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Sanjay (field hockey)

2023-10-06T18:22:08Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

{{Infobox field hockey player|medaltemplates={{MedalSport|Men's [[field hockey]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{IND}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Field hockey at the Asian Games|Asian Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2022 Asian Games|2022 Hangzhou]]|[[Field hockey at the 2022 Asian Games – Men's tournament|Team]]}}}}

'''Sanjay''' (born 5 May 2001) is an Indian hockey player from Haryana. He plays as a defender. He is named in the Indian hockey squad for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Full list of Indian athletes for Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2023-full-list-of-634-indian-athletes-who-will-take-part-in-hangzhou-event-13042652.html |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=ANI |date=2023-09-22 |title="Moment of pride to wear India jersey at Asian Games": Hockey team defender Sanjay |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/sports/hockey/moment-of-pride-to-wear-india-jersey-at-asian-games-hockey-team-defender-sanjay20230922203511/ |url-status=live |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=www.aninews.in}}</ref> He is also one of the second drag flickers for the team. Finally he won gold medal in [[2022 Asian Games]] in Hangzhou.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asian Games Results |url=https://info.hangzhou2022.cn/en/results/hockey/result-men-fnl-000200-.htm |access-date=6 October 2023 |website=2022 Asian Games, Hangzhou}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Sanjay hails from Dabra village, near Hisar, in Haryana.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2023-06-29 |title=Back from wilderness, Sanjay aims to fill big shoes |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/hockey/back-from-wilderness-sanjay-aims-to-fill-big-shoes-101688060407478.html |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> He played for Chandigarh in his initial years as a junior but later represented Haryana state in the domestic events.<ref name=":1" /> From 2011 to 2017, he trained at the Chandigarh Hockey Academy.

== Career ==

* 2023: In August, he was part of the Senior India team that played the Champions Trophy at Chennai, India.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=SANJAY {{!}} India hockey player |url=https://www.fih.hockey/events/fih-pro-league/teams/men/player/sanjay-18703 |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=International Hockey Federation |language=en}}</ref>
* 2023: In July, he represented the Senior Indian team at the 4-Nations Men's Invitational Tournament at Barcelona, Spain.<ref name=":0" />
* 2022: In June/July, he made his Senior India debut at the FIH Hockey Pro-League in London and Eindhoven.<ref name=":0" />
* 2022: In June, he played for India in the Hockey5s at the Hero FIH Hockey5s at Lausanne, Switzerland.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-06-12 |title=Chd Hockey Academy product Sanjay eyes senior team berth |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/chd-hockey-academy-product-sanjay-eyes-senior-team-berth/articleshow/92153550.cms |access-date=2023-10-03 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
* 2021: In May, he played for Junior India team at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's Junior World Cup at Bhubaneswar, India.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sanjay Profile |url=https://www.hockeyindia.org/players/sanjay-profile-4313 |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=Hockey India |language=en}}</ref>
* 2019: In June, he played for the Indian Under-21 team at the 8-Nations Invitational Tournament (U 21) at Madrid, Spain.
* 2018: He was part of the Indian team that won the 3rd Youth Olympic Games at Argentina.<ref>{{Cite web |last=PTI |date=2018-10-15 |title=Youth Olympics: India pockets silver in hockey |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/hockey/youth-olympics-india-pockets-silver-in-hockey/article25224810.ece |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-11-26 |title=Could Sanjay be Indian hockey's next Rupinder Pal Singh? |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/hockey/top-stories/could-sanjay-be-indias-next-rupinder-pal-singh/articleshow/87931599.cms |access-date=2023-10-03 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://www.fih.hockey/events/fih-pro-league/teams/men/player/sanjay-18703 Sanjay] at [[FIH]]
*[https://www.hockeyindia.org/players/sanjay-profile-4313 Sanjay] at [[Hockey India]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:2001 births]]
[[Category:Indian male field hockey players]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 2022 Asian Games]]

Dhiraj Bommadevara

2023-10-06T12:01:13Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

{{Short description|Indian archer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}

'''Bommadevara''' '''Dhiraj''' (born 3 September 2001) is an Indian archer from [[Andhra Pradesh]]. He represents [[India]] in the recurve men's individual and team events. In the recurve men, he is ranked 15th in the World Rankings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dhiraj Bommadevara {{!}} World Archery |url=https://www.worldarchery.sport/profile/22125/dhiraj-bommadevara/biography |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=www.worldarchery.sport |language=en}}</ref> He is selected to represent Indian the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Full list of Indian athletes for Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2023-full-list-of-634-indian-athletes-who-will-take-part-in-hangzhou-event-13042652.html |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref> The Indian Men's recurve team consisting of [[Atanu Das]], Dhiraj Bommadevara and [[Tushar Shelke]] won the silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ANI |date=2023-10-06 |title=India men's archery recurve team finishes with silver medal |url=https://www.business-standard.com/sports/asian-games/asian-games-india-men-s-archery-recurve-team-finishes-with-silver-medal-123100600624_1.html |url-status=live |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=www.business-standard.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Malik |first=Varun |last2=News |first2=India TV |date=2023-10-06 |title=Asian Games 2023: Atanu Das, Dhiraj Bommadevara, Tushar Shelke bag Silver medal in recurve archery final |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/sports/other/asian-games-2023-atanu-das-dhiraj-bommadevara-tushar-shelke-bag-silver-medal-in-recurve-archery-final-india-asian-games-medals-2023-10-06-896492 |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=www.indiatvnews.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Asian Games 2023: India settle for silver in recurve men’s team event in archery after losing to South Korea |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/other-sports/story/asian-games-2023-india-settle-for-silver-in-recurve-mens-team-event-in-archery-after-losing-to-south-korea-2445433-2023-10-06 |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref> They lost the final to [[Republic of Korea]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chettiar |first=Ronald |date=2023-10-06 |title=Indian men’s recurve team wins silver medal; women bag bronze |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/asian-games-2023-hangzhou-indian-archery-recurve-team-medal-scores-results |url-status=live |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=www.olympics.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Desk |first=The Bridge |date=2023-10-06 |title=Asian Games 2023: Recurve Men's team wins historic silver |url=https://thebridge.in/asian-games/recurve-mens-team-win-silver-medal-44286 |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=thebridge.in |language=en}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Dhiraj hails from [[Vijayawada]] in Andhra Pradesh. His father Bommadevara Shravan Kumar used to a technical official of the [[Archery Association of India]]. He studied his degree at the SRR and CVR Government Degree College, Vijayawada.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Padmadeo |first=Vinayak |date=2023-01-14 |title=Armyman Dhiraj Bommadevara on target, breaks WR in archery trials |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/sports/armyman-dhiraj-bommadevara-on-target-breaks-wr-in-archery-trials-470481 |url-status=live |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=wwwtribuneindia.com}}</ref> He started Archery at the Volga Archery Academy in Vijayawada in 2006. He joined Army in 2021 in the rank of Havaldar, after training at the Army Sports Institute in [[Pune]] for four years.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=2023-04-29 |title=Right backing behind archer Dhiraj’s success |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/right-backing-behind-archer-dhirajs-success/articleshow/99859408.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-10-05 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> He is backed by Olympic Gold Quest.<ref name=":2" />

== Career ==

* 2023: He represented India at the World Championships in [[Berlin]], [[Germany]] in the Men's team and individual events apart from the Mixed team event.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Archery BOMMADEVARA Dhiraj - The 19th Asian Games |url=https://info.hangzhou2022.cn/en/results/archery/athlete-profile-n2003222-bommadevara-dhiraj.htm |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=info.hangzhou2022.cn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-09 |title=Failure a perfect target practice for archer Dhiraj |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/others/failure-a-perfect-target-practice-for-archer-dhiraj-101694269304916.html |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>
* 2023: He took part in the Men's team and Men's individual events at the World Cup at [[Antalya]], [[Turkey]].<ref name=":1" />
* 2023: He took part in the Men's team, Men's individual and Mixed team events at the World Cups in Paris, France and [[Shanghai]], China.<ref name=":1" />
* 2023: He won two bronze medals in the Men's team and Men's individual events at the World Cup Stage 3 at [[Medellín|Medellin]], [[Colombia]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-16 |title=World Cup Stage 3: Indian archers win men's recurve team bronze medal |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/archery-world-cup-stage-3-india-men-recurve-team-bronze-12745072.html |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=World Cup Stage 3: Indian archers win recurve team bronze |url=https://www.rediff.com/sports/report/world-cup-stage-3-indian-archers-win-recurve-team-bronze/20230616.htm |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=Rediff |language=en}}</ref>
* 2023: In September, he took part in the World Cup at Hermosillo.<ref>{{Cite web |last=PTI |date=2023-09-11 |title=Dhiraj loses bronze play-off, India returns with a silver from Archery World Cup Final |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/archery/archery-world-cup-final-dhiraj-bommadevara-third-place-playoff-silver-medal-prathamesh-jawkar/article67294343.ece |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref>
* 2022: In January, he defeated [[Tokyo]] Olympian [[Tarundeep Rai]] in the Ranking tournament at [[Hyderabad]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-01-09 |title=National archery: Sukhchain Singh clinches recurve title |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/national-archery-sukhchain-singh-clinches-recurve-title/articleshow/88796111.cms |access-date=2023-10-05 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
* 2021: He won a bronze medal in the Men's individual event at the World Cups in Guatemala City, [[Guatemala]] and [[Paris]], [[France]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-17 |title=Indian archers bag two bronze medals in World Cup Stage 4 |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/others/indian-archers-bag-two-bronze-medals-in-world-cup-stage-4-101692276293187.html |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
[https://www.worldarchery.sport/athlete/22125/dhiraj-bommadevara Dhiraj] at [[World Archery Federation|World Archery]]

[https://info.hangzhou2022.cn/en/results/archery/athlete-profile-n2003222-bommadevara-dhiraj.htm Dhiraj] at [[Asian Games]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bommadevara, Dhiraj}}{{Sport-bio-stub}}
[[Category:2001 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Archers from Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Indian male archers]]
[[Category:Archers at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games competitors for India]]

Aishwarya Mishra

2023-10-06T08:10:29Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

{{Short description|Indian athlete from Maharashtra}}
'''Aishwarya Kailash Mishra''' (born 16 August 1997) is an [[Athletics in India|Indian athlete]] from Maharashtra. She competes in 400m. She is named in the Indian athletics team for the 400m event as a reserve athlete for the relay team event for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Full list of Indian athletes for Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2023-full-list-of-634-indian-athletes-who-will-take-part-in-hangzhou-event-13042652.html |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nag |first=Utathya |date=2023-10-02 |title=Asian Games 2023 athletics: India’s results in all events and medal winners - full list |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/asian-games-2023-hangzhou-athletics-india-results-medal-winners |url-status=live |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=www.olympics.com}}</ref> She was part of the [[Athletics at the 2022 Asian Games – Women's 4 × 400 metres relay|women's 4 × 400 m relay]] Indian team along with [[Vithya Ramraj]], [[Subha Venkatesan]] and [[Prachi Choudhary]] that won silver at the 2022 Asian Games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asian Games 2023: Indian Men's Team Wins Gold, Women's Team Clinches Silver In 4x400m Relay {{!}} Asian Games News |url=https://sports.ndtv.com/asian-games-2023/asian-games-2023-indian-mens-team-wins-gold-womens-team-clinches-silver-in-4x400m-relay-4450196 |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=NDTVSports.com |language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==
Aishwarya's personal best times:

* 2023: On September 29, she qualified for the final of the Asian Games 400m.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Federal |first=The |date=2023-09-29 |title=Athletics: Aishwarya Mishra and Muhammed Ajmal qualify for the 400m final |url=https://thefederal.com/buzz/asian-games-live-india-bags-5th-gold-in-shooting-womens-team-strikes-silver-1018 |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=thefederal.com |language=en}}</ref>
* 2023: In September, she clocked 47.90s in the {{nowrap|4 × 400 m}} relay at Chandigarh. Her best in {{nowrap|4 × 400 m}} relay mixed event came at Supachalasai National Stadium, Bangkok in July. She was part of the {{nowrap|4 × 400 m}} relay team that clocked 3:30.41, her personal best, at Mahinda Rajapaksha Stadium, Diyagama, Sri Lanka.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aishwarya Kailash MISHRA {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/aishwarya-kailash-mishra-14882468 |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=worldathletics.org}}</ref>
* 2023: She won a bronze medal in 400m at the Asian Athletics Championships at Supachalasai National Stadium, Bangkok in July.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-13 |title=Aishwarya Mishra Wins Bronze Medal in 400m at Asian Athletics Championships 2023 {{!}} 🏆 LatestLY |url=https://www.latestly.com/socially/sports/aishwarya-mishra-wins-bronze-medal-in-400m-at-asian-athletics-championships-2023-5263179.html |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=LatestLY |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Namra |date=2023-07-13 |title=Asian Athletics Championships 2023: Ajay Kumar Saroj grabs gold and Aishwarya Mishra wins bronze for India |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/athletics/asian-athletics-championships-2023-ajay-kumar-saroj-grabs-gold-aishwarya-mishra-wins-bronze-india |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=www.sportskeeda.com |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nalwala |first=Ali Asgar |date=2023-07-16 |title=Asian Athletics Championships 2023 medal tally: Indian winners and results - full list |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/asian-athletics-championships-2023-bangkok-india-medals-tally-winners-results |url-status=live |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=www.olympics.com}}</ref>
* 2023: In May, she won he gold in 400m at the 26th National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships, Birsa Munda Foot Ball Stadium, Morabadi, Ranchi.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Aishwarya Kailash MISHRA {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/aishwarya-kailash-mishra-14882468 |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=worldathletics.org}}</ref>
* 2022: She clocked her best 2:06.44, in 800m at Patiala in March 2022.<ref name=":0" />

== Controversy ==
In 2022, after a major event Aishwarya went missing and a dope test could not be conducted after the Federation Cup at Kozhikode in April. But later she revealed that she went to take care of her ailing grandmother and later returned to competitions taking part in the National Inter-State Senior Championships in June.<ref>{{Cite web |last=PTI |date=2022-06-13 |title="I did not evade dope tests or NADA," asserts quarter-miler Aishwarya Mishra |url=https://thebridge.in/athletics/did-not-evade-nada-aishwarya-mishra-32353 |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=thebridge.in |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-06-13 |title=I did not evade dope testing agencies, asserts quarter-miler Aishwarya Mishra |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/athletics/i-did-not-evade-dope-testing-agencies-asserts-quarter-miler-aishwarya-mishra/articleshow/92177588.cms |access-date=2023-10-03 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* [https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/aishwarya-kailash-mishra-14882468 Aishwarya Mishra] at [[World Athletics]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mishra, Aishwarya}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1997 births]]
[[Category:Indian female sprinters]]
[[Category:Athletes from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in athletics (track and field)]]

Sinchal Kaveramma

2023-10-05T18:53:52Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

'''Theetharamada''' '''Sinchal Kaveramma''' (5 February 2001) is an [[Athletics in India|Indian athlete]] from Karnataka. She competes in 400m hurdles. She is named in the Indian athletics team for the 400m hurdles event in the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Full list of Indian athletes for Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2023-full-list-of-634-indian-athletes-who-will-take-part-in-hangzhou-event-13042652.html |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Kaveramma hails from Gonikoppa, Coorg district, Karnataka. She did her primary schooling at Lions Primary School in Gonikoppa before attending Alvas English Medium High School in Moodbidri. Later, after pre-university course at Alvas PU College, she is now doing her B.Com. at Bishop Cotton Women's Christian College in Bengaluru. She trains under coaches Bollanda Vikram Aiyappa and Pramila Aiyappa in Bengaluru.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Author |date=2023-06-21 |title=Kodagu athlete breaks national record; qualifies for Asiad |url=https://starofmysore.com/kodagu-athlete-breaks-national-record-qualifies-for-asiad/ |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Star of Mysore |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Career ==

* Kaveramma's personal best times: In June 2023, she set a new National record<ref name=":0" /> of 56.76s in the 400m hurdles at the 62nd Inter-State Athletics Championships at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar. She clocked 3:36.50 in {{nowrap|4 × 400 m}} relay, her personal best at Gujarat in October 2022. Her other personal best in the {{nowrap|4 × 400 m}} relay mixed event came at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar in June 2023.
* 2023: In June, she bagged a silver in the 400m hurdles at the Indian National Championships, Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar. She also got a bronze in the 4x400 metres mixed relay.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2023-06-23 |title=Sinchal Kaveramma {{!}} Kodagu First |url=https://www.kodagufirst.in/?tag=sinchal-kaveramma |access-date=2023-10-02 |language=en-US}}</ref>
* 2022: In October, she won a silver at the National Open Athletics Championships, Sree Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium, Bengaluru.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mazumdar |first=Riya |date=2023-09-23 |title=Sinchal Kaveramma Biography: Personal Life, Career, Age, Height, Facts & Networth |url=https://www.sportzcraazy.com/sinchal-kaveramma-biographysinchal-kaveramma-biography-personal-life-career-age-height-facts-networth/ |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Sportzcraazy |language=en-US}}</ref>
* 2018: She won a silver medal in 400m hurdles at the Under-20 championships at Ranchi.
* 2017: She started her international career with Asian Youth Championships at Bangkok

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* [https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/sinchal-kaveramma-14997703 Sinchal Kaveramma] at [[World Athletics]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaveramma, Sinchal}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:2001 births]]
[[Category:Indian female hurdlers]]
[[Category:People from Kodagu district]]
[[Category:Athletes from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games competitors for India]]

Nithya Ramraj

2023-10-05T18:50:07Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

'''Nithya Ramraj''' (born 20 September 1998) is an Indian athlete from Tamil Nadu. She competes in 100m hurdles. She represented India at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.<ref name="SportzConnect">{{Cite web |last=SportzConnect |date=2023-09-11 |title=Tamil Nadu Twins Vithya-Nithya aim for Asian Games medal |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/sports/news-tamil-nadu-twins-nithya-vithya-ramraj-aim-asian-games-medal |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=www.sportskeeda.com |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-11 |title=Vithya falls just short of Usha’s 39-year-old 400m hurdles national mark |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/others/vithya-just-misses-usha-s-39-year-old-400m-hurdles-natl-mark-101694452271510.html |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> She is India's No.2 in the sprint hurdles behind top athlete Jyothi Yarraji in the rankings.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Rayan |first=Stan |date=2023-09-12 |title=Vithya Ramraj is living out a dream |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/athletics/vithya-ramraj-is-living-out-a-dream/article67300102.ece |access-date=2023-09-29 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Nithya hails from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Her father was a truck driver and her mother, Meena, is a home maker.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-10 |title=Twin Sisters Vithya and Nithya Ramraj Eye Asian Games Glory |url=https://www.news18.com/sports/twin-sisters-vithya-and-nithya-ramraj-eye-asian-games-glory-8572170.html |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=News18 |language=en}}</ref> She is the youngest of the three sisters.<ref>{{Cite web |last=PTI |date=2023-09-11 |title=Twin sisters Vithya and Nithya Ramraj eye Asian Games glory |url=https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/sports/twin-sisters-vithya-and-nithya-ramraj-eye-asian-games-glory |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=National Herald |language=en}}</ref> Her identical twin Vithya is also an athlete. The girls started playing hockey and her mother joined them in the Erode Girls Sports School for Class 7. Later they shifted to athletics. Nithya is working with the Income Tax Department.<ref name="SportzConnect"/>

== Career ==

* 2023: Ran 100m hurdles at the Asian Games 2022 at Hangzhou, China. Earlier, she clocked 13.55s to finish fourth in the trials.<ref name=":0" />
* 2023: Representing India she finished fourth in the sprint hurdles at the 25th Asian Athletics Championships 2023 in Bangkok.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rahul |date=2023-07-14 |title=Jyothi Yarraji triumphs in women’s 100m hurdles to swell India’s gold medal tally to three « Athletics Federation of India |url=https://indianathletics.in/jyothi-yarraji-triumphs-in-womens-100m-hurdles-to-swell-indias-gold-medal-tally-to-three/ |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=Athletics Federation of India |language=en-US}}</ref>
* 2021: In March, she came third in the 100m hurdles in the 24th National Federation Cup Senior Athletic Championshps at NS NIS, Patiala.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Athlete Details « Athletics Federation of India |url=https://indianathletics.in/athlete-details/ |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=Athletics Federation of India |language=en-US}}</ref>
* 2019: In October, she came second in the 100m hurdles in the 59th National Open Athletics Championships at Ranchi in Jharkhand.<ref name=":1" />
* 2019: In August, she was fourth in the 100m hurdles in the 9th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.<ref name=":1" />

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* [https://olympics.com/en/news/asian-games-2023-hangzhou-athletics-india-results-medal-winners Olympics.com list]
* [https://indianathletics.in/athlete-details/?id=3034 Nithya Ramraj at Athletics Federation of India]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramraj, Nithya}}
[[Category:1998 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian female hurdlers]]
[[Category:People from Coimbatore]]
[[Category:Athletes from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games competitors for India]]

Ankita Dhyani

2023-10-05T18:48:41Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

{{Short description|Indian athlete}}

'''Ankita Dhyani''' (born 5 February 2002) is an [[Athletics in India|Indian athlete]] from Uttarakhand. She is a middle-distance and long-distance runner. She is named in the Indian athletics team for the 5000m event in the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Full list of Indian athletes for Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2023-full-list-of-634-indian-athletes-who-will-take-part-in-hangzhou-event-13042652.html |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Firstpost }}</ref>

== Early life ==
Ankita hails from Maroda village in the [[Pauri Garhwal district]], [[Uttarakhand]]. She used to run with the big boys training for Army selections in her village which is at a high-altitude of 1400m.<ref name=":0" />

== Career ==

* 2023: In May, she qualified for the Asian Athletics championships in Thailand for the 1500m event.<ref>{{Cite web |title=अंकिता ध्यानी ने थाईलैंड एशियन एथलेटिक्स के लिए किया क्वालीफाई |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/uttarakhand/dehradun/story-ankita-dhyani-qualifies-for-thailand-asian-athletics-8178181.html |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Hindustan |language=hi}}</ref>
* 2021: In January, she won gold in both 1500m and 5000m at the Federation Cup Junior u-20 Athletics Championships at Sangrur, Punjab.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-08-01 |title=Ankita Dhyani wins two medals in U-20 games |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/ankita-dhyani-wins-two-medals-in-u-20-games/articleshow/84929639.cms |access-date=2023-10-02 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
* 2021: She won gold in both 1500m and 5000m at the Junior National Championships in Guwahati.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-06-19 |title=Track closed due to Covid, Olympic aspirant trains on farms & roads |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/track-closed-due-to-covid-olympic-aspirant-trains-on-farms-roads-dodging-people-cattle-potholes/articleshow/83645209.cms |access-date=2023-10-02 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> In 5000m she clocked 16:21.19, to set a Junior National record erasing the 16:21.59 mark set by Sunita Rani 23 back.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2021-02-08 |title=No turning back: Ankita Dhyani's mastery at improbable chases makes her unbeatable |url=https://www.espn.in/athletics/story/_/id/30859627/no-turning-back-ankita-dhyani-mastery-improbable-chases-makes-unbeatable |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=ESPN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Reporter |first=S. T. P. |title=Ahead Of Olympic Qualifier, Sprinter Forced To Train On Farms And Roads |url=https://www.shethepeople.tv/news/ahead-of-olympic-qualifier-sprinter-forced-to-train-on-farms-and-roads-ankita-dhyani/ |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=www.shethepeople.tv |language=en}}</ref>
* 2021: In August, she took part in 1500m and 5000m at the World Under-20 championships at Nairobi, Kenya.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olympic ambitions – the Indian endurance project making tracks in Bhopal {{!}} FEATURE {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/news/feature/indian-endurance-project-kenya-netherlands-distance-running-broek-pal-murli |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=worldathletics.org}}</ref>
* 2018: She won the gold in the 200m at the Youth Nationals in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.
* 2019: She won the 1500m in the Junior Nationals at Ranchi.
* 2019: She won gold in 1500m and 5000m at the Khelo India Youth games at Pune.
* 2020: She won gold in 1500m and 5000m at the Khelo India Youth games at Guwahati.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/ankita-dhyani-14818406 Ankita Dhyani] at [[World Athletics]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhyani, Ankita}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:2002 births]]
[[Category:Indian female middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:Indian female long-distance runners]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Athletes from Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:People from Pauri Garhwal district]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games competitors for India]]

Jesse Sandesh

2023-10-05T18:08:12Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

{{Short description|Indian athlete}}

'''Jesse Sandesh''' (born 22 October 1995) is an [[Athletics in India|Indian athlete]] who competes in high jump. He is named as part of the Indian team for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Full list of Indian athletes for Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2023-full-list-of-634-indian-athletes-who-will-take-part-in-hangzhou-event-13042652.html |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref> He made it to the finals on October 4, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ANI |date=2023-10-02 |title=Asian Games: Vithya Ramraj levels with PT Usha's Women's 400m hurdles Nat'l record |url=https://www.dtnext.in/news/sports/asian-games-vithya-ramraj-levels-with-pt-ushas-womens-400m-hurdles-natl-record-739516 |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=www.dtnext.in |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sports |first=The Bridge-Home of Indian |date=2023-10-02 |title=Athletics-Sandesh Jesse, Sarvesh Kusale into the final in high Jump with 2.10m |url=https://thebridge.in/buzz/day-9-live-athletes-tt-kabaddi-scores-updates-live-blog-62444 |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=thebridge.in |language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==

* 2023: In June, he won a silver in the Indian Championships at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jesse SANDESH {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/jesse-sandesh-14538348 |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=worldathletics.org}}</ref>
* 2023: In May, he won a silver at the 26th National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships, Birsa Munda Football Stadium, Morabadi, Ranchi.
* 2023: In March, he won a silver at the Indian Grand Prix at LNCPE, Trivandrum.
* 2022: In June, he won a silver in the National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai.
* 2022: In May, he won a silver at the Indian Grand Prix, Bhubaneshwar.
* 2022: In April, he won a silver at the National Federation Cup, at Muhammed Koya Stadium, Thenhipalam.
* 2022: In March, he won a gold in the Inter-Railway Championships at Kolkata.

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* {{World Athletics|14538348}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sandesh, Jesse}}
[[Category:1995 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian male high jumpers]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games competitors for India]]

Sarvesh Kushare

2023-10-05T18:08:07Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

{{Short description|Indian athlete}}

{{More citations needed|date=October 2023}}
'''Sarvesh Anil Kushare''' (born 17 June 1995)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sarvesh Anil Kushare - Player Profile - Athletics |url=https://www.eurosport.com/athletics/sarvesh-anil-kushare_prs670477/person.shtml |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Eurosport }}</ref> is an [[Athletics in India|Indian athlete]] who competes in high jump. He is named in the Indian athletics team for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Full list of Indian athletes for Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2023-full-list-of-634-indian-athletes-who-will-take-part-in-hangzhou-event-13042652.html |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Sarvesh hails from a village Devargaon in Maharashtra, about 30km from Nashik.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Lahiri |first=Dipankar |date=2023-07-16 |title=Sarvesh Kushare - India's highest jumper who trained on cattle feed pits |url=https://thebridge.in/athletics/sarvesh-kushare-indias-highest-jumper-trained-cattle-feed-pits-43012 |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=thebridge.in |language=en}}</ref> He learnt his basics from coach RW Jadhav.

== Career ==

* 2023: In August, he took part in the World Athletics championships representing India.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-21 |title=Athletics World C’ships 2023: Sarvesh Kushare, Santhosh Tamilarasan exit early on Day 2 |url=https://scroll.in/field/1054616/athletics-world-cships-2023-sarvesh-kushare-santhosh-tamilarasan-exit-early-on-day-2 |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Scroll.in }}</ref>
* 2023: In July, he won a silver jumping 2.26m at the Asian Athletics Championships, Supachalasai National Stadium, Bangkok.<ref name=":1" />
* 2023: In February, he did his personal best in indoor championships of 2.20m at Nur-Sultan, Kazakasthan.
* 2022: In October, he achieved his personal outdoor best of 2.27m in the Indian National championship at Gujarat.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Selvaraj |first=Jonathan |date=2022-10-03 |title=Sarvesh Kushare snapping at Tejaswin Shankar’s heels for high jump national record |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/national-games/sarvesh-kushare-high-jump-national-record-tejaswin-shankar-230-mark/article65964040.ece |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Sportstar }}</ref>
* 2019: In October, he won gold medal jumping 226m at the Indian Open Championships in Ranchi.
* 2019: He made his international debut at the South Asian Championships.
* 2018: On September 26, he created a national record in high jump at the 58th National Open athletics championship at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* {{World Athletics|14675319}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kushare, Sarvesh}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1995 births]]
[[Category:Indian male high jumpers]]
[[Category:Athletes from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:People from Nashik district]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games competitors for India]]

Neeraj Maan

2023-10-05T15:58:06Z

Abhisheksingh:

'''Neeraj Maan''' (born 14 December 1999) is an Indian rower from [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=PM lauds Men's Coxed Eight team for winning silver at Asian Games 2022 |url=https://pib.gov.in/pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1960225 |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=pib.gov.in}}</ref> He is named in the Indian rowing team for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Full list of Indian athletes for Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2023-full-list-of-634-indian-athletes-who-will-take-part-in-hangzhou-event-13042652.html |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref> He competes in the men's coxed eight event. He was part of the team that won the silver medal in the men's coxed eight at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2023-09-24 |title=Asian Games: Meet the Family of Eight rowers that opened India's medal account |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/asian-games/asian-games-meet-the-family-of-eight-rowers-that-opened-indias-medal-account-8954349/ |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-25 |title=Asian Games: पिता की बाईपास सर्जरी, मां के पेट के 4 ऑपरेशन, देश के सबसे सूखे राज्य से आने वालों ने रोइंग में लगाई नैया पार |url=https://www.jansatta.com/khel/asian-games-2023-indian-rowing-team-men-8-silver-medal-neetish-kumar-neeraj-maan-bheem-singh-result-schedule/3018558/ |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=Jansatta |language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sportstar |first=Team |date=2023-09-24 |title=Asian Games 2023: India wins silver in rowing men's eight event |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/asian-games/asian-games-2023-rowing-mens-eight-silver-medal-second-timing-result-highlights/article67340597.ece |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Correspondent |first=DC |date=2023-09-25 |title=Asian Games: India win bronze in men's four rowing |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/sports/other-news/250923/asian-games-india-win-bronze-in-mens-four-rowing.html |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=www.deccanchronicle.com}}</ref>

The Indian team consisted of [[Neeraj Maan]], [[Naresh Kalwaniya]], [[Neetish Kumar]], Charanjeet Singh, [[Jaswinder Singh (rower)|Jaswinder Singh]], [[Bheem Singh]], [[Punit Kumar]] and [[Ashish (rower)|Ashish]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=ANI |date=2023-09-24 |title="Achieved everything we had worked hard for": Indian Rower Punit Kumar after winning silver in Men's Coxed Eight |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/sports/others/achieved-everything-we-had-worked-hard-for-indian-rower-punit-kumar-after-winning-silver-in-mens-coxed-eight20230924142321/ |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=www.aninews.in}}</ref> [[Dhananjay Pande]] was the coxswain of the team. All the Indian team members are from the Indian Army and have trained at the Army Rowing Node facility in Pune for over a year.<ref name=":0" />

== Early life ==
Neeraj hails from Khawaja Nangla, a small Village in [[Chhaprauli]] Block of [[Bagpat district|Baghpat District]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref name=":0" /> He is 189 cm tall and usually rows the first seat. He started rowing at the age of 13.

== Career ==

* 2023: In September, he won a silver medal as part of the Indian team in the men's coxed eight at the 2022 Asian Games.<ref>{{Cite news |last=ANI |date=2023-09-24 |title=Hangzhou Asian Games {{!}} Indian rowers clinch silver medal in Men's Coxed Eight Team event |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/hangzhou-asian-games-indian-rowers-clinch-silver-medal-in-mens-coxed-eight-team-event/article67340626.ece |access-date=2023-09-29 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-09-24 |title=19th Asian Games: Indian rowers win silver in Men's Coxed Eight event |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/asian-games-2023/india-asian-games/19th-asian-games-indian-rowers-win-silver-in-mens-coxed-eight-event/articleshow/103901189.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-09-29 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
* 2023: In February, as part of the Coxless Fours team of the Army, he won a silver medal at the 40th Senior National Rowing Championship at the Army Rowing Node, Pune.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=India Rowing |url=https://www.indiarowing.com/natresult_search.php?search_name=neeraj&Submit=search |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=www.indiarowing.com}}</ref>
* 2022: In January, as part of the men's coxed eight SER team, he won the gold at the 39th Senior National Rowing Championship at the Army Rowing Node, Pune.<ref name=":1" />
* 2016: In November/ December, he won gold as part of the Junior men's coxless four BSC team at Kollam, Kerala.<ref name=":1" />

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* [https://twitter.com/Media_SAI/status/1705821657175331183 Twitter SAI Media]
* [https://www.indiarowing.com/admin/statumoredl/202007082159452(Sl%20No%2016.1)%20RFI-ID%20Card-07.07.20-1.pdf Rowing Federation of India lists]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mann, Neeraj}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1999 births]]
[[Category:Indian male rowers]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Rowers at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in rowing]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games]]

Satnam Singh (rower)

2023-10-05T11:59:08Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

{{Short description|Indian rower (born 2000)}}

'''Satnam Singh''' (born 5 July 2000) is an Indian rower. He is named in the Indian rowing team for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]]. He competes in the men's quadruple sculls event. He was part of the team that won the bronze medal in the men's quadruple sculls at the [[Asian Games]] in Hangzhou, China.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bose |first=Shuvaditya |date=2023-09-25 |title=2023 Asian Games: With 5 Medals, Indian Rowers Match Best-Ever Tally |url=https://www.thequint.com/sports/asian-games/2023-asian-games-rowing-india-win-5-medals-match-best-tally |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=TheQuint |language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==

* 2023: In September, he won a silver medal as part of the Indian teams in the men's quadruple sculls at the 2022 Asian Games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indian rowers finish Asian Games campaign with two more bronze medals, total haul of 5 |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/sports/indian-rowers-finish-asian-games-campaign-with-two-more-bronze-medals-total-haul-of-5/cid/1968998 |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=www.telegraphindia.com |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==

<references />

== External links ==
* [https://www.indiarowing.com/admin/statumoredl/202307101053121(15)%20(iv.s)%202023-WC%203-Lucerne,%20Switzerland-Final%20Entries.pdf Indian Rowing Federation official lists]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Satnam}}
[[Category:2000 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian male rowers]]
[[Category:Rowers at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in rowing]]
[[Category:Asian Games bronze medalists for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Rowers at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics]]

Pooja Singh (athlete)

2023-10-04T21:22:24Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

{{Short description|Indian athlete}}

'''Pooja Singh''' (born 21 February 2007) is an [[Athletics in India|Indian athlete]]. She competes in the [[high jump]] event. She is named in the Indian athletics team for the high jump event for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Full list of Indian athletes for Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2023-full-list-of-634-indian-athletes-who-will-take-part-in-hangzhou-event-13042652.html |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref> She reached the finals of the Asian Games women's high jump event along with compatriot [[Rubina Yadav]] and finished sixth. Rubina finished ninth.

== Early life ==
Pooja hails from Bosti village in [[Haryana]]. Her father Hansraj is a construction worker.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Selvaraj |first=Jonathan |date=2023-06-13 |title=Haryana mason’s daughter, Pooja, takes flight in Indian athletics |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/athletics/pooja-high-jump-father-mason-indian-athletics/article66963786.ece |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=sportstar.thehindu.com |language=en}}</ref> Coach Balwan Singh spotted Pooja while during a yoga session and was impressed with her yoga postures, charasana and dhanurasana (yoga forms) and recruited her and started training her as a high jumper.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2023-09-21 |title=Spotted at yoga camp, teen high jumps to Asian Games |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/spotted-at-yoga-camp-teen-high-jumps-to-asian-games/articleshow/103822002.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-10-03 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

== Career ==

* 2023: She won a silver medal at the 20th Asian U20 Athletics Championship, Yecheon.
* 2023: Won a gold at the Youth Asian Championship in Tashkent.<ref name=":0" />
* 2023: In July, she took part in the Asian Athletics Championships, Supachalasai National Stadium, Bangkok.
* 2023: She also won a bronze at the Youth Commonwealth Games in Trinidad & Tobago.

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
*[https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/pooja-15053572 Pooja Singh] at [[World Athletics]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Pooja}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:2007 births]]
[[Category:Indian female high jumpers]]
[[Category:Athletes from Haryana]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Haryana]]
[[Category:People from Fatehabad district]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games competitors for India]]

Sheena Varkey

2023-10-04T21:19:11Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

{{Merge|N.V. Sheena|date=October 2023}}
{{Short description|Indian athlete}}

'''Sheena Nellickal Varkey''' (born 22 November 1992) is an [[Athletics in India|Indian athlete]] from [[Kerala]]. She competes in triple jump event. She is named in the Indian athletics team for the women's [[triple jump]] event for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Full list of Indian athletes for Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2023-full-list-of-634-indian-athletes-who-will-take-part-in-hangzhou-event-13042652.html |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref> She won a silver medal at the Asian Indoor Championships in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asian Indoor Athletics Championships: Indian triple-jumper Sheena Nellckal Varkey bags silver medal |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/sports/report-asian-indoor-athletics-championships-indian-triple-jumper-sheena-nellckal-varkey-bags-silver-medal-2580651 |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=DNA India |language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==

* 2023: In June, she won the gold at the Indian Championships, Kalinga Stadium, [[Bhubaneswar|Bhubaneshwar]], [[Odisha]].
* 2023: In February, she took part in the 10th [[2023 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships]] at Astana Nur-Sultan.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Nellickal Verkay SHEENA {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/nellicktal-varkey-sheena-14498425 |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=worldathletics.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sudarshan |first=M |date=2023-02-12 |title=Asian Indoor Athletics Championships 2023: India clinch silver, bronze in women's pole vault |url=https://khelnow.com/athletics/2023-02-asian-indoor-athletics-championships-2023-day-2-report-india-pavithra-vengatesh-rosy-meena |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=Khel Now |language=English}}</ref>
* 2018: In February, she won a silver medal in the women's triple jump at the [[2018 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships]] at [[Tehran]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-02-01 |title=Triple jumper Sheena wins silver in Asian Indoor Athletics |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/athletics/triple-jumper-sheena-wins-silver-in-asian-indoor-athletics/articleshow/62746538.cms |access-date=2023-10-03 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Scroll |date=2018-02-01 |title=Asian Indoor Athletics: Sheena Nellckal Varkey bags silver in triple jump on day one |url=https://scroll.in/field/867222/asian-indoor-athletics-sheena-nellckal-varkey-bags-silver-in-triple-jump-on-day-one |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=Scroll.in |language=en-US}}</ref>
* 2017: In July, she won the bronze at the Bhubaneshwar Asian Championships, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.
* 2016: In September, she won the gold at the Lucknow Indian Open Championships, [[Lucknow]].
* 2014: In February, she came 7th in the [[2014 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships]], Hangzhou, China.
* 2012: In October, Sheena first caught the eye at the Lucknow National Junior Championships with a big win.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* [https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/nellicktal-varkey-sheena-14498425 Sheena Varkey] at [[World Athletics]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Varkey, Sheena}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1992 births]]
[[Category:Indian female triple jumpers]]
[[Category:Athletes from Kerala]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Kerala]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games competitors for India]]

Avani Prashanth

2023-10-04T21:03:24Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

{{Short description|Indian golf player (born 2006)}}

'''Avani''' '''Prashanth''' (born 7 October 2006) is an Indian golf player from [[Bangalore|Bengaluru]], [[Karnataka]]. She is the youngest player in the Indian squad for the [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]]. She became the first Amateur player from India to take part in the [[Augusta National Women's Amateur]] tournament.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Rozario |first=Rayan |date=2023-08-23 |title=Indian golf’s young superstar Avani Prashanth looking to make it count at the Asian Games |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/golf/avani-prashanth-golf-india-asian-games-2023-hangzhou-womens-team-news/article67227342.ece |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Avani is born in Bengaluru. Her father M.S. Prashanth encouraged her to play golf. She is studying in Class 9 at the [[Greenwood High International School]], Bengaluru. She started playing gold at an early age of 3 years and 10 months.<ref name=":0" /> She is currently India's No.1 Amateur golfer.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=The World Amateur Golf Rankings® (WAGR®) {{!}} The Official Men's and Women's Amateur Golf Rankings |url=https://www.wagr.com/playerprofile/avani-prashanth-34296 |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=WAGR}}</ref> She trained under Laurence Brotheridge of [[Great Britain]] for four years.<ref name=":2" />

== Career ==
* 2023: In September, she won the Queen Sirikit Cup to become the first Indian to win on the LET Access Series.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Achal |first=Ashwin |date=2023-09-01 |title=After making history, Avani Prashanth shoots for the stars |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/after-making-history-avani-prashanth-shoots-for-the-stars/article67261248.ece |access-date=2023-09-27 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* 2023: In May, she finished first in the selection trials for the Asian Games.
* 2022: She won the individual and team gold in the 36th National Games.
* 2021: In February, Avani won her first tournament in the Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour in Mumbai.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2021-11-10 |title=Avani gears up to shine on the big stage |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/golf/top-stories/avani-gears-up-to-shine-on-the-big-stage/articleshow/87627935.cms |access-date=2023-09-27 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
* 2021: In October, she won her second tournament in the Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour at Panchkula.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-10-23 |title=Avani puts pros in the shade |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/avani-puts-pros-in-the-shade/articleshow/87215384.cms |access-date=2023-09-27 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
* 2021: She won both the All India Ladies and Amateur titles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meet Avani Prashanth, the 15-year-old breaking barriers at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur |url=https://www.golfdigest.com/story/avani-prashanth-augusta-national-womens-amateur-india |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=GolfDigest.com |language=en}}</ref>
* She also represented India at the Women's Amateur Asia Pacific Golf Championship in Abu Dhabi and finished T 16.<ref name=":1" />

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
[https://www.wagr.com/playerprofile/avani-prashanth-34296 WAGR official website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prashanth, Avani}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:2006 births]]
[[Category:Indian female golfers]]
[[Category:Golfers from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Bangalore]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Golfers at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games competitors for India]]

Mijo Chacko Kurian

2023-10-03T20:53:03Z

Abhisheksingh:

{{Short description|Indian athlete from Kerala}}
'''Mijo Chacko Kurian''' (born 16 July 1995) is an [[Athletics in India|Indian athlete]] from [[Kerala]]. He competes in 400m. He was a member of the Men’s 4x400m relay in the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].

== Career ==
In May 2022, Kurien was named the best male athlete at the Karnataka State Athletics Championship at [[Udupi]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-05-10 |title=Alva’s dominate state athletics |work=[[The Times of India]] |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/alvas-dominate-state-athletics/articleshow/91453502.cms?frmapp=yes&from=mdr |access-date=2023-10-02 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> In September, he clocked 46.10s at the Inter-Services Athletics Championships in [[Jalahalli]]. The following month, he won the gold in 400m, clocking 46.34s at the National Open Athletics Championships at the Sree Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium in [[Bangalore]].

In June 2023, Kurien clocked 46.61s in 400m at the Indian Championships from the [[Kalinga Stadium]] in [[Bhubaneswar|Bhubaneshwar]]. In August, he was named to the Men's 4x400m relay team at the [[World Athletics Championships]] in Budapest.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-08-08 |title=World Athletics Championships: Neeraj To Lead 28-Member Indian Team |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/sports/world-athletics-championships-neeraj-to-lead-28-member-indian-team-news-309074 |url-status=live |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=Outlook India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nag |first=Utathya |date=2023-08-28 |title=World Athletics Championships 2023 medal tally: Indian results, medal table - full list |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/world-athletics-championships-2023-budapest-india-medal-tally-winners-results |url-status=live |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=[[Olympics]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-08-26 |title=World Athletics Championships 2023 Day Eight: Indians in action, event timings, streaming info |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/athletics/world-athletics-championships-2023-day-eight-india-schedule-timings-live-streaming-info-amoj-jacob-anas-ajmal-ramesh/article67234666.ece |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=[[Sportstar]] |language=en}}</ref> The next month, he clocked 46.85 in 400m at the Indian Grand Prix 5 in [[Chandigarh]]. He was also named a member of the Men’s 4x400m relay in the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Full list of Indian athletes for Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2023-full-list-of-634-indian-athletes-who-will-take-part-in-hangzhou-event-13042652.html |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/mijo-chacho-kurian-14681199 Mijo Chacko Kurian] at [[World Athletics]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kurian, Mijo Chacko}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1995 births]]
[[Category:Indian male sprinters]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Asian Games]]

Nandini Agasara

2023-10-03T20:50:27Z

Abhisheksingh:

{{Short description|Indian athlete}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Nandini Agasara
| image =
| image_size =
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| nationality = [[Indian people|Indian]]
| residence =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2003|08|07|df=yes}}
| birth_place =
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| country =
| sport = Athletics
| event =
| pb =
| club =
| coach =
| alma_mater =
| retired =
| olympics =
| highestranking =
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women's [[Sport of athletics|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{IND}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Athletics at the Asian Games|Asian Games]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2022 Asian Games|2022 Hangzhou]]|[[Athletics at the 2022 Asian Games – Women's heptathlon|Heptathlon]]}}
}}
'''Nandini Agasara''' (born 7 August 2003) is an [[Athletics in India|Indian athlete]]. She was named as part of the Indian athletics squad for the 2022 Asian Games.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Full list of Indian athletes for Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2023-full-list-of-634-indian-athletes-who-will-take-part-in-hangzhou-event-13042652.html |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref> She won the bronze medal in the [[Heptathlon]] event of the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sportstar |first=Team |date=2023-10-01 |title=Asian Games 2023: Nandini Agasara won bronze in women's heptathlon |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/asian-games/asian-games-nandini-agasara-wins-bronze-heptathlon-athletics-swapna-barman-hangzhou-2022-highlights/article67368827.ece |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=PTI |date=2023-10-01 |title=Nandini Agasara wins bronze in women's heptathlon 800m |url=https://telanganatoday.com/nandini-agasara-wins-bronze-in-womens-heptathlon-800m |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=telanganatoday.com}}</ref>

== Career ==
Nandini's top tournaments are given below:

* 2023: Bronze medal in Heptathlon at the [[2022 Asian Games]] in [[Hangzhou]], China. She did her personal best in the 200m on 30 September at the Hangzhou Asian Games Heptathlon event.
* 2022: In October, she won a silver in the 100m hurdles at the National Open Athletics Championships, Sree Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium, Bengaluru.
* 2022: In August, she finished seventh in the 100m hurdles at the World Athletics U20 Championships, Pascual Guerrero Stadium, Cali, Colombia, setting a new Under-20 national record.
* 2021: In June, she won silver at the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships, Patiala.

