible wars against each other )hese wars were usually about power and property# or religion European colonists (illed millions of nati$e people on other continents < by fighting or mistreating them# or by accidentally spreading European diseases among them Europeans also too( millions of 8fricans to wor( as sla$es ;essons had to be learnt from these dreadful wrongdoings )he European sla$e trade was abolished in the 1E00s Colonies gained their freedom in the 1+00s 8nd peace did come to Europe at last )o find out how# read the chapter called K&ringing the family together: the story of the European .nion"

War:
9egrettably# there ha$e been many 2uarrels in the European family Bften they were about who should rule a country# or which country owned which piece of land Aometimes a ruler wanted to gain more power by con2uering his neighbours# or to pro$e that his people were stronger and better than other peoples Bne way or another# for hundreds of years# there were terrible wars in Europe !n the 20th century# two big wars started on this continent but spread and in$ol$ed countries all around the world )hat is why they are called world wars )hey (illed millions of people and left Europe poor and in ruins Could anything be done to stop these things happening again: 6ould Europeans e$er learn to sit down together and discuss things instead of fighting: )he answer is Kyes" )hat"s the story of our ne-t chapter: the story of the European .nion

:a % peace
6e Europeans belong to many different countries# with different languages# traditions# customs and beliefs 0et we belong together# li(e a big family# for all sorts of reasons 5ere are some of them 6e ha$e shared this continent for thousands of years Bur languages are often related to one another Many people in e$ery country are descended from people from other countries Bur traditions# customs and festi$als often ha$e the same origins 6e share and en7oy the beautiful music and art# and the many plays and stories# that people from all o$er Europe ha$e gi$en us# down the centuries 8lmost e$eryone in Europe belie$es in things li(e fair play# neighbourliness# freedom to ha$e your own opinions# respect for each other and caring for people in need Ao we en7oy what"s different and special about our own country and region# but we also en7oy what we ha$e in common as Europeans

2E

The stor3 o' the Europea U io

)he Aecond 6orld 6ar ended in 1+CD !t had been a time of terrible destruction and (illing# and it had started in Europe 5ow could the leaders of European countries stop such dreadful things from e$er happening again: )hey needed a really good plan that had ne$er been tried before

$ !ra % e1 i%ea
8 %renchman called Lean Monnet thought hard about this 5e realised that there were two things a country needed before it could ma(e war: iron for producing steel *to ma(e tan(s# guns# bombs and so on, and coal to pro$ide the energy for factories and railways Europe had plenty of coal and steel: that"s why European countries had easily been able to ma(e weapons and go to war Ao Lean Monnet came up with a $ery daring new idea 5is idea was that the go$ernments of %rance and Germany < and perhaps of other European countries too < should no longer run their own coal and steel industries !nstead# these industries should be organised by people from all the countries in$ol$ed# and they would sit around a table and discuss and decide things together )hat way# war between them would be impossible4 Lean Monnet felt that his plan really would wor( if only European leaders were willing to try it 5e spo(e about it to his friend 9obert Achuman# who was a minister in the %rench go$ernment 9obert Achuman thought it was a brilliant idea and he announced it in an important speech on + May 1+D0 )he speech con$inced not only the %rench and German leaders but also the leaders of &elgium# !taly# ;u-embourg and the @etherlands )hey all decided to put their coal and steel industries together and to form a club they called the European Coal and Ateel Community *ECAC, !t would wor( for peaceful purposes and help rebuild Europe from the ruins of war )he ECAC was set up in 1+D1

The commo mar"et

)he si- countries got on so well wor(ing together that they soon decided to start another club# called the European Economic Community *EEC, !t was set up in 1+DF KEconomic" means Kto do with the economy" < in other words# to do with money# business# 7obs and trade Bne of the main ideas was that the EEC countries would share a Kcommon mar(et"# to ma(e it easier to trade together .ntil then# lorries and trains and barges carrying goods from one country to another always had to stop at the border# and papers had to be chec(ed and money called Kcustoms duties" had to be paid )his held things up and made goods from abroad more e-pensi$e )he point of ha$ing a common mar(et was to get rid of all those border chec(s and delays and customs duties# and to allow countries to trade with one another 7ust as if they were all one single country

