The term "European Community" refers to the economic and political partnership of European countries. However, there are several synonyms for this term, including European Union, European Economic Community, European Free Trade Association, and European Common Market. The European Union is the most commonly used synonym for the European Community and refers to the union of 27 European countries that share a common economic and political system aimed at promoting economic development, social justice, and safeguarding human rights. The European Economic Community is an older synonym used to describe the original six-member economic partnership that formed in 1957. The European Free Trade Association is a synonym used to describe a partnership between Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Lastly, the European Common Market is a synonym used to describe the unified market within the European Community that seeks to promote free trade and eliminate trade barriers.