Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Western Europe shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Western Europe offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Western Europe at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Western Europe? Wrong! If the Western Europe is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Western Europe then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Western Europe? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Western Europe and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Western Europe wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Western Europe then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Western Europe site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Western Europe, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Western Europe, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
Western Europe is mainly a socio-political concept forged during the Cold War, which largely defined its borders. Its boundaries were effectively forged during the final stages of
World War II and came to encompass all European countries which did not come under Soviet control and influence. As such these capitalist First World countries did not see
communism regimes imposed upon them.
Neutral country countries were classified by the nature of their political regimes.
In common perception and usage, Western Europe was, and still is in a lesser extent, distinguished from
Eastern Europe by differences of
culture, politics, and
economics and its borders have little to do with clear and precise geography. culture and
religion boundaries between these two regions are subject to considerable overlap and – most importantly – historical fluctuation, which makes a precise understanding somewhat difficult.
The term is commonly associated, but not clearly delimited, with liberal democracy, capitalism, and also with the
European Union. Most of the countries in this region share
Western culture, and many have economic, historical, and political ties with countries in North America and South America, and Oceania (see also:
Western world).
It includes:
- the Nordic countries: , , , , and
- the British Isles The term British Isles is controversial in relation to Ireland where its use is objected by the government of the Irish Republic and many of its citizens. (See British Isles naming dispute).: and the
- the Alps: , , and
- the Benelux countries: , the , and
- the Italian Peninsula: , , and
- the Iberian Peninsula: , , , and Gibraltar (a British overseas territories)
UN geopraphical definition
s of Europe as delineated by the United Nations (UN definition of Western Europe marked light blue):Alternatively for the United Nations,
Western Europe is also a less-known geographic subregion of Europe that is far more restrictive than traditional political and cultural reckonings; United Nations Statistics Division: "Composition of macro geographical (continental) regions, geographical sub-regions, and selected economic and other groupings", it comprises the following nine countries:
Classical antiquity and medieval origins
The earliest known distinctions between east and west in Europe originate in the history of the
Roman Republic. As Roman domain expanded a cultural and linguistical division appeared between the mainly
Koine Greek-speaking eastern provinces which had formed the highly urbanized Hellenistic civilization. On contrast the western territories largely adopted the Latin language. This cultural and linguistic division was eventually reinforced by the later political east-west division of the
Roman Empire.
The division between these two spheres was enhanced during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages by a number of events. The
Western Roman Empire collapsed starting the
Early Middle Ages. By contrast, the Eastern Roman Empire, mostly known as
Byzantine Empire, managed to survive and even to thrive for another 1000 years. The rise of the
Carolingian Empire in the west, and in particular the
East-West Schism that formally divided
Eastern Christianity and
Western Christianity, enhanced the cultural and religious distinctiveness between Eastern and Western Europe.
The conquest of the Byzantine Empire, center of the
Eastern Orthodox Church, by the
Muslim Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, and the gradual fragmentation of the
Holy Roman Empire (which had replaced the Frankish empire) led to a change of the importance of Roman Catholic/
Protestant vs.
Eastern Orthodox concept in Europe.
Historical events like the
Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation by Martin Luther and the
Counter-Reformation of the Catholic Church, the
Age of Enlightenment, the French Revolution, and the
Industrial Revolution are considered to be common experiences which have shaped Western European culture and identity. During the Age of Discovery, most of the western European countries colonized Africa, Asia, South America and North America. All these historical events and cultural developments have influence over the
Western European concept. separated the European members of
NATO (in blue) from the members of the
Warsaw Pact (in red). Neutral coutries were classified by the nature of their political system.
The Cold War divides Europe into the Eastern/Western blocs
During the final stages of WWII the future of Europe was decided between the
Allies in the
1945 Yalta Conference, between the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Winston Churchill, the President of the
United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and the Premier of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin.
Post-war Europe would be divided into two major spheres: the
Western world#The Cold War mainly influenced by the USA, and the
Eastern Bloc dominated by the Soviet Union. With the onset of the Cold War, Europe was divided by the
Iron Curtain.
