Currencies of the European Union
Current currencies
Table:
Currency

Region

Symbol

ISO

Peg

Notes

Euro

show

Eurozone

Austria
Belgium
Cyprus
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Portugal
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain

€

EUR

Floating

Also used by EU institutions

Bulgarian lev

Bulgaria

лв

BGN

Currency board

British pound sterling[a]
Gibraltar pound

United Kingdom
Gibraltar

£

GBP
GIP

Floating
Pegged to pound sterling

Croatian kuna

Croatia

kn

HRK

Floating

Czech koruna

Czech Republic

Kč

CZK

Floating

Danish krone

Denmark

kr

DKK

ERM II

Hungarian forint

Hungary

Ft

HUF

Floating

Polish złoty

Poland

zł

PLN

Floating

Romanian leu

Romania

Leu

RON

Floating

Swedish krona

Sweden

kr

SEK

Floating

Swiss franc

Campione d'Italia (part of Italy)[b]
Büsingen am Hochrhein (part of Germany)[c]

Fr.

CHF

Floating

Swiss franc is issued by Switzerland.

Considering the given table and the supporting text listed.

Give the answer to the question: When was the currency that uses the symbol of kr first introduced ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

A currency symbol or currency sign is a graphic symbol used as a shorthand for a currency 's name , especially in reference to amounts of money .
ISO 4217 is a standard first published by International Organization for Standardization in 1978 , which delineates currency designators , country codes ( alpha and numeric ) , and references to minor units in three tables :
A fixed exchange rate , sometimes called a pegged exchange rate , is a type of exchange rate regime in which a currency 's value is fixed or pegged by a monetary authority against the value of another currency , a basket of other currencies , or another measure of value , such as gold . There are benefits and risks to using a fixed exchange rate system . A fixed exchange rate is typically used to stabilize the exchange rate of a currency by directly fixing its value in a predetermined ratio to a different , more stable , or more internationally prevalent currency ( or currencies ) to which the currency is pegged . In doing so , the exchange rate between the currency and its peg does not change based on market conditions , unlike in a floating ( flexible ) exchange regime . This makes trade and investments between the two currency areas easier and more predictable and is especially useful for small economies that borrow primarily in foreign currency and in which external trade forms a large part of their GDP . A fixed exchange rate system can also be used to control the behavior of a currency , such as by limiting rates of inflation . However , in doing so , the pegged currency is then controlled by its reference value . As such , when the reference value rises or falls , it then follows that the value ( s ) of any currencies pegged to it will also rise and fall in relation to other currencies and commodities with which the pegged currency can be traded . In other words , a pegged currency is dependent on its reference value to dictate how its current worth is defined at any given time . In addition , according to the Mundell-Fleming model , with perfect capital mobility , a fixed exchange rate prevents a government from using domestic monetary policy to achieve macroeconomic stability . In a fixed exchange rate system , a countrys central bank typically uses an open market mechanism and is committed at all times to buy and/or sell its currency at a fixed price in order to maintain its pegged ratio and , hence , the stable value of its currency in relation to the reference to which it is pegged . To maintain a desired exchange rate , the central bank during a time of private sector net demand for the foreign currency , sells foreign currency from its reserves and buys back the domestic money .
The euro ( sign : € ; code : EUR ) is the official currency of 19 of the 27 member states of the European Union . This group of states is known as the eurozone or euro area , and counts about 343 million citizens as of 2019 [ update ] . The euro , which is divided into 100 cents , is the second-largest and second-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar . The currency is also used officially by the institutions of the European Union , by four European microstates that are not EU members , as well as unilaterally by Montenegro and Kosovo . Outside Europe , a number of special territories of EU members also use the euro as their currency . Additionally , over 200 million people worldwide use currencies pegged to the euro . The euro is the second-largest reserve currency as well as the second-most traded currency in the world after the United States dollar . As of December 2019 [ update ] , with more than €1.3 trillion in circulation , the euro has one of the highest combined values of banknotes and coins in circulation in the world . The name euro was officially adopted on 16 December 1995 in Madrid . The euro was introduced to world financial markets as an accounting currency on 1 January 1999 , replacing the former European Currency Unit ( ECU ) at a ratio of 1:1 ( US $ 1.1743 ) . Physical euro coins and banknotes entered into circulation on 1 January 2002 , making it the day-to-day operating currency of its original members , and by March 2002 it had completely replaced the former currencies . While the euro dropped subsequently to US $ 0.83 within two years ( 26 October 2000 ) , it has traded above the U.S. dollar since the end of 2002 , peaking at US $ 1.60 on 18 July 2008 .
The eurozone , officially called the euro area , is a monetary union of 19 of the 27 European Union ( EU ) member states which have adopted the euro ( € ) as their common currency and sole legal tender . The monetary authority of the eurozone is the Eurosystem . The other eight members of the European Union continue to use their own national currencies , although most of them are obliged to adopt the euro in the future . The eurozone consists of Austria , Belgium , Cyprus , Estonia , Finland , France , Germany , Greece , Ireland , Italy , Latvia , Lithuania , Luxembourg , Malta , the Netherlands , Portugal , Slovakia , Slovenia , and Spain . Other EU states ( except for Denmark ) are obliged to join once they meet the criteria to do so . No state has left , and there are no provisions to do so or to be expelled . Andorra , Monaco , San Marino , and Vatican City have formal agreements with the EU to use the euro as their official currency and issue their own coins . Kosovo and Montenegro have adopted the euro unilaterally , but these countries do not officially form part of the eurozone and do not have representation in the European Central Bank ( ECB ) or in the Eurogroup . The ECB , which is governed by a president and a board of the heads of national central banks , sets the monetary policy of the zone . The principal task of the ECB is to keep inflation under control . Though there is no common representation , governance or fiscal policy for the currency union , some co-operation does take place through the Eurogroup , which makes political decisions regarding the eurozone and the euro . The Eurogroup is composed of the finance ministers of eurozone states , but in emergencies , national leaders also form the Eurogroup .
Austria ( /ˈɒstriə/ ( listen ) , /ˈɔːs-/ ; German : Österreich [ ˈøːstɐʁaɪ̯ç ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Austria ( German : Republik Österreich , listen ( help·info ) ) , is a landlocked East Alpine country in the southern part of Central Europe . It is composed of nine federated states ( Bundesländer ) , one of which is Vienna , Austria 's capital and its largest city . It is bordered by Germany to the northwest , Czech Republic to the north , Slovakia to the northeast , Hungary to the east , Slovenia and Italy to the south , and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west . Austria occupies an area of 83,879 km2 ( 32,386 sq mi ) and has a population of nearly 9 million people . While German is the country 's official language , many Austrians communicate informally in a variety of Bavarian dialects . Austria initially emerged as a margraviate around 976 and developed into a duchy and archduchy . In the 16th century , Austria started serving as the heart of the Habsburg Monarchy and the junior branch of the House of Habsburg - one of the most influential royal dynasties in history . As an archduchy , it was a major component and administrative centre of the Holy Roman Empire . Early in the 19th century , Austria established its own empire , which became a great power and the leading force of the German Confederation but pursued its own course independently of the other German states . Following the Austro-Prussian War and the compromise with Hungary , the Dual Monarchy was established . Austria was involved in World War I under Emperor Franz Joseph following the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand , the presumptive successor to the Austro-Hungarian throne . After the defeat and the dissolution of the Monarchy , the Republic of German-Austria was proclaimed with the intent of the union with Germany , which eventually failed because of the Allied Powers and the state remained unrecognized .
