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Situated in northern Europe, much of Estonia is actually surrounded by the Baltic Sea and land locked between Latvia and Russia. Since the demise of communism and the lifting of the so called “Iron Curtain” many countries such as Estonia have taken a greater interest in the European Union and the potential for economic stability at last. After a period of waiting, Estonia was finally admitted to the Union in May 2004 and the economy has mostly definitely benefited from increased trade and investment. |
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Situated in the south eastern corner of Europe, Romania was for many years very heavily dependent on the Soviet Union. Since the demise of the Soviet Union slowly but surely the country is starting to show signs of genuine growth although there is still much to do. In line with the move to become more involved in Europe, Romania joined the European Union on 1st January 2007. The country is the 7th largest in the EU with a population in the region of 22 million, but by land mass it is ranked 9th. The history of Romania is heavily influenced by the surrounding countries of Hungary, Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova and Bulgaria although the country does have vital access to the Black sea trade routes. |
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Located in the southern area of Europe, Croatia is bordered by the likes of Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Italy (by sea). Even though the country is well positioned for both international trade as well as tourism, the economy has been very subdued over the last decade. It is only in the run-up to full membership of the European Union (talks are expected to resume in 2007) that there have been real signs of improvement.
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Situated in central Europe, the Czech Republic (formerly known as Czechoslovakia prior to the break up) is land locked by Poland, Germany, Austria and Slovakia. While the country covers some 78,000 km2, it only has a population of just over 10 million. Over the last 20 years the country has been at the centre of much infighting and politician upheaval, but the situation seems to be more under control these days, and the economy is has been fairly up beat since the last recession which ended in 1999. |
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Latvia is situated in northern Europe, sharing borders with the likes of Estonia, Lithuania, Russia and Belarus and just over the Baltic Sea from Sweden. Like so many of the smaller nations in that region, Latvia has recently joined the European Union (May 2004) ensuring an opening up of new trading partners, trading markets as well additional funding from the EU. This has all had a major impact on the country over the last few years, and seems set to have a further impact for the foreseeable future. |
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Until recently part of Serbia (and even earlier Yugoslavia), Montenegro is located in the south eastern region of Europe with neighbours including Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Serbia. Despite the struggle for independence the state has been formerly recognised by an array of countries throughout the world and was welcomed into the United Nations in 2007 and also became the 47th member state of the Council of Europe. |
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