Very hard for a country to be doing well after all those struggles. There have been many periods where the Polish/Baltic/Ukraine/Belarus area was very wealthy. 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. 50 Mississippi. 1. If we look at the stringency of control measures, we can also see that not all countries acted in the same way. Even before the Holocaust, Jews faced terrible discrimination from the Christian-majority populations in which they lived. While its per-capita productivity remains lower than that of West Germany, the former East Germany has made major gains since unification. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. 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? Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Roma, and Turkish are the three Eastern European languages that are not Slavic. 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. Then you have more capital to invest, which allows for growth of the countrys industry. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright 2010-2018 Difference Between. Feeding the YouTube algorithm. Why is Eastern European Culture much richer than Western European The rest of Europe at that time was really no wealthier than China, the Middle East, or South Asia. Eastern Europes pandemic experience has been dramatically different this autumn. 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. 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. Also economically, the Western European countries are much more advanced than the eastern European countries. 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. Lesley has taught American and World History at the university level for the past seven years. Authors compilation. Almost all the Muslims who live in Eastern Europe belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. From the Reformation to the 20th century. Richer not only than Europe, but even more prosperous than the United States. 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. Roman Catholicism - Roman Catholicism is the largest branch of Christianity on Earth. 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. And all of this describes Europe. That's because the Black Death was at its peak. 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. Coming from Engineering cum Human Resource Development background, has over 10 years experience in content developmet and management. >Eastern European men >Like seriously, they are so formal, handsome, and respectful.. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. 9. An error occurred trying to load this video. Amazing how so many refuse to acknowledge how climate and geography go hand and hand with a countrys economic development. - Definition & Types, Ad Hoc Balancing Theory: Definition & Examples, English Common Law System: Definition & History, Jeremy Bentham: Biography, Theory & Ethics, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. Example: You could draw a long river to illustrate the blue Danube. I am glad that a more vigorous race wasn't here as they would have truly dominated the world! Has Eastern Europe always been poorer than Western Europe, and if so, why? 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. 7. So that's not the answerit's something else. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. However, over the past 20 years, most of the nations of Eastern Europe have joined the . Those improvements can help at times when wars are necessaryfor instance, when we are fighting against enemies with whom we cannot negotiate. People speak romance languages and those with Germanic roots as well. By comparison, disposable income in the former West Germany was 23,283 a year, or about $26,300. Here are some notable geographic features in Easter Europe: Eastern Europe is the easternmost region in Europe. Nationalism, therefore, was an important element in the culture of Eastern Europe for a long time, sometimes leading to major wars. 4. 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. 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. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. The economic model then connected that spending to changes in military technology. 47 West Virginia, and not too far above No. You can refer to the lesson, but try to recall as many from memory as you can. 4. The economy is comparatively lower and less stable than in Western Europe. 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 '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. They were part of large empires, such as the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian empires. Eastern Europe has a total population of about 258 million people. This is a problem in an age of common migration because the educated and talented are migrating from Eastern to Western Europe. what does cupid want to control; best tattoo shops in alabama; why is eastern europe poorer than western europe? Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by QCity Editorial Stuffif(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'questionscity_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_2',107,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-questionscity_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Foreigners visiting Europe often find themselves wondering what the differences are between Eastern and Western Europe. What were the politics and the political context of the economy that resulted in this ability to tax? wu tang clan concert 2021; beauty and the beast symbolic interactionism Christianity History & Location | How Did Christianity Spread? Paris was this little walled fortress town, and Constantinople was so large it needed its own governor. When its easier to travel and grow food, its easier to sell the food at a greater. Islam - Islam came to Eastern Europe via the Ottoman Empire. Why did Eastern Europe lag behind Western Europe in terms of economic development? 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. Great work Dr. Sowell. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. Eastern Europe: People speak languages with Slavic roots. Until 1991, the Soviet Union controlled everything from the Bering Strait to the Rhine. Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? This is perhaps one reason why startup teams in Western Europe are much smaller than in Eastern Europe. You'll still need to back up the peace with armed forces, but you won't actually fight all that much, and that's a much better outcome. [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. Yes, there are lots of conventional explanationsindustrialization, for examplebut on closer inspection they all fall apart. 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. The highest point in Eastern Europe is Mount Elbrus, which stands at 5642 meters high. 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. It shows that in between the two waves, the east relaxed its measures further than the west, and was then less eager in reimposing them. In this video, we will explore the reasons behind the economic gap between Western and Eastern Europe. They are found in their highest numbers in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Albania. 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! This is why Eastern Europe, in general, is poorer than countries in Western, Central, and Northern 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. It severely inhibited political and economic development. Through this article, let us examine the differences further. Here is an Eastern Europe religion map that depicts the split of Christianity after the Great Schism of 1054. A thousand years ago, no one would have ever expected that result, for at that point western Europe was hopelessly backward. My idea incorporates the model of a contest or a tournament where your odds of winning are higher if you spend more resources on fighting. Another explanation, described in Jared Diamond's famous book [Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies], is disease. 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. 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. 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 influence of the ocean. Western Europe: United Kingdom, Norway, Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Vatican City, Netherlands, Sweden, Malta, Italy, Iceland, Germany, Greece, Finland are some examples for countries that belong to Western Europe. They vary from culture to language, religion, and even government systems. why is eastern europe less developed Roma is an Indo-European language that originated in India. When examining the culture and society of the countries of Eastern Europe, a clear difference can be seen in family structures. Unemployment is persistently higher in the former East Germany than in the former West. The Hagia Sophia is now a mosque. Yes, their welfare states are too large, but they somewhat compensate for that mistake by having very pro-free market policies in other areas. Why are countries in eastern Europe poorer than in western Europe I'm from Balkan, we have to translate Thomas Sowell in albanian, serbo-croatian, bullgarian, rumunian, greec .. Eastern Europe is home to a number of mountain ranges, including the Musala, the region's tallest mountain. 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). For that to happen, the countries have to be small and close to one another. Example: Some people do not consider Russia to be part of Europe. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you With so much diversity within this region, its easy to see why people from around the globe flock here every year. But that does not mean the former East and West Germany are on equal economic footing today. Eastern Europe is a geographical term that refers to the easternmost countries of Europe. TOP 10 why is eastern europe poor BEST and NEWEST crochet cardigan size chart on carolina thunderbirds salary; why is eastern europe poorer than western europe? In approximately one paragraph (at least three to five sentences), explain why Russia is sometimes considered part of Eastern Europe but sometimes not. 6. Which is mostly Southern Europe and Anatolia (under the Macedonian dynasty at least). Cases and deaths have not been spread evenly across the region. Stringency of COVID-19 control measures in eastern and western Europe. Here, we take a look at why this has happened. See here for the complete series: I love listening to Dr. Sowell's wonderful explanations for everything. East-West differences in unemployment rates cut across demographic lines including age and gender. People in the former East Germany earn less than their counterparts in the former West. The capital of Romania is Bucharest, a city with approximately 1.8 million people. Cultural Syncretism Definition & Examples | What is Religious Syncretism? However, people in both areas work hard with about 40 hours per week spent working (the same amount). Eastern Europe: Most people follow Orthodox Christianity or Islam. Are there any overarching themes to your work? It can be further subdivided into four sub-regions: Northern Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Southern Europe. 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. 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. (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.). 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. 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. People speak languages with Slavic roots. But if you look at the US average ($54,629), it obviously is higher than economic output in European nations. These differences between eastern and western Europe will help you understand the magnitude of these differences better than before.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'questionscity_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_5',109,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-questionscity_com-medrectangle-4-0'); Western and Eastern Europe are on opposite sides of the continent. 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. By the way, the economy in some eastern European countries (Poland, Romania and Hungary) is relatively close to the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese or Scandinavian countries economy. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. 