The Schengen countries are a group of European nations that have agreed to remove internal border controls between them, allowing people to travel freely from one country to another without passport checks. This system is known as the Schengen Area, named after the Schengen Agreement signed in the village of Schengen in Luxembourg in 1985. Today, the Schengen Area is considered one of the greatest achievements of European cooperation because it makes travel easier for tourists, students, workers, and businesses.