This term had been used during World War II by German Propagandaministerium
Joseph Goebbels and later Count Lutz Schwerin von Krosigk in the last days of the war; however, its use was hugely popularised by Winston Churchill, who used it in his famous "Sinews of Peace" address
March 5, 1946 at Westminster College, Missouri in
Fulton, Missouri:
Although some countries were officially
Neutral country, they were classified according to the nature of their political and economical systems. This division largely defined the popular perception and understanding of Western Europe and its borders with Eastern Europe till this day.
A divided Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe was mainly composed of all the European countries liberated and then occupied by the Soviet army. It included the
German Democratic Republic, widely known as
East Germany, formed by the
Soviet occupation zone of Germany. All the countries in Eastern Europe had communist regimes imposed upon them. Most of these countries were officially independent from the Soviet Union, but the practical extent of this independence was quite limited. In some matters many of them were little more than Satellite states of the Soviet Union.
- Most of these countries were members of the military Warsaw pact and its economical twin COMECON. First and foremost was the Soviet Union (which by itself included Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, etc). Other countries dominated by the Soviet Union were the German Democratic Republic, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania.
- The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (formed after WWII and before its later dismemberment) was not a member of the Warsaw Pact. It was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement, an organization created in an attempt to avoid being assigned to any of the two blocs. It was demonstratively independent from the Soviet Union for most of the Cold War period, but because of its communist regime it was widely regarded part of the Eastern/communist bloc.
- Albania broke with the Soviet Union in the early 1960s as a result of the Sino-Soviet split, aligning itself instead with China. Despite this, it had a communist regime and thus was considered part of the Eastern/communist bloc.
Western Europe
Western Europe was and is composed by:
- United Kingdom and France, victors of World War II.
- The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg countries who had been occupied by Nazi Germany and subsequently liberated by the Western allies.
- The West Germany, widely known as West Germany, which had been formed by the three occupation zones of Germany belonging to the Western Allies (USA, UK and France).
- Italy, a former Axis Power who had surrendered and been occupied by the Western Allies.
- Republic of Ireland gained its independence in the 1920s from the United Kingdom. It stayed The Emergency during World War II. It never joined NATO but it joined the European Union in 1973.
- The Nordic countries were a peculiar case. Denmark and Norway had been conquered by Nazi Germany but were not liberated by the allies. During the war Iceland, united with Denmark under a common king, had been Invasion of Iceland by the United Kingdom and the United States without any casualties by either side.
- Sweden had managed to remain neutral throughout the war.
- Finland had been a co-belligerent of Germany against the Soviet Union and it had been defeated, but was not conquered or occupied. (for further details see:Continuation War). The Paris Peace Treaties, 1947 between Finland and the Soviet Union stipulated that the Soviet Union would Annexation minor parts of Finland, and that Finland would have friendly relations with the Soviet Union (see also: Moscow Armistice).
- Austria and Switzerland are also a peculiar case. Austria had been incorporated into Nazi Germany through the Anschluss before the war, while Switzerland had managed to remain neutral throughout the WWII. After the war both of them remained neutral, in the case of Austria through the Austrian State Treaty. Austria later joined the European Union but not NATO. Switzerland declined membership of NATO and the European Union and joined EFTA instead.
Other countries also became increasingly part of
Western Europe. Almost all countries of
Western Europe received economical assistance from the United States through the Marshall Plan. Many joined
NATO and/or the
European Union or its rival, the European Free Trade Association.
- Countries who were under the rule of dictators, Portugal, Spain, and Greece became parliamentarian democracies in the mid-1970s. The first two are situated in the geographic south-west of Europe, while the last one is located in the south-east of it. All of them joined NATO and also the European Union.
- The European microstates of Vatican City, San Marino, Monaco, Andorra and Liechtenstein are considered part of Western Europe but they are mainly overlooked. Many of these states have special agreements and treaties with the European Union.
- The legal status of many of the Overseas territories in Europe (Gibraltar, Channel Islands, Faroe Islands, etc) are peculiar and vary from case to case. Despite all that, they are also part of Western Europe.
- Malta is generally considered part of Western EuropeUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization: Western Europe.
