Trade sanctions were once a preferred method of punishing nations linked to terrorism, like Iran and Libya.

European nations linked their currencies loosely together in the 1970's after the United States abandoned the gold standard and currencies were allowed to fluctuate in value on world money markets.

The idea was that Quebec and Canada would be independent nations, linked in an economic common market.

But in the long run Washington's vision of a strong nation linked by trade came true.

A Strong Leader His leadership continued in recent years as Western European nations linked their economies and the Soviet bloc disintegrated.

Never before has there been a group of independent nations linked in this way by their common history and continuing affection.

With more and more nations linked together financially--"Siamese megatuplets" was how Lowell Coffey had put it--politics was becoming a troublesome sideshow to the force that really drove the world.

My own understanding of the word Commonwealth can be defined as a bunch of common ideas and a group of nations linked by something that they all have in common.

The Union for a Europe of Nations Group, on the other hand, wishes to see a polycentric Europe with nations linked in a network.

It can be strongly associated with nations linked to the former Western Roman Empire and with Medieval Western Christendom.