4. Europe's economic crisis has thrown into relief the economic disparity between the Continent's richer, northern half and its poorer . It can be further subdivided into four sub-regions: Northern Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Southern Europe. All findings are based on data from the German governments 2019 report, as well as the Centers recent survey. However, over the past 20 years, most of the nations of Eastern Europe have joined the European Union. You have been on the Caltech faculty for more than 30 years. Coronavirus: why is eastern Europe's second wave so much worse than its In either event, the people of Romania and Moldova are closely related. You can designate these countries on your list with an asterisk or "s" in parentheses next to them. In addition to historic sites, Western Europe also houses some of the most beautiful cities on earth with London being one such place. Explore Eastern Europe. 5. Where is Eastern Europe? Unofficial site of Thomas Sowell, Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? Being dominated for centuries has led to lingering inequality and long-lasting effects in many formerly colonized . On average, Eastern Europeans live longer than western Europeans because they smoke fewer cigarettes and drink less alcohol on average. 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. Why was Western Europe more developed than Eastern Europe? 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. 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. There are some exceptions, however. Whats the difference between Eastern and Western Europe? Coming from Engineering cum Human Resource Development background, has over 10 years experience in content developmet and management. Germans in both areas say living standards in the former East have not yet caught up with those in the former West. Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? : r/AskEconomics - Reddit When we turn to the second wave (starting around September and ongoing), were faced with the opposite question: why did eastern European countries not act in spite of rapidly rising infections and deaths? Western Europe is a region that includes many countries with diverse populations and cultures. 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. They were part of large empires, such as the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian empires. 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. Christianity History & Location | How Did Christianity Spread? TOP 10 why is eastern europe poor BEST and NEWEST What kinds of factors are included in this model? 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. >Eastern European men >Like seriously, they are so formal, handsome, and respectful.. In the Eastern European countries, the conservative ideas are more prominent in comparison to the Western region. Cross-posted from the International Libertyblog. One thing is clear: eastern Europe exited the first wave at the end of June in much better shape than western Europe. QuotidianPain 2 yr. ago I don't think Atlantic trade is the sole reason though. How is your theory different? 3. Why Did Western Europe Dominate the Globe? All rights reserved. Western Europe: United Kingdom, Norway, Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Vatican City, Netherlands, Sweden, Malta, Italy, Iceland, Germany, Greece, Finland are some examples for countries that belong to Western Europe. 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. why is eastern europe poorer than western europe? 7. They are languages that descend from Latin, the language of the Romans. Additionally, some definitions include Greece as part of Eastern Europe, while others maintain that Greece is, in fact, part of Southern Europe. What countries make up Eastern Europe? 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. What can we learn from the differences between Eastern and Western Europe? 20 Reasons Why Eastern Europe Is Extremely Underrated (And - TheTravel David has taught Honors Physics, AP Physics, IB Physics and general science courses. Hoffman's work is published in a new book titled Why Did Europe Conquer the World? Both regions have different economic structures and political systems. Sorry anon point already proven . He has a Masters in Education, and a Bachelors in Physics. Countries in the region imposed strict measures while being relatively mildly affected, whereas western countries waited until things got bad. But exploring Soviet-era Eastern Europe is not even half the story. Understanding why eastern European countries chose to respond differently during the second wave is complicated, though. Many of the countries of Eastern Europe did not exist before the 20th century. 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. Answer (1 of 3): The main reason is the Atlantic conveyor. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Then you have more capital to invest, which allows for growth of the countrys industry. 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. This is Part 6 of an 8-Part series on Geography and Culture. 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. Austria-Hungary is partially to blame. Many of those that survived, emigrated to Israel or the US. From the Eiffel Tower in Paris to The Great Wall Of China, these landmarks are instantly recognizable and attract millions of visitors each year. Before that point, Western and Eastern Europe were relatively similar in prosperity. Most of these people migrated to Germany after the war. Moldova is an independent nation that was once part of the Soviet Union. - Definition, History & Criticism, Chaos Theory: Definition, History & Examples, What is a Pre-Existing Condition? Why did Eastern Europe lag behind Western Europe in terms of economic development? Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Seldom do you hear an average American complain about Poland or Estonia for not spending enough into defending Europebecause those countries, despite being . Luckily, this blog post will help you to understand some of the differences between these two parts of 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. Most of Europe Is a Lot Poorer than Most of the United States Western Europe (Robinson Project)By Serg!o [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons, 2. Western Europe is home to the oldest living population in the world. Eastern Europe - Wikipedia 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 main differences are the recognition of the pope as the head of the church, and the fact that priests in the Eastern orthodox faith are allowed to marry. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. 