Belgium , [ A ] officially the Kingdom of Belgium , is a country in Western Europe . It is bordered by the Netherlands to the north , Germany to the east , Luxembourg to the southeast , France to the southwest , and the North Sea to the northwest . It covers an area of 30,689 km2 ( 11,849 sq mi ) and has a population of more than 11.5 million , making it the 22nd most densely populated country in the world and the 6th most densely populated country in Europe , with a density of 376 per square kilometre ( 970/sq mi ) . The capital and largest city is Brussels ; other major cities are Antwerp , Ghent , Charleroi and Liège . The sovereign state is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system . Its institutional organization is complex and is structured on both regional and linguistic grounds . It is divided into three highly autonomous regions : the Flemish Region in the north , Wallonia in the south , and the Brussels-Capital Region . Brussels is the smallest and most densely populated region , as well as the richest region in terms of GDP per capita . Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups or communities : the Dutch-speaking Flemish Community , which constitutes about 60 percent of the population , and the French-speaking Community , which comprises about 40 percent of all Belgians . A small German-speaking Community , numbering around one percent , exists in the East Cantons . The Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual ( French and Dutch ) , although French is the dominant language . Belgium 's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its political history and complex system of governance , made up of six different governments .
Cyprus ( /ˈsaɪprəs/ ( listen ) ; Greek : Κύπρος [ ˈcipros ] ; Turkish : Kıbrıs [ ˈkɯbɾɯs ] ) , officially the Republic of Cyprus ( Greek : Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία , lit . Cypriot Republic ; Turkish : Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti , lit . Republic of Cyprus ) , is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean and the third-largest and third-most populous island in the Mediterranean , located south of Turkey , west of Syria and Lebanon , north of Israel , the Gaza Strip ( Palestinian region ) and Egypt , and southeast of Greece . The earliest known human activity on the island dates to around the 10th millennium BC . Archaeological remains from this period include the well-preserved Neolithic village of Khirokitia , and Cyprus is home to some of the oldest water wells in the world . Cyprus was settled by Mycenaean Greeks in two waves in the 2nd millennium BC . As a strategic location in the Middle East , it was subsequently occupied by several major powers , including the empires of the Assyrians , Egyptians and Persians , from whom the island was seized in 333 BC by Alexander the Great . Subsequent rule by Ptolemaic Egypt , the Classical and Eastern Roman Empire , Arab caliphates for a short period , the French Lusignan dynasty and the Venetians , was followed by over three centuries of Ottoman rule between 1571 and 1878 ( de jure until 1914 ) . Cyprus was placed under the UK 's administration based on the Cyprus Convention in 1878 and was formally annexed by the UK in 1914 . While Turkish Cypriots made up 18% of the population , the partition of Cyprus and creation of a Turkish state in the north became a policy of Turkish Cypriot leaders and Turkey in the 1950s . Turkish leaders for a period advocated the annexation of Cyprus to Turkey as Cyprus was considered an extension of Anatolia by them ; while , since the 19th century , the majority Greek Cypriot population and its Orthodox church had been pursuing union with Greece , which became a Greek national policy in the 1950s . Following nationalist violence in the 1950s , Cyprus was granted independence in 1960 .
Estonia ( Estonian : Eesti [ ˈeːsʲti ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Estonia ( Estonian : Eesti Vabariik ) , is a country on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe . It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland with Finland on the other side , to the west by the Baltic Sea with Sweden on the other side , to the south by Latvia ( 343 km ) , and to the east by Lake Peipus and Russia ( 338.6 km ) . The territory of Estonia consists of the mainland and of 2,222 islands in the Baltic Sea , covering a total area of 45,227 km2 ( 17,462 sq mi ) , water 2,839 km2 ( 1,096 sq mi ) , land area 42,388 km2 ( 16,366 sq mi ) , and is influenced by a humid continental climate . The official language of the country , Estonian , is the second-most-spoken Finnic language . The territory of Estonia has been inhabited since at least 9,000 BC . Ancient Estonians became some of the last European pagans to adopt Christianity - following the Livonian Crusade in the 13th century . After centuries of successive rule by Germans , Danes , Swedes , Poles and Russians , a distinct Estonian national identity began to emerge in the 19th and early 20th centuries . This culminated in independence from Russia in 1920 after a brief War of Independence at the end of World War I . Initially democratic prior to the Great Depression , Estonia experienced authoritarian rule from 1934 during the Era of Silence . During World War II ( 1939-1945 ) , Estonia was repeatedly contested and occupied by the Soviet Union and Germany , ultimately being incorporated into the former . After the loss of its de facto independence , Estonia 's de jure state continuity was preserved by diplomatic representatives and the government-in-exile . In 1987 the peaceful Singing Revolution began against Soviet rule , resulting in the restoration of de facto independence on 20 August 1991 .
Finland ( Finnish : Suomi [ ˈsuo̯mi ] ( listen ) ; Swedish : Finland [ ˈfɪ̌nland ] ( listen ) , Finland Swedish : [ ˈfinlɑnd ] ) , officially the Republic of Finland ( Finnish : Suomen tasavalta , Swedish : Republiken Finland ( listen to all ) ) , [ note 1 ] is a Nordic country in Northern Europe bordering the Baltic Sea , Gulf of Bothnia , and Gulf of Finland , between Sweden to the west , Russia to the east , Estonia to the south , and north-eastern Norway to the north . The capital and largest city is Helsinki . Other major cities are Espoo , Tampere , Vantaa , Oulu , Turku , Jyväskylä , Lahti and Kuopio . Finland 's population is 5.52 million as of July 2019 , the majority of whom live in the central and south of the country and speak Finnish , a Finnic language from the Uralic language family , unrelated to the Scandinavian languages . Finland is the eighth-largest country in Europe and the most sparsely populated country in the European Union . It is a parliamentary republic of 310 municipalities , and includes an autonomous region , the Åland Islands . Over 1.4 million people live in the Greater Helsinki metropolitan area , which produces one third of the country 's GDP . Swedish is the second official language of Finland , which is mainly spoken in certain coastal areas and on Åland . A large majority of Finns are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church . Finland was inhabited when the last ice age ended , approximately 9000 BC . Comb Ceramic culture introduced pottery 5200 BC and Corded Ware culture coincided with the start of agriculture between 3000 and 2500 BC . The Bronze Age and Iron Age were characterised by extensive contacts with other cultures in the Fennoscandian and Baltic regions .
