What do Kazakhstan, Israel and the north-eastern corner of South America have in common? Some people count them as European. So why do other countries fail to make the grade? Kazakhstan, despite being in Central Asia, is a member of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Israel is in both UEFA and the Eurovision Song Contest -- competing in the latter rather more successfully in recent years than, say, France or Britain. And the South American area of French Guyana is legally a province of France, which makes it officially a part of the European Union. Of course, critics would say that it takes a lot more than just joining a European organization to count as properly "European."
Kazakhstan, despite being in Central Asia, is a member of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Israel is in both UEFA and the Eurovision Song Contest -- competing in the latter rather more successfully in recent years than, say, France or Britain.
And the South American area of French Guyana is legally a province of France, which makes it officially a part of the European Union.
Of course, critics would say that it takes a lot more than just joining a European organization to count as properly "European."
