When five member states of the European Union (France, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands and Luxembourg) resolved to do away with internal border restrictions in 1985., the history of the Schengen region officially began and the Schengen region was created at that exact time. Now, boundaries only exist on maps on a continent where nations have poured blood in the past to defend their possessions and borders. Every year, people from European nations travel more than 2 billion kilometres within the Schengen area. Economic benefits of a borderless Europe are numerous, demonstrating how real, well-liked, and effective the Schengen achievement is and how crucial it is to daily life and societies within the EU. After two disastrous world wars, it took a long time to remove internal borders, ensure security, and establish confidence. One of the EU's greatest accomplishments, the formation of the Schengen region, cannot be undone. Free movement was made possible by the establishment of the Schengen region, strengthening the unity and cohesion of the peoples and nations of Europe. The Schengen area today includes 27 EU countries, of which 23 participate in the Schengen area, including the Republic of Croatia