France ( French : [ fʁɑ̃s ] ( listen ) ) , officially the French Republic ( French : République française , pronounced [ ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛːz ] ( listen ) ) , is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . [ XIII ] The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . It is bordered by Belgium , Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast , Switzerland and Italy to the east , and Andorra and Spain to the south . The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . The country 's 18 integral regions ( five of which are situated overseas ) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres ( 248,573 sq mi ) and a total population of 67.02 million ( as of July 2019 [ update ] ) . France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban areas include Lyon , Marseille , Toulouse , Bordeaux , Lille and Nice . France , including its overseas territories , has the most number of time zones of any country , with a total of 12 . During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . Rome annexed the area in 51 BC , holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476 , who formed the Kingdom of Francia . The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned Francia into East Francia , Middle Francia and West Francia . West Francia , which became the Kingdom of France in 987 , emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , following its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337-1453 ) .
Germany ( German : Deutschland , German pronunciation : [ ˈdɔʏtʃlant ] ) , constitutionally the Federal Republic of Germany ( German : Bundesrepublik Deutschland , listen ( help·info ) ) , [ f ] is a country in Central and Western Europe . It borders Denmark to the north , Poland and the Czech Republic to the east , Austria and Switzerland to the south , France to the southwest , and Luxembourg , Belgium , and the Netherlands to the west . Germany includes 16 constituent states , covers an area of 357,386 square kilometres ( 137,988 sq mi ) , and has a largely temperate seasonal climate . With 83 million inhabitants , it is the second most populous state of Europe after Russia , the most populous state lying entirely in Europe , as well as the most populous member state of the European Union . Germany is a very decentralised country . Its capital and largest metropolis is Berlin , while Frankfurt serves as its financial capital and has the country 's busiest airport . Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity . A region named Germania was documented before AD 100 . Beginning in the 10th century , German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire . During the 16th century , northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation . After the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire , the German Confederation was formed in 1815 . The German revolutions of 1848-49 resulted in the Frankfurt Parliament establishing major democratic rights .
Greece ( Greek : Ελλάδα ) , officially the Hellenic Republic ( Greek : Ελληνική Δημοκρατία ) , historically also known as Hellas , is a country located in Southeast Europe . Its population is approximately 10.7 million as of 2018 ; Athens , the nation 's capital , is its largest city , followed by Thessaloniki . Situated on the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula , Greece is located at the crossroads of Europe , Asia , and Africa . It shares land borders with Albania to the northwest , North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north , and Turkey to the northeast . The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland , the Ionian Sea to the west , the Cretan Sea and the Mediterranean Sea to the south . Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin and the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km ( 8,498 mi ) in length , featuring many islands , of which 227 are inhabited . Eighty percent of Greece is mountainous , with Mount Olympus being the highest peak at 2,918 metres ( 9,573 ft ) . The country consists of nine traditional geographic regions : Macedonia , Central Greece , the Peloponnese , Thessaly , Epirus , the Aegean Islands ( including the Dodecanese and Cyclades ) , Thrace , Crete , and the Ionian Islands . Greece is considered the cradle of Western civilisation , being the birthplace of democracy , Western philosophy , Western literature , historiography , political science , major scientific and mathematical principles , Western drama and the Olympic Games . From the eighth century B.C. , the Greeks were organised into various independent city-states , known as poleis ( singular polis ) , which spanned the entire Mediterranean region and the Black Sea . Philip of Macedon united most of the Greek mainland in the fourth century BC , with his son Alexander the Great rapidly conquering much of the ancient world , from the eastern Mediterranean to India . Greece was annexed by Rome in the second century B.C. , becoming an integral part of the Roman Empire and its successor , the Byzantine Empire , which adopted the Greek language and culture .
Ireland ( Irish : Éire [ ˈeːɾʲə ] ( listen ) ) , also known as the Republic of Ireland ( Poblacht na hÉireann ) , is a country in north-western Europe occupying 26 of 32 counties of the island of Ireland . The capital and largest city is Dublin , which is located on the eastern side of the island . Around a third of the country 's population of 4.9 million people resides in the greater Dublin area . The sovereign state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland , a part of the United Kingdom . It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the Celtic Sea to the south , St George 's Channel to the south-east , and the Irish Sea to the east . It is a unitary , parliamentary republic . The legislature , the Oireachtas , consists of a lower house , Dáil Éireann , an upper house , Seanad Éireann , and an elected President ( Uachtarán ) who serves as the largely ceremonial head of state , but with some important powers and duties . The head of government is the Taoiseach ( Prime Minister , literally 'Chief ' , a title not used in English ) , who is elected by the Dáil and appointed by the President ; the Taoiseach in turn appoints other government ministers . The state was created as the Irish Free State in 1922 as a result of the Anglo-Irish Treaty . It had the status of Dominion until 1937 when a new constitution was adopted , in which the state was named Ireland and effectively became a republic , with an elected non-executive president as head of state . It was officially declared a republic in 1949 , following the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 . Ireland became a member of the United Nations in December 1955 .
Italy ( Italian : Italia [ iˈtaːlja ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Italian Republic ( Italian : Repubblica Italiana [ reˈpubblika itaˈljaːna ] ) , is a European country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and surrounded by several islands . Italy is located in south-central Europe , and it is also considered a part of Western Europe . The country covers a total area of 301,340 km2 ( 116,350 sq mi ) and shares land borders with France , Switzerland , Austria , Slovenia , and the enclaved microstates of Vatican City and San Marino . Italy has a territorial exclave in Switzerland ( Campione ) and a maritime exclave in the Tunisian Sea ( Lampedusa ) . With around 60 million inhabitants , Italy is the third-most populous member state of the European Union . The capital and largest city is Rome ; other major cities are Milan , Naples , Turin , Palermo , Genoa , Bologna , Florence and Venice . Due to its central geographic location in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean , Italy has historically been home to myriad peoples and cultures . In addition to the various ancient peoples dispersed throughout what is now modern-day Italy , the most predominant being the Indo-European Italic peoples who gave the peninsula its name , beginning from the classical era , Phoenicians and Carthaginians founded colonies mostly in insular Italy , Greeks established settlements in the so-called Magna Graecia of Southern Italy , while Etruscans and Celts inhabited central and northern Italy respectively . An Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom in the 8th century BC , which eventually became a republic with a government of the Senate and the People . The Roman Republic initially conquered and assimilated its neighbours on the Italian peninsula , eventually expanding and conquering parts of Europe , North Africa and Asia . By the first century BC , the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Basin and became a leading cultural , political and religious centre , inaugurating the Pax Romana , a period of more than 200 years during which Italy 's law , technology , economy , art , and literature developed . Italy remained the homeland of the Romans and the metropole of the empire , whose legacy can also be observed in the global distribution of culture , governments , Christianity and the Latin script .
