Switzerland

The name of my country is Switzerland, so I'm Swiss.
Switzerland is situated in central Europe and shares borders with France, Germany, Austria and Italy. The capital is Berne and other important cities are: Lucerne, Lausanne and Lake Leman.

There are four official languages: German, French, Italian and Rumantsch (Romansch Rhaeto-Romanic) depending on the canton you live in.
Switzerland has an area of 41,300 square miles with 7,5 million inhabitants.
The political system is the Swiss Confederation and the currency is the Swiss franc. Switzerland is not a member of European Union.

There are special typical Swiss dishes like Cabernet platte, fondue, rosti ... and especially chocolate and cheese.
The most important historical facts of Switzerland are the first meeting of the League of Nations, and when Napoleon invaded Switzerland.
Famous Swiss people are Jean Jacques Rousseau (a writer and musician), Roger Federrer (a tennis player), Claude Nicollier ( an astronaut)

Finally I would add that I would like to live in Switzerland because I love chocolate and this country is the best place for this!

NETHERLANDS

Netherlands is a country in Europe. It has borders with Germany and Belgium, but also is bathed by the North Sea.

The official language is Dutch but others, like  Flanders and Surinam are also spoken.

 The flag.

It is a eurozone country since 1999, has the Euro as currency, and has a population of 16.4 million inhabitants. The most populous cities are Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague.
It has a total area of ​​41,526 square kilometres and a political system of constitutional monarchy.  Queen is called Beatrix and Prime Minister is called Mark Rutte


It is a country that has not gone unnoticed as it has people as famous as the painter Vincent Van Gogh and artist and actress Audrey Hepburn.

 Vicent Van Gogh
Typical dishes:
It is very popular toast buttered round: the beschuit, which is usually eaten as breakfast, with different flavours and is used in various celebrations. It is also one of the famous national dishes, which is basically the Erwtensoep pea soup.
Cheeses are popular, most notably Gouda, Edam and Leyden

This is the anthem of the Netherlands

SWEDEN

Hello my country is Sweden, called Sverige in Swedish!

My country is a member of the European Union.

The nationality of its inhabitants is Swedish. But the country has at least 17 000 indigenous Samis among its population – a community that derives most of its income from reindeer. Sweden is also home to a small number of ethnic Finns.

The dominant national language is Swedish, but it does not appear as the official language of the country. Other languages spoken in this country are Finnish, Danish and English.

Sweden is a Constitutional monarchy. It became part of the European Union in 1995. In 1971 the Riksdag became a single-chamber Parliament. Its 349 members are elected on the basis of proportional representation for a four-year term.

Sweden has a population of 9.2 million and a total area of 449 964 km².

Sweden has the largest population of the Nordic countries. It is separated in the west and north from Norway by the Scandinavian Alps. In the east is Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia with Baltic sea. And in the southwest, it is separated from Denmark by the Straits of Oresund, Kattegat and Skagerrak. It has the island of Gotland and Oland in the Baltic Sea.

Although it belongs to the European Union, they do not use the Euro, but they have their own currency, the krona.

Sweden's cities are famous for their beauty, organization and sustainable urban fabric. The Capital city is Stockholm and it is the largest city in the country. The most important area of Stockholm is the core area of medieval times. The other important districts in this city are Gamla Stan, with the Drottningholm Palace, the residence of the Royal Family of Sweden. Other important cities are Uppsala, Gothenburg , Kalmar, Malmö. Gotland is considered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Sweden is the country of origin of the Germanic ethnicity and culture. in the 9^th and 10^th centuries Swedish Vikings invaded and settled in parts of Eastern Europe as far as Caspian Sea. They founded the first kingdom of Russia. In 2006 Sweden was ranked second in the European Union and fifth in the world, at the Human Development Index. Since 2006, Sweden has won 27 Nobel prizes among them 5 awards for peace.

Sweden played a pioneering role of the early days of cinema. Leading the way were Mauritz Stiller and Victor Sjöström. Later on, directors like Ingmar Bergman and actresses such as Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman and Anita Ekberg made careers abroad. Sweden has given the world some of the best pop groups and singers such as Abba, The Cardigans, Teens, King Diamond... The '70s pop group.

