3. Eastern-Europe-map2 by CrazyPhunk self-made based upon: Image:Eastern-Europe-map2.png. What are the Five Themes of Geography? Some of the countries that fall under this category are United Kingdom, Norway, Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Vatican City, Netherlands, Sweden, Malta, Italy, Iceland, Germany, Greece, Finland, etc. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. However, if we look back at the death rates of the two regions in the graph above, its clear that eastern European countries introduced restrictions when experiencing far fewer cases and deaths. Seldom do you hear an average American complain about Poland or Estonia for not spending enough into defending Europebecause those countries, despite being . Importantly, however, there have been major differences within eastern Europe too. I wrote previouslythat many European nations are doomed bydemographics tofiscal chaos, but a lot of people dont care that much about the future. However, over the past 20 years, most of the nations of Eastern Europe have joined the European Union. Philip Hoffman, Rea A. and Lela G. Axline Professor of Business Economics and Professor of History, Credit: Courtesy of Philip Hoffman/Caltech, Click here to open the "Quick Links" submenu, Click here to open the "Research" Submenu, Click here to open the "Academics" Submenu, Click here to open the "Admissions & Aid" Submenu, Click here to open the "Campus Life & Events" Submenu, Technology Transfer & Corporate Partnerships, Hundreds of Copies of Newton's Principia Found in New Census. Countries in this region are typically located on the continent of Asia, except for Turkey which lies partly in both Asia and Europe. Today, not a single east German company is listed on the DAX-30, the nations leading stock exchange index, the report notes. Eastern Europe has a total population of about 258 million people. Where Eastern Europe begins, however, is a matter of opinion. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. | Latin America Countries, Physical Features & Facts, South Asia Geography & Culture | Physical Features & Human Characteristics, Canada Geography: Physical & Human | Landscape, Impact & Overview, West Africa: People, Culture & History | West African Countries, States' Rights & the Civil War | History, Role & Examples, Boundaries Overview & Types | Physical, Political & Cultural Boundaries. 2023 Sowell.org. Also economically, the Western European countries are much more advanced than the eastern European countries. Lesley has taught American and World History at the university level for the past seven years. On average, Eastern Europeans live longer than western Europeans because they smoke fewer cigarettes and drink less alcohol on average. Total compensation, gross wages and salaries, and disposable (or after-tax) income have long been lower in the former East Germany than in the former West, according to the governments report. Luckily, this blog post will help you to understand some of the differences between these two parts of Europe. Byzantium, so long as it had Anatolia, could essentially produce gold at will, and was really the only European power to have actual cities as we understand them. I've been to EE and could see a significant difference in the living standards between there and here in Germany: people tend to be thinner, have worse skin, worse styles and their own supermarkets are shit. The highest mountain in eastern Europe is Mount Elbrus, which stands at 18,510 feet tall. Long-run growth matters. Central and East Europe were simply geographically unfortunate as wave after wave of immigrants and invaders moved through the region from China and were stopped before they made it into W Europe. Excellent point. People in the former East Germany earn less than their counterparts in the former West. And Im debunking the argument that we should copy nations such as Denmark by allowing a larger government in the United States (though I do want to copy Danish policies in other areas, which generally are more pro-economic liberty than what we have in America). 50 Mississippi. Adjusting for population size, both cases and . Well, it depends on the parameters. Most people in western Europe speak at least two languages, one of which will be English. Eastern Europe is home to a number of mountain ranges, including the Musala, the region's tallest mountain. Since there is no exact definition of Eastern Europe, be sure your list includes countries that are sometimes included as part of Eastern Europe. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal. Example: Much of Eastern Europe's population has Russian ancestry. By introducing very strict prevention measures early on, countries in the region had significantly fewer COVID-related deaths than their western European counterparts.. Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. What countries make up Eastern Europe? Between these two regions, a myriad of differences can be viewed regarding the geographical location, culture, economy, etc. Eastern Europe is 'poorer' than Western Europe, during the war they were helpless and were taken over by Germany or the Soviets, with the fall of both empires countries taken by Hitler. 3. I'd given it to him because the use of this technology is related to politics and fiscal systems and taxes, and as he was reading it, he noted that the book did not give the ultimate cause of why Europe in particular was so successful. It's just fascinating. Why did Eastern Europe lag behind Western Europe in terms of economic development? Youll get a better idea of how different cultures influence one another and why its difficult to generalize about either region. Here, we take a look at why this has happened. This is Part 6 of an 8-Part series on Geography and Culture. Christianity History & Location | How Did Christianity Spread? Most of Eastern Europe was not touched by any Ancient advanced civilisation, either - they had to develop their own, except for the South Slavs. 