The flag of Europe is the symbol not only of the European Union but also of Europe's unity and identity in a wider sense. The circle of gold stars represents solidarity and harmony between the peoples of Europe. The number of stars has nothing to do with the number of Member States. There are twelve stars because the number twelve is traditionally the symbol of perfection, completeness and unity. The flag therefore remains unchanged regardless of the EU enlargements.
The anthem of the European Union
The melody comes from the Ninth Symphony composed in 1823 by Ludwig Van Beethoven. In 1985, it was adopted by the EU heads of State and government as the official anthem of the European Union. In 1972, the Council of Europe (the same body that designed the European flag) adopted Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" theme as its own anthem. The well-known conductor Herbert Von Karajan was asked to write three instrumental arrangements - for solo piano, for wind instruments and for symphony orchestra. Without words, in the universal language of music, this anthem expresses the ideals of freedom, peace and solidarity for which Europe stands.
The motto of the European Union
The motto of the European Union is United in diversity. The motto means that Europeans have united in working together for peace and prosperity, and that different cultures, traditions and languages in Europe are a positive asset for the continent.
VOCABULARY
| Ability | |
| Accept | |
| Accomplishment | (); () |
| Admission | , , |
| Admit | , , |
| Advertising | |
| Advice | |
| Affiliate | , |
| Affix | |
| Aircraft | , |
| Allotment | , |
| Ally (allies) | () |
| Alongside | , |
| alumnus(alumni) | |
| Amateurism | |
| Amend | , , |
| Amount | , |
| Announce | , |
| Annual | |
| Anthem | |
| Anticipate | , |
| Apartheid | - |
| Applicant | |
| Apply | , |
| Apply for a job | |
| Apply innovative programmes | |
| Appoint | |
| Approach | , |
| Appropriate | |
| Approximately | |
| Armorial | |
| Armour | , |
| Ascension | , |
| Assent | , , |
| Assess | |
| Assessment | |
| Asset | , |
| Assumption | , |
| Avoid | |
| Award | |
| Bachelor | |
| Bachelor of Architecture | |
| Bachelor of Arts | |
| Bachelor of engineering | |
| Bachelor of Fine Arts | |
| Bachelor of Philosophy | |
| Bachelor of Science | |
| Bachelor of Social Work | |
| Background | , , |
| Background | , |
| Backward | |
| Bald eagle | |
| Baton | |
| Bear | (, ), , |
| Bicameral | |
| Bilingual | |
| Border | |
| Borough | |
| Bottom half | |
| Bowls | |
| Breadth | , |
| Broach | , |
| Broadcaster | , |
| Canton | , , ,, |
| Cape | , |
| Centennial | , |
| Certificate of Complete Secondary Education | |
| Certificate of Pre-Vocational Education | |
| Chamber | |
| Charity | , |
| Charter | , |
| Church | |
| Citizen | |
| Claim | , |
| Classified advertising | |
| Clutch | , , |
| Coastline | |
| Coat of arms (state emblem) | , |
| Collar | |
| Commit | , |
| Commonwealth | , , |
| Community college | , |
| Competition | , |
| Compilation (of data) | |
| Complete | , |
| Complete an application form | |
| Comprehensive | , , |
| Comprise | ; , |
| Compulsory | |
| Concise | |
| Confident | |
| Confuse | , |
| Confusing | |
| Conquer | |
| Considerable | |
| Consist of | , (-., -.) |
| Constant | , |
| Constellation | , |
| Constituent | |
| Constitute | |
| Constitutional monarchy | |
| Controversy | , |
| Convenient | |
| Convict | |
| Councillor | |
| Councillor | , |
| County | |
| County court | |
