Foreword - Small Businesses Are Lifeblood Of Economy
Baroness Shriti Vadera, Minister For Competitiveness, Small Business And Enterprise, Department For Business, Innovation And Skills (Bis)
Global Trade Features
A Confident And Outward Looking Approach
Glenys Kinnock
Minister For Europe
Northern Europe
The countries of Northern Europe are among the world's wealthiest. The region may be the least populated in Europe and the countries may be small, but their contribution to global politics and economics is substantial. Northern Europe possesses rare and precious metals and fish and timber are abundant. Petroleum and gas are apparent in small quantities, however, Norway stands out from its neighbours as one of the largest producers and exporters of hydrocarbons in the world.
Denmark Country Profile
Estonia Country Profile
Finland Country Profile
Iceland Country Profile
Ireland Country Profile
Latvia Country Profile
Lithuania Country Profile
Norway Country Pofile
Sweden Country Profile
Eastern Europe
The last few years have seen Eastern Europe prosper, with the region experiencing robust economic growth. The collapse of the former Soviet Union crippled many of the economies in the region, and for a long time they languished in the shadow of communism. For many, it took until the turn of the millennium to find the road to economic prosperity.
Azerbaijan Country Profile
Bulgaria Country Profile
Czech Republic Country Profile
Georgia Country Profile
Hungary Country Profile
Moldova Country Profile
Poland Country Profile
Romania Country Profile
Russia Country Profile
Slovakia Country Profile
Ukraine Country Profile
Southern Europe
Following a long period of economic expansion, growth in Europe has started to moderate with a significant slowdown becoming a possibility. In 2008, Southern Europe began to feel the pressure of the global economic crisis. Growth is weakening as demand from Western Europe slows exports and investment. A poor external outlook and continually high commodity prices that have created high inflation have weighed on consumption.
Albania Country Profile
Bosnia & Herzegovina Country Profile
Croatia Country Profile
Cyprus Country Profile
Greece Country Profile
Italy Country Profile
Kosovo Country Profile
Malta Country Profile
Potugal Country Profile
Serbia Country Profile
Slovenia Country Profile
Spain Country Profile
Turkey Country Profile
Western Europe
Western Europe is home to some of the largest and most prosperous countries in the world. The populations of the countries in Western Europe, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland, enjoy a standard of living that is among the best in the world.
Austria Country Profile
Belgium Country Profile
France Country Profile
Germany Country Profile
Luxembourg Country Profile
Switzerland Country Profile
The Netherlands Country Profile
Denmark has a modern market economy, characterised by a high-tech agriculture sector, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, a stable currency and a high dependence on foreign trade.
Estonia has become one of the fastest growing economies in Europe in recent years, and offers great potential to UK companies looking to expand internationally. The country’s economic growth comes from a combination of manufacturing and services with exports contributing significantly to the economy. Estonia’s main export articles are machinery and equipment, metals, mineral fuels, timber and timber products.
Finland's free market economy is hallmarked by a high level of industrialisation and a per capita output on par with the UK, France, Germany and Italy. The country is a world leader in telecommunications and high technology applications. It is strategically located at the centre of a rapidly developing market place of 80 million consumers from northwestern Russia, Scandinavian countries and the Baltic states.
Historically, Iceland has experienced erratic growth with periods of high inflation. This is a result of its reliance on a few key exports which have fluctuated dramatically in terms of production and price. Throughout the 1990s, the economy experienced a strong economic growth on the back of economic reforms, deregulation and low inflation.
Ireland is a small, vibrant, economy with aheavy dependence on trade. The Irisheconomy has entered a new era ofdevelopment and structural change, withthe emphasis having shifted from growthin the manufacturing and constructionsector, to become more focused on growthin the business and financial services.
Latvia is in the final stages of the process of making the transition to market economy. The country's accession to the European Union (EU), in 2004, provided a major boost to the economy. Trade with fellow EU members has increased two-fold and now accounts for around 75 per cent of total Latvian trade.
After gaining independence from the former Soviet Union, Lithuania developed into one of the fastest growing economies in Europe. Today, it is an upper middle income country with GDP per capita estimated at $17,700 in 2008. Since 2002, the country has produced impressive rates of growth, which at times, have averaged eight per cent.
In per capita terms, Norway is one of the richest countries in the world and wealth is evenly distributed. The country is richly endowed with resources, and aside from oil and gas, Norway is blessed with an abundance of minerals, forests, fish and hydropower. Although the economy is highly dependent on hydrocarbon production, Norwegians realise that reserves are finite. Oil and gas funded budget surpluses have been saved in the Government Petroleum Fund which has been invested abroad. It is estimated that this fund is now worth more than $250 billion.
