why is eastern europe poorer than western europe?

why is eastern europe poorer than western europe?

Western Europe is known for many things, but perhaps most famously it is the home of some of the worlds greatest tourist attractions. | 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. Difference Between Western and Eastern Europe It severely inhibited political and economic development. What are the Five Themes of Geography? I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. Conclusion paragraph: The differences between Eastern and Western Europe are vast, but there is one important similarity. A third of all languages spoken in western Europe are indigenous and not derived from Latin or Greek. Your email address will not be published. But free markets and small government have produced decades of strong growth, and now these places are among the richest places on the planet. Then you have more capital to invest, which allows for . One explanation might be that these countries are victims of their own success. See here for the complete series: I love listening to Dr. Sowell's wonderful explanations for everything. 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. This is why Eastern Europe, in general, is poorer than countries in Western, Central, and Northern Europe. And all of this describes Europe. But something like the smallpox epidemic that ravaged Mexico when the Spanish conquistador Hernn Corts overthrew the Aztec Empire just isn't the whole story of Corts's victory or of Europe's successful colonization of other parts of the world. Western European countries differ from each other in terms of their history, languages, religions, and political systems. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. Although they may be connected by us all being human beings, there is a lot that separates us as well. Western Europe is wealthier than Eastern Europe. Why? - YouTube In the Eastern European countries, the conservative ideas are more prominent in comparison to the Western region. Why Did Western Europe Dominate the Globe? | www.caltech.edu Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The majority of western Europeans live within 50 kilometers (30 miles) from their place of birth. 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. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, which spans roughly 40% of the continent's landmass while accounting for approximately 15% of its total . Mr. Demian Hammock on LinkedIn: Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than 2.Standard of living in Britain was usually poor, Probably OP refers the wealth of the States, not the standard of living of the population (e.g. Why is the Eastern Europe Poorer than the Western Europe?There are many reasons, the main ones are : location (Western Europe discovered new lands, Eastern Europe faced nomads), religion, the ottomans and the communism. 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. 55 chapters | South Asian Countries | Religion, Culture & Countries List. Richer not only than Europe, but even more prosperous than the United States. 525 lessons. The economic model then connected that spending to changes in military technology. 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. I'm thinking the USSR isn't the reason why the non-Balkan east is poor, so from a wider historical perspective, what's the real reason? 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? 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. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. The Differences Between Eastern and Western European Startups But that does not mean the former East and West Germany are on equal economic footing today. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7s6piXiFK-TaMDsKM4I7IS7iaNiyONEM, How Geography Shaped Africa | Thomas Sowell, Why Cultures Are So Different? 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. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. For this reason, the economic situation is not uniform across the region. 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). Im simply making the modest yet important argument that Europeans would be more prosperous if the fiscal burden of government wasnt so onerous. 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. There are over 500 different languages spoken in the region of eastern Europe. Even much of Russia is located in Asia. 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. Eastern Europe: (Still) the Most Crucial of All Challenges Facing the 3. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. 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? This shows that eastern European countries took the opportunity to act quickly. However, over the past 20 years, most of the nations of Eastern Europe have joined the European Union. Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Roma, and Turkish are the three Eastern European languages that are not Slavic. Why was Western Europe more developed than Eastern Europe? I've also been interested in the development of tax systems. Has Eastern Europe always been poorer than Western Europe, and if so, why? Learn what is considered Eastern European, view a list of Eastern European countries and discover Eastern Europe religions. The Western Roman Empire was poorer. 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. In 1991, per-capita productivity in the former East was less than half (43%) of productivity in the former West. Here are some notable geographic features in Easter Europe: Eastern Europe is the easternmost region in Europe. Cases and deaths have not been spread evenly across the region. I mean, as a Brit, I can see how our island had the best of it regarding no land border and access to the sea! Western Europe: More Catholics and Protestant Christians can be seen. Some people include Greece and the Baltic countries, as well. That was a really great question and it got me interested. Why Did Western Europe Dominate the Globe? Love Sowell. And almost no major companies have their headquarters in East Germany. Example: 1.56% of Eastern Europeans are atheist. Also the Danube is a big invasion route from the Black Sea to Germany. 