why is eastern europe poorer than western europe?

What led you to investigate the global conquests of western Europe? Eastern Europe was praised for being exceptional during the first wave of the pandemic. 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. Western Europe is a major tourist attraction with over 100 million visitors per year. The reason . 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. 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. 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. Both had one factor significantly holding them back: foreign invaders. 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. And, by extension, for the entire global West. Cultural Syncretism Definition & Examples | What is Religious Syncretism? TOP 10 why is eastern europe poor BEST and NEWEST This is why Eastern Europe, in general, is poorer than countries in Western, Central, and Northern Europe. Coronavirus: why is eastern Europe's second wave so much worse than its Generally speaking, Slavic languages that use the Cyrillic alphabet are found in countries that practice the Eastern Orthodox faith. Historically, the culture of Eastern Europe has been closely linked to the history of the rest of the continent. 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. People speak languages with Slavic roots. Its a sign of American prosperity that we can afford to buy more from other nations than they can afford to buy from us. The continent of Europe can be divided into two regions as the western and eastern Europe. Its easternmost border is the Ural mountains. 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. Western European countries differ from each other in terms of their history, languages, religions, and political systems. 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. Today, both Judaism and the Yiddish language are scarce in this part of the world. I understand why it looks that way but that's because of your perspective. Roma is an Indo-European language that originated in India. Western Europe: People speak romance languages and languages with Germanic roots. Even before the Holocaust, Jews faced terrible discrimination from the Christian-majority populations in which they lived. However, over the past 20 years, most of the nations of Eastern Europe have joined the . Amazing how so many refuse to acknowledge how climate and geography go hand and hand with a countrys economic development. Cross-posted from the International Libertyblog. 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. Transport, accommodation and food tend to take a smaller bite out of your wallet, without compromising on history, culture, and experience. Why are Eastern European countries colder than Northern ones? Judaism - Eastern European Jews once numbered in the millions; however, they were nearly wiped out during the Holocaust. The romance languages form another large branch of the Indo-European languages family. Hong Kong and Singapore, for instance, used to be poor jurisdictions. Therefore, there are a lot of contradictions in this country. An error occurred trying to load this video. Which is mostly Southern Europe and Anatolia (under the Macedonian dynasty at least). 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. For this reason, the economic situation is not uniform across the region. 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. You can refer to the lesson, but try to recall as many from memory as you can. 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. Some argued that this was because of economics: that eastern European countries locked down early because they feared their economies would . 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). 2. Almost all the Muslims who live in Eastern Europe belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. The reformation gave way to more literacy, the Protestant work ethic, which resulted in rapid advances in the sciences and technology. Hungarian is a Finno-Ugric language that is distantly related to Finnish and Estonian. 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. Paris was this little walled fortress town, and Constantinople was so large it needed its own governor. Western Europe is wealthier than Eastern Europe. Why? - YouTube We can see from the next graph that, at the same time in the spring, the two regions introduced measures that were similarly strict. Their situation relative to Western Europe has not become better 70 years after WWII. - 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. As its name suggests, Eastern Europe is the eastern part of the European continent. Im simply making the modest yet important argument that Europeans would be more prosperous if the fiscal burden of government wasnt so onerous. Make a list of at least fifteen countries that are part of Eastern Europe. 7. And I mean apocalyptic. 10. Today, not a single east German company is listed on the DAX-30, the nations leading stock exchange index, the report notes. 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. Great video. Eastern-Europe-map2 by CrazyPhunk self-made based upon: Image:Eastern-Europe-map2.png. 2 2. Greece is in Eastern Europe. succeed. Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Roma, and Turkish are the three Eastern European languages that are not Slavic. Create a poster, chart, or some other type of graphic organizer that lists and provides statistics for the religions of Eastern Europe. They vary from culture to language, religion, and even government systems. Unofficial site of Thomas Sowell, Why is Eastern Europe 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. 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. And almost no major companies have their headquarters in East Germany. However "poverty" refers only to the revenues of States and the level of economic development. Well, Eastern Europe has always been less developed than the Western half. Mr. Demian Hammock on LinkedIn: Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe is a region that includes many countries with diverse populations and cultures. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, which spans roughly 40% of the continent's landmass while accounting for approximately 15% of its total . Breathtaking nature Last, but definitely not least, nature in Eastern Europe is stunning. Ukraine was the home and originator of "Rus" civilization pre-Mongol conquest with Kiev being a strong city when Moscow was a backwater. 