47 West Virginia, and not too far above No. And almost no major companies have their headquarters in East Germany. They vary from culture to language, religion, and even government systems. Its language is related to Italian, Spanish, and French, making the Romanians the only Latin people in Eastern Europe. In 1991, per-capita productivity in the former East was less than half (43%) of productivity in the former West. Summary: Despite all of the above, Eastern Europe is still not a poor region. Germany has a higher percentage of its population living in urban areas than any other European Union member state. Learn what is considered Eastern European, view a list of Eastern European countries and discover Eastern Europe religions. In this region may Catholics and Protestant Christians can be seen. 2. Today, both Judaism and the Yiddish language are scarce in this part of the world. For instance, Romanians speak a romance language. Which is mostly Southern Europe and Anatolia (under the Macedonian dynasty at least). Well, it depends on the parameters. Eastern Europe: Most people follow Orthodox Christianity or Islam. 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. Through this article, let us examine the differences further. The most common language spoken is Russian, followed by Polish, Ukrainian, Romanian and Bulgarian. Former East Germany remains economically behind West | Pew Research Center Countries in this region are typically located on the continent of Asia, except for Turkey which lies partly in both Asia and Europe. Amazing how so many refuse to acknowledge how climate and geography go hand and hand with a countrys economic development. The book also reminds us that in a world where there are hostile powers, we really don't want to get rid of spending on improving military technology. Western Europe: Western Europe refers to the western part of 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. Constantinople is now the city of Istanbul in Turkey, and the greatest church of the Eastern Orthodox faith, the Hagia Sophia, is located there. Im simply making the modest yet important argument that Europeans would be more prosperous if the fiscal burden of government wasnt so onerous. Eastern Europes pandemic experience has been dramatically different this autumn. Put another way, people in the former East Germany earned 86% the after-tax income of their West German counterparts in 2017. Up until the beginning of November, the spike in the death rate was largely driven by the Czech Republic. 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. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Cultural Syncretism Definition & Examples | What is Religious Syncretism? 2. Heres another map, concentrating just on Northern Europe. As a quick caveat, its worth noting that theres not a one-to-one link between gross domestic product and actual living standards. In Germany, for example, the average startup team size is only 2.4 people, compared to an . So now I wonder why India, which is by the ocean, has a warm climate, natural wealth, and at the same time is much poorer than those poor Eastern European countries? The highest point in Eastern Europe is Mount Elbrus, which stands at 5642 meters high. 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. Before 1800, Europe had already taken over at least 35 percent of the world, but Britain was just beginning to industrialize. Also, the people in Romania speak a language with romance roots, which is called the Romanian language. People speak languages with Slavic roots. 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. Romanian is a romance language. So that's not the answerit's something else. 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. 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. 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! While its per-capita productivity remains lower than that of West Germany, the former East Germany has made major gains since unification. One thing is clear: eastern Europe exited the first wave at the end of June in much better shape than western Europe. 1. Youll get a better idea of how different cultures influence one another and why its difficult to generalize about either region. The reason . What were the politics and the political context of the economy that resulted in this ability to tax? Albanian forms its own branch of the Indo-European language family. What led you to investigate the global conquests of western Europe? Roman Catholicism - Roman Catholicism is the largest branch of Christianity on Earth. This is probably the biggest reason I prefer Eastern Europe over Western Europe. Made it more difficult for lasting civilizations. When you go back that far, you need to use to use a proxy for human capital. A long line of horse-lords swept west from the steppe into eastern europe, and would generally displace the tribes living there - all the way up to the Mongols. @media (max-width: 1171px) { .sidead300 { margin-left: -20px; } } Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Global Temperature Patterns & The Atmosphere, Atmospheric Moisture, Precipitation & Clouds, Origin and Migrations of Humans and Culture, The Impact of Geography on Language & Culture, The Global Distribution & Characteristics of Soil, Ethical and Political Processes of the Environment, Geography of the Caribbean & Central & South America, Mapping the Physical & Human Characteristics of Europe, Major Landforms in Europe's Different Regions, Geographic Influences on European Migration Patterns, The Creation of Boundaries & Political Divisions in Europe, Influence of Geographic Factors on Politics in Europe, Impact of Resources on the Movement of Products, Capital & People in Europe, Major Climates in Europe's Different Regions, The Distribution of Plants & Animals in Europe, Geography of Australia & the Pacific Islands, Sociology for Teachers: Professional Development, Gerontology for Teachers: Professional Development, UExcel Introduction to Sociology: Study Guide & Test Prep, General Anthropology for Teachers: Professional Development, Counseling Fundamentals for Teachers: Professional Development, American Government Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, Foundations of Education Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, 10th Grade English Curriculum Resource & Lesson Plans, Intro to Political Science Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans, Frankfurt School: Critical Theory & Philosophy, Conscientious Objector: Definition & Status, What is Libertarianism? 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. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Lesley has taught American and World History at the university level for the past seven years. Live Longer: Western Europeans live longer than eastern Europeans.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,100],'questionscity_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_4',117,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-questionscity_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); Smaller House: Eastern Europeans live in smaller houses or apartments compared to western Europeans. Some people include Greece and the Baltic countries, as well. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright 2010-2018 Difference Between. 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. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. | Thomas Sowell. Eastern Europe: Eastern Europe refers to the eastern part of Europe. Make sure to familiarize yourself with our rules and guidelines before participating. The reformation gave way to more literacy, the Protestant work ethic, which resulted in rapid advances in the sciences and technology. 