The European Union is an economic and political union that consists of 27 member states. All EU countries govern common social, economic, and security guidelines. The EU was formed by the Maastricht Treaty on November 1, 1993. The European Union countries enjoy free movement of stuff, capital, services, and people between each other.

In 1951, the EU countries started cooperating economically with each other and at that time, only Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands contributed.

Gradually, 27 countries earned the membership of the EU after following the complex procedure and satisfying the conditions of EU membership. While some of the candidate countries are in the process of transposing into the European Union, The United Kingdom, a founding member of the European Union has withdrawn the membership on 31 January 2020.

List of Member states of European Union 2020

In this blog post, I am providing a complete list of 27 European Union member countries. You can go through the list and significant information about the countries in the EU.

1. Austria

2. Belgium

3. Bulgaria

4. Croatia

5. Cyprus

6. Czechia

7. Denmark

8. Estonia

9. Finland

10. France

11. Germany

12. Greece

13. Hungary

14. Ireland

15. Italy

16. Latvia

17. Lithuania

18. Luxembourg

19. Malta

20. Netherlands

21. Poland

22. Portugal

23. Romania

24. Slovakia

25. Slovenia

26. Spain

27. Sweden

Austria

Austria, a landlocked mountainous country, is located in Central Europe. It is bordered by Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein to the west, the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, and Slovenia and Italy to the south. Austria has been a member of the EU since 1995.

Austria is crowned to be one of the wealthiest EU Member States. Tourism is the vital pillar of the Austrian economy as a large number of travelers visit Austria every year due to an abundance of adventure & sight-seeing opportunities. The Austrian Alps are the center of attraction that offers a variety of things to do during summer and winter.

Quick Facts About Austria

Official Name: Republic of Austria
Capital: Vienna
Population: 8,998,668
Official Language: German
Local Official Languages: Croatian, Hungarian, and Slovene
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +43
National Anthem: Land der Berge, Land am Strome
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Belgium

Belgium, a founding member of the European Union, is the smallest and densely populated country in western Europe. It is surrounded by Germany from the east, France from the southwest, the Netherlands from the north, and Luxembourg from the southeast. In 1957, Belgium became a member of the EU.

Belgium became a charter member of the European Monetary Union in 1999 for the introduction of Europe’s official currency Euro. In 2002, the Belgian franc (the former currency of Belgium) was replaced by the Euro.

Quick Facts About Belgium

Official Name: Kingdom of Belgium
Capital: Brussels
Population: 11,582,049
Official Languages: Dutch, French, German
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +32
National Anthem: La Brabançonne
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Bulgaria

Bulgaria is situated in South-eastern Europe occupying the eastern portion of the Balkan Peninsula. It is bordered by Greece Turkey Macedonia Serbia, and Romania.

Bulgaria attracts tourists due to its majestic mountains, amazing beaches, picturesque landscapes, and friendly people. A significant export of roses made Bulgaria a world leader in rose-oil production.

Bulgaria has been an EU member country since 2007 but it’s neither a member of the Schengen area nor the Eurozone.

Quick Facts About Bulgaria

Official Name: Republic of Bulgaria
Capital: Sofia
Population: 6,956,187
Official Language: Bulgarian
Currency: Bulgarian Lev
Dialing code: +359
National Anthem: Mila Rodino
Schengen Area Member: No
Eurozone Member: No

Croatia

Croatia, a Central European and Mediterranean country, has been a member country of the EU since 2013. It is bordered by Hungary, Montenegro, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina. Moreover, Croatia shares maritime borders with Italy.

Croatia has 1246 islands, eight national parks, 11 nature parks, and two nature reserves. It boasts of natural wonders and the best sunset view in the world.

Quick Facts About Croatia

Official Name: Republic of Croatia
Capital: Zagreb
Population: 4,109,020
Official Language: Croatian
Currency: Croatian Kuna
Dialing code: +385
National Anthem: Lijepa naša domovino
Schengen Area Member: No
Eurozone Member: No

Cyprus

Cyprus, an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean, became a member of the European Union in 2004. Interestingly, it’s the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean.

This European country is famous for the world’s oldest water wells, mineral wealth, production of wine, and natural beauty. Cyprus is one of the oldest countries that produce wine, in fact, the world’s oldest wine label “Commandaria” belongs to Cyprus. Low crime rate and a safe & secure environment make this place a tourism-friendly.