5. Americans are not stupid, and when they complain about Europe, they are complaining about Western Europeans who are richer than Eastern neighbors yet less attentive to their own needs. The following blog post will discuss some common misconceptions about Eastern Europeans and provide insight into their culture based upon personal experience living there for an extended time. Make a list of at least seven of the largest cities in Eastern Europe. Its language is related to Italian, Spanish, and French, making the Romanians the only Latin people in Eastern Europe. This is why Eastern Europe, in general, is poorer than countries in Western, Central, and Northern Europe. The Romanian language consists of 75% Latin, 20% Dacian and 5% Slavic. Some argued that this was because of economics: that eastern European countries locked down early because they feared their economies would not be able to handle many people getting sick. It was politically weak, it was poor, and the major long-distance commerce was a slave trade led by Vikings. People speak languages with Slavic roots. Here is an Eastern Europe religion map that depicts the split of Christianity after the Great Schism of 1054. For Western Europe, it was the Scandinavian Vikings who preyed upon river cities and traffic. You have been on the Caltech faculty for more than 30 years. Amazing how so many refuse to acknowledge how climate and geography go hand and hand with a countrys economic development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. She has a Master's degree in History. Another explanation, described in Jared Diamond's famous book [Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies], is disease. However, most central and eastern European countries have been gradually converging towards western Europe countries over the past few decades after the transition to market economies, the introduction of democracy, and the formation of the European Union. Eastern Europe: Most people follow Orthodox Christianity or Islam. For example, differences in economic strength could explain why the relatively richer Czech Republic waited to reintroduce restrictions (thinking it could bear the brunt of a high number of infections), but this doesnt account for the relatively poorer Romanias decision to do the same. Gunpowder was really important for conquering territory; it allows a small number of people to exercise a lot of influence. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. You can think of that as being much like a baseball team that hires better players to win more games, but in this case, instead of coaches, it's political leaders and instead of games there are wars. A head start in the first wave. Greece is in Eastern Europe. We can see from the next graph that, at the same time in the spring, the two regions introduced measures that were similarly strict. In 2018, the average unemployment rate was 6.9% in the six states of the former East Germany, compared with 4.8% in the 10 states of the former West Germany. Politics might provide a hint: the Czech Republic held regional elections in October, while Romania voted in local elections in September and is about to vote in national elections in December. That's because the Black Death was at its peak. The Polish Lithuanian commonwealth was extremely powerful and wealthy by controling the rivers and by extension farmland and trade between Baltic and Black Seas. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. The key difference between Western and Eastern Europe is that Eastern Europe consists of countries that once belonged to the Soviet block, unlike the Western European countries. The way to think of Europe is that it is a big collection of peninsulas jutting out from Asia. David has taught Honors Physics, AP Physics, IB Physics and general science courses. Usually, when this question is asked, the response is that WWII and the Cold War ruined Eastern Europe, or that the agricultural and industrial revolutions began in Britain and not in Eastern Europe. Create a poster, chart, or some other type of graphic organizer that lists and provides statistics for the religions of Eastern Europe. ------------------------------------------------------------ Austria-Hungary is partially to blame. The terrible assumption you have made so far is Eastern Europe was always poor. Continue with Recommended Cookies. And all of this describes Europe. When it's easier to travel and grow food, it's easier to sell the food at a greater. Lets get back to whether people in places such as Denmark (or anywhere else in Europe) enjoy more prosperity than their American counterparts. 9. Daily new COVID-19 deaths per million inhabitants, second wave, eastern Europe. Eastern European countries include Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, Bulgaria Croatia (Hrvatska), Czech Republic (esk Republika), Estonia (Eesti), Georgia ( ) Hungary (Magyarorsz g), Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Montenegro Poland Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Ukraine. New research shows that this goes back about 1,000 years. Christianity is the main religion in Eastern Europe. Higher Percentage: Theres a higher percentage of people living in poverty in eastern Europe than there is in western Europe.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'questionscity_com-leader-1','ezslot_3',116,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-questionscity_com-leader-1-0'); Unemployment Rate: Unemployment rates are much higher in eastern Europe. As an eastern european I want to say that while what Sowell explained might be true, the reasons he gave are minor in comparison to the economic damage that Russia and Communism caused in eastern Europe. Resource 01: https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Eastern_EuropeResource 02: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Europe, Differences Between Eastern And Western Europe, Differences Between Eastern And Western Culture, Differences Between Eastern and Western Roman Empire, Differences Between Eastern And Western Religions, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Eastern_Europe, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Europe. The book also reminds us that in a world where there are hostile powers, we really don't want to get rid of spending on improving military technology. Manage Settings Where is Eastern Europe? idc abour other guys i have a fat cock and im not afraid to shove it down ur skinny bitch throat Many East German businesses are part of western German or foreign corporations.. The fall of the Berlin Wall 30 years ago this week brought far-reaching social and economic changes to communist East Germany, and people on both sides of the former barrier say the changes that have occurred since 1989 have had a positive influence on living standards in their country, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. Productivity in the East, in other words, was 75% of productivity in the West on a per-capita basis. Are there any overarching themes to your work? Eastern Europe is a term that typically refers to the countries in Eastern and Central Europe, which includes Russia. | Thomas Sowell, What Makes Coastal People So Different? Western Europe is incredibly rich in culture from rich cuisine (French cuisine is divine and Im going to include Portuguese cuisine too) to traditional festivals still being held. What made you turn to the idea of gunpowder technology as an explanation? Why