Curated playlist
NUTS 1 statistical regions of the European Union
- Canary IslandsThe Canary Islands got their name from dogs, not from canary birds. The bird was named after the islands.
- AzoresNine volcanic islands in the Atlantic sit where three tectonic plates collide. The Azores belong to Portugal.
- MadeiraPlutarch, in his Parallel Lives, tells of sailors who met the Roman commander Quintus Sertorius after returning to Cádiz. They spoke of idyllic islands far out in the Atlantic. Plutarch records their description: "The islands are said to…
- MaltaMalta was once handed to a religious order for the rent of one falcon. Emperor Charles V made the deal in 1530.
- North West EnglandNorth West England is where the world's first programmable computer ran in 1948. The Manchester Baby used 550 valves.
- WalloniaBy the 19th century, Wallonia ranked second in industry for its size, behind only the United Kingdom.
- BrusselsBrussels has more ambassadors and journalists than Washington D.C. It is also the EU's de facto capital.
- Northern IrelandEven what to call Northern Ireland is disputed, and the word people choose often reveals their politics.
- LiechtensteinIn March 2007, a Swiss infantry unit of 170 men lost its way during a training exercise and accidentally crossed into Liechtenstein. The soldiers had marched 1.5 kilometres into foreign territory before they realised their mistake and…
- Republic of IrelandThe Republic of Ireland covers 26 of the 32 counties on the island of Ireland, and about 5.4 million people live there. Dublin, with over 1.5 million residents, is both its capital and its largest city. Only one land border exists, and it…