Turkey
- Turkey, as a member of NATO was accepted as belonging to the Western bloc. Nevertheless it has not yet become a part of the European Union. Turkey is typically considered to be a transcontinental nation in both southeastern Europe and Southwest Asia.
Later political developments
The world changed dramatically with the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989. The Federal Republic of Germany peacefully absorbed the Democratic Republic of Germany, leading to the German reunification. COMECON and the Warsaw Pact were dissolved, and in 1991, the Soviet Union ceased to exist. Several countries which had been part of the Soviet Union regained their full independence.
Although the term
Western Europe was largely defined of the Cold War, it still remains much in use. The term is commonly used in the media and in everyday use both in "western" and other regions of Europe.
The term
Central Europe reappeared.
Western Europe has increasingly less to do with the European Union. The 1995, 2004, and 2007
Enlargement of the European Union saw many eastern countries joining the EU, and a view that Europe is divided strictly into the West and the East is sometimes considered patronising or pejorative by many in the nominally eastern countries.
See also
References and notes
- The Making of Europe, ISBN 0-14-015409-4, by Robert Bartlett
- Crescent and Cross, ISBN 1-84212-753-5, by Hugh Bicheno
- The Normans, ISBN 0-7524-2881-0, by Trevor Rowley
- 1066 The Year of the Three Battles, ISBN 0-7126-6672-9, by Frank McLynn
External links
- The European sub-regions according to the UN
- Western Europe according to UNESCO
- Teaching about Western Europe
- Western Europe.info
Western Europe is mainly a socio-political concept forged during the
Cold War, which largely defined its borders. Its boundaries were effectively forged during the final stages of
World War II and came to encompass all European countries which did not come under Soviet control and influence. As such these capitalist First World countries did not see communism regimes imposed upon them.
Neutral country countries were classified by the nature of their political regimes.
In common perception and usage, Western Europe was, and still is in a lesser extent, distinguished from
Eastern Europe by differences of culture,
politics, and economics and its borders have little to do with clear and precise geography. culture and religion boundaries between these two regions are subject to considerable overlap and – most importantly – historical fluctuation, which makes a precise understanding somewhat difficult.
The term is commonly associated, but not clearly delimited, with liberal democracy, capitalism, and also with the
European Union. Most of the countries in this region share
Western culture, and many have economic, historical, and political ties with countries in
North America and South America, and Oceania (see also: Western world).
It includes:
- the Nordic countries: , , , , and
- the British Isles The term British Isles is controversial in relation to Ireland where its use is objected by the government of the Irish Republic and many of its citizens. (See British Isles naming dispute).: and the
- the Alps: , , and
- the Benelux countries: , the , and
- the Italian Peninsula: , , and
- the Iberian Peninsula: , , , and Gibraltar (a British overseas territories)
UN geopraphical definition
s of Europe as delineated by the United Nations (UN definition of Western Europe marked light blue):Alternatively for the United Nations,
Western Europe is also a less-known geographic subregion of Europe that is far more restrictive than traditional political and cultural reckonings; United Nations Statistics Division: "Composition of macro geographical (continental) regions, geographical sub-regions, and selected economic and other groupings", it comprises the following nine countries:
Classical antiquity and medieval origins
The earliest known distinctions between east and west in Europe originate in the history of the
Roman Republic. As Roman domain expanded a cultural and linguistical division appeared between the mainly Koine Greek-speaking eastern provinces which had formed the highly urbanized Hellenistic civilization. On contrast the western territories largely adopted the
Latin language. This cultural and linguistic division was eventually reinforced by the later political east-west division of the
Roman Empire.
The division between these two spheres was enhanced during Late Antiquity and the
Middle Ages by a number of events. The Western Roman Empire collapsed starting the Early Middle Ages. By contrast, the Eastern Roman Empire, mostly known as Byzantine Empire, managed to survive and even to thrive for another 1000 years. The rise of the Carolingian Empire in the west, and in particular the East-West Schism that formally divided Eastern Christianity and
Western Christianity, enhanced the cultural and religious distinctiveness between Eastern and Western Europe.