Latvia ( /ˈlɑːtviə/ or /ˈlætviə/ ( listen ) ; Latvian : Latvija [ ˈlatvija ] , Livonian : Lețmō ) , officially known as the Republic of Latvia ( Latvian : Latvijas Republika , Livonian : Lețmō Vabāmō ) , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe . Since its independence , Latvia has been referred to as one of the Baltic states . It is bordered by Estonia to the north , Lithuania to the south , Russia to the east , Belarus to the southeast , and shares a maritime border with Sweden to the west . Latvia has 1,957,200 inhabitants and a territory of 64,589 km2 ( 24,938 sq mi ) . The country has a temperate seasonal climate . The Baltic Sea moderates climate , although it has four distinct seasons and snowy winters . After centuries of Swedish , Polish and Russian rule , a rule mainly executed by the Baltic German aristocracy , the Republic of Latvia was established on 18 November 1918 when it broke away from the Russian Empire and declared independence in the aftermath of World War I . However , by the 1930s the country became increasingly autocratic after the coup in 1934 establishing an authoritarian regime under Kārlis Ulmanis . The country 's de facto independence was interrupted at the outset of World War II , beginning with Latvia 's forcible incorporation into the Soviet Union , followed by the invasion and occupation by Nazi Germany in 1941 , and the re-occupation by the Soviets in 1944 ( Courland Pocket in 1945 ) to form the Latvian SSR for the next 45 years . The peaceful Singing Revolution , starting in 1987 , called for Baltic emancipation from Soviet rule and condemning the Communist regime 's illegal takeover . It ended with the Declaration on the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia on 4 May 1990 and restoring de facto independence on 21 August 1991 . Latvia is a democratic sovereign state , parliamentary republic and a very highly developed country according to the United Nations Human Development Index .
The first known record of the name of Lithuania ( Lithuanian : Lietuva ) is in a 9 March 1009 story of Saint Bruno in the Quedlinburg Chronicle . The Chronicle recorded a Latinized form of the name Lietuva : Litua ( pronounced [ litua ] ) . Due to the lack of reliable evidence , the true meaning of the name is unknown . Nowadays , scholars still debate the meaning of the word and there are a few plausible versions . Since Lietuva has a suffix ( -uva ) , the original word should have no suffix . [ citation needed ] A likely candidate is Lietā . Because many Baltic ethnonyms originated from hydronyms , linguists have searched for its origin among local hydronyms . Usually , such names evolved through the following process : hydronym → toponym → ethnonym . Lietava , a small river not far from Kernavė , the core area of the early Lithuanian state and a possible first capital of the eventual Grand Duchy of Lithuania , is usually credited as the source of the name . However , the river is very small and some find it improbable that such a small and local object could have lent its name to an entire nation . On the other hand , such naming is not unprecedented in world history . Artūras Dubonis proposed another hypothesis , that Lietuva relates to the word leičiai ( plural of leitis ) .
Luxembourg ( /ˈlʌksəmbɜːrɡ/ ( listen ) LUK-səm-burg ; Luxembourgish : Lëtzebuerg [ ˈlətsəbuə̯ɕ ] ( listen ) ; French : Luxembourg ; German : Luxemburg ) , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , [ c ] is a landlocked country in western Europe . It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north , Germany to the east , and France to the south . Its capital , Luxembourg City , is one of the four official capitals of the European Union ( together with Brussels , Frankfurt , and Strasbourg ) and the seat of the European Court of Justice , the highest judicial authority in the EU . Its culture , people , and languages are highly intertwined with its neighbours , making it essentially a mixture of French and German cultures , as evident by the nation 's three official languages : French , German , and the national language of Luxembourgish . The repeated invasions by Germany , especially in World War II , resulted in the country 's strong will for mediation between France and Germany and , among other things , led to the foundation of the European Union . With an area of 2,586 square kilometres ( 998 sq mi ) , it is one of the smallest sovereign states in Europe . In 2019 , Luxembourg had a population of 613,894 , which makes it one of the least-populous countries in Europe , but by far the one with the highest population growth rate . Foreigners account for nearly half of Luxembourg 's population . As a representative democracy with a constitutional monarch , it is headed by Grand Duke Henri and is the world 's only remaining sovereign grand duchy . Luxembourg is a developed country , with an advanced economy and one of the world 's highest GDP ( PPP ) per capita . The City of Luxembourg with its old quarters and fortifications was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 due to the exceptional preservation of the vast fortifications and the old city . The history of Luxembourg is considered to begin in 963 , when count Siegfried acquired a rocky promontory and its Roman-era fortifications known as Lucilinburhuc , little castle , and the surrounding area from the Imperial Abbey of St. Maximin in nearby Trier .
The origin of the name Malta is uncertain , and the modern-day variation is derived from the Maltese language . The most common etymology is that the word Malta is derived from the Greek word μέλι , meli , honey . The ancient Greeks called the island Μελίτη ( Melitē ) meaning honey-sweet , possibly for Malta 's unique production of honey ; an endemic subspecies of bees live on the island . The Romans called the island Melita , which can be considered either a latinisation of the Greek Μελίτη or the adaptation of the Doric Greek pronunciation of the same word Μελίτα . In 1525 William Tyndale used the transliteration Melite in Acts 28:1 for Καὶ διασωθέντες τότε ἐπέγνωμεν ὅτι Μελίτη ἡ νῆσος καλεῖται as found in his translation of The New Testament that relied on Greek texts instead of Latin . Melita is the spelling used in the Authorized ( King James ) Version of 1611 and in the American Standard Version of 1901 . Malta is widely used in more recent versions , such as The Revised Standard Version of 1946 and The New International Version of 1973 . Another conjecture suggests that the word Malta comes from the Phoenician word Maleth , a haven , or 'port ' in reference to Malta 's many bays and coves . Few other etymological mentions appear in classical literature , with the term Malta appearing in its present form in the Antonine Itinerary ( Itin . Marit . p. 518 ; Sil . Ital .
The Netherlands ( Dutch : Nederland , [ ˈneːdərlɑnt ] ( listen ) ) , informally Holland , is a country in Northwestern Europe with some overseas territories in the Caribbean . In Europe , it consists of 12 provinces that border Germany to the east , Belgium to the south , and the North Sea to the northwest , with maritime borders in the North Sea with those countries and the United Kingdom . Together with the Caribbean Netherlands - Bonaire , Sint Eustatius and Saba - it forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . The official language is Dutch and a secondary official language in the province of Friesland is West Frisian . In the north and east of the country , Low Saxon is also spoken , and in the southeast , Limburgish . In the Caribbean Netherlands English and Papiamento are recognised languages . The five largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam , Rotterdam , The Hague , Utrecht and Eindhoven . Amsterdam is the country 's most populous city and nominal capital , while The Hague holds the seat of the States General , Cabinet and Supreme Court . The Port of Rotterdam is the busiest seaport in Europe , and the busiest in any country outside Asia . Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the busiest airport in the Netherlands , and the third busiest in Europe . The country is a founding member of the EU , Eurozone , G10 , NATO , OECD and WTO , as well as a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union . It hosts several intergovernmental organisations and international courts , many of which are centered in The Hague , which is consequently dubbed 'the world 's legal capital ' .
