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The European Court of Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights is a ‘supra-national’ court that was formed by the European Convention on Human Rights. This provides legal options for those in Europe who feel that their civil rights have been violated. Despite popular belief, the European Court of Human Rights has nothing to do with the EU and so cannot be accused of being designed in order to encourage integration. Rather it is part of a treaty that was spearheaded following WW2.

However that said the European Court of Human Rights is yet able to make rulings that are respected by the countries that were party to the convention. This has lead to some controversies such as accusations that the courts is ‘micromanaging’ those countries. Proponents of the European Court of Human Rights of course argue that the court needs to make such rulings in order to prevent human rights violations across the continent. The court thus can prevent inhumane human rights violations from occurring across the world – the original intention of course being to prevent situations like Nazi Germany from occurring.

However this of course a large large undertaking and by taking on cases from across Europe the court has given itself a very heavy workload. There are currently over 100,000 cases that have yet to be heard by the council and this looks set to increase. That number alone would take three years to get through but on top of that there are of course many more cases consistently coming in. A new protocol however is being put in place that aims to speed up this process.

Meanwhile some recent rulings of the court have been highly controversial. For instance they have recently stated that prisoners must be granted the right to vote which has coursed uproar in many countries. So much so is this the case in fact that some countries are considering withdrawing from the convention. Of course the idea behind this is a positive one – that even those who have broken the law should be given equal human rights and should be able to decide who gets into power. When you think about it often they are in prison in the first place because they didn’t agree with the laws of the people currently in power. However at the same time others feel that someone who has broken a law in perhaps a serious way such as murder should not be then treated equally when it comes to voting. Others argue that while some countries may not like this ruling, it defies the object if they do not tow the line – there would be little point in having the court if all the member countries agreed with everything it said.

Whether the European Court of Human Rights is a good thing or not depends on who you speak to and it is a topic of controversy. Inform yourself further on the topic and then decide what you think for yourself.

Active Volcanoes in Europe

Volcanoes are a fissure or opening of the Earth’s surface that allow for hot molten rock, ash and gasses to escape when the pressure build up becomes too great. Such eruptions are incredible and powerful displays of the power of nature, and they are some of the most exciting and fascinating places on Earth as a result. Active volcanoes in Europe attract a lot of attention because they represent such an awesome power, and such a terrible risk, and because they often have marvelous histories surrounding them.

To be classified as active a volcano must have erupted within the last 10,000 years. This is of course an arbitrary definition however and it demonstrates how it would be theoretically possible for a dormant or even extinct volcano in many cases to become active once again.

The most famous active volcanoes in Europe are those situated in Italy. One of these active volcanoes in Europe is Mount Vesuvius. Mount Vesuvius is incredibly famous for the destruction of the Roman cities of Pompei and Herculaneum – and a visit to the area features museums that display the petrified residents frozen in state trying to outrun or shelter from the lava. This is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous active volcanoes in the world, and a monument to their colossal power. The most recent volcanic eruption here was in 1944. In the case of a full blown eruption millions of people would potentially be affected and hence a plan for evacuation exists in these areas.

Close behind and still in Europe is Mount Etna which is on the coast of Sicily. Another is Mount Stromboli. If you want to see one of the active volcanoes in Europe actually erupting then this is the place to visit as it has been constantly erupting for the past 2,00 years. Viewed at night it is possible to see bright red arcs cast in the sky as chunks of lava are blasted out of the volcano.

Not all of the active volcanoes in Europe though are situated in Italy. For instance Mount Hekla is an example of an active volcano Iceland. This is another huge volcano and during the BC era it had such a huge eruption that it actually altered the climate in the northern regions of the entire planet. The most recent eruption was in 2,000 and lasted for 14 days.

Active European Volcanoes

The Longest Place Name in Europe

There are many incredibly facts, sights and scenes in Europe. For instance there’s the fact that Europe is home to both the smallest and largest countries in the world (the Vatican City and Russia), there’s Istanbul that bridges two separate continents, there’s Etna – the huge active volcano in Sicily, and there’s the free internet provided all around Tallinn.

Here’s one incredible oddity in Europe however that you may not have been aware of – the longest place name in Europe. The name? ‘Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch’. Sounds ridiculous right? Well actually this is a genuine place name and one of the longest recognized words in the world. In total there are 58 letters there (count them if you like) and the word means ‘Saint Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio of the red cave’. So in fact it’s actually kind of succinct. Of course the word is Welsh (where else?) and it’s officially the longest place name in Europe. If you want a shorter version then try ‘Llanfairpwllgwyngyll’.

