Economic communities refer to groups of countries that have come together to promote mutual trade, investment, and economic growth. There are several alternative terms that can be used to describe such communities, including regional economic agreements, economic blocs, trade blocs, free trade areas, customs unions, and common markets. A regional economic agreement is a broader term that can refer to any type of economic cooperation among countries in a specific area. A trade bloc is a more specific term that refers to a group of countries that have reduced trade barriers and tariffs among themselves but still maintain trade barriers with other countries. Whatever the terminology used, the goal of economic communities is to promote economic integration and cooperation among member countries.