Portugal ( Portuguese : [ puɾtuˈɣal ] ) , officially the Portuguese Republic ( Portuguese : República Portuguesa [ ʁɛˈpuβlikɐ puɾtuˈɣezɐ ] ) , [ note 5 ] is a country located mostly on the Iberian Peninsula , in southwestern Europe . It is the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe , being bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and east by Spain . Its territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira , both autonomous regions with their own regional governments . Portugal is the oldest nation state on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in Europe and the world , its territory having been continuously settled , invaded and fought over since prehistoric times . The pre-Celtic people , Iberians , Celts , Carthaginians and Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigoths and Suebi Germanic peoples . After the Muslim conquests of the Iberian Peninsula , most of the territory was part of Al-Andalus until their expulsion . Portugal as a country was established during the early Christian Reconquista . Founded in 868 , the County of Portugal gained prominence after the Battle of São Mamede in 1128 . The Kingdom of Portugal was later proclaimed following the Battle of Ourique in 1139 , and independence from León was recognised by the Treaty of Zamora in 1143 . On 12 December 2017 , the Portuguese Navy commemorated the 700th anniversary of its official creation by King Denis of Portugal . Tracing its origins back to the 12th century , it is the oldest continuously serving navy in the world . In the 15th and 16th centuries , Portugal established the first global empire , becoming one of the world 's major economic , political and military powers .
Slovakia ( /sloʊˈvækiə , -ˈvɑːk-/ ( listen ) ; Slovak : Slovensko [ ˈslɔʋɛnskɔ ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Slovak Republic ( Slovak : Slovenská republika , listen ( help·info ) ) , is a landlocked country in the eastern part of Central Europe . It is bordered by Poland to the north , Ukraine to the east , Hungary to the south , Austria to the southwest , and the Czech Republic to the northwest . Slovakia 's territory spans about 49,000 square kilometres ( 19,000 sq mi ) and is mostly mountainous . The population is over 5.6 million and consists mostly of Slovaks . The capital and largest city is Bratislava , and the second-largest city is Košice . The official language is Slovak . The Slavs arrived in the territory of present-day Slovakia in the 5th and 6th centuries . In the 7th century they played a significant role in the creation of Samo 's Empire and in the 9th century established the Principality of Nitra , which was later conquered by the Principality of Moravia to establish Great Moravia . In the 10th century , after the dissolution of Great Moravia , the territory was integrated into the Principality of Hungary , which would become the Kingdom of Hungary in 1000 . In 1241 and 1242 , much of the territory was destroyed by the Mongols during their invasion of Central and Eastern Europe . The area was recovered largely thanks to Béla IV of Hungary who also settled Germans who became an important ethnic group in the area , especially in what are today parts of central and eastern Slovakia . After World War I and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire , the Czechoslovak National Council established Czechoslovakia ( 1918-1939 ) .
Slovenia ( /sloʊˈviːniə , slə-/ ( listen ) sloh-VEE-nee-ə ; Slovene : Slovenija [ slɔˈʋèːnija ] ) , officially the Republic of Slovenia ( Slovene : Republika Slovenija ( help·info ) , abbr . : RS ) , is a country located in Europe at the crossroads of main European cultural and trade routes . It is bordered by Italy to the west , Austria to the north , Hungary to the northeast , Croatia to the southeast , and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest . Slovenia covers 20,273 square kilometers ( 7,827 sq mi ) and has a population of 2.084 million . One of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia , Slovenia is now a parliamentary republic and member nation of the European Union , United Nations , and NATO . The capital and largest city is Ljubljana . Slovenia has a mostly mountainous terrain with a mainly continental climate , with the exception of the Slovene Littoral , which has a sub-Mediterranean climate , and of the Julian Alps in the northwest , which have an Alpine climate . Additionally , the Dinaric Alps and the Pannonian Plain meet on the territory of Slovenia . The country , marked by a significant biological diversity , is one of the most water-rich in Europe , with a dense river network , a rich aquifer system , and significant karst underground watercourses . Over half of the territory is covered by forest . The human settlement of Slovenia is dispersed and uneven . Slovenia has historically been the crossroads of Slavic , Germanic , and Romance languages and cultures .
Spain ( Spanish : España [ esˈpaɲa ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Spain ( Spanish : Reino de España ) , [ a ] [ b ] is a country in Southwestern Europe with some pockets of Spanish territory across the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean . Its continental European territory is situated on the Iberian Peninsula . Its territory also includes two archipelagoes : the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa , and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea . The African enclaves of Ceuta , Melilla , and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country ( Morocco ) . [ h ] Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory . The country 's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar ; to the north and northeast by France , Andorra , and the Bay of Biscay ; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean . With an area of 505,990 km2 ( 195,360 sq mi ) , Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe , the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union , and the fourth largest country in the European continent . By population ( about 47 million ) , Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union . Spain 's capital and largest city is Madrid ; other major urban areas include Barcelona , Valencia , Seville , Zaragoza , Málaga and Bilbao . Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago . Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician , Greek , Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE , after which the region was named Hispania , based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp ( a ) n or Spania . At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe , invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces , including the Suebi , Alans and Vandals .
The euro sign ( € ) is the currency sign used for the euro , the official currency of the Eurozone and some other countries ( such as Kosovo and Montenegro ) . The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996 . It consists of a stylized letter E ( or epsilon ) , crossed by two lines instead of one . In English , the sign precedes the value ( for instance , €10 , not 10 € ) ; in most other European languages , the reverse is true .
The lev ( Bulgarian : лев , plural : лева , левове / leva , levove ) is the currency of Bulgaria . In archaic Bulgarian the word lev meant lion , a word which in the modern language became lăv ( IPA : [ ɫɤf ] ; in Bulgarian : лъв ) . The lev is pegged to the Euro at 1 € = 1.95583 leva . In archaic Bulgarian the word lev meant lion , a word which in the modern language became lăv ( IPA : [ ɫɤf ] ; in Bulgarian : лъв ) . The lev is divided in 100 stotinki ( стотинки , singular : stotinka , стотинка ) . Stotinka in Bulgarian means a hundreth and in fact is a translation of the French term centime . Grammatically the word stotinka comes from the word sto ( сто ) - a hundred .