Swedish cuisine is known by the smorgåsbord (buffet varied and abundant), Baltic herring, pea soup and Pannkaka with ärtsoppa. Sweden is part of the vodka belt and historically distilled beverages such as brännvin and snaps.

I would love to live there because it is a beautiful and joyful country! The Swedish people are very polite and clean. They look after their country. The protection of nature is a priority for governments. People can walk or cycle peacefully. There are many green areas and public transportation is very timely. The public transportation system is effective, timely, comfortable and clean. I love skiing, I would love to ski in the Scandinavian Alps!

On the other hand I would not like to live there, because life is more expensive and there are fewer holidays than in Spain; and in addition, Spanish food is the best!

Ireland

The people who live here are the Irish. The languages spoken here are the Irish English and the Irish Gaelic. It’s a republic and the political system is the democracy. The currency is the euro (€).

About 4.5 million people live here. It’s a country next to Great Britain and it has been independent since 1922. The only border country it has is Northern Ireland. Its area is about 70.000 square kilometres. The capital city is Dublin and other big cities are Cork or Galway.

Let's talk about its history. Its first inhabitants were the Celts. Saint Patrick christianized the Celts and the Romans. Around the 11th century the Vikings invaded them, and in the 12th century the British invaded the country and until 1922 the Irish haven’t been independent. The Great Famine killed about two million people between 1846 and 1851 because potatoes couldn’t be eaten.

Ireland has had a lot of artists, such as Bono or the drummer of U2. The great writer James Joyce was from Dublin and the actor Colin Farrell is also Irish.

Here it is common to drink Stout beer, and the basic food is the potato.

I wouldn’t mind living here because they drink a lot of beer and I like their music. The only thing I dislike is the cold weather.

Portugal

I am Portuguese, so I am from Portugal and in my country we speak Portuguese.

Portugal's political system is the Republic. The population here is about 10.6 million people.

Portugal is in the Atlantic Ocean and it has borders with Spain. The Açores and Madeira are also Portuguese.

Our currency is the Euro because Portugal has been a country member of the European Union since 1986.

Portugal has a total area of 92072 km². The capital city is Lisbon and other important cities are Porto and Braga.

Portugal is a country with a rich history of seafaring and discovery. Portugal's history has had a lasting impact on the culture of the country: Moorish and Oriental influences in architecture and the arts are prominent.

Over the past 3 000 years, Portugal has witnessed a constant ebb and flow of civilisations. Phoenician, Greek, Celt, Carthaginian, Roman and Arabic cultures have all left their imprint. In the 15th century, Portugal’s intrepid maritime explorers led by Vasco da Gama discovered new territories, leading to the accumulation of an overseas empire. At home, the university of Coimbra, established in 1290, is one of the oldest in Europe.

Some famous people from Portugal are Luís de Camões and Fernando Pessoa (poets), José Saramago (writer) and Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Figo(footballers) and José Mourinho (coach).

Each region of Portugal has its traditional dishes made with various kinds of meat and seafood. In particular, the country is particularly well known for its one hundred ways of cooking cod.

I wouldn't mind living in Portugal because I like its language, because it has beaches and because it is very close to Spain.

ALBANIA by Maria Q

Spain

I'm from Spain, which means I'm Spanish and that I speak Spanish (which is world's second most spoken first language). Spain has 504.645 square kilometres and its population is around 47.021.031 people.

Its currency is the Euro and its political system is the parliamentary democracy and the constitutional monarchy. Its current president is José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and its king is Juan Carlos I.

The capital of Spain is Madrid and some of its most important cities are: Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Seville...

There are famous and important Spanish people in all fields, for example:
Literature: Miguel de Cervantes, Juan Ramon Jimenez, Federico Garcia Lorca...
Art: Pablo Picasso, Francisco de Goya, Diego Velazquez...
Sciences: Santiago Ramon y Cajal, Severo Ochoa...
Sports: (Lots of Spanish footballers are well known so I will not mention them all, in fact I won't mention any of them) Rafael Nadal, Fernando Alonso, Jorge Lorenzo, Alberto Contador... (and quite more of different sports)

Spanish culture is very rich. It has some typical dances like the jota and the seguidilla or the well known flamenco. It has also lots of customs like bullfights.

