Whats the difference between Eastern and Western Europe? Unofficial site of Thomas Sowell, Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? The majority of western Europeans live within 50 kilometers (30 miles) from their place of birth. Although they may be connected by us all being human beings, there is a lot that separates us as well. 3. Excellent point. 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Lets get back to whether people in places such as Denmark (or anywhere else in Europe) enjoy more prosperity than their American counterparts. If we look at the stringency of control measures, we can also see that not all countries acted in the same way. Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Roma, and Turkish are the three Eastern European languages that are not Slavic. In either event, the people of Romania and Moldova are closely related. We can see from the next graph that, at the same time in the spring, the two regions introduced measures that were similarly strict. From the Eiffel Tower in Paris to The Great Wall Of China, these landmarks are instantly recognizable and attract millions of visitors each year. A third of all languages spoken in western Europe are indigenous and not derived from Latin or Greek. The largest country by area in eastern Europe is Russia with 677 thousand square miles. The way to think of Europe is that it is a big collection of peninsulas jutting out from Asia. 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. What kinds of factors are included in this model? 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. All countries in the region have seen significant increases in cases and deaths. 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. Conclusion paragraph: The differences between Eastern and Western Europe are vast, but there is one important similarity. Many of the countries of Eastern Europe did not exist before the 20th century. Almost all the Muslims who live in Eastern Europe belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. I think the main reason is that Europe is . 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. Great work Dr. Sowell. Central and East Europe were simply geographically unfortunate as wave after wave of immigrants and invaders moved through the region from China and were stopped before they made it into W Europe. Eastern Europe: (Still) the Most Crucial of All Challenges Facing the 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. 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. 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. 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. Serbia was especially rich in mineral wealth and with trade from Adriatic to Aegean during the Middle Ages. Here are some notable geographic features in Easter Europe: Eastern Europe is the easternmost region in Europe. Bohemia (Czech lands) was one of the biggest and most developed economic centers of the Holy Roman Empire. 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. Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Slovenians, Hungarians, Croats, and a few others in Eastern Europe are traditionally Catholic. Map of the spread of Catholicism and the Eastern orthodox faith. 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). An error occurred trying to load this video. Oxford COVID-19 government response tracker, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee, PhD Scholarship - Uncle Isaac Brown Indigenous Scholarship. 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. For instance, Romanians speak a romance language. 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. All findings are based on data from the German governments 2019 report, as well as the Centers recent survey. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Nordstream pipeline story is not over | Fox News' Tucker Carlson asks 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. 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. Were Gaining Vitality on Key Measures, 60% of Americans Would Be Uncomfortable With Provider Relying on AI in Their Own Health Care, Gender pay gap in U.S. hasnt changed much in two decades. 8. They are languages that descend from Latin, the language of the Romans. Why are Eastern European men so much better than western men? - Quora Answer (1 of 107): If you had a world atlas in 1350, you'd see an apocalyptic wasteland where Western Europe is now. 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. @media (max-width: 1171px) { .sidead300 { margin-left: -20px; } } 2 2. However, people in both areas work hard with about 40 hours per week spent working (the same amount). 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. And almost no major companies have their headquarters in East Germany. 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! 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. Why Did Western Europe Dominate the Globe? South Asian Countries | Religion, Culture & Countries List. It is related to Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese. But exploring Soviet-era Eastern Europe is not even half the story. You also have more free time to learn other skills and trades. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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. Europe's economic crisis has thrown into relief the economic disparity between the Continent's richer, northern half and its poorer . Most of the Jews who live in the United States are the descendants of people who once lived in Eastern Europe. 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. 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. Both had one factor significantly holding them back: foreign invaders. | Thomas Sowell. Authors compilation. /r/History is a place for discussions about history. The following blog post will discuss some common misconceptions about Eastern Europeans and provide insight into their culture based upon personal experience living there for an extended time. Made it more difficult for lasting civilizations. Greeks, Russians, Ukrainians, Belorussians, Bulgarians, Serbs, and a few others are traditionally Orthodox Christians. However, people in both areas work hard with about 40 hours per week spent working (the same amount). Why are countries in eastern Europe poorer than in western Europe? Roma is the language of the people who used to be called Gypsies (The modern term for gypsies is "Roma."). Why are Eastern European countries colder than Northern ones? At least if the goal is more economic output and higher living standards. 