Bulgaria ( /bʌlˈɡɛəriə , bʊl-/ ( listen ) ; Bulgarian : България , romanized : Balgariya ) , officially the Republic of Bulgaria ( Bulgarian : Република България , romanized : Republika Balgariya , IPA : [ rɛˈpublikɐ bɐɫˈɡarijɐ ] ) , is a country in Southeast Europe . It is bordered by Romania to the north , Serbia and North Macedonia to the west , Greece and Turkey to the south , and the Black Sea to the east . The capital and largest city is Sofia ; other major cities are Plovdiv , Varna and Burgas . With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres ( 42,855 sq mi ) , Bulgaria is Europe 's 16th-largest country . One of the earliest societies in the lands of modern-day Bulgaria was the Neolithic Karanovo culture , which dates back to 6,500 BC . In the 6th to 3rd century BC the region was a battleground for Thracians , Persians , Celts and ancient Macedonians ; stability came when the Roman Empire conquered the region in AD 45 . The Eastern Roman , or Byzantine , Empire lost some of these territories to an invading Bulgar horde in the late 7th century . The Bulgars founded the First Bulgarian Empire in AD 681 , which dominated most of the Balkans and significantly influenced Slavic cultures by developing the Cyrillic script . This state lasted until the early 11th century , when Byzantine emperor Basil II conquered and dismantled it . A successful Bulgarian revolt in 1185 established a Second Bulgarian Empire , which reached its apex under Ivan Asen II ( 1218-1241 ) . After numerous exhausting wars and feudal strife , the Second Bulgarian Empire disintegrated in 1396 and its territories fell under Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries . The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 resulted in the formation of the current Third Bulgarian State .
A currency board is a monetary authority which is required to maintain a fixed exchange rate with a foreign currency . This policy objective requires the conventional objectives of a central bank to be subordinated to the exchange rate target .
The kuna is the currency of Croatia , in use since 1994 ( sign : kn ; code : HRK ) . It is subdivided into 100 lipa . The kuna is issued by the Croatian National Bank and the coins are minted by the Croatian Monetary Institute . The plural form of the kuna in Croatian is kune . The word kuna means marten in Croatian , referring to the historical use of marten pelts as units of value in medieval trading . The word lipa means linden ( lime ) tree , a species that was traditionally planted around marketplaces in Croatia and others lands under Habsburg Monarchy during the early modern period .
Croatia ( /kroʊˈeɪʃə/ ( listen ) , kroh-AY-shə ; Croatian : Hrvatska , pronounced [ xř̩ʋaːtskaː ] ) , officially the Republic of Croatia ( Croatian : Republika Hrvatska , listen ( help·info ) ) , [ d ] is a country in Southeast Europe . It borders Slovenia to the northwest , Hungary to the northeast , Serbia to the east , Bosnia and Herzegovina , and Montenegro to the southeast , sharing a maritime border with Italy . Its capital , Zagreb , forms one of the country 's primary subdivisions , along with twenty counties . Croatia has an area of 56,594 square kilometres ( 21,851 square miles ) and a population of 4.28 million , most of whom are Roman Catholics . Croatia has been inhabited since the Paleolithic Age . The Croats arrived in the area in the 6th century and organised the territory into two duchies by the 9th century . Croatia was first internationally recognized as an independent state on 7 June 879 during the reign of duke Branimir . Tomislav became the first king by 925 , elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom , which retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries . During the succession crisis after the Trpimirović dynasty ended , Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102 . In 1527 , faced with Ottoman conquest , the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand I of Austria to the Croatian throne . In October 1918 , in the final days of World War I , the State of Slovenes , Croats and Serbs , independent from Austria-Hungary , was proclaimed in Zagreb , and in December 1918 it was merged into the Kingdom of Serbs , Croats and Slovenes ( renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929 ) . Following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941 , most of the Croatian territory was incorporated into a Nazi-backed client-state , the Independent State of Croatia .
A floating exchange rate ( also called a fluctuating or flexible exchange rate ) is a type of exchange rate regime in which a currency 's value is allowed to fluctuate in response to foreign exchange market events . A currency that uses a floating exchange rate is known as a floating currency . A floating currency is contrasted with a fixed currency whose value is tied to that of another currency , material goods or to a currency basket . In the modern world , most of the world 's currencies are floating , and include the most widely-traded currencies : the United States dollar , the Swiss franc , the Indian rupee , the euro , the Japanese yen , the pound sterling , and the Australian dollar . However , even with floating currencies , central banks often participate in the markets to attempt to influence the value of floating exchange rates . The Canadian dollar most closely resembles a pure floating currency because the Canadian central bank has not interfered with its price since it officially stopped doing so in 1998 . The US dollar runs a close second , with very little change in its foreign reserves . In contrast , Japan and the UK intervene to a greater extent , and India has seen medium-range intervention by its central bank , the Reserve Bank of India . [ citation needed ] From 1946 to the early 1970s , the Bretton Woods system made fixed currencies the norm ; however , in 1971 , the US decided no longer to uphold the dollar exchange at 1/35th of an ounce of gold and so its currency was no longer fixed . After the collapse of the Smithsonian Agreement in 1973 most of the world 's currencies followed suit . However , some countries , such as most of the Gulf States , fixed their currency to the value of another currency , which has been more recently associated with slower rates of growth . When a currency floats , targets other than the exchange rate itself are used to administer monetary policy ( see open-market operations ) .
The koruna ( sign : Kč ; code : CZK ) is the currency of the Czech Republic since 1993 , and in English it is sometimes referred to as Czech crown or Czech krone . The koruna is one of European Union 's 11 currencies , and Czechia is legally bound to adopt the euro currency in the future . The official name in Czech is koruna česká ( plural koruny české , though the zero-grade genitive plural form korun českých is used on banknotes and coins of value 5 Kč or higher ) . The ISO 4217 code is CZK and the local acronym is Kč , which is placed after the numeric value ( e.g. , 50 Kč ) or sometimes before it ( as is seen on the 10-koruna coin ) . One koruna equals 100 haléřů ( abbreviated as h , singular : haléř , nominative plural : haléře , genitive plural : haléřů - used with numbers higher or equal to 5 - e.g . 3 haléře , 8 haléřů ) , but haléře have been withdrawn , and the smallest unit of physical currency is 1 Kč .
The Czech Republic ( /ˈtʃɛk -/ ( listen ) ; Czech : Česká republika [ ˈtʃɛskaː ˈrɛpublɪka ] ( listen ) ) , also known by its short-form name , Czechia ( /ˈtʃɛkiə/ ( listen ) ; Czech : Česko [ ˈtʃɛsko ] ( listen ) ) , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Poland to the northeast , Slovakia to the southeast , Austria to the south , and Germany to the west . The Czech Republic is a landlocked country with a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,866 square kilometers ( 30,450 sq mi ) with a mostly temperate continental climate and oceanic climate . It is a unitary parliamentary republic , with 10.7 million inhabitants . Its capital and largest city is Prague , with 1.3 million residents ; other major cities are Brno , Ostrava , Olomouc and Pilsen . The Czech Republic includes the historical territories of Bohemia , Moravia , and Czech Silesia . The Czech state was formed in the late ninth century as the Duchy of Bohemia under the Great Moravian Empire . In 1002 , the duchy was formally recognized as an Imperial State of the Holy Roman Empire along with the Kingdom of Germany , the Kingdom of Burgundy , the Kingdom of Italy ; and became the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1198 , reaching its greatest territorial extent in the 14th century . Prague was the imperial seat in periods between the 14th and 17th century . The Protestant Bohemian Reformation of the 15th century led to the Hussite Wars , the first of many conflicts with the Catholic Church . Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526 , the whole Crown of Bohemia was gradually integrated into the Habsburg Monarchy . The Protestant Bohemian Revolt ( 1618-20 ) against the Catholic Habsburgs led to the Thirty Years ' War . After the Battle of the White Mountain , the Habsburgs consolidated their rule , eradicated Protestantism , reimposed Catholicism , and adopted a policy of gradual Germanization .
