Look at a map of Europe and you will lots of small countries. Look at many other parts of the world and you’ll see much bigger nations. But why is this? Why isn’t Europe just one country?
1. Europe Has Many Different Languages
A first reason why Europe is not one country is because of the many different languages spoken across the continent.
There are over 200 languages spoken in Europe. The continent is unique for having so many distinct languages spoken within a relatively small geographical area. The diversity and range of languages spoken in Europe is a major reason why the continent is not one country.
Languages are a key aspect that forms nations. People group around their languages and it is a key part of their societies and identities. Differences in languages makes forming coherent nations across linguistic groups difficult. This is why Europe has many smaller states as opposed to being one large country.
Almost all the countries in Europe have a language that is unique to them. This has prevented the countries of Europe from uniting together.
2. Culture Differences Across Europe
A second reason why Europe is not one country, is because of the cultural differences across the continent.
Europe has a wide range of cultures. Food, art, music, entertainment, and architecture vary greatly across the continent. Historically, European nations have formed around societies and their unique cultures. This has resulted in many smaller countries forming across Europe, rather than a single nation state.
Like language, culture is key to nation forming. Countries build themselves around a people’s culture and having an independent state is seen as a way to protect a culture. Throughout Europe’s history, societal groups have wanted their own nation state in order to ensure their culture and way of life is protected. This is a major reason why Europe is not one country.
3. The Continent’s Religious Divide
A third reason why Europe is not one country is because of the different religions across the continent.
Europe is majority Christian. However, there are significant differences between the Christian denominations in Europe. The continent has 277 million Catholics, with large populations spread across southern Europe in countries such as Spain, Italy, and France. There are also millions of Protestants in Europe, with large populations in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, and in Scandinavia. Eastern Europe is predominantly Orthodox, with Greek, Romanian and Russian orthodox churches having millions of followers.
The different religious groups in Europe is a big reason why the continent is not one country. Many nation states form around people’s religions and because Europe is very religiously diverse this has historically prevented the formation of a single large country.
As well as Christians, Europe also has minority Muslim and Jewish populations. These add to the continent’s religious diversity, as well as explain further why it is not a single country.
4. Europe’s Geography
Another reason why Europe is not one country is because of the continent’s geography.
Across Europe the geography varies massively. There are mountains, rivers, flat-lands, islands, and enormous plains. Europe is one of the most geographically diverse continents and this is a key reason why there isn’t just one country there.
Nation states often form around geographical features. Changes in landscapes, such as mountains and rivers, make natural defensive barriers between societal groups. Flat-lands and arable plains often form the centre of nation states as they allow for agriculture and food production. Europe covers a comparatively small area but has a hugely varied landscape. This led to the creation of smaller nations and is a reason why Europe is not a single country.
Countries in Europe formed into smaller nation states partly because of the continent’s geography. Many European countries have long histories of defined borders. This meant they’ve wished to remain individual nations and not to join together into a single state.
5. The Continent’s History Of Conflict
A further reason why Europe is not one country is because of the continent’s history of conflict.
Europe has a bloody history. Since 1900, there have been 126 wars in Europe – and that’s only in the last century! Literally thousands of wars have been fought throughout Europe since coherent societies were formed on the continent. As groups of people warred against each other, it prevented large, unified, nations from being formed. This is one reason why Europe never became a single country.
There are a huge range of reasons for why European history has so many conflicts. However, a legacy of the continent’s many wars has been the formation of lots of smaller states, as opposed to one country covering the continent. Throughout history, small countries have been more united, better able to deploy resources and manpower, and easier to defend. Large countries, on the other hand, are prone to separatism and rebellions. Europe didn’t become one country partly because the continent has seen so much violence.
6. Economic Differences Across The Continent
Europe, today and throughout history, has had massive economic differences. This is another reason why the continent is not one country.
Across Europe there are significant economic variations. Countries in Europe have different levels of wealth and poverty. They also have different economic bases which dictate how their economies function. Some European economies trade more internationally than others. Some economies in Europe have more government intervention than others too. The major differences in Europe’s national economies is a major reason why they have not united into a one country.
The differences in Europe’s economies have been present throughout the continent’s history. European nations developed and industrialised at different times and the continent has always had different levels of income, wealth, and destitution.
The huge economic differences between the regions of Europe have prevented them from forming into one country.
7. Nationalist Movements Across Europe
A final reason why Europe, and the EU, is not one country is because of the role nationalist movements have played throughout European history.
As we’ve discussed, there are a range of factors that make European countries distinct from each other. Language, culture, religion, geography, conflict and economics have been major factors that meant unique national identities formed across Europe.
A key reason why Europe is not one country is because nationalist movements have pushed to create states around societal groups. There has rarely been a pan-European nationalist movement, and this has meant a single European country never formed.
Nationalism – the idea that a nation state should put its interest first, even at the detriment of other nation states, has a long history in Europe. It has been a key driver for why Europe has remained a continent of small countries built around distinct national identities, and not a unified continent with one single large country.