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 majority of western Europeans live within 50 kilometers (30 miles) from their place of birth. Things are much better if the conflict concerns something that can be split upsuch as money or land. Where is Eastern Europe? 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. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Most Eastern European Jews spoke Yiddish, a language closely-related to German. Differences Between Eastern And Western Europe - QuestionsCity Eastern Europe | Countries, Geography & Religions - Study.com Thanks! What countries make up 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. Europe's economic crisis has thrown into relief the economic disparity between the Continent's richer, northern half and its poorer . Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. Great work Dr. Sowell. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. Made it more difficult for lasting civilizations. 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! Our World in Data COVID-19 Dataset. Also, the people follow many religions such as Orthodox Christianityand also Islam. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you 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. Austria-Hungary is partially to blame. What made you turn to the idea of gunpowder technology as an explanation? 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. Understanding why eastern European countries chose to respond differently during the second wave is complicated, though. It also boasts some of the richest economies in the world with Germany being one of those countries at its forefront. They are found in their highest numbers in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Albania. 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. Yellow areas poorer than Mexico. In other words, the few dark areas (a handful in Germany and one each in a few other nations) are the only parts of Europe that are economically equal or better thanthe United States. Write an essay of approximately one to two paragraphs that explains the Soviet Union's influence on certain countries of Eastern Europe. Most of Europe Is a Lot Poorer than Most of the United States Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd. Daily new COVID-19 deaths per million inhabitants, eastern and western Europe. 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. The way to think of Europe is that it is a big collection of peninsulas jutting out from Asia. | Thomas Sowell, What Makes Coastal People So Different? 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. In this region may Catholics and Protestant Christians can be seen. But a while ago I ran into this interesting post about the Romans in Eastern Europe: The Romans were mostly interested in conquering areas that had a high degree of self sufficiency which could provide a tax base for them to extract from. Eastern Europe: Eastern Europe is comparatively less advanced regarding the economy. Why is Eastern Europe less developed than Western Europe? Why Did Western Europe Dominate the Globe? | www.caltech.edu | Thomas Sowell Author: www.youtube.com Post date: 21 yesterday Rating: 3 (1898 reviews) Highest rating: 3 Low rated: 2 Summary: 3. I've looked at changes in technology that influence agriculture, and I've studied the development of financial markets, and in between those two, I was also studying why financial crises occur. 8. 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. She has a Master's degree in History. 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. /r/History is a place for discussions about history. The impact of modernization and individualization can be clearly seen in the lifestyles of people. There is a very important ocean . 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. Among people ages 15 to 24, for example, the average unemployment rate in the former East Germany was 7.7% in 2018, compared with 4.1% in the former West. We live much more better than Latin America, the Middle East, Africa or India for 2.Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? Religious: Eastern Europe is more religious than Western Europe.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'questionscity_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_8',114,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-questionscity_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); Poorer: Eastern European countries are poorer than Western European countries. Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? | Thomas Sowell 7. In Germany, for example, the average startup team size is only 2.4 people, compared to an . 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 the former East, 42% of adults say the next generation will be better off, compared with 50% in the West who say this. 4. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright 2010-2018 Difference Between. Feel free to submit interesting articles, tell us about this cool book you just read, or start a discussion about who everyone's favorite figure of minor French nobility is! These two regions consist of a large number of countries that enrich the diversity of the two regions. After the sack of Constantinople in 1204, however, the eastern economy was permanently disrupted, and wealth began to shift westward. One thing is clear: eastern Europe exited the first wave at the end of June in much better shape than western Europe. Why are countries in eastern Europe poorer than in western Europe? These countries have several different borders with Russia, as well as other European nations such as Germany or Poland. Many of the countries of Eastern Europe did not exist before the 20th century. For instance, Romanians speak a romance language. Eastern Europe: Most people follow Orthodox Christianity or Islam. Of course not. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Also Austria and Hungary drained ressources from the other areas (Bohemia being one of the few parts that was actually rather well off with a lot of industry). Personally, I would much rather see expenditures devoted to infrastructure, or scientific research, or free preschool for everybodythings that would carry big economic benefitsbut in this world, I don't think you can stop doing military research or spending money on the military. Then all the wars with the Turks and having to pretty much defeat the Nazis on their own. People in the former East Germany earn less than their counterparts in the former West. 