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* {{World Athletics|14917721}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nandini, Agasara}}
[[Category:2003 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian heptathletes]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games]]

Mohammed Afsal

2023-10-03T19:50:25Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

{{More citations needed|date=October 2023}}
{{Short description|Indian athlete}}
'''Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakath''' (born 3 February 1996) is an [[Athletics in India|Indian athlete]] from [[Kerala]] who competes in 800m. He is named in the Indian athletics team for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Full list of Indian athletes for Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2023-full-list-of-634-indian-athletes-who-will-take-part-in-hangzhou-event-13042652.html |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref> He won the men's 800m silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games on October 3.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sportstar |first=Team |date=2023-10-03 |title=Asian Games 2023: Mohammed Afsal wins silver in 800m; Krishan finishes fifth |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/asian-games/mohammed-afsal-pulikkalakath-silver-medal-800m-asian-games-2023-result-hangzhou-athletics-news-updates/article67375278.ece |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Asian Games 2023: Parul Chaudhary Wins Gold In Women's 5000m, Mohammed Afsal And Vithya Ramraj Claims Silver And Bronze {{!}} Asian Games News |url=https://sports.ndtv.com/asian-games-2023/asian-games-2023-parul-chaudhary-wins-gold-in-womens-5000m-mohammed-afsal-and-vithya-ramraj-claims-silver-and-bronze-4446126 |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=NDTVSports.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-10-03 |title=Parul Chaudhary wins gold in women's 5000m, Mohammed Afsal and Vithya claims silver and bronze |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/sports/parul-chaudhary-wins-gold-in-womens-5000m-mohammed-afsal-and-vithya-claims-silver-and-bronze/articleshow/104136049.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-10-03 |issn=0013-0389}}</ref> He finished first in his heats on October 2.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-03 |title=Asian Games: Malayali athlete Mohammed Afsal claims silver in 800m |url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/special-pages/asian-games-2023/asian-games-malayali-athlete-mohammed-afsal-claims-silver-in-800m-1.8954103 |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=English.Mathrubhumi |language=en}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Afsal hails from Palappuram, [[Ottapalam]], [[Palakkad district|Palakkad]], [[Kerala]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=ഏഷ്യൻ ഗെയിംസ്; 800 മീറ്ററിൽ സുവർണ പ്രതീക്ഷ: മുഹമ്മദ് അഫ്സൽ |url=https://www.manoramaonline.com/district-news/palakkad/2023/09/24/palakkad-asian-games-golden-hope-in-800m-muhammad-afzal.html |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=ManoramaOnline |language=ml}}</ref> He did his schooling at Parli High School, Parli. He is supported by Reliance Foundation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Desk |first=The Bridge |date=2022-05-19 |title=Kerala's Mohammed Afsal wins gold medal in 800m at European exposure trip in UK |url=https://thebridge.in/athletics/md-afsal-gold-medal-european-exposure-trip-uk-31643 |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=thebridge.in |language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==

* 2023: He won the silver in the 800m at the 2022 Asian Games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PM congratulates athlete Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakath for winning silver in Men's 800 m at Asian Games |url=https://pib.gov.in/pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1963863 |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=pib.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Today |first=Telangana |date=2023-10-03 |title=Asian Games: India’s Mohammed Afsal claims silver in men’s 800m in tight race |url=https://telanganatoday.com/asian-games-indias-mohammed-afsal-claims-silver-in-mens-800m-in-tight-race |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=Telangana Today |language=en-US}}</ref>
* 2023: In September, he clocked 47.46sec in 400m at Chandigarh, his personal best in 400m.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Mohammed Afsal PULIKKALAKATH {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/mohammed-afsal-pulikkalakath-14598247 |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=worldathletics.org}}</ref>
* 2023: In May, he did his personal best of wind-assisted 22.73 in 200m at Sportpark Stappegoor, Tilburg. Though it is not a legal mark, it is his best.
* 2023: In May, he did his personal best of 1min, 46.17s in 800m at Putbosstadion, Oordegem, Belgium.<ref name=":1" />
* 2022: In October, he won the gold in 800m at the National Games in Gujarat.<ref name=":1" />
* 2022: In May, as part of an exposure trip to Europe he won a gold in 800m at the Watford Open Graded Meeting.<ref name=":0" />
* 2019: In July, he won the gold in the 800m run at the Qasanov Memorial Meet held at ALMATY, Kazakhstan.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-07-06 |title=Indian athletes win six medals in Kazakhstan |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/athletics/indian-athletes-win-six-medals-in-kazakhstan/articleshow/70106384.cms |access-date=2023-10-02 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
* 2017: In September, he did his personal best of 3:46.48 in 1500m at Chennai.
* 2013: In September, he first came into limelight winning the gold at the first Asian School Track and Field Championships at Kautun, Pahang, Malaysia.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-09-22 |title=Golden double for Afsal, Chitra |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/athletics/golden-double-for-afsal-chitra/articleshow/22873829.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst |access-date=2023-10-02 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
*[http://www.keralaathletics.org/athlet_profile/NjEyOA== Kerala State Athletics Association profile]
*[https://worldathletics.org/athletes/india/mohammed-afsal-pulikkalakath-14598247 Mohammed Afsal] at [[World Athletics]]

[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1996 births]]
[[Category:Athletes from Kerala]]
[[Category:Indian male middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in athletics (track and field)]]

Florence Barla

2023-10-02T17:58:08Z

Abhisheksingh:

{{Short description|Indian athlete from Jharkhand}}
'''Florence Barla''' (born 2001) is an [[Athletics in India|Indian athlete]] from Jharkhand. She competes in 400m and she is named in the Indian athletics team for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Full list of Indian athletes for Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2023-full-list-of-634-indian-athletes-who-will-take-part-in-hangzhou-event-13042652.html |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Firstpost }}</ref>

== Early life ==
Florence hails from Nawadih village in Gumla district, Jharkhand. Her mother Rojliya Aind is a daily labourer and her father passed away in 2013. She is the youngest among the six siblings. She did her Class 11 and 12 at DAV Nandraj School.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Coronavirus sinks Florence Barla’s Bangkok hope |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/jharkhand/coronavirus-sinks-florence-barlas-bangkok-hope/cid/1753487 |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=www.telegraphindia.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Mom’s madua roti powers her speed |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/sports/moms-madua-roti-powers-her-speed/cid/1692049 |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=www.telegraphindia.com |language=en}}</ref> She is training under coach Ashu Bhatia from 2017 at the age of 15 at Khel Gaoan Stadium in Ranchi.<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |date=2023-09-19 |title=Florence Barla set to bring to fruition her labourer mother’s dream at Asian Games |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/florence-barla-set-to-bring-to-fruition-her-labourer-mothers-dream-at-asian-games/articleshow/103764860.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-10-02 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> Her sister Ashakiran Barla is also an athlete.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-06-05 |title=Gumla girl makes cut for U20 world meet in Columbia |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/gumla-girl-makes-cut-for-u20-world-meet-in-columbia/articleshow/92013543.cms |access-date=2023-10-02 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> She won a silver at Commonwealth Youth Games at Port of Spain, Trinidad in August 2023.<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |date=2023-09-19 |title=Florence Barla set to bring to fruition her labourer mother’s dream at Asian Games |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/florence-barla-set-to-bring-to-fruition-her-labourer-mothers-dream-at-asian-games/articleshow/103764860.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-10-02 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> In June 2019, she was felicitated by the Central Coalfield Limited (CCL) and Jharkhand State Sports Promotion Society (JSSPS).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pioneer |first=The |title=CCL felicitates Florence Barla |url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/state-editions/ccl-felicitates-florence-barla.html |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=The Pioneer |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mantu |first=Sushil Singh |date=2021-06-21 |title=JSSPS प्रबंधन को चंचला की प्रतीभा पर पूरा था विश्वास |url=https://www.sportsjharkhand.com/passport-jssps-chanchla/ |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Sports Jharkhand |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Career ==

* 2023: In September, she took part in the Indian Grand Prix in Chandigarh.
* 2022: She won a bronze at the Federation Cup in Ranchi which helped her to get into the Indian camp for the Asian Games as a 400m relay prospect.
* 2022: National Athletics meet in Bhubaneswar.
* 2020: Florence was selected for the 19th Asian Junior Athletics Championship in Bangkok but the meet was cancelled due to Covid.<ref name=":1" /> She achieved the qualifying mark at the International Invitational Athletics Championship in Kazakhstan in 2019 where she won the gold clocking 54.73 seconds.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{World Athletics|14857362}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barla, Florence}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:2001 births]]
[[Category:Indian female sprinters]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:People from Gumla district]]

Naresh Kalwaniya

2023-10-02T15:31:34Z

Abhisheksingh:

{{Short description|Indian rower (born 1999)}}

'''Naresh Kalwaniya''' (born 15 August 1999) is an Indian rower from Rajasthan. He is named in the Indian rowing team for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sportstar |first=Team |date=2023-09-19 |title=India Rowing squad for Asian Games 2022: Squad, team news, performance before Hangzhou |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/asian-games/asian-games-2023-india-rowing-squad-full-list-of-athletes-hangzhou-2022-sport-medal-history/article67212255.ece |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Subrahmanyam |first=V. V. |date=2023-07-03 |title=Asian Games |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/rowing/article67037448.ece |access-date=2023-10-01 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> He competes in the men's coxed eight event. He was part of the team that won the silver medal in the men's quadruple sculls at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hangzhou Asian Games: Indian athlete Punit Kumar bags silver medal in men's coxed eight event {{!}} Sports - Times of India Videos |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/sports/other-sports/hangzhou-asian-games-indian-rowers-bags-silver-medal-in-mens-coxed-eight-team-event/videoshow/103905749.cms |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=ANI |date=2023-09-24 |title="Achieved everything we had worked hard for": Indian Rower Punit Kumar after winning silver in Men's Coxed Eight |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/sports/others/achieved-everything-we-had-worked-hard-for-indian-rower-punit-kumar-after-winning-silver-in-mens-coxed-eight20230924142321/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=www.aninews.in}}</ref>

The Indian team consisted of [[Neeraj Maan]], [[Naresh Kalwaniya]], [[Neetish Kumar]], Charanjeet Singh, [[Jaswinder Singh (rower)|Jaswinder Singh]], [[Bheem Singh]], [[Punit Kumar]] and [[Ashish (rower)|Ashish]] Guliyan. [[Dhananjay Pande]] was the coxswain of the team. All the Indian team members are from the Indian Army and have trained at the Army Rowing Node facility in Pune for over a year.<ref name=":0" />

== Early life ==
Naresh hails from a farmers family in Amarsar town, Jaipur district, Rajasthan. To support the family he joined Army. The rifleman did well in the first two years in the domestic events and got selected for the Asian team.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2023-09-24 |title=Asian Games: Meet the Family of Eight rowers that opened India's medal account |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/asian-games/asian-games-meet-the-family-of-eight-rowers-that-opened-indias-medal-account-8954349/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==

* 2023: Silver medal at the Men's coxed eight at the 2022 Asian Games.<ref>{{Cite news |last=ANI |date=2023-09-24 |title=Hangzhou Asian Games {{!}} Indian rowers clinch silver medal in Men's Coxed Eight Team event |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/hangzhou-asian-games-indian-rowers-clinch-silver-medal-in-mens-coxed-eight-team-event/article67340626.ece |access-date=2023-10-01 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* 2023: Men's coxed four in the Rowing World Cup, Zagreb.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rowing KALWANIYA Naresh - The 19th Asian Games |url=https://info.hangzhou2022.cn/en/results/rowing/athlete-profile-n2001749-kalwaniya-naresh.htm |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=info.hangzhou2022.cn}}</ref>

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
[https://info.hangzhou2022.cn/en/results/rowing/athlete-profile-n2001749-kalwaniya-naresh.htm Asian Games - Naresh Kalwaniya]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalwaniya, Naresh}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1999 births]]
[[Category:Indian male rowers]]
[[Category:Rowers at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in rowing]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games]]

Sarabjot Singh

2023-10-02T12:02:06Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

{{Short description|Indian sport shooter}}
'''Sarabjot Singh''' (30 September 2001) is an Indian [[Sport shooting|sport shooter]]. He competes in the 10m air pistol discipline. He is part of the Indian shooting team at the [[2022 Asian Games]], [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-24 |title=Indian shooters at Asian Games: Events, key dates, format and rules |url=https://www.espn.in/espn/story/_/id/38465705/indian-shooters-asian-games-hangzhou-2022-events-key-dates-format-rules-top-medal-contenders |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=ESPN |language=en}}</ref> Indian 10m air pistol team of Sarabjot Singh, [[Arjun Singh Cheema]] and [[Shiva Narwal]] beat China to win the gold at the 2022 Asian Games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asian Games 2023: Shooters Sarabjot Singh, Arjun Singh Cheema And Shiva Narwal Power India To 6th Gold, Win 10m Air Pistol Team Event |url=https://zeenews.india.com/other-sports/asian-games-2023-shooters-sarabjot-singh-arjun-singh-cheema-and-shiva-narwal-power-india-to-6th-gold-win-10m-air-pistol-team-event-2668101.html |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=Zee News |language=en}}</ref> Sarabjot also won the silver medal for India in the mixed 10m air pistol with [[Divya T. S.|Divya T.S]]. in the Asian Games shooting competitions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-30 |title=Sarabjot, Divya get silver after losing thriller to China, Indian shooters bag their 19th medal at Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/others/sarabjot-divya-get-silver-after-losing-thriller-to-china-indian-shooters-bag-their-19th-medal-at-asian-games-2023-101696044842922.html |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-30 |title=Asian Games 2023: Shooters Sarabjot Singh, Divya TS Add Silver Medal To India's Medal Tally |url=https://english.jagran.com/sports/asian-games-2023-shooters-sarabjot-singh-divya-ts-add-silver-medal-to-indias-medal-tally-10104032 |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=English Jagran |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Sarabjot hails from Dheen village of [[Ambala]], [[Barara]] block, [[Haryana]]. He is the son of a farmer. He studied at DAV College, Sector 10, Chandigarh.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://adanisportsline.com/garv-hai/sarabjot-singh |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=adanisportsline.com}}</ref>

== Career ==

* 2023: He was part of the 3-member team that won gold for India in the 10m air pistol team event. He also qualified for the Individual final.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sportstar |first=Team |date=2023-09-28 |title=Indian shooters clinch gold in 10m air pistol team event at Asian Games 2023 |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/asian-games/india-shooting-gold-medal-asian-games-2023-10m-air-pistol-team-event-highlights-score-streaming-arjun-sarabjot-shiva-hangzhou-2022/article67355776.ece |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref>
* 2021: He won the gold in both the individual and team events of the World Championships.
* 2019: He won gold in the ISSF Junior World Cup.

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* [https://www.issf-sports.org/athletes/athlete.ashx?personissfid=SHINDM3009200101 ISSF official website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Sarabjot}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:2001 births]]
[[Category:Indian male sport shooters]]
[[Category:Sport shooters from Haryana]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian people]]
[[Category:Shooters at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in shooting]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists for India]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games]]

Dhananjay Pande

2023-10-01T22:09:25Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

{{Short description|Indian rower (born 1999)}}

'''Dhananjay Uttam Pande''' (born 11 November 1999) ) is an Indian rower from Maharashtra. He is named in the Indian rowing team for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Full list of Indian athletes for Asian Games 2023 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2023-full-list-of-634-indian-athletes-who-will-take-part-in-hangzhou-event-13042652.html |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref> He was part of the men's coxed eight team that won the silver medal in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-25 |title=Asian Games: पिता की बाईपास सर्जरी, मां के पेट के 4 ऑपरेशन, देश के सबसे सूखे राज्य से आने वालों ने रोइंग में लगाई नैया पार |url=https://www.jansatta.com/khel/asian-games-2023-indian-rowing-team-men-8-silver-medal-neetish-kumar-neeraj-maan-bheem-singh-result-schedule/3018558/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=Jansatta |language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sportstar |first=Team |date=2023-09-24 |title=Asian Games 2023: India wins silver in rowing men's eight event |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/asian-games/asian-games-2023-rowing-mens-eight-silver-medal-second-timing-result-highlights/article67340597.ece |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-09-24 |title=19th Asian Games: Indian rowers win silver in Men's Coxed Eight event |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/asian-games-2023/india-asian-games/19th-asian-games-indian-rowers-win-silver-in-mens-coxed-eight-event/articleshow/103901189.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-10-01 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

Pande was the coxswain of the Indian team that consisted of [[Neeraj Maan]], [[Naresh Kalwaniya]], [[Neetish Kumar]], Charanjeet Singh, [[Jaswinder Singh (rower)|Jaswinder Singh]], [[Bheem Singh]], [[Punit Kumar]] and [[Ashish (rower)|Ashish]] Guliyan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ANI |date=2023-09-24 |title="Achieved everything we had worked hard for": Indian Rower Punit Kumar after winning silver in Men's Coxed Eight |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/sports/others/achieved-everything-we-had-worked-hard-for-indian-rower-punit-kumar-after-winning-silver-in-mens-coxed-eight20230924142321/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=www.aninews.in}}</ref> All the Indian team members are from the Indian Army and have trained at the Army Rowing Node facility in Pune for over a year.

== Early life ==
He hails from the Raigad district of Maharashtra. He joined the Boys Sports Company of the Army and rowed till 2011. Later, he became coxswain.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-24 |title=Asian Games: Meet the Family of Eight rowers that opened India's medal account |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/asian-games/asian-games-meet-the-family-of-eight-rowers-that-opened-indias-medal-account-8954349/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

== Careerr ==

* 2023: Silver medal as Coxswain of the Men's coxed eight Indian team at the 2022 Asian Games.
* 2022: Men's eight event at Rowing World Cup, Poznan, Poland.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rowing PANDE Dhananjay Uttam - The 19th Asian Games |url=https://info.hangzhou2022.cn/en/results/rowing/athlete-profile-n2001790-pande-dhananjay-uttam.htm |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=info.hangzhou2022.cn}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pande, Dhananjay}}
[[Category:Indian male rowers]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Rowers at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in rowing]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1999 births]]

Charanjeet Singh (rower)

2023-10-01T22:09:05Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

'''Charanjeet Singh''' (born 25 November 1997) is an Indian rower from [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]. He is named in the Indian rowing team for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sportstar |first=Team |date=2023-09-19 |title=India Rowing squad for Asian Games 2022: Squad, team news, performance before Hangzhou |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/asian-games/asian-games-2023-india-rowing-squad-full-list-of-athletes-hangzhou-2022-sport-medal-history/article67212255.ece |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Subrahmanyam |first=V. V. |date=2023-07-03 |title=Asian Games |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/rowing/article67037448.ece |access-date=2023-10-01 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> He was part of the men's coxed eight team that won the silver medal in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hangzhou Asian Games: Indian athlete Punit Kumar bags silver medal in men's coxed eight event {{!}} Sports - Times of India Videos |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/sports/other-sports/hangzhou-asian-games-indian-rowers-bags-silver-medal-in-mens-coxed-eight-team-event/videoshow/103905749.cms |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=ANI |date=2023-09-24 |title="Achieved everything we had worked hard for": Indian Rower Punit Kumar after winning silver in Men's Coxed Eight |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/sports/others/achieved-everything-we-had-worked-hard-for-indian-rower-punit-kumar-after-winning-silver-in-mens-coxed-eight20230924142321/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=www.aninews.in}}</ref>

The Indian team consisted of [[Neeraj Maan]], [[Naresh Kalwaniya]], [[Neetish Kumar]], Charanjeet Singh, [[Jaswinder Singh (rower)|Jaswinder Singh]], [[Bheem Singh]], [[Punit Kumar]] and [[Ashish (rower)|Ashish]] Guliyan. [[Dhananjay Pande]] was the coxswain of the team. All the Indian team members are from the Indian Army and have trained at the Army Rowing Node facility in Pune for over a year.

== Early life ==
Charanjeet hails from a farmer's family in [[Bathinda]], Punjab.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-09-25 |title=Farming gave me strength: Punjab's rowing silver-winner |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/farming-gave-me-strength-pbs-rowing-silver-winner/articleshow/103919526.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-10-01 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

== Career ==
Charanjeet took part in the following tournaments:

* 2023: Silver medal at the Men's coxed eight event in the 2022 Asian Games.

* 2022: Men's coxed eight in the Rowing World Cup at Poznan.
* 2022: Men's coxed four in the Rowing World Cup, Belgrade.
* 2022: Men's lightweight four in the Asian Championships, Rayong, Thailand.
* 2021: Men's coxed four in the Asian Championships, Rayong, Thailand.
* 2019: Men's lightweight four in the Asian Championships, Chungju, Korea.
== External links ==
*[https://info.hangzhou2022.cn/en/results/rowing/athlete-profile-n2001773-singh-charanjeet.htm Asian Games Official profile page]
*[https://www.indiarowing.com/admin/statumoredl/202007082200322(Sl%20No%2016.2)%20RFI-ID%20Card-07.07.20-2.pdf Rowing Federation of India lists]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Charanjeet}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1997 births]]
[[Category:Indian male rowers]]
[[Category:Rowers at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in rowing]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games]]

Nina Venkatesh

2023-10-01T14:32:19Z

Abhisheksingh:

{{Short description|Indian swimmer (born 2005)}}
'''Nina Venkatesh''' (born 2005) is an Indian swimmer from [[Karnataka]]. She competes in the 50m and 100m butterfly events and is the Indian record holder in both. She is named in the Indian Swimming squad for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Record-breaker swimmer Nina Venkatesh is ready for Asiad |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/other/2023/jul/29/record-breaker-swimmer-nina-venkatesh-is-ready-for-asiad-2599692.html |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Nina hails from [[Bangalore|Bengaluru]], [[Karnataka]]. She started swimming at the a young age of four. Her elder sister started swimming training and her mother Ashwini Shivakumar sent the younger sibling too. She is also encouraged by her father Prabhu Venkatesh. She is doing her schooling at Vidyashilp School and trains at the Dolphin Academy under the renowned coach Nihar Amin.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Menon,DHNS |first=Sandeep |title=Nina is setting the pool ablaze |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/other-sports/nina-is-setting-the-pool-ablaze-787432.html |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==

* 2023: In July, she broke the National record in the 50m butterfly event at the Nationals in [[Bhubaneswar]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-07-20 |title=Dhinidhi, Nina sparkle |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/dhinidhi-nina-sparkle/articleshow/92993228.cms |access-date=2023-09-30 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> She set the mark in the Girls Group I.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-19 |title=Junior National Aquatic Championships: Karnataka's Nina Venkatesh dazzles With Record In 50m Butterfly |url=https://www.news18.com/news/sports/junior-national-aquatic-championships-karnatakas-nina-venkatesh-dazzles-with-record-in-50m-butterfly-5587501.html |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=News18 |language=en}}</ref>
* 2023: In May, she also broke the women’s 100m butterfly National record by clocking 1:02.51 at the Natioinal Aquatic Championships in Hyderabad.<ref>{{Cite web |last=PTI |date=2023-07-05 |title=Swimmer Aryan Nehra shatters 4th national record; Lineysha, Nina Venkatesh also rewrite records |url=https://theprint.in/sport/swimmer-aryan-nehra-shatters-4th-national-record-lineysha-nina-venkatesh-also-rewrite-records/1656349/ |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref>
* 2023: In June, she broke the 18-year-old record of 27.12 sec set by Shika Tandon by clocking 26.65 seconds in the state sub-junior, junior and senior aquatic championships.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-06-02 |title=Tanish and Nina emerge fastest |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/tanish-and-nina-emerge-fastest/articleshow/100691144.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-09-30 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
* 2017: She took part in her first Senior Nationals.<ref name=":0" />
* 2014: She made her debut at the Junior Nationals.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:2005 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian female swimmers]]
[[Category:Swimmers from Bangalore]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games competitors for India]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian people]]

Jakar Khan

2023-10-01T10:54:20Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

'''Jakar Khan''' ([[Hindi]]: जाकर खान, born 18 June 1998) is an Indian rower from [[Rajasthan]]. He is named in the Indian rowing team for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at Hangzhou, China. He competes in the men's quadruple sculls. He was part of the team that won the bronze medal in the men's quadruple sculls at the Asian Games in [[Hangzhou]], China.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-09-26 |title=Asian Games: 'Golden Day' for India as shooters, rowers lead medal haul |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/sports/asian-games-golden-day-for-india-as-shooters-rowers-lead-medal-haul/articleshow/103941346.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-09-29 |issn=0013-0389}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Indian rowers finish Asian Games campaign with two more bronze medals, total haul of 5 |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/sports/indian-rowers-finish-asian-games-campaign-with-two-more-bronze-medals-total-haul-of-5/cid/1968998 |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=www.telegraphindia.com |language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==

* 2023: In September, he won a bronze medal as part of the Indian teams in the men's quadruple sculls at the 2022 Asian Games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bose |first=Shuvaditya |date=2023-09-25 |title=2023 Asian Games: With 5 Medals, Indian Rowers Match Best-Ever Tally |url=https://www.thequint.com/sports/asian-games/2023-asian-games-rowing-india-win-5-medals-match-best-tally |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=TheQuint |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=PTI |date=2023-09-25 |title=Hangzhou Asian Games {{!}} India bags two bronze medals in rowing |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/hangzhou-asian-games-india-bags-two-bronze-medals-in-rowing/article67343453.ece |access-date=2023-09-29 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

* 2022: Men's quadruple sculls in the Rowling World Cup at Poznan.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Rowing KHAN Jakar - The 19th Asian Games |url=https://info.hangzhou2022.cn/en/results/rowing/athlete-profile-n2001783-khan-jakar.htm |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=info.hangzhou2022.cn}}</ref>
* 2022: Men's quadruple sculls in the Rowing World Cup, Belgrade.<ref name=":0" />
* 2022: Men's doubles sculls in the Asian Championships, Rayong, Thailand.<ref name=":0" />
* 2021: Men's quadruple sculls in the Asian Championships, Rayong, Thailand.<ref name=":0" />
* 2019: Men's quadruple sculls in the Asian Championships, Chungju, Korea.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.indiarowing.com/admin/statumoredl/202007082200322(Sl%20No%2016.2)%20RFI-ID%20Card-07.07.20-2.pdf Rowing Federation of India list]
* [https://info.hangzhou2022.cn/en/results/rowing/athlete-profile-n2001783-khan-jakar.htm Asian Games profile]
[[Category:1998 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian male rowers]]
[[Category:Rowers at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in rowing]]
[[Category:Asian Games bronze medalists for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games]]

Neetish Kumar

2023-10-01T08:51:42Z

Abhisheksingh:

{{Short description|Indian rower}}
'''Neetish Kumar''' ([[Hindi]]: नीतीश कुमार, born 13 November 1997) is an Indian rower from Uttar Pradesh. He is named in the Indian rowing team for the 2022 [[Asian Games]] at [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sportstar |first=Team |date=2023-09-19 |title=India Rowing squad for Asian Games 2022: Squad, team news, performance before Hangzhou |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/asian-games/asian-games-2023-india-rowing-squad-full-list-of-athletes-hangzhou-2022-sport-medal-history/article67212255.ece |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Subrahmanyam |first=V. V. |date=2023-07-03 |title=Asian Games |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/rowing/article67037448.ece |access-date=2023-09-30 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> He competes in the men's coxed eight event. He was part of the team that won the silver medal in the men's quadruple sculls at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

The Indian team consisted of [[Neeraj Maan]], [[Naresh Kalwaniya]], Neetish Kumar, Charanjeet Singh, [[Jaswinder Singh (rower)|Jaswinder Singh]], [[Bheem Singh]], Puneet Kumar and [[Ashish (rower)|Ashish]]. [[Dhananjay Pande]] was the coxswain of the team. All the Indian team members are from the Indian Army and have trained at the Army Rowing Node facility in Pune for over a year. Neetish went home only once in January to spend a week with his wife and spent rest of the time with his rowing team. He rows the third seat in the eight.<ref name=":0" />

== Early life ==
Neetish hails from Mavi Khurd in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. His father was an armyman and he too joined the army.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-24 |title=Asian Games: Meet the Family of Eight rowers that opened India’s medal account |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/asian-games/asian-games-meet-the-family-of-eight-rowers-that-opened-indias-medal-account-8954349/ |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==
Bheem took part in the following championships:

* 2023: In September, he won a silver and a bronze<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asian Games 2023: India breaks world record at Asian Games, watch India's medal tally and the winners {{!}} TOI Original - Times of India Videos |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/toi-original/india-breaks-world-record-at-asian-games-2023-watch-indias-medal-tally-and-the-winners/videoshow/103927148.cms |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref> medal as part of the Indian teams in the men's coxed eight at the 2022 Asian Games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nag |first=Utathya |date=2023-09-25 |title=Asian Games 2023 rowing: India's results and medal winners |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/asian-games-2023-hangzhou-rowing-schedule-results-scores-india |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=www.olympics.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ganesan |first=Uthra |date=2023-09-25 |title=Hangzhou Asian Games {{!}} With five medals, the Indian rowers make a splash |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/hangzhou-asian-games-with-five-medals-the-indian-rowers-make-a-splash/article67346310.ece |access-date=2023-09-28 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> They finished second in the preliminary race and secured a slot in the final.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ray |first=Atmadip |date=2023-09-21 |title=Asian Games: Indian duo enters Lightweight Men's Double Skulls finals |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/sports/asian-games-indian-duo-enters-lightweight-mens-double-skulls-finals/articleshow/103827414.cms |access-date=2023-09-28 |issn=0013-0389}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2023-09-25 |title=Asian Games: India's rowing camp dazzles with 5 medals |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/visualstories/sports/asian-games-indias-rowing-camp-dazzles-with-5-medals-65317-25-09-2023 |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=www.indiatoday.in |language=en}}</ref>
* 2023: In February, he was part of the Services team that won the gold at the 40th Senior National Rowing Championships held at Army Rowing Node, Pune.
* 2022: Men's coxed eight in the Rowing World Cup at Poznan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rowing KUMAR Neetish - The 19th Asian Games |url=https://info.hangzhou2022.cn/en/results/rowing/athlete-profile-n2001788-kumar-neetish.htm |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=info.hangzhou2022.cn}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External line ==
*[https://www.indiarowing.com/admin/statumoredl/202007082159452(Sl%20No%2016.1)%20RFI-ID%20Card-07.07.20-1.pdf Rowing Federation of India list]
*[https://www.indiarowing.com/admin/newnationalgallery/2023032710342712000mtrs%20MASTER%20SHEET%2040TH%20SR%20&%2024th%20OPEN%20SPRINT%2020-26%20feb%202023.pdf RFI Results - 40th Senior nationals]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, Neetish}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1997 births]]
[[Category:Indian male rowers]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Rowers at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in rowing]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games]]

Zoravar Singh Sandhu

2023-10-01T06:10:39Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

'''Zoravar Singh Sandhu''' (born 7 August 1977) is an Indian [[Sport shooting|sport shooter]] from Punjab. He competes in the trap discipline. He was part of the Indian shooting team at the [[2022 Asian Games]], [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-24 |title=Indian shooters at Asian Games: Events, key dates, format and rules |url=https://www.espn.in/espn/story/_/id/38465705/indian-shooters-asian-games-hangzhou-2022-events-key-dates-format-rules-top-medal-contenders |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=ESPN |language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==

* 2023: He topped the National shotgun selection trials at the New Moti Bagh Gun Club in Patiala.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bureau |first=Sports |date=2023-01-16 |title=Zoravar Sandhu, Preeti Rajak emerge on top in trap |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/zoravar-singh-sandhu/article66383515.ece |access-date=2023-09-28 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* 2022: He won silver at the National Games.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-10-08 |title=I still have fire in my belly, asserts veteran Zoravar Singh Sandhu after winning silver |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/shooting/i-still-have-fire-in-my-belly-asserts-veteran-zoravar-singh-sandhu-after-winning-silver/articleshow/94715819.cms |access-date=2023-09-28 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

== References ==
<references />

== Exernal links ==
[https://www.issf-sports.org/athletes/athlete.ashx?personissfid=SHINDM0708197701 ISSF official website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sandhu, Zoravar Singh}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:Indian male sport shooters]]
[[Category:Shooters at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in shooting]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian people]]

Vijayveer Singh

2023-09-30T18:20:33Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

'''Vijayveer Singh Sidhu''' (born 21 June 2002) is an Indian [[Sport shooting|sport shooter]] from Chandigarh. He competes in the 25m rapid fire pistol discipline. He was part of the Indian shooting team at the [[2022 Asian Games]], [[Hangzhou]], [[China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-24 |title=Indian shooters at Asian Games: Events, key dates, format and rules |url=https://www.espn.in/espn/story/_/id/38465705/indian-shooters-asian-games-hangzhou-2022-events-key-dates-format-rules-top-medal-contenders |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=ESPN |language=en}}</ref> He was part of the Indian team that won the 25m rapid fire pistol bronze at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nalwala |first=Ali Asgar |date=2023-09-27 |title=Asian Games 2023 shooting: Indian shooters aim for a rich haul of medals - get results |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/asian-games-2023-hangzhou-shooting-india-results-scores |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=www.olympics.com}}</ref> He holds the Junior World Record in the 25m standard pistol team event along with his brother Udhayveer Singh and Adarsh.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ISSF - International Shooting Sport Federation - issf-sports.org |url=https://www.issf-sports.org/competitions/records/world_records.ashx |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=www.issf-sports.org}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Vijayveer and his identical twin Udhayveer Singh Sidhu started the sport at an early age of 8 years at a summer camp in their school St. Xavier's in Mansa.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2019-02-19 |title=Shooting twins Udhayveer and Vijayveer target 2024 Olympics |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/shooting/shooting-twins-udhayveer-and-vijayveer-target-2024-olympics/articleshow/68069760.cms |access-date=2023-09-28 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> Their father Gurpreet Singh Sidhu encouraged them to take up the sport and moved the family to Sector 51 in Chandigarh in 2015 to facilitate their training.<ref name=":0" /> Their mother Rani Kaur is a school teacher.

== Career ==
2022: In June, they won the team gold in the 25m air pistol at the ISSF Cup in Suhl, Germany.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sidhu, Vijayveer Singh}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:2002 births]]
[[Category:Indian sport shooters]]
[[Category:Shooters at the 2022 Asian Games]]

Ashish Phugat

2023-09-29T08:35:03Z

Abhisheksingh: Created page

{{Sources exist|date=September 2023}}
'''Ashish Phugat''' (born 3 July 1999) is an Indian rower. He competes in men’s single sculls, lightweight men’s double sculls.

== Career ==

* 2023: [[World Rowing Cup]] III at [[Lucerne]], Switzerland.
* 2021: In December, he took part in the men's lightweight men's double sculls and won a silver along with teammate Sukhmeet Singh at the [[2021 Asian Rowing Championships]] in [[Ban Chang]], Thailand.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-12 |title=Indian rowers win one gold, 3 silvers on final day of Asian Rowing Championship |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/others/indian-rowers-win-one-gold-3-silvers-on-final-day-of-asian-rowing-championship-101639301122434.html |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=PTI |date=2021-12-12 |title=Arvind bags gold in Asian rowing championships |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/arvind-bags-gold-in-asian-rowing-championships/article37941135.ece |access-date=2023-09-29 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* 2022: In May, he was part of the Men's Quadruple sculls without coxswain Indian team at the Rowing World Cup 1 in Belgrade, Serbia.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Phugat Ashish (Rowing) : Prize list and results |url=https://www.the-sports.org/phugat-ashish-rowing-spf506849.html |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=www.the-sports.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-05-29 |title=India’s rowers impress at World Cup 1 |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/indias-rowers-impress-at-world-cup-1/articleshow/91874001.cms |access-date=2023-09-29 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
* 2022: In June, he took part of the Men's Quadruple sculls without coxswain in the World Cup at Poznan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fisherman's daughter from Tamil Nadu to represent country in World Rowing Cup II |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/other/2022/jun/15/fishermans-daughter-from-tamil-nadu-to-represent-country-in-world-rowing-cup-ii-2465661.html |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>
* 2017: In August, he won the men’s single sculls event in the World Junior Championship.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
*[https://www.indiarowing.com/admin/statumoredl/202307101053121(15)%20(iv.s)%202023-WC%203-Lucerne,%20Switzerland-Final%20Entries.pdf Indian Rowing Federation official lists]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phugat, Ashish}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1999 births]]
[[Category:Indian male rowers]]

Century (cricket)

2023-09-28T19:27:30Z

Abhisheksingh: fix

{{Short description|Cricket score of 100 runs}}
{{Redirect2|Hundred (cricket)|Double century|the English 100-ball cricket competition|The Hundred (cricket)|the racehorse|Double Century (horse)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
[[File:Master Blaster at work.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Sachin Tendulkar]] of [[India]] holds the record of highest number of [[Run (cricket)|runs]] and centuries scored in both [[Test Cricket|Test]] and [[One Day International|ODI]] forms of cricket.]]
[[File:2017 Women's Cricket World Cup IMG 2726 (36101049026).jpg|thumb|300px|A big screen showing [[Harmanpreet Kaur]] has reached a score of 150 [[not out]].]]
[[File:Lord's honours board England batting 2021.jpg|thumb|300px|The Lord's honours board commemorating English centuries at Lord's.]]

In [[cricket]], a '''century''' is a score of 100 or more [[run (cricket)|runs]] in a single [[innings]] by a [[Batting (cricket)|batter]]. The term is also included in "century [[Partnership (cricket)|partnership]]" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for batters and a player's number of centuries is generally recorded in their [[cricket statistics|career statistics]]. Scoring a century is loosely equivalent in merit to a [[bowling (cricket)|bowler]] taking a [[five-wicket haul]], and is commonly referred to as a '''ton''' or '''hundred'''. Scores of more than 200 runs are still statistically counted as a century, although these scores are referred to as double (200–299 runs), [[List of Test cricket triple centuries|triple]] (300–399 runs), and [[List of first-class cricket quadruple centuries|quadruple centuries]] (400–499 runs), and so on. Reaching 50 runs in an innings is known as a '''half-century'''.

Scoring a century at [[Lord's]] earns the batter a place on the [[Lord's honours boards]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lords.org/lords/our-history/about-honours-boards |title=About The Honours Boards |work=Lords.org |access-date=20 December 2021 |quote=By scoring a century, taking five wickets in an innings or ten wickets in a match, a player ensures that their name is added to one of the famous Honours Boards in the Pavilion.}}</ref>

==Earliest known centuries==
Centuries were uncommon until the late 19th century because of the difficulties in batting on pitches that had only rudimentary preparation and were fully exposed to the elements. There is doubt about the earliest known century, but the most definite claim belongs to [[John Minshull]] who scored 107 for the Duke of Dorset's XI v Wrotham at [[Sevenoaks Vine]] on 31 August 1769.<ref>[[G. B. Buckley]], ''Fresh Light on 18th Century Cricket'', Cotterell, 1935.</ref> This
was a minor match.

The first definite century in a top-class match was scored by [[John Small (cricketer)|John Small]] when he made 136 for Hampshire v Surrey at [[Broadhalfpenny Down]] in July 1775.<ref>[[Arthur Haygarth]], ''Scores & Biographies'', Volume 1 (1744–1826), Lillywhite, 1862.</ref> The earliest known century partnership was recorded in 1767 between two [[Hambledon Club|Hambledon]] batsmen<ref name=CS>[[H. T. Waghorn]], ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=TNkNAAAAQAAJ Cricket Scores, Notes, etc. (1730–1773)]'', Blackwood, 1899.</ref> who added 192 for the first wicket against Caterham. It is believed they were [[Tom Sueter]] and [[Edward "Curry" Aburrow]].<ref>[[Ashley Mote]], ''The Glory Days of Cricket'', Robson, 1997.</ref>

When Hambledon played Kent at Broadhalfpenny in August 1768, the ''Reading Mercury'' reported: "what is very remarkable, one Mr Small, of Petersfield, fetched above seven score notches off his own bat". Unfortunately it is not known if Small did this in one innings or if it was his match total.<ref name=CS/> Hambledon batsmen Tom Sueter and [[George Leer]] are the first two players definitely known to have shared a century partnership when they made 128 for the first wicket against Surrey at Broadhalfpenny Down in September 1769.<ref>[[H. T. Waghorn]], ''The Dawn of Cricket'', Electric Press, 1906.</ref>

==Highest number of centuries==
===First-class cricket===
{{Main|List of first-class cricket records#Most centuries}}

[[W. G. Grace]] was the first batsman to score 100 career centuries in [[first-class cricket]], reaching the milestone in 1895. His career total of 124 centuries was subsequently passed by [[Jack Hobbs]], whose total of 199 first-class centuries is the current record.<ref>[http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/content/records/251072.html Most Hundreds in a Career], Stats.cricinfo.com</ref><ref>See [[Variations in first-class cricket statistics]].</ref>

===Test cricket===
{{main|List of Test cricket records#Centuries|List of women's Test cricket records#Half Centuries, Centuries and Double Centuries}}
[[File:Tendulkar closup.jpg|thumbnail|right|[[Tendulkar]] celebrates upon reaching his 38th Test century against [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] in the 2nd Test at the [[Sydney Cricket Ground|SCG]] in 2008, where he finished not out on 154]]

The first century in [[Test cricket]] was scored by [[Charles Bannerman]] who scored 165 before retiring hurt, in the first ever Test between Australia and England, played at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] from 15 to 19 March 1877.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1870S/1876-77/ENG_IN_AUS/ENG_AUS_T1_15-19MAR1877.html|title=1st Test, England tour of Australia at Melbourne, Mar 15-19 1877 - Match Summary |website=ESPNcricinfo.com}}</ref> The first century partnership in [[Test cricket]] was between [[W. G. Grace]] and [[A. P. Lucas]], batting for England, in the first innings of the only Test match between England and Australia on the Australians' 1880 tour of England, played at the [[Kennington Oval]] (6–8 September 1880).

The current holder of the record for most centuries in Test cricket is [[Sachin Tendulkar]] of India, who has scored 51 centuries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/227046.html|title=Records | Test matches | Batting records | Most hundreds in a career|website=ESPNcricinfo.com|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref>

===One Day International cricket===
{{main|List of One Day International cricket records#Most centuries|List of women's One Day International cricket records#Most career centuries}}
{{see also|List of highest individual scores in ODIs}}

The first [[One Day International]] (ODI) century was scored by [[Denis Amiss]], who amassed 103 runs against Australia at Old Trafford in 1972<ref>[http://www.cricinfo.com/england/engine/match/64944.html 1st ODI: England v Australia, 24 Aug. 1972], ESPNcric.info</ref> (the second official ODI on record). [[Sachin Tendulkar]] currently holds the record for most ODI centuries, having scored 49 ODI Centuries, followed by [[Virat Kohli]] with 47 ODI centuries, [[Ricky Ponting]] with 30 centuries, and [[Rohit Sharma]] 30 centuries.

===Twenty20 International cricket===
{{main|List of Twenty20 International records#Most centuries|List of women's Twenty20 International records#Most 50+ scores}}
{{see also|List of centuries in Twenty20 International cricket|List of centuries in women's Twenty20 International cricket}}

The first [[Twenty20 International]] (T20I) century was scored by [[Chris Gayle]] who amassed 117 runs against South Africa at Johannesburg in the very first match of [[ICC World Twenty20]] tournament in 2007.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/287853.html | title=Result: 1st Match, Group A (N), ICC World Twenty20 at Johannesburg, Sep 11 2007 |website=ESPNcricinfo.com| access-date=5 February 2018}}</ref> [[Rohit Sharma]] currently holds the record for most T20I centuries, having scored 4 T20I Centuries.

==Fastest centuries==
The fastest recorded century in Test cricket in terms of balls faced is held by [[Brendon McCullum]], who scored 100 runs from 54 balls against Australia in 2016 at [[Hagley Oval|Christchurch, New Zealand]], in his final test, beating the previous record of 56 held jointly by [[Viv Richards]] and [[Misbah-ul-Haq]]. The record for the fastest century in first-class cricket in terms of time taken, in genuine match conditions rather than in [[Glossary of cricket terms|contrived circumstances]] with deliberately weak bowling, is held by [[Percy Fender]], who scored 100 in 35 minutes for [[Surrey CCC|Surrey]] against [[Northamptonshire CCC|Northamptonshire]] in a [[County Championship]] match in 1920. The record for the fastest recorded century in terms of balls faced in first-class cricket is held by [[David Hookes]], who scored 102 runs from 34 balls for South Australia vs. Victoria in a [[Sheffield Shield]] match in 1982. [[Chris Gayle]] holds the record for the fastest century in Twenty20, during an [[Indian Premier League]] in April 2013, reaching the milestone off only 30 balls.

In One day International cricket (ODI), the fastest century is held by South African batsman [[AB De Villiers]]. De Villiers' century came up in just 31 balls against the West Indies in the 2nd ODI at Johannesburg on 18 January 2015. De Villiers' hundred included 8 fours and 16 sixes. [[Corey Anderson (cricketer)|Corey Anderson]] (New Zealand) is second, scoring a 36-ball century against West Indies in Queenstown on 1 January 2014. [[Shahid Afridi]] (Pakistan) is third. with his 37-ball century against Sri Lanka being scored in Nairobi on 4 October 1996.

[[David Miller (South African cricketer)|David Miller]] of South Africa hit the fastest century in Twenty20 international cricket against Bangladesh on 29 October 2017. Miller brought up his century in just 35 balls. [[Rohit Sharma]] of India equalled the record of the fastest century in T20 international cricket against Sri Lanka on 22 December 2017. Czech Republic's Sudesh Wickramasekara reached the three-figure mark in 35 balls against Turkey on 30 August 2019, equalling Rohit Sharma's and David Miller's joint-fastest T20I hundred.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/continental-cup-2019-1197819/czech-republic-vs-turkey-6th-match-1197846/live-cricket-score|title=Czech Rep. beat Turkey Czech Rep. won by 257 runs - Czech Rep. vs Turkey, Continental Cup, 6th Match Match Summary, Report |website=ESPNcricinfo.com|access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref>

On 22 April 2019, Scottish cricketer [[George Munsey]] scored 100 in 25 balls playing for Gloucestershire 2nd XI; his 39-ball total of 147 included 20 sixes.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1194218 | title=George Munsey blasts epic 25-ball hundred for Gloucestershire 2nd XI | publisher=[[International Cricket Council]] | access-date=23 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/george-munsey-smashes-rapid-147-to-warm-up-for-scotland-duty-1-4913184 | title=George Munsey smashes rapid 147 to warm up for Scotland duty | work=[[The Scotsman]] | date=22 April 2019 | access-date=23 May 2019 | author=Heatly, Gary }}</ref>

==List of cricketers who have scored centuries in all three international formats==
{{Main|List of cricketers with centuries in all international formats}}

==See also==
* [[List of cricketers by number of international centuries scored]]
* [[Nervous nineties]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{International cricket centuries}}
{{Cricket statistics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Century (Cricket)}}
[[Category:Cricket terminology]]
[[Category:Batting (cricket)]]
[[Category:Cricket records and statistics]]

Ann Awards

2023-09-15T08:13:53Z

Abhisheksingh: Just completed a fresh chapter.

{{short description|Film and television award}}
{{Use American English}}
{{Use mdy dates}}
{{Infobox award
| current_awards =
| image = File:Ann_Award.png
| awarded_for = Excellence in animation
| presenter = AnimationXpress
| country = India
| year = {{Start date and age|2019|4}}
| website = {{URL|https://kidsanimationandmore.com/annawards/index.html}}
}}

The '''Ann Awards''' are accolades which the Indian animation organization and publication ''Animation Xpress'' has presented each year since 2019, to recognize excellence in animation in cinema and television produced within India.<ref>{{Cite web |title=KAM summit and ANN awards unite the Animation ecosystem under one roof – |url=https://www.animationxpress.com/latest-news/kam-summit-and-ann-awards-unite-the-animation-ecosystem-under-one-roof/ |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=www.animationxpress.com}}</ref> The awards are presented at the Kids, Animation and More Summit (KAM) in [[Mumbai]], India.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gear up for celebrating all things animation at the AM Summit & Ann Awards 2023 – |url=https://www.animationxpress.com/animation/gear-up-for-celebrating-all-things-animation-at-the-am-summit-ann-awards-2023/ |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=www.animationxpress.com}}</ref>

Since their inception, the Ann Awards have sought "to honor the names behind amazing animated content that is being produced... bringing recognition and set a bar for the Indian animated industry and all its aspects."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ann Awards 2023 |url=https://kidsanimationandmore.com/annawards/about.html |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=kidsanimationandmore.com}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Awards| ]]
[[Category:Indian television awards]]
[[Category:Performing arts trophies]]
[[Category:Awards established in 2019]]

Rajasthan Campaign

2023-07-12T14:10:20Z

Abhisheksingh: Added structure.

#REDIRECT [[Rajasthan campaign]]

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{{R from move}}
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Romil Chaudhary

2023-07-12T13:08:29Z

Abhisheksingh: Just finished crafting a new page.

{{short description|Indian Actor}}
{{Orphan}}


{{AfDM|page=Romil Chaudhary (2nd nomination)|year=2023|month=July|day=5|substed=yes|origtag=afdx|help=off}}

{{Infobox actor
| name = Romil Chaudhary
| image = Bigg Boss 12 - Romil Chaudhary.webp
| birth_date = 1991 March 12
| birth_place = Karnal, Haryana
| nationality = Indian
| education = LLB
| known_for = MasterMind
}}

'''Romil Chaudhary''' was a finalist in Bigg Boss 12, which aired in 2018. He is a lawyer by profession, a common participant who entered Bigg Boss 12 along with his partner Nirmal Singh, who is a policeman.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meet Bigg Boss 12 contestant Romil Chaudhary |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/television/bigg-boss-12-contestant-romil-chaudhary-5359020/ |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Bigg Boss 12's commoner contestant Romil Chaudhary: All you need to know about the lawyer |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/bigg-boss-12s-commoner-contestant-romil-chaudhary-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-lawyer/articleshow/65936865.cms |access-date=2023-07-05 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Remember Bigg Boss 12's Romil Chaudhary? Here's how he celebrated his son OJ's first birthday |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/television/reality-tv/story/remember-bigg-boss-12-s-romil-chaudhary-here-s-how-he-celebrated-his-son-oj-s-first-birthday-1465598-2019-02-26 |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Romil Choudhary's Bigg Boss 12 journey |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/television/bigg-boss-12-romil-choudhary-finalist-journey-5513391/ |access-date=2023-07-06 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> He starred in the popular TV serial Kahaan Hum Kahaan Tum aired on Star Plus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Romil Chaudhary enters Kahaan Hum Kahaan Tum as Dipika Kakar's abusive ex-lover. Watch |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/television/soaps/story/romil-chaudhary-enters-kahaan-hum-kahaan-tum-as-dipika-kakar-s-abusive-ex-lover-watch-1557284-2019-06-27 |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kahaan Hum Kahaan Tum actor Romil Chaudhary: Want to set an example with my journey |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/television/romil-chaudhary-tv-show-kahaan-hum-kahaan-tum-actor-bigg-boss-5809252/ |access-date=2023-07-06 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

== Education ==
Romil is an advocate at Delhi High Court. He is a law graduate and holds a BA LLB degree.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Bigg Boss 12's commoner contestant Romil Chaudhary: All you need to know about the lawyer |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/bigg-boss-12s-commoner-contestant-romil-chaudhary-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-lawyer/articleshow/65936865.cms |access-date=2023-07-06 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

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2008 Indian Rajya Sabha elections

2023-05-18T22:54:21Z

Abhisheksingh: Created a captivating write-up.

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2022-12-28T09:08:38Z

Abhisheksingh: Published an informative piece.

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Dowry

2022-10-25T18:38:00Z

Abhisheksingh: Article initiated.

{{Short description|Payment by one family of a marriage to the other family}}
{{Anthropology of kinship |concepts}}
{{Close relationships |practice}}

A '''dowry''' is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of [[bride price]] and [[dower]]. While bride price or [[bride service]] is a payment by the [[Bridegroom|groom]], or his family, to the bride, or her family, dowry is the wealth transferred from the bride, or her family, to the groom, or his family. Similarly, [[dower]] is the property settled on the bride herself, by the groom at the time of marriage, and which remains under her ownership and control.<ref>{{cite book |last=Goody |first=Jack |title=Production and Reproduction: A Comparative Study of the Domestic Domain |year=1976 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |page=8}}</ref>

Dowry is an ancient custom that is already mentioned in some of the earliest writings, and its existence may well predate records of it. Dowries continue to be expected and demanded as a condition to accept a [[marriage]] proposal in some parts of the world, mainly in parts of [[Asia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/crossing_continents/3071963.stm |title=India's dowry deaths |publisher=BBC |access-date=20 April 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407213904/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/crossing_continents/3071963.stm|archive-date=7 April 2016}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/77421/1/WHO_RHR_12.38_eng.pdf|title=Understanding and addressing violence against women|url-status=live|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20160307033238/http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/77421/1/WHO_RHR_12.38_eng.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/docs/cedaw_crc_contributions/AvonGlobalCenterforWomenandJustice.pdf|title=Combating Acid Violence in Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121224143417/http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/docs/cedaw_crc_contributions/AvonGlobalCenterforWomenandJustice.pdf|archive-date=2012-12-24}}</ref> The custom of dowry is most common in strongly [[patrilineal]] cultures that expect women to reside with or near their husband's family ([[patrilocality]]).<ref name="dowry {{!}} marriage custom">{{Cite web|title = dowry {{!}} marriage custom|url = https://www.britannica.com/topic/dowry|website = Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date = 2015-10-14|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151016081727/https://www.britannica.com/topic/dowry|archive-date = 2015-10-16}}</ref> Dowries have long histories in Europe, South Asia, Africa, and other parts of the world.<ref name="dowry {{!}} marriage custom" />

==Definition==
A dowry is the transfer of parental property to a daughter at her marriage (i.e. 'inter vivos') rather than at the owner's death (''mortis causa'').<ref name=jgoody1976/> A dowry establishes a type of conjugal fund, the nature of which may vary widely. This fund may provide an element of financial security in widowhood or against a negligent husband, and may eventually go to provide for her children.<ref name=jgoody1976>{{cite book|last=Goody|first=Jack|title=Production and Reproduction: A Comparative Study of the Domestic Domain|year=1976|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|page=6}}</ref> Dowries may also go toward establishing a marital household, and therefore might include furnishings such as linens and furniture.

Locally, dowry or trousseau is called {{Transl|ur|jahez}} in [[Urdu]], ''jahizie'' in [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Arabic]]; ''dahej'' in [[Hindi]], {{Transl|pa|dāj}} in [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], ''daijo'' in [[Nepali language|Nepali]],<ref>Stevan Harrell and Sara A. Dickey, "Dowry Systems in Complex Societies", ''Ethnology'', Vol. 24, No. 2 (April 1985), pp. 105–120. {{JSTOR|3773553}}.</ref> {{Lang|tr|çeyiz}} in [[Turkish language|Turkish]], ''joutuk '' in [[Bengali language|Bengali]], ''jiazhuang'' in [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]], ''varadhachanai'' in [[Tamil language|Tamil]],
''khatnam'' in [[Telugu language|Telugu]], ''streedhanam'' in [[Malayalam]], ''miraz'' in [[Serbo-Croatian]] and in various parts of Africa is known as ''serotwana'',<ref>John L. Comaroff (1981), ''Rules and Processes'', University of Chicago Press, {{ISBN|0-226-11424-4}}; Chapter 6</ref> ''idana'', ''saduquat'' or ''mugtaf''.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Anderson | first1 = S | year = 2007 | title = "The economics of dowry and brideprice" in the | journal = [[Journal of Economic Perspectives]] | volume = 21 | issue = 4| pages = 151–174 | doi = 10.1257/jep.21.4.151 }}</ref><ref>Charles Mwalimu (2007), ''The Nigerian Legal System: Public Law, Volume 1'' ({{ISBN|978-0-8204-7125-9}}), pp. 546–551.</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3604892.stm Bride price: an insult to women, a burden to men?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002212727/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3604892.stm }}, BBC News, August 30, 2004.</ref>

==Origins==
[[File:Aussteuerschrank fcm.jpg|thumb|''Aussteuerschrank'' – a dowry cabinet, currently in a German museum in [[Hauenstein]].]]

Anthropologist [[Jack Goody]]'s comparative study of dowry systems around the world utilizing the [[Human Relations Area Files|Ethnographic Atlas]] demonstrated that dowry is a form of inheritance found in the broad swath of [[Eurasia]]n societies from [[Japan]] to [[Ireland]] that practice "diverging devolution", i.e., that transmit property to children regardless of sex. This practice differs from the majority of [[Sub-Saharan Africa]]n societies that practice "homogenous inheritance" in which property is transmitted only to children of the same sex as the property holder. These latter African societies are characterized by the transmission of the "[[bride price]]", the money, goods or property given by the groom or his family to the parents of the bride (not the bride herself).<ref>{{cite book|last=Goody|first=Jack|title=Production and Reproduction: A Comparative Study of the Domestic Domain|year=1976|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|page=7}}</ref>

Goody has demonstrated a historical correlation between the practices of "diverging devolution" (dowry) and the development of intensive [[plough]] agriculture on the one hand, and homogeneous inheritance (brideprice) and extensive [[Hoe-farming|hoe agriculture]] on the other.<ref>{{cite book|last=Goody|first=Jack|title=Production and Reproduction: A Comparative Study of the Domestic Domain|year=1976|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|pages=27–29}}</ref> Drawing on the work of [[Ester Boserup]], Goody notes that the sexual division of labour varies in intensive plough agriculture and extensive shifting horticulture. In sparsely populated regions where [[shifting cultivation]] takes place, most of the work is done by women. These are the societies that give [[Bride price|brideprice]]. Boserup further associates shifting horticulture with the practice of [[polygamy]], and hence bridewealth is paid as a compensation to her family for the loss of her labour. In plough agriculture farming is largely men's work; this is where dowry is given.<ref>{{cite book|last=Goody|first=Jack|title=Production and Reproduction: A Comparative Study of the Domestic Domain|year=1976|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|page=32}}</ref> In contrast, plough agriculture is associated with private property and marriage tends to be monogamous, to keep the property within the nuclear family. Close family are the preferred marriage partners so as to keep property within the group.<ref>{{cite book|last=Goody|first=Jack|title=Production and Reproduction: A Comparative Study of the Domestic Domain|year=1976|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|pages=33–34}}</ref>

There is a scholarly debate on Goody's theory. Sylvia Yanagisko argues, for example, that there are a number of societies including parts of Japan, Southern Italy, and China, that do not support Goody's claim that dowry is a form of female inheritance of male property. She notes that Goody's is an evolutionary model in which these historical variables may not be the decisive factors today.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Yanagisako|first=Sylvia|title=Family and Household: The analysis of domestic groups|journal=Annual Review of Anthropology|year=1979|volume=8|pages=171–72|doi=10.1146/annurev.an.08.100179.001113}}</ref> Susan Mann argues, in contrast, with examples where even in late Imperial China, dowry was a form of female inheritance.<ref name=mann>Mann, S. (2008). Dowry Wealth and Wifely Virtue in Mid-Qing Gentry Households. Late Imperial China, 29(1S), 64–76.</ref>

[[Stanley Tambiah|Stanley J. Tambiah]] (Goody's co-author on the earlier "Bridewealth and Dowry"<ref>(Cambridge University Press, 1973)</ref>) later argued that Goody's overall thesis remained pertinent in [[North India]], although it required modification to meet local circumstances. He points out that dowry in North India is only partially used as a bride's conjugal fund, and that a large part goes directly to the groom's joint family. This would initially seem to discount Goody's model, except that in North India, the joint family is composed of the groom's parents, his married brothers and unmarried sisters, and their third generation children. This joint family controlled this part of the dowry, which they used to help fund their own daughter/sister's dowries. But when the parents die, and the joint family partitions, this jointly held wealth was then divided among the married sons, such that ultimately, the bride's dowry given to the joint family returned to her and her husband as their "conjugal fund."<ref>{{cite journal|last=Tambiah|first=Stanley J.|title=Bridewealth and Dowry Revisited: The posit of women in Sub-Saharan Africa and North India|journal=Current Anthropology|year=1989|volume=30|issue=4|page=426|doi=10.1086/203761|s2cid=144783882 }}</ref>

Schlegel and Eloul expanded on Goody's model through further statistical analysis of the Ethnographic atlas. They argue that a major factor in determining the type of marriage transaction is the type of property controlled by the household. Bridewealth circulates property and women, and is typical of societies where property is limited. Dowry concentrates property and is found in property owning classes or commercial or landed pastoral peoples. When families give dowry, they not only ensure their daughter's economic security, they also "buy" the best possible husband for her, and son-in-law for themselves.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Schlegel|first=Alice|author2=Eloul, Rohn|title=Marriage Transactions: Labor, Property, Status|journal=American Anthropologist|year=1988|volume=90|issue=2|pages=291–309|doi=10.1525/aa.1988.90.2.02a00030}}</ref>

==Historical practices==
===Babylon===
Even in the oldest available records, such as the [[Code of Hammurabi]] in ancient [[Babylon]], the dowry is described as an already-existing custom. Daughters did not normally inherit any of her father's estate. Instead, with marriage, the bride got a dowry from her parents, which was intended to offer her as much lifetime security as her family could afford.<ref name=jct09>Thompson, James C., [http://www.womenintheancientworld.com/hammurabilawcode.htm Women in Babylonia Under the Hammurabi Law Code] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125071026/http://www.womenintheancientworld.com/hammurabilawcode.htm }} Women in the Ancient World (2009)</ref><ref>[[s:The Code of Hammurabi (Harper translation)|The Code of Hammurabi]] Robert Harper Translation (1923)</ref>
[[File:Babylonian_marriage_market.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|right|''[[The Babylonian Marriage Market]]'' by [[Edwin Long]], 1875.]]
In Babylonia, both bride price and dowry [[auction]]s were practiced. However, bride price almost always became part of the dowry.<ref name=jct09/> According to [[Herodotus]], [[auction]]s of maidens were held annually. The auctions began with the woman the auctioneer considered to be the most beautiful and progressed to the least. It was considered illegal to allow a daughter to be sold outside of the auction method.<ref name="#Shubik|Shubik, 2004: p214">[[#Shubik|Shubik, 2004: p214]]</ref> Attractive maidens were offered in an auction to determine the bride price to be paid by a swain, while in the case of maidens lacking attractivity a [[reverse auction]] was needed to determine the dowry to be paid to a swain.<ref name=cassady>{{cite book |last1=Cassady |first1=Ralph |title=Auctions and Auctioneering | pages=27–28 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-03978-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8e3__eR77D4C |language=en}}</ref> In case of [[divorce]] without reason, a man was required to give his wife the dowry she brought as well as the bride price the husband gave. The return of dowry could be disputed, if the divorce was for a reason allowed under Babylonian law.<ref>[http://avalon.law.yale.edu/ancient/hamframe.asp The Code of Hammurabi] {{webarchive|url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20101020002415/http://avalon.law.yale.edu/ancient/hamframe.asp }}, Translated by L. W. King (1915), See Laws 137 through 164, and Laws 178 through 184</ref><ref>[http://iws.collin.edu/mbailey/hammurabi's%20code%20overview.htm Hammurabi's Code and Babylonian Law] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515232810/http://iws.collin.edu/mbailey/hammurabi's%20code%20overview.htm }} Mindi Bailey (2007)</ref>

A wife's dowry was administered by her husband as part of the family assets. He had no say, however, in its ultimate disposal; and legally, the dowry had to be kept separate for it was expected to support the wife and her children. The wife was entitled to her dowry at her husband's death. If she died childless, her dowry reverted to her family, that is her father if he was alive, otherwise her brothers. If she had sons, they would share it equally. Her dowry was inheritable only by her own children, not by her husband's children by other women.<ref name=jct09/>

===Ancient Greece===
In archaic [[classical Greece|Greece]], the usual practice was to give a [[bride price]] (''hédnon'' (''ἕδνον'')). Dowries (''pherné'' (''φερνή'')) were exchanged by the later classical period (5th century B.C). A husband had certain property rights in his wife's dowry. In addition, the wife might bring to the marriage property of her own, which was not included in the dowry and which was, as a result, hers alone. This property was "beyond the dowry" (Greek ''parapherna'', the root of [[paraphernalia]]) and is referred to as paraphernal property or [[extra-dotal property]].

A dowry may also have served as a form of protection for the wife against the possibility of ill treatment by her husband and his family,<ref>Nigel Guy Wilson. "Dowry". Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece. 2002.</ref> providing an incentive for the husband not to harm his wife. This would apply in cultures where a dowry was expected to be returned to the bride's family if she died soon after marrying.

In contemporary Greece, dowry was removed from [[family law]] through legal reforms in 1983.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/26/world/around-the-world-greece-approves-family-law-changes.html#|title=AROUND THE WORLD; Greece Approves Family Law Changes|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616093929/http://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/26/world/around-the-world-greece-approves-family-law-changes.html|archive-date=16 June 2012|access-date=2016-10-03}}</ref><ref>Demos, Vasilikie. (2007) "The Intersection of Gender, Class and Nationality and the Agency of Kytherian Greek Women." Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. August 11.</ref>

===Roman Empire===
The Romans practiced dowry (''dos'').<ref name=smith1875>William Smith (1875), [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Dos.html Dos], A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London; pp. 436–438</ref><ref name=fm/> The dowry was property transferred by the bride, or on her behalf by anyone else, to the groom or groom's father, at their marriage. Dowry was a very common institution in Roman times,<ref>Roger S. Bagnall et al. (Editor), The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, see article on Dowry, Roman; {{ISBN|978-1-4051-7935-5}}, December 2011, Wiley-Blackwell; DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah13088</ref> and it began out of a desire to get the bride's family to contribute a share of the costs involved in setting up a new household.<ref>[http://www.womenintheancientworld.com/dowryinancientrome.htm The Dowry in Ancient Rome] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017200544/http://www.womenintheancientworld.com/dowryinancientrome.htm }} James C. Thompson (2010), Women in the Ancient World; also see review and summary at [http://libguides.lib.msu.edu/content.php?pid=72054&sid=739941 Women in the Classical World] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017044348/http://libguides.lib.msu.edu/content.php?pid=72054&sid=739941 }}, Michigan State University (2013)</ref> Dos was given for the purpose of enabling the husband to sustain the charges of the marriage state (onera matrimonii). All the property of the wife which was not dowry, or was not a donatio propter nuptias, continued to be her own property, and was called ''Parapherna''.<ref name=smith1875/> The dowry could include any form of property, given or promised at the time of marriage, but only what remained after deducting the debts. Not only the bride's family, any person could donate his property as dowry for the woman.

Two types of dowry were known—''dos profectitia'' and ''dos adventitia''.<ref name=fm>Ferdinand Mackeldey (1883), [https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=GeY2AAAAIAAJ Handbook of the Roman law: Volumes 1–2] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005011622/https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=GeY2AAAAIAAJ }}, Book III; pp. 419–430</ref> That dos is profectitia which was given by the father or father's father of the bride. All other dos is adventitia. Roman law also allowed for a species of dowry, called ''dos receptitia'', which was given by some other person than the father or father's father of the bride, in consideration of marriage, but on the condition that it should be restored back to the dowry giver, on the death of the wife. The bride's family were expected to give a dowry when a girl married, and in proportion to their means.<ref>[http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/cicero/caecina.shtml#73 M. TVLLI CICERONIS PRO A. CAECINA ORATIO] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014025457/http://thelatinlibrary.com/cicero/caecina.shtml }} Cicero, Roman Law (in Latin, use translator)</ref> It was customary for the bride's family and friends to pay promised dowries in installments over three years, and some Romans won great praise by delivering the dowry in one lump sum.<ref>[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/31B*.html#27.5 The Library of History] Diodorus Siculus, Book XXXI, Paragraph 27, Loeb Classical Library Edition, pp. 385–387</ref>

===Indian subcontinent===
{{Main|Dowry system in India}}
The practice of dowry in the [[Indian subcontinent]] is a controversial subject. Some scholars believe dowry was practiced in antiquity, but some do not. Historical eyewitness reports (discussed below) suggest dowry in ancient India was insignificant, and daughters had inheritance rights, which by custom were exercised at the time of her marriage. Documentary evidence suggests that at the beginning of 20th century, [[bride price|bridewealth]], rather than dowry was the common custom, which often resulted in poor boys remaining unmarried.<ref>Muni Buddhmal, Terapanth ke Drudhdharmi Shravak Arjunlalji Porwal, Kesrimal ji Surana Abhinanda Granth, 1982, p. 95</ref><ref>Parwar Directory, Pub. Singhai Pannalal Raes ed. Pandit Tulsiram, 1924, p. 15</ref>

Stanley J. Tambiah claims the ancient [[Code of Manu]] sanctioned dowry and bridewealth in ancient India (typically in Rohtak) and especially in [[Kadia (term)|Kadia]] families, but dowry was the more prestigious form and associated with the Brahmanic (priestly) caste. Bridewealth was restricted to the lower castes, who were not allowed to give dowry. He cites two studies from the early 20th century with data to suggest that this pattern of dowry in upper castes and bridewealth in lower castes persisted through the first half of the 20th century.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tambiah|first=Stanley|title=Bridewealth and Dowry|year=1973|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge UK|pages=68–69|author2=Goody, Jack}}</ref> However, it is more likely that marriages involved both reciprocal gifts between the two families, claims Tambiah, so that insofar as the groom's family gave the bridewealth, it tended to be given back as dowry to the bride as part of her conjugal estate.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tambiah|first=Stanley|title=Bridewealth and Dowry|year=1973|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge UK|page=71|author2=Goody, Jack}}</ref>

[[Michael Witzel]], in contrast, claims the ancient Indian literature suggests dowry practices were not significant during the Vedic period.<ref>Witzel, Michael. "Little Dowry, No Sati: The Lot of Women in the Vedic Period." Journal of South Asia Women Studies 2, no. 4 (1996).</ref> Witzel also notes that women in ancient India had property inheritance rights either by appointment or when they had no brothers.

The findings of MacDonell and Keith are similar to Witzel, and differ from Tambiah; they cite ancient Indian literature suggesting bridewealth was paid even in brahma- and daiva-types of marriage associated with the Brahmanic (priestly) upper caste. Dowry was not infrequent, when the girl suffered from some bodily defect. Property rights for women increased in ancient India, suggest MacDonell and Keith, over the Epics era (200 BC – 700 AD).<ref>MacDonell, Arthur and Keith, Arthur. ''Vedic Index: Names and Subjects'', Indian Text Series (John Murray, London, 1912), Volume 1:482–485 ページ出版</ref> Kane claims ancient literature suggests bridewealth was paid only in the asura-type of marriage that was considered reprehensible and forbidden by Manu and other ancient Indian scribes. Lochtefeld suggests that religious duties listed by Manu and others, such as 'the bride be richly adorned to celebrate marriage' were ceremonial dress and jewelry along with gifts that were her property, not property demanded by or meant for the groom; Lochtefeld further notes that bridal adornment is not currently considered as dowry in most people's mind.<ref>James G. Lochtefeld, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M, Rosen Publishing, {{ISBN|9780823931798}}; 203 ページ出版</ref>

The above analysis by various scholars is based on interpreting verses of ancient Sanskrit scriptures from India, not eyewitness accounts. Available eyewitness observations from ancient India give a different picture. One of these are the eyewitness records from [[Alexander the Great]]'s conquest (''ca''. 300 BC), as recorded by Arrian and Megasthenes. Arrian's first book mentions a lack of dowry,

{{Quote box
|quote = They (these ancient Indian people) make their marriages accordance with this principle, for in selecting a bride they care nothing whether she has a dowry and a handsome fortune, but look only to her beauty and other advantages of the outward person.
|source = [[Arrian]], ''The Invasion of India by [[Alexander the Great]]'', 3rd Century BC<ref>John Watson McCrindle (Translator), The Invasion of India by Alexander the Great as described by Arrian, Archibald Constable & Co. (Westminster, UK): 280 ページ出版</ref> |width = 90% |align = center |fontsize=95%}}

Arrian's second book similarly notes,

{{Quote box
|quote = They (Indians) marry without either giving or taking dowries, but the women as soon as they are marriageable are brought forward by their fathers in public, to be selected by the victor in wrestling or boxing or running or someone who excels in any other manly exercise.
|source = Arrian, ''Indika'' in Megasthenes and Arrian, 3rd Century BC<ref>JW McCrindle (Translator), [https://www.academia.edu/40361974/Ancient_India_As_Described_By_Megasthenes_And_Arrian_By_Mccrindle_J_W Megasthenes and Arrian] Trubner & Co (London): 222 ページ出版</ref> |width = 90% |align = center |fontsize=95%}}

The two sources suggest dowry was absent, or infrequent enough to be noticed by Arrian.<ref>CV Vaidya, Epic India, Or, India as Described in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, {{ISBN|978-8120615649}}</ref> About 1200 years after Arrian's visit, another eyewitness scholar visited India named [[Abū Rayḥān al-Bīrūnī]], also known as Al-Biruni, or Alberonius in Latin. Al-Biruni was an Islamic era Persian scholar who went and lived in India for 16 years from 1017 CE. He translated many Indian texts into Arabic, as well as wrote a memoir on Indian culture and life he observed. Al-Biruni claimed,

{{Quote box
|quote = The implements of the wedding rejoicings are brought forward. No gift (dower or dowry) is settled between them. The man gives only a present to the wife, as he thinks fit, and a marriage gift in advance, which he has no right to claim back, but the (proposed) wife may give it back to him of her own will (if she does not want to marry).
|source = [[Abū Rayḥān al-Bīrūnī|Al-Biruni]], ''Chapter on Matrimony in India'', about 1035 AD<ref>Edward Sachau (Translator), Bīrūnī, Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad, Alberuni's India (Vol. 2), Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co. (London, 1910.) Chapter LXIX: 154 ページ出版; see Al-Hind too.</ref> |width = 90% |align = center |fontsize=95%}}

Al-Biruni further claims that a daughter, in 11th century India, had legal right to inherit from her father, but only a fourth part of her brother. The daughter took this inheritance amount with her when she married, claimed Al-Biruni, and she had no rights to income from her parents after her marriage or to any additional inheritance after her father's death. If her father died before her marriage, her guardian would first pay off her father's debt, then allocate a fourth of the remaining wealth to her upkeep till she is ready to marry, and then give the rest to her to take with her into her married life.<ref>Edward Sachau (Translator), Bīrūnī, Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad, Alberuni's India (Vol. 2), Trübner & Co. (London, 1910.) Chapter LXXII: 164 ページ出版</ref>

===China===
[[File:Jade cabbage closeup.jpg|thumb|[[Jadeite Cabbage]] – Jin received it as part of her dowry for her wedding to Guangxu, in 1889; originally displayed in Forbidden City (Beijing), it is now in National Palace Museum (Taipei City).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/12/travel/taipei-s-trove-of-chinese-art.html|title=Taipei's trove of Chinese art|work=The New York Times|access-date=20 April 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505225335/http://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/12/travel/taipei-s-trove-of-chinese-art.html|archive-date=5 May 2016}}</ref>]]
Dowry was common in different historic periods of China and continued through the modern history. Locally called "{{linktext|lang=zh-Hant|嫁妝}} ({{zh|labels=no|p=Jiàzhuāng}}), the dowry ranged from land, jewelry, money to a collection of clothing, sewing equipment and collection of household items. Mann<ref name=mann/> and others<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Lü | first1 = B | year = 2010 | title = Bridal dowry land and the economic status of women from wealthy families in the Song Dynasty | journal = Frontiers of History in China | volume = 5 | issue = 1| pages = 106–124 | doi = 10.1007/s11462-010-0005-z | s2cid = 161566501 }}</ref><ref>Cooper, G. (1998). Life-cycle rituals in Dongyang County: time, affinity, and exchange in rural China. Ethnology, pp. 373–394</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Brown | first1 = P. H. | year = 2009 | title = Dowry and Intrahousehold Bargaining Evidence from China | url = http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/39994/3/wp608.pdf| journal = Journal of Human Resources | volume = 44 | issue = 1| pages = 25–46 | doi = 10.1353/jhr.2009.0016 | hdl = 2027.42/39994 | s2cid = 201777735 | hdl-access = free }}</ref> find that dowry was a form of inheritance to daughters. In traditional China, the property owned by a family, if any, was earmarked for equal division or inheritance by sons only. Dowry was the only way assets were transferred to a daughter. It included immovable property such as land, and movable property like jewelry and fine clothing. The dowry she brought with her was typically sequestered from the property of her husband and other male members in a joint family. She would often sell this property for cash to overcome hard economic times or needs of her children and husband. In a few cases, she may transfer the property she brought as dowry to her daughter or daughter-in-law. Dowry assets once transferred in turn constituted separate wealth of the woman who received it (''sifang qian'', etc.). Often a woman who brought a large dowry was considered more virtuous in Chinese culture than one who didn't.<ref name=mann/> In parts of China, both dowry and brideprice (''pinjin'') were practiced from ancient eras to the 20th century. Though throughout the history of China, the practice of using a brideprice has largely been used instead of dowries, but has slowly diminished in modern times.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Adrian | first1 = B | year = 2004 | title = The Camera's Positioning: brides, grooms, and their photographers in Taipei's bridal industry | journal = Ethos | volume = 32 | issue = 2| pages = 140–163 | doi = 10.1525/eth.2004.32.2.140 }}</ref>

===Europe===
Dowry was widely practiced in Europe until the early modern era. Folklorists often interpret the folk tale ''[[Cinderella]]'' as the competition between the stepmother and the stepdaughter for resources, which may include the need to provide a dowry. [[Gioachino Rossini]]'s opera ''[[La Cenerentola]]'' makes this economic basis explicit: Don Magnifico wishes to make his own daughters' dowries larger, to attract a grander match, which is impossible if he must provide a third dowry.<ref>[[Marina Warner]], ''From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales And Their Tellers'', pp. 213–14 {{ISBN|0-374-15901-7}}</ref>

One common penalty for the [[bride kidnapping|kidnapping]] and [[raptio|rape]] of an unmarried woman was that the abductor or rapist had to provide the woman's dowry. Until the late 20th century this was sometimes called [[wreath money]], or the [[breach of promise]].{{citation needed}}

[[File:Gentile da Fabriano 063.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|The dowry for the three virgins (Gentile da Fabriano, c. 1425, [[Pinacoteca Vaticana]], Rome), part of the [[Saint Nicholas]] legend.]]
Providing dowries for poor women was regarded as a form of charity by wealthier parishioners. The custom of Christmas stockings springs from a legend of [[Nicholas of Myra#Deeds and miracles attributed to Saint Nicholas|St Nicholas]], in which he threw gold in the stockings of three poor sisters, thus providing for their dowries. St. [[Elizabeth of Portugal]] and St. [[Martin de Porres]] were particularly noted for providing such dowries, and the Archconfraternity of the Annunciation, a Roman charity dedicated to providing dowries, received the entire estate of [[Pope Urban VII]]. In 1425, the Republic of Florence created a public fund, called the ''[[Monte delle doti]]'', to provide dowries to Florentine brides.

Vast inheritances were standard as dowries for aristocratic and royal brides in Europe during the Middle Ages. The Portuguese crown gave two cities in India and Morocco as dowry to the British Crown in 1661 when King [[Charles II of England]] married [[Catherine of Braganza]], a princess of Portugal.

In some cases, [[nun]]s were required to bring a dowry when joining a [[convent]].<ref>"[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04340c.htm Convent] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101102013510/http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04340c.htm }}", ''[[Catholic Encyclopedia]]''</ref> At some times, such as [[Ancien Régime]] France, convents were also used by some parents to put less attractive daughters, so that the more marriageable daughters could have larger dowries.<ref>[[Louis Auchincloss]], ''False Dawn'', p. 42 {{ISBN|0-385-18021-7}}</ref> Ancien Régime families that could not provide proper dowries also used the convents as places to put their daughters.<ref>Louis Auchincloss, ''False Dawn'', p. 48 {{ISBN|0-385-18021-7}}</ref>

In the [[County of Bentheim]] in [[Lower Saxony]], for instance, parents who had no sons might give a land dowry to their new son-in-law. It was commonly given with the condition that he take the surname of his bride, in order to continue the family name.

====England====
[[File:18281018 Wife Wanted - Royal Cornwall Gazette, Falmouth Packet and Plymouth Journal.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5| In an 1828 "Wife Wanted" advertisement in [[Cornwall]], an Englishman claiming a "great taste for building" pledges to apply a prospective wife's dowry-like £1000+ to build property that will be "settled on her for life".<ref name=CornwallGazette_18281018>{{cite news |title=A Wife Wanted |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/395481746/ |newspaper=Royal Cornwall Gazette, Falmouth Packet and Plymouth Journal |page=3 }}</ref>]]
Dowry was used in England. However, the right of daughters to inherit and of women to hold property and other rights in their own name made it a different instrument than on the Continent. The [[Salic law]], which required females to be disinherited and disenfranchised from land ownership, did not apply in England. Single women held many rights men did. The most famous example of this English female inheritance and agency right is perhaps [[Elizabeth I of England]], who held all rights a male monarch did.

While single women held rights to hold property equivalent to those of men, marriage and married women were affected by the [[Norman conquest of England|Norman Conquest]] changes to the law in the 12th Century. [[Coverture]] was introduced to the common law in some jurisdictions, requiring property of a wife to be held in the husband's name, custody and control. The Normans also introduced the dowry in England replacing the earlier custom of the new husband giving a morning gift to his bride. At first the husband publicly gave ''[or received?]'' the dowry at the church door at the wedding.

If the husband died first, which was frequent, there was a Widows dowry of one third of the husband's lands at the time of his marriage; the income, and in some cases, the management, of the lands, was assigned to her for the rest of her life. This concept is included in the [[Great Charter]], and along with the recognition of female inheritance and absence of the [[Salic law]], and women, particularly single women, holding many rights equivalent to those men held, manifests English law differing fundamentally from the law of the Continent, especially the law of the [[Holy Roman Empire]].

Thirteenth-century court records are filled with disputes over dowries, and the law became increasingly complex.<ref>S. H. Steinberg et al. eds. ''A New Dictionary of British History'' (1963) pp. 110–11.</ref>

The English dowry system permitted most noble families to marry off their daughters and thereby gain extended kin and patronage ties. Marriageable daughters were a valuable commodity to ambitious fathers, and the English aristocracy sent few of their eligible daughters to convents.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Harris | first1 = Barbara J. | year = 1993 | title = A new look at the Reformation: Aristocratic women and nunneries, 1450–1540 | journal = Journal of British Studies | volume = 32 | issue = 2| pages = 89–113 | doi = 10.1086/386024 | s2cid = 145122857 }}</ref>

Failure to provide a customary, or agreed-upon, dowry could cause a marriage to be called off. [[William Shakespeare]] made use of such an event in ''[[King Lear]]'': one of Cordelia's suitors gives up his suit upon hearing that King Lear will give her no dowry. In ''[[Measure for Measure]]'', Claudio and Juliet's premarital sex was brought about by their families' wrangling over dowry after the betrothal. Angelo's motive for forswearing his betrothal with Mariana was the loss of her dowry at sea.

In [[Victorian England]], dowries were viewed by some members of the upper class as an early payment of the daughter's [[inheritance]]. In some instances, daughters who had not received their dowries were the only female heirs entitled to part of the estate when their parents died. If a couple died without children, a woman's dowry was often returned to her family.<ref>Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace, ''To Marry An English Lord'', pp. 166–67, {{ISBN|0-89480-939-3}}</ref>

[[Coverture]] never applied universally in Britain and was repealed in the 1800s. This effectively ended the concept of dowry as the property of a single woman was either retained by her after marriage or its income became marital property under joint control with a husband (not under his sole control as in coverture).

====Russia====
[[File:Wassilij Wladimirowitsch Pukirew 001.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|''The Dowry'' by 19th-century Russian painter, [[Vasili Pukirev]]. Dowry was a common practice in Russia through the 19th century.]]
In some parts of Europe, especially Eastern Europe, land dowries were common.

The ''[[Domostroy]]'', a Russian advice book of the 16th century for upper classes, includes advice to set aside property for purposes of a dowry, and use it to accumulate linens, clothing, and other things for it, rather than have to suddenly buy it all for the wedding; if the daughter should happen to die, the dowry should be used to give alms and for prayers for her soul, although some might be set aside for other daughters.<ref>Carolyn Johnston Pouncey, ''The Domostroi: Rules for Russian Households in the Time of Ivan the Terrible'', p. 95 {{ISBN|0-8014-9689-6}}</ref> In late [[Tsardom of Russia|Tsarist Russia]] the dowry originally consisted of clothing for the bride, linen, and bedding.<ref name="Tian-Shanskaia1">Olga Semyonova Tian-Shanskaia, ''Village Life in Late Tsarist Russia'', pp. 3–4, 1993, Indiana University Press, Bloomington and Indianapolis.</ref> Linen became less common, a fact blamed on poor flax harvest and girls being poor spinners, but emphasis was added to the finest of the clothing, and a money dowry was sometimes added, particularly if the bride was regarded as having some fault.<ref name="Tian-Shanskaia1"/> Prospective in-laws, usually concerned mostly with her working ability, grew more concerned about a money dowry.<ref name="Tian-Shanskaia2">Olga Semyonova Tian-Shanskaia, ''Village Life in Late Tsarist Russia'', p. 66, 1993, Indiana University Press, Bloomington and Indianapolis</ref>

====Romania====
In Romania in the late 18th and early 19th centuries (1750–1830s) the exclusion of dowered girls from the family inheritance led to increased cohesion within the nuclear family. The wife's male relatives controlled the dowry but she retained sole ownership of the dowry and wedding gifts. Her relatives could prosecute the husband for squandering a dowry; wives gained some ability to leave an abusive marriage. The long-term result was a greater legal empowerment of women, while providing economic security to divorced women, widows, and children.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Jianu | first1 = Angela | year = 2009 | title = Women, Dowries, and Patrimonial Law in Old Regime Romania (c. 1750–1830) | journal = Journal of Family History | volume = 34 | issue = 2| pages = 189–205 | doi = 10.1177/0363199008330732 | pmid = 19618556 | s2cid = 25161591 }}</ref>

===The Americas===

====Indigenous cultures====
According to one ethnographic study of indigenous cultures worldwide, around six percent of North American indigenous cultures practised reciprocal exchange, involving the giving of gifts between both the bride and groom's families.<ref name="Ferraro, Gary P., and Susan Andreatta 2009 224">{{cite book|author1=Ferraro, Gary P.|author2=Susan Andreatta|title=Cultural Anthropology: An Applied Perspective|year=2009|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=9780495601920|page=[https://archive.org/details/culturalanthropo00ferr_1/page/224 224]|url=https://archive.org/details/culturalanthropo00ferr_1/page/224}}</ref> Among the tribes of the American Plains, a combination of [[dower]] and dowry was used. The groom would give a gift of horses to the bride's parents, while they in turn would give a gift to the groom. The exchange was somewhat reciprocal.<ref>{{cite book|last=Deogaonkar|first=S. G.|title=Native Americans And Native Indians|year=2002|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=9788170229094|page=48}}</ref>

====Mexico====
Spanish colonists brought the dowry custom to Mexico. Spain's laws gave brides the right to control their dowry after marriage, contrary to the usual European practice of transferring the dowry to the control of the groom and his family.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mangan|first=Jane E.|title=Trading Roles: Gender, Ethnicity, and the Urban Economy in Colonial Potosí|year=2005|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=9780822334705|page=[https://archive.org/details/tradingrolesgend0000mang/page/237 237]|url=https://archive.org/details/tradingrolesgend0000mang/page/237}}</ref> Women, in practice, often did maintain control over their dowry after marriage. The husband might be given funds from the dowry to invest for the mutual benefit of the couple and their children, but wives also often used funds from their dowries to operate their own businesses, as grocers, tavern keepers, and shop owners in urban areas.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mangan|first=Jane E.|title=Trading Roles: Gender, Ethnicity, and the Urban Economy in Colonial Potosí|year=2005|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=9780822334705|page=[https://archive.org/details/tradingrolesgend0000mang/page/140 140]|url=https://archive.org/details/tradingrolesgend0000mang/page/140}}</ref> Dowries were a common custom in the early colonial years, but were passing out of use by the mid-18th century. By that time, less wealthy daughters were often marrying without any dowry.<ref>{{cite book|last=Socolow|first=Susan Migden|title=The Women of Colonial Latin America|year=2000|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521476423|page=[https://archive.org/details/womenofcoloniall00susa/page/83 83]|url=https://archive.org/details/womenofcoloniall00susa/page/83}}</ref>

====New France====
The French government made efforts to encourage marriage for the male soldiers and traders in New France by granting dowries to women willing to travel to the colony at Quebec. As the French crown provided dowries for many of the women persuaded to travel to [[New France]] for marriages and settlement there, they were known as ''[[filles du roi]]'' (daughters of the king).

Convents in [[Quebec]], as in Europe, required a dowry from the parents of girls becoming nuns, much as the dowry was expected in the marriages of upper class brides. The Catholic Church and secular authorities intended for this requirement to regulate admission into religious communities. Girls without a dowry were often supported by benefactors, however, and occasionally convents lowered the sum required to enter the convent.<ref>{{cite book|title=Women and Freedom in Early America|year=1997|publisher=NYU Press|isbn=9780814721988|page=[https://archive.org/details/womenfreedominea0000unse/page/116 116]|editor=Larry D. Eldridge|url=https://archive.org/details/womenfreedominea0000unse/page/116}}</ref>

====United States====
[[File:Angelico, san nicola done tre palle d'oro a tre fanciulle povere per farle maritare, vaticano.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Fra Angelico]]'s painting: ''The Story of St Nicholas Giving Dowry to Three Poor Girls''. The 15th-century painting relates to the story of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands a dowry. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. Mysteriously, on three occasions, so goes the story, a bag of gold appeared in their home, for the dowries, courtesy of St Nicholas. Later, St Nicholas came to be known as [[Santa Claus]].<ref>[http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/who-is-st-nicholas/ Who is St. Nicholas?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911183613/http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/who-is-st-nicholas/ }} St Nicholas Center</ref>]]

The dowry was a custom brought to the United States by colonists from England and elsewhere in Europe. One legend tells how [[John Hull (merchant)|John Hull]], the Master of the Mint in [[Boston]] and a wealthy man, determined the dowry for his daughter Hannah's marriage to Samuel Sewall. Hull is said to have set his 18-year-old daughter onto one side of the large scales in his warehouse. He piled shillings into the other side of the scale until he reached her weight in silver, and that was her dowry.<ref>{{cite book|title=Archaeologia Americana: transactions and collections of the American Antiquarian Society, Volume 3|year=1857|publisher=American Antiquarian Society, digitized by University of Wisconsin at Madison|pages=274–75}}</ref>

The daughters of wealthy 19th-century industrialists, who were able to inherit large amounts of money and property, were given "dowries" by their fathers to marry European aristocrats who held a title but had little wealth. The mutual exchange of title and wealth raised the status of both bride and groom. A very good example is the marriage of [[Consuelo Vanderbilt]] to [[Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough]] in 1895.<ref name="Ferraro, Gary P., and Susan Andreatta 2009 224"/>

====Brazil====
The dowry was a custom brought to Brazil by Portuguese settlers. Colonial economics meant that families had a great stake in inheritances of land in particular. As in Europe, the eldest daughter was usually granted the largest dowry by her father. Variations were not unusual, however, as research has shown in São Paulo, 31% of fathers gave dowries of increasing size to the younger daughters, and 21% distributed dowries with no particular favour shown to birth order of the daughters.<ref>{{cite book|last=Nazzari|first=Muriel|title=Disappearance of the Dowry: Women, Families, and Social Change in São Paulo, Brazil (1600–1900)|year=1991|publisher=Stanford University Press|isbn=9780804719285|page=63}}</ref> In addition to dowries, daughters could also be granted an inheritance from their father, a share of the ''legìtima''. Inheritance laws were complex in colonial Brazil. According to Portuguese law, an estate was to be divided among children who had not already received a dowry. In the early colonial period, married daughters receiving a large dowry would refuse to accept a further inheritance after the death of their father. In the 18th century, as inheritances and dowries gradually became smaller, this custom disappeared. Daughters accepted a dowry, plus a ''legìtima.'' In this way, they folded their dowry back into the estate with the ''legìtima'', called bringing the dowry ''à colação''. The remaining third of the estate, the ''terça'', was free for the father to divide as he wished among his heirs.<ref>{{cite book|last=Nazzari|first=Muriel|title=Disappearance of the Dowry: Women, Families, and Social Change in São Paulo, Brazil (1600–1900)|year=1991|publisher=Stanford University Press|isbn=9780804719285|pages=65–67}}</ref>

There were instances where a daughter was left to marry without a dowry, whereas her sisters were given dowries, an indication of paternal control over marriage choices. During the 18th century, as inheritances decreased in size, litigation among siblings became more common. Dowries could include land, a house in the city, cash, gold dust, gold bars, tools and machinery, cattle, or horses.<ref>{{cite book|last=Nazzari|first=Muriel|title=Disappearance of the Dowry: Women, Families, and Social Change in São Paulo, Brazil (1600–1900)|year=1991|publisher=Stanford University Press|isbn=9780804719285|page=67}}</ref> By the 19th century, economic changes meant that men, typically merchants, brought more to the marriage materially, and the economic dynamics of marriage changed.<ref>{{cite book|last=Nazzari|first=Muriel|title=Disappearance of the Dowry: Women, Families, and Social Change in São Paulo, Brazil (1600–1900)|year=1991|publisher=Stanford University Press|isbn=9780804719285|page=73}}</ref>

==Current practices==
Dowry is a common practice in many parts of the world, especially in [[South Asia]] and several [[MENA|Middle East and North Africa]] countries. Dowry is most common in nations with inadequate male-biased inheritance laws and [[patrilineal]] societies, which expect women to live with or near their husband's family.<ref name="Van Willigen 1991 pp. 369–377">Van Willigen, J., & Channa, V. C. (1991). Law, custom, and crimes against women: The problem of dowry death in India. Human organization, 50(4), pp. 369–377</ref><ref name="Dalmia, S. 2005 pp. 71–93">{{cite journal | last1 = Dalmia | first1 = S. | last2 = Lawrence | first2 = P. G. | year = 2005 | title = The institution of dowry in India: Why it continues to prevail | journal = The Journal of Developing Areas | volume = 38 | issue = 2| pages = 71–93 | doi = 10.1353/jda.2005.0018 | s2cid = 154992591 }}</ref>
An unusual exception to the dowry custom in South Asia is found in [[Bhutan]]. The dowry system does not exist in Bhutan; inheritance is [[matrilineal]], and daughters do not take their father's name at birth, nor their husband's name upon marriage. Rural land may be registered in a woman's name. Women own businesses, and both [[polyandry]] and [[polygyny]] are socially accepted, with polygyny being more prevalent. Sometimes a prospective groom will work in the bride's family's household to earn the right to marry her.<ref name="Stange, Mary Zeiss, and Carol K. Oyster, Jane E. Sloan 2011 149">{{cite book|author1=Stange, Mary Zeiss |author2= Carol K. Oyster |author3=Jane E. Sloan |title=Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World, Volume 1|year=2011|publisher=SAGE|isbn=9781412976855|page=149}}</ref>

===India===
In India, dowry is called ''Dahez'' in Hindi, and ''Jahez'' in Arabic among the Islamic Community (derived from Islamic ''jahez-e-fatimi'').<ref name=Waheed>{{cite journal | last = Waheed | first = Abdul | title = Dowry among Indian muslims: ideals and practices | journal = [[Indian Journal of Gender Studies]] | volume = 16 | issue = 1 | pages = 47–75 | publisher = [[SAGE Publications|SAGE]] | doi = 10.1177/097152150801600103 | date = February 2009 | s2cid = 142943653 }}</ref> In far eastern parts of India, dowry is called ''Aaunnpot''. Dowry is a payment of cash or gifts from the bride's family to the bridegroom's family upon marriage. It may include cash, jewelry, electrical appliances, furniture, bedding, crockery, utensils, car and other household items that help the newlyweds set up their home.

Dowry has no religious sanction in Hinduism. The Baudhayana Grihya sutra that prescribes the wedding rituals instead requires the groom to pay what is called the "Vadhu dakshina" or the bride honorarium.

In India, the dowry puts great financial strain on the bride's family. Payment of dowry is now prohibited under the [[Dowry system in India#Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961|''Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961'']] in [[Law of India|Indian civil law]] and subsequently by Sections 304B and 498a of the [[Indian Penal Code]] (IPC). Despite anti-dowry laws in India, it is still a common illegal practice. Other laws attempting to address the problem include the ''Dowry and Bridal Gifts Restrictions Rules, 1976'' and the ''Dowry Prohibition (Maintenance of Lists of Presents to the Bride and Bridegroom) Rules, 1985'', which are intended to document gifts and provide complainants with stronger evidence in case prosecution for crimes against the bride occurs later.

Dowry in India is widespread among all religions. Over the years, the practice has evolved and expanded in terms of scope and outreach[https://www.amazon.in/Dowry-Serious-Economic-Violence-Rethinking/dp/B0C5KLDF3P/ref=sr_1_3?qid=1684812996&refinements=p_27%3AShalu+Nigam&s=books&sr=1-3].

For example, Indian Muslims call dowry as ''jahez'', justify the practice in terms of jahez-e-fatimi. Islamists classify jahez into two categories: The first comprises some essential articles for the outfit of the bride as well as for conjugal life. The other is made up of valuable goods, clothes, jewelry, an amount of money for the groom's family, which is settled on after bargaining. The ''jahez'' often far exceeds the cost of the barat.<ref name=Waheed />

Although Indian laws against dowries have been in effect for decades, they have been largely criticised as being ineffective.<ref name="auto">{{Cite journal|title = Practical Steps towards Eliminating Dowry and Bride-Burning in India|last = Manchandia|first = Purna|journal = Tul. J. Int'l & Comp. L. |volume=13 |pages=305–319 |year=2005}}</ref> The practice of dowry deaths and murders continues to take place unchecked in many parts of India and this has further added to the concerns of enforcement.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite journal|title = A 'Lesser' Crime: A Comparative Study of Legal Defenses for Men Who Kill Their Wives|last = Spatz|first = Melissa|journal = Colum. J. L. & Soc. Probs. |volume=24 |pages=597, 612 }}</ref> Dowry-murder persists. It is the killing of a wife for not bringing sufficient dowry to the marriage. It is the culmination of a series of prior domestic abuses by the husband's family.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Rudd | first1 = Jane | year = 2001 | title = Dowry-murder: An example of violence against women | journal = Women's Studies International Forum | volume = 24 | issue = 5| pages = 513–522 | doi = 10.1016/S0277-5395(01)00196-0 | pmid = 17508454 }}</ref>

Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code required the bridegroom and his family to be automatically arrested if a wife complains of dowry harassment.<ref>{{Cite web|last=V|first=Bharati T.|title=Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code|url=https://lawtimesjournal.in/section-498a-of-the-indian-penal-code/|access-date=2021-03-27|website=Law Times Journal|language=en-US}}</ref> The law was widely abused and in 2014, the [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme Court]] ruled that arrests can only be made with a magistrate's approval.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/No-arrests-under-anti-dowry-law-without-magistrates-nod-SC/articleshow/37661519.cms|title=No arrests under anti-dowry law without magistrate's nod: SC|work=The Times of India|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707181737/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/No-arrests-under-anti-dowry-law-without-magistrates-nod-SC/articleshow/37661519.cms|archive-date=7 July 2014}}</ref>

===Bangladesh===
The original custom in Bangladesh was the [[bride price]], called ''pawn'', where the groom's family makes a payment to the bride's parents. This has gradually been replaced by the dowry, called ''joutuk''. This transition in customs began in the 1960s.<ref>{{cite book|last=Jones|first=Gavin W.|title=The Continuing Demographic Transition|year=1997|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780198292579|pages=290–91}}</ref> By the early 21st century, the bride price has been supplanted by the dowry. ''Joutuk'', sometimes spelled ''Joutukh'', like elsewhere in South Asia, is a serious and growing problem in Bangladesh. Between 0.6 and 2.8 brides per year per 100,000 women are reported to die because of dowry-related violence.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Huda | first1 = Shahnaz | year = 2006 | title = Dowry in Bangladesh: Compromizing {{sic|hide=yes}} Women's Rights | journal = South Asia Research | volume = 26 | issue = 3| pages = 249–268 | doi = 10.1177/0262728006071707 | s2cid = 144704143 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.dhakacourier.com.bd/?p=4592 Women's Safety: Ghosts on the Prowl] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109202405/http://www.dhakacourier.com.bd/?p=4592 }} Mahfuzur Rahman, Dhaka Courier, January 26, 2012</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=Dowry System|url=https://teletalkbd.com/dowry-system-paragraph|work=Teletalk Bangladesh|access-date=25 December 2020}}</ref>

Bangladesh has seen a rise in the expected size of dowries in recent decades, as its middle class has grown. Sociologist Sarah White has argued that the dowry is not compensation for weakness in women's economic contribution. Instead, its main function is now to support family advancement by mobilizing additional resources. It also demonstrates an ongoing commitment to the norms of masculine provision and protection. Dowries make women more valuable, which pushes against the background of widespread corruption and political and gender violence.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = White | first1 = Sarah C. | year = 2017 | title = Patriarchal Investments: Marriage, Dowry and the Political Economy of Development in Bangladesh | journal = Journal of Contemporary Asia | volume = 47 | issue = 2| pages = 247–272 | doi = 10.1080/00472336.2016.1239271 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

A negative factor is a rise in the rate of "dowry deaths". In Bangladesh, dowry killings are more frequently done by stabbing or poison rather than burning. Dowry extortion is also a problem in Bangladesh.<ref name="Menski 1998 109">{{cite book|last=Menski|first=Werner|title=South Asians and the Dowry Problem|year=1998|publisher=Trentham Books|isbn=9781858561417|page=109}}</ref> From January to October 2009, more than 3,413 complaints were made to the police in Bangladesh concerning beatings and other abuses related to dowries.<ref>{{cite book|title=Annual Report: Bangladesh 2010|year=2010|publisher=Amnesty International|url=http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/annual-report-bangladesh-2010?page=2|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120604140126/http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/annual-report-bangladesh-2010?page=2|archive-date=2012-06-04}}</ref> One of the methods used by families who are unhappy with dowry includes [[acid throwing]], in which concentrated acid is thrown on the bride's face to cause disfiguration and social isolation. From 1995 to 1998, 15 women reported dowry disputes as the motivation behind acid attacks, though that number may be low due to underreporting.<ref>International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific. ''Baseline Report: Violence Against Women in Bangladesh''. 1–78.</ref> Bangladesh is combating the problem with legislation largely copied from that of India. Laws prohibiting dowry in Bangladesh include ''Dowry Prohibition Act, 1980''; ''Dowry Prohibition (Amendment) Ordinance, 1982''; and ''Dowry Prohibition (Amendment) Ordinance, 1986''.

''Dowry Prohibition Act'' Clause 4 states that anyone demanding dowry from a person has committed a crime. The law does not have any clause stating punishment to misuse it. Therefore, the law is frequently used by women to harass in-laws and husbands.<ref name="News article on Dowry Law Abuse">{{cite web|url=http://news.priyo.com/law-and-order/2011/feb/16/women-repression-dowry-law-nee-20016.html|title=Women repression, dowry: Law needs changes to check false cases|work=Priyo News|access-date=20 April 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305113129/http://news.priyo.com/law-and-order/2011/feb/16/women-repression-dowry-law-nee-20016.html|archive-date=5 March 2016}}</ref>

===Pakistan===
In Pakistan, dowry is called ''Jahez'' in Arabic (derived from Islamic ''jahez-e-fatimi'').<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Hussain | first1 = R | year = 1999 | title = Community perceptions of reasons for preference for consanguineous marriages in Pakistan | url = https://ro.uow.edu.au/hbspapers/38| journal = Journal of Biosocial Science | volume = 31 | issue = 4| pages = 449–461 | doi = 10.1017/S0021932099004496 | pmid = 10581876 | s2cid = 22394351 }}</ref> At over 2000 dowry-related deaths per year, and annual rates exceeding 2.45 deaths per 100,000 women from dowry-related violence, Pakistan has the highest reported number of dowry death rates per 100,000 women in the world.<ref>[http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/4e4213da2.pdf Operational Note: Pakistan] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925131251/http://refworld.org/pdfid/4e4213da2.pdf }} Refworld, A United Nations initiative (August 2011), pp. 16–21</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/21365/|title=To estimate an equation explaining the determinants of Dowry|access-date=20 April 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604225424/https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/21365/|archive-date=4 June 2016}}</ref>

According to Ansari,<ref>Ansari, A. S. Bazmee (1978) "Is Dowry Obligatory?", Hamdard Islamicus, 1(2):78–84</ref><ref>Masrat Musavi, Fatima – The Ideal Model for Women of All Times, Imam Reza (2003)</ref> Pakistan's Muslim community considers dowry as an obligatory Islamic practice. Over 95 percent of all marriages in Pakistan involves transfer of a dowry from the bride's family to groom's family.<ref>[http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/ayp0102.pdf Adolescents and Youth in Pakistan] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312003405/http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/ayp0102.pdf }} Zeba Sathar, Cynthia Lloyd, et al., Population Council, with support from UNICEF; pp. 92–116</ref> A 2014 [[Gallup International Association|Gallup]] survey in Pakistan found that 84% of Pakistanis believe that dowry plays either very important or somewhat important role in marriage, while 69% believed it is not possible for a girl to get married without a dowry.<ref>"Tradition of dowry in Pakistan: 56% Pakistanis believe it is impossible for girls to get married without dowry" [http://gallup.com.pk/tradition-of-dowry-in-pakistan-56-pakistanis-believe-it-is-impossible-for-girls-to-get-married-without-dowry/ ''Gilani Research Foundation Polls,'' 17 Jan. 2017] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325050410/http://gallup.com.pk/tradition-of-dowry-in-pakistan-56-pakistanis-believe-it-is-impossible-for-girls-to-get-married-without-dowry/ }}</ref>

Pakistan has seen a rise in the values of dowries in recent decades, as in other South Asian countries.<ref name="Menski 1998 109"/> However, in Pakistan it is still expected that a bride will bring some kind of dowry with her to a marriage, whether she is Muslim, Hindu, or Christian.<ref name="Walbridge 2003 134">{{cite book|last=Walbridge|first=Linda S.|title=The Christians of Pakistan: The Passion of Bishop John Joseph|year=2003|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9780700716562|page=134}}</ref> The [[Dower]] ([[bride price]]), called ''[[mahr]]'', and dowry, called ''jahaiz'', are both customs with long histories in Pakistan. Today, the dowry will often consist of jewelry, clothing, and money.<ref name="Esposito, John L. and Natana J. DeLong-Bas 2001 85">{{cite book|author1=Esposito, John L. |author2=Natana J. DeLong-Bas|title=Women in Muslim Family Law|year=2001|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=9780815629085|page=85}}</ref> Dowry is expected while the majority of marriages are [[consanguineous]]ly arranged between first cousins.<ref>Tabinda Anjum, Niaz Hussain Malik & Saeed Ahmad Khan, A STUDY OF DOWRY AND MARRIAGE ARRANGEMENTS IN A RURAL AREA OF DISTRICT FAISALABAD, Pak. J. Agri. Sci. 32 (4), 1995</ref>

Control of the dowry belongs to the bride in theory, although in practice control often transfers to the husband and in-laws, and grooms sometimes extort large dowries. In rural Pakistan, dowry values are still relatively low, around 12 percent of a household's annual (non-durable goods) expenses. Also, in rural Pakistan it is standard for the bride to maintain control over her dowry after marriage, rather than control of the dowry being given to the in-laws.<ref>{{cite book|title=Bride Exchange and Women's Welfare in Rural Pakistan|publisher=World Bank Publications|page=4}}</ref> A recent survey in January 2017 by Gallup Pakistan showed that 56 percent of the population expects the girl to bring dowry to marriage.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.globalvillagespace.com/improving-female-conditions-depends-outlawing-dowry/|title=Why Improving female conditions depends on outlawing dowry|work=Global Village Space|access-date=2018-02-09|language=en-US|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210003122/https://www.globalvillagespace.com/improving-female-conditions-depends-outlawing-dowry/|archive-date=2018-02-10}}</ref> The pressure among some Pakistanis to provide a large dowry results in some brides' families going into debt, including debt servitude; some brides build up their dowry with their own earnings if they work outside the home.<ref name="Walbridge 2003 134"/> The debt trap created by providing large dowries puts pressure on parents aspiring to arrange a marriage for their daughter(s) into a better social class. It is also cited as a reason for the current trend toward delayed marriages. Arranged marriages among first cousins are common, since they provide a way of keeping dowries within an extended family.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Singh, Sarina |author2= Lindsay Brown |author3= Paul Clammer |author4=Rodney Cocks |author5= John Mock |title=Pakistan and the Karakoram Highway|year=2008|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=9781741045420|page=42}}</ref>

Pakistan has passed several laws to address the problem of excessive dowry demands: ''West Pakistan Dowry (Prohibition of Display) Act, 1967''; ''Dowry and Bridal Gifts (Restriction) Act, 1976''. Women's rights to inheritance separate from the dowry are offered some protection in the ''Muslim Personal Law of Shariat of 1948'' and the ''Muslim Family Laws Ordinance of 1961''.<ref name="Esposito, John L. and Natana J. DeLong-Bas 2001 85"/> In October 2020, Pakistan became the first Muslim country to make it illegal to receive dowry as per the tenets of Islamic [[sunnah]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pakistan Bans Dowry, Becomes First Muslim Country to Ban Dowry|url=https://theislamicinformation.com/pakistan-bans-dowry/|access-date=2020-10-09|website=The Islamic Information|language=en-US}}</ref> According to the bill, the maximum amount to be given to the bride as her dowry may be no more than four [[Tola (unit)|tola]] gold, which may include clothes that belong to the bride, and bedsheets only. Guests arriving at the marriage ceremony will be banned from giving gifts costing more than {{Currency|1000|PKR|first=yes}}.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pakistani govt officially bans dowry now|url=https://nation.com.pk/08-Oct-2020/pakistani-govt-officially-bans-dowry-now|access-date=2020-10-09|website=The Nation|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Khan|first=Zara|title=Pakistan bans dowry in a historic decision|url=https://pk.mashable.com/culture/5484/pakistan-bans-dowry-in-a-historic-decision|access-date=2020-10-09|website=Mashable Pakistan|language=en-pk}}</ref>

===Nepal===
The practice of dowry is common in Nepal, and dowry-related violence is increasingly becoming a problem. As a result, the dowry system has been banned in Nepal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://southasia.oneworld.net/todaysheadlines/nepal-bans-dowry-caste-based-discrimination |title=Nepal bans dowry, caste-based discrimination|work=YOWSA|access-date=20 April 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20151201083902/http://southasia.oneworld.net/todaysheadlines/nepal-bans-dowry-caste-based-discrimination|archive-date=1 December 2015}}</ref> Despite the laws, the violent incidents continue, under a general perception of impunity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20110617-284657.html|title=Dowry deaths on the rise in Nepal|access-date=20 April 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304030125/http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Asia/Story/A1Story20110617-284657.html|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> [[Nepali people]] of the [[Madhesi people|Madhesi society]] still freely welcome dowry as a right to the groom's side. Even highly educated people living in the [[Terai]] of Nepal accept dowry without any second thoughts. Parents have thus started dreading the birth of daughters in the family, going as far as [[sex selection|determining the sex of fetuses]] in order to [[sex-selective abortion|abort daughters]]. Many deaths have also been caused by not giving dowry to the groom's side. Dowry system, however, is not practiced by indigenous people and is less prevalent in Hill Region.