While this is the longest place name in Europe, there are some other rather impressive contenders. Try ‘Äteritsiputeritsipuolilautatsijänkä ‘ in Finland, ‘Siemieniakowszczyzna’ from Poland or ‘Newtownmountkennedy’ in Ireland. All very impressive, but sadly the longest place name in Europe can not lay claim to the longest place name in the world. The most impressively long word in the world is situated in New Zealand and that is the Maori word: ‘Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoron ukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu’ for a particular hill. This translates to ‘The place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed, and swallowed mountains, known as a land-eater, played the flute to his loved one.’

So there you have it, the longest place name in Europe and some other impressively long place names. Who knew that as near as Wales there was a place with such a crazy name? If you have some spare time on your hands then why not learn to pronounce them?

European Union Expansion

European Union expansion refers to the process of the EU expanding across Europe via accession of new member states. In other words as more and more countries join the EU this sees European Union expansion across the continent. At the same time the term European Expansion could also be generalized to refer to the extended political and cultural reach of the organization and its increased power.

Already there has been much European Union expansion and it has gone from the ‘Inner Six’ countries that founded the ‘European Coal and Steel Community’ (a precursor to the EU) to the 27 members now a part of the EU.

The Inner Six countries were the ones that started it all in 1952. They responded to the Schuman Declaration’s call that coal and steel resources should be pooled under a single authority. The Six were signed the ‘Treaty of Paris’ and represented Europes first ‘Supernational’ community. These original six were France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The intention was to make war ‘not only unthinkable, but materially impossible’.

After the events of the Suez Crisis (an offensive war by France, the UK and Israel against Egypt over the Suez Canal, but which was cut short due to pressure from the US and USSR) however the UK came to the belief that it could no longer operate independently and joined the Six to become the Seven.

European Union expansion today revolves around countries applying for membership. In theory any European country is able to join the EU and begin integration but to do this they must meet certain criteria. The ‘Maastricht Treaty’ states that any European state may apply as long as it ‘respects the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law’.

European Union expansion is an ongoing process and is currently underfoot. The countries Croatia, Iceland, Macedonia, Turkey and Montenegro are all officially ‘candidate states’ while Albania and Serbia are pending having applied for membership. Further, Bosnia and Herzegovinia have begun the preparation of their application, while Kosovo is negotiating whether to begin application. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, the Western Balkans have ‘prioritized’ membership. Interestingly the potential for European Expansion has actually increased as three Caribbean islands have been integrated into the Netherlands in 2010.

Meanwhile European Union expansion is also continuing in other senses. For instance the Eurozone which is the term for those member states that use the Euro as currency is growing more slowly. Some leaders meanwhile are also pushing for an inner more fully integrated Federal Europe within the slower EU and this could be considered European Union expansion in another sense.

European Union Expansion Map

Prostitution in Europe

Prostitution is a controversial subject to say the least and one that almost everyone has an opinion on. Ask a group of people whether they think that prostitution should be legal or not, and most often you will get a colorful and impassioned mix of views. It seems that the same is true when you take this debate to an international level, and the rules and regulations regarding prostitution around the world vary greatly.

There are many countries in Europe where prostitution is legal for instance, and it might just surprise you where. For instance, contrary to popular belief the UK actually is one of the countries in Europe where prostitution is legal. Many people think that prostitution in the UK is illegal, but actually the act of exchanging sexual services for money is not a crime in itself. Rather it is the range of associated activities that are illegal in the UK – such as curb crawling, running a brothel, pimping, pandering and soliciting in public areas. In other words it is the institution of prostitution that is illegal, not the act.

There are many other countries in Europe where prostitution is legal in this sense. For instance it is legal in France, in Italy, in Poland and in Portugal to name a few. However in Germany and most famously Holland, prostitution is not only legal but so is the whole institution including the brothels and pimps. These are the countries in Europe where prostitution is legal in every sense, and this allows it to be properly governed. Many people travel to Holland specifically for this purpose in fact which is known as ‘sex tourism’.

However while there are many countries in Europe where prostitution is legal, there are of course also many countries in Europe where it is completely illegal in all forms. These countries include: Poland, Russia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovakia and others in the East.