I don't think there are just a few typical Spanish dishes, I think it has its unique food style. However I'll say some of the most famous Spanish dishes: Paella, Spanish omelette, fried fish...

I think Spain is not a bad place to live, it has great weather, a great culture and generally speaking, the Spanish people are really kind. Although they're passing through an important financial crisis. And also I have no other choice!

PORTUGAL

An English project

Portugal has borders in the north and east with Spain; in the south-east with Spain too, but there is a natural border: the Guadiana River. In the south and west Portugal faces the Atlantic Ocean

The capital of Portual is Lisbon, which is situated in the river mouth of the Tajo River. But Portugal has also other important cities, like Coimbra and Porto, or the Algarve, where there are lots of wonderful beaches, which is why this area has so many tourists.

The food is important in Portugal; you can find different types of desserts, seafood and the speciality is cooked cod.

Some of the most popular Portuguese people are not international football stars but they have other really important people, successful people all over the world. For example;

One of the best football player in the world at the moment, Cristiano Ronaldo:

-a famous writer called José Saramago.

-an old explorer and conquerer : Vasco da Gama.

One of the important facts in Portugal happened in 1910. It was the year when this country became a republic.

The currency is the same as in Spain; the euro (€) and Portugal has been a member of the European Union since 1986.

Finally we can consider Portugal either the beginning or the ending.

I'd rather live in Spain but if i had to move to another country I think Portugal could be a good option, maybe I would choose this country!!

ALBANIA

Hello class,

Albania is a beautiful place to live but it is a small country.

The total area of Albania is 28000 square kilometres and it has not got much population, there are 3,6 million people and its capital is Tirana which is the city with more population.

People who live in Albania are Albanians and the famous people born in this country are, for example: the actors Alexander Moisiu and Bajrush Mjaku, but I do not know them

The official languages of Albania are Tosk and Gheg and its currency is the Lek.

Albania got its independence at 1912, after Balcanic wars, and Albania has been a republic since that moment.

Albania is not a member of the European Union. Albania borders with: Montenegro and Kosovo to the north, Macedonia to the east, Greece to the south and the Mediterranean sea in the west.

Other famous cities of Albania are Elbasan, Durres and Shkoder

I would like to live in Albania because I love its amazing mountains and beaches.

Thank you and be happy, class.

Belgium

BELGIUM

Hello, my name is Javi, and I’m Belgian, Belgium is a small state (30.528 square kilometers) in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union, so our coin, of course is the euro. In this country, live more than 10 million people. Here, we speak three languages, 60% speak Dutch, 35% speak French, and the other 5% speak in German.

Today, our government is a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, the king is Albert ll, and the Prime Minister Yves Leterme.

If you come to Belgium, you should visit some monuments or important places like “Place of the Nation”, “Lion of Waterloo” or “Manneken Pis”, but don’t forget take your coat, because it’s really cold.

Belgium limit with France, and Germany.

You can eat some tipical dishes like waterzooi or moules frites:

Some celebrities from Belgium are Marguerite Yourcenar or Leopold I, if you want to know more Belgian celebrities, here

I really love my country because it is not stressful and I like this weather.

Vienna

VIENNA (CAPITAL OF AUSTRIA)

Vienna (in German: Vienna IPA: [vi ː n]) is a Central European city on the banks of the Danube, in the Valley of the Vienna Woods, at the foot of the foothills of the Alps. Capital of Austria, and one nine of its federal states (Bundesland Vienna)

It is surrounded by the Land of Lower Austria . With a population of 1,712,903 inhabitants (2010), Vienna is the largest city, political and cultural center in Austria. The metropolitan area has 2.4 million inhabitants, a population similar to that of the city in 1914. The official language is German.

The city has a long history as one of the oldest capitals in Europe, so it has an important artistic heritage. During the nineteenth century was one of the great music capitals of the world and early twentieth century Mecca of philosophy and political debate in the West , as well as major cultural centers worldwide.

Quality of Life

Vienna currently holds the top spot in the lists of quality of life in cities around the world, primarily because of his order, cleanliness, safety and high efficiency of publicservices and the variety of options for education, culture and entertainment.