The conquest of the Byzantine Empire, center of the Eastern Orthodox Church, by the Muslim Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, and the gradual fragmentation of the
Holy Roman Empire (which had replaced the Frankish empire) led to a change of the importance of Roman Catholic/
Protestant vs.
Eastern Orthodox concept in Europe.
Historical events like the
Renaissance, the
Protestant Reformation by
Martin Luther and the Counter-Reformation of the
Catholic Church, the Age of Enlightenment, the French Revolution, and the
Industrial Revolution are considered to be common experiences which have shaped Western European culture and identity. During the Age of Discovery, most of the western European countries colonized
Africa,
Asia,
South America and
North America. All these historical events and cultural developments have influence over the
Western European concept. separated the European members of
NATO (in blue) from the members of the Warsaw Pact (in red). Neutral coutries were classified by the nature of their political system.
The Cold War divides Europe into the Eastern/Western blocs
During the final stages of WWII the future of Europe was decided between the
Allies in the
1945 Yalta Conference, between the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill, the President of the
United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and the Premier of the
Soviet Union Joseph Stalin.
Post-war Europe would be divided into two major spheres: the
Western world#The Cold War mainly influenced by the USA, and the
Eastern Bloc dominated by the Soviet Union. With the onset of the Cold War, Europe was divided by the
Iron Curtain.
This term had been used during World War II by German
Propagandaministerium Joseph Goebbels and later Count Lutz Schwerin von Krosigk in the last days of the war; however, its use was hugely popularised by Winston Churchill, who used it in his famous "Sinews of Peace" address March 5, 1946 at
Westminster College, Missouri in
Fulton, Missouri:
Although some countries were officially
Neutral country, they were classified according to the nature of their political and economical systems. This division largely defined the popular perception and understanding of Western Europe and its borders with Eastern Europe till this day.
A divided Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe was mainly composed of all the European countries liberated and then occupied by the Soviet army. It included the German Democratic Republic, widely known as
East Germany, formed by the
Soviet occupation zone of Germany. All the countries in Eastern Europe had communist regimes imposed upon them. Most of these countries were officially independent from the Soviet Union, but the practical extent of this independence was quite limited. In some matters many of them were little more than
Satellite states of the Soviet Union.
- Most of these countries were members of the military Warsaw pact and its economical twin COMECON. First and foremost was the Soviet Union (which by itself included Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, etc). Other countries dominated by the Soviet Union were the German Democratic Republic, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania.
- The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (formed after WWII and before its later dismemberment) was not a member of the Warsaw Pact. It was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement, an organization created in an attempt to avoid being assigned to any of the two blocs. It was demonstratively independent from the Soviet Union for most of the Cold War period, but because of its communist regime it was widely regarded part of the Eastern/communist bloc.
- Albania broke with the Soviet Union in the early 1960s as a result of the Sino-Soviet split, aligning itself instead with China. Despite this, it had a communist regime and thus was considered part of the Eastern/communist bloc.
Western Europe
Western Europe was and is composed by:
- United Kingdom and France, victors of World War II.
- The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg countries who had been occupied by Nazi Germany and subsequently liberated by the Western allies.
- The West Germany, widely known as West Germany, which had been formed by the three occupation zones of Germany belonging to the Western Allies (USA, UK and France).
- Italy, a former Axis Power who had surrendered and been occupied by the Western Allies.
- Republic of Ireland gained its independence in the 1920s from the United Kingdom. It stayed The Emergency during World War II. It never joined NATO but it joined the European Union in 1973.
- The Nordic countries were a peculiar case. Denmark and Norway had been conquered by Nazi Germany but were not liberated by the allies. During the war Iceland, united with Denmark under a common king, had been Invasion of Iceland by the United Kingdom and the United States without any casualties by either side.
- Sweden had managed to remain neutral throughout the war.
- Finland had been a co-belligerent of Germany against the Soviet Union and it had been defeated, but was not conquered or occupied. (for further details see:Continuation War). The Paris Peace Treaties, 1947 between Finland and the Soviet Union stipulated that the Soviet Union would Annexation minor parts of Finland, and that Finland would have friendly relations with the Soviet Union (see also: Moscow Armistice).