Quick Facts About Cyprus

Official Name: Republic of Cyprus
Capital: Nicosia
Population: 1,206,035
Official Languages: Greek and Turkish
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +357
National Anthem: Hymn to Liberty
Schengen Area Member: No
Eurozone Member: Yes

Czech Republic (Czechia)

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, is located in central Europe. It’s bordered by Poland to the northeast, Austria to the south, Germany to the west, and Slovakia to the southeast.

The Czech Republic joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union in 1999 and 2004 respectively.

As per the Global Peace Index, the Czech Republic is one of the top 10 safest countries in the world. The oldest university in Central Europe is located in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.

Quick Facts About Czechia

Official Name: The Czech Republic
Capital: Prague
Population: 10,706,026
Official Language: Czech
Currency: Czech Koruna
Dialing code: +420
National Anthem: Kde domov můj
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: No

Denmark

Denmark, a Nordic country in Northern Europe, is reported to be one of the happiest countries in the world and ranked as the second least corrupt country in the world. It has been a part of the EU since 1973. The immediate neighbor of Denmark is Sweden, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Germany.

Denmark boasts of unique and valuable nature as it has five national parks. The average life expectancy of Danes is 83 and 79 years for women and men respectively. An amazing fact about Denmark is that trust is a cornerstone of social interactions, business, and government activities.

Quick Facts About Denmark

Official Name: The Kingdom of Denmark
Capital: Copenhagen
Population: 5,789,162
Official Language: Danish
Currency: Danish krone
Dialing code: +45
National Anthem: Der er et yndigt land
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: No

Estonia

Estonia, a country in north-eastern Europe, became a member of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 2004. A wonderful digital society can be found in Estonia. As they follow the modern approach for all kinds of works, there’s more transparency and efficiency. Estonia is the first country in the world that formed e-government for providing e-residency to people from all around the world.

Quick Facts About Estonia

Official Name: Republic of Estonia
Capital: Tallinn
Population: 1,326,409
Official Language: Estonian
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +372
National Anthem: Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Finland

Finland, a Northern European country, has been a member state of the EU since 1995. It’s also a member of the Schengen area and Eurozone. Sweden, Norway, and Russia are the surrounding countries of Finland.

As per the latest UN report, Finland is ranked as the happiest country in the world. Finns enjoy free education in schools as well as universities.

Finland is blessed with 187,888 lakes consequently it’s referred to as “the land of thousands of lakes”. The coastline of Finland is decorated with thousands of islands.

Quick Facts About Finland

Official Name: Republic of Finland
Capital: Helsinki
Population: 5,539,504
Official Languages: Finnish and Swedish
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +358
National Anthem: Maamme
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

France

France, the largest country in the EU, is one of the most visited countries in the world. France has been an EU member country since 1958. It is referred to as l’hexagone due to its six-sided shape. Andorra, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Switzerland, and Spain are the bordered countries of France.

The most popular French inventions are the metric system, the braille system, the refrigerator, the sewing machine, the aqualung, hot air balloon, the parachute, pasteurizer, and stethoscope.

The French people are very confident and full of expressions. In fact, the French language and culture have a great influence on different people around the world.

Quick Facts About France

Official Name: French Republic
Capital: Paris
Population: 65,253,115
Official Language: French
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +33
National Anthem: La Marseillaise
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Germany

Germany, the country of north-central Europe, is popular for high-quality education, free university-level education for everyone, and cultural diversity. The capital of Germany is Berlin which is 9 times bigger than Paris, the capital of France.

Germany is one of the top study destinations for international students as in 2014, Germany officially announced free education, even for international students.

Germany shares borders with Poland and the Czech Republic in the east, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands in the west, Denmark in the north, Switzerland, and Austria in the south, France in the southwest. German has been a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union since 1955 and 1958 respectively.

Quick Facts About Germany

Official Name: Federal Republic of Germany
Capital: Berlin
Population: 83,746,067
Official Language: German
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +49
National Anthem: Deutschlandlied
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Greece

Greece, also known as Hellas, is a south-eastern European country that is blessed with an abundance of history, traditions, ancient architecture, more than 2000 islands, and amazing people.

Greece has been a member country of the European Union since 2001. It’s also a member of the Schengen Area and the Eurozone.

Quick Facts About Greece

Official Name: Hellenic Republic
Capital: Athens
Population: 10,430,180
Official Language: Greek
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +30
National Anthem: Ymnos Eis Tin Eleftherian or Hymn to Liberty
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Hungary

Hungary, one of the oldest countries in Europe, is located in central Europe. Hungary got the European Union membership in 2004. It is a landlocked country that shares borders with 7 countries: Austria, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.

It’s popular for its rich history, organic products, and friendly people. Hungary has gifted some of its brilliant inventions to the world. Some of the inventions are the modern computer, the helicopter, ballpoint pen, the Rubik’s cube, holography, and Vitamin C.

