There are a large number of regional and national differences in Europe, many of which should remain.
Until the economic picture is more even, national differences will remain a part (albeit a shrinking one) of Europe's investment equation.
All of these clashes serve as reminders of the difficulty of reconciling the borderless nature of the Internet with national differences on matters like privacy or freedom of speech.
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Previous work has offered income, education, low levels of agricultural labour (which is replaced by more mentally stimulating jobs), climate (the challenge of surviving cold weather might provoke the evolution of intelligence) and even distance from humanity's African homeland (novel environments could encourage greater intelligence) as explanations for national differences in IQ.
And are there national and regional differences between them?
Regardless of national temperament and notorious differences, behavior on this point seems consistent.
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But differences in national tax systems, for example over the portability and taxability of pensions, could be construed as an impediment to labour mobility.
"The president understands honest policy differences, " National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice said Thursday.
As the rules are transposed into national laws across Europe, differences in interpretation and practice are likely to remain.
Mr Clegg said it was right that the coalition parties had set aside their differences in the national interest and insisted the government was making the right reforms to help the economy continue to heal.
This national picture also shows there are differences in the number of options given to parents - in London there are six preferences, but in many other parts of the country parents are given three preferences.
Labour will point to issues like the social chapter and the national minimum wage to show the huge differences between the two parties.
Thus, the first new TV ads in the campaign by Arnold Worldwide of Boston, which are breaking this week on national cable networks, underscore these alleged differences.
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The Office for National Statistics' latest report on the differences between Wales and other regions of the UK shows that 12% of 16-to-24-year-olds in Wales have no qualifications.
They should see the differences between their areas and the national average reduce by ten per cent.
Ideological differences will be sunk in a national drive to create jobs.
However, the national average of 33.6% hides huge local differences.
Pollsters began to talk seriously about a gender gap in national elections in 1988 and, at times, the differences in voting and issues emphasis between men and women has often been striking.
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For too long these differences have been an obstacle to getting a coherent national energy policy.
She filled in the blanks in national surveys that exclude prisoners by using Justice Department prisoner surveys, but differences in survey design mean they may not fit together precisely.
Having differences of opinion, having a real debate about matters of domestic policy and national security -- and that's not something that's only good for our country, it's absolutely essential.
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Transport and General Workers Union national officer, Brendan Gold, acknowledged that BA had made concessions but stressed that clear differences still existed - especially over the retirement age for cabin crew.
It has also highlighted differences in the 27-nation EU between the euro countries and those that have retained their own national currencies.
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