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Acontinental union is aregional organization. Continental unions vary from collaborativeintergovernmental organizations, tosupranationalpolitico-economic unions. Continental unions are a relatively new type of political entity in the history of human government. Throughout most ofhuman history,political organization has been at the local level (e.g. tribal,city state) and in more recent centuries, the sub-regional ("regional")/sub-continental level (e.g. river system/basin empires, the modern "nation-state"); however, starting with the advent of better transportation, weapons and communication there was for the first time the ability for a union of member states to organize at the continental level. After the devastation of theFirst andSecond World Wars in the middle of the twentieth century, Europe began to slowly integrate with the founding of the "European Community", which became a political union covering much of the European continent (27 member states as of February 2023^[update]).^[1][2][3][4]

The European Union (EU) is asupranationaleconomic andpolitical union^[5] of 27member states inEurope. Committed tointegration andgovernance of European states and nations. The EU was established by theTreaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existingEuropean Economic Community.^[6] AEuropean Parliament has been created, directly elected bycitizens of the EU. With almost 450 million citizens, the EU combined generates an estimated 30% share (US$18.4 trillion in 2008) of the nominalgross world product.^[7]

The EU has developed asingle market,Economic and Monetary Union,Customs Union, through a standardised system of laws which apply in all Union territory, ensuring thefree movement of people, goods, services, and capital.^[8] It maintains common policies on trade,^[9]agriculture,fisheries^[10] andregional development.^[11] Twenty member states have adopted a common currency, theeuro, constituting theEurozone. The EU has developed a limited role in foreign policy, having representation at theWTO,G8,G20 and at theUN. It enacts legislation in justice andhome affairs, including the abolition of passport controls by an agreement between the member states which form theSchengen Area.^[12]

TheAfrican Union (AU), at a size of 29,757,900 square kilometres (11,489,589 sq mi) and a population of 1 billion, is by far the largest of the existing continental unions in terms of both land mass and population.^[13] It includes allAfrican countries.

The African Union was formed as a successor to theOrganization of African Unity (OAU).^[14] The most important decisions of the AU are made by theAssembly of the African Union, a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states. The AU's secretariat, theAfrican Union Commission, is based inAddis Ababa,Ethiopia. During the February 2009 Union meeting headed by formerLibyan leaderGaddafi, it was resolved that theAfrican Union Commission would become theAfrican Union Authority.^[15]

The African Union is made up of both political and administrative bodies. The highest decision-making organ of the African Union is the Assembly, made up of all the heads of state or government of member states of the AU. As of 2017, the Assembly is chaired byAlpha Condé. The AU also has a representative body, thePan-African Parliament, which consists of 265 members elected by the national parliaments of the AU member states. The current president of the Pan-African Parliament is Bethel Nnaemeka Amadi.Other political institutions of the AU include theExecutive Council, made up of foreign ministers, which prepares decisions for the Assembly; the Permanent Representatives Committee, made up of the ambassadors to Addis Ababa of AU member states; and the Economic, Social, and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), a civil society consultative body.

TheUnion of South American Nations (commonly referred to by its Spanish acronymUNASUR) is anintergovernmental union integrating two existingcustoms unions:Mercosur and theAndean Community of Nations, as part of a continuing process ofSouth American integration. It is modeled on theEuropean Union,^[16] and at one time included all of continental South America, except forFrench Guiana (which is anoverseas department ofFrance, and therefore part of the European Union).Panama andMexico holdobserver status.

TheUNASUR Constitutive Treaty was signed on May 23, 2008, at the Third Summit of Heads of State, held inBrasília,Brazil. In accordance with the Treaty, the Secretariat is located inQuito,Ecuador and the seat of the plannedSouth American Parliament is to be located inCochabamba,Bolivia. The headquarters of the plannedBank of the South (BancoSur) were to be located inCaracas,Venezuela but have been delayed for numerous reasons.^[17]

The South American Defence Council was formed on July 20, 2008, and had its first meeting on March 10, 2009. On May 4, 2010, the Heads of State of theMember States unanimously elected formerArgentinePresidentNéstor Kirchner as the firstSecretary General of UNASUR.

In early 2019, the majority of South America had left UNASUR and formed a second continental union, theForum for the Progress and Development of South America (commonly referred to asPROSUR).^{[citation needed]}

TheAsia Cooperation Dialogue is anintergovernmental organization created on 18 June 2002 to promoteAsian cooperation at a continental level and to help integrate separateregional organizations such as theASEAN, theEurasian Economic Union, theGulf Cooperation Council, and theSAARC.^[a]

Although generally not considered a traditional continental union, the Council of Europe is anintergovernmental organization that spans the majority of states considered "European". As an intergovernmental organization, the council's focus is onpolitical dialogue relating to the upholding ofhuman rights,democracy and therule of law in Europe.^[b]

The Eurasian Economic Union was founded in January 2015, consisting ofArmenia,Belarus,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Russia and observer membersMoldova,Uzbekistan, andCuba; all of them (except Cuba) being previous constituent states of theSoviet Union. The Eurasian Union is a transcontinental union asmembers include states from both Europe and Asia.

The European Political Community (EPC), established in 2022, is an intergovernmental forum consisting of 47 states which focuses on political and strategic discussions about the future of Europe.

Although generally not considered a traditional continental union, the Organization of American States (OAS) is anintergovernmental organization that spans the majority of states considered within theAmericas. As an intergovernmental organization, the OAS's focus is on political dialog relating to the purposes ofregionalsolidarity,peace, andcooperation among the states of the Americas.

Although generally not considered a traditional continental union, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is anintergovernmental organization that spans the majority of independent states and dependent territories within thePacific Ocean. As an intergovernmental organization, the PIF's focus is on political dialog relating to the enhancement of cooperation andeconomic and social well-being among states within the Pacific Ocean.

Although generally not considered a traditional continental union, the Union for the Mediterranean is anintergovernmental organization and a transcontinental union asmembers include most states from Europe (including the whole European Union itself representing them with a full membership even if not all these countries are Mediterranean, and a few other European countries, notably applicants to the European Union which participate as observers), and most states bordering the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Western Asia (a few of them are observers, or are states whose membership is temporarily suspended).

In Canadian history and political science, the term "Continental Union" refers to the idea of creating a union between Canada and the United States, either by forming a new, super-national body in which both countries would become equal members, or by the United States annexing Canada. The ideology which favours Canadian integration with the United States, economically or politically, is known as "continentalism", the more radical version which favours Canada becoming part of the United States is called "annexationism". Continentalism has historically been one of three theories of Canadian nationality that predominated in English Canadian thought, the others being pro-British "Imperialism", andCanadian nationalism.^[18][19]

Additionally, the concept of aNorth American Union between Canada, the United States, and Mexico has been discussed in policy and academic circles since the concluding of theNorth American Free Trade Agreement.^[20][21]

• Continentalism
• International organisation
• List of military alliances
• Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
• Supranational union
• Trade bloc

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