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. | Themes of Geography: Examples, 6th Grade Life Science: Enrichment Program, 7th Grade Life Science: Enrichment Program, 8th Grade Life Science: Enrichment Program, NY Regents Exam - Global History and Geography: Help and Review, NY Regents Exam - Global History and Geography: Tutoring Solution, Introduction to Political Science: Help and Review, Introduction to Political Science: Tutoring Solution, Intro to Criminal Justice: Help and Review, Introduction to Criminal Justice Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, Common Core History & Social Studies Grades 11-12: Literacy Standards, Instructional Strategies for Teachers: Help & Review, OSAT Psychology/Sociology (CEOE) (032): Practice & Study Guide, NMTA Social Science (303): Practice & Study Guide, Create an account to start this course today. Answer (1 of 3): The main reason is the Atlantic conveyor. 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. 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. Western Europe (Robinson Project)By Serg!o [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons, 2. I don't discount Mr Sowell's argument, I would add a major game changer was between the eastern and the western doctrine of the Trinity. However, if we look back at the death rates of the two regions in the graph above, its clear that eastern European countries introduced restrictions when experiencing far fewer cases and deaths. Western Europe is a region that includes many countries with diverse populations and cultures. South Asian Countries | Religion, Culture & Countries List. And Im debunking the argument that we should copy nations such as Denmark by allowing a larger government in the United States (though I do want to copy Danish policies in other areas, which generally are more pro-economic liberty than what we have in America). 525 lessons. Even before the Holocaust, Jews faced terrible discrimination from the Christian-majority populations in which they lived. Long-run growth matters. Paris was this little walled fortress town, and Constantinople was so large it needed its own governor. Thanks! On average, Eastern Europeans live longer than western Europeans because they smoke fewer cigarettes and drink less alcohol on average. David has taught Honors Physics, AP Physics, IB Physics and general science courses. 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. Germany has a higher percentage of its population living in urban areas than any other European Union member state. Gunpowder was really important for conquering territory; it allows a small number of people to exercise a lot of influence. He has a Masters in Education, and a Bachelors in Physics. Western Europe is known for many things, but perhaps most famously it is the home of some of the worlds greatest tourist attractions. In either event, the people of Romania and Moldova are closely related. The governments report points to several possible factors for the worse economic conditions in East Germany, including the lack of major companies headquartered there. But exploring Soviet-era Eastern Europe is not even half the story. People in the former East Germany earn less than their counterparts in the former West. Less Diverse: Eastern European countries are less diverse. Russias GDP per capita (PPP) was $14,900 as of 2018. Constantinople is now the city of Istanbul in Turkey, and the greatest church of the Eastern Orthodox faith, the Hagia Sophia, is located there. Most European countries (including Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Belgium) if they joined the US, would rank among the poorest one-third of US states on a per-capita GDP basis, and the UK, France, Japan and New Zealand would all rank among Americas very poorest states, below No. 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. 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. Many of the countries of Eastern Europe did not exist before the 20th century. Most of Eastern Europe was not touched by any Ancient advanced civilisation, either - they had to develop their own, except for the South Slavs. This set Russia back quite a bit in a number of ways. It was politically weak, it was poor, and the major long-distance commerce was a slave trade led by Vikings. 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. | 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. Between these two regions, a myriad of differences can be viewed regarding the geographical location, culture, economy, etc. Since there is no exact definition of Eastern Europe, be sure your list includes countries that are sometimes included as part of Eastern Europe. They are languages that descend from Latin, the language of the Romans. One explanation might be that these countries are victims of their own success. I love that I get smarter everytime I listen to or read anything from Thomas Sowell. Both regions have different economic structures and political systems. Some argued that this was because of economics: that eastern European countries locked down early because they feared their economies would . 2023 Sowell.org. Look again at the second graph above. For instance, Romanians speak a romance language. 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. Most Slavic languages use the Cyrillic alphabet. For this reason, the economic situation is not uniform across the region. The 2018 version of the report is available here in English. 1. Has Eastern Europe always been poorer than Western Europe, and if so, why? Coming from Engineering cum Human Resource Development background, has over 10 years experience in content developmet and management. 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. Western Europe is incredibly rich in culture from rich cuisine (French cuisine is divine and Im going to include Portuguese cuisine too) to traditional festivals still being held. Our World in Data COVID-19 Dataset. why is eastern europe poorer than western europe? But if you look at the US average ($54,629), it obviously is higher than economic output in European nations. These differences between eastern and western Europe will help you understand the magnitude of these differences better than before.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'questionscity_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_5',109,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-questionscity_com-medrectangle-4-0'); Western and Eastern Europe are on opposite sides of the continent. Being dominated for centuries has led to lingering inequality and long-lasting effects in many formerly colonized . Western Europe is a major tourist attraction with over 100 million visitors per year. So more spending would not only mean greater odds of victory over an enemy, but more rapid change in military technology. All findings are based on data from the German governments 2019 report, as well as the Centers recent survey. From West to East the climate, becoming more severe (in Siberia - almost impossible for an agricultural civilization) because decrease in influence of the Gulf stream. 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. The former East has a much smaller population than the former West (about 16 million people, compared with about 67 million), but its productivity is also lower when adjusted for population differences. 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). Maybe we should remind him that Mexico and China, as US states, would both be far below our poorest state Mississippi by 51% and 62% respectively for GDP per capita; and Japan would be barely above our poorest state Mississippi. The Eastern and Western hemispheres of the world are vastly different in many ways. 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! That's because the Black Death was at its peak. Until 1991, the Soviet Union controlled everything from the Bering Strait to the Rhine. This button displays the currently selected search type. I'm from Balkan, we have to translate Thomas Sowell in albanian, serbo-croatian, bullgarian, rumunian, greec .. Western Europe is a region in Europethat is associated with the western portion of the Eurasian landmass,as well as some countries on islands off its coast. The more they spent, the more chances they had to improve their military technology through trial and error while fighting wars. 