why is eastern europe poorer than western europe?

Ukraine was the home and originator of "Rus" civilization pre-Mongol conquest with Kiev being a strong city when Moscow was a backwater. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. In the very successful countries, the leaders could impose very heavy taxes and spend huge sums on war. Spain has more high-speed rail tracks than any other European country. Living Standard: Western Europe has higher standards of living than eastern European countries. Great video. In the former East, 42% of adults say the next generation will be better off, compared with 50% in the West who say this. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. While each country in Western Europe has its unique landscapes, cultures, and traditions, all share a common history that can be traced back thousands of years ago when Rome was at its height. 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. One thing is clear: eastern Europe exited the first wave at the end of June in much better shape than 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. Philip Hoffman, Rea A. and Lela G. Axline Professor of Business Economics and Professor of History, Credit: Courtesy of Philip Hoffman/Caltech, Click here to open the "Quick Links" submenu, Click here to open the "Research" Submenu, Click here to open the "Academics" Submenu, Click here to open the "Admissions & Aid" Submenu, Click here to open the "Campus Life & Events" Submenu, Technology Transfer & Corporate Partnerships, Hundreds of Copies of Newton's Principia Found in New Census. 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, over the past 20 years, most of the nations of Eastern Europe have joined the European Union. 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. Speaking of European prosperity, heres a fascinating map I saw on Twitter. 10. The Netherlands is the country with the most time off in the world. 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. 9. The more they spent, the more chances they had to improve their military technology through trial and error while fighting wars. Our World in Data COVID-19 Dataset. Constantinople is now the city of Istanbul in Turkey, and the greatest church of the Eastern Orthodox faith, the Hagia Sophia, is located there. Hungarian is a Finno-Ugric language that is distantly related to Finnish and Estonian. 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? The head of the Orthodox faith is the Patriarch of Constantinople. In 2017, the most recent year for which data is available, per-capita disposable income was 19,909 per year in the former East Germany the equivalent of about $22,500 based on the average euro-to-dollar exchange rate that year. 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. 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. 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. Even before the Holocaust, Jews faced terrible discrimination from the Christian-majority populations in which they lived. Countries like Italy, S. Korea, Spain, Portugal and Greece would each rank below Mississippi as the poorest states in the country. (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.). 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. Your email address will not be published. A thousand years ago, no one would have ever expected that result, for at that point western Europe was hopelessly backward. People speak romance languages and those with Germanic roots as well. See here for the complete series: I love listening to Dr. Sowell's wonderful explanations for everything. Their situation relative to Western Europe has not become better 70 years after WWII. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. By comparison, disposable income in the former West Germany was 23,283 a year, or about $26,300. This is perhaps one reason why startup teams in Western Europe are much smaller than in Eastern Europe. Lets get back to whether people in places such as Denmark (or anywhere else in Europe) enjoy more prosperity than their American counterparts. Of course not. Therefore, the simplest explanation for why eastern Europe initially fared much better is that it had a head start. When it's easier to travel and grow food, it's easier to sell the food at a greater. And if you prefer direct measures of living standards, then data on consumption from the OECD also shows that America is considerably more prosperous. Unemployment is persistently higher in the former East Germany than in the former West. Why did Eastern Europe lag behind Western Europe in terms of economic development? That's because the Black Death was at its peak. Then you have more capital to invest, which allows for growth of the countrys industry. Where is Eastern Europe? - Definition & Laws, What Is Medicare? 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. Continue with Recommended Cookies. 5. Most of the Jews who live in the United States are the descendants of people who once lived in Eastern Europe. We spoke with him recently about his research interests and what led him to study this particular topic. The highest point in Eastern Europe is Mount Elbrus, which stands at 5642 meters high. This is interesting because it shows that the wealth divide between Eastern and Western Europe existed long before the modern era. It shows that in between the two waves, the east relaxed its measures further than the west, and was then less eager in reimposing them. Up until the beginning of November, the spike in the death rate was largely driven by the Czech Republic. For most of the Middle Ages, the West was dirt poor, and the real money was in the east. They have distinct cultures, languages, traditions, and cuisine. Amazing how so many refuse to acknowledge how climate and geography go hand and hand with a countrys economic development. The governments report points to several possible factors for the worse economic conditions in East Germany, including the lack of major companies headquartered there. 