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. They are found in their highest numbers in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Albania. Mountain ranges - Urals, Apls, Musala (Tallest Mountain range in the region, located in Bulgaria), Carpathians, Balkan Mountains, Rivers - Volga, Danube (longest), Dnieper, Oder, Don. There is a very important ocean . 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. Christianity History & Location | How Did Christianity Spread? I think the main reason is that Europe is . The GDP of Romania in year 2017 is $467 billion and PPP is approximately $25000. Lets get back to whether people in places such as Denmark (or anywhere else in Europe) enjoy more prosperity than their American counterparts. I wish we did live in that world, but unfortunately it's not realistic. 8. Cheap travel Eastern Europe can be significantly less expensive than Western Europe. For example, that Europe became industrialized more quickly and therefore became wealthier than the rest of the world. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. 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. This One Major Factor Makes Germany Richer Than Italy. Turkish belongs to the Turkic language family. Western Europe: Western Europe refers to the western part of Europe. 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. Put another way, people in the former East Germany earned 86% the after-tax income of their West German counterparts in 2017. QuotidianPain 2 yr. ago I don't think Atlantic trade is the sole reason though. Most of these people migrated to Germany after the war. In fact, the Ottomans once controlled a large chunk of this region. 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. See here for the complete series: I love listening to Dr. Sowell's wonderful explanations for everything. Eastern European death rates overtook those in the west in early October, but restrictions in the region which had eased after the first wave still lagged behind controls reintroduced in the west. Eastern Europe was praised for being exceptional during the first wave of the pandemic. 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. Although they may be connected by us all being human beings, there is a lot that separates us as well. People speak romance languages and those with Germanic roots as well. An error occurred trying to load this video. A head start in the first wave. Learn what is considered Eastern European, view a list of Eastern European countries and discover Eastern Europe religions. 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. Western Europe: Western Europe is economically more advanced as well as prosperous. 525 lessons. One explanation might be that these countries are victims of their own success. The Western Roman Empire was poorer. 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More specifically, the Eastern orthodox Church is the branch of Christianity with the largest number of adherents in this region. 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. You want areas that produce finished products that are part of external trade systems. 6. 10. The governments report points to several possible factors for the worse economic conditions in East Germany, including the lack of major companies headquartered there. 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. Create a poster, chart, or some other type of graphic organizer that lists and briefly describes the major geographical features of Eastern Europe. 8. Most of the major periods in European history (Middle Ages, Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment), also affected Eastern Europe. It severely inhibited political and economic development. Therefore, do not misunderstand the information. All rights reserved. When it's easier to travel and grow food, it's easier to sell the food at a greater. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. 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. Feeding the YouTube algorithm. 47 West Virginia, and not too far above No. Things are much better if the conflict concerns something that can be split upsuch as money or land. 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. Even before the Holocaust, Jews faced terrible discrimination from the Christian-majority populations in which they lived. That's because the Black Death was at its peak. Its easternmost border is the Ural mountains. 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. Mark Perry of the American Enterprise Institute has put together some apples-to-apples data suggesting the answer is no. By introducing very strict prevention measures early on, countries in the region had significantly fewer COVID-related deaths than their western European counterparts.. Has Eastern Europe always been poorer than Western Europe, and if so, why? We live much more better than Latin America, the Middle East, Africa or India for 2.Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? 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. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. Their situation relative to Western Europe has not become better 70 years after WWII. People speak languages with Slavic roots. Five of the six states in the former East Germany with the exception of the city-state of Berlin had lower per-capita productivity in 2018 than the West German state with the lowest per-capita productivity, Schleswig-Holstein. Hoffman's work is published in a new book titled Why Did Europe Conquer the World? The most common language spoken is Russian, followed by Polish, Ukrainian, Romanian and Bulgarian. Look again at the second graph above. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. 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. Roma is the language of the people who used to be called Gypsies (The modern term for gypsies is "Roma."). To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. 55 chapters | Example: 1.56% of Eastern Europeans are atheist. However, over the past 20 years, most of the nations of Eastern Europe have joined the . Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. I feel like its a lifeline. 9. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Its a sign of American prosperity that we can afford to buy more from other nations than they can afford to buy from us. Heres another map, concentrating just on Northern Europe. Austria-Hungary is partially to blame. These are the countries that are in Eastern Europe: Russia (Partly in Asia). 9. Greece is located in south-east Europe! The tendency to ignore Eastern Europe in favour of Western Europe is a holdover from the Cold War. You dont become wealthy by attacking and taking over subsistence farmers. One thing is clear: eastern Europe exited the first wave at the end of June in much better shape than 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. 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. We can see from the next graph that, at the same time in the spring, the two regions introduced measures that were similarly strict. Dude, the question literally asks if eastern Europe was always poorer than western europe. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. 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. Coming from Engineering cum Human Resource Development background, has over 10 years experience in content developmet and management. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. and I thought it was because they just freed themselves from communism a few decades ago. Also, the people in Romania speak a language with romance roots, which is called the Romanian language. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax While its per-capita productivity remains lower than that of West Germany, the former East Germany has made major gains since unification. Eastern Europe Lives And Breathes History. 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. 3. [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. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Of course not. Richer not only than Europe, but even more prosperous than the United States. Then you have more capital to invest, which allows for growth of the countrys industry. This is perhaps one reason why startup teams in Western Europe are much smaller than in Eastern Europe. While each country in Western Europe has its unique landscapes, cultures, and traditions, all share a common history that can be traced back thousands of years ago when Rome was at its height. If we look at the stringency of control measures, we can also see that not all countries acted in the same way. Eastern Europe is more industrialized than Western Europe while Western European countries tend to be wealthier than their eastern counterparts. Scooby snacks for you! This may have produced scepticism about the severity of the pandemic. 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. In this video, we will explore the reasons behind the economic gap between Western and Eastern Europe. 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. Most Slavic languages use the Cyrillic alphabet. Make sure to familiarize yourself with our rules and guidelines before participating. Islam - Islam came to Eastern Europe via the Ottoman Empire. But one explanation that can probably be ditched is the culture argument mentioned previously. One thing is clear: eastern Europe exited the first wave at the end of June in much better shape than western Europe. Great work Dr. Sowell. Map of the spread of Catholicism and the Eastern orthodox faith. Russias GDP per capita (PPP) was $14,900 as of 2018. Another explanation, described in Jared Diamond's famous book [Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies], is disease. Western Europe has l. Hello and welcome to our channel. At least if the goal is more economic output and higher living standards. So that's not the answerit's something else. The countries in western Europe have a more individualistic culture, with people caring about their success. And, by extension, for the entire global West. 10. They have distinct cultures, languages, traditions, and cuisine. The influence of the ocean. This is Part 6 of an 8-Part series on Geography and Culture. - 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. Germans in both areas say living standards in the former East have not yet caught up with those in the former West. Here are some notable geographic features in Easter Europe: Eastern Europe is the easternmost region in Europe. On average, Eastern Europeans live longer than western Europeans because they smoke fewer cigarettes and drink less alcohol on average. Both regions have a history of being ruled by powerful empires that brought change to the area. Eastern Europe: Eastern Europe refers to the eastern part of Europe. And all of this describes Europe. - Quora Answer (1 of 107): If you had a world atlas in 1350, you'd see an apocalyptic wasteland where Western Europe is now. 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. Most of Eastern Europe was not touched by any Ancient advanced civilisation, either - they had to develop their own, except for the South Slavs. Then you have more capital to invest, which allows for . All of the countries of Western and Northern Europe are very close to the ocean, and largely surrounded by it. 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). 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. 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. Western European countries are generally considered to include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland (Republic of), Italy(although it could also be grouped with Central/Eastern European nations), Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Roman Catholicism - Roman Catholicism is the largest branch of Christianity on Earth. 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. Some of the economic activity in energy-rich states such as North Dakota, for instance, translates into income for shareholders living elsewhere in America. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. 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. Western Europe is home to the oldest living population in the world. 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.
Its language is related to Italian, Spanish, and French, making the Romanians the only Latin people in Eastern Europe. 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. He also serves on the editorial board of the Cayman Financial Review. The Eastern and Western hemispheres of the world are vastly different in many ways. As a quick caveat, its worth noting that theres not a one-to-one link between gross domestic product and actual living standards. Unofficial site of Thomas Sowell, Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? What kinds of factors are included in this model? 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. The four major religions in Eastern Europe are the Eastern Orthodox faith, Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism. Here is a look at how economic conditions in the former East and West Germany have changed over time, how they compare today and how people in the two areas perceive these differences. 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. 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. The rest of Europe at that time was really no wealthier than China, the Middle East, or South Asia. 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. 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. 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. All findings are based on data from the German governments 2019 report, as well as the Centers recent survey. Which is mostly Southern Europe and Anatolia (under the Macedonian dynasty at least). Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? Speaking of European prosperity, heres a fascinating map I saw on Twitter. Importantly, however, there have been major differences within eastern Europe too. Here is an Eastern Europe religion map that depicts the split of Christianity after the Great Schism of 1054. Very hard for a country to be doing well after all those struggles. 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. Most people in western Europe speak at least two languages, one of which will be English. 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. Amazing how so many refuse to acknowledge how climate and geography go hand and hand with a countrys economic development. 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). 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. Just take any economic, social map and overlay it with the iron curtain map and you will understand what it's actually about. Please, enable JavaScript and reload the page to enjoy our modern features. A thousand years ago, no one would have ever expected that result, for at that point western Europe was hopelessly backward. Seldom do you hear an average American complain about Poland or Estonia for not spending enough into defending Europebecause those countries, despite being . Tamara Popic and Alexandru D Moise do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointments. 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. South Asian Countries | Religion, Culture & Countries List. By introducing very strict prevention measures early on, countries in the region had significantly fewer COVID-related deaths than their western European counterparts. 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! The impact of modernization and individualization can be clearly seen in the lifestyles of people. Then you can bargain with your enemies to divvy up whatever you disagree about and you can have something like peace. This is a problem in an age of common migration because the educated and talented are migrating from Eastern to Western Europe. 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. This is a somewhat more serious subreddit compared to many others. Language spoken in most eastern European countries includes Russian and Ukrainian. Western Europe: More Catholics and Protestant Christians can be seen. 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. Through this article, let us examine the differences further. Eastern Europe religion is dominated by the Eastern Orthodox Church. So as an explanation, industrialization doesn't work. East-West differences in unemployment rates cut across demographic lines including age and gender. Then all the wars with the Turks and having to pretty much defeat the Nazis on their own. 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. | Thomas Sowell 6,459 views Aug 4, 2022 Thomas Sowell Explains how geographical differences between Eastern and Western Europe played a key.
