| Thus, inclusion of basic intelligence on the EU has been deemed appropriate as a new, separate entity in The World Factbook | Data are for the area controlled by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus |
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| Data for Syria's 2014 GDP is from the September 2011 WEO Database, the latest available from the IMF | As the EU is not a country, China is the second ranked country on these lists |
Although the EU is not a federation in the strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as ASEAN, NAFTA, or Mercosur, and it has certain attributes associated with independent nations: its own flag, currency for some members , and law-making abilities, as well as diplomatic representation and a common foreign and security policy in its dealings with external partners.
| Figures exclude , and of and | |
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