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. Well, Eastern Europe has always been less developed than the Western half. That's because the Black Death was at its peak. 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. 1. Countries in this region are typically located on the continent of Asia, except for Turkey which lies partly in both Asia and Europe. The Byzantium empire which included the Balkans, and Greece were the richest part of Europe prior to Ottoman conquest. 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. 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. And if you prefer direct measures of living standards, then data on consumption from the OECD also shows that America is considerably more prosperous. 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. Hong Kong and Singapore, for instance, used to be poor jurisdictions. The reporter from the Wall Street Journal who shared it remarked that Purple areas are rich as US states. The longest river in the region is the Danube. 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. This has led to higher levels of entrepreneurship in the west while greater collectivism in the east. But if you look at the US average ($54,629), it obviously is higher than economic output in European nations. I understand why it looks that way but that's because of your perspective. 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. why is eastern europe poorer than western europe? New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Austria-Hungary is partially to blame. This is Part 6 of an 8-Part series on Geography and Culture. Sorry anon point already proven . 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. Constantinople is now the city of Istanbul in Turkey, and the greatest church of the Eastern Orthodox faith, the Hagia Sophia, is located there. Well, it depends on the parameters. Countries like Italy, S. Korea, Spain, Portugal and Greece would each rank below Mississippi as the poorest states in the country. However "poverty" refers only to the revenues of States and the level of economic development. If you think about it, you realize that advancements in gunpowder technologywhich are important for conquestarise where political leaders fight using that technology, where they spend huge sums on it, and where they're able to share the resulting advances in that technology. Some of the economic activity in energy-rich states such as North Dakota, for instance, translates into income for shareholders living elsewhere in America. (In all economic statistics in this analysis, Berlin is counted in East Germany, even though the city was divided during communism and is not directly comparable to other parts of East Germany.). 5. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Eastern Europe religion is dominated by the Eastern Orthodox Church. And while 7.5% of East Germans ages 55 to 64 were unemployed in 2018, the share was 5.3% among West Germans in the same age range. Eastern Vs. Western Europe: Which is Best for You? Most of the countries in Eastern Europe, including Romania, were never part of the Soviet Union. This is perhaps one reason why startup teams in Western Europe are much smaller than in Eastern Europe. The head of the Orthodox faith is the Patriarch of Constantinople. Scooby snacks for you! 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. Almost all the Muslims who live in Eastern Europe belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. Amazing how so many refuse to acknowledge how climate and geography go hand and hand with a country's economic development. 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. The countries in western Europe have a more individualistic culture, with people caring about their success. Many of those that survived, emigrated to Israel or the US. It also boasts some of the richest economies in the world with Germany being one of those countries at its forefront. In the former East, 42% of adults say the next generation will be better off, compared with 50% in the West who say this. In the very successful countries, the leaders could impose very heavy taxes and spend huge sums on war. The more they spent, the more chances they had to improve their military technology through trial and error while fighting wars. Additionally, some definitions include Greece as part of Eastern Europe, while others maintain that Greece is, in fact, part of Southern Europe. The Mongols ravaged and destroyed the entirety of the Rus' land for centuries while making the Rus' their slaves. Make a list of at least fifteen countries that are part of Eastern 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. It is difficult to point out the geographical division between the western and eastern regions of Europe although it is believed that the Caucasus Mountains, Ural River and mountain lay the boundary for Eastern Europe. and I thought it was because they just freed themselves from communism a few decades ago. Mark Perry of the American Enterprise Institute has put together some apples-to-apples data suggesting the answer is no. 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. Most Eastern European Jews spoke Yiddish, a language closely-related to German. Many scholars believe that Moldovan is simply a dialect of Romanian, while others believe it is a separate language. 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. Communist regimes were politically repressive, and stifled the economic development of the region. The political dominance of western Europe was an unexpected outcome and had really big consequences, so I thought: let's explain it. 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. The most common language spoken is Russian, followed by Polish, Ukrainian, Romanian and Bulgarian. 