The European Union

I'm not just German; I'm also European. Germany is a member of the European Union and one of the six nations that made up the first European community in 1951, which eventually became the European Union. Today, the European Union is a growing community of European countries that work together for a better European future.

There is a single currency, the Euro, used in many of the EU countries, including here in Germany. Right now the European Union has 28 member nations. That means that nearly 500 million people are part of the EU! The EU tries to bring the different member countries closer together while each country maintains its independence and cultural traditions. This is how I can be German and European at the same time.

The EU makes traveling and working in other countries much easier for EU citizens. People can now live and work without a lot of the paperwork that used to be needed. So now if my family wants to go on vacation to another EU country, my parents always tell me that it's a lot easier now than when they were my age. While countries within the EU may all speak different languages, they are united through the EU and work together to make Europe a better place.

Germany switched to the Euro on January 1, 2002. Before the Euro, Germany use the Deutsche Mark for many years.