Difference between revisions of "Eastern Europe" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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==Economy==
 
==Economy==
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Manufacturing industries throughout Eastern Europe are an important factor in regional economics. The Czech Republic is the leading industrial nation in the western section, while Ukraine, the Ural Mountains, and the land along the Volga River are the major urban-industrial regions in the east. Many of the former Soviet controlled nations are dealing with excessive pollution and damage to the environment due to lax industrial controls during the Soviet era.  
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Manufacturing industries throughout Eastern Europe are an important factor in regional economics. The [[Czech Republic]] is the leading industrial nation in the western section, while [[Ukraine]], the [[Ural Mountains]], and the land along the [[Volga River]] are the major urban-industrial regions in the east. However, many of the former Soviet– controlled nations are dealing with excessive pollution and significant environmental problems due to lax industrial controls during the Soviet era.  
  
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The region has excellent commercial [[forest]]s and [[agriculture|agricultural]] areas, though the growing season in the north is short. The [[Danube River|Danube]] valley countries produce [[corn]] and [[wheat]]. [[Rye]], [[potato]]es, and [[livestock]] are important commodities. The Ukraine, known for years as the "Breadbasket of the Soviet Union" is one of the most important wheat producers in Europe.
  
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Eastern Europe's major mineral resources are [[coal]], [[iron ore]], [[petroleum]], [[natural gas]], and [[bauxite]].
  
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[[Poverty]] and unemployment rates are generally high throughout the region, leading many to work abroad. Many of the former Soviet bloc nations are still working to transition from a [[socialism|socialist]] to a [[capitalism|capitalist]] economy.
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Wheat and corn are major products of the Danube Valley countries. Poland has an agricultural system based largely on rye, potatoes, and livestock. Ukraine, north of the Black Sea, is one of the most important wheat-growing areas of Europe and for years was known as the Breadbasket of the Soviet Union. It also produces sugar beets, potatoes, and livestock. The growing season shortens to the north, making crop agriculture more and more difficult. There are, however, excellent commercial forests. The area north of the Caspian Sea is among the driest, most unproductive areas in Europe.
 
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Eastern Europe's major mineral resources are [[coal]], [[iron ore]], [[petroleum]], [[natural gas]], and [[bauxite]].
 
  
 
== Politics==
 
== Politics==

Revision as of 01:59, 22 August 2007


Pre-1989 division between the "West" (grey) and "Eastern Bloc" (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange),members of the Warsaw pact (light orange), and other former Communist regimes not aligned with Moscow (lightest orange).

Eastern Europe, as defined by the United Nations Statistic Division, includes the countries of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia and Ukraine as well as the Slavic republics of Belarus, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.

In some sources Eastern Europe is defined as the nations bordered by the Baltic and Barents seas on the north; the Adriatic, Black, and Caspian seas and the Caucasus Mountains on the south; and the Ural Mountains. Using this definition, the nations of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia and Montenegro (formerly Yugoslavia), which the UNSD categorizes as Southern Europe, would be included. This definition also includes the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, considered by the UN as Northern Europe. The Transcaucasian countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are included in this definiation, though they are defined by the U.N. as western Asia.

The term "Eastern Europe" is often used to refer to all European countries that were previously ruled by Communist regimes, (the Eastern bloc), due to the concept of the Iron curtain separating "Western Europe" and Soviet-controlled "Eastern Europe" which was dominant throughout the period of the Cold War. Prior to the Reunification of Germany, East Germany was often described as an Eastern European country.

The boundaries of Eastern Europe, therefore, are subject to considerable overlap and fluctuation depending on the context in which they are used, which makes differentiation difficult. Global regions are often of social constructs defined by abstract, neutral criteria and not necessarily strict physical features.


Terminology and usage

Eastern Europe is a grouping of countries on the European continent which has varying definitions, sometimes geographical in nature and sometimes more political. The term is often used to designate the European countries under (former) communist regimes.

Their populations do not necessrily see themselves as Eastern Europeans, and many consider it a pejorative term. Most countries prefer to include themselves in other groups, associating themselves with Germany in Central Europe, with Scandinavia in Northern Europe or with Italy and Greece in Southern Europe.

As a term its origins are fairly recent. For many years Europe was divided on a North — South axis. With the southern Mediteranean states having much in common, and the northern Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea bordering states also having much in common. The term first arose in the eighteenth and nineteenth century to describe an area that was falling behind the rest of Europe economically. It was seen as a region where serfdom and autocratic governments persisted long after those notions were fading in the west. It was always a very vague notion, however, and many countries in the region did not fit the stereotypical view.

Much of Eastern Europe has ties to both the east and west. While all of the countries were heavily influenced by Roman Catholicism or Protestantism and have close historical and cultural ties to Germany, Italy, France or Scandinavia (e.g. the Hanseatic league in the Baltics), many countries also had relations with the East. Russia was under the control of the Mongols for centuries and inherited political and social conventions from them. Further south the influence of the Ottoman Empire and Islam had a very strong influence. The nations of the Balkans as well as Hungary and Romania were all at one time controlled by the Turks.

The approbative term "New Europe" has been coined by neoconservative Americans to describe those former Eastern-Bloc countries which disavow the antipathy towards the politics of the United States that is common in Western Europe.

