Aviva plc (LSE: AV.) is the worl's fifth-largest insurance group, the biggest insurance group in the UK and the second-largest insurance group in Canada. Worldwide, it trails behind AXA, Allianz, ING and Fortis. It is one of the leading providers of life and pensions products in Europe and has a presence in 25 countries worldwide, notably France and The Netherlands. The company was formerly called CGNU, and was created by a merger of Norwich Union and CGU plc (itself created by the 1998 merger of Commercial Union and General Accident) in 2000. The Aviva name was adopted in July 2002. The company still used the Norwich Union name as a trading name within the United Kingdom, but on 29 April 2008 announced that they would be changing to Aviva.