Whether countries in Europe where prostitution is legal are a good thing or not depends on your point of view. On the one hand there is the argument that such countries are able to better monitor sexual activities and thereby ensure that there is a minimal occurrence of STIs and forced sex etc. There is no obvious victim in prostitution as long as all parties are willing and fully informed – and so it’s questionable whether it should be considered a crime. It may even prevent sexual crimes by providing an outlet. At the same time though, others will argue that such systems will always be abused and shouldn’t be encouraged, and will object to paid sex on religious or moral grounds. What do you think?

European Prostitution

Universities in Europe

A lot of higher education is about getting some life experience – getting live away from home, to learn things you never knew about but were always interested in, and to meet new people and forge the strongest of friendships. It’s a lot of money, but it’s these kinds of experiences that make university priceless.

However universities aren’t exclusive to America, and there are plenty of European universities that can offer all this too. If you consider pursuing a higher education at Universities in Europe then this will mean that you also get to experience a whole new way of life, to meet people from a different culture, and to explore a new area. There is no life experience quite like living abroad, and going to Universities in Europe allows you to do this and to get an education that will be universally recognized at the same time. There are some truly prestigious universities in Europe and any of them will help you to land the career of your dreams while becoming a more well rounded individual.

There are some differences however been universities in Europe and those in the US. For instance European universities do not require students to take general education subjects as a rule, and rather they will stick to the subject they major in (though another difference is that students from universities in Europe do not use the word ‘major’). However European universities as a rule also have a less flexible curriculum.

For those who want an American education but in Europe there are some American universities situated actually in Europe. These include: Webster University Vienna in Austrai, Boston University Brussels in Belgium, American University in Paris in France, Jacobs University Bremen in Germany, American College Dublin in Ireland, American Intercontinental University in the UK and many more.

However if you want to study at authentic universities in Europe, or if you just want to look around them (universities such as Oxford can be highly beautiful to explore) then there are many, many more options. According to the Times Higher Education University Rankings (2010) the top ten universities in Europe are: The University of Cambridge in the UK, University of Oxford in the UK, Imperial College London in the UK, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich in Switzerland, University College London in the UK, Ecole Polytechnique in France, University of Edinburgh in the UK, Ecole Normale Superieure Paris in France, University of Göttingen in Germany, Karolinska Institute in Sweden and École Polytechnique Federale of Lausanne in Switzerland.

Europe Universities

European Bull Run

The European bull run or ‘Running of the Bulls’ as it is more correctly known, is an event that takes place primarily in Spain which involves running in front of a group of bulls let loose on a course around a town. The most famous European bull run takes place in the seven day festival ‘Sanfermines’ which takes place in honor of ‘San Fermin’ in Pampalona, Spain. However this isn’t the only European bull run, and you can also find such runs in other cities across Spain, as well as in Portugal and Southern France.

The European bull run is an incredibly dangerous and unusual activty, but is regarded as those who take part as also being highly exhilarating and cultural. Unlike the Bull fights which are also popular in Spain, the European bull run can be enjoyed by anyone over the age of 18 with no training.

The original purpose of the European bull run was to transport bulls from corrals to bullrings to be killed. While this was going on the route would be sectioned off, but young Spaniards would often jump into the paths of the bulls in order to demonstrate their bravado and speed. According to Spanish lore however, this did not develop into the European bull run as we know it today until the early 14^th century. This started when young adults tried to hurry their cattle through the market by using fear tactics and other things. This eventually turned into a competition, and at this point the youngsters would then attempt to race the bulls to the pens without being overtaken. Over time these activities became noticed by the rest of Spain and of course developed into the European bull run as we know it.

Today the event involves wooden barricades erected to keep the bulls on route, and often these will make it easy for the runners to exist in case of danger – with gaps large enough for people but too narrow for the bulls. The European bull run in Pamplona is broadcast live and is the largest event of the San Fermin festival taking place on the 7^th of July. It draws many tourists and there are many other celebrations and festivities to enjoy at the time. Before the race begins for instance the runners will sing a benediction – twice in Spanish and once in Basque. The full length of the course is 826 meters and is still a highly dangerous activity with 200-300 people injured every year. However only 16 people have been killed in Pamplona since 1910. Regardless of this fact, the European bull runs found across Europe remain some of the most unique and bizarre festivals on the continent.

Europe Bull Run - Fermin