is the Eastern Europe Poorer than the Western Europe?There are many reasons, the main ones are : location (Western Europe discovered new lands, Eastern Europe faced nomads), religion, the ottomans and the communism. >Eastern European men >Like seriously, they are so formal, handsome, and respectful.. The former East has a much smaller population than the former West (about 16 million people, compared with about 67 million), but its productivity is also lower when adjusted for population differences. And the more that the political leaders spend, the better their chances of defeating other leaders and, in the long run, of dominating the other cultures. Western Europe: Western Europe is economically more advanced as well as prosperous. Why are countries in eastern Europe poorer than in western Europe? In 1914, really only China, Japan, and the Ottoman Empire had escaped becoming European colonies. In fact, the Ottomans once controlled a large chunk of this region. If we look at the stringency of control measures, we can also see that not all countries acted in the same way. As always, excellently explained to be easily understood. Additionally, some definitions include Greece as part of Eastern Europe, while others maintain that Greece is, in fact, part of Southern Europe. So as an explanation, industrialization doesn't work. Five of the six states in the former East Germany with the exception of the city-state of Berlin had lower per-capita productivity in 2018 than the West German state with the lowest per-capita productivity, Schleswig-Holstein. | Thomas Sowell Author: www.youtube.com Post date: 21 yesterday Rating: 3 (1898 reviews) Highest rating: 3 Low rated: 2 Summary: 3. But a while ago I ran into this interesting post about the Romans in Eastern Europe: The Romans were mostly interested in conquering areas that had a high degree of self sufficiency which could provide a tax base for them to extract from. Of course being in the soviet bloc wouldnt help either.Ive seen pictures of Prague and warsaw before the war and they seemed pretty prosperous. Many of the countries of Eastern Europe did not exist before the 20th century. 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It's a sign of American prosperity that we can afford to buy more from other nations than they can afford to buy from us. Create your account. Things are much better if the conflict concerns something that can be split upsuch as money or land. Many of those that survived, emigrated to Israel or the US. That being said, Ireland and the United Kingdom have the most economic freedom among EU nations, andSwitzerland would be at the top if the choice was broadened to non-EU nations in Europe. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. By introducing very strict prevention measures early on, countries in the region had significantly fewer COVID-related deaths than their western European counterparts. Live Longer: Western Europeans live longer than eastern Europeans.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,100],'questionscity_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_4',117,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-questionscity_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); Smaller House: Eastern Europeans live in smaller houses or apartments compared to western Europeans. In Germany, for example, the average startup team size is only 2.4 people, compared to an . There are over 500 different languages spoken in the region of eastern Europe. the Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Turkey (western-most part). Countries in the region imposed strict measures while being relatively mildly affected, whereas western countries waited until things got bad. In 2017, the most recent year for which data is available, per-capita disposable income was 19,909 per year in the former East Germany the equivalent of about $22,500 based on the average euro-to-dollar exchange rate that year. In 1991, per-capita productivity in the former East was less than half (43%) of productivity in the former West. This shows that eastern European countries took the opportunity to act quickly. ), See also: How the attitudes of West and East Germans compare, 30 years after fall of Berlin Wall. One thing is clear: eastern Europe exited the first wave at the end of June in much better shape than western Europe. Authors compilation. Western Europe is home to the oldest living population in the world. While its per-capita productivity remains lower than that of West Germany, the former East Germany has made major gains since unification. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. Eat: Eastern Europeans eat a lot of meat and potatoes while western Europeans eat more fruits and vegetables. Personally, I would much rather see expenditures devoted to infrastructure, or scientific research, or free preschool for everybodythings that would carry big economic benefitsbut in this world, I don't think you can stop doing military research or spending money on the military. 8. Eastern Europe: Albania, Bosnia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Russia, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, Serbia, Slovakia, Moldova, Lithuania are some countries of Eastern Europe. The spending on war gave leaders a chance to try out new weapons, new armed ships, and new tactics, and to learn from mistakes on the battlefield. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. These two regions consist of a large number of countries that enrich the diversity of the two regions. Although they may seem like completely different worlds at first glance, there are some striking similarities between eastern and western European countries that can help travelers decide where to go on vacation or which country to live in after college graduation. 2. There is also easier access to mineral resources the further west you go in Europe, so more western regions would develop stronger economies when the Industrial Revolution upped the demand for those resources, while the minerals of the east weren't tapped until later. 1. 4. The tendency to ignore Eastern Europe in favour of Western Europe is a holdover from the Cold War. Most of the major periods in European history (Middle Ages, Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment), also affected Eastern Europe. We live much more better than Latin America, the Middle East, Africa or India for 2.Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? Up until the beginning of November, the spike in the death rate was largely driven by the Czech Republic. We can also compare how restrictive the two regions disease-prevention measures were during the first wave using the Oxford COVID-19 government response tracker (OxCGRT).