The krone ( Danish pronunciation : [ ˈkʰʁoːnə ] ; plural : kroner ; sign : kr . ; code : DKK ) is the official currency of Denmark , Greenland , and the Faroe Islands , introduced on 1 January 1875 . Both the ISO code DKK and currency sign kr . are in common use ; the former precedes the value , the latter in some contexts follows it . The currency is sometimes referred to as the Danish crown in English , since krone literally means crown . Historically , krone coins have been minted in Denmark since the 17th century . One krone is subdivided into 100 øre ( Danish pronunciation : [ ˈøːɐ ] ; singular and plural ) , the name øre is probably derived from the Roman word for gold . Altogether there are eleven denominations of the krone , with the smallest being the 50 øre coin ( one half of a krone ) . Formerly there were more øre coins , but those were discontinued due to inflation . The krone is pegged to the euro via the ERM II , the European Union 's exchange rate mechanism . Adoption of the euro is favoured by some of the major political parties , however a 2000 referendum on joining the Eurozone was defeated with 53.2% voting to maintain the krone and 46.8% voting to join the Eurozone .
Denmark ( Danish : Danmark , pronounced [ ˈtænmak ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Denmark , [ N 10 ] [ N 2 ] is a Nordic country in Northwest Europe . Denmark proper , which is the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries , consists of a peninsula , Jutland , and an archipelago of 443 named islands , [ N 2 ] with the largest being Zealand , Funen and the North Jutlandic Island . The islands are characterised by flat , arable land and sandy coasts , low elevation and a temperate climate . The southernmost of the Scandinavian nations , Denmark lies southwest of Sweden and south of Norway , [ N 11 ] and is bordered to the south by Germany . The Kingdom of Denmark also includes two autonomous territories in the North Atlantic Ocean : the Faroe Islands and Greenland . Denmark has a total area of 42,924 km2 ( 16,573 sq mi ) , land area of 42,394 km2 ( 16,368 sq mi ) , and the total area including Greenland and the Faroe Islands is 2,210,579 km2 ( 853,509 sq mi ) , and a population of 5.8 million in Denmark proper ( Danish egentlige Danmark ) ( as of 2020 [ update ] ) . The unified kingdom of Denmark emerged in the 8th century as a proficient seafaring nation in the struggle for control of the Baltic Sea . Denmark , Sweden , and Norway were ruled together under one sovereign ruler in the Kalmar Union , established in 1397 and ending with Swedish secession in 1523 . The areas of Denmark and Norway remained under the same monarch until 1814 , Denmark-Norway . Beginning in the 17th century , there were several devastating wars with the Swedish Empire , ending with large cessions of territory to Sweden . After the Napoleonic Wars , Norway was ceded to Sweden , while Denmark kept the Faroe Islands , Greenland , and Iceland . In the 19th century there was a surge of nationalist movements , which were defeated in the First Schleswig War .
The European Exchange Rate Mechanism ( ERM ) was a system introduced by the European Economic Community on 13 March 1979 , as part of the European Monetary System ( EMS ) , to reduce exchange rate variability and achieve monetary stability in Europe , in preparation for Economic and Monetary Union and the introduction of a single currency , the euro , which took place on 1 January 1999 . After the adoption of the euro , policy changed to linking currencies of EU countries outside the eurozone to the euro ( having the common currency as a central point ) . The goal was to improve the stability of those currencies , as well as to gain an evaluation mechanism for potential eurozone members . This mechanism is known as ERM II and has superseded ERM . As of 2015 , there is just one currency in the ERM II , the Danish krone .
The forint ( sign : Ft ; code : HUF ) is the currency of Hungary . It was formerly divided into 100 fillér , but fillér coins are no longer in circulation . The introduction of the forint on 1 August 1946 was a crucial step in the post-World War II stabilisation of the Hungarian economy , and the currency remained relatively stable until the 1980s . Transition to a market economy in the early 1990s adversely affected the value of the forint ; inflation peaked at 35% in 1991 . Since 2001 , inflation is in single digits , and the forint has been declared fully convertible . As a member of the European Union , the long-term aim of the Hungarian government may be to replace the forint with the euro , but that does not appear to be likely until some time during the 2020s .
Hungary ( Hungarian : Magyarország [ ˈmɒɟɒrorsaːɡ ] ( listen ) ) is a country in Central Europe . Spanning 93,030 square kilometres ( 35,920 sq mi ) in the Carpathian Basin , it borders Slovakia to the north , Ukraine to the northeast , Romania to the east and southeast , Serbia to the south , Croatia and Slovenia to the southwest , and Austria to the west . With about 10 million inhabitants , Hungary is a medium-sized member state of the European Union . The official language is Hungarian , which is the most widely spoken Uralic language in the world , and among the few non-Indo-European languages to be widely spoken in Europe . Hungary 's capital and largest city is Budapest ; other major urban areas include Debrecen , Szeged , Miskolc , Pécs and Győr . The territory of modern Hungary was for centuries inhabited by a succession of peoples , including Celts , Romans , Germanic tribes , Huns , West Slavs and the Avars . The foundations of the Hungarian state were established in the late ninth century CE by the Hungarian grand prince Árpád following the conquest of the Carpathian Basin . His great-grandson Stephen I ascended the throne in 1000 , converting his realm to a Christian kingdom . By the 12th century , Hungary became a regional power , reaching its cultural and political height in the 15th century . Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526 , Hungary was partially occupied by the Ottoman Empire ( 1541-1699 ) . It came under Habsburg rule at the turn of the 18th century , and later joined Austria to form the Austro-Hungarian Empire , a major European power . The Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed after World War I , and the subsequent Treaty of Trianon established Hungary 's current borders , resulting in the loss of 71% of its territory , 58% of its population , and 32% of ethnic Hungarians .
The złoty ( Polish : [ ˈzwɔtɘ ] ( listen ) ; sign : zł ; code : PLN ) is the official currency and legal tender of Poland . It is subdivided into 100 groszy ( gr ) . [ a ] The widely recognised English form of the currency is the Polish zloty . It is the most traded currency in Central Europe and ranks 22nd in the foreign exchange market . The word złoty is a masculine form of the Polish adjective 'golden ' , which closely relates with its name to the Dutch guilder , whereas the grosz subunit was based on Austrian groschen . It was officially introduced to replace its predecessor , the Polish marka , on 28 February 1919 and began circulation in 1924 . The only body permitted to manufacture or mint złoty coins is Mennica Polska , founded in Warsaw on 10 February 1766 . As a result of inflation in the early 1990s , the currency underwent redenomination . Thus , on 1 January 1995 , 10,000 old złotych ( PLZ ) became one new złoty ( PLN ) . Since then , the currency has been relatively stable , with an exchange rate fluctuating between 3 and 4 złoty for a United States dollar . Though Poland is a member of the European Union , nearly 60% of Poles are strongly against adopting the euro as a new currency .
Poland ( Polish : Polska [ ˈpɔlska ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Poland ( Polish : Rzeczpospolita Polska [ c ] [ ʐɛt͡ʂpɔˈspɔlita ˈpɔlska ] ( listen ) ) , is a country located in Central Europe . It is divided into 16 administrative subdivisions , covering an area of 312,696 square kilometres ( 120,733 sq mi ) , and has a largely temperate seasonal climate . With a population of nearly 38.5 million people , Poland is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union . Poland 's capital and largest metropolis is Warsaw . Other major cities include Kraków , Łódź , Wrocław , Poznań , Gdańsk , and Szczecin . Poland is bordered by the Baltic Sea , Lithuania , and Russia 's Kaliningrad Oblast to the north , Belarus and Ukraine to the east , Slovakia and the Czech Republic to the south , and Germany to the west . The history of human activity on Polish soil spans almost 500,000 years . Throughout the Iron Age the area became extensively diverse , with various cultures and tribes settling on the vast Central European Plain . However , it was the Western Polans who dominated the region and gave Poland its name . The establishment of Polish statehood can be traced to AD 966 , when Mieszko I , ruler of the realm coextensive with the territory of present-day Poland , converted to Christianity . The Kingdom of Poland was founded in 1025 , and in 1569 it cemented its longstanding political association with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by signing the Union of Lublin . This union formed the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , one of the largest ( over 1,000,000 square kilometres - 400,000 square miles ) and most populous countries of 16th and 17th century Europe , with a uniquely liberal political system which adopted Europe 's first written national constitution , the Constitution of 3 May 1791 .