5oo% a % 'armi g
)he Aecond 6orld 6ar had made it $ery difficult for Europe to produce food or to import it from other continents Europe was short of food e$en in the early 1+D0s Ao the EEC decided on an

2+

arrangement for paying its farmers to produce more food# and to ma(e sure that they could earn a decent li$ing from the land )his arrangement was called the Kcommon agricultural policy" *or C8I, !t wor(ed well Ao well# in fact# that farmers ended up producing too much food and the arrangement had to be changed4 @owadays# the C8I also pays farmers to loo( after the countryside

?0

5rom EE( to Europea U io

)he common mar(et was soon ma(ing life easier for people in the EEC )hey had more money to spend# more food to eat and more $aried things in their shops Bther neighbouring countries saw this and# in the 1+'0s# some of them began as(ing whether they too could 7oin the club 8fter years of discussions# the .nited Jingdom# Denmar( and !reland 7oined in 1+F? !t was the turn of Greece in 1+E1# followed by Iortugal and Apain in 1+E'# and 8ustria# %inland and Aweden in 1++D Ao now the club had 1D members B$er these years# the club was changing &y the end of 1++2 it had finished building the Ksingle mar(et" *as it became (nown,# and it was doing a lot more besides %or e-ample# EEC countries were wor(ing together to protect the en$ironment and to build better roads and railways right across Europe 9icher countries helped poorer ones with their road building and other important pro7ects )o ma(e life easier for tra$ellers# most EEC countries had got rid of passport chec(s at the borders between them 8 person li$ing in one member country was free to go and li$e and find wor( in any other member country )he go$ernments were discussing other new ideas too < for e-ample# how policemen from different countries could help one another catch criminals# drug smugglers and terrorists !n short# the club was so different and so much more united that# in 1++2# it decided to change its name to the KEuropean .nion" *E.,

*ri gi g the 'amil3 together

Meanwhile# e-citing things were happening beyond the E."s borders %or many years# the eastern and western parts of Europe had been (ept apart )hey weren"t at war# but their leaders disagreed strongly )he rulers of the eastern part belie$ed in a system of go$ernment called KCommunism" which did not allow people much freedom &ecause of the way they were go$erned# those countries were poor compared to western Europe )he di$ision between east and west was so strong it was often described as an Kiron curtain" !n many places the border was mar(ed by tall fences or a high wall# li(e the one that ran through the city of &erlin and split Germany in two !t was $ery difficult to get permission to cross this border %inally# in 1+E+# the di$ision and disagreement ended )he &erlin 6all was (noc(ed down and the Kiron curtain" ceased to e-ist Aoon# Germany was reunited )he peoples of the central and eastern parts of Europe chose for themsel$es new go$ernments that got rid of the old# strict Communist system )hey were free at last4 !t was a wonderful time of celebration )he countries that had gained freedom began as(ing whether they could 7oin the European .nion# and soon there was 2uite a 2ueue of Kcandidate" countries waiting to become E. members &efore a country can 7oin the European .nion# its economy has to be wor(ing well !t also has to be democratic < in other words# its people must be free to choose who they want to go$ern them 8nd it must respect human rights 5uman rights include the right to say what you thin(# the right not to be put in prison without a fair trial# the right not to be tortured# and many other important rights as well )he former Communist countries wor(ed hard at all these things and# after a few years# eight of them were ready: the C3ech 9epublic# Estonia# 5ungary# ;at$ia# ;ithuania# Ioland# Alo$a(ia and Alo$enia )hey 7oined the E. on 1 May 200C# along with two Mediterranean islands < Cyprus and Malta Bn 1 Lanuary 200F# two more former Communist countries were ready and &ulgaria and 9omania 7oined the group

?1

@e$er before ha$e so many countries 7oined the E. in such a short time )his is a real Kfamily reunion"# bringing together the eastern# central and western parts of Europe

?2

What the EU %oes

)he E. tries to ma(e life better in all sorts of ways 5ere are some of them

(limate cha ge a % the e &iro me t

)he en$ironment belongs to e$eryone# so countries ha$e to wor( together to protect it )he E. has rules about stopping pollution and about protecting *for e-ample, wild birds )hese rules apply in all E. countries and their go$ernments ha$e to ma(e sure they are obeyed Climate change < also (nown as global warming < is another problem that countries cannot tac(le alone E. countries ha$e therefore agreed to wor( together to lower the amount of emissions they produce that harm the atmosphere and cause global warming )he E. is also trying to influence other countries to do the same