- Austria and Switzerland are also a peculiar case. Austria had been incorporated into Nazi Germany through the Anschluss before the war, while Switzerland had managed to remain neutral throughout the WWII. After the war both of them remained neutral, in the case of Austria through the Austrian State Treaty. Austria later joined the European Union but not NATO. Switzerland declined membership of NATO and the European Union and joined EFTA instead.
Other countries also became increasingly part of
Western Europe. Almost all countries of
Western Europe received economical assistance from the United States through the Marshall Plan. Many joined
NATO and/or the European Union or its rival, the European Free Trade Association.
- Countries who were under the rule of dictators, Portugal, Spain, and Greece became parliamentarian democracies in the mid-1970s. The first two are situated in the geographic south-west of Europe, while the last one is located in the south-east of it. All of them joined NATO and also the European Union.
- The European microstates of Vatican City, San Marino, Monaco, Andorra and Liechtenstein are considered part of Western Europe but they are mainly overlooked. Many of these states have special agreements and treaties with the European Union.
- The legal status of many of the Overseas territories in Europe (Gibraltar, Channel Islands, Faroe Islands, etc) are peculiar and vary from case to case. Despite all that, they are also part of Western Europe.
- Malta is generally considered part of Western EuropeUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization: Western Europe.
Turkey
- Turkey, as a member of NATO was accepted as belonging to the Western bloc. Nevertheless it has not yet become a part of the European Union. Turkey is typically considered to be a transcontinental nation in both southeastern Europe and Southwest Asia.
Later political developments
The world changed dramatically with the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989. The Federal Republic of Germany peacefully absorbed the Democratic Republic of Germany, leading to the German reunification. COMECON and the Warsaw Pact were dissolved, and in 1991, the Soviet Union ceased to exist. Several countries which had been part of the Soviet Union regained their full independence.
Although the term
Western Europe was largely defined of the Cold War, it still remains much in use. The term is commonly used in the media and in everyday use both in "western" and other regions of Europe.
The term
Central Europe reappeared.
Western Europe has increasingly less to do with the European Union. The 1995, 2004, and 2007
Enlargement of the European Union saw many eastern countries joining the EU, and a view that Europe is divided strictly into the West and the East is sometimes considered patronising or pejorative by many in the nominally eastern countries.
See also
References and notes
- The Making of Europe, ISBN 0-14-015409-4, by Robert Bartlett
- Crescent and Cross, ISBN 1-84212-753-5, by Hugh Bicheno
- The Normans, ISBN 0-7524-2881-0, by Trevor Rowley
- 1066 The Year of the Three Battles, ISBN 0-7126-6672-9, by Frank McLynn
External links
- The European sub-regions according to the UN
- Western Europe according to UNESCO
- Teaching about Western Europe
- Western Europe.info
BBC - Weather Centre - UK and World Weather
Europe - Mediterranean and East Europe - North Europe - West Middle East Sports Coast and Sea Climate Change Features Weatherwise About BBC Weather Site FAQ
Amazon.co.uk: Help > Dispatch & Delivery > Delivery Rates ...
Western Europe Delivery Rates. For our purposes, Western Europe includes Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland (Republic of ...
Western Europe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe '. The concept at different times has had different meanings, at times including political ...
Western Europe - Intute: Social Sciences
Browse Western Europe ... This website is part of the World Legal Information Institute's Catalog of websites.
PG Careers Western Europe | Home
P&G Careers Western Europe ... Job Categories New College/University Graduates Starting positions for students about to graduate or recently graduated including those with Advanced ...
Hotels Throughout Britain and Ireland, Western Europe and North ...
Find tourist information and guides to destinations throughout Britain, Europe and North America, with extensive listings of hotels, attractions, shops and restaurants.
Western Europe Hotels - Short Breaks and Special Offers
Comprehensiev listings of hotels across Western Europe, including special offers, with easy online booking
European Consumer Markets and Demographics
With comparisons of market size data for over 330 consumer products, across 17 European countries and over a six year time period (2002-2007), Consumer Western Europe 2008/2009 is ...
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