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? Made it more difficult for lasting civilizations. And, by extension, for the entire global West. 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. Along with the inventions of the industrial revolution, countries have been able to gain a high economic development rate. 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. 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. Love Sowell. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 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). From the Reformation to the 20th century. 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. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright 2010-2018 Difference Between. The Mongols ravaged and destroyed the entirety of the Rus' land for centuries while making the Rus' their slaves. This has led to higher levels of entrepreneurship in the west while greater collectivism in the east. Here is an Eastern Europe countries list that can help discern what is considered Eastern European territory, and what countries are considered Eastern European: Note: The Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) are also sometimes considered to be part of Eastern Europe by some, but part of Northern Europe by others. People speak romance languages and those with Germanic roots as well. 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. I received my bachelor's degree in history from George Washington University and later earned a master's degree in the same subject from Uppsala University in Sweden. Also, the people in Romania speak a language with romance roots, which is called the Romanian language. Therefore, there are a lot of contradictions in this country. Before 1800, Europe had already taken over at least 35 percent of the world, but Britain was just beginning to industrialize. Yes, there are lots of conventional explanationsindustrialization, for examplebut on closer inspection they all fall apart. - Definition, History & Criticism, Chaos Theory: Definition, History & Examples, What is a Pre-Existing Condition? 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. 50 Mississippi. With so much diversity within this region, its easy to see why people from around the globe flock here every year. Up until the beginning of November, the spike in the death rate was largely driven by the Czech Republic. 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. Some of the economic activity in energy-rich states such as North Dakota, for instance, translates into income for shareholders living elsewhere in America. Moldova is an independent nation that was once part of the Soviet Union. Authors compilation. Oxford COVID-19 government response tracker, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee, PhD Scholarship - Uncle Isaac Brown Indigenous Scholarship. Daily new COVID-19 deaths per million inhabitants, second wave, eastern Europe. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. 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. 2. Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Slovenians, Hungarians, Croats, and a few others in Eastern Europe are traditionally Catholic. 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. In fact, the Ottomans once controlled a large chunk of this region. 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. 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. The vast majority of people in Eastern Europe speak a Slavic language. What can we learn from the differences between Eastern and Western Europe? Also the Danube is a big invasion route from the Black Sea to Germany. We spoke with him recently about his research interests and what led him to study this particular topic. I understand why it looks that way but that's because of your perspective. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. 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. Lesley has taught American and World History at the university level for the past seven years. Hoffman's work is published in a new book titled Why Did Europe Conquer the World? | Thomas Sowell, What Makes Coastal People So Different? But one explanation that can probably be ditched is the culture argument mentioned previously. That was a really great question and it got me interested. In 1991, per-capita productivity in the former East was less than half (43%) of productivity in the former West. This is interesting because it shows that the wealth divide between Eastern and Western Europe existed long before the modern era. 4. Most people in western Europe speak at least two languages, one of which will be English. Eastern Europe: People speak languages with Slavic roots. Such enemies existed in the pastthey were fighting for glory on the battlefield or victory over an enemy of the faithand one could argue that they pose a threat today as well. The majority of western Europeans live within 50 kilometers (30 miles) from their place of birth. Here are some notable geographic features in Easter Europe: Eastern Europe is the easternmost region in Europe. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Countries in the region imposed strict measures while being relatively mildly affected, whereas western countries waited until things got bad. This tool measures the stringency of efforts to control the virus on a scale of 0-100, with 100 being the most restrictive. The head of the Orthodox faith is the Patriarch of Constantinople. No major city is near the Danube until Belgrade. Heres another map, concentrating just on Northern Europe. Monotheism Overview & Examples | What is Monotheistic Religion? Eastern Europe is home to a number of mountain ranges, including the Musala, the region's tallest mountain. In the early 2000s, the unemployment rate was about 10 percentage points higher in the former East than in the former West nearly five times the gap in 2018. You have been on the Caltech faculty for more than 30 years. What were the politics and the political context of the economy that resulted in this ability to tax? Those improvements can help at times when wars are necessaryfor instance, when we are fighting against enemies with whom we cannot negotiate. The former East Germany trails the former West in productivity. Cross-posted from the International Libertyblog. | Thomas Sowell. 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 reformation gave way to more literacy, the Protestant work ethic, which resulted in rapid advances in the sciences and technology. Adjusting for population size, both cases and deaths were substantially lower in the east, as shown in this comparison of the COVID-19 death rate in the two regions. spidey1z. 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. Sorry anon point already proven . Breathtaking nature Last, but definitely not least, nature in Eastern Europe is stunning. Yes, their welfare states are too large, but they somewhat compensate for that mistake by having very pro-free market policies in other areas. Are there any overarching themes to your work? 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. When its easier to travel and grow food, its easier to sell the food at a greater. More specifically, the Eastern orthodox Church is the branch of Christianity with the largest number of adherents in this region. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World, How the attitudes of West and East Germans compare, 30 years after fall of Berlin Wall, Gasoline costs more these days, but price spikes have a long history and happen for a host of reasons, Inflation has risen around the world, but the U.S. has seen one of the biggest increases, Views of the economy have turned sharply negative in many countries amid COVID-19, Prior to COVID-19, Urban Core Counties in the U.S. 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. 7. Most of the Jews who live in the United States are the descendants of people who once lived in Eastern Europe. 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.