The euro
!n years gone by# each country in Europe had its own (ind of money# or Kcurrency" @ow there is one single currency# the euro# which all E. countries can share if they wish 5a$ing one currency ma(es it easier to do business and to tra$el and shop all o$er the E. without ha$ing to change from one currency to another !t too( nine years of hard wor( and careful planning to introduce the euro )he notes and coins came into use in 2002 )oday# more than two thirds of the E."s citi3ens are using the euro instead of the old currencies !f you compare euro coins you will see that on one side there is a design representing the country it was made in )he other side is the same for all the countries

5ree%om!
Ieople in the E. are free to li$e# wor( or study in whiche$er E. country they choose# and the E. is doing all it can to ma(e it simple to mo$e home from one country to another 6hen you cross the borders between most E. countries# you no longer need a passport )he E. encourages students and young people to spend some time studying or training in another European country

;o!s
!t"s important for people to ha$e 7obs that they en7oy and are good at Aome of the money they earn goes to pay for hospitals and schools# and to loo( after old people )hat"s why the E. is doing all it can to create new and better 7obs for e$eryone who can wor( !t helps people to set up new businesses# and pro$ides money to train people to do new (inds of wor(

Helpi g regio s i %i''icult3

;ife is not easy for e$eryone e$erywhere in Europe !n some places there are not enough 7obs for people# because mines or factories ha$e closed down !n some areas# farming is hard because of the climate# or trade is difficult because there are not enough roads and railways )he E. tac(les these problems by collecting money from all its member countries and using it to help regions that are in difficulty %or e-ample# it helps pay for new roads and rail lin(s# and it helps businesses to pro$ide new 7obs for people

Helpi g poor cou tries

??

!n many countries around the world# people are dying or li$ing difficult li$es because of war# disease and natural disasters such as droughts or floods Bften these countries do not ha$e enough money to build the schools and hospitals# roads and houses that their people need )he E. gi$es money to these countries# and sends teachers# doctors# engineers and other e-perts to wor( there !t also buys many things that those countries produce without charging customs duties )hat way# the poor countries can earn more money

?C

Peace
)he European .nion has brought many European countries together in friendship Bf course# they don"t always agree on e$erything but# instead of fighting# their leaders sit round a table to sort out their disagreements So the %ream o' ;ea /o et a % Ro!ert Schuma has come true.

)he E. has brought peace among its members !t is also wor(ing for lasting peace among its neighbours and in the wider world %or e-ample# E. soldiers and police officers are helping (eep the peace in the former 0ugosla$ia# where there was bitter fighting not many years ago )hese are 7ust some of the things the E. does: there are many more !n fact# being in the European .nion ma(es a difference to 7ust about e$ery aspect of our li$es 6hat things should the E. be doing# or not doing: )hat"s for the people in the E. to decide 5ow can we ha$e our say: %ind out in the ne-t chapter Europe has its own flag and its own anthem < <de to "o from &eetho$en"s ninth symphony )he original words are in German# but when used as the European anthem it has no words < only the tune 0ou can hear it on the !nternet: europa eu/abc/symbols/anthem/inde-Xen htm

?D

The EU a % its eigh!ours

[Map] Match the capital cities with their countries 1 2 ? C D ' F E + 10 11 12 1? 1C 1D 1' 1F 1E 1+ 20 21 22 2? 2C 2D 2' 2F Aofia &russels Irague Copenhagen &erlin )allinn Dublin 8thens Madrid Iaris 9ome @icosia 9iga Gilnius ;u-embourg &udapest Galletta 8msterdam Gienna 6arsaw ;isbon &ucharest ;7ubl7ana &ratisla$a 5elsin(i Atoc(holm ;ondon

-e34 )he coloured countries are members of the European .nion *E., )he striped countries are planning to 7oin the E. )he other countries# including those shown by a small white circle# are neighbours of the E. )he dots show where the capital cities are Gatican City is in 9ome Aome islands and other pieces of land belonging to %rance# Iortugal and Apain are part of the E. &ut they are a long way from mainland Europe# so we ha$e put them in the bo- *top right,

?'

The Europea U io cou tries

)he countries are in alphabetical order according to what each country is called in its own language or languages *as shown in brac(ets,
5lag (ou tr3
&elgium *&elgi2ue/&elgiY, &ulgaria <Z[\]^_`a/*ulgaria= C3ech 9epublic *Qes(V republi(a, Denmar( *Danmar(, Germany *Deutschland, Estonia *Eesti, !reland *fire/!reland, Greece *ghhijk/EllVda, Apain *Espapa, %rance *%rance, !taly *!talia, Cyprus *qrstuv/Jypros, *Jibris, ;at$ia *;at$i7a, ;ithuania *;ietu$a, ;u-embourg *;u-embourg, 5ungary *Magyarors3Vg, Malta *Malta, )he @etherlands *@ederland, 8ustria *sterreich, Ioland *Iols(a, Iortugal *Iortugal, 9omania *9omnia, Alo$enia *Alo$eni7a, Alo$a(ia *Alo$ens(o, %inland *Auomi/%inland,

(apital cit3
&russels *&ru-elles/&russel, Aofia <bcd`a/So'ia= Irague *Iraha, Copenhagen *Jebenha$n, &erlin *&erlin, )allinn *)allinn, Dublin *&aile 8tha Cliath/Dublin, 8thens *lmnok/8thinai, Madrid *Madrid, Iaris *Iaris, 9ome *9oma, @icosia *wxyz{|}k/;ef(osia, *;ef(osa, 9iga *9~ga, Gilnius *Gilnius, ;u-embourg *;u-embourg, &udapest *&udapest, Galletta *Galletta, 8msterdam *8msterdam, Gienna *6ien, 6arsaw *6ars3awa, ;isbon *;isboa, &ucharest *&ucureti, ;7ubl7ana *;7ubl7ana, &ratisla$a *&ratisla$a, 5elsin(i *5elsin(i/5elsingfors,

Populatio
10 F million F ' million 10 D million D D million E2 million 1 ? million C D million 11 2 million CD E million 'C ? million '0 million 0 E million 2 ? million ? ? million 0 D million 10 million 0 C million 1' C million E ? million ?E 1 million 10 ' million 21 D million 2 million D C million D ? million

?F

Aweden *A$erige, .nited Jingdom *, *.nited Jingdom,

Atoc(holm *Atoc(holm, ;ondon *;ondon,

+ 2 million '1 F million

*, )he full name of this country is Kthe .nited Jingdom of Great &ritain and @orthern !reland"# but for short most people 7ust call it &ritain# the .nited Jingdom or the .J Iopulation figures are for 200+ our6e: Eurostat

?E

Lets explore Europe! >ui6

*5int: you can find the answers to all these 2uestions in this boo(let, 1 5ow many continents are there in the world: 2 6hich two cities does the Channel )unnel connect: ? 6hat do you call it when birds fly south in autumn and spend the winter in warmer regions: C 6hat do you call it when farmers water their fields with water from the ground or ri$ers: D @ame a type of marine animal that can be farmed ' 6hat does Kdemocracy" mean: F 6hich material# used to power steam engines# made the !ndustrial 9e$olution possible: E 6hich historic e$ent too( place in 1FE+: + !n which decade was the computer in$ented: 10 5ow many countries are part of the European .nion: 11 5ow often do European elections ta(e place: 12 6here is the European Court of Lustice based: 6ant to play games# test your (nowledge and e-plore Europe further: Go to europa eu/europago/e-plore 8nswers 1 Ae$en *Europe# 8frica# @orth and Aouth 8merica# 8ntarctica# 8sia and 8ustralia/Bceania, 2 Calais in %rance and %ol(estone in England ? Migration C !rrigation D Aalmon# mussels# oysters# clams ' Go$ernment by the people F Coal E )he %rench 9e$olution + 1+C0s 10 2F 11 E$ery D years 12 ;u-embourg

?+

Ho1 the EU ta"es %ecisio s

8s you can imagine# it ta(es a lot of effort by a lot of people to organise the E. and ma(e e$erything wor( 6ho does what:

The Europea (ommissio

!n &russels# 2F women and men *one from each E. country, meet e$ery 6ednesday to discuss what needs to be done ne-t )hese people are put forward by the go$ernment of their country but appro$ed by the European Iarliament )hey are called Kcommissioners"# and together they ma(e up the European Commission )heir 7ob is to thin( about what would be best for the E. as a whole# and to propose new laws for the E. as a whole !n their wor( they are helped by e-perts# lawyers# secretaries# translators and so on Bnce they ha$e agreed what law to propose# they send their proposal to the European Iarliament and the Council of the European .nion

The Europea Parliame t

)he European Iarliament represents all the people in the E. !t holds a big meeting e$ery month# in Atrasbourg *%rance,# to discuss the new laws being proposed by the European Commission !f the Iarliament doesn"t li(e a proposal# it can as( the Commission to change it until Iarliament is satisfied that this is a good law )here are FED members of the European Iarliament *MEIs, )hey are chosen# e$ery fi$e years# in an election when all the adult citi3ens of the E. get the chance to $ote &y choosing our MEI# and by tal(ing to him or her# we can ha$e a say in what the E. decides to do

The (ou cil o' the Europea U io

MEIs are not the only people who decide on new E. laws )hey also ha$e to be discussed by go$ernment ministers from all the E. countries 6hen the ministers meet together they are called Kthe Council of the European .nion" 8fter discussing a proposal# the Council $otes on it )here are rules about how many $otes each country has# and how many are needed to pass a law !n some cases# the rule says the Council has to be in complete agreement Bnce the Council and the Iarliament ha$e passed a new law# E. go$ernments ha$e to ma(e sure it is respected in their countries

The (ourt o' ;ustice

!f a country doesn"t apply the law properly# the European Commission will warn it and may complain about it to the Court of Lustice# in ;u-embourg )he Court"s 7ob is to ma(e sure that E. laws are respected# and are applied in the same way e$erywhere !t has one 7udge from each E. country )here are other groups of people *committees of e-perts and so on, in$ol$ed in ta(ing decisions in the E.# because it"s important to get them right

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Tomorro1:
Bne of the challenges facing Europe today is how to ma(e sure that young people can ha$e 7obs and a good future !t"s not easy# because European firms ha$e to compete for business with companies in other parts of the world that may be able to do the same 7ob more cheaply )here are other big problems today which can only be tac(led by countries around the world wor(ing together# for e-ample: pollution and climate changeM hunger and po$ertyM international crime and terrorism

)he European .nion is wor(ing on these problems# but it"s not always easy for 2F go$ernments and the European Iarliament to agree on what to do !t doesn"t help that the E."s decision-ma(ing rules are rather complicated 6hat"s more# many people feel that 7ust $oting for their MEI once e$ery fi$e years doesn"t gi$e them much of a say in what gets decided in &russels or Atrasbourg

:a % !e3o %
Ao we need to ma(e sure that e$eryone can ha$e their say in what the European .nion decides 5ow can we do that: Do you ha$e any good ideas: 6hat are the most important problems you thin( the E. should be dealing with# and what would you li(e it to do about them: 6hy not discuss and 7ot down your ideas with your teacher and your classmates and send them to your MEI: 0ou can find out who he or she is and where to write to them on the following website: europarl.europa.eu/ 0ou can also contact the European Commission or Iarliament at one of the addresses at the end of this boo( and perhaps e$en arrange for your class to $isit the two institutions 6e are today"s European children: before long we"ll be Europe"s adults )he future is for us to decide < together4

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Use'ul li "s
5or 3ou
6hy not test what you ha$e learned in this boo( and play the ;et"s E-plore Europe game online: Go to: europa.eu/europago/explore 0ou can also find more games# 2ui33es and online fun at: europa.eu/?uic"@li "s/eu@"i%s/i %exAe .htm

5or 3our teacher

)he European .nion"s online )eachers" Corner is a one-stop resource centre for a wide range of teaching material about the European .nion and its policies )he material has been produced by $arious E. institutions and other go$ernment and non-go$ernment bodies 6hether you"re loo(ing for inspiration for your lessons or for e-isting educational material about European history and culture# or e$en specific topics such as climate change and reducing energy consumption# you should find something useful tailored to the age group of your pupils at the following address: europa.eu/teachers@cor er

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