All Europe was previously 'weird' by today's standards, until big empires invaded everywhere, and drew previously 'weird' places into their states. The strange rules that you claim are 'weird' were the norm until very recently, and the only reason certain exceptions still exist, is because, and only because, they benefit the current elites.
The monarchies married off their children to make claim over other countries. Philip II of Spain thought he ruled Britain because he married Bloody Mary, who was the daughter of a Spanish princess.
The Habsburgs were an inbred dynasty that ruled various non-contiguous parts of Europe, in a totally 'weird' way, for random reasons (Swiss nationhood is based on rejecting them). Naples and Barcelona were once part of the same 'country'. Spain ruled the Netherlands!
The Norman (Scandi Viking) dynasties in Normandy France, and yes in Kiev, and can-you-believe-it Sicily ( Roger of Sicily is so Monty Python )? Andalusia in S. Spain is named after the Vandals from beyond E. Europe, who sacked Rome and also invaded Sicily (who hasn't).
The British royal family is mostly German. Even 'Prince Philip of Greece', husband of QE II, was a Prince of Greece, born in recently-British Corfu (who hasn't invaded Corfu?), without a single drop of Greek blood. He was mostly German, with an admixture of Danish and Russian.
What about Monaco, and San Marino, and Leichtenstein, the Vatican (ex Papal States), and Konigsburg (all that Knights Templar stuff, Memelland, Kaliningrad and now still preposterously Russian).
Belgium literally invented in 1839 Treaty of London, half Flemish, half French, with the bitter pip of Brussels in the middle. [Interestingly, the Treaty of London [1] is not mentioned in the Wikipedia article on Belgium [2]! Some trolls from the EU have been busy whitewashing history :]
Italy only unified in 1861, always 'weird' before that (but still contains San Marino and The Vatican).
Germany only unified in 1871, always 'weird' before that, with hundreds of petty states, many non-contiguous. The British royal family is from Hanover, Saxe-Coburg & Gotha. It alienated the US colony and is still in (constitutional) power in the UK.
The EU formulated in 1993 (Maastricht) but in its present form only from 2009 (Lisbon) minus UK (2016). A weird mixture of monarchies, democracies and rule by un-elected elites. Let's see how long it lasts... (TBC)
The little remaining statelets are only allowed to continue their independence because they benefit the current elites (like Switzerland benefitted the Nazis).
If you think Andorra is weird and interesting, it's only because you have not studied enough history.
P.S. That's just Europe, don't get me started on the Middle East.
Who hasn't invaded Syria!?
Obviously the Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Macedonians (Greeks), Romans, Arabs, Crusaders (English, French, Germans), Turks and a few flavors of Mongols, have been-there-done-that-got-the-tshirt, but even Australia has invaded Damascus (1918). Then the French shelled them to get it back - you could not make it up! Israel almost got there in 1973 and is still bombing it today.
The monarchies married off their children to make claim over other countries. Philip II of Spain thought he ruled Britain because he married Bloody Mary, who was the daughter of a Spanish princess.
The Habsburgs were an inbred dynasty that ruled various non-contiguous parts of Europe, in a totally 'weird' way, for random reasons (Swiss nationhood is based on rejecting them). Naples and Barcelona were once part of the same 'country'. Spain ruled the Netherlands!
The Norman (Scandi Viking) dynasties in Normandy France, and yes in Kiev, and can-you-believe-it Sicily ( Roger of Sicily is so Monty Python )? Andalusia in S. Spain is named after the Vandals from beyond E. Europe, who sacked Rome and also invaded Sicily (who hasn't).
The British royal family is mostly German. Even 'Prince Philip of Greece', husband of QE II, was a Prince of Greece, born in recently-British Corfu (who hasn't invaded Corfu?), without a single drop of Greek blood. He was mostly German, with an admixture of Danish and Russian.
What about Monaco, and San Marino, and Leichtenstein, the Vatican (ex Papal States), and Konigsburg (all that Knights Templar stuff, Memelland, Kaliningrad and now still preposterously Russian).
Belgium literally invented in 1839 Treaty of London, half Flemish, half French, with the bitter pip of Brussels in the middle. [Interestingly, the Treaty of London [1] is not mentioned in the Wikipedia article on Belgium [2]! Some trolls from the EU have been busy whitewashing history :]
Italy only unified in 1861, always 'weird' before that (but still contains San Marino and The Vatican).
Germany only unified in 1871, always 'weird' before that, with hundreds of petty states, many non-contiguous. The British royal family is from Hanover, Saxe-Coburg & Gotha. It alienated the US colony and is still in (constitutional) power in the UK.
The EU formulated in 1993 (Maastricht) but in its present form only from 2009 (Lisbon) minus UK (2016). A weird mixture of monarchies, democracies and rule by un-elected elites. Let's see how long it lasts... (TBC)
The little remaining statelets are only allowed to continue their independence because they benefit the current elites (like Switzerland benefitted the Nazis).
If you think Andorra is weird and interesting, it's only because you have not studied enough history.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_London_(1839)
... not mentioned in ...
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium