Interesting facts about EU countries

Austria
The World Competitiveness Yearbook ranked Austria No. 2 in quality of life,
surpassing the U.S. and Japan.
Belgium
Belgium is the world’s largest diamond center and second largest petrochemical center.
Cyprus
Cypriot culture is among the oldest in the Mediterranean. By 3700 BC, the island was
well inhabited, a crossroads between East and West.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is No. 2 in investment incentives and No. 3 in investment in telecommunications among 60 leading economies.
Denmark
Denmark is a world leader in energy efficiency and conservation. Today, Denmark is
favored by a flexible and diverse energy supply structure marked by a high percentage
of renewables. Wind energy alone accounts for 20 per cent of the total power
generation in Denmark.
Estonia
Estonia has had an average growth rate of about 6 percent over the past five years. It is so wired that it is nicknamed E-stonia. Bars and cafes are universally equipped with
wireless connections.
Finland
Finland has been ranked the least corrupt country for several consecutive years.
France
France is the most visited country in the world.
Germany
Germany has the world’s third largest and Europe’s largest economy. Germany leads the world in exports; 10.1 percent of world exports come from Germany.
Greece
Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world.Greek-owned ships lead in the world’s merchant tonnage.The Greek fleet accounts for 16 percent of the global shipping force.
Hungary
Hungary tops the world’s leading trading nations in imports and exports as a share of
GDP.
Ireland
Ireland leads the world in high technology exports as a share of total exports. Over half of Ireland's manufacturing exports are high technology products.
Italy
Italy is home to the greatest number of sites on UNESCO’s world heritage list.
Latvia
Cell phone coverage is available over 99 percent of Latvia’s territory.
Lithuania
Lithuania is the largest EU contributor to the NBA: 6 players this year.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ranks as the world’s top city for personal safety and security.
Malta
Malta welcomes 1.2 million tourists a year (triple its population of 400,000).
The Netherlands
The Dutch are strong inventors and developed the compact disc, the microscope, and
the artificial heart.
Poland
Polish glass makers built and operated the first factory in the New World, in
Jamestown, Virginia, in 1608.
Portugal
Portugal could become the world's 10th largest tourism market by 2020, attracting
almost quadruple the current number of tourists, according to the World Tourism
Organization. Wine tourism is growing at a strong 7 to 12 per cent a year in Europe,
and Portugal is one of the main destinations. Portugal’s annual income from the golf
industry represents 1.25 per cent of national income and 14 per cent of all income from tourism.
Slovakia
The hill known as Krahule near the town Kremnica, Slovakia, is the geographical
center of Europe.
Slovenia
Slovenia's Port of Koper on the Adriatic Sea provides a 7-10 day shorter route for
shipments arriving from Asia than do Europe's northern ports.
Spain
A Spanish company, Abengoa Bioenergy, is the second largest biofuels producer in the world.
Sweden
Sweden is the third largest music exporter in the world, after the U.S. and Britain.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is the largest exporter to the United States and the largest
recipient of U.S. investment in Europe.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria is second in the world in international IQ tests and SAT scores.
Romania
Romania has been one of the five fastest growing economies in Europe during the last
five years.