Quick Facts About Hungary

Official Name: Hungary
Capital: Budapest
Population: 9,663,793
Official Language: Hungarian
Currency: Hungarian forint
Dialing code: +36
National Anthem: Himnusz
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: No

Ireland

Ireland, a country in western Europe, has been a member of the EU since 1973. Ireland proud to be a winner of Eurovision for the seven times. The rich heritage of culture, traditions, a wealth of folklore, geographic isolation, and landscapes attract travelers from different corners of the world. It’s divided into two political areas and Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom.

Quick Facts About Ireland

Official Name: Republic of Ireland
Capital: Dublin
Population: 4,929,917
Official Languages: Irish and English
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +353
National Anthem: Amhrán na bhFiann or The Soldier’s Song
Schengen Area Member: No
Eurozone Member: Yes

Italy

Italy is a founding member of the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is located in south-central Europe and shares land borders with Austria, France, Switzerland, and Slovenia. The nickname of Italy is “Bel Paese” which means beautiful country. The Republic of San Marino and the Vatican City are two independent states within Italy.

Being a popular tourist destination, it lures more than 50 million tourists per year. Italy’s economy largely depends on the tourists because about 63% of income is generated from tourism.

Italy has been a member country of the EU since 1958. It’s also a member country of the Schengen area, Eurozone and NATO.

Quick Facts About Italy

Official Name: Repubblica Italiana
Capital: Rome
Population: 60,474,316
Official Language: Italian
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +39
National Anthem: Il Canto degli Italiani
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Latvia

Latvia, a country of north-eastern Europe, has been a member state of the European Union since 2004. As over half of Latvia’s territory is covered by the forest, the travelers love to enjoy the greenery of the country. The forests of Latvia are also called “green gold”. Latvia is blessed with 12,000 rivers and 3,000 small lakes making it full of nature and beauty. The widest waterfall in Europe is known as Venta Rapid that exists in Kuldīga, Latvia. The first spy camera Minox was produced in Latvia.

Quick Facts About Latvia

Official Name: Republic of Latvia
Capital: Riga
Population: 1,889,094
Official Languages: Latvian
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +371
National Anthem: Dievs, svētī Latviju! Or God Bless Latvia!
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Lithuania

Lithuania, a modern northern European country, has been a member state of the European Union since 1 May 2004. The neighboring countries of Lithuania are Belarus, Latvia, Poland, and the Russian Federation.

As per the research of French scientist Jean-George Affholder, Lithuania is located in the center of Europe.

Quick Facts About Lithuania

Official Name: Republic of Lithuania
Capital: Vilnius
Population: 2,727,545
Official Language: Lithuanian
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +370
National Anthem: Tautiška giesmė 
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Luxembourg

Luxembourg, a tiny European country, is landlocked by Belgium to the west and north, France to the south, and Germany to the east. Luxembourg has been a member state of the EU since January 1, 1958. It has the world’s second-highest GDP per capita making it economically stronger. It is one of the founding members of NATO and the European Union.

Quick Facts About Luxembourg

Official Name: The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Capital: Luxembourg City
Population: 625,511
Official Languages: Luxembourgish, German and French
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +352
National Anthem: Ons Heemecht
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Malta

Malta, an archipelago in the central Mediterranean, has been a member country of the EU since 2004. This small island nation is famous for historical attractions, diving, ancient buildings, and festivals.

According to a 2013 UN report, Malta is ranked as the 48th happiest country in the world. It has 365 churches and if anyone desires to visit one church daily, it would take a year to visit all of them.

Quick Facts About Malta

Official Name: Republic of Malta
Capital: Valletta
Population: 441,490
Official Languages: Maltese and English
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +356
National Anthem: L-Innu Malti
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Netherlands

The Netherlands, a founding member of the European community is located in north-western Europe. The alternate name of the Netherlands is Holland. The Netherlands became a member country of the European Union in January 1958. It is also a member country of the Schengen Area and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Being the third biggest exporter of agricultural produce, Holland gains remarkable popularity. The Dutch inventions including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, the Stock Market, Cassette, CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, Telescope, Microscope, and The Eye Test, transform the lives of people worldwide.

Quick Facts About the Netherlands

Official Name: Kingdom of the Netherlands
Alternate Name: Holland
Capital: Amsterdam
Population: 17,133,165
Official Language: Dutch
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +31
National Anthem: Het Wilhelmus
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Poland

Poland has been an EU member country since 1 May 2004. It’s located in central Europe and bordered by Belarus, the Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.

