why is eastern europe poorer than western europe?

The highest mountain in eastern Europe is Mount Elbrus, which stands at 18,510 feet tall. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Germans in both areas say living standards in the former East have not yet caught up with those in the former West. Serbia was especially rich in mineral wealth and with trade from Adriatic to Aegean during the Middle Ages. 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. This tool measures the stringency of efforts to control the virus on a scale of 0-100, with 100 being the most restrictive. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd. Daily new COVID-19 deaths per million inhabitants, eastern and western Europe. The spending on war gave leaders a chance to try out new weapons, new armed ships, and new tactics, and to learn from mistakes on the battlefield. - 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. 6. ), See also: How the attitudes of West and East Germans compare, 30 years after fall of Berlin Wall. Western Europe is a major tourist attraction with over 100 million visitors per year. And almost no major companies have their headquarters in East Germany. This set Russia back quite a bit in a number of ways. 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. Cross-posted from the International Libertyblog. Create a poster, chart, or some other type of graphic organizer that lists and briefly describes the major geographical features of Eastern Europe. People in the former East Germany earn less than their counterparts in the former West. September 01, 2015. The Hagia Sophia is now a mosque. Both had one factor significantly holding them back: foreign invaders. Mark Perry of the American Enterprise Institute has put together some apples-to-apples data suggesting the answer is no. | 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. The rest of Europe at that time was really no wealthier than China, the Middle East, or South Asia. Unofficial site of Thomas Sowell, Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? 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. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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. I have been a writer and editor for more than two decades. The Byzantium empire which included the Balkans, and Greece were the richest part of Europe prior to Ottoman conquest. What explains this reluctance to reintroduce restrictions? Poland and eastern europe (as well as parts of Germany) did not have the higher level of urbanism at this time as in comparison with some Celtic Gallic settlements, which were in many ways already integrated into the Roman trade network in the case of southern Gaul. Eastern Europe: Eastern Europe refers to the eastern part of Europe. Dude, the question literally asks if eastern Europe was always poorer than western europe. Bernie Sanders, for instance, looks at nations such as Denmark and Sweden today and says that America should copy their expansive welfare states. Historically, the culture of Eastern Europe has been closely linked to the history of the rest of the continent. All of the countries of Western and Northern Europe are very close to the ocean, and largely surrounded by it. Most of the major periods in European history (Middle Ages, Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment), also affected Eastern Europe. But Im digressing. 3. 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. But if these factors were at play in the first wave, they havent had the same effect in the second. Its easternmost border is the Ural mountains. 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. 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 and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Monotheism Overview & Examples | What is Monotheistic Religion? And all of this describes Europe. You havent even mentioned socialism and central managed economies, the truth is that a lot of these countries were pretty 'rich' before ww2. Bohemia (Czech lands) was one of the biggest and most developed economic centers of the Holy Roman Empire. Neighbouring Slovakia, on the other hand, imposed stricter measures despite having far fewer cases and deaths. So as an explanation, industrialization doesn't work. Importantly, however, there have been major differences within eastern Europe too. Despite these differences, the former East has narrowed the gap with the former West substantially in recent decades. You want areas that produce finished products that are part of external trade systems. The impact of modernization and individualization can be clearly seen in the lifestyles of people. It can be further subdivided into four sub-regions: Northern Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Southern Europe. The 2018 version of the report is available here in English. 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA 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. However, Poles, Croats, and other Catholic Slavs use the Latin alphabet (the same alphabet used by English). Sorry anon point already proven . Continue with Recommended Cookies. 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. In eastern European cultures, there is an emphasis on family and community life. Learn what is considered Eastern European, view a list of Eastern European countries and discover Eastern Europe religions. Then you have more capital to invest, which allows for growth of the countrys industry. 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. Greece is located in south-east Europe! Which is mostly Southern Europe and Anatolia (under the Macedonian dynasty at least). The economy is comparatively lower and less stable than in Western Europe. 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. 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. crochet cardigan size chart on carolina thunderbirds salary; why is eastern europe poorer than western europe? Stringency of COVID-19 control measures in eastern and 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. The continent of Europe can be divided into two regions as the western and eastern Europe. Eastern Europe is home to a number of mountain ranges, including the Musala, the region's tallest mountain. 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. Definitions of Western and Eastern Europe: Characteristics of Western and Eastern Europe: Difference Between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Difference Between Commonwealth and Protectorate. Just take any economic, social map and overlay it with the iron curtain map and you will understand what it's actually about. What can we learn from the differences between Eastern and Western Europe? 10. I feel like its a lifeline. You have been on the Caltech faculty for more than 30 years. You can refer to the lesson, but try to recall as many from memory as you can. 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. Bohemia and Hungary were also quite powerful, and only the Russian states could be considered poor. 