Even much of Russia is located in Asia. Along with the inventions of the industrial revolution, countries have been able to gain a high economic development rate. No major city is near the Danube until Belgrade. How is your theory different? That was a really great question and it got me interested. For example, how did states get the ability to impose heavy taxes? Its language is related to Italian, Spanish, and French, making the Romanians the only Latin people in Eastern Europe. There are some exceptions, however. Generally speaking, Slavic languages that use the Cyrillic alphabet are found in countries that practice the Eastern Orthodox faith. I've also been interested in the development of tax systems. If we look at the stringency of control measures, we can also see that not all countries acted in the same way. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I understand why it looks that way but that's because of your perspective. The reformation gave way to more literacy, the Protestant work ethic, which resulted in rapid advances in the sciences and technology. But if these factors were at play in the first wave, they havent had the same effect in the second. It's just fascinating. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. 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). Why are countries in eastern Europe poorer than in western Europe? Please do not edit the piece, ensure that you attribute the author and mention that this article was originally published on FEE.org, Living Standards Are Markedly Higher in the United States, are doomed bydemographics tofiscal chaos, America should copy their expansive welfare states. I mean, as a Brit, I can see how our island had the best of it regarding no land border and access to the sea! 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. Western Europe is home to the oldest living population in the world. None of this suggests that policy in America is ideal (it isnt) or that European nations are failures (they still rank among the wealthiest places on the planet). Daily new COVID-19 deaths per million inhabitants, second wave, eastern Europe. All findings are based on data from the German governments 2019 report, as well as the Centers recent survey. Please, enable JavaScript and reload the page to enjoy our modern features. Breathtaking nature Last, but definitely not least, nature in Eastern Europe is stunning. Answer (1 of 7): The time lapse. 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. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. Learn what is considered Eastern European, view a list of Eastern European countries and discover Eastern Europe religions. Romania is probably the most unusual country in this region. In Germany, for example, the average startup team size is only 2.4 people, compared to an . So that's not the answerit's something else. 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). Feeding the YouTube algorithm. Importantly, however, there have been major differences within eastern Europe too. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Despite this, the Soviet Union did play an important role in the regions history. Fox News' Tucker Carlson asks what Attorney General Merrick Garland is doing in Ukraine, and wonders why no one cares about what happened to the Nordstream pipeline. If you think about it, you realize that advancements in gunpowder technologywhich are important for conquestarise where political leaders fight using that technology, where they spend huge sums on it, and where they're able to share the resulting advances in that technology. Greece is in Eastern Europe. Explore Eastern Europe. England in 1800 was the richest country in the world, but the population lived in terrible poverty), Easter Europe always got the brunt of the migrant waves for almost all of recorded history, it didn't really begin to stabilize until the 900s so it had some catching up to do. New research shows that this goes back about 1,000 years. Another explanation, described in Jared Diamond's famous book [Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies], is disease. 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. Caltech's Philip Hoffman, the Rea A. and Lela G. Axline Professor of Business Economics and professor of history, has a new explanation: the advancement of gunpowder technology. The continent of Europe can be divided into two regions as the western and eastern Europe. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Conclusion paragraph: The differences between Eastern and Western Europe are vast, but there is one important similarity. Mark Perry of the American Enterprise Institute has put together some apples-to-apples data suggesting the answer is no. Communist: The eastern part of the continent has been ruled by communist governments for decades, while the West has had democratic governments for centuries. 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. Excellent point. Example: Some people do not consider Russia to be part of Europe. I wrote previouslythat many European nations are doomed bydemographics tofiscal chaos, but a lot of people dont care that much about the future. This is Part 6 of an 8-Part series on Geography and Culture. Hoffman's work is published in a new book titled Why Did Europe Conquer the World? Constantinople is now the city of Istanbul in Turkey, and the greatest church of the Eastern Orthodox faith, the Hagia Sophia, is located there. See here for the complete series: I love listening to Dr. Sowell's wonderful explanations for everything. For that to happen, the countries have to be small and close to one another. Pandemic fatigue is present across the entire continent, and may be especially present in the east, where some people may have felt that they went into a lockdown for nothing. Eastern Europe squandered its spring gains and then repeated the mistakes made by the west in spring: waiting until cases and deaths are out of control before imposing controls. 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. One final comment. It was politically weak, it was poor, and the major long-distance commerce was a slave trade led by Vikings. Scooby snacks for you! Very hard for a country to be doing well after all those struggles. Transport, accommodation and food tend to take a smaller bite out of your wallet, without compromising on history, culture, and experience. 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. Eastern Europe: Most people follow Orthodox Christianity or Islam. Additionally, the ocean coast contributed to the early development of trade, and contributed to the development of cities (you can feed a large number of non-agricultural population due to fishing). Both regions have different economic structures and political systems. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright 2010-2018 Difference Between. People speak languages with Slavic roots. Its clear that these two regions hold many similarities as well as some stark contrasts; it will be interesting to see what changes occur over the next few years. Spain and Portugal are often included in definitions of Western Europe despite not bordering any other country that belongs to the group. From West to East the climate, becoming more severe (in Siberia - almost impossible for an agricultural civilization) because decrease in influence of the Gulf stream. Definitions of Western and Eastern Europe: Characteristics of Western and Eastern Europe: Difference Between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Difference Between Commonwealth and Protectorate. Youll get a better idea of how different cultures influence one another and why its difficult to generalize about either region. Make a list of at least seven of the largest cities in Eastern Europe. Make sure to familiarize yourself with our rules and guidelines before participating. The GDP of Romania in year 2017 is $467 billion and PPP is approximately $25000. While the Soviet Union was once considered to be the most important country in Eastern Europe, many ex-Soviet nations are, in fact, not even in Europe. Create a poster, chart, or some other type of graphic organizer that lists and briefly describes the major geographical features of Eastern Europe. The Eastern Europeans developed their "taste" to the Western ways of life during the communist era around the 1970's 80's, based on stereotypes in films or on the rare visits Clean streets, orderly suburbs, homogenous (mainly white) population, comfortable life,. Roma is the language of the people who used to be called Gypsies (The modern term for gypsies is "Roma."). Heres another map, concentrating just on Northern Europe. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Although Europe represents only about 8 percent of the planet's landmass, from 1492 to 1914, Europeans conquered or colonized more than 80 percent of the entire world. It is difficult to point out the geographical division between the western and eastern regions of Europe although it is believed that the Caucasus Mountains, Ural River and mountain lay the boundary for Eastern Europe. Disease can't explain, for example, the colonization of India, because people in southeast Asia had the same immunity to disease that the Europeans did. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. For this reason, the economic situation is not uniform across the region. Your email address will not be published. Although Europe represents only about 8 percent of the planet's landmass, from 1492 to 1914, Europeans conquered or colonized more than 80 percent of the entire world. I feel like its a lifeline. There have been many periods where the Polish/Baltic/Ukraine/Belarus area was very wealthy. There are over 500 different languages spoken in the region of eastern Europe. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'questionscity_com-banner-1','ezslot_10',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-questionscity_com-banner-1-0'); Western Europe has been characterized by its diversity as well as its commitment to democracy and human rights. Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms. - Definition, Eligibility & Coverage, What Is Medication Reconciliation? Which is mostly Southern Europe and Anatolia (under the Macedonian dynasty at least). The standard of living of the population until the mid 19th century was about the same. 5. What can we learn from the differences between Eastern and Western Europe? Cheap travel Eastern Europe can be significantly less expensive than Western Europe. Albanian forms its own branch of the Indo-European language family. 8. Almost all the Muslims who live in Eastern Europe belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. For example, that Europe became industrialized more quickly and therefore became wealthier than the rest of the world. Productivity in the East, in other words, was 75% of productivity in the West on a per-capita basis. One of the reasons for this, was that after WW II, parts of what were once considered to be Central and Western Europe, were taken over by a communist dictatorships aligned with the Soviet Union, and were classified as being part of Eastern Europe. Since there is no exact definition of Eastern Europe, be sure your list includes countries that are sometimes included as part of Eastern Europe. These countries have several different borders with Russia, as well as other European nations such as Germany or Poland. 