One Europe: The Dream of Unity : The Three Europes

This year is crucial to the drive for greater unity among the 12 nations of the European Community--”EC ‘92,” as the effort is known. But the dream of a United States of Europe encompasses more--the integration of what are today three Europes. Besides the EC, they include the seven nations of the European Free Trade Assn. (EFTA) and at least 10 Central and East European countries liberated by the collapse of the Soviet Bloc.

Amid its incredible diversity, Europe is slowly emerging as a bloc, challenging the United States and Japan as an economic gladiator in the 1990s.

Population Belgium: 9,900,000 (European Community) Britain: 57,500,000 (European Community) Denmark: 5,100,000 (European Community) France: 56,700,000 (European Community) Germany: 78,700,000 (European Community) Greece: 10,100,000 (European Community) Ireland: 3,600,000 (European Community) Italy: 57,700,000 (European Community) Luxembourg: 400,000 (European Community) Netherlands: 15,000,000 (European Community) Portugal: 10,400,000 (European Community) Spain: 39,000,000 (European Community) Austria: 7,700,000 (European Free Trade Association) Finland: 5,000,000 (European Free Trade Association) Iceland: 260,000 (European Free Trade Association) Lichtenstein: 30,000 (European Free Trade Association) Norway: 4,300,000 (European Free Trade Association) Sweden: 8,600,000 (European Free Trade Association) Switzerland: 6,800,000 (European Free Trade Association) Albania: 3,200,000 (Central & Eastern Europe) Bulgaria: 8,900,000 (Central & Eastern Europe) Czechoslovakia: 15,700,000 (Central & Eastern Europe) Estonia: 1,500,000 (Central & Eastern Europe) Hungary: 10,600,000 (Central & Eastern Europe) Latvia: 2,700,000 (Central & Eastern Europe) Lithuania: 3,700,000 (Central & Eastern Europe) Poland: 38,200,000 (Central & Eastern Europe) Romania: 23,200,000 (Central & Eastern Europe) Yugoslavia: 23,900,000 (Central & Eastern Europe) Sources: Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development, Plan Econ, Information Please 1992 Almanac, Economic Commission for Europe.