| Court of appeals | |
| Court of special jurisdiction | |
| Credit | |
| Cross | |
| Crown | |
| Crown court | , |
| Crux | |
| Curriculum Vitae | ; |
| Daffodil | |
| Decals | , , |
| Decree | , |
| Defence | , |
| Defiance | , |
| Delegate | , |
| Deliberately | |
| Demi-lion | - |
| Denote | , , , |
| Density | |
| Dependencies | |
| Depict | , |
| Derive | , |
| Desecration | |
| Desert | |
| Desert | |
| Dignify | |
| Diligent | , , |
| Dip | , , |
| Discourage | , , |
| Discourse | |
| Discuss | |
| Dismiss | |
| Dismiss | , , |
| Disposal | ( ) |
| Distinctive | |
| District court | |
| Diversity | |
| Dominion | , , |
| Down Under | |
| Draughtsman | , |
| Easy-going | , |
| Edge | , |
| Educational background | |
| Educational Reform Act | |
| Effort | |
| Elementary school | |
| Eligible | , |
| Emanate | , |
| Embodiment | , |
| Embodiment | |
| Embroider | , , |
| Emphasize | |
| Employer | |
| Employment | , |
| Employment | |
| Encounter | , |
| Encourage | , |
| Encourage | |
| Endorsement | , |
| Enforce | |
| Enroll | |
| Ensign | , , |
| Entire | , |
| Entirety | |
| Entrance exam | |
| Entry | , |
| Environment | |
| Envoy | , |
| Establish | , |
| Eventually | |
| Evident | |
| Exchange | , |
| Executive power | |
| Experience | |
| Extend | |
| Extensive | , |
| Federal Assembly | |
| Federal Executive Council | |
| Federal state higher educational institution | |
| Federation Council | |
| Female | |
| Fertile | |
| Flank | , |
| Fleece | , |
| Fly | |
| Fold | ( ) |
| Force | , |
| Fount | , , |
| Free of charge | |
| Freely | , |
| Fulfil | , , |
| Full time student | () |
| Further | |
| Further education | ( 16 ) |
| Garrison | |
| General Certificate of Education Advanced Level exam | |
| General Certificate of Secondary Education | |
| Genuine | , ; |
| Get information | |
| Get in touch | |
| Glory | |
| Governor-General | - |
| GPA Grade Point Average | |
| Graduate | |
| Grain | |
| Grant | , , , |
| Grasp | , |
| Hammer | |
| Headquarters | - |
| Heel | |
| Helmet | |
| Hemisphere | |
| Heritage | |
| High Court of Justice | , |
| Higher education institutions | () |
| Highest court | |
| Highland | |
| Hire | |
| Hiring | |
| Honour | |
| Hostile | , |
| Identify | , |
| Impeachment | , , |
| Implementation | , , |
| Implementation | |
| Imply | , |
| Impression | |
| Include | |
| Increasingly | |
| Independent | , |
| Infrequently | , |
| Inseparably | ; ; |
| Instead | |
| Insurance | |
| Internally | , |
| Intersecting | |
| Introduce | |
| Invade | , |
| Issue | , , , |
| Ivy League | - |
| Jack | (.) |
| Job openings | () |
| JSC Russian Railways | |
| Judicial power | |
| Justice | |
| Keenly | , |
| Labour | |
| Lead | |
| Leaf | |
| Lean | |
| Leather | |
| Leek | - |
| Legislate | |
| Legislative bill | |
| Legislative power | |
| Legislature | |
| Letterhead | |
| Liberal arts college | |
| Liberty | |
| License | , |
| Local | |
| Logging | |
| Look forward to hearing from | |
| Lowland | |
| Lungs | |
| Magistrate court | |
| Majority | |
| Manufacturing | , |
| Maple | |
| Mast | |
| Master | |
| Medieval | |
| Membership | |
| Merchant | |
| Mixed economy | |
| Motto | |
| Mullet | |
| Multitude | , |
| Multitude | , |
| National Curriculum | |
| Naval | - |
| Netball | - |
| Nickname | , |
| Northward | |
| Objective | |
| Obtain | |
| Obtaining | , ; |
| Occasion | |
| Occur | |
| Offer | |
| Offset | |
| On the command of | |
| Onward | |
| Orb | , . |
| Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development | |
| Organisation of American States | |
| Output | |
| Outrage | |
| Overestimate | |
| Overlord | , , |
| Owe | , |
| Palace of Facets | |
| Parliamentary democracy | |
| Particularly | |
| Part-Time Faculty | |
| Patron saints | |
| Peculiarity | |
| Pennant | , |
| Pennant | , |
| Perfection | , |
| Performance | , , |
| Permanent | |
| Permission | |
| Permit | , |
| Persuasive | |
| PhD | |
| Plates | , |
| Possession | |
| Post-graduate | |
| Posture | , |
| Prerequisite | |
| Presidential republic | |
| Pre-University Training Faculty | |
| Productivity | , |
| Profitable | , |
| Promote | , |
| Propose | |
| Prosperity | |
| Provision | , , |
| Provision Government | |
| Pure | |
| Pursue | |
| Quadrant | , |
| Quarter, quartered | |
| Rampant | |
| Rapid | , , |
| Rattle | , |
| Ray | |
| Realm | |
| Recent | , ; |
| Recognize | , |
| Recruiter | |
| Refuse | |
| Reign | |
| Rejection | |
| Relate | |
| Relationship | , |
| Relationships | |
| Relevant | , |
| Remain | |
| Replace | |
| Representative | |
| Require | |
| Requirement | |
| Requirements | |
| Research | - |
| Resolve | , |
| Respect | |
| Responsibility | |
| Responsible | |
| Resume | |
| Retain | |
| Robe | , |
| Row | |
| Royal house | |
| Rugby sevens | -7( ) |
| Rule of thumb | , |
| Saltire | |
| Sandwich course | , |
| Sceptre | |
| Scientific | |
| Scroll | , |
| Seal | |
| Secular | , |
| Self-governing | , |
| Service industry | |
| Settlement | , |
| Shamrock | , |
| Share | , , |
| Share | , , |
| Sheaf | , |
| Shield | |
| Sickle | |
| Sign | , , |
| Skill | , |
| Slay | , |
| Software | () |
| Sophisticated | , |
| Southern Cross | |
| Sovereign | , |
| Spear | |
| Stand | , |
| Star spangled | |
| Stare | |
| Stern | |
| Storefront | |
| Straight | |
| Stretch | |
| Stretch | |
| Submit | |
| Subsequent | , |
| Substitute | |
| Successor | , |
| Suitable | , |
| Suitable | , |
| Superimpose | , |
| Supplier | |
| Support | |
| Support | |
| Surface | |
| Surprising | |
| Surround | |
| Talon | |
| Tatter | |
| Taxation | |
| Temperate | |
| Term | |
| Thistle | |
| Thoroughly | |
| Though | , |
| Timber | |
| Tip | |
| Toes | |
| Tolerant | |
| Topple | , |
| Tourist destination | |
| Trade magazines | |
| Transition | , , , |
| Trap | |
| Trident | |
| Tuition fee | |
| Tutorial | , |
| Unaltered | |
| Unfamiliar | , |
| Unified State Exam | |
| Union Jack | |
| Universally | |
| Upper | , |
| Upper half | |
| Vacancy | , () |
| Vast | , |
| Venue | |
| Violent | , |
| Vouch | , |
| Waltzing | |
| Wattle | |
| Wealthiest | |
| Wear | |
| Welfare | , , |
| Well-paid | |
| Wheat | |
| Whilst | |
| Wholesale | |
| Width | |
| Wind instruments | |
| Winning | , |
| Witness | , |
| Wreath | , , |
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Abbreviations
| CIS | The Commonwealth of Independent State | - |
| EAEC or EurAsEC | The Eurasian Economic Community | |
| CSTO | Collective Security Treaty Organisation | |
| OSCE | The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe | |
| APEC | Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation | |
| G8 | The Great Eight | |
| NATO | The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation | |
| WTO | The World Trade Organisation | |
| IMF | The International Monetary Fund | |
| UN | The Organisation of the United Nations | |
| GDP | Gross Domestic Product | |
| IBRD | The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) | . |
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