Europe is considered the birthplace of western civilization. The rich culture of European countries spread globally as a result of colonization throughout history.

Although Europe is made of nearly 50 different countries, each with its own culture, some of the countries are connected through economic and political partnerships. The European Union (EU) is a partnership that encourages the economic interdependence of the 27 member countries through trade.

Click on each of the following four characteristics to learn more about the region’s religions, languages, literacy rate, and land use. (For the purposes of this lesson, you will compare the countries of United Kingdom (UK), France, and Russia.)

The countries of Europe each have unique cultures that are rich with tradition.

Europe, as a whole, is moving toward creating a single European culture that will include important cultural elements of member states of the European Union (EU). The EU seeks to help European countries develop cultural heritages individually and collectively through its European Capitals of Culture program.

Click on the link below to watch the video about this program.

European Capitals of Culture

After watching the video, answer the following questions about the European capitals of culture.

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1. What is the purpose of the European Capitals of Culture?
   
   

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   The European Capitals of Culture initiative was set up to do the following:

   • Highlight the richness and diversity of European cultures
   • Celebrate the cultural ties that link Europeans together
   • Bring people from different European countries into contact with each other's culture and promote mutual understanding
   • Foster a feeling of European citizenship
   -from www.ec.europa.eu

2. How can this program be positive for the participating countries?
   
   

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   This program can bring attention to the participating countries and expose others to each country's culture. The program can also bring money into the host country.