2. ), See also: How the attitudes of West and East Germans compare, 30 years after fall of Berlin Wall. 2. Also the Danube is a big invasion route from the Black Sea to Germany. Nationalism, therefore, was an important element in the culture of Eastern Europe for a long time, sometimes leading to major wars. Until 1991, the Soviet Union controlled everything from the Bering Strait to the Rhine. Western Europe refers to the western part of Europe. Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Roma, and Turkish are the three Eastern European languages that are not Slavic. Unofficial site of Thomas Sowell, Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. It also boasts some of the richest economies in the world with Germany being one of those countries at its forefront. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Historically, the culture of Eastern Europe has been closely linked to the history of the rest of the continent. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7s6piXiFK-TaMDsKM4I7IS7iaNiyONEM, How Geography Shaped Africa | Thomas Sowell, Why Cultures Are So Different? I understand why it looks that way but that's because of your perspective. David has taught Honors Physics, AP Physics, IB Physics and general science courses. 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. Countries in this region are typically located on the continent of Asia, except for Turkey which lies partly in both Asia and Europe. 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. The reason . Christianity is the main religion in Eastern Europe. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Answer (1 of 7): The time lapse. There's a brain drain. East-West differences in unemployment rates cut across demographic lines including age and gender. 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). Some people include Greece and the Baltic countries, as well. It's just fascinating. Western Europe (Robinson Project)By Serg!o [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons, 2. Others include Polish, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Slovenian, Croatian, Macedonian, Belorussian, etc. 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. 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. 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. 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. So more spending would not only mean greater odds of victory over an enemy, but more rapid change in military technology. There are over 500 different languages spoken in the region of eastern Europe. More specifically, the Eastern orthodox Church is the branch of Christianity with the largest number of adherents in this region. Make a list of at least fifteen countries that are part of Eastern Europe. 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). Many East German businesses are part of western German or foreign corporations.. 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. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. For example, how did states get the ability to impose heavy taxes? It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. This button displays the currently selected search type. 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. 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. Why are countries in eastern Europe poorer than in western Europe? 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. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. However "poverty" refers only to the revenues of States and the level of economic development. why is eastern europe poorer than western europe? 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). This is why Eastern Europe, in general, is poorer than countries in Western, Central, and Northern Europe. | 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. Made it more difficult for lasting civilizations. Breathtaking nature Last, but definitely not least, nature in Eastern Europe is stunning. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Between these two regions, a myriad of differences can be viewed regarding the geographical location, culture, economy, etc. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Western Europe has l. Hello and welcome to our channel. 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. This is Part 6 of an 8-Part series on Geography and Culture. Austria-Hungary is partially to blame. 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. | Thomas Sowell 6,459 views Aug 4, 2022 Thomas Sowell Explains how geographical differences between Eastern and Western Europe played a key. 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. This tool measures the stringency of efforts to control the virus on a scale of 0-100, with 100 being the most restrictive. 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. 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. The key difference between Western and Eastern Europe is that the name Eastern Europe is used to refer to all European countries that were previously ruled by communist regimes while the name Western Europe refers to the more economically stable and developed Western countries. 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. 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. Through this article, let us examine the differences further. Germans in both areas say living standards in the former East have not yet caught up with those in the former West. You have been on the Caltech faculty for more than 30 years. None of this suggests that policy in America is ideal (it isnt) or that European nations are failures (they still rank among the wealthiest places on the planet). Daily new COVID-19 deaths per million inhabitants, second wave, eastern Europe. Whats the difference between Eastern and Western Europe?