In Nepal, the practice of dowry is closely related to social prestige; and dowry violence is especially prevalent in the Terai belt. In 2009, Nepal enacted the ''Social Customs and Practices Act'' outlawing dowry; however, there have been no known cases of enforcement.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.genevadeclaration.org/fileadmin/docs/Co-publications/Femicide_A%20Gobal%20Issue%20that%20demands%20Action.pdf|title=Femicide: A Global Issue that Demands Action|year=2013|publisher=Academic Council on the United Nations System (LACUNA) Vienna Liaison Office|isbn=978-3-200-03012-1|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630215522/http://www.genevadeclaration.org/fileadmin/docs/Co-publications/Femicide_A%20Gobal%20Issue%20that%20demands%20Action.pdf|archive-date=2014-06-30}}</ref>

===Sri Lanka===
Here, the dowry is known as ''dewedda''. The payment of dowry in [[Sri Lanka]] has a strong tradition, and has been connected to [[family violence]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://archive.cmb.ac.lk/research/bitstream/70130/3364/1/AnnualResearchSymposium2012UniversityofColombo.157-159.pdf |title=A Proposal for a Dowry Prohibition Law in Sri Lanka: An Assessment in the Light of Indian Dowry Prohibition Act No. 28 of 1961 |last=Pathirana |first=Kaushani |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003202336/http://archive.cmb.ac.lk/research/bitstream/70130/3364/1/AnnualResearchSymposium2012UniversityofColombo.157-159.pdf |archive-date=2016-10-03}}</ref> However its importance is declining, and violence related to it is not as common as in other South Asian countries, though it still exists.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Indrani Pieris |author2=Bruce Caldwell |year=1997 |url=http://htc.anu.edu.au/pdfs/Pieris1.pdf |title=Gender and health in Sri Lanka |journal=Health Transition Review |volume=7 |pages=171–185 |access-date=2013-07-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515183627/http://htc.anu.edu.au/pdfs/Pieris1.pdf |archive-date=2013-05-15 }}</ref>

===Afghanistan===
Dowry is called ''Jehez'' in [[Afghanistan]],<ref>[http://www.areu.org.af/Uploads/EditionPdfs/814E-Child%20Labour%20Badakhshan-CS-print.pdf.pdf Factors Influencing Decisions to Use Child Labour] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402171909/http://www.areu.org.af/Uploads/EditionPdfs/814E-Child%20Labour%20Badakhshan-CS-print.pdf.pdf }} Afghanistan Research Unit, Kabul (August 2008); pp. 14–16</ref> and is separate from [[Mahr]], ''sherbaha'', and brideprice (locally called ''walwar'', ''toyana'', or ''qalyn'').<ref>[http://www.afghanistantimes.af/news_details.php?id=3648 Dowry burden unleashes myriad social problems] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130805221314/http://afghanistantimes.af/news_details.php?id=3648 }} Afghanistan Times, August 3, 2013</ref><ref name="undp.org.af">[http://www.undp.org.af/whoweare/undpinafghanistan/Projects/dcse/GenderManuals/Gender%20Awareness%20and%20Development%20Manual.pdf Gender Awareness and Development Manual] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110212115329/http://undp.org.af/WhoWeAre/UNDPinAfghanistan/Projects/dcse/GenderManuals/Gender%20Awareness%20and%20Development%20Manual.pdf }} United Nations Development Program & Government of Afghanistan, Kabul (May 2007); pp. 175–176</ref>

A large dowry is sometimes expected, and given, in Afghanistan; some houses are almost emptied so that the daughter may make a grand show at the wedding. Items included in a dowry depend on the resources of the bride's family and the demands made by the groom's family. Embroidery is traditionally included in a dowry, as is land, money, jewelry such as necklaces and ''pazab'', shoes, shawls, carpets, bedding, furniture, crockery, mirrors, clocks and such items. The dowry is transferred from bride's family house to the groom's family house one day before the wedding day in a ritual ceremony with band and a procession, which typically adopts the longest route in the residential area for the Afghan community to see the dowry being given by the bride's family.<ref>SHAH, Ikbal Ali. The folk life in Afghanistan. Folklore, 30 (1919)</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Mughal | first1 = Julie | year = 2010 | title = Through a widow's eyes | journal = South Asian Popular Culture | volume = 8 | issue = 1| pages = 99–102 | doi = 10.1080/14746681003633291 | s2cid = 144516780 }}</ref>

Afghanistan has both dowry and bride price, although the practice differs between different tribal and ethnic groups. In Afghanistan, a marriage typically requires two kinds of payments: a [[mahr]], which typically consists of livestock, property and money, and in practice often takes the form of a bride price paid to the woman's family; and a dowry brought by the bride to her husband's home which may include various goods such as clothing, bedding and household utensils.<ref name="undp.org.af"/><ref name="Family">Peter Blood (2004), [http://countrystudies.us/afghanistan/57.htm Family] {{webarchive|url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20120703101254/http://countrystudies.us/afghanistan/57.htm }}, Afghanistan A Country Study, Library of Congress, {{ISBN|978-1419104985}}</ref> The nature of dowry the bride brings often influences how she is treated when she arrives at her husband's home.<ref name="Family"/> Parents frequently arrange marriages for daughters at a young age, in order to end their economic responsibility for their daughter.<ref name="Stange, Mary Zeiss, and Carol K. Oyster, Jane E. Sloan 2011 43">{{cite book|author1=Stange, Mary Zeiss |author2=Carol K. Oyster |author3=Jane E. Sloan |title=Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World, Volume 1|year=2011|publisher=SAGE|isbn=9781412976855|page=43}}</ref>

===Iran===
Dowry has existed in Persia for over 1000 years, and called ''jahīzīeh'' (sometimes spelled ''jahaz'' or ''jaheez'', جهیزیه).<ref>[http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/contextualize.pl?p.2.steingass.125920 Steingass Persian-English] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324105426/http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/contextualize.pl?p.2.steingass.125920 }}, University of Chicago, See explanation for Jahiz</ref><ref>[http://www.aryanpour.com/ Persian English Dictionary] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102084608/http://www.aryanpour.com/ }} see Dowry</ref> ''Jahiz'' is vestments, furniture, jewelry, cash and other paraphernalia a bride's family gives to the bride to take with her to the groom's family.<ref>[http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/arusi-the-secular-wedding-celebration-which-follows-the-wedding-contract-ceremony-aqd-q Encyclopedia Iranica] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517002226/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/arusi-the-secular-wedding-celebration-which-follows-the-wedding-contract-ceremony-aqd-q }}, New York (2011), Vol. II, Fasc. 6, pp. 666–670; See discussion of dowry, under ʿARŪSĪ</ref> Jahiz is separate from [[Mahr]] required by [[Sharia]] religious laws, as well as the traditional payment of ''Shir Baha'' (literally: price of milk), in rural [[Iran]].<ref>Ghorayshi, P. (1996). Women in Developing Countries: Methodological and Theoretical Considerations. Women & Politics, 16(3), pp. 89–111</ref><ref name=Ziba2000/> Dowry-related violence and deaths in Iran are reported in Iranian newspapers, some of which appear in English media.<ref name=iranpbs>[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2010/08/selected-headlines-202.html Isfahan man kills daughter over inability to pay dowry] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108005203/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2010/08/selected-headlines-202.html }} Public Broadcasting Service, Washington DC (August 16, 2010)</ref>

===Turkey===
Dowry is known as ''çeyiz'' in [[Turkey]]. ''Çeyiz'' is the property and/or money the bride's family gives the couple at marriage.<ref>Sherife Ayla Samli (2011), Containing the Future: Modern Identities as Material Negotiation in the Urban Turkish Ceyiz, PhD thesis, Rice University, Houston (US)</ref><ref>Suad Joseph, Afsāna Naǧmābādī, Encyclopedia of Women & Islamic Cultures, Volume 3, {{ISBN|9004128190}}, Brill (The Netherlands), p. 263, Quote: "Ceyiz, a combination of dowry/trouseau [sic?], takes the form of goods, property, gold or cash given to the bride"</ref> Çeyiz is different and separate from the ''[[Mahr]]'', which is paid by the groom to the bride, or traditional ''baslik'' in some parts of Turkey. The giving of dowry has been replaced with the exchanging of gifts at the marriage ceremony by family members in modern times.

Çeyiz often includes furnishings, appliances, clothing, gold jewelry, cash and other items depending on the resources of the Turkish family.<ref>Suad Joseph, Afsāna Naǧmābādī, Encyclopedia of Women & Islamic Cultures, Volume 3, {{ISBN|9004128190}}, Brill (The Netherlands), pp. 262–263</ref> Some of the Turkish dowry remains with the couple after marriage, other is specifically meant for the groom's family and relatives.<ref>Sandikci and Ilhan (2011), ''Dowry: A Cherished Possession or an Old-Fashioned Tradition in a Modernizing Society?'', in Cele Otnes, Tina M. Lowre (Editors): Contemporary Consumption Rituals: A Research Anthology, {{ISBN|0-8058-4204-7}}, Taylor & Francis; p. 164, Quote – "Gift dowry is the third type of dowry and fulfills a different role than the other two types. Whereas chest and appliance dowries are for the use of the bride and groom, gift dowry are given to relatives. It is required for the bride's family to give gift dowry to the groom's family and relatives. Typically, the parents and siblings receive more valuable items, whereas the relatives are given smaller gifts. By offering valuable gifts to the closest relatives, the bride's family symbolically reaffirms the relatively higher status for the groom's family."</ref> The ''çeyiz'' is typically agreed upon between the groom's and bride's families before the wedding date is finalized. According to tradition, even in current times, the dowry is displayed for showing-off, before the marriage in rural Turkey, at the bride's family, or groom's family—the display is typically attended and examined by women, particularly from the groom's family. In some cases, if the groom's family is not satisfied with the displayed dowry, the wedding is cancelled.<ref>Sandikci and Ilhan (2011), in Cele Otnes, Tina M. Lowre (Editors), Contemporary Consumption Rituals: A Research Anthology, {{ISBN|0-8058-4204-7}}, Taylor & Francis; p. 169</ref> The dowry is transferred, from the bride's family to the groom's family just before the wedding in a ceremonial ritual. Thereafter, the wedding is completed.<ref name=sai2011>Sandikci and Ilhan (2011), in Cele Otnes, Tina M. Lowre (Editors), Contemporary Consumption Rituals: A Research Anthology, {{ISBN|0-8058-4204-7}}, Taylor & Francis; pp. 149–175</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Çelik | first1 = Kezban | last2 = Lüküslü | first2 = Demet | title = Spotlighting a silent category of young females: The life experiences of 'House Girls' in Turkey | journal = [[Youth & Society]] | volume = 44 | issue = 1 | pages = 28–48 | publisher = [[SAGE Publications|SAGE]] | doi = 10.1177/0044118X10391636 | date = March 2012 | s2cid = 146311926 }}</ref>

Scholars<ref>{{Cite journal | last = Sallan Gül | first = Songül | title = The role of the State in protecting women against domestic violence and women's shelters in Turkey | journal = [[Women's Studies International Forum]] | volume = 38 | pages = 107–116 | publisher = [[ScienceDirect]] | doi = 10.1016/j.wsif.2013.01.018 | date = May–June 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite thesis | last = Henneke | first = J. | title = Combating domestic violence in Turkey | url = https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/2077/9884/1/Hennecke%20%20DV%20thesis.pdf | date = 2008 | publisher = Goeteborgs University | location = Sweden | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140714223200/https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/2077/9884/1/Hennecke%20%20DV%20thesis.pdf | archive-date = 2014-07-14 }}</ref> and government agencies<ref>{{Cite book |last=West Yorkshire |first=Police |title=Kadin ve kizlara yönelik şiddetten kaçmanin üç adimi |trans-title=Three Steps to Escaping Violence Against Women and Girls: A guide for black and minority ethnic (BME) women and children |url=http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/sites/default/files/files/domestic-violence/turkish.pdf |url-status=live |language=tr |location=United Kingdom |publisher=Home Office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714201924/http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/sites/default/files/files/domestic-violence/turkish.pdf |archive-date=2014-07-14 |isbn=978-1-84987-556-1}}</ref> claim significant domestic violence in Turkish population due to dowry disputes. Violence and property claims related disputes are more frequent if there is a divorce.

===Azerbaijan===
Dowry is known as ''cehiz'' in [[Azerbaijan]]. ''Cehiz'' is the property and money the bride's family must give to the groom's family prior to marriage. ''Cehiz'' is separate from the money under ''[[Mahr]]'' required under [[Sharia]] religious requirements in Islamic Azerbaijan. ''Cehiz'' often includes furnishings, appliances, crystal, mirrors, bed, jewelry and cash depending on the negotiations between the groom's and bride's families before the wedding day. While the groom's family receives ''Cehiz'', the bride receives ''Mahr''. Relatives of the bride often contribute to the ''Cehiz'' demands, through the ritual of ''koncas''. Dowry is transferred a few days before the wedding, and examined by groom's family, and a ''Siyahı'' (receipt) for the dowry is issued by the groom's family; this helps avoid disputes. If some items of the dowry are not satisfactory, the wedding may be delayed or cancelled. Similar traditions continue in many regions of Caucasus, including non-Muslim ethnic groups.<ref>Lale Yalçın-Heckman (2005), The Return of Private Property: Rural Life After Agrarian Reform in the Republic of Azerbaijan, {{ISBN|978-3-643-10629-2}}, pp. 143–149</ref><ref>Ghaffarzadeh, S. M., Nazari, H., & Saadat, N. (2012), [http://www.lifesciencesite.com/lsj/life0904/723_13477life0904_4811_4814.pdf Wedding Celebration Customs of West Azerbaijan and Urmia in Tradition] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010002753/http://www.lifesciencesite.com/lsj/life0904/723_13477life0904_4811_4814.pdf }}, Life Science Journal, 9(4)</ref>

===Tajikistan===
Dowries are sometimes expected in [[Tajikistan]], and they often consist of a collection of traditional dresses which are on display on the wedding day. However, the practice is much less common than in other parts of the Persophone world, as Tajikistan has a strong history of secularism due to it being a former [[Republics of the Soviet Union|Soviet republic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13065495|title=Tajik weddings hit by austerity law|work=BBC News|access-date=20 April 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103021621/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13065495|archive-date=3 January 2017}}</ref>

===Egypt===
In [[Egypt]], dowry is known as ''Gehaz''.<ref name=amin2004>{{cite journal | last1 = Amin | first1 = Sajeda | last2 = Al-Bassusi | first2 = Nagah H. | year = 2004| title = Education, wage work, and marriage: Perspectives of Egyptian working women | journal = Journal of Marriage and Family | volume = 66 | issue = 5| pages = 1287–1299 | doi = 10.1111/j.0022-2445.2004.00093.x }}</ref><ref>[http://prezi.com/ltqoux45z6nv/marriage-in-subsaharan-west-african-countries/ Marriage in Subsaharan & West African Countries] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226211727/http://prezi.com/ltqoux45z6nv/marriage-in-subsaharan-west-african-countries/ }} Prezi (2013)</ref> This is the property a bride is expected to bring with her at marriage, and it is different from the dower (Mahr) paid by the groom to the bride per requirements of Sharia. ''Gehaz'' is observed in rural and urban Egypt, and is typically negotiated between the groom's family and bride's. ''Gehaz'' includes furniture, appliances, jewelry, china, bedding and various household items. Families begin collecting dowry years before a girl is betrothed. Many Egyptian girls take up jobs so as to save money necessary to meet the expected dowry demands.<ref>[http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/BuildingAssets_Oct05.pdf Building assets for safe, productive lives – Girls] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017093203/http://popcouncil.org/pdfs/BuildingAssets_Oct05.pdf }} Population Council, New York (2005); pp. 17–19</ref><ref>[http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Egyptian+working+women's+perceptions+of+marriage.-a0110734686 Egyptian working women's perceptions of marriage], Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, Egypt (2005)</ref>

While the dowry is given during the marriage, in rural Egypt, it is ritually displayed to the village prior to the marriage. Every piece of the ''gehaz'' is placed on open cars that go around the village several times, with music, in order to show off the dowry being given by the bride's family to the groom.<ref name=amin2004/><ref>[http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/48/24/92/PDF/10035.pdf A Collective Model of Female Labor Supply : Do Distribution Factors Matter in the Egyptian Case?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730202653/http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/48/24/92/PDF/10035.pdf }} Rana HENDY, Catherine SOFER, Universite Paris (May, 2010)</ref> The ''gehaz'' show off ritual is also a means to enhance the bride's status within her new marital family.

===Morocco===
[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Portret van groep vrouwen TMnr 60047825.jpg|thumb|Muslim [[Ouled Nail]] girls waiting in the streets of an Algerian village to earn dowry as dancers. Algerian patrons invited them at cafés and festivals or to shrines of Muslim [[Wali|awliya]]. When their dowries were adequate they returned to their mountain villages and married within the tribe. This centuries-old tradition has continued into modern [[Algeria]]. (Photo from the late 19th century, courtesy of Tropenmuseum, The Netherlands)<ref>Çelik, Zeynep, and Leila Kinney. "Ethnography and exhibitionism at the Expositions Universelles." Assemblage 13 (1990): 35–59.</ref>]]
Dowry is a traditional and current practice in [[Morocco]], and is called ''shura'', ''shawar'', ''ssdaq'' or ''amerwas'' depending on the speaker's region and ethnicity (e.g. Arabic, Berber, etc.). Dowry in Morocco is separate from the ''Mahr'' or ''Sadaq'' that is religiously required by [[Sharia]].<ref name=Ziba2000/>

Centuries ago, ''Mahr'' and ''Sadaq'' meant something different in Morocco. ''Mahr'' was the purchase price paid for the bride by the groom's family to the bride's father or guardian, while ''Sadaq'' was the betrothal gift offered by groom to the bride.<ref>Edward Westermarck (1914), Marriage ceremonies in Morocco, ISBN MacMillan (London), pp. 65–74</ref> Over time, the difference vanished and they are now one and the same, but different from the practice of dowry.<ref>Maher, V. (1974). Divorce and Property in the Middle Atlas of Morocco. Man, 9(1), pp. 103–122.</ref>

In modern times, the Moroccan practice is to split the so-called ''Sadaq'', which meets the Islamic requirement of ''Mahr'', into two parts: ''naqd'' (cash) and ''kali'' (remainder Mahr). The ''Naqd Sadaq'' is paid by the groom's family to bride's family before the wedding. The bride's family supplements the ''Naqd'' amount with an equal or greater amount of cash, and gives dowry (called ''shura'', ''shawar'' or ''amerwas''). This dowry typically includes furniture, clothing, appliances, beds, household items, divans, jewelry, and other property. The dowry amounts are negotiated before the wedding. Higher dowry and lower [[Mahr]] are expected for widows and divorcées than for virgins. If elders of the two families do not agree on the dowry amount, the marriage is typically delayed or cancelled. The value and composition of the dowry varies according to social class, family wealth and regional customs. The ''kali al-sadaq'' (sometimes called ''mwahhar'' in Northern Morocco) is paid later, to technically meet the requirements of ''Mahr'' under Islamic Sharia. The ''shura'' (dowry) far exceeds the ''kali al-sadaq'', and there is a large transfer of wealth from bride's family to the couple and the groom's family.<ref name=Ziba2000>Ziba Mir-Hosseini (2000), Marriage on Trial: A Study of Islamic Family Law, Tauris (London), {{ISBN|1860646085}}, pp. 97–102, 70–75</ref><ref>Camillia Fawzi El-Solh and Judy Mabro (1995), ''Muslim Women's Choices: Religious Belief and Social Reality'', {{ISBN|0-85496-8369}}, pp. 56–72</ref>

===Bosnia===
Dowry is known as ''oprema'' in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]].<ref name=bringa95>Tone Bringa (1995), ''Being Muslim the Bosnian Way'', {{ISBN|978-0691001753}}, Princeton University Press; pp. 137–143</ref><ref>David Rheubottom(1980) in John Comaroff (Editor), Dowry and Wedding Celebrations in Yugoslav, Academic Press (London); pp. 221–251</ref> In neighboring regions, it is sometimes called ''prikija'' or ''ženinstvo''. Another term ''miraz'' is used sometimes, but ''miraz'' is also used to mean inheritance, something different from dowry.<ref>Nusret Mulasmajic, Bosnian-English Dictionary – Turcisms Collorquialisms Islamic Words, {{ISBN|978-1-4634-0179-5}}</ref><ref>Stanimirovic, V. (2010). Re-Emergence of the Dowry amongst Serbs. Annals Fac. L. Belgrade Belgrade L. Rev., 185.</ref>

''Oprema'' refers to the property the bride's parents give her as part of the marriage. It often includes furniture, kitchenware, decorative items, gold jewelry and other items. Oprema is also different from ''pohod'' (gift giving, ''dar'') ritual of Bosnia, as well as the ''ruho'' (embroidered clothing) ritual. Oprema is discussed between the groom's and bride's family before the marriage; the groom's family sets the quality and quantity expectations. The ''oprema'' is typically not displayed to those who attend the wedding. Oprema and ''dar'' are a major economic burden to bride's family in Bosnia. Poorer families spend years saving money and buying ''oprema'' in order to get their daughter(s) married.<ref name=bringa95/><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Lodge | first1 = O | year = 1935 | title = Džamutra, or the Bridegroom; Some Marriage Customs in the Villages Around Tetovo in Serbian Macedonia or Southern Serbia. (Part One) | jstor = 1257384 | journal = Folklore | volume = 46 | issue = 3| pages = 244–267 | doi = 10.1080/0015587X.1935.9718604 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Krešić | first1 = M | year = 2011 | title = Entitlement of female descendants to property of Croatian communal household | journal = Journal on European History of Law | volume = 2 | pages = 73–85 }}</ref>

===Serbia===
Dowry is not a Slavic custom; medieval Serbia was first exposed to it by the Byzantines. During the Ottoman era, dowry was non existent. Although the custom might have had limited adoption in the 19th century, the communist regime outlawed dowry. It's possible that the custom may have survived in some rural areas to this day among the gypsy population.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://anali.ius.bg.ac.rs/Annals%202010/Annals%202010%20p%20185-202.pdf|title=RE-EMERGENCE OF THE DOWRY AMONGST SERBS|last=Stanimirović|first=Vojislav|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728232057/http://anali.ius.bg.ac.rs/Annals%202010/Annals%202010%20p%20185-202.pdf|archive-date=2014-07-28}}</ref>

==Violence against women and international perspectives==
{{Main|Violence against women}}
Disputes related to dowry sometimes result in violence against women, including killings and [[acid attacks]]. [[Amnesty International]] has stated:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/women-s-rights/violence-against-women/violence-against-women-information |title=Violence Against Women Information |work=Amnesty International USA |access-date=20 April 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404225053/http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/women-s-rights/violence-against-women/violence-against-women-information |archive-date=4 April 2016}}</ref>
{{Quote|[T]he ongoing reality of dowry-related violence is an example of what can happen when women are treated as property. Brides unable to pay the high "price" to marry are punished by violence and often death at the hands of their in-laws or their own husbands.}}

The [[Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women]] classifies violence against women into three categories: that occurring in the family (DV), that occurring within the general community, and that perpetrated or condoned by the State. Family violence is defined as follows:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/48/a48r104.htm|title=A/RES/48/104. Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women|access-date=20 April 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924000147/http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/48/a48r104.htm |archive-date=24 September 2013}}</ref>

{{Quote|Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, '''dowry-related violence''', [[marital rape]], [[female genital mutilation]] and other traditional practices harmful to women, non- spousal violence and violence related to exploitation.}}

Kirti Singh states, "Dowry is widely considered to be both a cause and a consequence of son preference. The practice of dowry inevitably leads to discrimination in different areas against daughters and makes them vulnerable to various forms of violence."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://india.unfpa.org/drive/LawsandSonPreferenceinIndia.pdf|title=Laws and son preference in India: a reality check|publisher=United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) – India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313094849/http://india.unfpa.org/drive/LawsandSonPreferenceinIndia.pdf|archive-date=13 March 2014}}</ref> Singh suggests this may lead to girls being unwanted, [[sex selective abortion]], or her parents may abandon or mistreat her after she is born. [[UNICEF]] notes dowry helps perpetuate [[child marriage]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unicef.org/india/Child_Marriage_Fact_Sheet_Nov2011_final.pdf |title=Unicef India |publisher=UNICEF |access-date=20 April 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130919005202/http://www.unicef.org/india/Child_Marriage_Fact_Sheet_Nov2011_final.pdf |archive-date=19 September 2013}}</ref> The [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) has expressed concern for dowry-related femicide, citing the study by Virendra Kumar which argued that dowry deaths occur primarily in areas of the Indian subcontinent. They note the estimates for actual number of dowry deaths per year vary widely ranging from 600 to 750 homicides a year to 25,000 homicides a year, with official government records suggesting 7,618 deaths in 2006.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.path.org/publications/files/GVR_femicide_rpt.pdf |title=Strengthening Understanding of Femicide |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417135701/http://www.path.org/publications/files/GVR_femicide_rpt.pdf |archive-date=2012-04-17}}</ref> Rakhshinda Perveen states thousands of dowry-related [[bride burning]] cases in Pakistan, yet few prosecutions and rare convictions for dowry-related violence against women.<ref name=rperveen>{{cite web |author=Rakhshinda Perveen |url=http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-ART-003-2014 |title=PAKISTAN: The social injustice behind the practice of dowry-when greed dictates society |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109184045/http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-ART-003-2014 |archive-date=2014-11-09 |publisher=[[Asian Human Rights Commission]]}}</ref>

[[UNODC]] includes dowry deaths as a form of gender-based violence.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=UNODC |quote=Gender-based crimes can take many forms, including physical, psychological, moral and economic, and varies not only from country to country but city to village. These crimes include, but are not limited to: rape; sexual violence; domestic violence; forced disappearances; genital mutilation, human trafficking, early marriage, forced prostitution, forced marriage; dowry deaths; honour crimes; custody; inheritance; property grabbing; sexual harassment; discrimination; and personal status. |url=http://www.unodc.org/documents/justice-and-prison-reform/crimeprevention/E-book.pdf |title=Gender in the Criminal Justice System Assessment Tool |access-date=2014-03-13 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130628001326/http://www.unodc.org/documents/justice-and-prison-reform/crimeprevention/E-book.pdf |archive-date=2013-06-28 }}</ref> About 4.6% of total crimes against women in India were dowry death-related, and another 1.9% were related to violation of ''Dowry Prohibition Act''.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=UNODC |title=India |url=https://www.unodc.org/pdf/india/publications/south_Asia_Regional_Profile_Sept_2005/10_india.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421032353/http://www.unodc.org/pdf/india/publications/south_Asia_Regional_Profile_Sept_2005/10_india.pdf |archive-date=2015-04-21 |url-status=live |page=58}}</ref> The dowry death rate in India has been about 0.7 women per 100,000 every year from 1998 to 2009.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=UNODC |url=http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/Homicide/Globa_study_on_homicide_2011_web.pdf |title=2011 Global Study on Homicide |access-date=2014-12-16 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131032200/http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/Homicide/Globa_study_on_homicide_2011_web.pdf |archive-date=2012-01-31 }} p. 61</ref>

==See also==
* [[Bride price]], the payment made by a groom to the bride or her family
* [[Excrex]], old [[Spain|Spanish]] law of [[Aragon]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* Hirsch, Jennifer S., Wardlow, Holly, [https://books.google.com/books?id=fRZ4qJ5EVpkC ''Modern loves: the Anthropology of Romantic Courtship & Companionate Marriage''], Macmillan, 2006. {{ISBN|0-472-09959-0}}. Cf. Chapter 1 "Love and Jewelry", on contrasting a dowry and a bride price.
* Kaplan, Marion, ed. ''The Marriage Bargain. Women and Dowries in European History'' (1985).
* Kirshner, Julius. ''Marriage, dowry, and citizenship in late medieval and renaissance Italy'' (U of Toronto Press, 2015).
*"Dowry & Inheritance" edited by Smt. Basu, Women Unlimited & Kali for Women, New Delhi 2005.

==External links==
*

{{Interpersonal relationships footer}}
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[[Category:Marriage]]
[[Category:Divorce]]
[[Category:Women in society]]
[[Category:Human commodity auctions]]

European Union

2022-08-27T13:48:17Z

Abhisheksingh: Published an influential piece.

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** 9.6% [[Eastern Orthodoxy in Europe|Eastern Orthodox]]
** 5.6% other [[List of Christian denominations|Christian]]
* 24.0% [[Irreligion in Europe|no religion]]
* 1.8% [[Islam in Europe|Islam]]
* 2.6% [[Religion in the European Union|other]]
{{Tree list/end}}
| religion_year = 2015
| religion_ref = <ref name="EB2015" />
| demonym = [[Citizenship of the European Union|European]]
| org_type = [[Continental union]]
| membership = {{Collapsible list|titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;
|title = [[Member state of the European Union|27 members]]
|{{flag|Austria}}
|{{flag|Belgium}}
|{{flag|Bulgaria}}
|{{flag|Croatia}}
|{{flag|Cyprus}}
|{{flag|Czech Republic}}
|{{flag|Denmark}}
|{{flag|Estonia}}
|{{flag|Finland}}
|{{flag|France}}
|{{flag|Germany}}
|{{flag|Greece}}
|{{flag|Hungary}}
|{{flag|Ireland}}
|{{flag|Italy}}
|{{flag|Latvia}}
|{{flag|Lithuania}}
|{{flag|Luxembourg}}
|{{flag|Malta}}
|{{flag|Netherlands}}
|{{flag|Poland}}
|{{flag|Portugal}}
|{{flag|Romania}}
|{{flag|Slovakia}}
|{{flag|Slovenia}}
|{{flag|Spain}}
|{{flag|Sweden}}
}}
| government_type = [[Mixed government|Mixed]] [[intergovernmentalism|intergovernmental]] [[Directorial system|directorial]] [[parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[confederation]]
| leader_title1 = [[President of the European Council]]
| leader_name1 = [[Charles Michel]]
| leader_title2 = [[President of the European Commission|President of the Commission]]
| leader_name2 = [[Ursula von der Leyen]]
| sovereignty_type = [[History of the European Union|Formation]]<ref>Current Article 1 of the [[Treaty of Maastricht|Treaty on European Union]] reads: "The Union shall be founded on the present Treaty and on the [[Treaty of Rome|Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union]]. Those [[Treaties of the EU|two Treaties]] shall have the same legal value. The Union shall replace and succeed the [[European Community]]".</ref>
| legislature = The European Parliament and the Council
| lower_house = [[European Parliament]]
| upper_house = [[Council of the European Union]]
| established = 
| established_event1 = [[Treaty of Brussels]]
| established_date1 = 17 March 1948
| established_event2 = [[Treaty of Paris (1951)|Treaty of Paris]]
| established_date2 = 18 April 1951
| established_event3 = '''[[Treaty of Rome]]'''
| established_date3 = 1 January 1958
| established_event4 = [[Single European Act]]
| established_date4 = 1 July 1987
| established_event5 = '''[[Maastricht Treaty|Treaty of Maastricht]]'''
| established_date5 = 1 November 1993
| established_event6 = [[Treaty of Lisbon]]
| established_date6 = 1 December 2009
| area = 
| area_km2 = 4,233,262
| area_sq_mi = {{Convert|4,233,262|km2|sqmi|disp=number}}
| area_footnote = 
| percent_water = 3.08
| area_label = Total
| area_label2 = 
| area_dabodyalign = 
| population_estimate = {{DecreaseNeutral}}{{Spaces}}446,828,803<ref>{{cite web |title=Population on 1 January |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tps00001/default/table?lang=en |website=ec.europa.eu |publisher=Eurostat |access-date=29 January 2022}}</ref>
| population_estimate_year = 2022
| population_density_km2 = 106
| population_density_sq_mi = 267.6
| GDP_PPP = {{Increase}}{{Spaces}}$25.399{{Spaces}}trillion<ref name="GDP">{{cite web |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2022 (EU countries)|url= https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2022/October/weo-report?a=1&c=998,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,PPPPC,&sy=2021&ey=2022&ssm=0&scsm=0&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1|website=IMF.org |publisher=International Monetary Fund |access-date=14 September 2022}}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_year = 2023
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = {{Increase}}{{Spaces}}$56,928<ref name="GDP"/>
| GDP_nominal = {{Increase}}{{Spaces}}$17.818{{Spaces}}trillion<ref name="GDP"/>
| GDP_nominal_year = 2023
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{Increase}}{{Spaces}}$39,940
| Gini = 30.0
| Gini_change = decrease
| Gini_year = 2020
| Gini_ref = <ref name=eurogini>{{cite web |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tessi190/default/table?lang=en |title=Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income – EU-SILC survey|publisher=[[Eurostat]] |website=ec.europa.eu |access-date=2022-07-02}}</ref>
| currency = [[Euro]] ([[€]]) (EUR) {{Break}}{{Collapsible list
| framestyle="border: none; padding: 0;" 
| title = Others
| {{Nowrap|{{Flagicon|Bulgaria}} [[Bulgarian lev]] (BGN)}}
| {{Nowrap|{{Flagicon|Czech Republic}} [[Czech koruna]] (CZK)}}
| {{Nowrap|{{Flagicon|Denmark}} [[Danish krone]] (DKK)}}
| {{Nowrap|{{Flagicon|Hungary}} [[Hungarian forint]] (HUF)}}
| {{Nowrap|{{Flagicon|Poland}} [[Polish złoty]] (PLN)}}
| {{Nowrap|{{Flagicon|Romania}} [[Romanian leu]] (RON)}}
| {{Nowrap|{{Flagicon|Sweden}} [[Swedish krona]] (SEK)}}
}}
| time_zone = [[Western European Time|WET]], [[Central European Time|CET]], [[Eastern European Time|EET]]
| utc_offset = {{Nowrap| to UTC+2}}
| time_zone_DST = [[Western European Summer Time|WEST]], [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]], [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]
| utc_offset_DST = {{Nowrap|+1 to UTC+3}}
| DST_note = ''(see also [[Summer time in Europe]])''{{efn|With the exception of the [[Canary Islands]] and [[Madeira]], the [[Special member state territories and the European Union#Outermost regions|outermost regions]] observe different time zones not shown: [[Martinique]], [[Guadeloupe]], [[Collectivity of Saint Martin|Saint Martin]] (UTC−4); [[French Guiana]] (UTC−3); [[Azores]] (UTC−1 / UTC); [[Mayotte]] (UTC+3); and [[La Réunion]] (UTC+4); which, other than the Azores, do not observe DST.}}
| cctld = [[.eu]]{{efn|.eu is representative of the whole of the EU; member states also have their own TLDs.}}
| official_website = {{URL|europa.eu}}
| footnote1 =
| footnote2 =
| footnote7 =
| footnotes = 
}}

The '''European Union''' ('''EU''') is a [[supranational union|supranational]] [[political union|political]] and [[economic union]] of [[Member state of the European Union|{{EUnum}} member states]] that are [[Geography of the European Union|located primarily]] in [[Europe]].<ref name="oecdcc">{{cite news |title=Glossary of Statistical Terms – COPENHAGEN CRITERIA |url=https://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=3048 |access-date=3 April 2021 |publisher=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/eu-in-brief_en|title=The EU in brief |website=European Union}}</ref> The union has a total area of {{convert|4,233,255|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} and an estimated total population of nearly 447{{nbsp}}million. The EU has often been described as a ''[[sui generis]]'' political entity (without precedent or comparison) combining the characteristics of both a [[federation]] and a [[confederation]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Phelan|first1=William|title=What Is ''Sui Generis'' About the European Union? Costly International Cooperation in a Self-Contained Regime|journal=International Studies Review|volume=14|issue=3|pages=367–385|doi=10.1111/j.1468-2486.2012.01136.x}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hlavac|first=Marek|title=Less than a State, More than an International Organization: The Sui Generis Nature of the European Union|journal=Central European Labour Studies Institute|location=Rochester, N.Y.|doi=10.2139/ssrn.1719308|s2cid=153480456|url=https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/27179/1/MPRA_paper_27179.pdf}}</ref>

Containing 5.8 per cent of the [[world population]] in 2020,{{efn|This figure is from February 2020, and takes account of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. The population of the UK is roughly 0.9% of the world's population.<ref>{{cite web|title=European Union reaches 500 Million through Combination of Accessions, Migration and Natural Growth|publisher=Vienna Institute of Demography|url=http://www.oeaw.ac.at/vid/datasheet/EU_reaches_500_Mill.shtml|access-date=12 February 2016}}</ref>}} the EU generated a nominal [[gross domestic product]] (GDP) of around {{US$|16.6}}{{nbsp}}trillion in 2022, constituting approximately one sixth of global [[nominal GDP]] and the [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|third-biggest global economy]] after the [[United States]] and [[China]].<ref>{{cite web|title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2022|url= https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2022/October/weo-report?a=1&c=001,998,&s=NGDPD,&sy=2022&ey=2022&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |website=IMF.org |publisher=International Monetary Fund |access-date=24 March 2023}}</ref> Additionally, all EU states except [[Bulgaria]] have a very high [[Human Development Index]] according to the [[United Nations Development Program]]me. Its cornerstone, the [[European Union Customs Union|Customs Union]], paved the way to establishing [[European Single Market|an internal single market]] based on standardised [[European Union law|legal framework and legislation]] that applies in all member states in those matters, and only those matters, where the states have agreed to act as one. EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services and capital within the internal market;<ref name="Europa Internal Market">{{cite web|author=European Commission|title=The EU Single Market: Fewer barriers, more opportunities|url=http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/index_en.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001122551/http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/index_en.htm|archive-date=1 October 2007|access-date=27 September 2007|publisher=Europa web portal}} {{cite web|title=Activities of the European Union: Internal Market|url=http://europa.eu/pol/singl/index_en.htm|access-date=29 June 2007|publisher=Europa web portal}}</ref> enact legislation in justice and home affairs; and maintain common policies on [[Common Commercial Policy (EU)|trade]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Common commercial policy |url=http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/commercial_policy_en.htm |work=Europa Glossary |publisher=Europa web portal |access-date=6 September 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116092625/http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/commercial_policy_en.htm |archive-date=16 January 2009 }}</ref> [[Common Agricultural Policy|agriculture]],<ref>{{cite web|publisher=The Council of the European Union|title=Agriculture and Fisheries Council|url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/policies/council-configurations/agriculture-and-fisheries|access-date=3 June 2013}}</ref> [[Common Fisheries Policy|fisheries]] and [[Regional policy of the European Union|regional development]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Regional Policy Inforegio |url=http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index_en.cfm|publisher=Europa web portal |access-date=3 June 2013}}</ref> Passport controls have been abolished for travel within the [[Schengen Area]].<ref name="Internal borders">{{cite web|title=Schengen area|publisher=Europa web portal|url=http://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/policies/borders/borders_schengen_en.htm|access-date=8 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810094618/http://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/policies/borders/borders_schengen_en.htm|archive-date=10 August 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[eurozone]] is a group composed of the 20 EU member states that have fully implemented the [[Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union|economic and monetary union]] and use the [[Euro|euro currency]]. Through the [[Common Foreign and Security Policy]], the union has developed a role in [[Foreign relations of the European Union|external relations]] and [[Military of the European Union|defence]]. It maintains permanent [[List of diplomatic missions of the European Union|diplomatic missions]] throughout the world and [[European Union and the United Nations|represents itself]] at the [[United Nations]], the [[World Trade Organization]], the [[European Union and the G7|G7]] and the [[G20]]. Due to its global influence, the European Union has been described by some scholars as an [[European Union as an emerging superpower|emerging superpower]].{{sfn|McCormick|2007}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Rifkin|first=Jeremy|url=https://archive.org/details/europeandreamhow00rifk|title=The European Dream|publisher=Polity Press|year=2004|isbn=1-58542-345-9|author-link=Jeremy Rifkin|url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Moravcsik|first=Andrew|author-link=Andrew Moravcsik|title=Europe: The quiet superpower|journal=French Politics|volume=7|issue=3–4|pages=403–422|doi=10.1057/fp.2009.29|s2cid=143049416|issn=1476-3419}}</ref>

The union was established along with [[Citizenship of the European Union|its citizenship]] when the [[Maastricht Treaty]] came into force in 1993, and was subsequently incorporated as an [[international law]] [[juridical person]] upon entry into force of the [[Treaty of Lisbon]] in [[2009]], {{sfn|Craig |De Burca|2011|page=15}} but its beginnings may be traced to its earliest predecessors incorporated primarily by a group of founding states known as the [[Inner Six]] (Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and [[West Germany]]) at the start of modern institutionalised [[European integration]] in [[1948]] and onwards, namely to the [[Western Union (alliance)|Western Union]] (WU, 1954 renamed [[Western European Union]], WEU), the [[International Authority for the Ruhr]] (IAR), the [[European Coal and Steel Community]] (ECSC), the [[European Economic Community]] (EEC, 1993 renamed [[European Community]], EC) and the [[European Atomic Energy Community]] (Euratom), established, respectively, by the 1948 [[Treaty of Brussels]], the 1948 [[London Six-Power Conference]], the 1951 [[Treaty of Paris (1951)|Treaty of Paris]], the 1957 [[Treaty of Rome]] and the 1957 [[Euratom Treaty]]. These increasingly amalgamated bodies, later known collectively as the [[European Communities]] have grown since, along with their legal successor, the EU, both in size through [[enlargement of the European Union|accessions of further 21 states]] as well as in power through acquisitions of various policy areas to their remit by the virtue of the abovementioned treaties, as well as numerous other ones, such as the [[Modified Brussels Treaty]], the [[Merger Treaty]], the [[Single European Act]], the [[Treaty of Amsterdam]] and the [[Treaty of Nice]]. In 2012, the EU was awarded the [[2012 Nobel Peace Prize|Nobel Peace Prize]].<ref>{{cite news |title=EU collects Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20664167 |access-date=3 June 2013}}</ref>

After the creation by [[Inner Six|six states]], [[Enlargement of the European Union|22 other states joined the union]] in 1973–2013. The [[United Kingdom]] became the only member state to [[Brexit|leave the EU]] in 2020;<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Rawlinson|first1=Kevin|last2=Topping|first2=Alexandra|last3=Murphy|first3=Simon|last4=Henley|first4=Jon|last5=Murray|first5=Jessica|last6=Freedland|first6=Jonathan|last7=Rawlinson|first7=Kevin|title=Brexit day: end of an era as United Kingdom leaves EU – as it happened-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2020/jan/31/brexit-day-britain-prepares-leave-eu-live-news-updates|access-date=8 June 2020|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> ten countries are [[Potential enlargement of the European Union|aspiring or negotiating to join it]].
{{TOC limit|3}}

==History==

{{Main|History of the European Union}}
{{For timeline|Timeline of European Union history}}
{{Further|Treaties of the European Union|European integration}}

===Origins===
{{Further|Ideas of European unity before 1948}}

[[File:Logo MFE.svg|thumb|left|upright=1|The European Federalist Movement, founded in Milan in 1943 by a group of activists led by [[Altiero Spinelli]], propagated European integration.]]

After the [[First World War]], but particularly with [[Second World War]], [[Internationalism (politics)|internationalism]] was gaining, with the creation of the [[Bretton Woods System]] in 1944, the [[United Nations]] in 1945 and the [[French Union]] (1946{{Non breaking en dash}}1958), the latter directing [[decolonization]] by possibly integrating its colonies into a European community.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Hansen |first1=Peo |last2=Jonsson |first2=Stefan|title=Bringing Africa as a 'Dowry to Europe'|journal=Interventions|volume=13|issue=3|pages=443–463 (459)|doi=10.1080/1369801X.2011.597600|s2cid=142558321|url=http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-59237}}</ref> In this light [[European integration]] was seen, already during the war, as an antidote to the [[extreme nationalism]] which had devastated parts of the continent.<ref>{{cite web|title=The political consequences|publisher=CVCE|url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/die_politischen_folgen-de-bafcfa2d-7738-48f6-9b41-3201090b67bb.html|access-date=28 April 2013}}</ref>

The [[Ventotene Manifesto|Ventotene prison Manifesto]] of 1941 by [[Altiero Spinelli]] propagated European integration through the [[Italian Resistance]] and after 1943 through the [[European Federalist Movement]]. [[Winston Churchill]] called in 1943 for a post-war "Council of Europe"<ref>{{cite book |last=Klos |first=Felix |title=Churchill's Last Stand: The Struggle to Unite Europe |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |pages=51 |isbn=978-1-78673-292-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Churchill |first=Winston |title=National Address |url=https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1941-1945-war-leader/national-address/ |website=The International Churchill Society}}</ref> and on 19 September 1946, at the [[University of Zürich]], coincidentally<ref name="Union of European Federalists (UEF)">{{cite web | title=Union of European Federalists (UEF): Churchill and Hertenstein | website=Union of European Federalists (UEF) | url=https://www.federalists.eu/uef/our-achievements/churchill-and-hertenstein | access-date=2022-05-17}}</ref> parallel to the [[Hertensteiner Cross|Hertenstein Congress]] of the [[Union of European Federalists]], for a [[United States of Europe]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.zeit.de/reden/die_historische_rede/200115_hr_churchill1_englisch|title=Ein britischer Patriot für Europa: Winston Churchills Europa-Rede, Universität Zürich, 19. September 1946|newspaper=Zeit Online|access-date=13 January 2010|trans-title=A British Patriot for Europe: Winston Churchill's Speech on Europe University of Zurich, 19 September 1946}}</ref> [[Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi]], who successfully established during the [[interwar period]] the oldest organization for European integration, the [[Paneuropean Union]], founded in June 1947 the [[European Parliamentary Union]] (EPU).

Towards the end of World War II, the [[Allies of World War II|Three Allied Powers]] discussed during the [[Tehran Conference]] and the ensuing [[Moscow Conference (1943)|1943 Moscow Conference]] the plans to establish joint institutions. This led to a decision at the [[Yalta Conference]] in 1944 to include Free France as the Fourth Allied Power and to form a [[European Advisory Commission]], later replaced by the [[Council of Foreign Ministers]] and the [[Allied Control Council]], following the German surrender and the [[Potsdam Agreement]] in [[1945]].

The growing rift among the Four Powers became evident as a result of the rigged [[1947 Polish legislative election]] which constituted an open breach of the [[Yalta Agreement]], followed by the announcement of the [[Truman Doctrine]] on 12 March 1947. On 4 March 1947, France and the United Kingdom signed the [[Treaty of Dunkirk]] for mutual assistance in the event of future military aggression in the aftermath of [[World War II]] against any of the pair. The rationale for the treaty was the threat of a potential future military attack, specifically a Soviet one in practice, though publicised under the disguise of a German one, according to the official statements. Immediately following the [[1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état|February 1948 coup d'état]] by the [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia]], the [[London Six-Power Conference]] was held, resulting in the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] boycott of the Allied Control Council and its incapacitation, an event marking the beginning of the [[Cold War]]. The remainder of the year 1948 marked the beginning of institutionalised modern European integration.

===Initial years and the Paris Treaty (1948{{Non breaking en dash}}1957)===
{{Main|History of European integration (1948–1957)}}

{{Multiple image
| align = right
| direction = vertical
| image1 = 1951 CECA ECSC.jpg
| alt1 =
| caption1 = [[Treaty of Paris (1951)|Treaty of Paris]] (1951), establishing the [[European Coal and Steel Community|ECSC]]
| image2 = Schuman Declaration.ogg
| alt2 =
| caption2 = An excerpt of the [[Schuman Declaration]], by [[Robert Schuman]] on the 9 May 1950 ([[Europe Day]])
}}

The year 1948 marked the beginning of the institutionalised modern [[European integration]]. In March 1948 the [[Treaty of Brussels]] was signed, establishing the [[Western Union (alliance)|Western Union]] (WU), followed by the [[International Authority for the Ruhr]]. Furthermore, the [[Organisation for European Economic Co-operation]] (OEEC), the predecessor of the OECD, was also founded in 1948 to manage the [[Marshall Plan]], triggering as a Soviet response formation of the [[Comecon]]. The ensuing [[Hague Congress (1948)|Hague Congress]] of May 1948 was a pivotal moment in European integration, as it led to the creation of the [[European Movement International]], the [[College of Europe]]<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.isbnplus.com/9789080498310|editor=[[Dieter Mahncke]]|editor2=[[Léonce Bekemans]]|editor3=[[Robert Picht]]|title=The College of Europe. Fifty Years of Service to Europe|location=[[Bruges]]|year=1999|publisher=[[College of Europe]]|isbn=978-90-804983-1-0|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161228030332/http://www.isbnplus.com/9789080498310|archive-date=28 December 2016}}</ref> and most importantly to the foundation of the [[Council of Europe]] on 5 May 1949 (today its [[Europe day]]). The Council of Europe was one of the first institutions to bring the sovereign nations of (then only Western) Europe together, raising great hopes and fevered debates in the following two years for further European integration.{{citation needed}} It has since been a broad forum to further cooperation and shared issues, achieving for example the [[European Convention on Human Rights]] in 1950. Essential for the actual birth of the institutions of the EU was the [[Schuman Declaration]] on 9 May 1950 (the day after the fifth [[Victory in Europe Day]]) and the decision by six nations (France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, West Germany and Italy) to follow [[Schuman]] and draft the [[Treaty of Paris (1951)|Treaty of Paris]]. This treaty was created in 1952 the [[European Coal and Steel Community]] (ECSC), which was built on the [[International Authority for the Ruhr]], installed by the Western Allies in 1949 to regulate the coal and steel industries of the Ruhr area in West Germany.<ref>{{cite web|title=Declaration of 9 May 1950|url=http://europa.eu/abc/symbols/9-may/decl_en.htm|publisher=European Commission|access-date=5 September 2007}}</ref> Backed by the [[Marshall Plan]] with large funds coming from the United States since 1948, the ECSC became a milestone organization, enabling European economic development and integration and being the origin of the main institutions of the EU such as the [[European Commission]] and [[European Parliament|Parliament]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1084818.html|title=Europe: How The Marshall Plan Took Western Europe From Ruins To Union|newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|access-date=20 June 2019|last1=Blocker |first1=Joel }}</ref> [[Founding fathers of the European Union]] understood that coal and steel were the two industries essential for waging war, and believed that by tying their national industries together, a future war between their nations became much less likely.<ref name="Europa History 45-59">{{cite web|url=http://europa.eu/about-eu/eu-history/1945-1959/index_en.htm|title=A peaceful Europe – the beginnings of cooperation|publisher=European Commission|access-date=12 December 2011}}</ref>
In parallel with Schuman, the [[Pleven Plan]] of 1951 tried but failed to tie the institutions of the developing European community under the [[European Political Community (1952)|European Political Community]], which was to include the also proposed [[Treaty establishing the European Defence Community|European Defence Community]], an alternative to [[West Germany]] joining [[NATO]] which was established in 1949 under the [[Truman Doctrine]]. In 1954 the [[Modified Brussels Treaty]] transformed the Western Union into the [[Western European Union]] (WEU). West Germany eventually joined 1955 both WEU and NATO, prompting the [[Soviet Union]] to form the [[Warsaw Pact]] in 1955 as an institutional framework for its military domination in the countries of [[Central and Eastern Europe]]. Assessing the progress of European integration the [[Messina Conference]] was held in 1955, ordering the [[Spaak report]], which in 1956 recommended the next significant steps of European integration.

{{Clear}}

===Treaty of Rome (1958{{Non breaking en dash}}1972)===
{{Main|History of the European Communities (1958–1972)}}

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-45653-0001, Rom, Verträge über Zollpakt und Eurotom unterzeichnet.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.75|Signing ceremony of the [[Treaty of Rome]] (1957), establishing the [[European Economic Community|ECC]]]]

In 1957, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany signed the [[Treaty of Rome]], which created the [[European Economic Community]] (EEC) and established a [[European Union Customs Union|customs union]]. They also signed another pact creating the [[European Atomic Energy Community]] (Euratom) for cooperation in developing [[nuclear power]]. Both treaties came into force in 1958.<ref name="Europa History 45-59"/> Although the EEC and Euratom were created separately from the ECSC, they shared the same courts and the Common Assembly. The EEC was headed by [[Walter Hallstein]] ([[Hallstein Commission]]) and Euratom was headed by [[Louis Armand]] ([[Armand Commission]]) and then [[Étienne Hirsch]] ([[Hirsch Commission]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/a_european_atomic_energy_community-en-19bc7f11-bea1-49c7-b534-18327c303f41.html |title=A European Atomic Energy Community |publisher=Cvce.eu |access-date=13 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/a_european_customs_union-en-a11a5f17-d744-479e-ba75-2c70b6058608.html|title=A European Customs Union|work=cvce.eu|year=2016}}</ref> The OEEC was in turn reformed in 1961 into the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD) and its membership was extended to states outside of Europe, the United States and [[Canada]]. During the 1960s, tensions began to show, with France seeking to limit supranational power. Nevertheless, in 1965 an agreement was reached, and on 1 July 1967 the [[Merger Treaty]] created a single set of institutions for the three communities, which were collectively referred to as the ''[[European Communities]]''.<ref name="ENA Merge">{{cite web|url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/merging_the_executives-en-575850b6-f472-406a-936d-8c08a9e0db32.html|title=Merging the executives|publisher=CVCE – Centre Virtuel de la Connaissance sur l'Europe|access-date=28 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Merging the executives |url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/merging_the_executives-en-575850b6-f472-406a-936d-8c08a9e0db32.html |website=CVCE.EU by UNI.LU |language=en }}</ref> [[Jean Rey (politician)|Jean Rey]] [[President of the European Commission|presided over]] the first merged commission ([[Rey Commission]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=The Commissioners – Profiles, Portfolios and Homepages |url=http://ec.europa.eu/archives/commission_2004-2009/index_en.htm |website=ec.europa.eu |access-date=1 January 2022}}</ref>

{{Clear}}

===First enlargement, and European co-operation (1973{{Non breaking en dash}}1993)===
{{Main|History of the European Communities (1973–1993)}}

[[File:Photograph of President Gerald R. Ford and Members of the American Delegation Taking a Break at the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe in Helsinki, Finland - NARA - 7462031.jpg|thumb|[[Gerald Ford]] and the American delegation at the [[Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe|CSCE]] (1975)]]



In 1973, the communities were enlarged to include [[Denmark]] (including [[Greenland]]), [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], and the [[Accession of the United Kingdom to the European Communities|United Kingdom]].<ref name="ENA First enlargement">{{cite web|title=The first enlargement|publisher=CVCE|url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/the_first_enlargement-en-fa871903-53b5-497e-855f-01c9842c7b94.html|access-date=28 April 2013}}</ref> [[Norway]] had negotiated to join at the same time, but Norwegian voters rejected membership in a [[1972 Norwegian European Communities membership referendum|referendum]]. The ''[[Ostpolitik]]'' and the ensuing détente led to establishment of a first truly pan-European body, the [[Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (CSCE), predecessor of the modern [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE). In 1979, the [[1979 European Parliament election|first direct elections]] to the European Parliament were held.<ref name="ENA New Parliament">{{cite web|title=The new European Parliament|publisher=CVCE|url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/the_new_european_parliament-en-e40aba1b-45f1-43bf-bbd1-a34bb52f15db.html|access-date=28 April 2013}}</ref> [[Greece]] joined in 1981. In 1985, Greenland [[1982 Greenlandic European Communities membership referendum|left the Communities]], following a dispute over fishing rights. During the same year, the [[Schengen Agreement]] paved the way for the creation of open borders without passport controls between most member states and some non-member states.<ref>{{cite news |title=Schengen agreement |work=BBC News |access-date=18 September 2009 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/europe/euro-glossary/1230052.stm}}</ref> In 1986, the [[Flag of Europe|European flag]] began to be used by the EEC<ref>{{cite web|title=History of the flag|publisher=Europa web portal|url=http://europa.eu/abc/symbols/emblem/index_en.htm|access-date=13 March 2009}}</ref> and the [[Single European Act]] was signed. [[Portugal]] and [[Spain]] joined in 1986.<ref name="ENA Enlargement negotiations">{{cite web|title=Negotiations for enlargement|publisher=CVCE|url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/negotiations_for_enlargement-en-19a4fd81-119d-4090-bfac-c7cc8ae64a20.html|access-date=28 April 2013}}</ref> In 1990, after [[revolutions of 1989|the fall of the Eastern Bloc]], the former [[East Germany]] became part of the communities as part of a [[German reunification|reunified Germany]].<ref name="Europa History 80-89">{{cite web|url=http://europa.eu/abc/history/1980-1989/index_en.htm|title=1980–1989 The changing face of Europe – the fall of the Berlin Wall|publisher=Europa web portal|access-date=25 June 2007}}</ref>

{{Clear}}

=== Treaties of Maastricht, Amsterdam and Nice (1993{{Non breaking en dash}}2004) ===
{{Main|History of the European Union (1993–2004)}}

[[File:GER — BY — Regensburg - Donaumarkt 1 (Museum der Bayerischen Geschichte; Vertrag von Maastricht) (cropped).JPG|thumb|right|upright=1|[[Maastricht Treaty]] (1992), establishing the EU]]

The European Union was formally established when the [[Maastricht Treaty]]—whose main architects were [[Horst Köhler]],<ref>{{Cite news|last=Journal|first=This article was prepared by reporters Michael M. Phillips, Cecilie Rohwedder and Erik Portanger of The Wall Street|title=IMF Candidate Koehler Brings Solid Experience|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB953070920392677459|access-date=2022-12-21|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Helmut Kohl]] and [[François Mitterrand]]—came into force on 1 November 1993.{{sfn|Craig |De Burca|2011|page=15}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Treaty of Maastricht on European Union|url=http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/economic_and_monetary_affairs/institutional_and_economic_framework/treaties_maastricht_en.htm|work=Activities of the European Union|publisher=Europa web portal|access-date=20 October 2007}}</ref> The treaty also gave the name ''[[European Community]]'' to the EEC, even if it was referred to as such before the treaty. With further enlargement planned to include the former [[communist state]]s of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as [[Cyprus]] and [[Malta]], the [[Copenhagen criteria]] for candidate members to join the EU were agreed upon in June 1993. The expansion of the EU introduced a new level of complexity and discord.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The World Transformed, 1945 to the Present|last=Hunt|first=Michael H.|publisher=Oxford University press|year=2014|isbn=978-0-19-937103-7|location=New York|pages=516–517}}</ref> In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden [[1995 enlargement of the European Union|joined]] the EU.

In 2002, euro banknotes and coins replaced national currencies in 12 of the member states. Since then, the [[eurozone]] has increased to encompass 20 countries. The euro currency became the second-largest reserve currency in the world. In 2004, the EU saw [[2004 enlargement of the European Union|its biggest enlargement to date]] when Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia joined the union.<ref name="Europa History 00">{{cite web|title=A decade of further expansion |publisher=Europa web portal |url=http://europa.eu/abc/history/2000_today/index_en.htm |access-date=25 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070211143505/http://europa.eu/abc/history/2000_today/index_en.htm |archive-date=11 February 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Treaty of Lisbon, and Brexit (2004{{Non breaking en dash}}present)===
{{Main|History of the European Union (2004–present)}}

[[File:Tratado de Lisboa 13 12 2007 (04).jpg|thumb|upright=1|Signing ceremony of the [[Treaty of Lisbon]] (2007)]]

In 2007, Bulgaria and Romania became EU members. Later that year, Slovenia adopted the euro,<ref name="Europa History 00"/> followed by Cyprus and Malta in 2008, Slovakia in 2009, Estonia in 2011, Latvia in 2014, and Lithuania in 2015.

On 1 December 2009, the [[Treaty of Lisbon|Lisbon Treaty]] entered into force and reformed many aspects of the EU. In particular, it changed the legal structure of the European Union, merging the [[Three pillars of the European Union|EU three pillars]] system into a single legal entity provisioned with a [[legal personality]], created a permanent [[president of the European Council]], the first of which was [[Herman Van Rompuy]], and strengthened the position of the [[High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy|high representative of the union for foreign affairs and security policy]].{{sfn|Piris|2010|page=448}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://government.zdnet.com/?p=6266|title=European Parliament announces new President and Foreign Affairs Minister|access-date=1 December 2009|archive-date=15 May 2016|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160515055515/http://government.zdnet.com/?p=6266|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2012, the EU received the [[2012 Nobel Peace Prize|Nobel Peace Prize]] for having "contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy, and human rights in Europe".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2012/|title=The Nobel Peace Prize 2012|publisher=Nobelprize.org|access-date=12 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Nobel Committee Awards Peace Prize to E.U|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/13/world/nobel-peace-prize.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/13/world/nobel-peace-prize.html |archive-date=1 January 2022 |url-access=limited|journal=New York Times|access-date=12 October 2012 | url-status=live}}</ref> In 2013, [[Croatia]] became the 28th EU member.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22218640|title=Croatia: From isolation to EU membership |agency=BBC|access-date=14 May 2013|work=BBC News}}</ref>

From the beginning of the 2010s, the cohesion of the European Union has been tested by several issues, including [[European debt crisis|a debt crisis in some of the Eurozone countries]], [[European migrant crisis|increasing migration from Africa and Asia]], and the [[Brexit|United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU]].<ref name="BBCUKREFRESLT">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/eu_referendum/results|title=EU Referendum Result|publisher=BBC|access-date=26 June 2016}}</ref> A [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|referendum in the UK on its membership of the European Union]] was held in 2016, with 51.9 per cent of participants voting to leave.<ref name=NYTEUBrexit>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/25/world/europe/britain-brexit-european-union-referendum.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/25/world/europe/britain-brexit-european-union-referendum.html |archive-date=1 January 2022 |url-access=limited|title=Britain Votes to Leave E.U., Stunning the World|last=Erlanger|first=Steven|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=24 June 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref> The UK formally notified the European Council of its decision to leave on 29 March 2017, initiating the [[Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union|formal withdrawal procedure for leaving the EU]]; following extensions to the process, the UK left the European Union on 31 January 2020, though most areas of EU law continued to apply to the UK for a transition period which lasted until 31 December 2020.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/world/europe/brexit-britain-leaves-EU.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131231006/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/world/europe/brexit-britain-leaves-EU.html |archive-date=2020-01-31 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=At the Stroke of Brexit, Britain Steps, Guardedly, Into a New Dawn|last1=Landler|first1=Mark|work=The New York Times|access-date=31 January 2020|last2=Castle|first2=Stephen-US|issn=0362-4331|last3=Mueller|first3=Benjamin}}</ref>

===Timeline===
{{EU evolution timeline}}

{{Clear}}

==Politics ==

{{Main|Politics of the European Union}}

The European Union operates through a hybrid system of [[Supranational union|supranational]] and [[intergovernmentalism|intergovernmental]] decision-making,<ref name="Britannica">{{cite encyclopedia |title=European Union|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/196399/European-Union |access-date=3 July 2013 |quote=international organisation comprising 28 European countries and governing common economic, social, and security policies ...}}</ref><ref name="CIA">{{cite web |title=European Union |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/european-union/|access-date=12 February 2016}}</ref> and according to the [[principle of conferral]] (which says that it should act only within the limits of the competences conferred on it by the [[Treaties of the European Union|treaties]]) and of [[Subsidiarity (European Union)|subsidiarity]] (which says that it should act only where an objective cannot be sufficiently achieved by the member states acting alone). [[European Union law|Laws made by the EU institutions]] are passed in a variety of forms.<ref>According to P.C. Schmitter, Comparative Politics: Its Past, Present and Future (2016), 1 Chinese Political Science Review, 397, at 410, "European Union is the most complex polity in the world".</ref> Generally speaking, they can be classified into two groups: those which come into force without the necessity for national implementation measures (regulations) and those which specifically require national implementation measures (directives).<ref group=lower-alpha>These legislative instruments are dealt with in more detail [[#Acts|below]].</ref>

EU policy is in general promulgated by [[Directive (European Union)|EU directives]], which are then implemented in the [[Sovereignty|domestic legislation]] of its [[Member state of the European Union|member states]], and [[Regulation (European Union)|EU regulations]], which are immediately enforceable in all member states. [[Lobbying#European Union|Lobbying]] at the EU level by special interest groups is regulated to try to balance the aspirations of private initiatives with public interest decision-making process.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/bibliotheque/briefing/2013/130558/LDM_BRI(2013)130558_REV1_EN.pdf |title=EU Library Briefing:Lobbying the EU institutions |work=Europarl |access-date=3 March 2018}}</ref>

===Budget===
{{Main|Budget of the European Union}}

{{Pie chart
| caption= <div style="text-align:center;">'''EU funding programmes 2014–2020 (€1,087 billion)'''<ref>{{cite web |title=EU funding programmes 2014–2020 |url=https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/eu-budget/spending/topic/eu-funding-programmes-2014-2020_en |website=European Commission |access-date=2 January 2020}}</ref></div>
| label1 = Sustainable Growth/Natural Resources
| value1 = 38.6
| color1 = blue
| label2 = Competitiveness for Growth and Jobs
| value2 = 13.1
| color2 = yellow
| label3 = Global Europe
| value3 = 6.1
| color3 = brown
| label4 = Economic, Territorial and Social Cohesion
| value4 = 34.1
| color4 = red
| label5 = Administration
| value5 = 6.4
| color5 = green
| label6 = Security and Citizenship
| value6 = 1.7
| color6 = lightblue
}}

The European Union had an agreed budget of {{Euro|120.7}} billion for the year 2007 and {{Euro|864.3}} billion for the period 2007–2013,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-06-204_en.htm|title=European Commission – Press release – Q&A on Interinstitutional Agreement on Budgetary Discipline and Sound Financial Management 2007–2013|website=europa.eu}}</ref> representing 1.10 per cent and 1.05 per cent of the EU-27's [[Gross national income|GNI]] forecast for the respective periods. In 1960, the budget of the [[European Economic Community|European Community]] was 0.03 per cent of GDP.<ref>{{cite book |first1=David |publisher=Profile Books |place=London |year=1999 |isbn=978-1-86197-102-9 |author=David Smith. |title=Will Europe work?|url=https://archive.org/details/willeuropework0000smit}}</ref>

In the 2010 budget of {{Euro|141.5}} billion, the largest single expenditure item was "''[[European Structural and Investment Funds|cohesion & competitiveness]]''" with around 45 per cent of the total budget.<ref name="EUBudget2010">{{cite web|title=EU Budget in detail 2010 |publisher=Europa web portal |author=European Commission |format=PDF |url=http://ec.europa.eu/budget/budget_detail/current_year_en.htm |access-date=20 December 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100815112106/http://ec.europa.eu/budget/budget_detail/current_year_en.htm |archive-date=15 August 2010 }}</ref> Next was "''[[Common Agricultural Policy|agriculture]]''" with approximately 31 per cent of the total.<ref name="EUBudget2010"/> "''Rural development, environment and [[Common Fisheries Policy|fisheries]]''" takes up around 11 per cent.<ref name="EUBudget2010"/> "''Administration''" accounts for around 6 per cent.<ref name="EUBudget2010"/> The "''EU as a global partner''" and "''citizenship, freedom, security and justice''" had approximately 6 per cent and 1 per cent respectively.<ref name="EUBudget2010"/>

In November 2020, two members of the union, [[Hungary]] and [[Poland]], blocked approval to the EU's budget at a meeting in the [[Committee of Permanent Representatives]] (Coreper), citing a [[Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation|proposal that linked funding with adherence to the rule of law]]. The budget included a [[COVID-19 pandemic|COVID-19]] recovery fund of {{Euro|750}}{{nbsp}}billion. The budget may still be approved if Hungary and Poland withdraw their vetoes after further negotiations in the council and the [[European Council]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/hungary-and-poland-block-progress-on-e1-8-trillion-package/|title=Hungary and Poland block EU coronavirus recovery package|access-date=16 November 2020|website=Politico}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54964858|title=EU budget blocked by Hungary and Poland over rule of law issue|work=BBC News|access-date=16 November 2020}}</ref>

Bodies combatting fraud have also been established, including the [[European Anti-fraud Office]] and the [[European Public Prosecutor's Office]]. The latter is a decentralized independent body of the European Union (EU), established under the [[Treaty of Lisbon]] between 22 of the 27 states of the EU following the method of [[enhanced cooperation]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/20-eu-nations-back-plan-for-eu-prosecutors-office.amp|title=20 EU nations back plan for EU prosecutor's office|publisher=[[Fox News]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200125093003/https://www.foxnews.com/world/20-eu-nations-back-plan-for-eu-prosecutors-office.amp|archive-date=25 January 2020|access-date=25 January 2020}}</ref> The European Public Prosecutor's Office investigate and prosecute fraud against the [[EU budget|budget of the European Union]] and other crimes against the EU's financial interests including fraud concerning EU funds of over €10,000 and cross-border [[value added tax|VAT]] fraud cases involving damages above €10 million.

===Governance===
{{Main|Bodies of the European Union and the Euratom|Institutions of the European Union|Subsidiarity (European Union)#EU competences}}
Member states retain in principle all powers except those that they have agreed collectively to delegate to the Union as a whole, though the exact delimitation has on occasions become a subject of scholarly or legal disputes.{{cn}}

In certain fields, members have awarded [[Subsidiarity (European Union)#EU competences|exclusive competence and exclusive mandate]] to the Union. These are areas in which member states have entirely renounced their own capacity to enact legislation. In other areas, the EU and its member states share the competence to legislate. While both can legislate, the member states can only legislate to the extent to which the EU has not. In other policy areas, the EU can only co-ordinate, support and supplement member state action but cannot enact legislation with the aim of harmonising national laws.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/competition/consumers/events/2009/index.html|title=Competences and consumers|access-date=25 November 2010}}</ref> That a particular policy area falls into a certain category of competence is not necessarily indicative of what [[Legislature of the European Union|legislative procedure]] is used for enacting legislation within that policy area. Different legislative procedures are used within the same category of competence, and even with the same policy area. The distribution of competences in various policy areas between member states and the union is divided into the following three categories:

{{EU competences}}

The European Union has seven principal decision-making bodies, its [[Institutions of the European Union|institutions]]: the [[European Parliament]], the [[European Council]], the [[Council of the European Union]], the [[European Commission]], the [[Court of Justice of the European Union]], the [[European Central Bank]] and the [[European Court of Auditors]]. Competence in scrutinising and amending legislation is shared between the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament, while executive tasks are performed by the European Commission and in a limited capacity by the European Council (not to be confused with the aforementioned Council of the European Union). The [[monetary policy]] of the [[eurozone]] is determined by the European Central Bank. The interpretation and the application of EU law and the treaties are ensured by the Court of Justice of the European Union. The EU budget is scrutinised by the European Court of Auditors. There are also a number of ancillary bodies which advise the EU or operate in a specific area.

===Branches of power===
{{Main|Bodies of the European Union and the Euratom}}

====Executive branch====
{{Main|European Council|European Commission}}

{{Multiple image
| align = right
| direction= horizontal
| image1 = Charles Michel (49467991288).jpg
| alt1 = Portrait of Charles Michel
| caption1 = [[Charles Michel]], [[President of the European Council]]

| image2 = Ursula von der Leyen (49468709252).jpg
| alt2 = Portrait of Ursula von der Leyen
| caption2 = [[Ursula von der Leyen]], [[President of the European Commission]]
}}
The European Union executive branch is organized as a [[directorial system]], where the executive power is jointly exercised by several people. The executive branch consists of the European Council and European Commission.


The European Council sets the broad political direction to the EU. It convenes at least four times a year and comprises the [[president of the European Council]] (presently [[Charles Michel]]), the [[president of the European Commission]] and one representative per [[member state of the European Union|member state]] (either its [[head of state]] or [[head of government]]). The [[High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy|high representative of the union for foreign affairs and security policy]] (presently [[Josep Borrell]]) also takes part in its meetings. Described by some as the union's "supreme political leadership",<ref name="How work">{{cite book|title=How does the EU work|year=2012 |publisher=Europa (web portal)|isbn=9789279205125 |url=http://europa.eu/abc/12lessons/lesson_4/index_en.htm|access-date=12 July 2007}}</ref> it is actively involved in the negotiation of [[Treaties of the European Union|treaty changes]] and defines the EU's policy agenda and strategies. Its leadership role involves solving disputes between member states and the institutions, and to resolving any political crises or disagreements over controversial issues and policies. It acts as a "[[head of state|collective head of state]]" and [[ratification|ratifies]] important documents (for example, international agreements and treaties).<ref name="Oxford University Press">{{cite book |last1=Parsons |first1=Craig |last2=Jabko |first2=Nicolas |title=With US Or Against US?: European Trends in American Perspective |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-928395-8 |page=146 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aMsWxEnaqrUC&pg=PA146 |language=en |quote=Fourth, the European Council acts a "collective head of state" for the EU.}}</ref> Tasks for the president of the European Council are ensuring the external representation of the EU,<ref name="Council Press Release">{{cite web|url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/111298.pdf|title=President of the European Council|access-date=24 November 2009|publisher=General Secretariat of the Council of the EU}}</ref> driving consensus and resolving divergences among member states, both during meetings of the European Council and over the periods between them. The European Council should not be mistaken for the [[Council of Europe]], an international organisation independent of the EU and based in Strasbourg.


The European Commission acts both as the EU's [[executive (government)|executive arm]], responsible for the day-to-day running of the EU, and also the [[Right of initiative (legislative)|legislative initiator]], with the sole power to propose laws for debate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/about-parliament/en/powers-and-procedures/legislative-powers|work=European Parliament|title=Legislative powers|access-date=13 February 2019}}</ref><ref name="Library of European Parliament">{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/bibliotheque/briefing/2013/130619/LDM_BRI(2013)130619_REV2_EN.pdf|work=Library of the European Parliament|title=Parliament's legislative initiative|access-date=13 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-making-process/planning-and-proposing-law_en|work=European Commission|title=Planning and proposing law}}</ref> The commission is 'guardian of the Treaties' and is responsible for their efficient operation and policing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cvce.eu/en/education/unit-content/-/unit/d5906df5-4f83-4603-85f7-0cabc24b9fe1/28d57ad3-6f5e-4f9c-82a8-be9535febad5 | title=Guardian of the Treaties | work=CVCE Education Unit| publisher = University of Luxembourg | access-date = 8 June 2019}}</ref> It has 27 [[European Commissioner|European commissioners]] for different areas of policy, one from each member state, though commissioners are bound to represent the interests of the EU as a whole rather than their home state. The leader of the 27 is the [[president of the European Commission]] (presently [[Ursula von der Leyen]] for 2019{{ndash}}2024), [[President of the European Commission#Appointment|proposed by the European Council]], following and taking into account the result of the European elections, and is then elected by the European Parliament.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://european-union.europa.eu/institutions-law-budget/leadership/elections-and-appointments_en|work=European Union |title=Elections and appointments |access-date=18 September 2022}}</ref> The President retains, as the leader responsible for the entire cabinet, the final say in accepting or rejecting a candidate submitted for a given portfolio by a member state, and oversees the commission's permanent civil service. After the President, the most prominent commissioner is the high representative of the union for foreign affairs and security policy, who is ''ex-officio'' a [[Vice-President of the European Commission|vice-president of the European Commission]] and is also chosen by the European Council.<ref>[[s:Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union/Title III: Provisions on the Institutions#Article 17|Treaty on European Union: Article 17:7]]</ref> The other 26 commissioners are subsequently appointed by the [[Council of the European Union]] in agreement with the nominated president. The 27 commissioners as a single body are subject to approval (or otherwise) by a vote of the [[European Parliament]]. All commissioners are first nominated by the government of the respective member state.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/european_government/eu_institutions/european_commission.html|work=Citizens Information Ireland|title=European commission|access-date=18 September 2022}}</ref>

====Legislative branch====
{{Main|Council of the European Union|European Parliament}}

[[File:Roberta Metsola 2022 (cropped).jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.75|alt=Portrait of Roberta Metsola|[[Roberta Metsola]], [[President of the European Parliament]]]]


The Council of the European Union (also called the Council<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home|url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/|access-date=2022-12-21|website=www.consilium.europa.eu|language=en}}</ref> and the "Council of Ministers", its former title)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://europa.eu/pol/inst/index_en.htm |title=Institutional affairs: Council of the European Union |work=Europa |publisher=European Commission |quote=It is commonly called the Council of Ministers |access-date=16 January 2010 |archive-date=12 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100112155537/http://europa.eu/pol/inst/index_en.htm |url-status=dead }}.</ref> forms one half of the EU's legislature. It consists of a representative from each member state's government and meets in [[Council of the European Union#Configurations|different compositions depending on the policy area being addressed]]. Notwithstanding its different configurations, it is considered to be one single body. In addition to the legislative functions, members of the council also have [[Executive (government)|executive]] responsibilities, such as the development of a [[Common Foreign and Security Policy]] and the coordination of broad economic policies within the Union.<ref name="Europa Institutions Council">{{cite web|title=Institutions: The Council of the European Union |publisher=Europa web portal |url=http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/council/index_en.htm |access-date=25 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703155822/http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/council/index_en.htm |archive-date=3 July 2007 }}</ref> The [[Presidency of the Council of the European Union|Presidency of the council]] rotates between member states, with each holding it for six months. Beginning on 1 July 2022, the position is held by the Czech Republic.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://presidence-francaise.consilium.europa.eu/en/presidency/the-presidency-of-the-council-of-the-european-union/ |title=The Presidency of the Council of the European Union |publisher=French Presidency of the Council of the European Union |access-date=9 March 2022}}</ref>


The European Parliament is one of three [[Legislature of the European Union|legislative institutions]] of the EU, which together with the [[Council of the European Union]] is tasked with amending and approving the European Commission's proposals. 705 [[Member of the European Parliament|members of the European Parliament]] (MEPs) are directly [[Elections in the European Union|elected]] by [[Citizenship of the European Union|EU citizens]] every five years on the basis of [[proportional representation]]. MEPs are elected on a national basis and they sit according to [[Political groups of the European Parliament|political groups]] rather than their nationality. Each country has a set number of seats and is divided into [[European Parliament constituency|sub-national constituencies]] where this does not affect the proportional nature of the voting system.<ref>{{cite web|author=Wellfire Interactive |url=http://www.fairvote.org/european-parliament-to-be-elected-with-proportional-representation-systems |title=MEPs must be elected on the basis of proportional representation, the threshold must not exceed 5%, and the electoral area may be subdivided in constituencies if this will not generally affect the proportional nature of the voting system |publisher=Fairvote.org |access-date=26 November 2010}}</ref> In the [[ordinary legislative procedure]], the European Commission proposes legislation, which requires the joint approval of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to pass. This process applies to nearly all areas, including the [[budget of the European Union|EU budget]]. The parliament is the final body to approve or reject the proposed membership of the commission, and can attempt motions of censure on the commission by appeal to the [[European Court of Justice|Court of Justice]]. The [[president of the European Parliament]] carries out the role of speaker in Parliament and represents it externally. The president and [[Vice President of the European Parliament|vice-presidents]] are elected by MEPs every two and a half years.<ref name="Europa Institutions Parliament">{{cite web|title=Institutions: The European Parliament |publisher=Europa web portal |url=http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/parliament/index_en.htm |access-date=25 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070624114722/http://europa.eu/institutions/inst/parliament/index_en.htm |archive-date=24 June 2007 }}</ref>

====Judicial branch====
{{Main|Court of Justice of the European Union}}

[[File:Koen Lenaerts (cropped).jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.75|alt=Portrait of Koen Lenaerts|[[Koen Lenaerts]], [[European Court of Justice#President|President of the Court of Justice]]]]


The [[judicial branch]] of the European Union is formally called the [[Court of Justice of the European Union]] and consists of two courts: the [[European Court of Justice|Court of Justice]] and the [[General Court (European Union)|General Court]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2010:083:0013:0046:EN:PDF |title=Article 19 of the Treaty on European Union |publisher=eur-lex.europa.eu |access-date=31 October 2010}}</ref> The [[European Court of Justice|Court of Justice]] is the [[supreme court]] of the European Union in matters of [[European Union law]]. As a part of the [[Court of Justice of the European Union]], it is tasked with interpreting EU law and ensuring its uniform application across all [[Member state of the European Union|EU member states]] under Article 263 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The Court was established in 1952, and is based in [[Luxembourg City|Luxembourg]]. It is composed of one judge per [[Member state of the European Union|member state]] – currently 27 – although it normally hears cases in panels of three, five or fifteen judges. The Court has been led by president [[Koen Lenaerts]] since 2015. The ECJ is the highest court of the European Union in matters of [[European Union law|Union law]], but not national law. It is not possible to appeal against the decisions of national courts in the ECJ, but rather national courts refer questions of EU law to the ECJ. However, it is ultimately for the national court to apply the resulting interpretation to the facts of any given case. Although, only courts of final appeal are bound to refer a question of EU law when one is addressed. The treaties give the ECJ the power for consistent application of EU law across the EU as a whole. The court also acts as an administrative and constitutional court between the other EU institutions and the Member States and can annul or invalidate unlawful acts of EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies.


The [[General Court (European Union)|General Court]] is a constituent court of the European Union. It hears actions taken against the [[institutions of the European Union]] by individuals and member states, although certain matters are reserved for the Court of Justice. Decisions of the General Court can be appealed to the Court of Justice, but only on a point of law. Prior to the coming into force of the [[Lisbon Treaty]] on 1 December 2009, it was known as the Court of First Instance.

====Additional branches====


[[File:Christine Lagarde (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|alt=Portrait of Christine Lagarde|[[Christine Lagarde]], [[President of the European Central Bank]]]]

The [[European Central Bank]] (ECB) is one of the institutions of the [[central bank|monetary branch]] of the European Union, the prime component of the [[Eurosystem]] and the European System of Central Banks. It is one of the world's [[Big Four (banking)#International use|most important central banks]]. The [[Governing Council of the European Central Bank|ECB Governing Council]] makes [[monetary policy]] for the [[Eurozone]] and the European Union, administers the [[foreign exchange reserves]] of EU member states, engages in foreign exchange operations, and defines the intermediate monetary objectives and key interest rate of the EU. The [[Executive Board of the European Central Bank|ECB Executive Board]] enforces the policies and decisions of the Governing Council, and may direct the national central banks when doing so. The ECB has the exclusive right to authorise the issuance of [[euro banknotes]]. Member states can issue [[euro coins]], but the volume must be approved by the ECB beforehand. The bank also operates the [[TARGET2]] payments system. The [[European System of Central Banks]] (ESCB) consists of the ECB and the national central banks (NCBs) of all 27 member states of the European Union. The ESCB is not the monetary authority of the eurozone, because not all EU member states have joined the euro. The ESCB's objective is price stability throughout the European Union. Secondarily, the ESCB's goal is to improve monetary and financial cooperation between the Eurosystem and member states outside the eurozone.


The [[European Court of Auditors]] (ECA) is the [[supreme audit institution|auditory branch]] of the European Union. It was established in 1975 in [[Luxembourg City|Luxembourg]] in order to improve EU financial management. It has 27 members (1 from each EU member-state) supported by approximately 800 civil servants. The [[European Personnel Selection Office]] (EPSO) is the [[civil service commission|civil service branch]] of the European Union, and is responsible for selecting staff to work for the institutions and agencies of the European Union including the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the European Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the European External Action Service, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Ombudsman. Each institution is then able to recruit staff from among the pool of candidates selected by EPSO. On average, EPSO receives around 60,000-70,000 applications a year with around 1,500-2,000 candidates recruited by the European Union institutions. The [[European Ombudsman]] is the [[ombudsman|ombudsman branch]] of the European Union that holds the institutions, bodies and agencies of the EU to account, and promotes good administration. The Ombudsman helps people, businesses and organisations facing problems with the EU administration by investigating complaints, as well as by proactively looking into broader systemic issues. The current Ombudsman is [[Emily O'Reilly]]. The [[European Public Prosecutor's Office]] (EPPO) is the [[attorney general|prosecutory branch]] of the European Union with juridical personality, established under the Treaty of Lisbon between 22 of the 27 states of the EU following the method of enhanced cooperation. It is based in Kirchberg, Luxembourg City alongside the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Auditors.

{{Clear}}

===Law===
{{Main|European Union law}}
{{Further|European Union legislative procedure}}
{{See also|Treaties of the European Union|European Citizens' Initiative}}

[[File:Political System of the European Union.svg|thumb|right|upright=2|Organigram of the political system of the Union]]

Constitutionally, the EU bears some resemblance to both a [[confederation]] and a [[federation]],<ref>Kiljunen, Kimmo (2004). The European Constitution in the Making. Centre for European Policy Studies. pp. 21–26. {{ISBN|978-92-9079-493-6}}.</ref><ref>Burgess, Michael (2000). Federalism and European union: The building of Europe, 1950–2000. Routledge. p. 49. {{ISBN|0-415-22647-3}}. "Our theoretical analysis suggests that the EC/EU is neither a federation nor a confederation in the classical sense. But it does claim that the European political and economic elites have shaped and moulded the EC/EU into a new form of international organization, namely, a species of "new" confederation."</ref> but has not formally defined itself as either. (It does not have a formal constitution: its status is defined by the [[Treaty of European Union]] and the [[Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union]]). It is more integrated than a traditional confederation of states because the general level of government widely employs [[qualified majority voting]] in some decision-making among the member states, rather than relying exclusively on unanimity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/council-eu/voting-system/qualified-majority/|title=Qualified majority – Consilium|website=www.consilium.europa.eu|access-date=10 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://signon.thomsonreuters.com/?comp=pluk&productid=PLCUK&viewproductid=UKPL&lr=0&culture=en-US&returnto=https%3a%2f%2fuk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com%2fCosi%2fSignOn%3fcomp%3dpluk%26redirectTo%3d%252f9-503-0498%253ftransitionType%253dDefault%2526contextData%253d(sc.Default)%2526firstPage%253dtrue%2526comp%253dpluk%2526bhcp%253d1&tracetoken=0410191706400iocfH6ix9aDAXboKMKljGSEQbVenO3hRbkBiVwSpjK1nPrIZleK0m_ZYArfREaHTp00rbJNn9JJiUMtpuREV-tBpbDUn6jga8Zl9POgeorx-_ajnZ8E3JYaIx_LR8_3ZDgttQ2Na2blkP5wVQ4ab8NCop3kx46Kc2OAzz_TmEl3CC7PuHaHnrnMSp6Iff0Ha6hnq7X8w-OJXGJwNOPAhExqg5qLTz6c5ZWem1fKcj3l-9-h9cvMeVpfodmsngI5XZ8ruL99SM4ZCzGSNyROceid4Z3KboCsVabuZY0E-uiLtwSweJKfAwbVwR05UE0UIdD0SkAXveKEjxj9NIp2XCOCilihh1It2arRlZYHQ0Fc|title=Practical Law UK Signon|website=signon.thomsonreuters.com|access-date=10 April 2019}}</ref> It is less integrated than a federal state because it is not a state in its own right: sovereignty continues to flow 'from the bottom up', from the several peoples of the separate member states, rather than from a single undifferentiated whole. This is reflected in the fact that the member states remain the 'masters of the Treaties', retaining control over the allocation of competences to the union through constitutional change (thus retaining so-called ''Kompetenz-kompetenz''); in that they retain control of the use of armed force; they retain control of taxation; and in that they retain a right of unilateral withdrawal under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. In addition, the principle of [[subsidiarity]] requires that only those matters that need to be determined collectively are so determined.

Under the principle of [[Supremacy (European Union law)|supremacy]], national courts are required to enforce the treaties that their member states have ratified, even if doing so requires them to ignore conflicting national law, and (within limits) even constitutional provisions.<ref group="lower-alpha" name="Supremacy">According to the principle of [[Law of the European Union#Supremacy|supremacy]] as established by the ECJ in Case 6/64, ''Falminio Costa v. ENEL'' [1964] ECR 585. See Craig and de Búrca, ch. 7. See also: [[Factortame litigation]]: ''Factortame Ltd. v. Secretary of State for Transport (No. 2) [1991] 1 AC 603'', ''Solange II'' (''Re Wuensche Handelsgesellschaft'', BVerfG decision of 22 October 1986 [1987] 3 CMLR 225,265) and ''Frontini v. Ministero delle Finanze'' [1974] 2 CMLR 372; ''Raoul George Nicolo'' [1990] 1 CMLR 173.</ref> The [[direct effect]] and supremacy doctrines were not explicitly set out in the European Treaties but were developed by the Court of Justice itself over the 1960s, apparently under the influence of its then most influential judge, Frenchman [[Robert Lecourt]].<ref>William Phelan, ''Great Judgments of the European Court of Justice: Rethinking the Landmark Decisions of the Foundational Period'' (Cambridge, 2019).</ref> The question whether the secondary law enacted by the EU has a comparable status in relation to national legistaltion, has been a matter of debate among legal scholars.

====Primary law====
The European Union is based on a series of [[Treaties of the European Union|treaties]]. These first established the European Community and the EU, and then made amendments to those founding treaties.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sources of EU law|url=http://ec.europa.eu/ireland/general_information/legal_information_and_eu_law/sources_eu_law/index_en.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228193407/http://ec.europa.eu/ireland/general_information/legal_information_and_eu_law/sources_eu_law/index_en.htm|archive-date=28 February 2008|publisher=European Commission|access-date=5 September 2007}}</ref> These are power-giving treaties which set broad policy goals and establish institutions with the necessary legal powers to implement those goals. These legal powers include the ability to enact legislation<ref group="lower-alpha" name="art249">{{Cite web|title=The requested document does not exist. - EUR-Lex|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ%253AC%253A2010%253A083%253A0047%253A0200%253AEN%253APDF|access-date=2022-12-21|website=eur-lex.europa.eu|language=en}}</ref> which can directly affect all member states and their inhabitants.<ref group="lower-alpha" name="Direct Effect">According to the principle of Direct Effect first invoked in the Court of Justice's decision in {{cite court|litigants=Van Gend en Loos v Nederlandse Administratie der Belastingen|reporter=Eur-Lex|court=European Court of Justice|year=1963|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:61962J0026:EN:NOT}} See: Craig and de Búrca, ch. 5.</ref> The EU has [[legal personality]], with the right to sign agreements and international treaties.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Philippe |last1=de Schoutheete|last2=Andoura |first2=Sami |title=The Legal Personality of the European Union |journal=Studia Diplomatica |volume=LX |year=2007 |issue=1 |url=http://aei.pitt.edu/9083/01/Legal.Personality.EU-PDS-SA.pdf |access-date=15 November 2010}} Its examples are the ratifications of [[United Nations Convention against Corruption]] and [[Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities]] by EU. And Article 47 of the Consolidated Treaty on European Union.</ref>

====Secondary law====
The main legal acts of the European Union come in three forms: [[Regulation (European Union)|regulations]], [[Directive (European Union)|directives]], and [[Decision (European Union)|decisions]]. Regulations become law in all member states the moment they come into force, without the requirement for any implementing measures,<ref group="lower-alpha">{{Cite web|title=? - EUR-Lex|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%253A61973J0034|access-date=2022-12-21|website=eur-lex.europa.eu|language=en}}</ref> and automatically override conflicting domestic provisions.<ref group="lower-alpha" name="art249"/> Directives require member states to achieve a certain result while leaving them discretion as to how to achieve the result. The details of how they are to be implemented are left to member states.<ref group="lower-alpha">To do otherwise would require the drafting of legislation which would have to cope with the frequently divergent legal systems and administrative systems of all of the now 28 member states. See Craig and de Búrca, p. 115.</ref> When the time limit for implementing directives passes, they may, under certain conditions, have [[direct effect]] in national law against member states. Decisions offer an alternative to the two above modes of legislation. They are legal acts which only apply to specified individuals, companies or a particular member state. They are most often used in [[competition law]], or on rulings on State Aid, but are also frequently used for procedural or administrative matters within the institutions. Regulations, directives, and decisions are of equal legal value and apply without any formal hierarchy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://europa.eu/institutions/decision-making/index_en.htm|title=How EU takes decisions|access-date=1 November 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102215021/http://europa.eu/institutions/decision-making/index_en.htm|archive-date=2 January 2011}}</ref>

{{Clear}}

===Foreign relations===
{{Main|Foreign relations of the European Union}}
{{See also|European External Action Service}}

[[File:Josep Borrell (49468484246) (cropped).jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.75|[[Josep Borrell]], [[High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy|High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy]]|alt=Portrait of Josep Borrell]]

Foreign policy co-operation between member states dates from the establishment of the community in 1957, when member states negotiated as a bloc in international trade negotiations under the [[EU's common commercial policy]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Qualified-Majority Voting: Common commercial policy|url=http://ec.europa.eu/archives/igc2000/geninfo/fact-sheets/fact-sheet6/index_en.htm|access-date=3 September 2007|publisher=Europa web portal}}</ref> Steps for more wide-ranging co-ordination in foreign relations began in 1970 with the establishment of [[European Political Cooperation]] which created an informal consultation process between member states with the aim of forming common foreign policies. In 1987 the European Political Cooperation was introduced on a formal basis by the [[Single European Act]]. EPC was renamed as the [[Common Foreign and Security Policy]] (CFSP) by the [[Maastricht Treaty]].<ref name="EPC">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708111806/http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/european_political_cooperation_en.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date= 8 July 2007 |url=http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/european_political_cooperation_en.htm |title=European political co-operation (EPC) |access-date=3 September 2007 |publisher=Europa web portal |author=The European commission |work=Europa Glossary }}</ref>

The aims of the CFSP are to promote both the EU's own interests and those of the [[international community]] as a whole, including the furtherance of international co-operation, respect for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.<ref name="art11 Union">{{Cite web|title=The requested document does not exist. - EUR-Lex|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ%253AC%253A2010%253A083%253A0013%253A0046%253AEN%253APDF|access-date=2022-12-21|website=eur-lex.europa.eu|language=en}}</ref> The CFSP requires unanimity among the member states on the appropriate policy to follow on any particular issue. The unanimity and difficult issues treated under the CFSP sometimes lead to disagreements, such as those which occurred over the [[Iraq War|war in Iraq]].<ref name="BBC Iraq statement">{{cite news|title=Divided EU agrees Iraq statement|work =BBC News|publisher=BBC|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2697667.stm|access-date=13 March 2009}}</ref>

The coordinator and representative of the CFSP within the EU is the [[High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy|high representative of the union for foreign affairs and security policy]] who speaks on behalf of the EU in foreign policy and defence matters, and has the task of articulating the positions expressed by the member states on these fields of policy into a common alignment. The high representative heads up the [[European External Action Service]] (EEAS), a unique EU department<ref name="23Oct">{{Cite web|title=EU states near agreement on diplomatic service|url=https://euobserver.com/world/28878|access-date=2022-12-21|website=EUobserver|language=en}}</ref> that has been officially implemented and operational since 1 December 2010 on the occasion of the first anniversary of the entry into force of the [[Treaty of Lisbon]].<ref>{{cite web|title=European External Action Service gives Europe voice on world stage|url=http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2010/101201-EAD.html|publisher=German Foreign Ministry|access-date=4 June 2013}}</ref> The EEAS will serve as a foreign ministry and [[diplomatic corps]] for the European Union.<ref name="Europa EEAS">{{cite web|title=European External Action Service|publisher=Europa web portal|year=2010|url=http://eeas.europa.eu/background/index_en.htm|access-date=26 June 2010}}</ref>

Besides the emerging international policy of the European Union, the international influence of the EU is also felt through [[Enlargement of the European Union|enlargement]]. The perceived benefits of becoming a member of the EU act as an incentive for both political and economic reform in states wishing to fulfil the EU's accession criteria, and are considered an important factor contributing to the reform of European formerly Communist countries.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Peterson|first=John|title=Enlargement, reform and the European Commission. Weathering a perfect storm?|journal=Journal of European Public Policy |volume=15|issue=5|pages=761–780|doi=10.1080/13501760802133328|s2cid=154664296}}</ref>{{rp|762}} This influence on the internal affairs of other countries is generally referred to as "[[soft power]]", as opposed to military "hard power".<ref name="Soft Power">{{cite web|last=Bildt |first=Carl |author-link=Carl Bildt |title=Europe must keep its 'soft power' |work=Financial Times on Centre for European Reform |year=2005 |url=http://www.cer.org.uk/articles/bildt_ft_1june05.html |access-date=26 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609135542/http://www.cer.org.uk/articles/bildt_ft_1june05.html |archive-date=9 June 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==== Humanitarian aid ====
{{Further|Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations}}

The [[ECHO (European Commission)|European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department]], or "ECHO", provides [[humanitarian aid]] from the EU to [[developing country|developing countries]]. In 2012, its budget amounted to {{Euro|874}}{{nbsp}}million, 51 per cent of the budget went to Africa and 20 per cent to Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific, and 20 per cent to the Middle East and Mediterranean.<ref>{{cite web |title=ECHO's finances |url=http://ec.europa.eu/echo/funding/finances_en.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130718150202/http://ec.europa.eu/echo/funding/finances_en.htm |archive-date=18 July 2013 |website=ec.europa.eu |publisher=Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, [[European Commission]]}}</ref>

Humanitarian aid is financed directly by the budget (70 per cent) as part of the financial instruments for external action and also by the [[European Development Fund]] (30 per cent).<ref name="ODI">Mikaela Gavas 2010. [http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=5078&title=european-development-cooperation-financial-perspectives Financing European development cooperation: the Financial Perspectives 2014–2020.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110316022518/http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=5078&title=european-development-cooperation-financial-perspectives}} London: [[Overseas Development Institute]]</ref> The EU's external action financing is divided into 'geographic' instruments and 'thematic' instruments.<ref name="ODI" /> The 'geographic' instruments provide aid through the [[Development Cooperation Instrument]] (DCI, {{Euro|16.9}}{{nbsp}}billion, 2007–2013), which must spend 95 per cent of its budget on [[official development assistance]] (ODA), and from the [[European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument]] (ENPI), which contains some relevant programmes.<ref name="ODI" /> The European Development Fund (EDF, {{Euro|22.7}}{{nbsp}}billion for the period 2008–2013 and {{Euro|30.5}}{{nbsp}}billion for the period 2014–2020) is made up of voluntary contributions by member states, but there is pressure to merge the EDF into the budget-financed instruments to encourage increased contributions to match the 0.7 per cent target and allow the [[European Parliament]] greater oversight.<ref name="ODI" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Homepage |url=https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/index_en |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref>

In 2016, the average among EU countries was 0.4 per cent and five had met or exceeded the 0.7 per cent target: Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, Sweden and the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |title=Development aid rises again in 2016 |url=http://www.oecd.org/dac/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-data/ODA-2016-detailed-summary.pdf |access-date=23 December 2017 |publisher=OECD}}</ref> If considered collectively, EU member states are the largest contributor of [[List of development aid country donors|foreign aid]] in the world.<ref name="GHA report 2014">{{cite web |author=GHA |title=GHA report 2014 |url=http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/report/gha-report-2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206051029/http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/report/gha-report-2014 |archive-date=6 February 2015 |access-date=22 February 2015 |publisher=globalhumanitarianassistance.org}}</ref><ref name="OECD aid report 2013">{{cite web |author=OECD |title=Aid to developing countries (2013) |url=http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/aid-to-developing-countries-rebounds-in-2013-to-reach-an-all-time-high.htm |publisher=OECD}}</ref>

==== International cooperation and development partnerships ====
{{Main|Directorate-General for International Partnerships|ACP–EU development cooperation|European Solidarity Corps|European Union Global Strategy|European Neighbourhood Policy|Global Europe}}
[[File:Ilham Aliyev attended EU Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels.jpg|thumb|[[Eastern Partnership]] Summit 2017, [[Brussels]]]]

The European Union uses foreign relations instruments like the [[European Neighbourhood Policy]] which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the union. These countries, primarily developing countries, include some who seek to one day become either a [[member state of the European Union]], or more closely integrated with the European Union. The EU offers financial assistance to countries within the European Neighbourhood, so long as they meet the strict conditions of government reform, economic reform and other issues surrounding positive transformation. This process is normally underpinned by an Action Plan, as agreed by both Brussels and the target country.
[[File:Membreupm.png|thumb|right|[[Union for the Mediterranean]] meeting in Barcelona]]
There is also the worldwide [[European Union Global Strategy]]. International recognition of sustainable development as a key element is growing steadily. Its role was recognised in three major UN summits on sustainable development: the 1992 [[Earth Summit|UN Conference on Environment and Development]] (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, [[South Africa]]; and the 2012 [[United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development|UN Conference on Sustainable Development]] (UNCSD) in Rio de Janeiro. Other key global agreements are the [[Paris Agreement]] and the [[Sustainable Development Goals|2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development]] (United Nations, 2015). The SDGs recognise that all countries must stimulate action in the following key areas – people, [[planet]], prosperity, [[peace]] and [[partnership]] – in order to tackle the global challenges that are crucial for the survival of [[human]]ity.

