Europa Universalis is a grand strategy video game developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Strategy First. The game was originally based on a French board game of the same name by Philippe Thibaut, and was released on February 20, 2001. Europa Universalis lets the player take control of one of seven European nations (others are available in different scenarios) from 1453 to 1792, expanding its power through military might, diplomacy, and colonial wealth. The game takes place on a map divided into approximately 1,500 provinces, and proceeds in a pausable real time format.