why is eastern europe poorer than western europe?

Between these two regions, a myriad of differences can be viewed regarding the geographical location, culture, economy, etc. When its easier to travel and grow food, its easier to sell the food at a greater. why is eastern europe poorer than western europe? What were the politics and the political context of the economy that resulted in this ability to tax? How is your theory different? So as an explanation, industrialization doesn't work. I'm from Balkan, we have to translate Thomas Sowell in albanian, serbo-croatian, bullgarian, rumunian, greec .. Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Slovenians, Hungarians, Croats, and a few others in Eastern Europe are traditionally Catholic. By introducing very strict prevention measures early on, countries in the region had significantly fewer COVID-related deaths than their western European counterparts.. The majority of western Europeans live within 50 kilometers (30 miles) from their place of birth. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. All rights reserved. If we look at the stringency of control measures, we can also see that not all countries acted in the same way. September 01, 2015. On average, Eastern Europeans live longer than western Europeans because they smoke fewer cigarettes and drink less alcohol on average. 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. Through this article, let us examine the differences further. 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. Additionally, some definitions include Greece as part of Eastern Europe, while others maintain that Greece is, in fact, part of Southern Europe. 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. Mountain ranges - Urals, Apls, Musala (Tallest Mountain range in the region, located in Bulgaria), Carpathians, Balkan Mountains, Rivers - Volga, Danube (longest), Dnieper, Oder, Don. We live much more better than Latin America, the Middle East, Africa or India for 2.Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? Some of the countries that belong to Eastern Europe are Albania, Bosnia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Russia, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, Serbia, Slovakia, Moldova, Lithuania, etc. The Romanian language consists of 75% Latin, 20% Dacian and 5% Slavic. Or, that when Europeans began to travel the world, people in other countries did not have the immunity to fight off the diseases they brought with them. Greece is in Eastern 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. Look again at the second graph above. Where is Eastern Europe? Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. 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. 47 West Virginia, and not too far above No. - Quora Answer (1 of 107): If you had a world atlas in 1350, you'd see an apocalyptic wasteland where Western Europe is now. Eastern Europe: Eastern Europe refers to the eastern part of Europe. Generally speaking, Slavic languages that use the Cyrillic alphabet are found in countries that practice the Eastern Orthodox faith. See here for the complete series: I love listening to Dr. Sowell's wonderful explanations for everything. The governments report points to several possible factors for the worse economic conditions in East Germany, including the lack of major companies headquartered there. The economy is comparatively lower and less stable than in 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. Why are Eastern European countries colder than Northern ones? 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. - Definition & Process, Largest Revenue Sources for the Federal Government, What Do Archaeologists Study? People in the former East Germany earn less than their counterparts in the former West. But that does not mean the former East and West Germany are on equal economic footing today. Eastern Europe was praised for being exceptional during the first wave of the pandemic. We can see from the next graph that, at the same time in the spring, the two regions introduced measures that were similarly strict. Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms. Eastern Europe: Eastern Europe is comparatively less advanced regarding the economy. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 In either case, you'll still be spending money on the military and on military research. 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. I am glad that a more vigorous race wasn't here as they would have truly dominated the world! The political dominance of western Europe was an unexpected outcome and had really big consequences, so I thought: let's explain it. 55 chapters | Politics might provide a hint: the Czech Republic held regional elections in October, while Romania voted in local elections in September and is about to vote in national elections in December. Cultural Syncretism Definition & Examples | What is Religious Syncretism? Europe's 'food apartheid': are brands in the east lower quality than in (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright 2010-2018 Difference Between. 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. More specifically, the Eastern orthodox Church is the branch of Christianity with the largest number of adherents in this region. 6. When you go back that far, you need to use to use a proxy for human capital. And, by extension, for the entire global West. 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. Manage Settings For example, how did states get the ability to impose heavy taxes? In addition to historic sites, Western Europe also houses some of the most beautiful cities on earth with London being one such place. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Eastern Europe refers to the eastern part of 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. In this region may Catholics and Protestant Christians can be seen. You have been on the Caltech faculty for more than 30 years. Hong Kong and Singapore, for instance, used to be poor jurisdictions. Why is Eastern Europe Historically Poorer than Western Europe? - reddit Were Gaining Vitality on Key Measures, 60% of Americans Would Be Uncomfortable With Provider Relying on AI in Their Own Health Care, Gender pay gap in U.S. hasnt changed much in two decades. Eastern Europe was praised for being exceptional during the first wave of the pandemic. 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? copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. 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. Most Eastern European Jews spoke Yiddish, a language closely-related to German. Just take any economic, social map and overlay it with the iron curtain map and you will understand what it's actually about. The capital of Romania is Bucharest, a city with approximately 1.8 million people. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. 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. 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. Definitions of Western and Eastern Europe: Characteristics of Western and Eastern Europe: Difference Between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Difference Between Commonwealth and Protectorate. 8. This has helped them recover from the damage done during their communist past. - Definition, Eligibility & Coverage, What Is Medication Reconciliation? This tool measures the stringency of efforts to control the virus on a scale of 0-100, with 100 being the most restrictive. 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. Why are post-communist states still much poorer than Western Europe 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. One big factor that's important to the advancement of any defense technology is how much money a political leader can spend. However, over the past 20 years, most of the nations of Eastern Europe have joined the European Union. Cheap travel Eastern Europe can be significantly less expensive than Western Europe. @media (max-width: 1171px) { .sidead300 { margin-left: -20px; } } Of course not. Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms, Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza, Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19, Difference Between Motorola Droid Bionic and Droid HD, Difference Between Coherence and Consistency, What is the Difference Between PEP and PrEP, What is the Difference Between Syphilis and Chancroid, What is the Difference Between Open and Closed Mitosis, What is the Difference Between Typical and Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia, What is the Difference Between Menactra and Menveo, What is the Difference Between Soft Skills and Technical Skills, What is the Difference Between Idiopathic Hypersomnia and Narcolepsy. Amazing how so many refuse to acknowledge how climate and geography go hand and hand with a countrys economic development. Since there is no exact definition of Eastern Europe, be sure your list includes countries that are sometimes included as part of Eastern Europe. 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. Turkish belongs to the Turkic language family. Nationalism, therefore, was an important element in the culture of Eastern Europe for a long time, sometimes leading to major wars. It is related to Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese. Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? Living Standard: Western Europe has higher standards of living than eastern European countries. 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. Eastern Europe - Wikipedia As its name suggests, Eastern Europe is the eastern part of the European continent. But free markets and small government have produced decades of strong growth, and now these places are among the richest places on the planet. Here are some notable geographic features in Easter Europe: Eastern Europe is the easternmost region in Europe. Despite this, the Soviet Union did play an important role in the regions history. 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! 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. Even before the Holocaust, Jews faced terrible discrimination from the Christian-majority populations in which they lived. Why are countries in eastern Europe poorer than in western Europe Yes, their welfare states are too large, but they somewhat compensate for that mistake by having very pro-free market policies in other areas. Slovenia is the latest country in eastern Europe to carry out extensive tests in an effort to prove that multinational companies have been fobbing off eastern consumers with poorer-quality . 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. The vast majority of people in Eastern Europe speak a Slavic language. There are many different religions practiced in eastern European countries, including Christianity and Islam. Western Europe: People speak romance languages and languages with Germanic roots. 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. Communist regimes were politically repressive, and stifled the economic development of the region. Europe Climate Zones & Classifications | What Is the Climate In Europe? Both had one factor significantly holding them back: foreign invaders. 525 lessons. Countries in the region imposed strict measures while being relatively mildly affected, whereas western countries waited until things got bad. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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. 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. They are languages that descend from Latin, the language of the Romans. On average, Eastern Europeans live longer than western Europeans because they smoke fewer cigarettes and drink less alcohol on average. I feel like its a lifeline. There's a brain drain. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7s6piXiFK-TaMDsKM4I7IS7iaNiyONEM, How Geography Shaped Africa | Thomas Sowell, Why Cultures Are So Different? Example: You could draw a long river to illustrate the blue Danube. The largest country by area in eastern Europe is Russia with 677 thousand square miles. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Less Diverse: Eastern European countries are less diverse. You dont become wealthy by attacking and taking over subsistence farmers. 4. 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. I wish we did live in that world, but unfortunately it's not realistic. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. 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. 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. 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. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal. What kinds of factors are included in this model? 20 Reasons Why Eastern Europe Is Extremely Underrated (And - TheTravel South Asian Countries | Religion, Culture & Countries List. 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. The Western Roman Empire was poorer. Most of Eastern Europe was not touched by any Ancient advanced civilisation, either - they had to develop their own, except for the South Slavs. 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? | Latin America Countries, Physical Features & Facts, South Asia Geography & Culture | Physical Features & Human Characteristics, Canada Geography: Physical & Human | Landscape, Impact & Overview, West Africa: People, Culture & History | West African Countries, States' Rights & the Civil War | History, Role & Examples, Boundaries Overview & Types | Physical, Political & Cultural Boundaries. 