History

File:Eeurope rel84.jpg
Eastern Europe prior to 1990.

As a cultural and ethnic concept, the term Eastern Europe was defined by 19th century German nationalists to be synonymous with "Slavic Europe", as opposed to Germanic (Western) Europe. This concept was re-enforced during the years leading up to World War II and was often used in a racist terminology to characterize Eastern/Slavic culture as being backwards and inferior to Western/Germanic culture, language, and customs. [1] Eastern Europe would then refer to the imaginary line which divided predominantly German lands from predominantly Slavic lands. The dividing line has thus changed over time as a result of the World Wars, as well as numerous expulsions and genocides.

The concept of Eastern Europe was greatly strengthened by the domination of the region by the Soviet Union after the Second World War and the takeover of the nations of the region by communist governments. The idea of the Iron curtain separating Eastern and Western Europe was an extremely common view throughout the Cold War. This strict dualism caused problems, however, as it failed to account for the complexities of the region. For instance, Yugoslavia and Albania refused to be controlled by Moscow, but this division was often ignored by many in the west.

As the ideological division of the Cold War has now disappeared, the cultural division of Europe between Western Christianity, on the one hand, and Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Islam, on the other, has reemerged. It follows the so-called Huntington line of "clashing civilizations" corresponding roughly to the eastern boundary of Western Christianity in the year 1500. This line runs along what are now the eastern boundaries separating Norway, Finland, Estonia and Latvia from Russia, continues east of Lithuania, cuts in northwestern Ukraine, swings westward separating Transylvania from the rest of Romania, and then along the line now separating Slovenia, Croatia and northern Serbia from the rest of ex-Yugoslavia. In the Balkans this line coincides with the historic border between the Hungarian Kingdom (later Habsburg) and Ottoman empires, whereas in the north it marks the then eastern boundaries of Kingdom of Sweden and Teutonic Order, and the subsequent spread of Lutheran Reformation. The peoples to the west and north of the Huntington line are Protestant or Catholic; they shared most of the common experiences of Western European history — feudalism, the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution.

Countries and territories

Statistical regions of Europe as delineated by the United Nations[1] (UN definition of Eastern Europe marked salmon): ██ Northern Europe ██ Western Europe ██ Eastern Europe ██ Southern Europe

The varying definitions of Eastern Europe are detailed below.

United Nations Statistics Division

The United Nations Statistics Division defines Eastern Europe as:

Former Eastern Bloc

Former Eastern Bloc nations are often considered to belong to Eastern Europe.

Southeastern Europe and the Balkan Peninsula

Commonly the definition of Eastern Europe is expanded to include the following previously Communist/Socialist countries. The terms in paranthesis are the regions which the nations are determined to exist in by the United Nations Statistics Division.

Central Europe

A number of countries that are also considered part of Central Europe became included in "Eastern Europe" during the era of the Cold War due to their being Communist states. Today they are sometimes considered part of Central Europe and sometimes part of Eastern Europe.

Countries formally recognized as part of this group.

Baltic States

Often considered as belonging to the region of Northern Europe.

Eurasia

Eurasian counties often considered part of Eastern Europe.


Geography

Eastern Europe is bordered by the Baltic and Barents seas on the north; the Adriatic, Black, and Caspian seas and the Caucasus Mountains on the south; and the Ural Mountains on the east.

The western area of the region is largely glaciated plains. The west central section is dominated by mountains and highlands associated with the Alpine system, with river valleys and structural basins between the highlands. A large, relatively flat, stable, geologic plateau covers the eastern section.

The northeastern area of the region is filled with lakes and glacial ridges. Major rivers in Eastern Europe are the Vistula, Danube, Volga, Dnepr, Don, Rhine, Elbe, Rhône, and Ural.

Economy

Manufacturing industries throughout Eastern Europe are an important factor in regional economics. The Czech Republic is the leading industrial nation in the western section, while Ukraine, the Ural Mountains, and the land along the Volga River are the major urban-industrial regions in the east. However, many of the former Soviet– controlled nations are dealing with excessive pollution and significant environmental problems due to lax industrial controls during the Soviet era.

The region has excellent commercial forests and agricultural areas, though the growing season in the north is short. The Danube valley countries produce corn and wheat. Rye, potatoes, and livestock are important commodities. The Ukraine, known for years as the "Breadbasket of the Soviet Union" is one of the most important wheat producers in Europe.

Eastern Europe's major mineral resources are coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, and bauxite.

Poverty and unemployment rates are generally high throughout the region, leading many to work abroad. Many of the former Soviet bloc nations are still working to transition from a socialist to a capitalist economy.

Politics

EB The economy and politics of the region, once dominated by the Soviet Union, changed greatly in the late 20th century. Nations in the western part began a shift from Communist-controlled governments and centrally planned economies to democratic and capitalist systems. The Soviet Union splintered in 1991 amid cries for increased political and economic freedom. Many of the newly independent republics aligned themselves with the capitalist democracies of Western Europe. The Commonwealth of Independent States, a loose confederation of 11 former Soviet republics, attempted to assume some control and create stability during the period of transition.


See also


Sources and Further reading


External links



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  1. ↑ Hitler, Adolf. November 1926. Mein Kampf, Retrieved August 21, 2007.
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