why is eastern europe poorer than western europe? why is eastern europe poorer than western europe?

The Slavic languages form a large branch of the Indo-European language family. It is related to Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese. Most of Eastern Europe was not touched by any Ancient advanced civilisation, either - they had to develop their own, except for the South Slavs. Made it more difficult for lasting civilizations. However, people in both areas work hard with about 40 hours per week spent working (the same amount). 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. I wish we did live in that world, but unfortunately it's not realistic. Youll get a better idea of how different cultures influence one another and why its difficult to generalize about either region. Western Europe (Robinson Project)By Serg!o [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons, 2. Through this article, let us examine the differences further. Romania is probably the most unusual country in this region. The key difference between Western and Eastern Europe is that the name Eastern Europe is used to refer to all European countries that were previously ruled by communist regimes while the name Western Europe refers to the more economically stable and developed Western countries. Answer (1 of 21): It's not. Things are much better if the conflict concerns something that can be split upsuch as money or land. Greeks, Russians, Ukrainians, Belorussians, Bulgarians, Serbs, and a few others are traditionally Orthodox Christians. Here is an Eastern Europe countries list that can help discern what is considered Eastern European territory, and what countries are considered Eastern European: Note: The Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) are also sometimes considered to be part of Eastern Europe by some, but part of Northern Europe by others. The Hagia Sophia is now a mosque. This is why Eastern Europe, in general, is poorer than countries in Western, Central, and Northern Europe. Russias GDP per capita (PPP) was $14,900 as of 2018. These are the countries that are in Eastern Europe: Russia (Partly in Asia). Despite these differences, the former East has narrowed the . 10. Between these two regions, a myriad of differences can be viewed regarding the geographical location, culture, economy, etc. This is interesting because it shows that the wealth divide between Eastern and Western Europe existed long before the modern era. Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Roma, and Turkish are the three Eastern European languages that are not Slavic. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Most Slavic languages use the Cyrillic alphabet. For most of the Middle Ages, the West was dirt poor, and the real money was in the east. 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. The head of the Orthodox faith is the Patriarch of Constantinople. After the sack of Constantinople in 1204, however, the eastern economy was permanently disrupted, and wealth began to shift westward. 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. It's just fascinating. Before that point, Western and Eastern Europe were relatively similar in prosperity. And, by extension, for the entire global West. Eastern Europe is generally poorer than Western Europe. This is Part 6 of an 8-Part series on Geography and Culture. The political dominance of western Europe was an unexpected outcome and had really big consequences, so I thought: let's explain it. 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. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. @media (max-width: 1171px) { .sidead300 { margin-left: -20px; } } Tamara Popic and Alexandru D Moise are collaborators on the project "Responding to COVID-19: Government Action, Government Rhetoric, and Public Trust", which is funded by the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence. Along with the inventions of the industrial revolution, countries have been able to gain a high economic development rate. And I mean apocalyptic. - Quora Answer (1 of 107): If you had a world atlas in 1350, you'd see an apocalyptic wasteland where Western Europe is now. 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 impact of modernization and individualization can be clearly seen in the lifestyles of people. 2. Has Eastern Europe always been poorer than Western Europe, and if so, why? Mountain ranges - Urals, Apls, Musala (Tallest Mountain range in the region, located in Bulgaria), Carpathians, Balkan Mountains, Rivers - Volga, Danube (longest), Dnieper, Oder, Don. - Definition & Laws, What Is Medicare? Therefore, do not misunderstand the information. See less Comments 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. Seldom do you hear an average American complain about Poland or Estonia for not spending enough into defending Europebecause those countries, despite being . Many theories purport to explain how the West became dominant. Authors compilation. 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. So, I put together an economic model of how this technology has advanced to come up with what I think is the real reason why the West conquered almost everyone else. However, the South Slavs themselves didn't have it easy, being subjugated by Franks, Bulgars and Byzantines, and later Magyars, Ottomans, Romanians, Austrians, Soviets, etc. The highest point in Eastern Europe is Mount Elbrus, which stands at 5642 meters high. Eastern Europe is home to a number of mountain ranges, including the Musala, the region's tallest mountain. The tendency to ignore Eastern Europe in favour of Western Europe is a holdover from the Cold War. People speak languages with Slavic roots. Bernie Sanders, for instance, looks at nations such as Denmark and Sweden today and says that America should copy their expansive welfare states. Transport, accommodation and food tend to take a smaller bite out of your wallet, without compromising on history, culture, and experience. 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. Stringency of COVID-19 control measures in eastern and western Europe. Just take any economic, social map and overlay it with the iron curtain map and you will understand what it's actually about. Language spoken in most eastern European countries includes Russian and Ukrainian. Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? It is followed by a brief description of the four major religions in the region. They were subjugated by, at war with, or were the front lines and battlefields of the austrian wars against the Ottomans for four and a half centuries. Importantly, however, there have been major differences within eastern Europe too. Austria-Hungary is partially to blame. Romanian is a romance language. 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 also a sign of prosperity that, when they do earn American dollars, foreigners often choose to invest those funds in the American economy (remember, the necessary flip side of a "trade deficit" is a "capital surplus"). To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Paris was this little walled fortress town, and Constantinople was so large it needed its own governor. /r/History is a place for discussions about history. Others include Polish, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Slovenian, Croatian, Macedonian, Belorussian, etc. Western Europe: More Catholics and Protestant Christians can be seen. Eastern Europe was praised for being exceptional during the first wave of the pandemic. There are many different religions practiced in eastern European countries, including Christianity and Islam. 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. Electoral politics could explain the reluctance of the two countries to enter another lockdown with politicians seeing it as an unpopular measure that would also delay elections. Also the Danube is a big invasion route from the Black Sea to Germany. Coming from Engineering cum Human Resource Development background, has over 10 years experience in content developmet and management. They were part of large empires, such as the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian empires. Being dominated for centuries has led to lingering inequality and long-lasting effects in many formerly colonized countries, including poverty and slow economic growth. A head start in the first wave. Islam - Islam came to Eastern Europe via the Ottoman Empire. Very hard for a country to be doing well after all those struggles. Western European countries differ from each other in terms of their history, languages, religions, and political systems. 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.. Eastern Europe has a total population of about 258 million people. Roma is the language of the people who used to be called Gypsies (The modern term for gypsies is "Roma."). Are there any overarching themes to your work? The economy is comparatively lower and less stable than in Western Europe. In the early 2000s, the unemployment rate was about 10 percentage points higher in the former East than in the former West nearly five times the gap in 2018. He also serves on the editorial board of the Cayman Financial Review. Heres another map, concentrating just on Northern Europe. About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. They often wonder if theyre even in the same country when they arrive at their destination! Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. One final comment. Eastern Europe refers to the eastern part of Europe. The most widely-spoken Slavic language is Russian. Understanding why eastern European countries chose to respond differently during the second wave is complicated, though. QuotidianPain 2 yr. ago I don't think Atlantic trade is the sole reason though. You want areas that produce finished products that are part of external trade systems. The terrible assumption you have made so far is Eastern Europe was always poor. Feeding the YouTube algorithm. By introducing very strict prevention measures early on, countries in the region had significantly fewer COVID-related deaths than their western European counterparts.. Despite this, the Soviet Union did play an important role in the regions history. However "poverty" refers only to the revenues of States and the level of economic development. However, over the past 20 years, most of the nations of Eastern Europe have joined the . Its also a sign of prosperity that, when they do earn American dollars, foreigners often choose to invest those funds in the American economy (remember, the necessary flip side of a trade deficit is a capital surplus). This may have produced scepticism about the severity of the pandemic. 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. Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. Both had one factor significantly holding them back: foreign invaders. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. 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. There is a very important ocean . 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! What countries make up 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. In Germany, for example, the average startup team size is only 2.4 people, compared to an . Required fields are marked *. I understand why it looks that way but that's because of your perspective. Due to its Communist history, language barrier, poor infrastructure, poverty and just overall bad reputation, Eastern Europe has managed to deter the hoards of annoying tourists that are plaguing Western Europe. There's a brain drain. When examining the culture and society of the countries of Eastern Europe, a clear difference can be seen in family structures. 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. | Thomas Sowell. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Germany has a higher percentage of its population living in urban areas than any other European Union member state. >Eastern European men >Like seriously, they are so formal, handsome, and respectful.. 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). These countries have several different borders with Russia, as well as other European nations such as Germany or Poland. On average, Eastern Europeans live longer than western Europeans because they smoke fewer cigarettes and drink less alcohol on average. 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. However, people in both areas work hard with about 40 hours per week spent working (the same amount). Map of the spread of Catholicism and the Eastern orthodox faith. 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. 8. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd. Daily new COVID-19 deaths per million inhabitants, eastern and western Europe. 7. 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. Eastern Europe is a geographical term that refers to the easternmost countries of Europe. The largest country by area in eastern Europe is Russia with 677 thousand square miles. There are many possible explanations for why history played out this way, but few can explain why the West was so powerful for so long. I wrote previouslythat many European nations are doomed bydemographics tofiscal chaos, but a lot of people dont care that much about the future. Nationalism, therefore, was an important element in the culture of Eastern Europe for a long time, sometimes leading to major wars. For Western Europe, it was the Scandinavian Vikings who preyed upon river cities and traffic. Eastern-Europe-map2 by CrazyPhunk self-made based upon: Image:Eastern-Europe-map2.png. 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. Western European countries are generally considered to include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland (Republic of), Italy(although it could also be grouped with Central/Eastern European nations), Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Those improvements can help at times when wars are necessaryfor instance, when we are fighting against enemies with whom we cannot negotiate. The difference is so stark that Eastern Europe is sometime not even counted as "Western Civilization." Communism explains some of it more recently, but it doesn't explain why it was also true in the medieval and ancient times. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. You also have more free time to learn other skills and trades. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. One thing is clear: eastern Europe exited the first wave at the end of June in much better shape than western Europe. Cases and deaths have not been spread evenly across the region. 2.Standard of living in Britain was usually poor, Probably OP refers the wealth of the States, not the standard of living of the population (e.g. He has a Masters in Education, and a Bachelors in Physics. 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. Scooby snacks for you! Eastern Orthodox - The Eastern Orthodox Faith is a branch of Christianity that formed in 1054 AD, when the Byzantine Empire officially broke away from the Roman Catholic Church. Here, we take a look at why this has happened. Here is an Eastern Europe religion map that depicts the split of Christianity after the Great Schism of 1054. Eastern Europe is a term that typically refers to the countries in Eastern and Central Europe, which includes Russia. 3. Eastern Europe was praised for being exceptional during the first wave of the pandemic. This is perhaps one reason why startup teams in Western Europe are much smaller than in Eastern Europe. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. 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! The reformation gave way to more literacy, the Protestant work ethic, which resulted in rapid advances in the sciences and technology. Muslims are a minority in most parts of Europe. Its a sign of American prosperity that we can afford to buy more from other nations than they can afford to buy from us. That comes down to the political costs of raising revenue and a leader's ability to tax. The Chinese invented gunpowder, but Hoffman, whose work applies economic theory to historical contexts, argues that certain political and economic circumstances allowed the Europeans to advance gunpowder technology at an unprecedented rateallowing a relatively small number of people to quickly take over much of the rest of the globe. You can refer to the lesson, but try to recall as many from memory as you can. On average, Eastern Europeans live longer than western Europeans because they smoke fewer cigarettes and drink less alcohol on average. Europe's economic crisis has thrown into relief the economic disparity between the Continent's richer, northern half and its poorer . Example: Some people do not consider Russia to be part of Europe. ), See also: How the attitudes of West and East Germans compare, 30 years after fall of Berlin Wall. 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. The most common language spoken is Russian, followed by Polish, Ukrainian, Romanian and Bulgarian. Definitions of Western and Eastern Europe: Characteristics of Western and Eastern Europe: Difference Between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Difference Between Commonwealth and Protectorate. Western Europe: People speak romance languages and languages with Germanic roots. People in the former East Germany are also less optimistic than their counterparts in the former West on a variety of measures, including whether children today will grow up to be better off financially than their parents. 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. Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Slovenians, Hungarians, Croats, and a few others in Eastern Europe are traditionally Catholic. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax Most Eastern European Jews spoke Yiddish, a language closely-related to German. [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Commons, Filed Under: Countries Tagged With: Eastern bloc, Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe characteristics, Eastern Europe definition, Soviet bloc, Western and Eastern Europe compare, Western Europe, Western Europe characteristics, Western Europe definition, Western vs Eastern Europe. 8. Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. It can be further subdivided into four sub-regions: Northern Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Southern Europe. However, Poles, Croats, and other Catholic Slavs use the Latin alphabet (the same alphabet used by English). 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. Before World War II, there were large pockets of German speakers scattered throughout parts of Western Europe. I am glad that a more vigorous race wasn't here as they would have truly dominated the world! I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. Which is mostly Southern Europe and Anatolia (under the Macedonian dynasty at least). Press J to jump to the feed. 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. 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. All rights reserved. Its language is related to Italian, Spanish, and French, making the Romanians the only Latin people in Eastern Europe. The technology grew to include more than just guns: armed ships, fortifications that can resist artillery, and more, and the Europeans became the best at using these things. Also, the people follow many religions such as Orthodox Christianityand also Islam. 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. And if you prefer direct measures of living standards, then data on consumption from the OECD also shows that America is considerably more prosperous. 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. We spoke with him recently about his research interests and what led him to study this particular topic. The highest mountain in eastern Europe is Mount Elbrus, which stands at 18,510 feet tall. 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. Of course not. In other words, continuing in a successful manner the integration of the Eastern European member states with Western Europe has always been and will always be the single most important thing (factor, challenge, decision, area, you name it) for the EU as a whole. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal. (In all economic statistics in this analysis, Berlin is counted in East Germany, even though the city was divided during communism and is not directly comparable to other parts of East Germany.). https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7s6piXiFK-TaMDsKM4I7IS7iaNiyONEM, How Geography Shaped Africa | Thomas Sowell, Why Cultures Are So Different? The reporter from the Wall Street Journal who shared it remarked that Purple areas are rich as US states. As its name suggests, Eastern Europe is the eastern part of the European continent. So as an explanation, industrialization doesn't work. Eastern European death rates overtook those in the west in early October, but restrictions in the region which had eased after the first wave still lagged behind controls reintroduced in the west. But if you look at the US average ($54,629), it obviously is higher than economic output in European nations. But that does not mean the former East and West Germany are on equal economic footing today. People speak romance languages and those with Germanic roots as well. No major city is near the Danube until Belgrade. Unofficial site of Thomas Sowell, Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? The Western Roman Empire was poorer. Lets get back to whether people in places such as Denmark (or anywhere else in Europe) enjoy more prosperity than their American counterparts. Max Weber Fellow in Social and Political Sciences, European University Institute. 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). It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. You have been on the Caltech faculty for more than 30 years. The Polish Lithuanian commonwealth was extremely powerful and wealthy by controling the rivers and by extension farmland and trade between Baltic and Black Seas. I dont have a policy lesson here: simply an observation that the United Kingdom has one really rich region (Greater London) and quite few relatively poor regions. The way to think of Europe is that it is a big collection of peninsulas jutting out from Asia. 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? Spain has more high-speed rail tracks than any other European country. What kinds of factors are included in this model? Lesley has taught American and World History at the university level for the past seven years. The governments report points to several possible factors for the worse economic conditions in East Germany, including the lack of major companies headquartered there. I have been a writer and editor for more than two decades. But one explanation that can probably be ditched is the culture argument mentioned previously. In either event, the people of Romania and Moldova are closely related.