why is eastern europe poorer than western europe?

They often wonder if theyre even in the same country when they arrive at their destination! Things are much better if the conflict concerns something that can be split upsuch as money or land. If, for some reason, somebody was holding a gun to my head and demanding that we copy the policies of a nation from the European Union,the Nordic countries would be among my top choices. Eastern Europe: Eastern Europe is comparatively less advanced regarding the economy. Being dominated for centuries has led to lingering inequality and long-lasting effects in many formerly colonized . When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Per-capita gross domestic product was 32,108 in the former East German states in 2018, compared with 42,971 in the former West German states. Write an essay of approximately one to two paragraphs that explains the Soviet Union's influence on certain countries of Eastern Europe. The tendency to ignore Eastern Europe in favour of Western Europe is a holdover from the Cold War. Importantly, however, there have been major differences within eastern Europe too. Most of the major periods in European history (Middle Ages, Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment), also affected Eastern Europe. Shifting to a different topic, Mark Perry also takes a shot at Donald Trump, who seems to think that other nations are winning over America because of trade. Most Eastern European Jews spoke Yiddish, a language closely-related to German. Western Europe (Robinson Project)By Serg!o [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons, 2. 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. This is why Eastern Europe, in general, is poorer than countries in Western, Central, and Northern Europe. What were the politics and the political context of the economy that resulted in this ability to tax? Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal. Many of the countries of Eastern Europe did not exist before the 20th century. Countries like Italy, S. Korea, Spain, Portugal and Greece would each rank below Mississippi as the poorest states in the country. Since there is no exact definition of Eastern Europe, be sure your list includes countries that are sometimes included as part of Eastern Europe. Greece is located in south-east Europe! Communist: The eastern part of the continent has been ruled by communist governments for decades, while the West has had democratic governments for centuries. 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. 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. When we turn to the second wave (starting around September and ongoing), were faced with the opposite question: why did eastern European countries not act in spite of rapidly rising infections and deaths? What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. Make a list of at least seven of the largest cities in Eastern Europe. This One Major Factor Makes Germany Richer Than Italy. We can see from the next graph that, at the same time in the spring, the two regions introduced measures that were similarly strict. The climate varies greatly from country to country because it encompasses such a large area of land for an area thats not very populated which leads to different types of vegetation across the region. Max Weber Fellow in Social and Political Sciences, European University Institute. These two regions consist of a large number of countries that enrich the diversity of the two regions. This is probably the biggest reason I prefer Eastern Europe over Western Europe. Western Europe refers to the western part of Europe. Which is mostly Southern Europe and Anatolia (under the Macedonian dynasty at least). Yes, their welfare states are too large, but they somewhat compensate for that mistake by having very pro-free market policies in other areas. Therefore, do not misunderstand the information. And almost no major companies have their headquarters in East Germany. You can designate these countries on your list with an asterisk or "s" in parentheses next to them. Russias GDP per capita (PPP) was $14,900 as of 2018. An important factor was also the raids of nomads from the steppes, ravaged Eastern Europe. Please, enable JavaScript and reload the page to enjoy our modern features. Almost all the Muslims who live in Eastern Europe belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The most widely-spoken Slavic language is Russian. Serbia was especially rich in mineral wealth and with trade from Adriatic to Aegean during the Middle Ages. Also economically, the Western European countries are much more advanced than the eastern European countries. You havent even mentioned socialism and central managed economies, the truth is that a lot of these countries were pretty 'rich' before ww2. 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. Stringency of COVID-19 control measures in eastern and western Europe. 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). Even in countries where governments reintroduced relatively strong restrictions in October, such as Slovenia and Lithuania, infections and deaths have remained high throughout November suggesting low compliance with the rules. 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. 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"). 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. Albanian forms its own branch of the Indo-European language family. However, unlike other Latin people, Romanians belong to the Eastern Orthodox faith, and unlike almost all other Eastern Orthodox countries, Romanians use the Latin alphabet. In the former East, 42% of adults say the next generation will be better off, compared with 50% in the West who say this. 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. However, Poles, Croats, and other Catholic Slavs use the Latin alphabet (the same alphabet used by English). Some people include Greece and the Baltic countries, as well. Lesley has taught American and World History at the university level for the past seven years. Map of the spread of Catholicism and the Eastern orthodox faith. 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. Understanding why eastern European countries chose to respond differently during the second wave is complicated, though. One lesson the book teaches is that actions involving war, foreign policy, and military spending can have big, long-lasting consequences: this is a lesson that policy makers should never forget. 2023 Sowell.org. For Western Europe, it was the Scandinavian Vikings who preyed upon river cities and traffic. 9. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 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. 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). On average, Eastern Europeans live longer than western Europeans because they smoke fewer cigarettes and drink less alcohol on average. 20 Reasons Why Eastern Europe Is Extremely Underrated (And - TheTravel 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. Because at close to the end of WWII Stalin was fed up waiting for the ever delaying Normandy landing, wanted making peace with Hitler, and go home to carry on building communism. The largest country by area in eastern Europe is Russia with 677 thousand square miles. Put another way, people in the former East Germany earned 86% the after-tax income of their West German counterparts in 2017. So that's not the answerit's something else. These are the countries that are in Eastern Europe: Russia (Partly in Asia). Unemployment is persistently higher in the former East Germany than in the former West. 55 chapters | Eastern Europe has a total population of about 258 million people. Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Roma, and Turkish are the three Eastern European languages that are not Slavic. Mark Perry of the American Enterprise Institute has put together some apples-to-apples data suggesting the answer is no. In either case, you'll still be spending money on the military and on military research. Why are Eastern European countries colder than Northern ones? It can be further subdivided into four sub-regions: Northern Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Southern Europe. What this Westerner refused to mention was all the wars and foreign occupations we went through all of our history (for Russia, a lot but not the entirety). if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'questionscity_com-box-4','ezslot_1',110,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-questionscity_com-box-4-0'); Eastern Europe has a rich history with many cultures and languages. You also have more free time to learn other skills and trades. Our World in Data COVID-19 Dataset. 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. 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA But if these factors were at play in the first wave, they havent had the same effect in the second. Most of Eastern Europe was not touched by any Ancient advanced civilisation, either - they had to develop their own, except for the South Slavs. For that to happen, the countries have to be small and close to one another. Before World War II, there were large pockets of German speakers scattered throughout parts of Western Europe. Why is Eastern Europe less developed than Western Europe? 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? It's just fascinating. The Western Roman Empire was poorer. Feeding the YouTube algorithm. Stringency of COVID-19 restrictions, second wave, eastern Europe. But Im digressing. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. When you go back that far, you need to use to use a proxy for human capital. Well, Eastern Europe has always been less developed than the Western half. This may have produced scepticism about the severity of the pandemic. Summary: Despite all of the above, Eastern Europe is still not a poor region. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. This is interesting because it shows that the wealth divide between Eastern and Western Europe existed long before the modern era. A long line of horse-lords swept west from the steppe into eastern europe, and would generally displace the tribes living there - all the way up to the Mongols. 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. However "poverty" refers only to the revenues of States and the level of economic development. There are many stereotypes about Eastern Europeans, however, these stereotypes do not always apply to all Eastern European people due to differing cultures within the region itself. 2 2. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The Czech Republic acted very late, for example, imposing stricter measures at the end of October, even though cases and deaths had been soaring upwards during the month. Paris was this little walled fortress town, and Constantinople was so large it needed its own governor. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. The Eastern and Western hemispheres of the world are vastly different in many ways. What made you turn to the idea of gunpowder technology as an explanation? The rest of Europe at that time was really no wealthier than China, the Middle East, or South Asia. 2. | Thomas Sowell Author: www.youtube.com Post date: 21 yesterday Rating: 3 (1898 reviews) Highest rating: 3 Low rated: 2 Summary: 3. Even before the Holocaust, Jews faced terrible discrimination from the Christian-majority populations in which they lived. Love Sowell. Great work Dr. Sowell. 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. At least if the goal is more economic output and higher living standards. Many theories purport to explain how the West became dominant. The continent of Europe can be divided into two regions as the western and eastern Europe. The four major religions in Eastern Europe are the Eastern Orthodox faith, Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism. Create your account. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. 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. Monotheism Overview & Examples | What is Monotheistic Religion? While its per-capita productivity remains lower than that of West Germany, the former East Germany has made major gains since unification. Today, both Judaism and the Yiddish language are scarce in this part of the world. Your email address will not be published. The Polish Lithuanian commonwealth was extremely powerful and wealthy by controling the rivers and by extension farmland and trade between Baltic and Black Seas. Explore Eastern Europe. Long-run growth matters. Despite these differences, the former East has narrowed the . 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,. 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. But that does not mean the former East and West Germany are on equal economic footing today. 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 political dominance of western Europe was an unexpected outcome and had really big consequences, so I thought: let's explain it. Great video. 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 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. The Western European region is very much advanced in its economy. 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). Romania is probably the most unusual country in this region. Its language is related to Italian, Spanish, and French, making the Romanians the only Latin people in Eastern Europe. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Here, we take a look at why this has happened. 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. By introducing very strict prevention measures early on, countries in the region had significantly fewer COVID-related deaths than their western European counterparts.. Western Europe's Weakness Provoked Putin? Western Europe has l. Hello and welcome to our channel. It was politically weak, it was poor, and the major long-distance commerce was a slave trade led by Vikings. 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). Your email address will not be published. 5. Most of the countries in Eastern Europe, including Romania, were never part of the Soviet Union. By comparison, disposable income in the former West Germany was 23,283 a year, or about $26,300. 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. Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. Also, the people follow many religions such as Orthodox Christianityand also Islam. I feel like its a lifeline. People speak languages with Slavic roots. Bohemia and Hungary were also quite powerful, and only the Russian states could be considered poor. Eastern Europe is a geographical term that refers to the easternmost countries of Europe. Example: Much of Eastern Europe's population has Russian ancestry. 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. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7s6piXiFK-TaMDsKM4I7IS7iaNiyONEM, How Geography Shaped Africa | Thomas Sowell, Why Cultures Are So Different? In addition to historic sites, Western Europe also houses some of the most beautiful cities on earth with London being one such place. 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 the region imposed strict measures while being relatively mildly affected, whereas western countries waited until things got bad. Constantinople is now the city of Istanbul in Turkey, and the greatest church of the Eastern Orthodox faith, the Hagia Sophia, is located there. Then you can bargain with your enemies to divvy up whatever you disagree about and you can have something like peace.

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