Artists, writers and musicians

• Franz Schubert , musician, one of the greatest representatives of musical Romanticism
• Johann Strauss (father) and his son, also named Johann Strauss , musicians, authors of famous waltzes, marches and popular tunes
• Arnold Schönberg , musician, creator of the twelve-tone
• Falco (musician) , musician, known as the Godfather of Rap White for his song "Rock Me Amadeus" that reached # 1 in U.S.
• Anton Webern ,
• Alban Berg , musician
• Friedensreich Hundertwasser , a painter, sculptor and architect
• Erich von Stroheim , actor and film director
• Fritz Lang , film director
• Fred Zinnemann ,
• Christoph Waltz , actor

Scientists, philosophers and thinkers

• Ludwig Wittgenstein , philosopher

philosopher

• Wolfgang Ernst Pauli , physicist, Nobel Prize (1945)

Sports

• Niki Lauda , pilot of Formula 1

Poland

Poland is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres. Poland has a population of 38,115,000 poeple.

Poland is a democratic republic, with a president as a head of state. The government structure centers on the Council of Ministers, led by a prime minister. The president is elected by popular vote every five years. The current president is Bronisław Komorowski. Komorowski replaced President Lech Kaczynski following an April 10, 2010 air crash which claimed the life of President Kaczynski, his wife, and 94 other people, during a visit to western Russia for events marking the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre.

The Polish economy is based on agriculture and industry and is today one of the most dynamic in Europe and the only European state that has not experienced a recession during the crisis of 2008-2010. Despite the economic crisis, the Polish economy is growing at 1.7%.

Major cities in Poland are Warsaw, which is the capital and is in the center of this country, Mazovia, Krakow, the second most populous city that is in the south; Łódź is located in its center , Gdańsk, the capital of Pomerania, a city with one of the largest ports in the Baltic and Wroclaw, the capital of Lower Silesia and one of the major economic and technological development of the country.

Notable foods in Polish cuisine include kiełbasa, barszcz, żurek, pierogi, flaczki (tripe soup), gołąbki, oscypek, kotlet schabowy, bigos, various potato dishes, a fast food sandwich (zapiekanka) and many more. Traditional Polish desserts include pączki, faworki, gingerbread, babka and others.

NORWAY

Hi I´m Norwegian and I live in Oslo, the capital of this country.

The official language is Norwegian, a Germanic language.
Norway is a unitary Parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy.

The Population It´s 4.7 million people and the flag is like this:

It´s a Nordic country in Europe occupying the western Northern Portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east.

The Currency is Norwegian Krone and the total area is 323.802 square kilometres.

Over the centuries IX and XI was Viking and was the unification and expansion of the country. But the Norwegian royal line died in 1387 and the country entered a period of union with Denmark.

Norway remained neutral during the First World War, but was a founding member of the United Nations. It isn't one of the countries of the European Union, but it is part of the European economic area.

Norway also is the mother of many famous people as the painter Edvard Munch, composer Edvard Grieg, the mathematician Caspar Wessel. It has also given the world three Nobel laureates in literature: Bjornstjerne Bjornson, Sigrid Undset and Knut Hamsun.

One of the most habitual ingredients in our kitchen are: fish and whale meat from hunting and the fruits are very popular as the strawberries, apples and cherries.

A very typical and common habit is drinking coffee before and after eating!!

Finally I like living here because It´s a very nice country, but has one drawback: the climate is too cold for me.

Sweden

The Swedish official language is Swedish, although there are other areas too where Finnish is spoken.

Form of government in Sweden is a constitutional hereditary monarchy. Its Constitution (1809) establishes three separate branches: executive, legislative and judicial.

The sovereign is Carlos XVI Gustaf, Sweden, from 15 September 1973. Fredrik Reinfeldt has been the Prime Minister since September 2006. The legal system is unicameral, with a parliament with 349 members.

Sweden limits the north with Norway and Finland, east to Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia, the Baltic Sea south and west by the North Sea and Norway.

It has population of 9.2 million people spread over an area of 449 964 km².

Its capital is Stockholm, but other major cities are also Gothenburg, Malmö, Kiruna and Lund.

The current currency is the Krona.

Stockholm

The cuisine is intenationally known especially for its seafood. One of his most important dishes is the “Smörgåsbord” consisting of sausages, eggs, vegetables, cereals, spreads, and cheese, and other food like “Kötbullar” has gained popularity and worldwide recongnition for its uniqueness.