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. The Eastern European area bore the brunt of the Asian invasions too as first the Huns, then Avars, Slavs, Bulgarians, Hungarians, Mongols, and Turks all swept into the Balkans, Carpathian Basin, and the lands between the Black and Baltic seas each time wiping out native political powers. However, Poles, Croats, and other Catholic Slavs use the Latin alphabet (the same alphabet used by English). One explanation might be that these countries are victims of their own success. Eastern Europe squandered its spring gains and then repeated the mistakes made by the west in spring: waiting until cases and deaths are out of control before imposing controls. 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. The influence of the ocean. 50 Mississippi. Today, not a single east German company is listed on the DAX-30, the nations leading stock exchange index, the report notes. Your email address will not be published. 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. By comparison, disposable income in the former West Germany was 23,283 a year, or about $26,300. This button displays the currently selected search type. Create your account. Western Europe is wealthier than Eastern Europe. Why? - YouTube Eastern Europe is more industrialized than Western Europe while Western European countries tend to be wealthier than their eastern counterparts. 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. Put another way, people in the former East Germany earned 86% the after-tax income of their West German counterparts in 2017. This may have produced scepticism about the severity of the pandemic. Western Europe: Western Europe refers to the western part of Europe. Through this article, let us examine the differences further. 8. Has Eastern Europe always been poorer than Western Europe, and if so, why? 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. 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. While the Soviet Union was once considered to be the most important country in Eastern Europe, many ex-Soviet nations are, in fact, not even in Europe. 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. Despite these differences, the former East has narrowed the . However "poverty" refers only to the revenues of States and the level of economic development. Eastern Europe: (Still) the Most Crucial of All Challenges Facing the I understand why it looks that way but that's because of your perspective. 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. I've also been interested in the development of tax systems. Moldova is an independent nation that was once part of the Soviet Union. 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. Islam - Islam came to Eastern Europe via the Ottoman Empire. 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. In this video, we will explore the reasons behind the economic gap between Western and Eastern Europe. Both regions have a history of being ruled by powerful empires that brought change to the area. Many of those that survived, emigrated to Israel or the US. Love Sowell. Eastern Europes pandemic experience has been dramatically different this autumn. Cross-posted from the International Libertyblog. Muslims are a minority in most parts of Europe. You want areas that produce finished products that are part of external trade systems. The Hagia Sophia is now a mosque. The Differences Between Eastern and Western European Startups The more they spent, the more chances they had to improve their military technology through trial and error while fighting wars. Map of the spread of Catholicism and the Eastern orthodox faith. Where Eastern Europe begins, however, is a matter of opinion. 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. 10. The longest river in the region is the Danube. 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. Roma is the language of the people who used to be called Gypsies (The modern term for gypsies is "Roma."). The standard of living of the population until the mid 19th century was about the same. 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. This is Part 6 of an 8-Part series on Geography and Culture. Judaism - Eastern European Jews once numbered in the millions; however, they were nearly wiped out during the Holocaust. 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. 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. The 2018 version of the report is available here in English. Bohemia (Czech lands) was one of the biggest and most developed economic centers of the Holy Roman Empire. This is a problem in an age of common migration because the educated and talented are migrating from Eastern to Western Europe. Im simply making the modest yet important argument that Europeans would be more prosperous if the fiscal burden of government wasnt so onerous. - 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. 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 . Along with the inventions of the industrial revolution, countries have been able to gain a high economic development rate. The former East Germany trails the former West in productivity. Eastern Europe has a total population of about 258 million people. 1. It's just fascinating. That percentage has changed little in recent years, but is far higher than in 1991, when per-capita disposable income in the former East was only 61% of that in the former West. 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. The highest mountain in eastern Europe is Mount Elbrus, which stands at 18,510 feet tall. But Im digressing. Eastern Europe: Most people follow Orthodox Christianity or Islam. Eastern Europe: People speak languages with Slavic roots. Its easternmost border is the Ural mountains. All of the countries of Western and Northern Europe are very close to the ocean, and largely surrounded by it. While its per-capita productivity remains lower than that of West Germany, the former East Germany has made major gains since unification. But if you look at the US average ($54,629), it obviously is higher than economic output in European nations. 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 Europe has l. Hello and welcome to our channel. Are there any overarching themes to your work? One difference is that Eastern European countries were part of the Soviet Union for decades while Western European countries had more independence during this period. 9. Serbia was especially rich in mineral wealth and with trade from Adriatic to Aegean during the Middle Ages.

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