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. Moldova is an independent nation that was once part of the Soviet Union. 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 economic model then connected that spending to changes in military technology. There are many different religions practiced in eastern European countries, including Christianity and Islam. The standard of living of the population until the mid 19th century was about the same. Higher Percentage: Theres a higher percentage of people living in poverty in eastern Europe than there is in western Europe.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'questionscity_com-leader-1','ezslot_3',116,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-questionscity_com-leader-1-0'); Unemployment Rate: Unemployment rates are much higher in eastern Europe. Things are much better if the conflict concerns something that can be split upsuch as money or land. From the Reformation to the 20th century. Manage Settings Both regions have a history of being ruled by powerful empires that brought change to the area. Yes, there are lots of conventional explanationsindustrialization, for examplebut on closer inspection they all fall apart. However, people in both areas work hard with about 40 hours per week spent working (the same amount). Eastern Europe is generally poorer than Western Europe. 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. Great video. See here for the complete series: I love listening to Dr. Sowell's wonderful explanations for everything. The Eastern Europeans developed their "taste" to the Western ways of life during the communist era around the 1970's 80's, based on stereotypes in films or on the rare visits Clean streets, orderly suburbs, homogenous (mainly white) population, comfortable life,. Its clear that these two regions hold many similarities as well as some stark contrasts; it will be interesting to see what changes occur over the next few years. We can also compare how restrictive the two regions disease-prevention measures were during the first wave using the Oxford COVID-19 government response tracker (OxCGRT). The reason . As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. This is a somewhat more serious subreddit compared to many others. 1. How is your theory different? But if you look at the US average ($54,629), it obviously is higher than economic output in European nations. When you go back that far, you need to use to use a proxy for human capital. In fact, the Ottomans once controlled a large chunk of this region. 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 longest river in the region is the Danube. For Western Europe, it was the Scandinavian Vikings who preyed upon river cities and traffic. 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. 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. 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. The Polish Lithuanian commonwealth was extremely powerful and wealthy by controling the rivers and by extension farmland and trade between Baltic and Black Seas. 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. However "poverty" refers only to the revenues of States and the level of economic development. They are found in their highest numbers in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Albania. Excellent point. 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. 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. 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. Most of the countries in Eastern Europe, including Romania, were never part of the Soviet Union. Eastern Europe refers to the eastern part of Europe. For example, that Europe became industrialized more quickly and therefore became wealthier than the rest of the world. 4. But that does not mean the former East and West Germany are on equal economic footing today. 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. 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. Example: Much of Eastern Europe's population has Russian ancestry. Communist regimes were politically repressive, and stifled the economic development of the region. Scooby snacks for you! 6. 5. | Thomas Sowell, What Makes Coastal People So Different? There have been many periods where the Polish/Baltic/Ukraine/Belarus area was very wealthy. Look again at the second graph above. In the very successful countries, the leaders could impose very heavy taxes and spend huge sums on war. You also have more free time to learn other skills and trades. | Thomas Sowell. /r/History is a place for discussions about history. Additionally, some definitions include Greece as part of Eastern Europe, while others maintain that Greece is, in fact, part of Southern Europe. 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. Their situation relative to Western Europe has not become better 70 years after WWII. This button displays the currently selected search type. But exploring Soviet-era Eastern Europe is not even half the story. Personally, I would much rather see expenditures devoted to infrastructure, or scientific research, or free preschool for everybodythings that would carry big economic benefitsbut in this world, I don't think you can stop doing military research or spending money on the military. Spain has more high-speed rail tracks than any other European country. | Thomas Sowell. 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). The countries in western Europe have a more individualistic culture, with people caring about their success. 8. The highest point in Eastern Europe is Mount Elbrus, which stands at 5642 meters high. Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Roma, and Turkish are the three Eastern European languages that are not Slavic. As always, excellently explained to be easily understood. Romania is probably the most unusual country in this region. People speak languages with Slavic roots. Due to its Communist history, language barrier, poor infrastructure, poverty and just overall bad reputation, Eastern Europe has managed to deter the hoards of annoying tourists that are plaguing Western Europe. The capital of Romania is Bucharest, a city with approximately 1.8 million people. A head start in the first wave. Constantinople is now the city of Istanbul in Turkey, and the greatest church of the Eastern Orthodox faith, the Hagia Sophia, is located there. 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 Author: www.youtube.com Post date: 21 yesterday Rating: 3 (1898 reviews) Highest rating: 3 Low rated: 2 Summary: 3. Unemployment is persistently higher in the former East Germany than in the former West. 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. That's because the Black Death was at its peak. Western Europe has the most Nobel Prize, winners. Amazing how so many refuse to acknowledge how climate and geography go hand and hand with a countrys economic development. With so much diversity within this region, its easy to see why people from around the globe flock here every year. Where Eastern Europe begins, however, is a matter of opinion. 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.