Although Europe is often perceived as one geographic or political unit, modern society must understand and be aware of the fact that Europe is comprised of more than 44 nations. Due to the large concentration of nations in one area sometimes it is easy to wrongly perceive Europe as one, especially compared to other big countries like U.S. or Russia. However, if in other big countries there are clear differences between different nations, regions, and even local areas, then the wide range of nations and within Europe should be acknowledged and respected. Each nation within the European area has a distinct culture, traditions, mentality, and political interests. Thus, it is necessary to understand that Europe is a geographical term for the continent and could not be used for generalization purposes.
A thing that adds confusion to the term of Europe is the European Union. People generally mistake the geographical term Europe for EU, which is, in a fact, a political and economic union. For example, although several countries follow the Schengen Agreement that allows free entry and transportation within the European Union, not all countries in Europe participate in the EU. Again, although most countries from the EU use euros for currency, not all countries in Europe necessarily participate in the EU and thus, have their currency. The recent events of the United Kingdom leaving the EU left a significant mark in history and highlighted the differences between political and geographical terms for people that used to confuse them. The common confusion between the political terms of the EU and the geographical term of Europe emphasizes that most people generally focus on the political aspect. However, instead of focusing on the political side, people should focus on the differences rather than similarities and recognize the rich cultural legacy of each of the 44 nations within Europe.