The Group of 7 (formerly G6, and G8) or G7 is an inter-governmental political forum composed of six nations (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States) and the European Union. The Russian Federation was part of the G8 but was suspended in 2014 making it the G7. Combined, the members of G8 made up half of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Occasionally this group includes five additional countries, Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa, known as the Outreach Five. These meetings are sometimes referred to as G8+5.