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 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. Being dominated for centuries has led to lingering inequality and long-lasting effects in many formerly colonized . The rest of Europe at that time was really no wealthier than China, the Middle East, or South Asia. Despite substantial improvements in recent decades, the former East Germany continues to trail the former West Germany on important economic measures ranging from unemployment to productivity, according to an annual German government report on the status of German unity. (The most recent version of the report, from September, is available here in German. 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. Through this article, let us examine the differences further. Eastern Europe has a total population of about 258 million people. It can be further subdivided into four sub-regions: Northern Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Southern Europe. Also economically, the Western European countries are much more advanced than the eastern European countries. Between these two regions, a myriad of differences can be viewed regarding the geographical location, culture, economy, etc. Western Europe: Western Europe refers to the western part of Europe. Countries in this region are typically located on the continent of Asia, except for Turkey which lies partly in both Asia and Europe. In either case, you'll still be spending money on the military and on military research. The Polish Lithuanian commonwealth was extremely powerful and wealthy by controling the rivers and by extension farmland and trade between Baltic and Black Seas. Countries like Italy, S. Korea, Spain, Portugal and Greece would each rank below Mississippi as the poorest states in the country. Example: You could draw a long river to illustrate the blue Danube. Most of Eastern Europe was not touched by any Ancient advanced civilisation, either - they had to develop their own, except for the South Slavs. Just take any economic, social map and overlay it with the iron curtain map and you will understand what it's actually about. Feeding the YouTube algorithm. It severely inhibited political and economic development. 4. I've also been interested in the development of tax systems. spidey1z. The GDP of Romania in year 2017 is $467 billion and PPP is approximately $25000. Eastern Europe is home to a number of mountain ranges, including the Musala, the region's tallest mountain. In approximately one paragraph (at least three to five sentences), explain why Russia is sometimes considered part of Eastern Europe but sometimes not. So that's not the answerit's something else. 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. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. 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. The economic model then connected that spending to changes in military technology. East-West differences in unemployment rates cut across demographic lines including age and gender. But Im digressing. 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. Europe's 'food apartheid': are brands in the east lower quality than in This tool measures the stringency of efforts to control the virus on a scale of 0-100, with 100 being the most restrictive. The economy is comparatively lower and less stable than in Western Europe. This is a problem in an age of common migration because the educated and talented are migrating from Eastern to Western Europe. 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. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. The political dominance of western Europe was an unexpected outcome and had really big consequences, so I thought: let's explain it. This is interesting because it shows that the wealth divide between Eastern and Western Europe existed long before the modern era. 3. 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. I'm from Balkan, we have to translate Thomas Sowell in albanian, serbo-croatian, bullgarian, rumunian, greec .. Turkish belongs to the Turkic language family. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Most of the major periods in European history (Middle Ages, Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment), also affected Eastern Europe. I feel like its a lifeline. Communist: The eastern part of the continent has been ruled by communist governments for decades, while the West has had democratic governments for centuries. 2023 Sowell.org. The vast majority of people in Eastern Europe speak a Slavic language. But one explanation that can probably be ditched is the culture argument mentioned previously. Western Europe is known for many things, but perhaps most famously it is the home of some of the worlds greatest tourist attractions. Central American Countries & Facts | People, Tribes & Culture of Central America, Central America Geography | Map, Physical Features & Examples, Physical & Human Features of Europe | Mapping the Features of Europe, Comparing Life in Different Locations in Europe, Latin America | Population, Ethnic Groups & Demographics, Physical Features of Russia & Central Asia | Map, Characteristics & Geography, Where is Latin America? On average, Eastern Europeans live longer than western Europeans because they smoke fewer cigarettes and drink less alcohol on average. Those improvements can help at times when wars are necessaryfor instance, when we are fighting against enemies with whom we cannot negotiate. 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. However, Poles, Croats, and other Catholic Slavs use the Latin alphabet (the same alphabet used by English). In the very successful countries, the leaders could impose very heavy taxes and spend huge sums on war. Learn what is considered Eastern European, view a list of Eastern European countries and discover Eastern Europe religions. Importantly, however, there have been major differences within eastern Europe too. In eastern European cultures, there is an emphasis on family and community life. During the cold war period, this region was referred to as the Eastern bloc or else the Soviet bloc.