EU development action is based on the European Consensus on Development, which was endorsed on 20 December 2005 by EU Member States, the council, the European Parliament and the commission.<ref>{{cite web |title=The European Consensus on Development |url=http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/what/development-policies/european-consensus/index_en.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811141039/http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/what/development-policies/european-consensus/index_en.htm |archive-date=11 August 2011 |access-date=27 August 2011}}</ref> It is applied from the principles of [[Capability approach]] and [[Rights-based approach to development]]. Funding is provided by the [[Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance]] and the [[Global Europe]] programmes.

Partnership and cooperation agreements are bilateral agreements with non-member nations.<ref name="pca">{{cite web |title=Partnership and cooperation agreement (PCA) – EU monitor |url=https://www.eumonitor.eu/9353000/1/j9vvik7m1c3gyxp/vh7gkuhng0wh |website=www.eumonitor.eu}}</ref>

{{Clear}}

===Defence===
{{Main|Common Security and Defence Policy}}
{{See also
| Frontex
| European Defence Agency
| European Union Institute for Security Studies
| European Union Satellite Centre
}}

[[File:EU and NATO.svg|thumb|Map showing European membership of the EU and [[NATO]]
{{Leftlegend|#000080|EU member only}}
{{Leftlegend|#FF6600|NATO member only}}
{{Leftlegend|#800080|EU and NATO member}}
]]

[[File:Coat of arms of the European Union Military Staff.svg|thumb|Coat of arms of the [[European Union Military Staff|Military Staff]]]]


The predecessors of the European Union were not devised as a military alliance because [[NATO]] was largely seen as appropriate and sufficient for defence purposes.{{sfn|Wilkinson|2007|page=100}} 22 EU members are members of NATO<ref>{{cite web|title=NATO Member Countries|url=http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/nato_countries.htm|access-date=25 August 2009}}</ref> and Sweden is in the process of accession while the remaining member states follow policies of [[Neutrality (international relations)|neutrality]].<ref>{{cite conference|first=Finn|last=Laursen|title=The EU 'neutrals,' the CFSP and defence policy|book-title=Biennial Conference of the European Union Studies Association|page=27|publisher=University of Pittsburgh|location=Seattle, WA|url=http://aei.pitt.edu/2657/|access-date=24 July 2009}}</ref> The [[Western European Union]], a military alliance with a mutual defence clause, was disbanded in 2010 as its role had been transferred to the EU.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statement of the Presidency of the Permanent Council of the WEU on behalf of the High Contracting Parties to the Modified Brussels Treaty – Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom |url=http://www.weu.int/Declaration_E.pdf |website=weu.int |publisher=Western European Union |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010150807/http://www.weu.int/Declaration_E.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 October 2017 |location=Brussels }}</ref> Following the [[Kosovo War]] in 1999, the [[European Council]] agreed that "the Union must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and the readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises without prejudice to actions by NATO". To that end, a number of efforts were made to increase the EU's military capability, notably the [[Helsinki Headline Goal]] process. After much discussion, the most concrete result was the [[EU Battlegroup]]s initiative, each of which is planned to be able to deploy quickly about 1500 personnel.<ref name="Council Capabilities">{{cite web|title=EU battlegroups |publisher=Europa web portal|author=Council of the European Union|url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cmsUpload/090720-Factsheet-Battlegroups_EN.pdf|access-date=3 June 2013}}</ref>


Since the withdrawal of the United Kingdom, France is the only member officially recognised as a [[List of states with nuclear weapons|nuclear weapon state]] and the sole holder of a [[Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council|permanent seat]] on the [[United Nations Security Council]]. France and Italy are also the only EU countries that have [[Power projection|power projection capabilities]] outside of Europe.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cunha |first1=Alberto |title=Post-Brexit EU Defence Policy: Is Germany Leading towards a European Army? |url=https://www.e-ir.info/2020/07/05/post-brexit-eu-defence-policy-is-germany-leading-towards-a-european-army/ |website=E-International Relations |access-date=1 January 2022 |language=en }}</ref> Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium participate in NATO [[nuclear sharing]].<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/74d6c94a8784b0ef0346f046169ac8c7/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=37049 |title=German Politicians Renew Nuclear Basing Debate |last=Meier |first=Oliver |journal=Arms Control Today |volume=50 |issue=5 |pages=36–37}}</ref> Most EU member states opposed the [[Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons|Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons ─ the 'Ban Treaty' |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2018)614664 |work=European Parliament }}</ref>

[[EUFOR|EU forces]] have been deployed on peacekeeping missions from middle and northern Africa to the [[western Balkans]] and western Asia.<ref name="Council Operations">{{cite web|title=Overview of the missions and operations of the European Union|publisher=Europa web portal|author=Council of the European Union|url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/eeas/security-defence/eu-operations?amp;lang=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111202213910/http://www.consilium.europa.eu/eeas/security-defence/eu-operations?amp;lang=en|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 December 2011|access-date=3 June 2013}}</ref> EU military operations are supported by a number of bodies, including the [[European Defence Agency]], [[European Union Satellite Centre]] and the [[European Union Military Staff]].<ref name="Council Structures">{{cite web|title=CSDP structures and instruments|publisher=Europa web portal|author=Council of the European Union|url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/eeas/security-defence/csdp-structures-and-instruments?lang=en|access-date=3 June 2013|archive-date=30 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530233030/http://consilium.europa.eu/eeas/security-defence/csdp-structures-and-instruments?lang=en|url-status=dead}}</ref> The European Union Military Staff is the highest military institution of the European Union, established within the framework of the European Council, and follows on from the decisions of the Helsinki European Council (10–11 December 1999), which called for the establishment of permanent political-military institutions. The European Union Military Staff is under the authority of the [[High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy]] and the Political and Security Committee. It directs all military activities in the EU context, including planning and conducting military missions and operations in the framework of the [[Common Security and Defence Policy]] and the development of military capabilities, and provides the Political and Security Committee with military advice and recommendations on military issues. In an EU consisting of 27 members, substantial security and defence co-operation is increasingly relying on collaboration among all member states.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.diis.dk/sw87465.asp?csref=RSS |title=The Russo-Georgian War and Beyond: towards a European Great Power Concert, Danish ''Institute of International Studies'' |publisher=Diis.dk |access-date=27 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429211047/http://www.diis.dk/sw87465.asp?csref=RSS |archive-date=29 April 2011 }}</ref>

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency ([[Frontex]]) is an [[Agencies of the European Union|agency of the EU]] aiming to detect and stop illegal immigration, [[human trafficking]] and terrorist infiltration.<ref>{{cite web|title=What is Frontex?|url=http://www.frontex.europa.eu/|author=Frontex|publisher=Europa web portal|access-date=4 September 2007}}</ref> The EU also operates the [[European Travel Information and Authorisation System]], the [[Entry/Exit System]], the [[Schengen Information System]], the [[Visa Information System]] and the [[Common European Asylum System]] which provide common databases for police and immigration authorities. The impetus for the development of this co-operation was the advent of open borders in the Schengen Area and the associated cross-border crime.<ref name="Internal borders"/>

{{Clear}}

==Member states==

{{Main|Member state of the European Union}}

<imagemap>File:Member States of the European Union (polar stereographic projection) EN.svg|thumb|right|upright=2|Map showing the member states of the European Union (clickable)
poly 230 284 229 287 233 291 237 284 241 287 242 293 248 302 250 305 252 306 263 312 263 311 258 307 259 305 249 295 245 290 246 285 251 288 257 286 263 287 270 287 273 289 274 285 276 284 272 281 271 277 268 279 262 279 258 275 254 272 252 271 247 274 246 278 244 279 244 283 239 284 237 281 236 283 232 282 230 284 [[Croatia]]
poly 261 28 273 39 279 59 284 61 286 66 271 97 275 105 275 116 284 122 308 111 320 83 308 75 310 71 302 60 305 54 297 46 298 36 290 32 291 16 282 16 277 22 280 28 275 33 270 32 264 26 [[Finland]]
poly 260 29 259 38 252 37 252 42 248 41 244 54 238 64 238 72 235 77 237 83 226 83 223 100 227 106 230 111 227 115 229 121 223 127 220 141 229 160 227 163 231 173 238 171 238 168 242 164 250 164 254 135 261 130 262 117 252 115 257 93 270 83 271 66 279 59 273 39 [[Sweden]]
poly 312 142 307 131 311 123 294 123 279 132 280 142 290 137 295 138 304 141 [[Estonia]]
poly 310 164 319 155 318 148 313 142 295 140 298 153 288 149 282 142 277 161 295 158 [[Latvia]]
poly 288 180 295 184 301 184 309 178 307 170 312 168 308 162 294 157 279 161 279 174 289 174 [[Lithuania]]
poly 300 198 294 182 290 180 270 183 265 184 264 179 250 182 248 186 238 190 238 197 234 199 239 203 241 223 249 225 251 229 255 226 261 230 265 232 268 235 270 237 273 235 276 240 281 237 283 237 289 236 296 242 297 239 297 234 301 223 305 222 304 217 301 214 296 201 [[Poland]]
poly 254 250 257 245 261 244 269 236 272 235 276 240 279 238 289 235 297 243 274 250 269 253 269 257 259 254 [[Slovakia]]
poly 299 251 291 245 270 252 269 257 258 252 249 268 254 271 260 279 268 278 275 274 290 272 294 258 [[Hungary]]
poly 355 291 354 280 361 274 355 269 349 272 346 270 343 259 332 248 330 243 328 242 324 247 314 250 312 248 301 250 294 255 292 265 288 271 282 274 288 281 293 284 293 288 296 290 302 287 301 291 308 294 308 297 317 297 322 297 329 295 339 287 347 288 [[Romania]]
poly 309 327 312 322 309 318 305 316 305 310 308 305 302 298 304 294 309 295 310 298 328 297 340 287 354 291 350 297 352 301 348 304 355 309 348 314 347 311 340 316 339 317 339 321 329 324 323 321 316 325 [[Bulgaria]]
poly 308 383 305 376 306 374 293 368 294 359 289 351 289 344 294 339 295 333 301 332 304 328 310 326 317 326 322 322 329 325 340 321 340 316 342 319 340 328 328 329 320 331 325 335 339 340 336 342 348 344 350 348 347 358 344 353 348 352 349 348 343 347 345 344 334 341 335 338 328 335 317 341 313 337 311 342 320 350 332 359 339 365 358 359 340 377 331 380 335 376 337 378 342 373 340 370 345 372 353 362 337 366 328 363 327 367 320 367 326 372 319 374 320 382 334 393 355 393 372 372 372 378 368 383 368 377 364 384 365 390 361 387 355 396 340 400 339 395 329 397 329 393 332 392 320 380 314 384 311 378 [[Greece]]
poly 419 384 415 381 421 378 421 373 428 371 435 365 430 374 434 376 424 383 [[Cyprus]]
poly 236 248 224 238 221 231 225 227 236 221 240 220 249 225 254 226 260 231 266 230 267 236 261 243 249 245 244 243 [[Czech Republic]]
poly 198 263 201 257 204 260 207 258 213 260 224 255 233 248 238 248 241 244 245 244 248 246 255 246 253 250 256 254 250 265 249 268 238 272 229 271 220 268 218 263 210 264 208 266 [[Austria]]
poly 249 267 253 273 242 279 244 284 236 282 230 281 227 277 229 271 238 272 [[Slovenia]]
poly 179 298 180 293 174 292 176 287 173 283 178 282 178 278 176 275 181 274 185 273 189 269 189 273 195 273 197 269 199 272 204 269 207 267 210 265 218 263 220 269 230 271 226 281 219 283 222 289 219 290 220 297 231 304 236 319 247 323 253 325 250 327 274 341 273 349 269 341 260 341 257 348 262 355 261 358 257 360 257 364 251 371 248 369 244 377 244 378 244 386 237 386 237 383 230 381 222 375 219 376 219 370 226 368 238 370 245 367 250 365 253 358 248 346 246 347 241 342 241 341 237 340 234 336 230 332 224 331 184 357 181 355 183 343 182 333 185 333 190 329 193 330 196 339 194 340 193 352 224 331 211 317 209 317 203 309 204 308 202 298 190 292 184 297 [[Italy]]
rect 224 394 251 405 [[Malta]]
poly 14 333 21 334 24 337 27 339 29 333 36 329 33 325 40 319 39 311 43 312 49 298 57 295 54 292 55 289 43 284 42 281 39 280 36 291 36 292 19 313 24 314 20 317 23 318 19 324 19 327 [[Portugal]]
poly 41 358 38 355 35 355 37 345 32 338 28 338 29 333 37 329 33 326 39 319 39 311 42 312 49 300 56 295 55 292 54 290 43 283 39 280 42 270 39 269 45 266 50 268 51 264 58 266 69 274 71 272 80 279 89 280 95 283 99 287 102 287 114 299 119 301 120 298 124 301 124 304 127 305 135 308 140 309 140 314 145 339 140 337 133 343 126 339 116 349 113 342 120 345 128 337 132 335 136 338 143 335 139 312 136 316 131 317 128 317 114 320 116 322 104 331 100 338 106 345 98 346 92 353 92 356 85 354 76 361 73 357 71 361 66 357 53 354 53 357 46 355 [[Spain]]
poly 100 286 111 297 118 300 119 298 126 302 128 302 128 305 139 307 140 301 144 298 152 296 155 300 157 298 165 304 169 305 189 328 195 318 195 306 192 312 188 311 187 327 170 305 178 298 180 294 173 292 176 288 174 284 179 281 176 276 179 272 175 266 170 267 175 262 180 258 178 255 182 256 186 244 190 240 178 234 173 232 169 227 169 225 165 225 162 220 157 216 155 212 151 212 147 218 142 222 137 221 137 224 133 223 125 220 121 218 124 225 121 230 113 227 111 223 107 224 101 223 97 223 97 232 109 241 111 251 115 258 107 284 [[France]]
poly 202 178 209 178 211 181 218 182 216 185 218 187 231 181 235 184 231 187 238 189 238 197 235 201 238 203 240 222 236 220 234 224 223 228 221 230 224 238 232 247 224 255 217 258 211 259 207 257 203 261 199 256 189 255 183 256 185 244 190 241 181 235 178 224 181 214 180 207 185 201 190 195 192 187 197 187 199 189 202 186 [[Germany]]
poly 177 225 174 229 172 235 180 237 180 229 [[Luxembourg]]
poly 155 210 157 220 166 225 175 232 173 226 178 225 177 215 171 210 164 212 160 209 [[Belgium]]
poly 191 188 178 189 162 209 167 209 171 207 170 210 179 215 180 207 188 204 184 200 188 198 [[Netherlands]]
poly 201 177 209 177 222 181 228 176 227 159 219 170 221 177 216 175 214 163 218 158 215 143 202 157 [[Denmark]]
poly 102 181 92 179 82 181 79 179 75 173 78 168 89 162 84 159 89 151 98 154 100 153 97 150 104 146 109 147 100 156 108 166 106 174 103 177 [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]
desc bottom-left
</imagemap>

Through successive [[Enlargement of the European Union|enlargements]], the European Union has grown from the [[Inner Six|six founding states]] (Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) to {{EUnum}} members. Countries accede to the union by becoming a party to the founding [[Treaties of the European Union|treaties]], thereby subjecting themselves to the privileges and obligations of EU membership. This entails a partial delegation of sovereignty to the institutions in return for representation within those institutions, a practice often referred to as "pooling of sovereignty".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.answers.com/topic/pooled-sovereignty|title=Answers {{ndash}} The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions|work=Answers.com|access-date=12 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120091030/http://www.answers.com/topic/pooled-sovereignty|archive-date=20 January 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=EU institutions and other bodies |url=http://europa.eu/institutions/index_en.htm |publisher=Europa |access-date=4 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090601191547/http://europa.eu/institutions/index_en.htm |archive-date=1 June 2009 }}</ref> In some policies, there are several member states that ally with strategic partners within the union. Examples of such alliances include the [[Baltic Assembly]], the [[Benelux Union]], the [[Bucharest Nine]], the [[Craiova Group]], the [[EU Med Group]], the [[Lublin Triangle]], the [[New Hanseatic League]], the [[Three Seas Initiative]], the [[Visegrád Group]], and the [[Weimar Triangle]].

To become a member, a country must meet the [[Copenhagen criteria]], defined at the 1993 meeting of the European Council in Copenhagen. These require a stable democracy that respects human rights and the [[rule of law]]; a functioning [[market economy]]; and the acceptance of the obligations of membership, including EU law. Evaluation of a country's fulfilment of the criteria is the responsibility of the European Council.<ref name="Accession Criteria">{{cite web|title=Accession criteria (Copenhagen criteria) |publisher=Europa web portal |url=http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/accession_criteria_copenhague_en.htm |access-date=26 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705172736/http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/accession_criteria_copenhague_en.htm |archive-date=5 July 2007 }}</ref>

The four countries forming the [[European Free Trade Association]] (EFTA) are not EU members, but have partly committed to the EU's economy and regulations: Iceland, [[Liechtenstein]] and Norway, which are a part of the [[single market]] through the [[European Economic Area]], and Switzerland, which has similar ties through [[Switzerland–European Union relations|bilateral treaties]].<ref name="EEA"/><ref name="CH">{{cite web|title=The EU's relations with Switzerland |publisher=Europa web portal|url=http://eeas.europa.eu/switzerland/index_en.htm |access-date=3 November 2010}}</ref> The relationships of the [[Microstates and the European Union|European microstates]], [[Andorra]], [[Monaco]], [[San Marino]], and [[Vatican City]] include the use of the euro and other areas of co-operation.<ref name="euro use world">{{cite web |url= http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/euro/world/outside_euro_area/index_en.htm |title=Use of the euro in the world|publisher=Europa web portal|author=European Commission|work=The euro outside the euro area|access-date=27 February 2008}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ {{Nowrap|List of member states}}{{Anchor|Details of member states}}
! scope="col" | [[Member state of the European Union|State]]
! scope="col" | [[Enlargement of the European Union|Accession]]
! scope="col" | Population{{Efn|2022}}<ref name="population" />
! scope="col" | Area
! scope="col" | Population density
! scope="col" | [[Member of the European Parliament|MEPs]]
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Austria}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 January 1995}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|8978929}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|83855|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(8978929/83855) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 19
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Belgium}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|25 March 1957|format=hide}} Founder
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|11617623}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|30528|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(11617623/30528) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 21
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Bulgaria}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 January 2007}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|6838937}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|110994|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(6838937/110994) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 17
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Croatia}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 July 2013}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|3862305}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|56594|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(3862305/56594) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 12
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Cyprus}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 May 2004}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|904705}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|9251|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(904705/9251) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 6
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Czech Republic}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 May 2004}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|10516707}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|78866|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(10516707/78866) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 21
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Denmark}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 January 1973}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|5873420}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|43075|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(5873420/43075) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 14
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Estonia}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 May 2004}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|1331796}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|45227|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(1331796/45227) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 7
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Finland}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 January 1995}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|5548241}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|338424|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(5548241/338424) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 14
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|France}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|25 March 1957|format=hide}} Founder
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|67871925}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|640679|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(67871925/640679) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 79
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Germany}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|25 March 1957|format=hide}} Founder<ref group="lower-alpha">On {{Date table sorting|format=dmy|1990|10|3}}, the constituent states of the former [[East Germany|German Democratic Republic]] [[German reunification|acceded]] to the [[West Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]], automatically becoming part of the EU.</ref>
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|83237124}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|357021|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(83237124/357021) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 96
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Greece}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 January 1981}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|10459782}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|131990|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(10459782/131990) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 21
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Hungary}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 May 2004}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|9689010}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|93030|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(9689010/93030) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 21
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Ireland}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 January 1973}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|5060004}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|70273|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(5060004/70273) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 13
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Italy}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|25 March 1957|format=hide}} Founder
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|59030133}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|301338|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(59030133/301338) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 76
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Latvia}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 May 2004}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|1875757}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|64589|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(1875757/64589) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 8
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Lithuania}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 May 2004}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|2805998}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|65200|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(2805998/65200) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 11
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Luxembourg}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|25 March 1957|format=hide}} Founder
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|645397}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|2586|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(645397/2586) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 6
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Malta}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 May 2004}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|520971}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|316|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(520971/316) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 6
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Netherlands}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|25 March 1957|format=hide}} Founder
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|17590672}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|41543|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(17590672/41543) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 29
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Poland}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 May 2004}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|37654247}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|312685|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(37654247/312685) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 52
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Portugal}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 January 1986}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|10352042}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|92390|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(10352042/92390) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 21
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Romania}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 January 2007}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|19042455}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|238391|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(19042455/238391) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 33
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Slovakia}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 May 2004}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|5434712}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|49035|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(5434712/49035) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 14
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Slovenia}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 May 2004}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|2107180}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|20273|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(2107180/20273) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 8
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Spain}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 January 1986}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|47432893}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|504030|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(47432893/504030) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 59
|-
! scope="row" | {{Flag|Sweden}}
| style="text-align: center;" | {{Date table sorting|1 January 1995}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Number table sorting|10452326}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|449964|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Cvt|{{#expr:(10452326/449964) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
| style="text-align: right;" | 21
|- class="sortbottom" style="text-align:right;"
! colspan="2" | 27 total
! {{Number table sorting|446735291}}
! {{Cvt|4233262|km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
! {{Cvt|{{#expr:(446735291/4233262) round 0}}|/km2|disp=br()|sortable=on}}
! 705 
|}

===Subdivisions===
{{Main|Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics}}

[[Country subdivision|Subdivisions of member-states]] are based on the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS), a [[geocode]] [[Standardization|standard]] for statistical purposes. The standard, adopted in 2003, is developed and regulated by the European Union, and thus only covers the [[Member State of the European Union|member states of the EU]] in detail. The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics is instrumental in the European Union's [[Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund]] delivery mechanisms and for locating the area where goods and services subject to European [[Government procurement in the European Union|public procurement]] legislation are to be delivered.

{{Gallery
| title = Maps of Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) subdivisions (prior to 2018, including non-EU member states)
| align = center
| mode = nolines
| File:NUTS 1 regions.svg
| NUTS 1
| File:NUTS 2 regions.svg
| NUTS 2
| File:NUTS 3 region (2017).svg
| NUTS 3
}}

===Schengen Area===
{{Main|Schengen Area}}

[[File:Map of the Schengen Area.svg|thumb|right|upright=1|Map of the Schengen Area
{{Leftlegend|#003399|Schengen Area}}
{{Leftlegend|#27a4bb|Countries ''de facto'' participating}}
{{Leftlegend|#ffa500|Members of the EU committed by treaty to join the Schengen Area in the future}}
]]

The Schengen Area is an area comprising 27 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of [[border control]] at their mutual borders. Being an element within the wider [[area of freedom, security and justice]] policy of the EU, it mostly functions as a single jurisdiction under [[Visa policies in the European Union|a common visa policy]] for international travel purposes. The area is named after the 1985 [[Schengen Agreement]] and the 1990 [[Schengen Convention]], both signed in [[Schengen, Luxembourg]]. Of the 27 EU member states, 23 participate in the Schengen Area. Of the four EU members that are not part of the Schengen Area, three—[[Bulgaria and the European Union|Bulgaria]], [[Cyprus and the European Union|Cyprus]], and [[Romania and the European Union|Romania]]—are legally obligated to join the area in the future; [[Ireland and the European Union|Ireland]] maintains an [[Opt-outs in the European Union|opt-out]], and instead operates [[Visa policy of Ireland|its own visa policy]]. The four [[European Free Trade Association]] (EFTA) member states, [[Iceland–European Union relations|Iceland]], [[Liechtenstein-European Union relations|Liechtenstein]], [[Norway-European Union relations|Norway]], and [[Switzerland-European Union relations|Switzerland]], are not members of the EU, but have signed agreements in association with the Schengen Agreement. Also, three [[European microstates]]—[[Monaco]], [[San Marino]], and the [[Vatican City]]—maintain open borders for passenger traffic with their neighbours, and are therefore considered ''de facto'' members of the Schengen Area due to the practical impossibility of travelling to or from them without transiting through at least one Schengen member country.

===Candidate countries===
{{Main|Potential enlargement of the European Union}}

There are eight countries that are recognised as [[Future enlargement of the European Union|candidates for membership]]: [[Accession of Albania to the European Union|Albania]], [[Accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union|Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Accession of Moldova to the European Union|Moldova]], [[Accession of Montenegro to the European Union|Montenegro]], [[Accession of North Macedonia to the European Union|North Macedonia]], [[Accession of Serbia to the European Union|Serbia]], [[Accession of Turkey to the European Union|Turkey]] and [[Accession of Ukraine to the European Union|Ukraine]].<ref name="Europa Enlargement" /><ref>{{Cite web |author=Luke McGee |title=Ukraine's EU hopes rise as bloc's leaders approve candidate status |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/23/europe/eu-approves-ukraine-candidateship-intl/index.html |access-date=2022-06-23 |website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bosnia and Herzegovina set for EU candidate status |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/bosnia-and-herzegovina-set-to-receive-eu-candidate-status/ |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=POLITICO |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Norway–European Union relations|Norway]], [[Switzerland–European Union relations|Switzerland]] and [[Accession of Iceland to the European Union|Iceland]] have submitted membership applications in the past, but subsequently frozen or withdrawn them.<ref name="icelandover">{{cite news |url=http://euobserver.com/political/120501 |title=Iceland's EU bid is over, commission told |last=Fox |first=Benjamin |agency=Reuters |access-date=16 June 2013}}</ref> Additionally, [[Georgia–European Union relations#Proposed European Union membership|Georgia]] and [[Accession of Kosovo to the European Union|Kosovo]] are officially recognised as potential candidates,<ref name="Europa Enlargement">{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/countries/index_en.htm |title=European Commission – Enlargement – Candidate and Potential Candidate Countries |publisher=Europa web portal |access-date=13 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408221338/http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/countries/index_en.htm |archive-date=8 April 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.trend.az/scaucasus/georgia/2264637.html|title=Georgia can apply for EU membership if it complies with democratic principles|website=Trend.Az}}</ref> and have submitted membership applications.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-moldova-eu-applications/31734092.html |title=Georgia, Moldova Formally Apply For EU Membership Amid Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine |website=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |access-date=11 April 2022}}</ref>

===Former members===
[[Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union|Article 50]] of the [[Treaty of Lisbon|Lisbon Treaty]] provides the basis for a member to [[Withdrawal from the European Union|leave the EU]]. Two territories have left the union: [[Greenland]] (an [[autonomous area|autonomous province]] of Denmark) withdrew in 1985;<ref>{{cite web|title=The Greenland Treaty of 1985 |work=The European Union and Greenland |publisher=Greenland Home Rule Government |url=http://eu.nanoq.gl/Emner/EuGl/The%20Greenland%20Treaty.aspx |access-date=10 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110503185125/http://eu.nanoq.gl/Emner/EuGl/The%20Greenland%20Treaty.aspx |archive-date=3 May 2011 }}</ref> the United Kingdom formally invoked Article 50 of the Consolidated Treaty on European Union in 2017, and became the only sovereign state to leave when it [[Brexit|withdrew]] from the EU in 2020.

{{Clear}}

==Geography==

{{Main|Geography of the European Union}}

[[File:European Union relief laea location map.svg|thumb|right|upright=1|Topographic map of Europe (EU highlighted)]]

The EU's member states cover an area of {{convert|4,233,262|km2|sqmi|0}},<ref group="lower-alpha" name="Area.and.population.figure">This figure includes the extra-European territories of member states that are part of the EU, and excludes the European territories of member states which are not part of the Union. For more information, see [[Special member state territories and the European Union]].</ref> and therefore a large part of the [[Europe|European continent]]. The EU's highest peak is [[Mont Blanc]] in the [[Graian Alps]], {{convert|4810.45|m|ft|0}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/environment/mont-blanc-shrinks-by-45cm-in-two-years-20091106-i0kk.html |title=Mont Blanc shrinks by {{convert|45|cm|2|abbr=on}} in two years |work=Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=26 November 2010 |date=6 November 2009}}</ref> The lowest points in the EU are [[Lammefjorden]], Denmark, and [[Zuidplaspolder]], Netherlands, at {{convert|7|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} below sea level.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/european-union/|title=The World Factbook|work=cia.gov|access-date=12 February 2016}}</ref> The landscape, climate, and economy of the EU are influenced by its coastline, which is {{convert|65993|km|mi|0}} long.

In addition to national territories in Europe, there are 32 [[special territories of members of the European Economic Area]], not all of which are part of the EU. The largest by area is [[Greenland]], which is [[Greenland and the European Union|not part of the EU but whose citizens are EU citizens]], while the largest by population are the [[Canary Islands]] off Africa, which are part of the EU and the [[Schengen area]]. [[French Guiana]] in South America is part of the EU and the Eurozone, as is [[Mayotte]], north of [[Madagascar]].

===Climate===
{{Main|Climate of Europe}}

[[File:Koppen-Geiger Map Europe present.svg|thumb|right|upright=1|A [[Köppen-Geiger climate classification]] map of Europe (including non-EU member states)]]

The climate of the European Union is of a [[temperate climate|temperate]], [[continental climate|continental]] nature, with a [[maritime climate]] prevailing on the western coasts and a [[mediterranean climate]] in the south. The climate is strongly conditioned by the [[Gulf Stream]], which warms the western region to levels unattainable at similar latitudes on other continents. Western Europe is oceanic, while eastern Europe is continental and dry. Four seasons occur in western Europe, while southern Europe experiences a [[wet season]] and a [[dry season]]. Southern Europe is hot and dry during the summer months. The heaviest precipitation occurs downwind of water bodies due to the prevailing [[westerlies]], with higher amounts also seen in the [[Alps]].

===Environment===
{{Main|Climate change in Europe}}
{{See also|European Environment Agency}}

[[File:Increase of average yearly temperature in Europe (1900-2017).png|thumb|upright=1|Increase of average yearly temperature in selected cities in Europe (1900–2017)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kayser-Bril |first1=Nicolas |title=Europe is getting warmer, and it's not looking like it's going to cool down anytime soon |url=https://www.europeandatajournalism.eu/eng/News/Data-news/Europe-is-getting-warmer-and-it-s-not-looking-like-it-s-going-to-cool-down-anytime-soon |access-date=25 September 2018 |work=EDJNet }}</ref>]]

In 1957, when the European Economic Community was founded, it had no environmental policy.{{sfn|Jordan|Adelle|2012}} Over the past 50 years, an increasingly dense network of legislation has been created, extending to all areas of environmental protection, including air pollution, water quality, waste management, nature conservation, and the control of chemicals, industrial hazards, and biotechnology.{{sfn|Jordan|Adelle|2012}} According to the [[Institute for European Environmental Policy]], environmental law comprises over 500 Directives, Regulations and Decisions, making environmental policy a core area of European politics.<ref name="European Environmental Policy 2012">Institute for European Environmental Policy (2012) Manual of European Environmental Policy, Earthscan, London.</ref>

European policy-makers originally increased the EU's capacity to act on environmental issues by defining it as a trade problem.{{sfn|Jordan|Adelle|2012}} [[Trade barrier]]s and competitive distortions in the Common Market could emerge due to the different environmental standards in each member state.<ref>Johnson, S.P. and Corcelle, G. (1989) The Environmental Policy of the European Communities, Graham & Trotman, London</ref> In subsequent years, the environment became a formal policy area, with its own policy actors, principles and procedures. The legal basis for EU environmental policy was established with the introduction of the Single European Act in 1987.<ref name="European Environmental Policy 2012"/>

Initially, EU environmental policy focused on Europe. More recently, the EU has demonstrated leadership in global environmental governance, e.g. the role of the EU in securing the ratification and coming into force of the [[Kyoto Protocol]] despite opposition from the United States. This international dimension is reflected in the EU's Sixth Environmental Action Programme,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:l28027|title=EUR-Lex – l28027 – EN – EUR-Lex|publisher=eur-lex.europa.eu}}</ref> which recognises that its objectives can only be achieved if key international agreements are actively supported and properly implemented both at EU level and worldwide. The Lisbon Treaty further strengthened the leadership ambitions.{{sfn|Jordan|Adelle|2012}} EU law has played a significant role in improving habitat and species protection in Europe, as well as contributing to improvements in air and water quality and waste management.<ref name="European Environmental Policy 2012"/>

Mitigating [[climate change]] is one of the top priorities of EU environmental policy. In 2007, member states agreed that, in the future, 20 per cent of the energy used across the EU must be [[renewable energy|renewable]], and carbon dioxide emissions have to be lower in 2020 by at least 20 per cent compared to 1990 levels.<ref name="EUO energy">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/jan/23/climatechange.eu1|title=EU sets 20% target for carbon cuts|access-date=29 February 2008|work=The Guardian |first=Jessica|last=Aldred|location=London}}</ref> In 2017, the EU emitted 9.1 per cent of global [[greenhouse-gas emissions]].<ref name="Global Emissions">{{cite web |title=Global Emissions |url=https://www.c2es.org/content/international-emissions/ |website=Center for Climate and Energy Solutions |access-date=11 November 2020}}</ref> The European Union claims that already in 2018, its GHG emissions were 23% lower than in 1990.<ref>{{cite web|title=Progress made in cutting emissions|url=https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/strategies/progress_en|access-date=21 November 2019|website=European Commission}}</ref>

The EU has adopted an [[Emissions trading|emissions trading system]] to incorporate [[carbon emissions]] into the economy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets_en|title=EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS)|website=Climate Action – European Commission}}</ref> The [[European Green Capital]] is an annual award given to cities that focuses on the environment, energy efficiency, and quality of life in urban areas to create [[smart city]]. In the [[2019 European Parliament election|2019 elections to the European Parliament]], the green parties increased their power, possibly because of the rise of post materialist values.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Berman |first1=Sheri | author-link=Sheri Berman |title=Populists, greens and the new map of European politics |url=https://www.socialeurope.eu/populists-greens-new-political-map |website=Social Europe |access-date=21 June 2019}}</ref> Proposals to reach a zero carbon economy in the European Union by 2050 were suggested in 2018 – 2019. Almost all member states supported that goal at an EU summit in June 2019. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, and Poland disagreed.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/06/21/eu-summit-deadlock-over-top-jobs-and-climate-discord |title = EU summit deadlock over top jobs and climate discord|date = 21 June 2019}}</ref> In June 2021, the European Union passed a [[European Climate Law]] with targets of 55% GHG emissions reduction by 2030 and [[carbon neutrality]] by 2050.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Van Hoof |first1=Sam |title=European Commission launches proposals to reach 55% emissions reduction by 2030 |url=https://www.unsdsn.org/european-commission-launches-proposals-to-reach-55-emissions-reduction-by-2030 |website=Sustainable Development Solution Network |access-date=8 October 2021}}</ref> Also in the same year, the European Union and the United States pledged to cut [[methane emissions]] by 30% by 2030. The pledge is considered as a big achievement for climate change mitigation.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Harvey |first1=Fiona |title=US and EU pledge 30% cut in methane emissions to limit global heating |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/17/us-and-eu-pledge-30-cut-in-methane-emissions-to-limit-global-heating |access-date=8 October 2021 |agency=The Guardian }}</ref>

{{Clear}}

==Economy==

{{Main|Economy of the European Union}}

[[File:Europe-GDP-PPP-per-capita-map.png|thumb|right|upright=1|[[GDP]] (PPP) per capita in 2021 (including non-EU countries)]]

The [[gross domestic product]] (GDP), a measure of economic activity, of the EU was US$16.64 trillion in 2022, around 16.6 percent of the world GDP. This was the third-largest in the world after the United States, and China.<ref>{{cite web |title=World Economic Outlook Database, April 2023 |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April/weo-report?a=1&c=001,998,&s=NGDPD,&sy=2022&ey=2022&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |access-date=24 March 2023 |website=IMF.org |publisher=International Monetary Fund}}</ref> There is a significant variation in GDP per capita between and within individual EU states. The difference between the richest and poorest regions (281 NUTS-2 regions of the [[Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics]]) ranged, in 2017, from 31 per cent (Severozapaden, Bulgaria) of the EU28 average ({{Euro|30,000}}) to 253 per cent (Luxembourg), or from {{Euro|4,600}} to {{Euro|92,600}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Regional GDP per capita ranged from 31% to 626% of the EU average in 2017 |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/9618249/1-26022019-AP-EN.pdf/f765d183-c3d2-4e2f-9256-cc6665909c80 |website=ec.europa.eu}}</ref>

EU member states own the estimated third largest after the United States ({{US$|146}}{{nbsp}}trillion) and China ({{US$|85}}{{nbsp}}trillion) [[net wealth]] in the world, equal to around one sixth ({{US$|78}}{{nbsp}}trillion) of the {{US$|464}}{{nbsp}}trillion global wealth.<ref name="databook2022">{{Cite book|last1=Shorrocks|first1=Anthony|url=https://www.credit-suisse.com/media/assets/corporate/docs/about-us/research/publications/global-wealth-databook-2022.pdf|title=Global Wealth Databook 2022|last2=Davies|first2=James|last3=Lluberas|first3=Rodrigo|publisher=[[Credit Suisse]] Research Institute|year=2022}}</ref> Of the top [[Fortune Global 500|500 largest corporations in the world measured by revenue]] in 2010, 161 had their headquarters in the EU.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2010/countries/Australia.html|title=Global 500 2010: Countries – Australia|work=Fortune|access-date=8 July 2010}} Number of companies data taken from the "Pick a country" box.</ref> In 2016, unemployment in the EU stood at 8.9 per cent<ref name="UNEMP">{{cite web |format=PDF |url=http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/7197743/3-01032016-AP-EN.pdf/d91b795a-f165-4a39-a961-1ae07d6c4b13 |title=Euro area unemployment rate at 10.3%, EU28 at 8.9%|publisher=Europa web portal |access-date=1 March 2016}}</ref> while inflation was at 2.2 per cent, and the account balance at −0.9 per cent of GDP. The average annual net earnings in the European Union was around {{Euro|25,000}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/labour-market/earnings/database|title=Database – Eurostat|website=ec.europa.eu}}</ref> in 2021.

===Economic and monetary union===
{{Main|Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union}}

[[File:Europäische Wirtschafts- und Währungsunion.svg|thumb|upright=1|Economic and Monetary Union
{{Leftlegend|#003399|Members of the Eurozone}}
{{Leftlegend|#339900|ERM II member}}
{{Leftlegend|#e8984d|ERM II member with opt-out (Denmark)}}
{{Leftlegend|#704c4c|Other EU members}}
]]

The [[Euro]] is the official currency in 20 member states of the EU. The creation of a [[European Currency Unit|European single currency]] became an official objective of the European Economic Community in 1969. In 1992, having negotiated the structure and procedures of a currency union, the member states signed the [[Maastricht Treaty]] and were legally bound to fulfil the agreed-on rules including the [[Euro convergence criteria|convergence criteria]] if they wanted to join the [[Currency union|monetary union]]. The states wanting to participate had first to join the [[European Exchange Rate Mechanism]]. To prevent the joining states from getting into financial trouble or crisis after entering the monetary union, they were obliged in the Maastricht treaty to fulfil important financial obligations and procedures, especially to show budgetary discipline and a high degree of sustainable economic convergence, as well as to avoid excessive government deficits and limit the government debt to a sustainable level, as agreed in the [[European Fiscal Pact]].

====Capital Markets Union and financial institutions====
{{Main
| Capital Markets Union
| European System of Financial Supervision
}}
{{See also
| European Banking Authority
| European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority
| European Securities and Markets Authority
| Single Resolution Board
}}


Free movement of capital is intended to permit movement of investments such as property purchases and buying of shares between countries.<ref name="Europa Single Market C">{{cite web|title=A Single Market for Capital |publisher=Europa web portal |author=European Commission |url=http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/top_layer/index_42_en.htm |access-date=27 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070518000627/http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/top_layer/index_42_en.htm |archive-date=18 May 2007 }}</ref> Until the drive towards [[economic and monetary union]] the development of the capital provisions had been slow. Post-Maastricht there has been a rapidly developing corpus of ECJ judgements regarding this initially neglected freedom. The free movement of capital is unique insofar as it is granted equally to non-member states.


The [[European System of Financial Supervision]] is an institutional architecture of the EU's framework of financial supervision composed by three authorities: the [[European Banking Authority]], the [[European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority]] and the [[European Securities and Markets Authority]]. To complement this framework, there is also a [[European Systemic Risk Board]] under the responsibility of the central bank. The aim of this financial control system is to ensure the economic stability of the EU.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://euobserver.com/?aid=30866|title=Europe seals deal on financial supervision|work=euobserver.com}}</ref>

====Eurozone and banking union====
{{Main
| Eurozone
| European banking union
}}
{{See also
| Eurosystem
| Eurogroup
}}

[[File:Euro banknotes, Europa series.png|thumb|[[Euro banknotes]] from the ''Europa'' series (since 2013)]]

In 1999, the currency union started to materialise through introducing a common accounting (virtual) currency in [[History of the euro|eleven of the member states]]. In 2002, it was turned into a fully-fledged conventible currency, when [[euro banknotes|euro notes]] and coins were issued, while the phaseout of national currencies in the eurozone (consisting by then of 12 member states) was initiated. The eurozone (constituted by the EU member states which have adopted the euro) has since grown to 20 countries.<ref>{{cite news |title=Almunia says 'undesirable' to act on Sweden's euro refusal |first1=Teresa |last1=Kuchler |publisher=EUobserver.com |url=http://euobserver.com/9/22733 |access-date=26 December 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=ERM II |publisher=Danish Finance Ministry |url=http://uk.fm.dk/Portfolio/International%20cooperation/EU%20economic%20and%20political%20coordination/ERM2.aspx |access-date=26 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110503183816/http://uk.fm.dk/Portfolio/International%20cooperation/EU%20economic%20and%20political%20coordination/ERM2.aspx |archive-date=3 May 2011 }}</ref>

The 20 EU member states known collectively as the [[eurozone]] have fully implemented the currency union by superseding their national currencies with the [[euro]]. The currency union represents 345{{nbsp}}million EU citizens.<ref name="Europa Single Market"/> The euro is the second largest [[reserve currency]] as well as the second most traded currency in the world after the [[United States dollar]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bis.org/publ/rpfxf07t.pdf |title=Triennial Central Bank Survey 2007 |publisher=BIS |access-date=25 July 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/14350/1/MPRA_paper_14350.pdf|title=Compositional Analysis of Foreign Currency Reserves in the 1999–2007 Period. The Euro vs. The Dollar As Leading Reserve Currency|last1=Aristovnik|first1=Aleksander|last2=Čeč|first2=Tanja|publisher=Munich Personal RePEc Archive, Paper No. 14350|access-date=27 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Boesler|first=Matthew|title=There Are Only Two Real Threats To The US Dollar's Status As The International Reserve Currency|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/dollar-as-international-reserve-currency-2013-11|access-date=8 December 2013|newspaper=Business Insider}}</ref>

The euro, and the monetary policies of those who have adopted it in agreement with the EU, are under the control of the ECB.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecb.int/ecb/orga/escb/html/index.en.html|title=ECB, ESCB and the Eurosystem|publisher=European Central Bank|access-date=15 September 2007}}</ref> The ECB is the central bank for the eurozone, and thus controls [[monetary policy]] in that area with an agenda to maintain [[price stability]]. It is at the centre of the [[Eurosystem]], which comprehends all the Eurozone national central banks.<ref name="ECB org">{{cite web|title=ECB, ESCB and the Eurosystem|publisher=European Central Bank|url=http://www.ecb.int/ecb/orga/escb/html/index.en.html|access-date=7 July 2011}}</ref> The ECB is also the central institution of the [[Banking Union]] established within the eurozone and manages its [[Single Supervisory Mechanism]]. These is also a [[Single Resolution Mechanism]] in case of a bank default.

{{Clear}}

===Trade===
As a political entity, the European Union is represented in the [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO). Two of the original core objectives of the European Economic Community were the development of a common market, subsequently becoming a [[single market]], and a [[European Union Customs Union|customs union]] between its member states.

====Single market====
{{Main|European single market}}
{{Further|Digital Single Market}}

[[File:EU Single Market.svg|thumb|right|upright=1|[[European Single Market]]
{{Leftlegend|#003399|[[Member state of the European Union|EU member states]]}}
{{Leftlegend|#2782bb|Non-EU states which participate}}
]]


The single market involves [[Internal market|the free circulation of goods, capital, people, and services within the EU]],<ref name="Europa Single Market">{{cite web|title=The Single Market |publisher=Europa web portal |url=http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/index_en.htm |access-date=27 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001122551/http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/index_en.htm |archive-date= 1 October 2007 }}</ref> The free movement of services and of establishment allows self-employed persons to move between member states to provide services on a temporary or permanent basis. While services account for 60 per cent to 70 per cent of GDP, legislation in the area is not as developed as in other areas. This lacuna has been addressed by the [[Services in the Internal Market Directive 2006]] which aims to liberalise the cross border provision of services.<ref name="Europa Single Market S">{{cite web|title=A Single Market for Services |publisher=Europa |url=http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/top_layer/index_19_en.htm |author=European Commission |access-date=27 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610133514/http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/top_layer/index_19_en.htm |archive-date=10 June 2007 }}</ref> According to the treaty the provision of services is a residual freedom that only applies if no other freedom is being exercised.

====Customs union====
{{Main|European Union Customs Union}}

[[File:EU Customs Union.svg|thumb|upright=1|[[European Customs Union]]
{{Leftlegend|#003399|[[Member state of the European Union|EU member states]]}}
{{Leftlegend|#2782bb|Non-EU states which participate}}
]]


The customs union involves the application of a [[common external tariff]] on all goods entering the market. Once goods have been admitted into the market they cannot be subjected to customs duties, discriminatory taxes or [[import quota]]s, as they travel internally. The non-EU member states of [[Iceland]], [[Norway]], [[Liechtenstein]] and [[Switzerland]] participate in the single market but not in the customs union.<ref name="EEA">{{cite web |url=http://eeas.europa.eu/eea/ |title=The European Economic Area (EEA) |publisher=Europa web portal |author=European Commission |access-date=10 February 2010 |archive-date=2 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202041812/http://eeas.europa.eu/eea/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Half the trade in the EU is covered by legislation harmonised by the EU.<ref name="Europa Single Market G">{{cite web|title=A Single Market for goods |publisher=Europa web portal |author=European Commission |url=http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/top_layer/index_18_en.htm |access-date=27 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070621214532/http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/top_layer/index_18_en.htm |archive-date=21 June 2007 }}</ref>


The [[European Union Association Agreement]] does something similar for a much larger range of countries, partly as a so-called soft approach ('a carrot instead of a stick') to influence the politics in those countries.
The European Union represents all its members at the [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO), and acts on behalf of member states in any disputes. When the EU negotiates trade related agreement outside the WTO framework, the subsequent agreement must be approved by each individual EU member state government.<ref name="Se-jeong"/>

====External trade====
{{Main|Common Commercial Policy (EU)}}

The European Union has concluded [[European Union free trade agreements|free trade agreements]] (FTAs)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://trade.ec.europa.eu/tradehelp/free-trade-agreements|title=Free trade agreements|publisher=European Commission|access-date=22 May 2018}}</ref> and other agreements with a trade component with many countries worldwide and is negotiating with many others.<ref>{{cite web|title=Agreements|url=http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/agreements/|publisher=European Commission|access-date=17 March 2016}}</ref> The European Union's services trade surplus rose from $16 billion in 2000 to more than $250 billion in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|title=The European Union and its trade partners {{!}} Fact Sheets on the European Union {{!}} European Parliament|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/sheet/160/the-european-union-and-its-trade-partners|access-date=7 June 2021|website=www.europarl.europa.eu|language=en}}</ref> In 2020, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, China became the EU's largest trading partner, displacing the United States.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Wong|first=Audrye|title=How Not to Win Allies and Influence Geopolitics China's Self-Defeating Economic Statecraft|url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/|journal=Foreign Affairs|volume=100|issue=3}}</ref> The European Union is the largest exporter in the world<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2078rank.html |title=Central Intelligence Agency |publisher=Cia.gov |access-date=26 April 2011 |archive-date=4 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004073036/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook//rankorder/2078rank.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> and in 2008 was the largest importer of goods and services.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/anrep_e/world_trade_report09_e.pdf| title= World trade report 2009|publisher=WTO information website}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=EU position in world trade|url=http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/eu-position-in-world-trade/|publisher=European Commission|access-date=24 May 2015}}</ref> Internal trade between the member states is aided by the removal of barriers to trade such as [[tariff]]s and [[border control]]s. In the [[eurozone]], trade is helped by not having any currency differences to deal with amongst most members.<ref name="Se-jeong">{{Cite news|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2009/07/139_48696.html|title=EU-Korea FTA Will Be a Long Process: Greek Ambassador|last=Se-jeong|first=Kim|publisher=[[The Korea Times]]|access-date=15 August 2009}}</ref>

{{Clear}}

===Competition and consumer protection===
{{Main
| European Union competition law
| European consumer law
}}
{{See also|European Union Intellectual Property Office}}

The EU operates a [[European Union competition law|competition policy]] intended to ensure undistorted competition within the single market.<ref group="lower-alpha">Article 3(1)(g) of the Treaty of Rome</ref> In 2001 the commission for the first time prevented a merger between two companies based in the United States ([[General Electric]] and [[Honeywell]]) which had already been approved by their national authority.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Europa web portal|title=The Commission prohibits GE's acquisition of Honeywell|url=http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/01/939|access-date=12 November 2007}}</ref> Another high-profile case, [[European Union Microsoft competition case|against Microsoft]], resulted in the commission fining [[Microsoft]] over {{Euro|777}} million following nine years of legal action.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gow|first=David|work=The Guardian |title=Microsoft caves in to European Commission|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2007/oct/22/microsoft.microsoft|access-date=12 November 2007|location=London}}</ref>

===Energy===
{{Main|Energy policy of the European Union}}
{{See also|European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators}}

{{Pie chart
| caption=Total energy supply (2019)<ref>Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 72 [https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001]</ref>
| label1 = Oil
| value1 = 31.7
| color1 = black
| label2 = Natural gas
| value2 = 24.7
| color2 = #8B8888
| label3 = Coal
| value3 = 10.9
| color3 = #8B3333
| label4 = Nuclear
| value4 = 13.2
| color4 = #ffeeaa
| label5 = Biofuels, waste, electricity, heat
| value5 = 19.4
| color5 = #668B22
}}

[[File:20210125 Europe Power Sector - Renewables vs Fossil Fuels - Climate change.svg|thumb|right|upright=1|In 2020, renewables overtook fossil fuels as the European Union's main source of electricity for the first time.<ref name=EmberEUpower_20210125>{{cite web |title=The European Power Sector in 2020 / Up-to-Date Analysis on the Electricity Transition |url=https://ember-climate.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Report-European-Power-Sector-in-2020.pdf |website=ember-climate.org |publisher=Ember and Agora Energiewende |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125215659/https://ember-climate.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Report-European-Power-Sector-in-2020.pdf |archive-date=25 January 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>]]

The total energy supply of the EU was 59 billion [[Joule (unit)|GJ]] in 2019, about 10.2 per cent of the world total. Approximately three fifths of the energy available in the EU came from imports (mostly of fossil fuels). [[Renewable energy]] contributed 18.1 per cent of the EU's total energy supply in 2019, and 11.1 per cent of the final energy consumption.<ref>Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 70 and 73 [https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001]</ref>

The EU has had legislative power in the area of energy policy for most of its existence; this has its roots in the original [[European Coal and Steel Community]]. The introduction of a mandatory and comprehensive European energy policy was approved at the meeting of the European Council in October 2005, and the first draft policy was published in January 2007.<ref name="Energy Q&A">{{cite news |title=Q&A: EU energy plans |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4783996.stm |access-date=13 July 2007}}</ref>

The EU has five key points in its energy policy: increase competition in the [[internal market]], encourage investment and boost interconnections between electricity grids; diversify energy resources with better systems to respond to a crisis; establish a new treaty framework for energy co-operation with Russia while improving relations with energy-rich states in Central Asia<ref name="oies">{{cite web|author=Shamil Midkhatovich Yenikeyeff|url=http://www.oxfordenergy.org/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/NG25-KazakhstansgasExportMarketsandExportRoutes-ShamilYenikeyeff-2008.pdf|title=Kazakhstan's Gas: Export Markets and Export Routes|publisher=[[Oxford Institute for Energy Studies]]|access-date=17 November 2011}}</ref> and North Africa; use existing energy supplies more efficiently while increasing [[renewable energy commercialisation]]; and finally increase funding for new energy technologies.<ref name="Energy Q&A"/>

In 2007, EU countries as a whole imported 82 per cent of their oil, 57 per cent of their natural gas<ref name="low carb prop">{{cite web|title='Low-carbon economy' proposed for Europe|work=NBC News|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/16560106|access-date=24 January 2007}}</ref> and 97.48 per cent of their uranium<ref name="Euratom2007">{{cite book|chapter-url=http://ec.europa.eu/euratom/ar/last.pdf|title=Euratom Supply Agency – Annual Report 2007|publisher=Office for Official Publications of the European Communities|year=2008|isbn=978-92-79-09437-8|location=Luxembourg|page=22|chapter=EU supply and demand for nuclear fuels|quote=European uranium mining supplied just below 3% of the total EU needs, coming from the Czech Republic and Romania (a total of 526 tU).|access-date=1 March 2009}} 
Nuclear energy and renewable energy are treated differently from oil, gas, and coal in this respect.</ref> demands. The three largest suppliers of natural gas to the European Union are Russia, Norway and [[Algeria]], that amounted for about three quarters of the imports in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-energy-methane-insight/eus-greenhouse-gas-strategy-fails-to-plug-methane-hole-idINKCN24I0IV|website=[[Reuters]]|title=EU's greenhouse gas strategy fails to plug methane hole|first1=Kate|last1=Abnett|first2=Shadia|last2=Nasralla}}</ref> There is a strong [[Russia in the European energy sector|dependence on Russian energy]] that the EU has been attempting to reduce.<ref name="Energy Russia">{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?language=EN&type=IM-PRESS&reference=20060112STO04233&secondRef=0|title=Ukraine-Russia gas dispute – call for stronger EU energy policy|publisher=Europa web portal|author=European Parliament|access-date=27 February 2008}}</ref> However, in May 2022, it was reported that the European Union is preparing another sanction against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. It is expected to target Russian oil, Russian and Belarusian banks, as well as individuals and companies. According to an article by Reuters, two diplomats stated that the European Union may impose a ban on imports of Russian oil by the end of 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |title=EU leans towards Russian oil ban by year-end, diplomats say |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-leans-towards-russian-oil-ban-by-year-end-diplomats-say-2022-05-01/ |access-date=2022-05-01}}</ref> In May 2022, the EU Commission published the 'RePowerEU' initiative, a €300 billion plan outlining the path towards the end of EU dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2030 and the acceleration on the clean energy transition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/eu-unveils-300-billion-plan-to-reduce-its-energy-dependency-on-russia/a-61838801|website=[[dw.com]]|title=EU unveils €300 billion plan to reduce its energy dependency on Russia}}</ref>

{{Clear}}

=== Transport ===
{{Main|Transport in the European Union}}
{{Further|Trans-European Transport Network}}
{{See also
| European Union Aviation Safety Agency
| European Maritime Safety Agency
| European Union Agency for Railways
}}

[[File:Trans-European Transport Network.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1|Map of the [[Trans-European Transport Network]]]]


The European Union manages cross-border road, railway, airport and water infrastructure through the [[Trans-European Transport Network]] (TEN-T), created in 1990,<ref name="Axes page 7">{{Cite web|title=Mobility and transport|url=https://transport.ec.europa.eu/index_en|access-date=2022-12-21|website=transport.ec.europa.eu|language=en}}</ref> and the [[Trans-European Combined Transport network]]. TEN-T comprises two network layers: the Core Network, which is to be completed by 2030; and the Comprehensive Network, which is to be completed by 2050. The network is currently made up of 9 core corridors: the [[Baltic–Adriatic Corridor]], the [[North Sea–Baltic Corridor]], the [[Mediterranean Corridor]], the [[Orient/East–Med Corridor]], the [[Scandinavian–Mediterranean Corridor]], the [[Rhine–Alpine Corridor]], the Atlantic Corridor, the [[North Sea–Mediterranean Corridor]], and the [[Rhine–Danube Corridor]]. Road transportation was organized under the TEN-T by the [[Trans-European road network]]. [[Bundesautobahn 7]] is the longest national [[motorway]] in the EU at 963 km (598 mi).


