Archive for August, 2010

Europe has long been on the forefront of democratic and freedom movements. Most of the now internationally accepted human rights were first conceived, fought for and accepted in European states. One of the brightest examples of regional integration and human right equalization has been the creation of the European Union. First of its kind, this union has paved the road for future transnational cooperation, peace and prosperity.

Another issue that is closely related to the topic of freedom and that has been on the agenda in many European nations has been the public discussion about same-sex marriages. Currently, 21 out of 51 European states recognize some kind of form of same-sex unions. The majority of them also belong to the European Union.

Such partnerships take four forms within Europe: legal same-sex marriage, civil union or registered partnership, unregistered cohabitation and non-recognition. Seven European governments recognize and legalize same-sex marriages. Those are the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Spain and Portugal. The first country to do so was the Netherlands in 2001 and the most recent addition was made by Portugal in June 2010.

Other 14 countries have a variety of civil union that is not equal to marriage but is a kind of registered partnership or cohabitation. Others such as Luxembourg, Lichtenstein, Finland and Slovenia are currently carrying out public debates about the legalization of this practice.

In some nations constitutional amendments must be made in order to be able to make changes in the current legislations. It countries like Belarus, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia and Ukraine it is specifically stated in the constitution that a marriage is a legal union between a man and a woman.Car Hire Cryprus

Research into the general audience’s attitude towards this matter has been conducted. According to it the issue is supported most positively in the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. The most negative towards this issue are the post-socialist states in the Eastern part of Europe- Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.
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The European Union is a political and economic integration 27 European states. It represents the highest form of regional integration- economic and monetary union. So far it is the only such existing and well functioning supranational organization. Therefore, it has been regarded as a global experiment whether different nations can overcome nationalistic ideas and build an identity greater that their own.

The present form European Union was formed with the Treaty of Maastricht in 1993. It was built on top of a series of other multilateral agreements between European states dating back to the end of World War II. The one preceding the treaty was the European Communities.

With its combined strength the European Union represents the biggest economy in the world with roughly 21% of the world gross domestic product. It has a combines market of about 500 million people. The European Union has a single market where people, goods, services and finances can flow freely from one country to the other. This market is governed by standardized laws that apply in all member states. Moreover, the union has common policies on trade, agriculture, fishing, and regional development.

So far 16 out of the 27 states have adopted the common European currency- the Euro. In order for the countries to become part of the eurozone they have to meet certain criteria. Most of the remaining countries are in the process of joining the common currency. There are countries like the UK and Sweden that rejected adopting the new currency. The Schengen Agreement is a contract between 25 countries (22 of which part of the EU) for the abolition of passport control.

The three branches of power in the European Union are represented by: legislative- European Parliament; judicial- the Court of Justice of the European Union; and executive- the European Council and the European Commission.

Car rental companies that operate in Europe are National, Avis, Easy Car, Argus, Europcar, Budget, and Enterprise.

The modern Turkish state, it predecessor the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish people, language and culture have had their impact in shaping modern Europe. According to modern statistics more approximately 8.9 million Turkish people live in European countries. Those can be divided into two broad groups- people who migrated during the time of the Ottoman Empire and modern immigrants.

Ottoman Migration

Firstly, Turks started settling in European territories during the 13^th century after considerable victories over the dying Byzantine Empire. During its existence form the 13^th to the 20^th century the many people belonging to the Turkish ethnicity migrated in the European part of the empire. Others were shifted by the rulers for political purposes. Some came as traders, governors, military garrisons. Most of the Turkish elite settled in the cities where they kept control over secular and commercial operations. Other big mostly nomadic groups were shifted from the Asian part of the empire to European provinces. The goal was to have reserves of easily militarized population in rebellious regions.

As a result nowadays there is considerable Turkish population in most Eastern European and some Central European countries. Sizable minorities exist in modern Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Romania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Gastarbeiter

Gastarbeiter are guest workers that came to work to many Western and Central European countries in the years after the Second World War. In those bilateral agreements made between the states and Turkey it was decided that such migrant workers would stay for a period of time and work. However, many of these got married and created families in the new countries. There were a series of actions taken by some of the countries to deport big groups of them. Other measures were naturalizations and family reunifications. baby shower ideas

As a result today there are very big groups of Turks living in Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. The biggest and most notorious one is in Germany where there are estimated between 4 and 8 million Turkish people. It is sometimes quoted that Berlin is Turkey’s second biggest city.

Bruges/Belgium also known as the ‘the Venice of the North’ is a splendid medieval city, the capital of the Belgian province of West-Flanders. The Bruges Diamond House offers a large choice of diamonds and quality diamond jewelry in classical as well as modern designs. The Groeninge Museum focuses primarily on works by painters who lived and worked in Bruges and has a collection from the 14th to the 20th century. The mediaeval Belfry tower is 88 metres in height and houses the former city treasury, offering a breathtaking panoramic view of the city and its surroundings. Our Lady’s Church built in different styles from late Romanesque style over Scheldt-Gothic to French Gothic.

Strasbourg/France is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in north-eastern France. The Cathedral of Strasbourg is an absolute masterpiece of Gothic art built between 1015 and 1439 and its 142 feet high spire is an example of elegance. La Maison Kammerzell dates back to 1589 and is a house with generations of traders and shops. La Petite France district on the water is the city’s most picturesque old city with beautiful half-timbered houses dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Church of St. Thomas is a fine example of Gothic architecture and houses the impressive mausoleum of Maréchal de Saxe, a masterpiece of baroque funerary art of the eighteenth century.

Konstanz/Germany is situated at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany. Lake Constance is the largest lake in Germany. Mainau the largest island in the lake is one enormous park, in which a beautiful palace church, magnificent rose gardens, tropical greenhouses and an old Baroque palace can be found. It also has the butterfly museum.

Car hire companies in Europe include National, Avis, Easy Car, Argus, Europcar, Budget, and Enterprise.