This country has given the world very important public figures such Ingmar Bergman, Greta Garbo and Anita Ekberg. Swedish music is in the minds of many people synonymous with the pop group ABBA 70.

Sweden become part of European Union in 1995.

Stockholm

Italy =)

ITALY

Hello, my country is Italy and of course I’m Italian. Here we speak Italian, it’s a Romance language similar to French or Spanish.

Italy is a southern European country situated in the Italian peninsula, where there are two smaller independent states: the Vatican City and the Republic of San Marino. Sicily and Sardinia are part of Italy too.

It shares its borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas. About 60 million people live in Italy and its area is about 300.000 square kilometres.

(Florence)

After long time of conflicts, wars and different political systems now we have a Republic with a two-chamber parliament: the Senate or upper house and the Chamber of Deputies or lower house. Our president is Berlusconi, a very controversial politician. Italy is a founding-member of European Union, so our currency is the Euro.

Italy’s capital city is Rome, but there are many other important cities like Bologna, Verona, Florence, Milan, Turin, Genoa, Bari, Naples or Palermo.

Italy was the centre of the Roman Empire, which left a huge archaeological, cultural and literary heritage, the Italian peninsula saw the birth of the Humanism and Renaissance and during the Second World War we participated by Hitler side because we lived in a dictatorship with Mussoinli.

(Genoa)

(Venice)

There are many important Italians artists, writers, musicians, scientists or philosophers, for example Dante, Galileo, da Vinci, Caravaggio, Raphael, Paganini, Verdi, Puccini, Botticelli, Donatello, Rossini, Monteverdi, Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Pavarotti, Bocelli, Fellini…

Our typical dishes are varied. However, people just know pizza and pasta. We have foods like risotto (with rice) and lots of types of cheeses.

I really like living in Italy, it's a beautiful country. I must discover each corner and smell :)

Malta

Year of EU entry: 2004 Political system: Republic Capital city: Valletta Total area: 316 km² Population: 0.4 million Currency: Euro Official languages: Maltese , English

Malta is a group of seven islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Only the three largest islands - Malta, Gozo and Comino - are inhabited. The terrain is low and rocky with coastal cliffs.
Malta, in the heart of the Mediterranean, is a melting pot of civilisations with a history stretching back thousands of years. The country has been inhabited since around 5200 BC and a significant prehistoric civilisation existed on the islands prior to the arrival of the Phoenicians who named the main island Malat, meaning safe haven. Later the islands were for centuries the seat of the Order of Knights of the Hospital of St John and then part of the British Empire. Malta became independent in 1964.

The Maltese government is headed by the leader of the party with a majority of seats in the unicameral House of Representatives, known in Maltese as Kamra tar-Rappreżentanti.

The national language is Maltese, which is part of the Semitic language family that includes Arabic. English is also recognised as an official language, and many Maltese also speak Italian.

Tourism is important in Malta but the island also has an expanding services sector.

Traditional Maltese food includes soup (minestrone, fish), pasta and pastry dishes. Stuffed dishes are also a feature of Maltese cuisine. Stuffat Tal-Fenek (rabbit stew) is a national dish.

Football is the most popular sport in Malta. The national stadium is called Ta' Qali Stadium. It is generally noted that the population tends to be split half and half with regards to supporting Italy or England in football, due to the cultural affinities of the island.

In Spain is very famous the football match played in1983 beetwen Spain and Malt wich Spain won with the score of 12-1

The national football team has won several matches over big opponents that reached the final phases in World Cups, such as Belgium, Hungary, and Greece.

Rugby union is popular in Malta, with the national men's team currently (May 2010) ranked 49th in the world – the second highest ranking that Malta holds in any international team sport after Table Football. The national squad was given a significant boost early in its history by inviting children of ex-patriate Maltese who had learned the sport in other, higher-level, countries (such as Australia and the U.K.) to improve the level of play. However, in recent years, the national team has included an increasing number of locally based players, while maintaining its position in the mid-rank of European rugby (currently ranked 22nd of 40 competing European nations).

In my opinion i´d like to live in Malt because it´s has a very good temperature during all the year and there are a lots of beach , i can´t speak Maltese but this isn´t a problem because everyone in malt can speaks English and Italian