[[File:Port of Rotterdam Landsat 8 Photo 8 May 2016.jpg|thumb|upright=1|Satellite photo of the [[Port of Rotterdam]]]]

Maritime transportation is organized under the TEN-T by the [[Trans-European Inland Waterway network]], and the [[Trans-European Seaport network]]. European [[seaport]]s are categorized as international, community, or regional. The [[Port of Rotterdam]] is the busiest in the EU, and the world's largest seaport outside of [[East Asia]], located in and near the city of [[Rotterdam]], in the province of [[South Holland]] in the [[Netherlands]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Data services - Eurostat|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/main/eurostat/web/main/help/faq/data-services|access-date=2022-12-21|website=ec.europa.eu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=File:Top_20_ports_handling_containers,_2008-2018_(thousand_TEUs).png|title=File:Top 20 ports handling containers, 2008-2018 (thousand TEUs).png|website=ec.europa.eu}}</ref> The [[European Maritime Safety Agency]] (EMSA), founded in 2002 in [[Lisbon]], Portugal, is charged with reducing the risk of [[Shipwreck|maritime accidents]], [[marine pollution]] from ships and the [[Search and rescue|loss of human lives at sea]] by helping to enforce the pertinent EU legislation.


Air transportation is organized under the TEN-T by the [[Trans-European Airport network]]. European [[airport]]s are categorized as international, community, or regional. The [[Charles de Gaulle Airport]] is the busiest in the EU, located in and near the city of [[Paris]], in France.<ref name=":FR2021">{{cite web|title=Résultats d'activité desaéroports français 2021 |url=https://www.aeroport.fr/uploads/documents/resultats-activite-aeroports-francais-2021.pdf.pdf|language=fr}}</ref> The [[European Common Aviation Area]] (ECAA) is a [[single market]] in [[aviation]]. ECAA agreements were signed on 5 May 2006 in [[Salzburg]], Austria between the EU and some third countries. The ECAA liberalises the air transport industry by allowing any company from any ECAA member state to fly between any ECAA member states airports, thereby allowing a "foreign" airline to provide domestic flights. The [[Single European Sky]] (SES) is an initiative that seeks to reform the European [[air traffic management]] system through a series of actions carried out in four different levels (institutional, operational, technological and control and supervision) with the aim of satisfying the needs of the European airspace in terms of capacity, safety, efficiency and environmental impact. Civil [[aviation safety]] is under the responsibility of the [[European Union Aviation Safety Agency]] (EASA). It carries out [[Type certificate|certification]], regulation and standardisation and also performs investigation and monitoring. The idea of a European-level aviation safety authority goes back to 1996, but the agency was only legally established in 2002, and began operating in 2003.


Rail transportation is organized under the TEN-T by the [[Trans-European Rail network]], made up of the [[Trans-European high-speed rail network|high-speed rail network]] and the [[Trans-European conventional rail network|conventional rail network]]. The [[Gare du Nord]] railway station is the busiest in the EU, located in and near the city of [[Paris]], in France.<ref name="SNCF">{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=SNCF Open Data — Fréquentation en gares|url=https://ressources.data.sncf.com/explore/dataset/frequentation-gares/table/?disjunctive.nom_gare&disjunctive.code_postal&sort=total_voyageurs_2019|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-09-21|website=|publisher=[[SNCF]]|location=Paris, France|via=ressources.data.sncf.com – SNCF OPEN DATA}}</ref><ref name="RATP">{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Trafic annuel entrant par station du réseau ferré 2019|url=https://data.ratp.fr/explore/dataset/trafic-annuel-entrant-par-station-du-reseau-ferre-2019/table/?sort=trafic|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-09-21|website=|publisher=[[RATP Group|RATP]]|location=Paris, France|via=Open Data RATP}}</ref> [[Rail transport in Europe]] is being synchronised with the [[European Rail Traffic Management System]] (ERTMS) with the goal of greatly enhancing safety, increase efficiency of train transports and enhance cross-border interoperability. This is done by replacing former national [[Railway signal|signalling]] equipment and operational procedures with a single new Europe-wide standard for train control and command systems. This system is conducted by the [[European Union Agency for Railways]] (ERA).

{{Gallery
| title = Transport documents used in the European Union
| align = center
| File:Croatian driving licence.jpg
| [[European driving licence]] {{Small|(Croatian version pictured)}}

| File:Slovak car registration plate 2023.jpg
| [[European vehicle registration plate]] {{Small|(Slovak version pictured)}}
| File:2016 Karta parkingowa.jpg
| European [[disabled parking permit]] {{Small|(Polish version pictured)}}

}}

{{Clear}}

===Telecommunications and space===
{{Main
| Telecommunications in the European Union
| European Union Space Programme
}}
{{Further|European Union roaming regulations}}
{{See also
| Agency for Support for BEREC
| European Union Agency for the Space Programme
| European Space Agency
}}

Mobile communication [[European Union roaming regulations|roaming charges]] are abolished throughout the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

[[File:Galileo Control Centre at the DLR Oberpfaffenhofen site.jpg|thumb|upright=1|[[Galileo (satellite navigation)|Galileo]] control centre in [[Oberpfaffenhofen]]]]


The [[European Union Agency for the Space Programme]] (EUSPA), headquartered in [[Prague]], Czech Republic, was established in 2021 to manage the [[European Union Space Programme]] in order to implement the pre-existing ''European Space Policy'', established on 22 May 2007 between the EU and the [[European Space Agency]] (ESA), known collectively as the ''European Space Council''. This was the first common political framework for space activities established by the EU. Each member state has pursued to some extent their own national space policy, though often co-ordinating through the ESA. [[Günter Verheugen]], the [[European Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry]], has stated that even though the EU is "a world leader in the technology, it is being put on the defensive by the United States and Russia and that it only has about a 10-year technological advantage on China and India, which are racing to catch up."


[[Galileo (satellite navigation)|Galileo]] is a [[Satellite navigation|global navigation satellite system]] (GNSS) that went live in 2016, created by the EU through the ESA, operated by the EUSPA, with two ground operations centres in [[Fucine Lake|Fucino]], Italy, and [[Oberpfaffenhofen]], Germany. The €10 billion project is named after the Italian astronomer [[Galileo Galilei]]. One of the aims of Galileo is to provide an independent high-precision positioning system so European political and military authorities do not have to rely on the US [[Global Positioning System|GPS]], or the Russian [[GLONASS]] systems, which could be disabled or degraded by their operators at any time. The [[European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service]] (EGNOS) is a [[satellite-based augmentation system]] (SBAS) developed by the ESA and [[EUROCONTROL]]. Currently, it supplements the GPS by reporting on the reliability and accuracy of their positioning data and sending out corrections. The system will supplement Galileo in a future version. The [[Copernicus Programme]] is the EU's Earth observation programme coordinated and managed by EUSPA in partnership with ESA. It aims at achieving a global, continuous, autonomous, high quality, wide range Earth observation capacity, providing accurate, timely and easily accessible information to, among other things, improve the management of the environment, understand and [[Climate change mitigation|mitigate the effects of climate change]], and ensure civil security.

{{Clear}}

===Agriculture and fisheries===
{{Main
| Common Agricultural Policy
| Common Fisheries Policy
}}
{{See also
| European Fisheries Control Agency
| European Food Safety Authority
}}

[[File:European Union Exclusive Economic Zones.PNG|thumb|upright=1|The EU's [[exclusive economic zone]] (EEZ). At 25 million square kilometres, it is the largest in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Summaries of EU legislation - EUR-Lex|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/browse/summaries.html|access-date=2022-12-21|website=eur-lex.europa.eu|language=en}}</ref>]]


The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the [[agricultural policy]] of the European Union. It implements a system of [[agricultural subsidies]] and other programmes. It was introduced in 1962 and has since then undergone several changes to reduce the EEC budget cost (from 73% in 1985 to 37% in 2017) and consider rural development in its aims. It has, however, been criticised on the grounds of its cost and its environmental and humanitarian effects.


Likewise, the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the [[fisheries]] policy of the European Union. It sets quotas for which member states are allowed to catch each type of fish, as well as encouraging the [[fishing industry]] by various market interventions and [[fishing subsidies]]. It was introduced in 2009 with the Treaty of Lisbon, which formally enshrined fisheries conservation policy as one of the handful of "exclusive competences" reserved for the European Union.

{{Clear}}

===Regional development===
{{Main|Regional policy of the European Union}}
{{See also|European Committee of the Regions|European Investment Bank}}

[[File:European regional policy 2021.svg|thumb|right|upright=1|Classification of regions from 2021 to 2027
{{Leftlegend|#FF0000|Less developed regions}}
{{Leftlegend|#FFFF00|Transition regions}}
{{Leftlegend|#0000FF|More developed regions}}
]]

The five [[European Structural and Investment Funds]] are supporting the development of the EU regions, primarily the underdeveloped ones, located mostly in the states of [[Central Europe|central]] and southern Europe.<ref>{{cite web |author=Select Committee on European Union |work=Nineteenth Report |title=Chapter 2: The European Union Structural and Cohesion Funds |year=2008 |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldselect/ldeucom/141/14105.htm |access-date=28 February 2012}}</ref><ref name="Business2000 Funds">{{cite web|title=EU Structural and Cohesion funds |url=http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/structural_cohesion_fund_en.htm |access-date=1 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529083348/http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/structural_cohesion_fund_en.htm |archive-date=29 May 2010 }}</ref> Another fund (the [[Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance]]) provides support for candidate members to transform their country to conform to the EU's standard. Demographic transition to a society of ageing population, low fertility-rates and depopulation of non-metropolitan regions is tackled within this policies.

===Labour===
{{Further|EURES}}
{{See also
| European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
| European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
| European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
| European Labour Authority
| European Training Foundation
}}

The free movement of persons means that [[Citizenship of the European Union|EU citizens]] can move freely between member states to live, work, study or retire in another country. This required the lowering of administrative formalities and recognition of professional qualifications of other states.<ref name="Europa Single Market P">{{cite web|title=Living and working in the Single Market |publisher=Europa web portal |url=http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/top_layer/index_15_en.htm |author=European Commission |access-date=27 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613212310/http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/top_layer/index_15_en.htm |archive-date=13 June 2007 }}</ref> The EU seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.7 per cent in September 2018.<ref name="unemployment">{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do?tab=table&language=en&pcode=teilm020&tableSelection=1&plugin=1|title=Eurostat – Tables, Graphs and Maps Interface (TGM) table|website=ec.europa.eu}}</ref> The euro area unemployment rate was 8.1 per cent.<ref name="unemployment" /> Among the member states, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in the Czech Republic (2.3 per cent), Germany and Poland (both 3.4 per cent), and the highest in Spain (14.9 per cent) and Greece (19.0 in July 2018).

The European Union has long sought to mitigate the effects of free markets by protecting workers' rights and preventing [[Social dumping|social]] and [[environmental dumping]].{{citation needed}} To this end it has adopted laws establishing minimum employment and environmental standards. These included the [[Working Time Directive]] and the [[Environmental Impact Assessment Directive 2011|Environmental Impact Assessment Directive]]. The European Directive about Minimum Wage, which looks to lift minimum wages and strengthen collective bargaining was approved by the European Parliament in September 2022<ref>{{cite web |title=EU Parliament approves Minimum Wage Directive |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/eu-parliament-approves-minimum-wage-directive/}}</ref>

=== Social rights and equality ===
{{Main|European social model|European Social Fund Plus|Welfare State|European Social Charter|European Voluntary Service|European labour law|European Pillar of Social Rights}}

The EU has also sought to coordinate the social security and health systems of member states to facilitate individuals exercising free movement rights and to ensure they maintain their ability to access social security and health services in other member states. Since 2019 there has been a European commissioner for equality and the [[European Institute for Gender Equality]] has existed since 2007. A Directive on countering gender-based violence has been proposed.<ref>{{cite web |title=EU-wide effort on gender-based violence taking shape, but gaps remain |url=https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/09/21/an-eu-wide-approach-to-gender-based-violence-is-taking-shape-but-gaps-remain}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=A first insight into the EU proposal for a Directive on countering violence against women and domestic violence |url=https://www.ejiltalk.org/a-first-insight-into-the-eu-proposal-for-a-directive-on-countering-violence-against-women-and-domestic-violence/}}</ref> In September 2022, a European Care strategy was approved in order to provide "quality, affordable and accessible care services".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Questions and Answers: European Care Strategy |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_22_5168 |access-date=2022-09-23 |website=European Commission}}</ref> The [[European Social Charter]] is the main body that recognises the social rights of European citizens.

In 2020, the first ever European Union Strategy on LGBTIQ equality was approved under [[Helena Dalli]] mandate.<ref>{{cite web |title=Union of Equality: The Commission presents its first-ever strategy on LGBTIQ equality in the EU |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_2068 |website=[[European Commission]]}}</ref> In December 2021, the commission announced the intention of codifying a union-wide law against LGBT hate crimes.<ref>{{cite web |title=La Comisión Europea propone ampliar la lista de delitos de la Unión Europea para incluir los delitos de odio |trans-title=The European Commission proposes to extend the list of crimes of the European Union to include hate crimes |url=https://kifkif.info/la-comision-europea-propone-ampliar-la-lista-de-delitos-de-la-union-europea-para-incluir-los-delitos-de-odio/ |website=kifkif.info |language=es}}</ref>

{{Clear}}

===Freedom, security and justice===
{{Main|Area of freedom, security and justice}}
{{Further|Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union}}
{{See also
| eu-LISA
| Eurojust
| European Institute for Gender Equality
| European Union Agency for Asylum
| European Union Agency for Cybersecurity
| European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training
| Europol
| Frontex
| Fundamental Rights Agency
}}

[[File:04CFREU-Article2-Crop.jpg|thumb|upright=1|The [[Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union]] contains a wide range of political, social, and economic rights for EU citizens.]]

Since the creation of the European Union in 1993, it has developed its competencies in the area of justice and home affairs; initially at an intergovernmental level and later by supranationalism. Accordingly, the union has legislated in areas such as [[European Arrest Warrant|extradition]],<ref>{{cite web|title=European arrest warrant replaces extradition between EU Member States|url=http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/criminal/extradition/fsj_criminal_extradition_en.htm|publisher=Europa web portal|access-date=4 September 2007}}</ref> family law,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/justice_freedom_security/judicial_cooperation_in_civil_matters/l33194_en.htm|title=Jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and in matters of parental responsibility (Brussels II)|publisher=Europa web portal|access-date=5 September 2008}}</ref> asylum law,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/justice_freedom_security/free_movement_of_persons_asylum_immigration/l33150_en.htm|title=Minimum standards on the reception of applicants for asylum in Member States|publisher=Europa web portal|access-date=5 September 2008}}</ref> and criminal justice.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/justice_freedom_security/judicial_cooperation_in_criminal_matters/l10110_en.htm|title=Specific Programme: 'Criminal Justice'|publisher=Europa web portal|access-date=5 September 2008}}</ref>

The EU has also established agencies to co-ordinate police, prosecution and civil litigations across the member states: [[Europol]] for police co-operation, [[CEPOL]] for training of police forces<ref>{{cite web|title=European police office now in full swing |url=http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/police/europol/fsj_police_europol_en.htm|publisher=Europa web portal|access-date=4 September 2007}}</ref> and the [[Eurojust]] for co-operation between prosecutors and courts.<ref>{{cite web|title=Eurojust coordinating cross-border prosecutions at EU level|url=http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/criminal/eurojust/fsj_criminal_eurojust_en.htm|publisher=Europa web portal|access-date=4 September 2007}}</ref> It also operates the [[EUCARIS]] database of vehicles and drivers, the [[Eurodac]], the [[European Criminal Records Information System]], the [[European Cybercrime Centre]], [[FADO]], [[Public Register of Travel and Identity Documents Online|PRADO]] and others.

Prohibitions against discrimination have a long standing in the treaties. In more recent years, these have been supplemented by powers to legislate against discrimination based on race, religion, disability, age, and sexual orientation.<ref group="lower-alpha" name="art2(7) Amsterdam">See Article 2 (7) of the [[Amsterdam Treaty]] on [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/treaties/dat/11997D/htm/11997D.html#0001010001 eur-lex.europa.eu]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080217024604/http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/treaties/dat/11997D/htm/11997D.html#0001010001}}.</ref> The treaties declare that the European Union itself is "founded on the values of respect for [[human dignity]], [[liberty|freedom]], democracy, [[equality before the law|equality]], the [[rule of law]] and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to [[minority group|minorities]] ... in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail."<ref>[[s:Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union/Title I: Common Provisions#Article 2|Article 2, Treaty on European Union (consolidated 1 December 2009)]]</ref> By virtue of these powers, the EU has enacted legislation on [[sexism]] in the work-place, [[ageism|age discrimination]], and [[racism|racial discrimination]].<ref group="lower-alpha">Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin (OJ L 180, 19 July 2000, pp. 22–26); Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation (OJ L 303, 2 December 2000, pp. 16–22).</ref>

In 2009, the [[Lisbon Treaty]] gave legal effect to the [[Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union]]. The charter is a codified catalogue of [[fundamental right]]s against which the EU's legal acts can be judged. It consolidates many rights which were previously recognised by the Court of Justice and derived from the "constitutional traditions common to the member states."<ref>Case 11/70, Internationale Handelsgesellschaft v. Einfuhr und Vorratstelle für Getreide und Futtermittel; Article 6(2) of the Maastricht Treaty (as amended).</ref> The Court of Justice has long recognised fundamental rights and has, on occasion, invalidated EU legislation based on its failure to adhere to those fundamental rights.<ref name="europarl-rights">{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/2_1_1_en.htm|title=Respect for fundamental rights in the EU – general development|publisher=The [[European Parliament]]|work=European Parliament Fact Sheets|access-date=6 September 2008}}</ref>

Signing the [[European Convention on Human Rights]] (ECHR) is a condition for EU membership.<ref group="lower-alpha">And is effectively treated as one of the Copenhagen criteria. [http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/AdoptedText/ta08/ERES1610.htm Assembly.coe.int.] This is a political and not a legal requirement for membership. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080626175941/http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=%2FDocuments%2FAdoptedText%2Fta08%2FERES1610.htm}}.</ref> Previously, the EU itself could not accede to the convention as it is neither a state<ref group="lower-alpha">{{Cite web|title=Full list - Treaty Office - publi.coe.int|url=https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list|access-date=2022-12-21|website=Treaty Office|language=en-GB}}</ref> nor had the competence to accede.<ref group="lower-alpha">{{Cite web|title=? - EUR-Lex|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/ALL/?uri=CELEX%253A61994V0002|access-date=2022-12-21|website=eur-lex.europa.eu|language=en}}</ref> The Lisbon Treaty and Protocol 14 to the ECHR have changed this: the former binds the EU to accede to the convention while the latter formally permits it.

The EU is independent from the Council of Europe, although they share purpose and ideas, especially on the rule of law, human rights and democracy. Furthermore, the [[European Convention on Human Rights]] and [[European Social Charter]], as well as the [[source of law]] for the [[Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union|Charter of Fundamental Rights]] are created by the Council of Europe. The EU has also promoted human rights issues in the wider world. The EU opposes the death penalty and has proposed its worldwide abolition. Abolition of the death penalty is a condition for EU membership.<ref>{{cite web|title=EU Policy on Death Penalty|url=http://eeas.europa.eu/human_rights/adp/index_en.htm|work=Europa|publisher=European Union External Action Service|access-date=4 June 2013}}</ref> On 19 October 2020, the European Union revealed new plans to create a legal structure to act against [[human rights violations]] worldwide. The new plan was expected to provide the European Union with greater flexibility to target and sanction those responsible for serious human rights violations and abuses around the world.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://news.bloombergtax.com/international-trade/europe-unveils-new-sanctions-plan-for-human-rights-violations |title= Europe Unveils New Sanctions Plan for Human Rights Violations |access-date= 19 October 2020 |website= Bloomberg Tax}}</ref>

{{Gallery
| title = Examples of identity, travel and health documents used in the EU
| align = center
| File:Deutscher Personalausweis im ab 2021 vorgesehenen Design, Bundesregierung der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Entwurf eines Gesetzes zur Stärkung der Sicherheit im Pass-, Ausweis- und ausländerrechtlichen Dokumentenwesen.jpeg
| An [[National identity cards in the European Economic Area|EEA national identity card]] (German version pictured)
| File:Schengen uniform visa format Germany 2018.png
| A [[Visa policy of the Schengen Area|Schengen visa]] (German version)
| File:Eirepas.JPG
| A [[Passports of the European Union|passport]], displaying the name of the member state, the national [[coat of arms|arms]] and the words "European Union" given in their official language(s) (Irish version pictured)
| File:EHIC Slovenia.jpg
| A [[European Health Insurance Card]] (Slovenian version pictured)
}}

{{Clear}}

==Demographics==

{{Main|Demographics of the European Union}}
{{See also|European Union citizenship}}

[[File:Population density by NUTS 3 region (2017).svg|thumb|right|upright=1|Map showing the population density by [[Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics|NUTS3 region]], 2017, including non-EU countries]]

The population of the EU in 2021 was about 447 million people, corresponding to 5.8 per cent of the world population.<ref name="population">{{cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tps00001/default/table?lang=en|title=Population on 1st January by age, sex and type of projection|publisher=[[Eurostat]]|access-date=29 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File:Share_of_world_population,_1960,_2015_and_2060_(%25)_2.png|title=Share of world population, 1960, 2015 and 2060 (%) |website=ec.europa.eu|access-date=28 June 2017}}</ref> The [[population density]] across the EU was 106 inhabitants per square kilometre, which is more than the world average.<ref>Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 12 [https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001]</ref> It is highest in areas in central and western Europe, sometimes referred to as the "[[blue banana]]", while [[Sweden]] and [[Finland]] in the north are much more sparsely populated.

The total population of the EU has been slightly decreasing for several years, contracting by 0.04 per cent in 2021.<ref>Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 19 [https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001]</ref> This is due to a low birth rate of about 1.5 children per woman, less than the world average of 2.3.<ref>Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 17 [https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001]</ref> In total, 4.1 million babies were born in the EU in 2021.<ref>Eurostat, "How many children were born in the EU in 2021?"? [https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/DDN-20230309-1]</ref> [[Immigration to Europe]] partially compensates for the natural population decrease.

5.3 per cent of the people residing in the EU are not EU citizens (a person who has the citizenship of a EU member state is automatically also an EU citizen).<ref>Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 12 [https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001]</ref> There were 31 non-EU citizenships that each accounted for at least 1 per cent of non-EU citizens living in the EU, of which the largest were [[Morocco|Moroccan]], [[Turkey|Turkish]], [[Syria|Syrian]] and [[China|Chinese]].<ref>Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 20 [https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001]</ref> Around 1.9 million people [[Immigration to Europe|immigrated to one of the EU member states]] from a non-EU country during 2020, and a total of 956 000 people emigrated from a member state to go to a non-EU country during the same year.<ref>Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 21 [https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001]</ref>

===Urbanisation===
{{See also|List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits|List of urban areas in the European Union}}

[[File:La Tour Eiffel vue de la Tour Saint-Jacques, Paris août 2014 (2).jpg|thumb|upright=1|The [[Paris metropolitan area]] is the most populous urban area in the EU.]]

More than two thirds (68.2%) of EU inhabitants lived in [[urban area]]s in 2020, which is slightly less than the world average.<ref>Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 12 [https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001]</ref> Cities are largely spread out across the EU with a large grouping in and around the [[Benelux]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2006_10/eea_report_10_2006.pdf |title=Urban sprawl in Europe: The ignored challenge, European Environmental Agency |access-date=13 October 2013}}</ref> The EU contains about 40 urban areas with populations of over 1{{nbsp}}million. With a population of over 13 million,<ref name="paris_AAV20_pop">{{cite web|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/1405599?geo=AAV2020-001|title=Comparateur de territoire: Aire d'attraction des villes 2020 de Paris (001)|publisher=INSEE|access-date=10 February 2021}}</ref> [[Paris]] is the largest metropolitan area and the only [[megacity]] in the EU.<ref name="eurostat">{{cite web|url=http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=met_pjanaggr3&lang=en|title=Eurostat – Data Explorer|publisher=Eurostat|access-date=22 November 2018}}</ref> Paris is followed by [[Madrid]], [[Barcelona]], [[Berlin]], the [[Ruhr]], [[Milan]], and [[Rome]], all with a metropolitan population of over 4{{nbsp}}million.

The EU also has numerous [[Conurbation|polycentric]] urbanised regions like [[Rhine-Ruhr]] ([[Cologne]], [[Dortmund]], [[Düsseldorf]] et al.), [[Randstad]] ([[Amsterdam]], [[Rotterdam]], [[The Hague]], [[Utrecht]] et al.), [[Frankfurt Rhine-Main]] ([[Frankfurt]], [[Wiesbaden]], [[Mainz]] et al.), the [[Flemish Diamond]] ([[Antwerp]], [[Brussels]], [[Leuven]], [[Ghent]] et al.) and [[Upper Silesian metropolitan area|Upper Silesian area]] ([[Katowice]], [[Ostrava]] et al.).<ref name="eurostat" />
{{Largest population centres
| country = the European Union
| stat_ref = metropolitan regions, [[Eurostat]] 2021<ref>{{Cite web|title=Population on 1 January by broad age group, sex and metropolitan regions - Eurostat|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-datasets/-/met_pjanaggr3|access-date=2022-06-04|website=ec.europa.eu}}</ref>
| list_by_pop = Larger urban zone#List of larger urban zones
| div_link = Member state of the European Union{{!}}State
| city_1 = Paris | div_1 = France | pop_1 = 12,348,605
| city_2 = Madrid | div_2 = Spain | pop_2 = 6,755,828
| city_3 = Barcelona | div_3 = Spain | pop_3 = 5,639,523
| city_4 = Berlin | div_4 = Germany | pop_4 = 5,351,765
| city_5 = Ruhr | div_5 = Germany | pop_5 = 5,102,484
| city_6 = Milan | div_6 = Italy | pop_6 = 4,339,269
| city_7 = Rome | div_7 = Italy | pop_7 = 4,231,451
| city_8 = Athens | div_8 = Greece | pop_8 = 3,547,391
| city_9 = Hamburg | div_9 = Germany | pop_9 = 3,353,084
| city_10 = Brussels | div_10 = Belgium | pop_10 = 3,333,757
| city_11 = Amsterdam | div_11 = Netherlands | pop_11 = 3,316,712
| city_12 = Marseille | div_12 = France | pop_12 = 3,146,578
| city_13 = Warsaw | div_13 = Poland | pop_13 = 3,095,025
| city_14 = Budapest | div_14 = Hungary | pop_14 = 3,033,638
| city_15 = Naples | div_15 = Italy | pop_15 = 2,986,745
| city_16 = Munich | div_16 = Germany | pop_16 = 2,932,668
| city_17 = Vienna | div_17 = Austria | pop_17 = 2,890,577
| city_18 = Lisbon | div_18 = Portugal | pop_18 = 2,869,033
| city_19 = Stuttgart | div_19 = Germany | pop_19 = 2,787,858
| city_20 = Frankfurt | div_20 = Germany | pop_20 = 2,735,932
}}

===Languages===
{{Main|Languages of the European Union}}
{{See also|Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union}}

{|class="wikitable floatright mw-collapsible plainrowheaders sortable" style="border: 0.5em; font-size: 90%; line-height: 0.9em; max-width: 20em; text-align: center;"
|+ Official languages by percentage of speakers, 2012{{Efn|Reference article dated February 2020,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davekeating/2020/02/06/despite-brexit-english-remains-the-eus-most-spoken-language-by-far/|title=Despite Brexit, English Remains The EU's Most Spoken Language By Far|last=Keating|first=Dave|website=Forbes|access-date=7 February 2020}}</ref> taking survey data from 2012<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_en.pdf |title=Europeans and Their Languages, 2012 Report |access-date=3 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106183351/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_en.pdf |archive-date=6 January 2016}}</ref>}}{{not in source|reason=2020 source gives "the overall number of EU citizens who can speak English has only dropped to 44% - if we apply the 2012 data to the EU's new population. English is still the most spoken language in the EU by far, with German now spoken by 36% of citizens and French spoken by 29%"}}
! scope="col" style="width: 60%;" | Language
! scope="col" style="width: 20%;" | [[First language|Native speakers]]{{Efn|Native language<ref name="nativeLanguages">{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_anx_en.pdf|title=Europeans and their Languages|year=2012|publisher=europa.eu|pages=54–59|work=Special [[Eurobarometer]] 386|author=European Commission|access-date=16 December 2012}}</ref>}}
! scope="col" style="width: 20%;" | Total{{Efn|EU citizens able to hold a conversation in this language<ref name="totalLanguages">{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_anx_en.pdf|title=Europeans and their Languages|year=2012|publisher=europa.eu|pages=78–83|work=Special [[Eurobarometer]] 386|author=European Commission|access-date=16 December 2012}}</ref>}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[German language|German]]
|18%
|32%
|-
! scope="row" | [[French language|French]]
|13%
|26%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Italian language|Italian]]
|12%
|16%
|-
! scope="row" | Spanish
|8%
|15%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Polish language|Polish]]
|8%
|9%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Romanian language|Romanian]]
|5%
|5%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Dutch language|Dutch]]
|4%
|5%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Greek language|Greek]]
|3%
|4%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]
|3%
|3%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]
|2%
|3%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Czech language|Czech]]
|2%
|3%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Swedish language|Swedish]]
|2%
|3%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]]
|2%
|2%
|-
! scope="row" | English
|1%
|51%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Slovak language|Slovak]]
|1%
|2%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Danish language|Danish]]
|1%
|1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Finnish language|Finnish]]
|1%
|1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]]
|1%
|1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Croatian language|Croatian]]
|1%
|1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Slovene language|Slovene]]
|<1%
|<1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Estonian language|Estonian]]
|<1%
|<1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Irish language|Irish]]
|<1%
|<1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Latvian language|Latvian]]
|<1%
|<1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Maltese language|Maltese]]
|<1%
|<1%
|}

The EU has 24 official languages: [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]], [[Croatian language|Croatian]], [[Czech language|Czech]], [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[English language|English]], [[Estonian language|Estonian]], [[Finnish language|Finnish]], [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]], [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Irish language|Irish]], [[Latvian language|Latvian]], [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]], [[Maltese language|Maltese]], [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Romanian language|Romanian]], [[Slovak language|Slovak]], [[Slovene language|Slovene]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], and [[Swedish language|Swedish]]. Important documents, such as legislation, are translated into every official language and the [[European Parliament]] provides translation for documents and plenary sessions.<ref name="Official Languages">{{cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31958R0001:EN:NOT|title=Council Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 of 20 November 2006|author=EUR-Lex|work=Official Journal of the European Union|publisher=Europa web portal|access-date=2 February 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/languages-of-europe/doc135_en.htm|title=Languages in Europe – Official EU Languages|publisher=EUROPA web portal|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202112407/http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/languages-of-europe/doc135_en.htm|archive-date=2 February 2009|url-status=dead|access-date=12 October 2009}}</ref> Most EU institutions use only a handful of working languages: the European Commission conducts its internal business in three ''procedural languages'': English, French, and German;<ref name="procedural">{{cite web|url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-825_en.htm|title=European Commission – Frequently asked questions on languages in Europe|website=europa.eu}}</ref> the [[Court of Justice of the European Union|Court of Justice]] uses French as the working language,<ref>{{cite web |last=Sharpston|first=Eleanor V.E.|title=Appendix 5: Written Evidence of Advocate General Sharpston|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldselect/ldeucom/128/12816.htm|work=The Workload of the Court of Justice of the European Union|publisher=House of Lords European Union Committee|access-date=27 August 2013}}</ref> and the [[European Central Bank]] conducts its business primarily in English.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/translation-adds-complexity-to-european-central-banks-supervisory-role-1414580925|title=Translation Adds Complexity to European Central Bank's Supervisory Role: ECB Wants Communication in English, But EU Rules Allow Use of Any Official Language|last=Buell|first=Todd|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=11 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scplps/ecblwp2.pdf|title=The Application of multilingualism in the European Union Context|last=Athanassiou|first=Phoebus|publisher=ECB|page=26|access-date=11 October 2015}}</ref> Even though [[language policy]] is the responsibility of member states, EU institutions promote multilingualism among its citizens.<ref group="lower-alpha" name="art249" /><ref>{{cite web|title=European Parliament Fact Sheets: 4.16.3. Language policy |publisher=Europa web portal |author=European Parliament |year=2004 |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/facts/4_16_3_en.htm |access-date=3 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070219033654/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/facts/4_16_3_en.htm |archive-date=19 February 2007 }}</ref>

The most widely spoken language in the EU is [[English language|English]]; the language is spoken by 44 per cent of the population (2016 data) and studied by 95 per cent of school students,<ref>{{cite web|author=Euobserver |url=http://euobserver.com/1016/113742 |title=News in Brief / English studied by 95% of EU students |work=EUobserver }}</ref> although following the [[Brexit|withdrawal of the United Kingdom]] less than 1 per cent of the population speak it natively. [[German language|German]] and [[French language|French]] are spoken by 36 per cent and 30 per cent of the population.<ref>{{cite web |title=Technical Specification |mode=cs2 |url-status=dead |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_anx_en.pdf |archive-date=2016-01-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106183351/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_anx_en.pdf}}, in {{cite report|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_en.pdf|title=Europeans and their Languages|work=Special Eurobarometer 386|publisher=European Commission|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106183351/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_en.pdf |archive-date=2016-01-06 |url-status=dead |ref={{harvid|Europeans and their Languages|2012}}}}</ref> More than half (56 per cent) of EU citizens are able to engage in a conversation in a language other than their mother tongue.<ref name="Eurobarometer Languages_P3">{{cite web|title=Special Eurobarometer 243: Europeans and their Languages (Executive Summary)|publisher=Europa web portal|author=European Commission |year=2006 |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_sum_en.pdf|access-date=11 March 2011|page=3|quote=56% of citizens in the EU Member States are able to hold a conversation in one language apart from their mother tongue.}}</ref>

[[Luxembourgish]] (in Luxembourg) and [[Turkish language|Turkish]] (in Cyprus) are the only two national languages that are not official languages of the EU. [[Catalan language|Catalan]], [[Galician language|Galician]] and [[Basque language|Basque]] are not recognised official languages of the EU but have official status in [[Spain]]. Therefore, official translations of the treaties are made into them and citizens have the right to correspond with the institutions in these languages.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BWK4BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA1|title=Towards the Pragmatic Core of English for European Communication: The Speech Act of Apologising in Selected Euro-Englishes|last=Klimczak-Pawlak|first=Agata|year=2014|publisher=Springer Science & Business|isbn=978-3-319-03557-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/languages-culture/news/meps-push-for-eu-recognition-of-catalan-welsh-languages/|title=MEPs push for EU recognition of Catalan, Welsh languages|website=EURACTIV.com-GB|access-date=28 June 2017}}</ref> There are about 150 [[regional language|regional]] and [[minority language]]s in the EU, spoken by up to 50 million people.<ref name="Many tongues, one family">{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/move/45/en.pdf|title=Many tongues, one family. Languages in the European Union|year=2004|publisher=Europa web portal|author=European Commission|access-date=3 February 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070329125431/http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/move/45/en.pdf|archive-date=29 March 2007}}</ref> The [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages]] ratified by most EU states provides general guidelines that states can follow to protect their linguistic heritage. The [[European Day of Languages]] is held annually on 26 September and is aimed at encouraging language learning across Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?Ref=776/7.1&Sector=secCM&Language=lanEnglish&Ver=original&BackColorInternet=9999CC&BackColorIntranet=FFBB55&BackColorLogged=FFAC75%20|title=Committee of Ministers – European Year of Languages Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1539|publisher=Wcd.coe.int|access-date=26 September 2012}}</ref>

{{Clear}}

===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in the European Union}}

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible plainrowheaders floatright" style="font-size: 90%;"
|+ Religious affiliation in the EU (2015)<ref name="EB2015">{{cite web |title=DISCRIMINATION IN THE EU IN 2015 |work=[[Eurobarometer|Special Eurobarometer]] |year=2015 |series=437 |url=http://zacat.gesis.org/webview/index.jsp?headers=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6595_V355&V355slice=1&previousmode=table&stubs=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6595_V10&weights=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6595_V42&analysismode=table&study=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfStudy%2FZA6595&tabcontenttype=row&gs=362&V10slice=1&mode=table&top=yess |access-date=15 October 2017 |publisher=[[European Commission]] |location=European Union |via=[[GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences|GESIS]] |archive-date=14 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314105932/https://zacat.gesis.org/webview/index.jsp?headers=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6595_V355&V355slice=1&previousmode=table&stubs=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6595_V10&weights=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6595_V42&analysismode=table&study=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfStudy%2FZA6595&tabcontenttype=row&gs=362&V10slice=1&mode=table&top=yess |url-status=dead }}</ref>
! scope="col" | Affiliation
! scope="colgroup" colspan="2" | Per cent of EU population
|-
! scope="row" | [[Christianity|Christian]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable|71.6||2||background:darkblue}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-indent: 15px;" | [[Catholic]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable|45.3||2||background:lightblue}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-indent: 15px;" | [[Protestant]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable|11.1||2||background:lightblue}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-indent: 15px;" | [[Eastern Orthodox]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable|9.6||2||background:lightblue}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-indent: 15px;" | Other Christian
| align=right |{{Bartable| 5.6||2||background:lightblue}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[Muslim]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable| 1.8||2||background:green}}
|-
! scope="row" | Other faiths
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable| 2.6||2||background:purple}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[Irreligion|Irreligious]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable| 24.0||2||background:grey}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-indent: 15px;" | Non-believer/[[Agnosticism|Agnostic]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable| 13.6||2||background:lightgrey}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-indent: 15px;" | [[Atheism|Atheist]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable| 10.4||2||background:lightgrey}}
|-
|}

The EU has no formal connection to any religion. Article 17 of the [[Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Consolidated_version_of_the_Treaty_on_the_Functioning_of_the_European_Union/Part_One:_Principles#Article_17|title=Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union|via=Wikisource}}</ref> recognises the "status under national law of churches and religious associations" as well as that of "philosophical and non-confessional organisations".<ref name="Consolidated Treaties" /> The preamble to the [[Maastricht Treaty|Treaty on European Union]] mentions the "cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe".<ref name="Consolidated Treaties">{{cite web |title=Consolidated versions of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.C_.2010.083.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AC%3A2010%3A083%3ATOC |website=eur-lex.europa.eu |access-date=1 January 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Discussion over the draft texts of the European Constitution and later the [[Treaty of Lisbon]] included proposals to mention [[Christianity]] or a [[god]], or both, in the preamble of the text, but the idea faced opposition and was dropped.<ref name="EUO Merkel God">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/eu-celebrates-its-50th-birthday--with-a-row-about-religion-440976.html |title=EU celebrates 50th birthday-with a row about religion |work=The Independent |location=London |first=Stephen |last=Castle |access-date=4 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405065450/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/eu-celebrates-its-50th-birthday--with-a-row-about-religion-440976.html |archive-date=5 April 2008 }}</ref>

Christians in the EU comprise members of Catholicism (both [[Latin Church|Roman]] and [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Rite]]), numerous [[Protestant]] denominations ([[Lutherans]], [[Anglicans]], and [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]] forming the bulk of this category), and the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]. In 2009, the EU had an estimated [[List of countries by Muslim population|Muslim population]] of 13 million,<ref name="mgmpPRC">, about 3 per cent of the population, {{cite web |title=Muslim Population |publisher=europa web portal |url=http://www.fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/attachments/Manifestations_EN.pdf |access-date=1 November 2010 |archive-date=22 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722185047/http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/attachments/Manifestations_EN.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> and an estimated [[Jewish population]] of over a million.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Jewish Agency for Israel - U.S.|url=https://www.jewishagency.org/|access-date=2022-12-21|website=www.jewishagency.org}}</ref> The other world religions of [[Buddhism]], [[Hinduism]], and [[Sikhism]] are also represented in the EU population.

[[Eurostat]]'s [[Eurobarometer]] opinion polls showed in 2005 that 52 per cent of EU citizens believed in a god, 27 per cent in "some sort of spirit or life force", and 18 per cent had no form of belief.<ref name="Eurostat Religion">{{Cite journal|journal=Special Eurobarometer 225 |title=Social values, Science and Technology |publisher=Europa, web portal |author=Eurostat |author-link=Eurostat |year=2005 |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf |page=9 |access-date=11 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060524004644/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf |archive-date=24 May 2006}}</ref> Many countries have experienced falling church attendance and membership in recent years.<ref name="About SecE">{{cite news|work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-02-21-god-europe_x.htm|title=What place for God in Europe|access-date=24 July 2009|first=Peter|last=Ford}}</ref> The countries where the fewest people reported a religious belief were Estonia (16 per cent) and the Czech Republic (19 per cent).<ref name="Eurostat Religion"/> The most religious countries were Malta (95 per cent, predominantly Catholic) as well as Cyprus and Romania (both predominantly Orthodox) each with about 90 per cent of citizens professing a belief in God. Across the EU, belief was higher among women, older people, those with religious upbringing, those who left school at 15 or 16, and those "positioning themselves on the right of the political scale".<ref name="Eurostat Religion"/>

{{Clear}}

===Education and research===
{{Main|Educational policies and initiatives of the European Union|Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development}}
{{See also|European Institute of Innovation and Technology}}

[[File:Holbein-erasmus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.5|[[Erasmus|Erasmus of Rotterdam]], the [[Renaissance humanism|Renaissance humanist]] after whom the [[Erasmus Programme]] is named]]

Basic education is an area where the EU's role is limited to supporting national governments. In higher education, the policy was developed in the 1980s in programmes supporting exchanges and mobility. The most visible of these has been the [[Erasmus Programme]], a university exchange programme which began in 1987. In its first 20 years, it supported international exchange opportunities for well over 1.5 million university and college students and became a symbol of European student life.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/erasmus20_en.html|title=The Erasmus programme celebrates its 20th anniversary|publisher=Europa web portal|author=European Commission|access-date=21 July 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703000422/http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/erasmus20_en.html|archive-date=3 July 2007}}; {{cite web|url=http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/article/19702/erasmus-turns-20-time-to-grow-up.html|title=Erasmus turns 20 – time to grow up?|last=Jean-Sébastien|first=Lefebvre|publisher=Café Babel|access-date=10 August 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100912002728/http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/article/19702/erasmus-turns-20-time-to-grow-up.html|archive-date=12 September 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

There are similar programmes for school pupils and teachers, for trainees in [[vocational education|vocational education and training]], and for adult learners in the [[Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013]]. These programmes are designed to encourage a wider knowledge of other countries and to spread good practices in the education and training fields across the EU.<ref>{{cite web|author=EACEA|title=About the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency|publisher=Europa web portal|url=http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/index.htm|access-date=21 July 2007|archive-date=29 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429185547/http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/index.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Lifelong Learning Programme|publisher=Europa web portal|author=European Commission|url=http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/llp/national_en.html|access-date=21 July 2007}}</ref> Through its support of the [[Bologna Process]], the EU is supporting comparable standards and compatible degrees across Europe.

