1. The European Dream "Ode to Joy"
from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony
Freude, schöner Götterfunken Töchter aus Elysium, Wir betreten feuertrunken, Himmlische, dein Heiligtum! Deine Zauber binden wieder Was die Mode streng geteilt; Alle Menschen werden Brüder, Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
Ludwig van Beethoven
born Bonn, Germany: December 17, 1770
died Vienna, Austria: March 26, 1827

2. "Ode to Joy" - from the Ninth Symphony
The European Dream
"Ode to Joy" - from the Ninth Symphony
composed in 1823 by Ludwig Van Beethoven
the anthem not only of the European Union but also of Europe in a wider sense - Beethoven set to music the "Ode to Joy" written in 1785 by Friedrich von Schiller; this poem expresses Schiller's idealistic vision of the human race becoming brothers - a vision Beethoven shared
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 - without words, in the universal language of music, this anthem expresses the ideals of freedom, peace and solidarity for which Europe stands
in 1985, it was adopted by EU heads of State and government as the official anthem of the European Union; not intended to replace the national anthems of the Member States but rather to celebrate the values they all share and their unity in diversity

3. Schizophrenic Europe? What are we? Where are we going?
a disunited hotch-potch of selfish, squabbling and globally-impotent nation states?
a united continent of federated states able to stand
up to the USA and other emerging power blocs?
an embryonic superstate one day to be ruled from Brussels and become one of the four major economic and military powers in the world?
Where are we going?

4. Europe
from Space
But what
exactly IS
Europe?

5. Factfile
EUROPE

6. The Continent Of
Europe?

7. The geology
Of Europe

8. Our Climate

9. Our Climate

11. Mean Temperatures
in January

12. Mean temperatures
in July

13. Annual
Rainfall

14. Snowfall
RETREATING
GLACIERS?

15. The Pasterze Glacier, in Austria

16. Vegetation

17. European
Nation States

18. The Iron
Curtain

19. total: 35,980 sq km land: 32,260 sq km water: 3,720 sq km
EU Factfile
For comparison
TAIWAN
total: 35,980 sq km land: 32,260 sq km water: 3,720 sq km

20. The Disunited States of Europe?

21. EU Factfile

22. Population
Density

23. EU Factfile

24. Industrial
Centres

25. EU Factfile - EU Trading Partners

26. EU Factfile - EU Trading Partners