Which two countries are currently members of the European Union?

Okay, let's talk about the European Union. Think of it as a club of European countries that work together on things like trade, travel, and laws. The EU was officially formed in 1993, but it grew out of earlier agreements aimed at fostering peace and economic cooperation after World War II. Now, Poland joined the EU in 2004 as part of a big expansion that brought in several Central and Eastern European countries. The UK was a member of the EU from 1973 until 2020, when it left following a referendum – a process known as Brexit. Turkey has been trying to join the EU for a long time, but it's still not a member. Russia isn't even eligible to join because it's not considered a European country geographically. So, while Turkey might seem like a possible answer because of its historical connections to Europe, and Russia is a major player on the continent, neither are actually in the EU.