Newly Expanded EU

As of January 1st, 2007; Bulgaria and Romania form part of the European Union. Their entry raises the E.U.'s membership to 27 states, almost half of them former communist countries that were largely cut off from Western Europe until 1989. Romania, the larger of the two countries, and Bulgaria will together boost the E.U.'s population by 30 million, to 490 million, but will add just 1 percent to its economic output.

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