Northwestern Europe
The area of North West Europe is a large region of Europe. As INTERREG III B NWE he is recognized as eligible area of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The region covers an area of approximately 787,400 km ². With nearly 171 million inhabitants live there about 45 % of the EU population. The population density is about 217 inhabitants per km ², well above the EU average of 115 inhabitants per km ². As the only non- EU member includes parts of Switzerland for assisted area.
The area includes besides, Belgium, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom and Ireland with their territory. In addition, the following regions are part of the eligible area:
- France: the regions of Nord-Pas -de- Calais, Picardie, Haute -Normandie, Ile de France, Basse -Normandie, Centre, Champagne- Ardenne, Lorraine, Burgundy, Alsace, Franche -Comté, Brittany, Pays de la Loire.
- Germany: the states of Baden -Württemberg, Hesse, North Rhine -Westphalia, Rhineland -Palatinate, Saarland and Bavaria on the district Swabia, Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia.
- Netherlands: provinces of Overijssel, Gelderland, Flevoland, Utrecht, North Holland, South Holland, Zeeland, North Brabant and Limburg.
- Switzerland: the cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Aargau, Solothurn, Bern, Jura, Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Lucerne, Glarus, train, Zurich and Neuchatel.
A beyond these administrative definition more precise delimitation based on geographical criteria but there is no. Neither a natural spatial nor a geopolitical demarcation is feasible here easily.
Cultural complex
Said by Christian Giordano and other scientists "North West Europe " historical region of Europe - which is considered the cradle of capitalism, the industrial society and the modern democracies - goes far beyond the administrative- geographical definition and also includes, inter alia, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and large parts of Scandinavia.