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. But if you look at the US average ($54,629), it obviously is higher than economic output in European nations. Neighbouring Slovakia, on the other hand, imposed stricter measures despite having far fewer cases and deaths. There have been many periods where the Polish/Baltic/Ukraine/Belarus area was very wealthy. September 01, 2015. People speak romance languages and those with Germanic roots as well. 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. 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. Example: 1.56% of Eastern Europeans are atheist. - Definition & Laws, What Is Medicare? The tendency to ignore Eastern Europe in favour of Western Europe is a holdover from the Cold War. succeed. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd. Daily new COVID-19 deaths per million inhabitants, eastern and western Europe. Serbia was especially rich in mineral wealth and with trade from Adriatic to Aegean during the Middle Ages. Communist regimes were politically repressive, and stifled the economic development of the region. Greece is in Eastern Europe. Conclusion paragraph: The differences between Eastern and Western Europe are vast, but there is one important similarity. /r/History is a place for discussions about history. Has Eastern Europe always been poorer than Western Europe, and if so, why? Cheap travel Eastern Europe can be significantly less expensive than Western Europe. The impact of modernization and individualization can be clearly seen in the lifestyles of people. Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Roma, and Turkish are the three Eastern European languages that are not Slavic. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. I love that I get smarter everytime I listen to or read anything from Thomas Sowell. The Western European region is very much advanced in its economy. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Western Europe has the most Nobel Prize, winners. Eastern Europe religion is dominated by the Eastern Orthodox Church. In this video, we will explore the reasons behind the economic gap between Western and Eastern Europe. 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. Roma is the language of the people who used to be called Gypsies (The modern term for gypsies is "Roma."). That comes down to the political costs of raising revenue and a leader's ability to tax. 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. The romance languages form another large branch of the Indo-European languages family. One final comment. Most of the major periods in European history (Middle Ages, Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment), also affected Eastern Europe. Most of the countries in Eastern Europe, including Romania, were never part of the Soviet Union. Manage Settings 10. There's a brain drain. 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). One big factor that's important to the advancement of any defense technology is how much money a political leader can spend. Eastern Europe is more industrialized than Western Europe while Western European countries tend to be wealthier than their eastern counterparts. 2023 Sowell.org. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The political dominance of western Europe was an unexpected outcome and had really big consequences, so I thought: let's explain it. In either case, you'll still be spending money on the military and on military research. Between these two regions, a myriad of differences can be viewed regarding the geographical location, culture, economy, etc. Their situation relative to Western Europe has not become better 70 years after WWII. Communist: The eastern part of the continent has been ruled by communist governments for decades, while the West has had democratic governments for centuries. So as an explanation, industrialization doesn't work. | Thomas Sowell Author: www.youtube.com Post date: 21 yesterday Rating: 3 (1898 reviews) Highest rating: 3 Low rated: 2 Summary: 3. Western Europe is a major tourist attraction with over 100 million visitors per year. Press J to jump to the feed. This tool measures the stringency of efforts to control the virus on a scale of 0-100, with 100 being the most restrictive. 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. and I thought it was because they just freed themselves from communism a few decades ago. Why are countries in eastern Europe poorer than in western Europe crochet cardigan size chart on carolina thunderbirds salary; why is eastern europe poorer than western europe? We live much more better than Latin America, the Middle East, Africa or India for 2.Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? At least if the goal is more economic output and higher living standards. 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 Hagia Sophia is now a mosque. Difference Between Western and Eastern Europe Adjusting for population size, both cases and . Eastern Europe was praised for being exceptional during the first wave of the pandemic. Islam - Islam came to Eastern Europe via the Ottoman Empire. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Even in countries where governments reintroduced relatively strong restrictions in October, such as Slovenia and Lithuania, infections and deaths have remained high throughout November suggesting low compliance with the rules. Has Eastern Europe always been poorer than Western Europe, and - Quora Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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. Using GDP per capita as a measure of both economic output per person and of a countrys standard of living, America is winning quite handsomely. Most of the people who live here speak a Slavic language and belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Eastern and Western hemispheres of the world are vastly different in many ways. 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. Although they may be connected by us all being human beings, there is a lot that separates us as well. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Of course not. Even the Catholic Church held a different view from the eastern church. - Definition, Eligibility & Coverage, What Is Medication Reconciliation? Create a poster, chart, or some other type of graphic organizer that lists and briefly describes the major geographical features of Eastern Europe. Stringency of COVID-19 control measures in eastern and western Europe. 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. Both had one factor significantly holding them back: foreign invaders. Another explanation, described in Jared Diamond's famous book [Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies], is disease. This button displays the currently selected search type. why is eastern europe poorer than western europe? These two regions consist of a large number of countries that enrich the diversity of the two regions. Russias GDP per capita (PPP) was $14,900 as of 2018. These are the countries that are in Eastern Europe: Russia (Partly in Asia). Just take any economic, social map and overlay it with the iron curtain map and you will understand what it's actually about. 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.