on European cooperation. And by many accounts, it’s been a successful one - it even served

as a model for the original European Union. Though many would question the strength of

the EU alliance, few would say the same of the Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg partnership,

or BeNeLux for short. So, how powerful is BeNeLux?

Well, the three Midwestern European countries are fairly powerful in their own right. Even

tiny Luxembourg, who loves to shell out much of its cash in generous donations ranks in

the top 3 for its GDP. Combined, BeNeLux’s population is made up of 28.5 million residents.

That’s a little more than the population of Texas, crammed into about a tenth of the

space. This gives the collective a population density comparable to Haiti or India.

But unlike Haiti, BeNeLux is vastly wealthy. In fact, their combined GDP of 1.4 trillion

dollars is about the same as the entire continent of Africa. When ranked financially against

the rest of the world, they’d come in about 12th or 13th. Part of this is due directly

to the success of their economic partnership. The Netherlands is a major trading partner

for Belgium, as well as the group’s largest exporter, after Germany. Their largest exports

and imports are petroleum products, which contribute significantly to their high yield

status.

Although their union was originally economic, they’ve since come together militarily as

well. This is not uncommon in Europe - it’s also illustrated by the Defense Co-operations

of the Nordic and Baltic states. Despite The Netherlands only ranking 37th, Belgium ranking

55th, and Luxembourg’s military being comprised of only a few hundred soldiers, the BeNeLux

defense cooperation is widely respected. With a single Admiral commander in charge of Belgium

and the Netherlands navies, their ability to integrate has been promoted as a model

for other cooperative countries. Furthermore, the so-called capital of Europe in Brussels,

Belgium, hosts the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with some of the world’s most powerful leaders.

Additionally, as members of the EU and NATO, BeNeLux enjoys strong military protections.

So how powerful is BeNeLux? Well, as a rich and protected group that regularly ranks among

the most developed and happiest countries in the world, BeNeLux is certainly no slouch.

But considering that they are also a model of cooperation for the rest of the world,

their actions have the ability to affect the development of the international community.

Some would say that makes them one of the most influential and powerful role models

in Europe. Perhaps then… the EU could take some pointers from BeNeLux.

Want to learn more about Europe? Make sure you check out this video all about the Nordic

countries, and just how much influence they really have. There’s also a

link in the description if you’re on your phone… and thanks as always for watching!

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