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Put another way, people in the former East Germany earned 86% the after-tax income of their West German counterparts in 2017. Former East Germany remains economically behind West | Pew Research Center 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 Europe is home to a number of mountain ranges, including the Musala, the region's tallest mountain. SUU Macroblog - A Living Textbook: Why Is Eastern Europe Poorer? Luckily, this blog post will help you to understand some of the differences between these two parts of Europe. They have distinct cultures, languages, traditions, and cuisine. By introducing very strict prevention measures early on, countries in the region had significantly fewer COVID-related deaths than their western European counterparts. 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. Despite these differences, the former East has narrowed the . And I mean apocalyptic. Europe Climate Zones & Classifications | What Is the Climate In Europe? The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Most Slavic languages use the Cyrillic alphabet. The political dominance of western Europe was an unexpected outcome and had really big consequences, so I thought: let's explain it. Western Europe is home to the oldest living population in the world. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? | Thomas Sowell Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal. The Romanian language consists of 75% Latin, 20% Dacian and 5% Slavic. Through this article, let us examine the differences further. Language spoken in most eastern European countries includes Russian and Ukrainian. Create a poster, chart, or some other type of graphic organizer that lists and briefly describes the major geographical features of Eastern Europe. Also the Danube is a big invasion route from the Black Sea to Germany. Things are much better if the conflict concerns something that can be split upsuch as money or land. In either case, you'll still be spending money on the military and on military research. Therefore, do not misunderstand the information. Before that point, Western and Eastern Europe were relatively similar in prosperity. Christianity is the main religion in Eastern Europe. Western Europe refers to the western part of Europe. | Thomas Sowell, What Makes Coastal People So Different? It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Lesley has taught American and World History at the university level for the past seven years. The division of the Roman Empire occurred partially as a result of economic differences. Eastern Europe was praised for being exceptional during the first wave of the pandemic. Of course not. Western Europe has the most Nobel Prize, winners. One explanation might be that these countries are victims of their own success. 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. Has Eastern Europe always been poorer than Western Europe, and if so, why? Monotheism Overview & Examples | What is Monotheistic Religion? Western Europe: Western Europe refers to the western part of Europe. 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. Spain and Portugal are often included in definitions of Western Europe despite not bordering any other country that belongs to the group. Slovenia is the latest country in eastern Europe to carry out extensive tests in an effort to prove that multinational companies have been fobbing off eastern consumers with poorer-quality . In this video, we will explore the reasons behind the economic gap between Western and Eastern Europe. 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. The Netherlands is the country with the most time off in the world. 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. For that to happen, the countries have to be small and close to one another. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. 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). | Thomas Sowell 6,459 views Aug 4, 2022 Thomas Sowell Explains how geographical differences between Eastern and Western Europe played a key. Communist regimes were politically repressive, and stifled the economic development of the region. 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. I am glad that a more vigorous race wasn't here as they would have truly dominated the world! All rights reserved. [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. Today, both Judaism and the Yiddish language are scarce in this part of the world. Most of the major periods in European history (Middle Ages, Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment), also affected Eastern Europe. 55 chapters | People speak languages with Slavic roots. By comparison, disposable income in the former West Germany was 23,283 a year, or about $26,300. 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. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. Others include Polish, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Slovenian, Croatian, Macedonian, Belorussian, etc. Im simply making the modest yet important argument that Europeans would be more prosperous if the fiscal burden of government wasnt so onerous. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7s6piXiFK-TaMDsKM4I7IS7iaNiyONEM, How Geography Shaped Africa | Thomas Sowell, Why Cultures Are So Different? Eastern Europe: Most people follow Orthodox Christianity or Islam. Many theories purport to explain how the West became dominant. Fox News' Tucker Carlson asks what Attorney General Merrick Garland is doing in Ukraine, and wonders why no one cares about what happened to the Nordstream pipeline. I wrote previouslythat many European nations are doomed bydemographics tofiscal chaos, but a lot of people dont care that much about the future. Productivity in the East, in other words, was 75% of productivity in the West on a per-capita basis. I'm from Balkan, we have to translate Thomas Sowell in albanian, serbo-croatian, bullgarian, rumunian, greec .. 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. Eastern Europe: Eastern Europe is comparatively less advanced regarding the economy. Youll get a better idea of how different cultures influence one another and why its difficult to generalize about either region.