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. Romanian is a romance language. 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. We live much more better than Latin America, the Middle East, Africa or India for 2.Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? I am glad that a more vigorous race wasn't here as they would have truly dominated the world! They often wonder if theyre even in the same country when they arrive at their destination! What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. 6. 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. Muslims are a minority in most parts of Europe. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. 2 2. Both regions have different economic structures and political systems. 47 West Virginia, and not too far above No. 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). As its name suggests, Eastern Europe is the eastern part of the European continent. The climate varies greatly from country to country because it encompasses such a large area of land for an area thats not very populated which leads to different types of vegetation across the region. Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms. Spain and Portugal are often included in definitions of Western Europe despite not bordering any other country that belongs to the group. Both regions have a history of being ruled by powerful empires that brought change to the area. By introducing very strict prevention measures early on, countries in the region had significantly fewer COVID-related deaths than their western European counterparts. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Western Europe is home to the oldest living population in the world. Western Europe is a region that includes many countries with diverse populations and cultures. The former East Germany trails the former West in productivity. 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. Eastern Europe | Countries, Geography & Religions - Study.com Things are much better if the conflict concerns something that can be split upsuch as money or land. | Thomas Sowell, What Makes Coastal People So Different? That comes down to the political costs of raising revenue and a leader's ability to tax. The economy is comparatively lower and less stable than in Western Europe. 4. I have been a writer and editor for more than two decades. Greece is in Eastern Europe. Western Europe has the most Nobel Prize, winners. Then you can bargain with your enemies to divvy up whatever you disagree about and you can have something like peace. Up until the beginning of November, the spike in the death rate was largely driven by the Czech Republic. 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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. In Germany, for example, the average startup team size is only 2.4 people, compared to an . 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. Eastern Europe is a term that typically refers to the countries in Eastern and Central Europe, which includes Russia. Understanding why eastern European countries chose to respond differently during the second wave is complicated, though. What led you to investigate the global conquests of western Europe? It seems that at least some countries in the region have learned their lessons. Western Europe: Western Europe is economically more advanced as well as prosperous. 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. Eastern Europes pandemic experience has been dramatically different this autumn. Bohemia and Hungary were also quite powerful, and only the Russian states could be considered poor. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main 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. There is also easier access to mineral resources the further west you go in Europe, so more western regions would develop stronger economies when the Industrial Revolution upped the demand for those resources, while the minerals of the east weren't tapped until later. But if these factors were at play in the first wave, they havent had the same effect in the second. Europe Climate Zones & Classifications | What Is the Climate In 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. Long-run growth matters. Others include Polish, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Slovenian, Croatian, Macedonian, Belorussian, etc. All countries in the region have seen significant increases in cases and deaths. He also serves on the editorial board of the Cayman Financial Review. Differences Between Eastern And Western Europe - QuestionsCity Despite these differences, the former East has narrowed the gap with the former West substantially in recent decades. However, people in both areas work hard with about 40 hours per week spent working (the same amount). Living Standard: Western Europe has higher standards of living than eastern European countries. Germany has a higher percentage of its population living in urban areas than any other European Union member state. 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. The largest country by area in eastern Europe is Russia with 677 thousand square miles. 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 are countries in eastern Europe poorer than in western Europe? 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. The Western European region is very much advanced in its economy. This is a somewhat more serious subreddit compared to many others. [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. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. As always, excellently explained to be easily understood. Eastern Europe was praised for being exceptional during the first wave of the pandemic. 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. For example, that Europe became industrialized more quickly and therefore became wealthier than the rest of the world. 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.

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