The Romanian leu ( Romanian pronunciation : [ lew ] , plural lei [ lej ] ; sign : L ; ISO 4217 code : RON ; numeric code : 946 ) is the currency of Romania . It is subdivided into 100 bani ( Romanian pronunciation : [ banʲ ] , singular : ban [ ban ] ) , a word that is also used for money in the Romanian language .
Romania ( /roʊˈmeɪniə/ ( listen ) ro-MAY-nee-ə ; Romanian : România [ romɨˈni.a ] ( listen ) ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central , Eastern , and Southeastern Europe . It has borders with the Black Sea to the southeast , Bulgaria to the south , Ukraine to the north , Hungary to the west , Serbia to the southwest , and Moldova to the east . It has a predominantly temperate-continental climate . With a total area of 238,397 square kilometers ( 92,046 square miles ) , Romania is the 8th largest country and also the 6th most populous member state of the European Union , having almost 20 million inhabitants . Its capital and largest city is Bucharest , and other major urban areas include Cluj-Napoca , Timișoara , Iași , Constanța , Craiova , Brașov , and Galați . The River Danube , Europe 's second-longest river , rises in Germany 's Black Forest and flows in a general southeast direction for 2,857 km ( 1,775 mi ) , coursing through ten countries before emptying into Romania 's Danube Delta . The Carpathian Mountains , which cross Romania from the north to the southwest , include Moldoveanu Peak , at an altitude of 2,544 m ( 8,346 ft ) . Modern Romania was formed in 1859 through a personal union of the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia . The new state , officially named Romania since 1866 , gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877 . Following World War I after declaring its neutrality in 1914 , when Romania fought on the side of the Allied powers starting with 1916 , Bukovina , Bessarabia , Transylvania as well as parts of Banat , Crișana , and Maramureș became part of the sovereign Kingdom of Romania . In June-August 1940 , as a consequence of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and Second Vienna Award , Romania was compelled to cede Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union , and Northern Transylvania to Hungary . In November 1940 , Romania signed the Tripartite Pact and , consequently , in June 1941 entered World War II on the Axis side , fighting against the Soviet Union until August 1944 , when it joined the Allies and recovered Northern Transylvania .
The krona ( Swedish : [ ˈkrûːna ] ( listen ) ; plural : kronor ; sign : kr ; code : SEK ) is the official currency of Sweden . Both the ISO code SEK and currency sign kr are in common use ; the former precedes or follows the value , the latter usually follows it but , especially in the past , it sometimes preceded the value . In English , the currency is sometimes referred to as the Swedish crown , as krona literally means crown in Swedish . The Swedish krona was the ninth-most traded currency in the world by value in April 2016 . One krona is subdivided into 100 öre ( singular ; plural öre or ören , where the former is always used after a cardinal number , hence 50 öre , but otherwise the latter is often preferred in contemporary speech ) . However , all öre coins have been discontinued as of 30 September 2010 . Goods can still be priced in öre , but all sums are rounded to the nearest krona when paying with cash . The word öre is ultimately derived from the Latin word for gold .
Sweden ( Swedish : Sverige [ ˈsvæ̌rjɛ ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Sweden ( Swedish : Konungariket Sverige [ ˈkôːnɵŋaˌriːkɛt ˈsvæ̌rjɛ ] ( listen ) ) , is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe . It borders Norway to the west and north and Finland to the east , and is connected to Denmark in the southwest by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund Strait . At 450,295 square kilometres ( 173,860 sq mi ) , Sweden is the largest country in Northern Europe , the third-largest country in the European Union and the fifth largest country in Europe by area . The capital city is Stockholm . Sweden has a total population of 10.3 million of which 2.5 million have a foreign background . Persons who have foreign backgrounds are defined as persons who are foreign born , or born in Sweden with foreign born parents . It has a low population density of 22 inhabitants per square kilometre ( 57/sq mi ) and the highest urban concentration is in the central and southern half of the country . Sweden is part of the geographical area of Fennoscandia . The climate is in general mild for its northerly latitude due to significant maritime influence . In spite of the high latitude , Sweden often has warm continental summers , being located in between the North Atlantic , the Baltic Sea and the vast Eurasian Russian landmass . The general climate and environment varies significantly from the south and north due to the vast latitudal difference and much of Sweden has reliably cold and snowy winters . Southern Sweden is predominantly agricultural , while the north is heavily forested and includes a portion of the Scandinavian Mountains .
The franc ( German : Franken , French and Romansh : franc , Italian : franco ; sign : Fr . ( in German language ) , fr . ( in French , Italian , Romansh languages ) , or CHF in any other language , or internationally ; code : CHF ) is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein ; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia . The Swiss National Bank ( SNB ) issues banknotes and the federal mint Swissmint issues coins . The smaller denomination , a hundredth of a franc , is a Rappen ( Rp . ) in German , centime ( c. ) in French , centesimo ( ct. ) in Italian , and rap ( rp . ) in Romansh . The ISO 4217 code of the currency used by banks and financial institutions is CHF . The official symbols Fr . ( German symbol ) and fr . ( Latin languages ) are widely used by businesses and advertisers , also for the English language . According Art .
Campione d'Italia ( Comasco : Campiùn , pronounced [ kãˈp ( j ) ũː ] ) is a comune of the Province of Como in the Lombardy region of Italy and an exclave surrounded by the Swiss canton of Ticino . At its closest , the exclave is less than one kilometre ( 0.6 mi ) from the rest of Italy , but the intervening mountainous terrain requires a journey by road of over 14 km ( 9 mi ) to reach the nearest Italian town , Lanzo d'Intelvi , and over 28 km ( 17 mi ) to reach the city of Como .
Büsingen am Hochrhein ( Buesingen on the High Rhine ; Alemannic : Büesinge am Hochrhi ) , commonly known as Büsingen , is a German municipality ( 7.62 square kilometres ( 2.94 sq mi ) ) in the south of Baden-Württemberg and an exclave entirely surrounded by territory belonging to Switzerland . It has a population of about 1,450 inhabitants . Since the early 19th century , the village has been separated from the rest of Germany by a narrow strip of land ( at its narrowest , about 680 metres ( 2,230 ft ) wide ) containing the Swiss village of Dörflingen . Politically Büsingen is part of Germany , forming part of the district of Konstanz , but economically it forms part of the Swiss customs union , along with the principality of Liechtenstein and up until 2019 , albeit unofficially , the Italian village of Campione d'Italia . As such there have been no border controls between Switzerland and Büsingen since 4 October 1967 . Büsingen is a holiday destination for much of the year and attracts a significant number of visitors from around the region as well as from further afield , for its recreational areas along the Rhine and proximity to the Rheinfall waterfalls in nearby Neuhausen am Rheinfall . Many dwellings in Büsingen are holiday flats which are accompanied by a number of small guest houses .