The Schengen Area is a zone comprising 26 European countries that have abolished internal border controls, allowing for the free and unrestricted movement of people within the area. It is named after the Schengen Agreement, signed in the village of Schengen in Luxembourg in 1985, which laid the foundation for the creation of the borderless zone. The primary goal of the Schengen Area is to promote the free movement of people, goods, and services within member countries, thus fostering economic and social integration.