Western Europe

Western Europe is the region of Europe consisting of Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Occasionally it also includes countries in Southern Europe such as Spain, Portugal and Italy, countries in Central Europe like Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, or even countries in Northern Europe such as Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

History

Western European (as well as Central European) culture can be traced back to that of Ancient Rome, and it is also the birthplace of both the Catholic Church and Protestantism, in addition to the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. Colonists from Western Europe have settled the entire length and breadth of North America, South America, and Australia, taking their languages and culture with them.

Western Europe is often confused with Western Bloc, a term referring to the part of Europe that mostly did not come under Communist rule at or after the end of the Second World War (except for Portugal). Thanks to financial help from the US (Marshall Plan), and economic and political freedom, it became more advanced, wealthy and stable than its counterpart, the Eastern Bloc. In Western Europe, the European Union was created.

Contemporary developments

Western Europe is also the home of two of the world's most important currencies, the euro and the British pound. Some of the world's greatest cities - Amsterdam, Brussels (the de facto capital of the European Union), Paris, London, are situated in Western Europe, and it is the home of the English language, the French language, and the Dutch language.

All Western European countries are listed by the Human Development Index as very highly developed.

Currently, as Europe is no longer divided into Western and Eastern Bloc, the use of the terms "Western" or "Eastern Europe" is seen as a faux pas. They relate to the Cold War, which ended a generation ago.