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. They mostly had industry in the western part of the empire while the east was sparsely populated, large parts of the population were seen as unreliable (= suspected tsar sympathisers) and it was expected that the most eastern parts would get ruined by the next war with Russia so there wasn't much work to improve anything. Before 1800, Europe had already taken over at least 35 percent of the world, but Britain was just beginning to industrialize. Create a poster, chart, or some other type of graphic organizer that lists and briefly describes the major geographical features of Eastern Europe. Monotheism Overview & Examples | What is Monotheistic Religion? What made you turn to the idea of gunpowder technology as an explanation? Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Slovenians, Hungarians, Croats, and a few others in Eastern Europe are traditionally Catholic. Definitions of Western and Eastern Europe: Characteristics of Western and Eastern Europe: Difference Between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Difference Between Commonwealth and Protectorate. Why are Eastern European countries colder than Northern ones? Most of the people who live here speak a Slavic language and belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is followed by a brief description of the four major religions in the region. Both had one factor significantly holding them back: foreign invaders. 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. Great video. As always, excellently explained to be easily understood. Turkish belongs to the Turkic language family. 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. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. Here Is the One Major Factor That Separates Rich Europe and Poor Europe The Slavic languages form a large branch of the Indo-European language family. After the sack of Constantinople in 1204, however, the eastern economy was permanently disrupted, and wealth began to shift westward. The spread of communism during the beginning and middle of the 20th century had a devastating effect of the culture and economy of Central Europe. You also have more free time to learn other skills and trades. Whats the difference between Eastern and Western Europe? Thomas Sowell Explains how geographical differences between Eastern and Western Europe played a key role in the economic differences between the two regions, which caused Eastern Europe to be historically poorer than Western Europe. 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 was praised for being exceptional during the first wave of the pandemic. 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. Why are post-communist states still much poorer than Western Europe 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. I feel like its a lifeline. ), See also: How the attitudes of West and East Germans compare, 30 years after fall of Berlin Wall. Some of the economic activity in energy-rich states such as North Dakota, for instance, translates into income for shareholders living elsewhere in America. The Western Roman Empire was poorer. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 The longest river in the region is the Danube. Answer (1 of 7): The time lapse. By introducing very strict prevention measures early on, countries in the region had significantly fewer COVID-related deaths than their western European counterparts. Then you have more capital to invest, which allows for . But free markets and small government have produced decades of strong growth, and now these places are among the richest places on the planet. Before World War II, there were large pockets of German speakers scattered throughout parts of Western Europe. 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). Eastern Europe was praised for being exceptional during the first wave of the pandemic. 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. So more spending would not only mean greater odds of victory over an enemy, but more rapid change in military technology. Example: 1.56% of Eastern Europeans are atheist. This is why Eastern Europe, in general, is poorer than countries in Western, Central, and Northern Europe. Less Diverse: Eastern European countries are less diverse. Others include Polish, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Slovenian, Croatian, Macedonian, Belorussian, etc. Summary: Despite all of the above, Eastern Europe is still not a poor region. 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). The Byzantium empire which included the Balkans, and Greece were the richest part of Europe prior to Ottoman conquest. Western Europe (Robinson Project)By Serg!o [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons, 2. One thing is clear: eastern Europe exited the first wave at the end of June in much better shape than western Europe. You have been on the Caltech faculty for more than 30 years. David has taught Honors Physics, AP Physics, IB Physics and general science courses. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. In 1991, per-capita productivity in the former East was less than half (43%) of productivity in the former West. In 1914, really only China, Japan, and the Ottoman Empire had escaped becoming European colonies. Most people in western Europe speak at least two languages, one of which will be English. They are languages that descend from Latin, the language of the Romans. 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. Eastern Europe is generally poorer than Western Europe. The standard of living of the population until the mid 19th century was about the same. Mountain ranges - Urals, Apls, Musala (Tallest Mountain range in the region, located in Bulgaria), Carpathians, Balkan Mountains, Rivers - Volga, Danube (longest), Dnieper, Oder, Don. spidey1z. Daniel J. Mitchell is a Washington-based economistwho specializes in fiscal policy, particularly tax reform, international tax competition, and the economic burden of government spending. Many East German businesses are part of western German or foreign corporations.. 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. 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. Be sure to note on your list which countries these cities are found in. | Thomas Sowell 6,459 views Aug 4, 2022 Thomas Sowell Explains how geographical differences between Eastern and Western Europe played a key. 9 Reasons Why I Like Eastern Europe Better Than Western Europe! 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, over the past 20 years, most of the nations of Eastern Europe have joined the European Union.