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. Then you can bargain with your enemies to divvy up whatever you disagree about and you can have something like peace. Christianity History & Location | How Did Christianity Spread? Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Roma, and Turkish are the three Eastern European languages that are not Slavic. You can designate these countries on your list with an asterisk or "s" in parentheses next to them. But something like the smallpox epidemic that ravaged Mexico when the Spanish conquistador Hernn Corts overthrew the Aztec Empire just isn't the whole story of Corts's victory or of Europe's successful colonization of other parts of the world. As a quick caveat, its worth noting that theres not a one-to-one link between gross domestic product and actual living standards. Its a sign of American prosperity that we can afford to buy more from other nations than they can afford to buy from us. Authors compilation. All countries in the region have seen significant increases in cases and deaths. 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. Max Weber Fellow in Social and Political Sciences, European University Institute. It also boasts some of the richest economies in the world with Germany being one of those countries at its forefront. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. Islam - Islam came to Eastern Europe via the Ottoman Empire. The four major religions in Eastern Europe are the Eastern Orthodox faith, Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism. This is interesting because it shows that the wealth divide between Eastern and Western Europe existed long before the modern era. Both regions have a history of being ruled by powerful empires that brought change to the area. 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. Continue with Recommended Cookies. what does cupid want to control; best tattoo shops in alabama; why is eastern europe poorer than western europe? Some argued that this was because of economics: that eastern European countries locked down early because they feared their economies would . 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. That's because the Black Death was at its peak. Bernie Sanders, for instance, looks at nations such as Denmark and Sweden today and says that America should copy their expansive welfare states. It also includes some of the Balkan nations. Then you have more capital to invest, which allows for growth of the countrys industry. /r/History is a place for discussions about history. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. Press J to jump to the feed. Most of Eastern Europe was not touched by any Ancient advanced civilisation, either - they had to develop their own, except for the South Slavs. 50 Mississippi. David has taught Honors Physics, AP Physics, IB Physics and general science courses. This One Major Factor Makes Germany Richer Than Italy. It started after I gave an undergraduate here a book to read about gunpowder technology, how it was invented in China and used in Japan and Southeast Asia, and how the Europeans got very good at using it, which fed into their successful conquests. Others suggested this eastern European exceptionalism could be explained by culture, with success in limiting the first wave being down to a mentality of fear and readiness to follow harsh rules stemming from the communist era. Here is an Eastern Europe religion map that depicts the split of Christianity after the Great Schism of 1054. Thanks! You dont become wealthy by attacking and taking over subsistence farmers. The Netherlands is the country with the most time off in the world. 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. 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. spidey1z. In this region may Catholics and Protestant Christians can be seen. I am glad that a more vigorous race wasn't here as they would have truly dominated the world! Slovenia is the latest country in eastern Europe to carry out extensive tests in an effort to prove that multinational companies have been fobbing off eastern consumers with poorer-quality . Countries in the region imposed strict measures while being relatively mildly affected, whereas western countries waited until things got bad. However, Poles, Croats, and other Catholic Slavs use the Latin alphabet (the same alphabet used by English). For example, if I am fighting you and you figure out a better way to build an armed ship, I can imitate you. Eastern Europe contained the virus so successfully in spring, it didnt experience the horrific hospital scenes seen in northern Italy, for example. In fact, the Ottomans once controlled a large chunk of this region. 55 chapters | This is a problem in an age of common migration because the educated and talented are migrating from Eastern to Western Europe. Monotheism Overview & Examples | What is Monotheistic Religion? This is probably the biggest reason I prefer Eastern Europe over Western Europe. And if you prefer direct measures of living standards, then data on consumption from the OECD also shows that America is considerably more prosperous. I don't discount Mr Sowell's argument, I would add a major game changer was between the eastern and the western doctrine of the Trinity. Tamara Popic and Alexandru D Moise do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointments. A heretical Christian sect, known as the Hussites (named after Jan Huss), challenged the Catholic Church in part of Eastern Europe during the early 15th century, but they were stamped out by the Catholic political elite. The Slavic languages form a large branch of the Indo-European language family. From the Eiffel Tower in Paris to The Great Wall Of China, these landmarks are instantly recognizable and attract millions of visitors each year. Write an essay of approximately one to two paragraphs that explains the Soviet Union's influence on certain countries of Eastern Europe. The highest point in Eastern Europe is Mount Elbrus, which stands at 5642 meters high. Required fields are marked *. And while 7.5% of East Germans ages 55 to 64 were unemployed in 2018, the share was 5.3% among West Germans in the same age range. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Around three-quarters of people in the former East Germany (74%) and around two-thirds of those in the former West (66%) say the East still has not achieved the same living standards as the West, according to the Centers recent survey, which was conducted among representative samples of adults in both areas as part of a larger study of Europe. | Themes of Geography: Examples, 6th Grade Life Science: Enrichment Program, 7th Grade Life Science: Enrichment Program, 8th Grade Life Science: Enrichment Program, NY Regents Exam - Global History and Geography: Help and Review, NY Regents Exam - Global History and Geography: Tutoring Solution, Introduction to Political Science: Help and Review, Introduction to Political Science: Tutoring Solution, Intro to Criminal Justice: Help and Review, Introduction to Criminal Justice Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, Common Core History & Social Studies Grades 11-12: Literacy Standards, Instructional Strategies for Teachers: Help & Review, OSAT Psychology/Sociology (CEOE) (032): Practice & Study Guide, NMTA Social Science (303): Practice & Study Guide, Create an account to start this course today. Its fascinating how different these two worlds are, but it also shows us that we should not be afraid to embrace our unique qualities as individuals or communities if they lead to sustainable growth and innovationsomething both regions could stand for! 4. More specifically, the Eastern orthodox Church is the branch of Christianity with the largest number of adherents in this region. In either case, you'll still be spending money on the military and on military research. Western Europe is a major tourist attraction with over 100 million visitors per year. In 1914, really only China, Japan, and the Ottoman Empire had escaped becoming European colonies. The capital of Romania is Bucharest, a city with approximately 1.8 million people. What were the politics and the political context of the economy that resulted in this ability to tax? Western Europe is a region in Europethat is associated with the western portion of the Eurasian landmass,as well as some countries on islands off its coast. The division of the Roman Empire occurred partially as a result of economic differences. Eastern Europe is home to a number of mountain ranges, including the Musala, the region's tallest mountain. All rights reserved. The Eastern European area bore the brunt of the Asian invasions too as first the Huns, then Avars, Slavs, Bulgarians, Hungarians, Mongols, and Turks all swept into the Balkans, Carpathian Basin, and the lands between the Black and Baltic seas each time wiping out native political powers. Made it more difficult for lasting civilizations. 6. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Many of those that survived, emigrated to Israel or the US. This is an excerpt from 'The Thomas Sowell Reader'-----------------------------------Relevant Books-----------------------------------Wealth, Poverty and Politics: https://amzn.to/3BHrsJrMigrations and Cultures: https://amzn.to/32rBemhThe Thomas Sowell Reader: https://amzn.to/3vpTuqR-------------------------------------------Support this Channel--------------------------------------------Become a Channel Member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS67C1ChLicLkrp70mz7G7g/joinPayPal: https://paypal.me/SowellExplainsPateron: https://www.patreon.com/SowellExplainsSubscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/SowellExplains------------------------------------------Social Media------------------------------------------Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SowellExplainsTwitter: https://twitter.com/SowellExplainsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/SowellExplainsSubscribe for more Thomas Sowell videos! 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. 3. Also economically, the Western European countries are much more advanced than the eastern European countries. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except for material where copyright is reserved by a party other than FEE. Here is a look at how economic conditions in the former East and West Germany have changed over time, how they compare today and how people in the two areas perceive these differences. The theology of the Eastern Orthodox faith is very similar to the theology of the Catholic religion. Poland and eastern europe (as well as parts of Germany) did not have the higher level of urbanism at this time as in comparison with some Celtic Gallic settlements, which were in many ways already integrated into the Roman trade network in the case of southern Gaul. Create a poster, chart, or some other type of graphic organizer that lists and provides statistics for the religions of Eastern Europe. Things are much better if the conflict concerns something that can be split upsuch as money or land. 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. However, over the past 20 years, most of the nations of Eastern Europe have joined the European Union. I'm thinking the USSR isn't the reason why the non-Balkan east is poor, so from a wider historical perspective, what's the real reason? But free markets and small government have produced decades of strong growth, and now these places are among the richest places on the planet. Spain has more high-speed rail tracks than any other European country.