The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe.
The members of the European Union (EU) are:
- Germany (largest)
- France (including overseas areas which are not part of Europe)
- Italy
- Spain (including overseas areas which are not part of Europe)
- Poland
- Romania
- Netherlands (including overseas areas which are not part of Europe)
- Belgium
- Greece
- Czech Republic
- Portugal (including overseas areas which are not part of Europe)
- Hungary
- Sweden
- Austria
- Bulgaria
- Denmark (including overseas areas which are not part of Europe)
- Finland
- Slovakia
- Ireland
- Croatia
- Lithuania
- Latvia
- Estonia
- Cyprus (not part of Europe)
- Slovenia
- Malta
- Luxembourg (smallest)
This ranking is based on the total area of each country. Note that the EU also has non-EU member countries that are associated with the EU, like Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland.
Some examples of aerospace companies based in the EU include:
- Airbus, a multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells civil and military aerospace products
- Leonardo S.p.A., an Italian multinational company that operates in the aerospace, defense, and security sectors
- Rolls-Royce Holdings, a British multinational engineering company that specializes in power and propulsion systems
- Dassault Aviation, a French aircraft manufacturer of business jets and military aircraft
- Saab AB, a Swedish aerospace and defense company
It's worth mentioning that the EU has also overseas territories that are not in Europe, such as French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte and Réunion in the Caribbean and Pacific; and Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. However, these territories are not considered as part of the EU member countries, they are considered as overseas regions of EU countries, and they have a special relationship with the EU, with some specific conditions regarding trade, tariffs, and laws.
Some examples include:
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France: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion in the Caribbean and Pacific.
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The Netherlands: Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten in the Caribbean.
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Portugal: Azores and Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean.
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Spain: Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, Ceuta and Melilla in Africa.
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United Kingdom (no EU member): Gibraltar in the Mediterranean, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus, Pitcairn Island in the Pacific and many other territories around the world.
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Denmark: Greenland, Faroe Islands.
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Norway (no EU member): Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
It's worth noting that these territories have different status and relationship with their European countries and the EU. Some of them have autonomy and their own government, while others are directly governed by the European country. Some have a special relationship with the EU, with some specific conditions regarding trade, tariffs, and laws.