Poland is one of the largest countries in Europe where you can find the impressive 16 World Heritage sites.

Quick Facts About Poland

Official Name: Republic of Poland
Capital: Warsaw
Population: 37,848,468
Official Language: Polish
Currency: Polish złoty
Dialing code: +48
National Anthem: Mazurek Dąbrowskiego or Poland Is Not Yet Lost
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: No

Portugal

Portugal, a country lying in the southwest corner of Europe, has been a member country of the EU since 1 January 1986. In the earlier times, Portugal enjoyed a strong economy, but during the 19th and 20th centuries, the Portuguese faced adverse economic situations.

Portugal is the oldest country in Europe that is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, and Spain. This European nation boasts of rich history and vibrant culture that’s why it attracts a wide range of tourists from different countries.

Quick Facts About Portugal

Official Name: Portuguese Republic
Capital: Lisbon
Population: 10,197,980
Official Language: Portuguese
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +351
National Anthem: A Portuguesa
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Romania

Romania, the country of south-eastern Europe, has been a member country of the EU since January 2007. It’s neither a member of the Schengen area nor the Eurozone. Romania is considered to be the richest country in Europe in terms of gold resources and an amazing gold museum in Europe can be found only in this country.

Romania is blessed with 7 UNESCO world heritage sites. If we talk about the fascinating nature, Europe’s largest rock sculpture (the Statue of Decebalus) is available in Romania.

Quick Facts About Romania

Official Name: România (Romania)
Capital: Bucharest
Population: 19,243,140
Official Language: Romanian
Currency: Romanian leu
Dialing code: +40
National Anthem: Deşteaptă-te, române!
Schengen Area Member: No
Eurozone Member: No

Slovakia

Slovakia is a landlocked country located in the heart of Europe. It has been a member country of the European Union since January 2009. The bordering countries of Slovakia are Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Ukraine.

Slovakia is a land of castles and mountains that has a long history and varied topography. Almost 50 wooden churches that are part of the UNESCO’s cultural heritage, stand all over the country. Slovakia’s 32m high “Krasnohorska cave” is registered in the Guinness Book of Records.

Quick Facts About Slovakia

Official Name: Slovak Republic
Capital: Bratislava
Population: 5,459,530
Official Language: Slovak
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +421
National Anthem: Nad Tatrou sa blýska
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Slovenia

A wonderful central European country, Slovenia, is enriched with architectural & cultural treasures, classy cuisine, snow-caped peaks, green forests, charming towns, and impressive rivers. This heavenly country is one of the world’s most peaceful and environment-friendly countries. It’s a popular destination for millions of tourists. Slovenia has been an EU member country since 1 May 2004. It also joined the Eurozone and Schengen area in January 2007 and December 2007 respectively.

Quick Facts About Slovenia

Official Name: Republika Slovenija (Republic of Slovenia)
Capital: Ljubljana
Population: 2,078,923
Official Language: Slovenian
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +386
National Anthem: Zdravljica
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Spain

Spain is the second-largest country in the European Union that shares the borders with Andorra, France, Gibraltar, Morocco, and Portugal. Moreover, it also shares maritime borders with two countries i.e. Algeria and Italy. Spain has a coastline along the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

The Spanish tourism industry is bringing billions of Euros per year making the economy of the country stronger. Spain became a member state of the EU on January 1, 1986.

Some of the surprising Spanish inventions are the spacesuit, hot chocolate, Sherry, Glasses, Antiseptics, Animal testing, Cigarettes, the Whirlpool Aero Car, and more.

Quick Facts About Spain

Official Name: Kingdom of Spain
Capital: Madrid
Population: 46,753,815
Official Language: Spanish
Currency: Euro
Dialing code: +34
National Anthem: La Marcha Real (The Royal March)
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: Yes

Sweden

Sweden is one of the biggest countries in Europe (in terms of area) and 2/3 of the total land area is covered by forests making it a beautiful country. It has been a member state of the EU since 1995. The border countries of Sweden are Finland, Norway, and Denmark.

Swedish passport is crowned to be one of the world’s best passports that entitles the holder to enter 124 countries without a visa.

Quick Facts About Sweden

Official Name: Kingdom of Sweden
Capital: Stockholm
Population: 10,099,265
Official Language: Swedish
Currency: Swedish krona
Dialing code: +46
National Anthem: Du gamla, du fria
Schengen Area Member: Yes
Eurozone Member: No

As a number of countries are in the process of moving into the European Union, I will keep on updating this list of member states of the European Union from time to time. If you want to share important facts about the EU countries as per your own experience, comment below. I will appreciate your contribution.