Scientific development is facilitated through the EU's [[Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development|Framework Programmes]], the first of which started in 1984. The aims of EU policy in this area are to co-ordinate and stimulate research. The independent [[European Research Council]] allocates EU funds to European or national research projects.<ref>{{cite web|title=What is the ERC?|publisher=Europa web portal|author=European Research Council|url=http://erc.europa.eu/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&topicID=12|access-date=21 July 2007|archive-date=13 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813041547/http://erc.europa.eu/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&topicID=12|url-status=dead}}</ref> EU [[Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development|research and technological framework programmes]] deal in a number of areas, for example energy where the aim is to develop a diverse mix of [[renewable energy]] to help the environment and to reduce dependence on imported fuels.<ref>{{cite web|title=Energy|publisher=Europa web portal|author=European Commission|url=http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7/index_en.cfm?pg=energy|access-date=12 November 2007}}</ref>

===Health===
{{Main|Healthcare in Europe}}
{{See also
| European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
| European Chemicals Agency
| European Medicines Agency
| European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction
}}

Article 35 of the [[Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union]] affirms that "A high level of human health protection shall be ensured in the definition and implementation of all Union policies and activities". The [[European Commission]]'s [[Directorate-General for Health and Consumers (European Commission)|Directorate-General for Health and Consumers]] seeks to align national laws on the protection of people's health, on the consumers' rights, on the safety of food and other products.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/about_us/our_vision_en.htm |title=Europa web portal |work=Europa (web portal) |access-date=26 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101112200650/http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/about_us/our_vision_en.htm |archive-date=12 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/index_en.htm |title=Europa web portal |work=Europa (web portal) |access-date=26 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101111154145/http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/index_en.htm |archive-date=11 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/health-eu/index_en.htm |title=Europa web portal |work=Europa (web portal) |access-date=26 November 2010}}</ref>

All EU and many other European countries offer their citizens a free [[European Health Insurance Card]] which, on a reciprocal basis, provides insurance for emergency medical treatment insurance when visiting other participating European countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/Healthcareabroad/pages/Healthcareabroad.aspx |title=info about health care and EHIC |publisher=Nhs.uk |access-date=26 November 2010}}</ref> A directive on cross-border healthcare aims at promoting co-operation on health care between member states and facilitating access to safe and high-quality cross-border healthcare for European patients.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/lsa/119514.pdf |title=Consilium.europa.eu |access-date=3 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:088:0045:0065:EN:PDF |title=Eur-lex.europa.eu |access-date=3 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhsconfed.org/Publications/Factsheets/Pages/Cross-border-healthcare-commissioners.aspx |title=NHSconfed.org |publisher=NHSconfed.org |access-date=3 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728184655/http://www.nhsconfed.org/Publications/Factsheets/Pages/Cross-border-healthcare-commissioners.aspx |archive-date=28 July 2013 }}</ref>

The life expectancy in the EU was 80.1 year at birth in 2021, among the highest in the world and around nine years higher than the world average.<ref>Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 25 [https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001]</ref> In general, life expectancy is lower in [[Eastern Europe]] than in [[Western Europe]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2018/09/24/in-europe-life-expectancy-is-lower-in-the-east|title=In Europe, life expectancy is lower in the east|newspaper=The Economist}}</ref> In 2018, the EU region with the highest life expectancy was [[Comunidad de Madrid|Madrid]], Spain at 85.2 years, followed by the Spanish regions of [[La Rioja (Spain)|La Rioja]] and [[Castilla y León]] both at 84.3 years, [[Trentino]] in Italy at 84.3 years and [[Île-de-France]] in France at 84.2 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/DDN-20181026-1|title=Life expectancy: Are you in one of the top 5 regions?|website=ec.europa.eu}}</ref>

{{Clear}}

==Culture==

{{Main|Cultural policies of the European Union}}

Cultural co-operation between member states has been an interest of the European Union since its inclusion as a community competency in the Maastricht Treaty.<ref name="Bozoki">{{cite web |last=Bozoki |first=Andras |title=Cultural Policy and Politics in the European Union |publisher=Cultural Policy and Politics in the European Union.pdf |url=http://www.ecoc-doc-athens.eu/attachments/1249_Cultural%20Policy%20and%20Politics%20in%20the%20European%20Union_speech_Bozoki_Andras.pdf |access-date=4 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130222205051/http://www.ecoc-doc-athens.eu/attachments/1249_Cultural%20Policy%20and%20Politics%20in%20the%20European%20Union_speech_Bozoki_Andras.pdf |archive-date=22 February 2013}}</ref> Actions taken in the cultural area by the EU include the [[Culture 2000]] seven-year programme,<ref name="Bozoki" /> the [[European Cultural Month]] event,<ref name="Culture Month">{{cite web|title=European Culture Month|author=European Commission|publisher=Europa web portal|url=http://ec.europa.eu/culture/eac/ecocs/present_cap/retrospective_en.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080202062436/http://ec.europa.eu/culture/eac/ecocs/present_cap/retrospective_en.html|archive-date=2 February 2008|access-date=27 February 2008}}</ref> and orchestras such as the [[European Union Youth Orchestra]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.euyo.org.uk/about/history.htm |title=An Overture to the European Union Youth Orchestra |publisher=The European Youth Orchestra |access-date=12 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611140551/http://www.euyo.org.uk/about/history.htm |archive-date=11 June 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[European Capital of Culture]] programme selects one or more cities in every year to assist the [[Sociocultural evolution|cultural development]] of that city.<ref name="Capital Culture">{{cite web|title=European Capitals of Culture |publisher=Europa web portal |author=European Commission |url=http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc413_en.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100803205745/http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc413_en.htm |archive-date=3 August 2010 }}</ref>

===Sport===
{{Main|Sport policies of the European Union}}
Sport is mainly the responsibility of the member states or other international organisations, rather than of the EU. There are some EU policies that have affected sport, such as the free movement of workers, which was at the core of the [[Bosman ruling]] that prohibited national football leagues from imposing quotas on foreign players with EU member state citizenship.<ref name="BBC Boseman">{{cite news |last=Fordyce |first=Tom |title=10 years since Bosman|work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4528732.stm|access-date=13 July 2007}}</ref>

The [[Treaty of Lisbon]] requires any application of economic rules to take into account the specific nature of sport and its structures based on voluntary activity.<ref>Cases C-403/08 and C-429/08, Opinion of Advocate General Kokott, para 207</ref> This followed lobbying by governing organisations such as the [[International Olympic Committee]] and [[FIFA]], due to objections over the application of free market principles to sport, which led to an increasing gap between rich and poor clubs.<ref name="IHT RT">{{cite news|title=IOC, FIFA presidents welcomes new EU treaty, call it breakthrough to give sports more power |work=[[International Herald Tribune]] |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/19/sports/EU-SPT-OLY-EU-Treaty.php |access-date=21 October 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201201945/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/19/sports/EU-SPT-OLY-EU-Treaty.php |archive-date=1 December 2008 }}</ref> The EU does fund a programme for Israeli, Jordanian, Irish, and British football coaches, as part of the Football 4 Peace project.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/israel/press_corner/all_news/news/2011/20110329_01_en.htm |title=Sports coaches from Israel travel to UK for training |publisher=Eeas.europa.eu |access-date=3 June 2013 |archive-date=25 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425235908/http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/israel/press_corner/all_news/news/2011/20110329_01_en.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Symbols===
{{Further|European Heritage Label}}

[[File:Europa copy.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.75|[[Europa (mythology)|Europa]] and the Bull on a Greek vase, {{Circa|480 BC}}. [[Tarquinia National Museum]], Italy]]

The [[flag of Europe]] consists of a [[Circle of stars|circle of]] 12 golden stars on a blue background. Originally designed in 1955 for the Council of Europe, the flag was adopted by the [[European Communities]], the predecessors of the present European Union, in 1986. The Council of Europe gave the flag a symbolic description in the following terms,<ref name="36th">{{cite web |title=Thirty-sixth meeting of the ministers' deputies: resolution (55) 32|url=http://www.coe.int/t/dgal/dit/ilcd/fonds/themes/flags/Res(55)32_en.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090528195931/http://www.coe.int/t/dgal/dit/ilcd/Fonds/Themes/Flags/Res%2855%2932_en.pdf|url-status=dead|publisher=Council of Europe|access-date=2 February 2008|archive-date=28 May 2009}}</ref> though the official symbolic description adopted by the EU omits the reference to the "Western world":<ref name="1996guide">{{in lang|fr}} ''[https://www.cvce.eu/en/obj/guide_graphique_relatif_a_l_embleme_europeen_1996-fr-93eedaa0-b431-4ca8-ac7b-113ca01c0395.html Guide graphique relatif à l'emblème européen]'' (1996), p. 3: ''Description symbolique: Sur le fond bleu du ciel, les étoiles figurant les peuples d'Europe forment un cercle en signe d'union. Elles sont au nombre invariable de douze, symbole de la perfection et de la plénitude''...''Description héraldique: Sur fond azur, un cercle composé de douze étoiles d'or à cinq rais, dont les pointes ne se touchent pas''. c.f. {{cite web |title=Graphical specifications for the European Emblem|url=http://europa.eu/abc/symbols/emblem/graphics1_en.htm#symbol|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060622134708/http://europa.eu/abc/symbols/emblem/graphics1_en.htm#symbol|url-status=dead|publisher=[[Europa (web portal)|European Commission]]|access-date=4 August 2004|archive-date=22 June 2006}}</ref>
{{blockquote|Against the blue sky of the Western world, the stars symbolise the peoples of Europe in a form of a circle, the sign of union. The number of stars is invariably [[12 (number)#Religion|twelve]], the figure twelve being the symbol of perfection and entirety.|Council of Europe. Paris, 7–9 December 1955.|source=}}

''[[Motto of the European Union|United in Diversity]]'' was adopted as the motto of the union in 2000, having been selected from [[A motto for Europe|proposals]] submitted by school pupils.{{sfn|Simons|2002|page=110}} Since 1985, the [[flag day]] of the union has been [[Europe Day]], on 9 May (the date of the 1950 [[Schuman declaration]]). The [[Anthem of Europe|anthem of the EU]] is an instrumental version of the prelude to the ''[[Ode to Joy]]'', the 4th movement of [[Ludwig van Beethoven]]'s [[Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)|ninth symphony]]. The anthem was adopted by European Community leaders in 1985 and has since been played on official occasions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/home|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091219175535/http://www.coe.int/T/E/Com/About_Coe/emblems/emblemes.asp|url-status=dead|title=Council of Europe|archive-date=19 December 2009|website=www.coe.int}}</ref>
Besides naming the continent, the [[Greek mythology|Greek mythological]] figure of [[Europa (mythology)|Europa]] has frequently been employed as a [[National personification|personification]] of Europe. Known from the myth in which [[Zeus]] seduces her in the guise of a white bull, Europa has also been referred to in relation to the present union. Statues of Europa and the bull decorate several of the EU's institutions and a portrait of her is seen on the 2013 series of [[euro banknotes]]. The bull is, for its part, depicted on all residence permit cards.{{sfn|Demey|2007|page=387}}

[[Charlemagne|Charles the Great]], also known as Charlemagne ({{lang-la|Carolus Magnus}}) and later recognised as ''Pater Europae'' ("Father of Europe"),<ref name="ReferenceB">Riché, Preface xviii, Pierre Riché reflects: "[H]e enjoyed an exceptional destiny, and by the length of his reign, by his conquests, legislation and legendary stature, he also profoundly marked the history of Western Europe."</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.karlspreis.de/preistraeger/seine_heiligkeit_papst_johannes_paul_ii/ansprache_von_seiner_heiligkeit_papst_johannes_paul_ii.html |title=Der Karlspreisträger Seine Heiligkeit Papst Johannes Paul II. außerordentlicher Karlspreis 2004 |publisher=Karlspreis.de |access-date=1 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117151907/http://www.karlspreis.de/preistraeger/seine_heiligkeit_papst_johannes_paul_ii/ansprache_von_seiner_heiligkeit_papst_johannes_paul_ii.html |archive-date=17 January 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Chamberlin|first=Russell|title=The Emperor Charlemagne|publisher=[[The History Press]]|location=[[Stroud]], [[Gloucestershire]]|year=2004|isbn=978-0-7509-3482-4}}</ref> has a symbolic relevance to Europe. The commission has named [[Charlemagne building|one of its central buildings]] in Brussels after Charlemagne and the city of [[Aachen]] has since 1949 awarded the [[Charlemagne Prize]] to champions of European unification.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.karlspreis.de/en/laureates|title=Laureates|work=karlspreis.de|access-date=12 February 2016}}</ref> Since 2008, the organisers of this prize, in conjunction with the European Parliament, have awarded the [[European Charlemagne Youth Prize|Charlemagne Youth Prize]] in recognition of similar efforts led by young people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.charlemagneyouthprize.eu/|title=Winners 2015|work=charlemagneyouthprize.eu|access-date=12 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151212170932/http://www.charlemagneyouthprize.eu/|archive-date=12 December 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Media ===
{{Main|Media freedom in the European Union|European Broadcasting Union}}

[[Media freedom]] is a [[Fundamental rights|fundamental right]] that applies to all [[Member state of the European Union|member states]] of the European Union and its [[EU citizens|citizens]], as defined in the [[EU Charter of Fundamental Rights]] as well as the [[European Convention on Human Rights]].<ref name="eprs">Maria Poptcheva, [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/EPRS/EPRS-Briefing-554214-Press-freedom-in-the-EU-FINAL.pdf Press freedom in the EU Legal framework and challenges], EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service, Briefing April 2015</ref>{{rp|1}} Within the [[EU enlargement]] process, guaranteeing media freedom is named a "key indicator of a country's readiness to become part of the EU".<ref>{{cite web|url = http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/policy/policy-highlights/media-freedom/index_en.htm|title = European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations|access-date = 8 February 2016|publisher = European Commission|url-status=dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160124161814/http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/policy/policy-highlights/media-freedom/index_en.htm|archive-date = 24 January 2016|df = dmy-all}}</ref>

The majority of media in the European Union are national-orientated, although some EU-wide media focusing on European affairs have emerged since the early 1990s, such as [[Euronews]], [[Eurosport]], [[EUobserver]], [[EURACTIV]] or [[Politico Europe]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Euro-English : assessing variety status|last=Mollin|first=Sandra|publisher=Gunter Narr Verlag|year=2006|isbn=978-3-8233-6250-0|location=Tübingen|pages=56|oclc=804963256}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=2018 EU Media Survey|url=http://www.comresglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Final_Presentation_BM.pdf|publisher=[[ComRes]]/[[Burson-Marsteller]]|access-date=21 July 2020|archive-date=3 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203103312/http://comresglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Final_Presentation_BM.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Arte]] is a public Franco-German TV network that promotes programming in the areas of culture and the arts. 80 per cent of its programming are provided in equal proportion by the two member companies, while the remainder is being provided by the [[European Economic Interest Grouping]] ''ARTE GEIE'' and the channel's European partners.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arte.tv/sites/en/corporate/qui-sommes-nous-cluster/publications/?lang=en|title=How is ARTE funded?|publisher=ARTE Entreprise|access-date=26 June 2016|archive-date=28 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428061038/http://www.arte.tv/sites/en/corporate/qui-sommes-nous-cluster/publications/?lang=en|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[MEDIA Programme]] of the European Union has supported the European popular film and audiovisual industries since 1991. It provides support for the development, promotion and distribution of European works within Europe and beyond.<ref>{{cite web|title=Media Programme |publisher=European Commission |work=Europa |url=http://ec.europa.eu/culture/media/about/index_en.htm |access-date=13 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621054048/http://ec.europa.eu/culture/media/about/index_en.htm |archive-date=21 June 2013 }}</ref>

===Influence===
[[File:Eiffel Tower wearing Europe colors - panoramio.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.75|The [[Flag of Europe|European emblem]] emblazoned on the [[Eiffel Tower]]]]

The European Union has had a significant positive economic effect on most member states.<ref name=JoME /> According to a 2019 study of the member states who joined from 1973 to 2004, "without European integration, per capita incomes would have been, on average, approximately 10 per cent lower in the first ten years after joining the EU."<ref name=JoME>{{Cite journal|last1=Campos|first1=Nauro F.|last2=Coricelli|first2=Fabrizio|last3=Moretti|first3=Luigi|title=Institutional integration and economic growth in Europe|journal=Journal of Monetary Economics|volume=103|pages=88–104|doi=10.1016/j.jmoneco.2018.08.001|issn=0304-3932|doi-access=free}}</ref> Greece was the exception reported by the study, which analysed up to 2008, "to avoid confounding effects from the global financial crisis".<ref name=JoME /> A 2021 study in the ''Journal of Political Economy'' found that the 2004 enlargement had aggregate beneficial economic effects on all groups in both the old and new member states. The largest winners were the new member states, in particular unskilled labour in the new member states.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Caliendo|first1=Lorenzo|last2=Parro|first2=Fernando|last3=Opromolla|first3=Luca David|last4=Sforza|first4=Alessandro|title=Goods and Factor Market Integration: A Quantitative Assessment of the EU Enlargement|url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/716560|journal=Journal of Political Economy|volume=129|issue=12|pages=3491–3545|doi=10.1086/716560|s2cid=240811706|issn=0022-3808}}</ref>

The European Union has contributed to peace in Europe, in particular by pacifying border disputes,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Diez|first1=Thomas|last2=Stetter|first2=Stephan|last3=Albert|first3=Mathias|title=The European Union and Border Conflicts: The Transformative Power of Integration|journal=International Organization|volume=60|issue=3|pages=563–593|doi=10.1017/S0020818306060218|s2cid=102491575|issn=1531-5088}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/european-union-and-border-conflicts/A266F908B4C67C91C17F511DD9BB9AF3|title=The European Union and Border Conflicts: The Power of Integration and Association|website=Cambridge Core|doi=10.1017/cbo9780511491337|access-date=19 December 2019|isbn=978-0-511-49133-7|editor1-last=Diez|editor1-first=Thomas|editor2-last=Albert|editor2-first=Mathias|editor3-last=Stetter|editor3-first=Stephan}}</ref> and to the spread of democracy, especially by encouraging democratic reforms in aspiring Eastern European member states after the collapse of the USSR.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Poast|first1=Paul|last2=Chinchilla|first2=Alexandra|title=Good for democracy? Evidence from the 2004 NATO expansion|journal=International Politics|volume=57|issue=3|pages=471–490|doi=10.1057/s41311-020-00236-6|s2cid=219012478|issn=1740-3898}}</ref><ref name="Risse-2009" /> Scholar [[Thomas Risse]] wrote in 2009, "there is a consensus in the literature on Eastern Europe that the EU membership perspective had a huge anchoring effects for the new democracies."<ref name="Risse-2009">{{Cite book|last=Risse|first=Thomas|chapter=Conclusions: Towards Transatlantic Democracy Promotion?|work=Promoting Democracy and the Rule of Law: American and European Strategies|pages=[https://archive.org/details/promotingdemocra00mage/page/n262 244]–271|editor-last=Magen|editor-first=Amichai|series=Governance and Limited Statehood Series|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK|doi=10.1057/9780230244528_9|isbn=978-0-230-24452-8|editor2-last=Risse|editor2-first=Thomas|editor3-last=McFaul|editor3-first=Michael A.|title=Promoting Democracy and the Rule of Law|url=https://archive.org/details/promotingdemocra00mage|url-access=limited}}</ref> However, [[R. Daniel Kelemen]] argues that the EU has proved beneficial to leaders who are overseeing [[democratic backsliding]], as the EU is reluctant to intervene in domestic politics, gives authoritarian governments funds which they can use to strengthen their regimes, and because freedom of movement within the EU allows dissenting citizens to leave their backsliding countries. At the same time, the union might provide through [[Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union]] an external constraint that prevents [[electoral autocracy|electoral autocracies]], currently Hungary,<ref>{{cite report |author=Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs |title=INTERIM REPORT on the proposal for a Council decision determining, pursuant to Article 7(1) of the Treaty on European Union, the existence of a clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the Union is founded |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2022-0217_EN.html |publisher=European Parliament}}</ref> from progressing into [[autocracy|closed autocracies]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kelemen|first=R. Daniel|title=The European Union's authoritarian equilibrium|journal=Journal of European Public Policy|volume=27|issue=3|pages=481–499|doi=10.1080/13501763.2020.1712455|issn=1350-1763|doi-access=free}}</ref>

{{Clear}}

==See also==
{{portal|European Union|Europe}}
* [[Outline of the European Union]]
* [[Special territories of members of the European Economic Area]]
* [[List of country groupings]]
* [[List of multilateral free-trade agreements]]
* [[Euroscepticism]]
* [[Pan-European nationalism]]
* [[Brexit withdrawal agreement]]
* [[EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement]]
* [[African Union]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha|30em|refs=}}

==References==
=== Citations ===
{{reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{Refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}

* {{Cite book|last1=Anderson|first1=M.|title=Frontiers of the European Union|last2=Bort|first2=E.|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-0-230-50797-5}}

* {{cite book|last=Barnard|first=Catherine|author-link=Catherine Barnard|title=The Substantive Law of the EU: The four freedoms|edition=3rd|year=2010|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-956224-4}}
* {{cite book |editor-first1=Elizabeth |editor-last1=Bomberg |editor-first2=John |editor-last2=Peterson |editor-first3=Richard |editor-last3=Corbett |title=The European Union: How Does it Work? (New European Union) |edition=3rd |year=2012 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-957080-5 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/europeanunionhow0000unse }}
* {{Cite book|last1=Bretherton|first1=Charlotte|title=The European Union as a Global Actor|last2=Vogler|first2=John|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-45882-0}}

* {{Cite book|last1=Cini|first1=Michelle|title=European Union Politics|last2=Borragán|first2=Nieves Pérez-Solórzano|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-880653-0}}
* {{cite book|last1=Craig|first1=Paul|first2=Grainne|last2=De Burca|title=EU Law: Text, Cases and Materials|edition=5th|year=2011|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-957699-9}}

* {{cite book|last=Demey|first=Thierry|others= S. Strange (trans.) |title=Brussels, capital of Europe|year=2007|publisher=Badeaux|location=Brussels|isbn=978-2-9600414-6-0}}

* {{cite book|first1=Erik|last1=Jones|first2=Menon|last2=Anand|first3=Stephen|last3=Weatherill|title=The Oxford Handbook of the European Union|year=2012|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-954628-2}}
* {{cite book|editor-first1=A.J. |editor-last1=Jordan |editor-first2= Camilla |editor-last2=Adelle|title=Environmental Policy in the European Union: Contexts, Actors and Policy Dynamics|edition=3rd|publisher=[[Routledge]]|location=[[Abingdon-on-Thames]]|isbn=978-1-84971-469-3|year=2012}}

* {{Cite book|last1=Kaiser|first1=Wolfram|title=European Union History: Themes and Debates|last2=Varsori|first2=A.|publisher=Springer|year=2010|isbn=978-0-230-28150-9}}

* {{Cite book|last=Mather|first=J.|title=Legitimating the European Union: Aspirations, Inputs and Performance|publisher=Springer|year=2006|isbn=978-0-230-62562-4}}
* {{Cite book|last=McCormick|first=John|title=The European superpower|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-1-4039-9845-3|oclc=71266552|author-link=John McCormick (political scientist)}}
* {{Cite book|last=McCormick|first=John|title=Understanding the European Union: A Concise Introduction|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=978-1-137-36234-6}}
* {{cite book|first1=John|last1=McCormick|title=The European Union: Politics and Policies|publisher=[[Westview Press]]|location=Boulder, CO|year=2013|isbn=978-0-8133-4202-3|edition=5th|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/europeanunionpol0000mcco_d3k0}}
* {{Cite book|last=McLaren|first=L.|title=Identity, Interests and Attitudes to European Integration|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-0-230-50424-0}}
* {{Cite book|last=Murray|first=Fiona|title=The European Union and Member State Territories: A New Legal Framework Under the EU Treaties|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-90-6704-825-5}}

* {{Cite book|last=Nugent|first=Neill|title=The Government and Politics of the European Union|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0-8223-3870-3}}

* {{Cite book|last=O'Brennan|first=John|title=The Eastern Enlargement of the European Union|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-23440-0}}

* {{Cite book|last1=Pagden|first1=Anthony|title=The Idea of Europe: From Antiquity to the European Union|last2=Hamilton|first2=Lee H.|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-79552-4}}
* {{cite book|last1=Pinder|first1=John|first2=Simon|last2=Usherwood|title=The European Union: A Very Short Introduction|year=2013|edition=3rd|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-968169-3}}
* {{cite book|title=The Lisbon Treaty: A Legal and Political Analysis|last=Piris|first=Jean-Claude|year=2010|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=978-0-521-19792-2 }}

* {{Cite book|last=Rosamond|first=Ben|title=Theories of European Integration|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2000|isbn=978-0-312-23120-0}}

* {{Cite book|last=Scheuer|first=Angelika|title=How Europeans See Europe: Structure and Dynamics of European Legitimacy Beliefs|publisher=Amsterdam University Press|isbn=978-90-5629-408-3}}
* {{cite book|title=EuroDiversity|editor-first=George F. |editor-last=Simons|year=2002|publisher=Routledge|location=Abingdon-on-Thames|isbn=978-0-87719-381-4 }}
* {{Cite book|last=Smith|first=Hazel Knowles|title=European Union Foreign Policy: What it is and What it Does|publisher=Pluto Press|isbn=978-0-7453-1870-7}}
* {{Cite book|last=Smith|first=Karen E.|title=European Union Foreign Policy in a Changing World|publisher=Wiley|isbn=978-0-7456-4018-1}}

* {{Cite book|last=Urwin|first=Derek W.|title=The Community of Europe: A History of European Integration Since 1945|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-89252-6}}

* {{Cite book|last1=Weigall|first1=David|title=The Origins and development of the European Community|last2=Stirk|first2=Peter M.R.|publisher=Leicester University Press|isbn=978-0-7185-1428-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Wilkinson|first=Paul|title=International Relations: A Very Short Introduction|url=https://archive.org/details/internationalrel00wilk_012|url-access=limited|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-280157-9|year=2007|edition=1st }}
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}
* {{cite book |last=Berend |first= Ivan T. |title=The Contemporary Crisis of the European Union: Prospects for the Future |location=New York |publisher=Routledge |year= 2017 |isbn= 978-1-138-24419-1}}
* {{cite book|last1=Corbett |first1=Richard|last2=Jacobs|first2=Francis|author2-link=Francis Jacobs|last3=Shackleton|first3=Michael|title=The European Parliament|edition=8th |publisher=[[Harper (publisher)|John Harper Publishing]]|year=2011|location=London|isbn=978-0-9564508-5-2}}
* {{cite book|editor-last=Federiga |editor-first=Bindi|title=The Foreign Policy of the European Union: Assessing Europe's Role in the World|publisher=[[Brookings Institution|Brookings Institution Press]]|year=2010|location=Washington, DC|isbn=978-0-8157-2252-6|edition=2nd}}
* {{cite book |editor-last1=Gareis |editor-first1= Sven |editor-last2= Hauser |editor-first2= Gunther |editor-last3= Kernic |editor-first3=Franz |title=The European Union – A Global Actor? |location=Leverkusen, Germany|publisher= Barbara Budrich Publishers |year= 2013 |isbn= 978-3-8474-0040-0}}
* {{cite book |last1=Grinin |first1=L. |last2=Korotayev |first2= A. |last3=Tausch |first3=A. |year=2016 |title=Economic Cycles, Crises, and the Global Periphery |publisher=Springer International Publishing |location= Heidelberg, New York, Dordrecht, London |isbn=978-3-319-17780-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Kaiser|first=Wolfram|title=Christian Democracy and the Origins of European Union|year=2009|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|location=Cambridge|isbn=978-0-511-49705-6}}
* {{cite book |last1=Le Gales |first1= Patrick |last2= King |first2= Desmond |title= Reconfiguring European States in Crisis |location= Corby |publisher= Oxford University Press |year= 2017 |isbn= 978-0-19-879337-3}}
* {{Cite news|last=McAuley|first=James|title=A More Perfect Union?|journal=New York Review of Books|url=https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2019/08/15/europe-more-perfect-union|issn=0028-7504}}
* {{Cite news|last=Mount|first=Ferdinand|title=Why we go to war|volume=41|work=London Review of Books|issue=11|url=https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v41/n11/ferdinand-mount/why-we-go-to-war|access-date=11 October 2020|issn=0260-9592}}
* {{cite book|title=The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream|first=Jeremy|last=Rifkin|publisher=[[Penguin Group#Imprints|TarcherPerigee]]|year=2005|location=[[City of Westminster]], London|isbn=978-1-58542-435-1|url=https://archive.org/details/europeandreamhow00rifk_0}}
* {{cite book|last=Smith|first=Charles|author-link=Charles Emrys Smith|title=International Trade and Globalisation|edition=3rd|publisher=Anforme Ltd|year=2007|location=[[Stocksfield]]|isbn=978-1-905504-10-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Staab|first=Andreas|title=The European Union Explained: Institutions, Actors, Global Impact|publisher=[[Indiana University Press]]|year=2011|location=Bloomington, IN|isbn=978-0-253-22303-6}} [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0253220181 Excerpt and text search].
* {{cite book|last1=Steiner|first1=Josephine|first2=Lorna|last2=Woods|first3=Christian|last3=Twigg-Flesner|title=EU Law|edition=9th|year=2006|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-927959-3}}
* {{Cite book | last=Tausch | first=Arno | title= Globalization, the Human Condition, and Sustainable Development in the Twenty-first Century: Cross-national Perspectives and European Implications. With Almas Heshmati and a Foreword by Ulrich Brand |publisher=Anthem Press, London|year=2012 | edition=1st | isbn= 978-0-85728-410-5}}
* {{cite book|last1=Yesilada|first1=Birol A.|first2=David M.|last2=Wood|title=The Emerging European Union|edition=5th|year=2009|publisher=[[Routledge]]|location=[[Abingdon-on-Thames]]|isbn=978-0-205-72380-5}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
* [http://europa.eu/index_en.htm EUROPA] – [[Europa (web portal)|official web portal]]
* {{Britannica|196399}}
* [http://www.eui.eu/Research/HistoricalArchivesOfEU/Index.aspx Historical Archives of the European Union]
* [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/european-union/ European Union]. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]].
* [https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RS21372.pdf The European Union: Questions and Answers]. [[Congressional Research Service]].
* {{Gutenberg author | id=European+Union | name=European Union}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=European Union}}
* {{Nobelprize}}

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History of Assam

2022-01-28T21:33:43Z

Abhisheksingh: New page layout.

{{Short description|none}}
{{Assam History}}
<imagemap>
File:Major kingdoms of Assam.png|thumb|upright=1.3|Major kingdoms of Assam{{sfn|Baruah|1986}}
rect 50 50 650 120 [[Kamarupa|Kamarupa Kingdom]]
rect 45 240 160 310 [[Kamata Kingdom]]
rect 165 240 300 310 [[Baro-Bhuyan|Bhuyan chieftains]]
rect 305 240 415 310 [[Ahom Kingdom]]
rect 425 240 540 310 [[Chutiya Kingdom]]
rect 550 240 660 310 [[Kachari Kingdom]]
rect 4 425 80 495 [[Cooch Behar State|Koch Bihar]]
rect 120 425 190 495 [[Koch Hajo]]
rect 125 660 640 760 [[Colonial Assam|History of Assam]]
</imagemap>
{{HistoryOfSouthAsia|BCE=1}}
{{Culture of Assam}}
The '''history of Assam''' is the history of a confluence of people from the east, west, south and the north; the confluence of the [[Austroasiatic]], [[Tibeto-Burman]] (Sino-Tibetan), [[Tai peoples|Tai]] and [[Indo-Aryans|Indo-Aryan]] cultures. Although invaded over the centuries, it was never a vassal or a colony to an external power until the third [[Burmese invasions of Assam|Burmese invasion]] in 1821, and, subsequently, the British ingress into [[Assam]] in 1824 during the [[First Anglo-Burmese War]].

The Assamese history has been derived from multiple sources. The [[Ahom kingdom]] of medieval Assam maintained chronicles, called [[Buranji]]s, written in the [[Ahom language|Ahom]] and the [[Assamese language|Assamese]] languages. History of ancient Assam comes from a corpus of [[Kamarupa inscriptions]] on rock, copper plates, clay; royal grants, etc. that the [[Kamarupa Kingdom|Kamarupa]] kings issued during their reign.

The history of Assam can be divided into four eras. The ancient era began in the 4th century with the mention of Kamarupa in Samudragupta's inscriptions on the [[Allahabad Pillar#Samudragupta inscription|Allahabad pillar]] and the establishment of the [[Kamarupa kingdom]]. The medieval era began with the attacks from the [[Bengal Sultanate]], the first of which took place in 1206 by [[Bakhtiyar Khilji]] as mentioned in the Kanai-boroxiboa rock inscription, after the breakup of the ancient kingdom and the sprouting of medieval kingdoms and chieftain-ships in its place. The colonial era began with the establishment of British control after the [[Treaty of Yandaboo]] in 1826, and the post-colonial era began in 1947 after the [[Independence of India]].

A common theme of Medieval kingship narratives in Assam is associated with [[shaktism]] and the [[Kamakhya temple]].<ref name="Urban 2009">{{harvcol|Urban|2009|p=86}}</ref>

==Prehistory==

===Paleolithic cultures===
The earliest inhabitants of the region are assigned to the [[Middle Pleistocene]] period (781,000 to 126,000 years ago) in the Rongram valley of [[Garo Hills]]. The [[Paleolithic]] sites, which used handaxe-cleaver tools, have affinities to the Abbevillio-[[Acheulean]] culture. Other Paleolithic sites include those in the Daphabum area of [[Lohit district]] in [[Arunachal Pradesh]] which used stone tools from [[metamorphic rock]]s. The cave-based Paleolithic sites at Khangkhui in [[Ukhrul]], [[Manipur]], are placed in the [[Late Pleistocene]] period.

There exists evidence of a [[microlith]]ic culture in the Rongram Valley of Garo Hills that lie between the neolithic layers and virgin soil. The microliths here were made of [[dolerite]], unlike those from the rest of India. Shreds of crude hand-made pottery indicate that the microlithic people were hunters and food-gatherers.

===Neolithic cultures===
Early [[Neolithic]] cultures based on the unifacially flaked hand-axe in the [[Garo hills]] have developed in line with the [[Hoabinhian]] culture, and it is conjectured that this region was the contact point for the Indian and the [[Southeast Asia]]n cultures.

The Late neolithic cultures have affinities with the spread of the [[Mon Khmer]] speaking people from [[Malaysia]] and the [[Ayeyarwady River|Ayeyarwady]] valley and late neolithic developments in [[Northern and southern China|South China]]. Since these cultures have been dated to 4500–4000 BCE, the Assam sites are dated to approximately that period.

These neolithic sites, though widely spread, are concentrated in the hills and high grounds, due possibly to the floods. These cultures performed [[shifting cultivation]] called ''jhum'', which is still practiced by some communities in the region. Some typical sites are [[Daojali Hading]] in [[Dima Hasao]], Sarutaru in [[Kamrup Rural district|Kamrup]] district and Selbagiri in the Garo Hills.

===Metal age===
There exists no archaeological evidence of Copper-Bronze or [[Iron Age]] culture in the region. This might seem like an impossibility given that corresponding cultures have been discovered in [[Bengal]] as well as [[Southeast Asia]]. It can only be conjectured that metal age sites in the region exist but have not yet been discovered.

===Megalithic cultures===
Though the metal age seems to be missing in Assam, the [[Iron Age]] [[Megalithic]] culture of [[South India]] finds an echo in the rich megalithic culture in the region, which begins to appear earlier than the late second millennium BCE,<ref>The Megalithic site at Marakdola in the Khasi Hills were dated to 1296+/-100 BCE (Rao, S. N, {{Harvcol|Singh|Sengupta|1991|p=120}})</ref> and which continues till today among the [[Khasi people|Khasi]] and the [[Naga (people)|Naga]] people. The affinity is with Southeast Asia. The megalithic culture was the precursor of the fertility cult and the [[Saktism]] and the [[Vajrayana Buddhism]] that followed.

==Ancient Assam (350–1206)==
{{main|Kamarupa|Davaka}}
[[File:Kamarupa map.png|thumb|upright=1.25|{{center|The traditional extent of the ''Kamarupa kingdom''}}]]
The historical account of Assam begins with the establishment of Pushyavarman's [[Varman dynasty]] in the 4th century in the [[Kamarupa (History)|Kamarupa kingdom]], which marks the beginning of Ancient Assam. The kingdom reached its traditional extent, from the Karatoya in the west to Sadiya in the east.<ref>"...the temple of the goddess Tameshwari (Dikkaravasini) is now located at modern Sadiya about 100 miles to the northeast of Sibsagar" {{harv|Sircar|1990|pp=63–64}}.</ref> This and the two succeeding dynasties drew their lineage from the mythical [[Narakasura]].<ref>"(I)t is significant that like the kings of the Bhauma-Naraka family they also claim descent from Naraka or Bhagadatta, and this descent is acknowledged outside also outside their own kingdom when the Pashupatinath temple inscription of Nepal described Rajyamati, the daughter of Sri Harsha of the family of Salasthambha as ''bhagadatta-raja-kulaja.''{{harv|Sharma|1978|p=xxxiv}}</ref> The kingdom reached its zenith under [[Bhaskaravarman]] in the 7th century. [[Xuanzang]] visited his court and left behind a significant account. Bhaskaravarman died without leaving behind an issue and the control of the country passed to Salasthamba, who established the [[Mlechchha dynasty]]. After the fall of the Mlechchha dynasty in the late 9th century, a new ruler, Brahmapala was elected, who established the [[Pala dynasty (Kamarupa)|Pala dynasty]]. The last Pala king was removed by the [[Gaur]] king, Ramapala, in 1110. But the two subsequent kings, Timgyadeva and Vaidyadeva, though established by the Gaur kings, ruled mostly as independents and issued grants under the old Kamarupa seals. The fall of subsequent kings and the rise of individual kingdoms in the 12th century in place of the Kamarupa kingdom marked the end of the Kamarupa kingdom and the period of Ancient Assam.

==Medieval Assam (1206–1826)==
''See: [[Kamata kingdom]], [[Ahom kingdom]], [[Chutiya kingdom]], [[Kachari kingdom]], [[Bhuyan chieftains]].''
[[Image:Kanai_Baraxiboa_rock_inscription.png|thumb|upright=1.2|{{center|The medieval period in Assam begins with the ''Kanai Baraxiboa'' rock inscription of 1206. That year saw the first Muslim attack by [[Bakhtiyar Khilji]], which led to the annihilation of the invading army and the death of its leader}}]]
[[File:Ahom-kingdom-c1826p.png|thumb|upright=1.4|The [[Ahom Kingdom]], c.1826]]

In the middle of the 13th century, Sandhya, a king of Kamarupanagara, moved his capital to Kamatapur, and thus established the Kamata kingdom.<ref>([[Kamarupa]]) was reorganized as a new state. 'Kamata' by name with Kamatapur as capital. The exact time when the change was made is uncertain. But possibly it had been made by Sandhya (c1250-1270) as a safeguard against mounting dangers from the east and the west. Its control on the eastern regions beyond the Manah (Manas river) was lax." {{harv|Sarkar|1992|pp=40–41}}</ref> on account of attacks by the Turks of Bengal. The last of the Kamata kings, the Khens, were
removed by [[Alauddin Hussain Shah]] in 1498.<ref>{{Harvcol|Sarkar|1992|pp=46–47}}.</ref> But Hussein Shah and subsequent rulers could not consolidate their rule in the Kamata kingdom, mainly due to the revolt by the [[Bhuyan chieftains]],<ref>{{harv|Neog|1980|p=46}}</ref> a relic of the Kamarupa administration, and other local groups. Soon after in the beginning of the 16th century [[Vishwa Singha]] of the Koch tribe established the [[Koch dynasty]] in the Kamata kingdom. The Koch dynasty reached its peak under his sons, [[Nara Narayan]] and [[Chilarai]].

In the eastern part of present Assam, the [[Kachari kingdom|Kachari]] (south bank of river Brahmaputra, central Assam) and the [[Chutiya kingdom|Chutiya]] (north bank of river Brahmaputra, eastern Assam) kingdoms arose, with some [[Bhuyan chieftains|Bhuyan chiefs]] controlling the region just west of the Chutiya kingdom. In the tract between the Kachari and the Chutiya kingdoms, a [[Shan people|Shan]] group, led by [[Sukaphaa]], established the [[Ahom kingdom]]. The 16th century is crucial in the history of medieval period because of the consolidation of the Ahoms (who annexed the Chutiya kingdom and pushed the Kachari kingdom away from central Assam) in the east, the Koch in the west and the growth of [[Ekasarana Dharma]] of [[Srimanta Sankardev]]. After the death of Nara Narayan of the Koch dynasty in the late 16th century, the Kamata kingdom broke into [[Cooch Behar State|Koch Bihar]] in the west and [[Koch Hajo]] in the east. The rivalry between the two kingdoms resulted in the former allying with the Mughals and the latter with the Ahoms. Most of the 17th century saw the [[Ahom-Mughal conflicts]], in which the Ahoms held the expansive Mughals at bay epitomized in the [[Battle of Saraighat]] of 1671, and which finally ended in 1682 with the defeat of the Mughals at [[Itakhuli]] in [[Guwahati]].<ref>"In the Battle of Itakhuli in September 1682, the Ahom forces chased the defeated Mughals nearly one hundred kilometers back to the Manas river. The Manas then became the Ahom-Mughal boundary until the British occupation." {{harv|Richards|1995|p=247}}</ref> The Ahom kingdom reached its westernmost boundary till [[Manas River]] which it retains until 1826. Though the Ahom kingdom saw itself as the inheritor of the glory of the erstwhile Kamarupa kingdom and aspired to extend itself to the Karatoya river, it could never do so; though an Ahom general, Ton Kham under [[Suhungmung]], reached the river once when he pursued a retreating invading army in the 16th century.<ref>"The Ahom statesmen and chroniclers wishfully looked forward to the Karatoya as their natural western frontier. They also looked upon themselves as the heirs of the glory that was ancient Kamarupa by right of conquest, and they long cherished infructuously their unfulfilled hopes of expanding up to that frontier." {{Harvcol|Guha|1983|p=24}}, and notes.</ref>

After the Ahom kingdom reached its zenith, problems within the kingdom arose in the 18th century, when it lost power briefly to rebels of the [[Moamoria rebellion]]. Though the Ahoms recaptured power, it was beset with problems,<ref>{{Harvcol|Guha|1991|p=122}}</ref> leading to the [[Burmese invasion of Assam]] in the early 19th century.<ref>{{harv|Baruah|1993|pp=221–222}}</ref> With the defeat of the Burmese in the First Anglo-Burmese war and the subsequent [[Treaty of Yandaboo]], control of Assam passed into the hands of the British, which marks the end of the Medieval period.

==Colonial Assam (1826–1947)==
{{main|Colonial Assam}}

===British annexation of Assam===
{{Multiple image
|direction=vertical
|align=right
|width=220px
|image1=Swahid udyan of Barhampur in Assam.jpg
|caption1=An artistic depiction of the [[Indian independence movement|Indian Independence movement]] in Assam
|image2=Kanaklata Udyan, Tezpur.jpg
|caption2= An artistic depiction of ''[[Kanaklata Barua]]'''s struggle against the [[British Raj|British rule]] in Assam
}}
In 1824, the [[First Anglo-Burmese War]] broke out. The British attacked the Burmese garrison in [[Assam]] and by 1825, the Burmese were expelled from [[Assam]].<ref>Gait E.A. A History of Assam 2nd Edition 1926 Thackar, Spink & Co Calcutta page 286</ref><ref>Barbaruah Hiteshwar Ahomar Din or A History of Assam under the Ahoms 1st Edition 1981 Assam Publication Board Guwahati page 327-328</ref><ref>Barua Gunaviram A History of Assam Fourth Edition 2008 Assam Publication Board page 126-127</ref><ref>Bhuyan S.K. Tungkhungia Buranji or A History of Assam 1681–1826 A.D. Department of Historical and Antiquarian studies in Assam, Guwahati 2nd Edition 1968 page 210-211</ref> According to the [[Treaty of Yandabo]], the Burmese Monarch [[Bagyidaw]] renounce all claims on [[Assam]]. The British thus became the masters of [[Brahmaputra]] Valley and they began to consolidate their rule in Assam. In 1830, the Kachari king Govinda Chandra was assassinated. Seizing this opportunity, the British annexed [[Kachari kingdom]] in 1832. In 1833, the Ahom prince [[Purandar Singha]] was made a tributary ruler in Upper Assam. But owing to mismanagement and failure to pay regular revenue, the British authorities annexed his kingdom in 1838. In 1835, the kingdom of Jaintia was also annexed. In 1842, the region of Matak and [[Sadiya]] was also annexed by British authorities, and in 1854, the North Cachar Hill district, under Tularam Senapati's administration, was also annexed into British Empire, thereby completing their conquest and consolidation of their rule in [[Assam]].<ref>Gait E.A. A History of Assam 2nd Edition 1926 Thackar, Spink & Co Calcutta page 303-311</ref>

===Colonial rule===
'''Bengal Presidency (1826–1873):''' Assam was included as a part of the [[Bengal Presidency]]. The annexation of upper Assam is attributed to the successful manufacture of [[Assam tea|tea]] in 1837, and the beginning of the [[Assam Company]] in 1839. Under the Wasteland Rules of 1838, it became nearly impossible for natives to start plantations. After the liberalization of the rules in 1854, there was a [[land run|land rush]]. The Chinese staff that was imported earlier for the cultivation of tea left Assam in 1843, when tea plantations came to be tended by local labor solely, mainly by those belonging to the Kachari group. From 1859 central Indian labor was imported for the tea plantations. This labor, based on an unbreakable contract, led to a virtual slavery of this labor group. The conditions in which they were transported to Assam were so horrific that about 10% never survived the journey. The colonial government already had monopoly over the [[opium]] trade.

There were immediate protests and revolts against the British occupation. In 1828, two years after the Treaty of Yandaboo, [[Gomdhar Konwar]] rose in revolt against the British, but he was easily suppressed. In 1830 ''Dhananjoy Burhagohain'', ''Piyali Phukan'' and ''Jiuram Medhi'' rose in revolt, and they were sentenced to death. In the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]], rebels supporters offered resistance in the form of non-cooperation, and [[Maniram Dewan]] and Piyali Baruah were executed for their roles. In 1861 peasants of Nagaon gathered at ''Phulaguri'' for a ''raiz mel'' (peoples' assembly) to protest against taxes on betel-nut and paan. An officer sent to confront the peasants, Lt. Singer, got into a fracas with the peasants and was killed, after which the protests were violently suppressed.{{citation needed}}

'''Chief Commissioner's Province (1874–1905):''' In 1874, the Assam region was separated from the Bengal Presidency, [[Sylhet Division|Sylhet]] was added to it and its status was upgraded to a Chief Commissioner's Province. The capital was at [[Shillong]]. The people of Sylhet protested the inclusion in Assam. Assamese, which was replaced by Bengali as the official language in 1837, was reinstated alongside Bengali. In 1889, oil was discovered at [[Digboi]] giving rise to an oil industry. In this period [[Nagaon]] witnessed starvation deaths, and there was a decrease in the indigenous population, which was more than adequately compensated by the immigrant labor. [[Colonialism]] was well entrenched, and the tea, oil and coal-mining industries were putting increasing pressure on the agricultural sector which was lagging behind.

The peasants, burdened under the opium monopoly and the [[usury]] by money lenders, rose again in revolt. Numerous ''raiz mels'' decided against paying the taxes. The protests culminated in a bayonet charge against the protesters at Patharughat in 1894. At least 15 were left dead and in the violent repression that followed villagers were tortured and their properties were destroyed or looted. In 1903, Assam Association was formed with Manik Chandra Baruah as the first secretary.

'''Eastern Bengal and Assam under Lt. Governor (1906–1912):''' Bengal was [[1905 Partition of Bengal|partitioned]] and [[East Bengal]] was added to the Chief Commissioner's Province. The new region, now ruled by a Lt. Governor, had its capital at [[Dhaka]]. This province had a 15-member legislative council in which Assam had two seats. The members for these seats were recommended (not elected) by rotating groups of public bodies.

The [[1905 Partition of Bengal|Partition of Bengal]] was strongly protested in Bengal, and the people of Assam were not happy either. The partition was finally annulled by a royal decree in 1911. The [[Swadeshi movement]] (1905–1908) from this period, went largely unfelt in Assam, though it stirred some, most notably [[Ambikagiri Raychoudhury]].

Beginning 1905 peasants from [[East Bengal]] began settling down in the riverine tracts (''char'') of the [[Brahmaputra river|Brahmaputra]] valley encouraged by the colonial government to increase agricultural production and government had successful on that mission[<ref>https://www.academia.edu/19520196/Akkel_Ali_Seikh_A_forgotten_Freedom_fighter_of_East_Bengal_origin_in_Assam {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151216080354/http://www.academia.edu/19520196/Akkel_Ali_Seikh_A_forgotten_Freedom_fighter_of_East_Bengal_origin_in_Assam }}
Akkel Ali Seikh: A forgotten Freedom fighter of East Bengal origin in Assam</ref>]. Between 1905 and 1921, the immigrant population from East Bengal increased four folds. The immigration continued in post colonial times, giving rise to the [[Assam Agitation]] of 1979.

'''Assam Legislative Council (1912–1920):''' The administrative unit was reverted to a Chief Commissioner's Province (Assam plus Sylhet), with a Legislative Council added. The Council had 25 members, of which the Chief Commissioner and 13 nominated members formed the bulk. The other members were elected by local public bodies like municipalities, local boards, landholders, tea planters and Muslims.

As Assam got sucked into the [[Non-Cooperation Movement]], the Assam Association slowly transformed itself into the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (with 5 seats in [[All India Congress Committee|AICC]]) in 1920–21.

'''Dyarchy (1921–1937):''' Under the [[Government of India Act 1919]] the Assam Legislative Council membership was increased to 53, of which 33 were elected by special constituencies. The powers of the Council were increased too; but in effect, the official group, consisting of the Europeans, the nominated members etc. had the most influence.

'''Assam Legislative Assembly (1937–1947):''' Under the [[Government of India Act 1935]], the Council was expanded into an Assembly of 108 members, with even more powers. The period saw the sudden rise of [[Gopinath Bordoloi]] and [[Muhammed Saadulah]] and their tussle for power and influence.

==Post-colonial Assam (1947–present)==
In 1979, Assam flared into [[Assam Agitation]] (or Assam Movement) a popular movement against illegal immigration. The movement, led [[All Assam Students Union|AASU]] and [[Asom Gana Sangram Parishad|AAGSP]], set an agitational program to compel the government to identify and expel illegal immigrants and prevent new immigration. The agitational programs were largely non-violent, but there were incidents of acute violence, like the [[Nellie massacre]] where over 3000 (non officially 10000 murdered)<ref>http://www.slideshare.net/umain30/genesis-of-nellie-massacre-and-assam-agitation {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722085207/https://www.slideshare.net/umain30/genesis-of-nellie-massacre-and-assam-agitation }} Genesis of nellie massacre and assam agitation</ref> Bengali speaking [[Muslim]] were massacred in Nagaon district. It ended in 1985 following the [[Assam Accord]] that was signed by the agitation leaders and the Government of India. The agitation leaders formed a political party, [[Asom Gana Parishad]], which came to power in the state of Assam in the Assembly elections of 1985.

In 2012 violent riots broke out between indigenous people lead by NDFB(S) and minority Muslims of BTAD. But those were termed as immigration from Bangladesh, resulting in more than 85 deaths and displacement of 400,000 people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/assam-riots-of-ghost-towns-and-relief-camps-4-lakh-people-displaced-248226|title=Assam riots: Of ghost towns and relief camps, 4 lakh people displaced|access-date=5 August 2016}}</ref>

There are 35 districts in total in Assam, by population, Nagaon is the largest district and Dima Hasao is the smallest district, Karbi Anglong is the largest district in terms of area and Kamrup Metropolitan is the smallest district.<ref>{{Cite web |title=असम जिला लिस्ट {{!}} Assam District List |url=https://historyglow.com/assam-district-list/ |access-date=2022-04-28 |website=History Glow |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Gargaon'r Kareng Ghor Side View.JPG|[[Kareng ghar]], the palace of the Ahom kings in their former capital [[Garhgaon]]
File:Bhismaknagar ruins.jpg|Chutia Royal Palace [[Bhismaknagar]] ruins
File:Drapeau Cooch Behar.png|Koch kingdom: Coat of Arms
File:Coochbehar palace.jpg|Koch Royal Palace
File:Kachari Palace.JPG|Dimasa palace ruins
</gallery>

==Gallery of Assamese monarchs==
<gallery class="center" mode="nolines" widths="200" heights="200">
File:Sukapha.jpg|First [[Ahom kingdom|Ahom]] king [[Sukapha|Chao-lung Siu-ka-phaa]]
File:Maharaja-Jagaddipendra-Narayan.jpg|The Statue of Koch king Jagadipendra Narayan
File:Raja Govinda Chandra Hasnu.jpg|Last Dimasa King, Govindra Chandra Hasnu
File:Swargodeo Siva Singha riding elephant.jpg|Swargodeo Siva Singha riding elephant
File:Rudra Singha Jayata in court.jpg|[[Rudra Singha]] Jayata in court
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Timeline of Assam History]]
* [[Aryan migration to Assam|History of People of Assam]]
* [[History of Assamese literature]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Citation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wg6MDwAAQBAJ|last=Urban|first=Hugh |title=The Power of Tantra: Religion, Sexuality and the Politics of South Asian Studies|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|year=2009|isbn=9780857715869}}
* {{Citation |last=Baruah |first=S. L. |year=1993 |title=Last Days of Ahom Monarchy |place=New Delhi}}
*{{citation
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| last = Baruah
| title = A Comprehensive History of Assam
| year = 1986
| publisher = Munshiram Manoharlal
}}
* {{Citation |editor-last=Borpujari |editor-first=H. K. |title=The Comprehensive History of Assam : from the Pre-historic Times to the Twelfth Century A.D. |year=1990 |place=Guwahati }}
* {{Citation |last=Choudhury |first=P. C. |year=1966 |title=The History of Civilisation of the People of Assam to the Twelfth Century A.D. |place=Guwahati}}
* {{Citation |last=Gait |first=Edward A |year=1906 |title=A History of Assam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w-6kr1IyHJkC |place=Calcutta}}
* {{Citation |last=Guha |first=Amalendu |year=1977 |title=Planter-Raj to Swaraj |place=Delhi}}
* {{Citation |editor-last=Singh |editor-first=Jai Prakash |editor2-last=Sengupta |editor2-first=Gautam |title=Archeology of North-Eastern India |year=1991 |place=New Delhi |publisher=Har-Anand Publications}}
* {{Citation |last=Sarkar |first=J. N. |contribution=Chapter II The Turko-Afghan Invasions |editor-last=Barpujari |editor-first=H. K. |title=The Comprehensive History of Assam |volume=2 |pages=35–48 |publisher=Assam Publication Board |place=Guwahati |year=1992}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Lahiri |first1=Nayanjot |year=1984 |title=The Pre-Ahom Roots of Medieval Assam |journal=Social Scientist |volume=12 |issue=6 |pages=60–69 |doi= 10.2307/3517004|jstor=3517004 }}
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* {{Citation |last=Guha |first=Amalendu |title=Medieval and Early Colonial Assam |publisher=K P Bagchi |place=Calcutta |year=1991}}
* {{cite book|last=Sharma|first=Mukunda Madhava|title=Inscriptions of Ancient Assam| publisher=Gauhati University, Assam|year=1978}}
*{{Cite book|last=Kakati|first=Banikanta|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Thx4AAAAIAAJ|title=Aspects of early Assamese literature|publisher=Gauhati University|language=en}}
*{{Citation |last=Sircar |first=D C |contribution=Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa |year=1990 |title=The Comprehensive History of Assam |editor-last=Barpujari |editor-first=H K |volume=I |pages=59–78 |place=Guwahati |publisher=Publication Board, Assam}}
{{refend}}

{{Assam}}
{{History of Assam}}
{{History of India by State}}

[[Category:History of Assam| ]]