Transatlantic relations refer to the historic, cultural, political, economic and social relations between countries on both side of the Atlantic Ocean. Sometimes it specifically means relationships between the Anglophone North American countries (the United States and Canada), and particular European countries or organizations, although other meanings are possible. There are a number of issues over which the United States and Europe generally disagree. Some of these are cultural, such as the U.S. use of the death penalty, some are international issues such as the Middle East peace process where the United States is often seen as pro-Israel and where Europe is often seen as pro-Arab (or at least neutral), and many others are trade related. The current U.S. policies are often described as being unilateral in nature, whereas the European Union and Canada are often said to take a more multilateral approach, relying more on the United Nations and other international institutions to help solve issues. There are many other issues upon which they agree. Definition Transatlantic relations can refer to relations between individual states or to relations between groups of states or international organizations with other groups or with states, or within one group. For example: Within a group: Intra-NATO relations e.g. Canada–NATO relations Between groups: EU - North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) relations European Free Trade Area (EFTA) - NAFTA relations Transatlantic Free Trade Area (theoretical) CARIFORUM - European Commission (Economic Partnership Agreements) Between a group and a state: Canada–European Union relations United States–European Union relations Canada - EFTA Free Trade Agreement Between states: Germany–United States relations Canada–France relations, etc. By language and culture Commonwealth of Nations Community of Portuguese Language Countries Dutch Union La Francophonie Latin Union The boundaries of which states are part of Transatlantic relations depends on the context. The term may be used as a euphemism to a specific bilateral relationship, for example, Anglo-American relations. The boundary could be drawn so as only to refer member states of the EU plus the US, when discussing Euro-American relations. In other circumstances it may include Canada, or non-EU countries in Europe. The term may also be used in the context of the wider Atlantic world including Africa and Latin America. History The early relationship between Europe and America was based on colonialism and mercantilism. The majority of modern states in the Americas can be traced back to colonial states that were founded by European nations,