The standard of living of the population until the mid 19th century was about the same. It severely inhibited political and economic development. Put another way, people in the former East Germany earned 86% the after-tax income of their West German counterparts in 2017. Answer (1 of 7): The time lapse. 2. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. I have been a writer and editor for more than two decades. The Slavic languages form a large branch of the Indo-European language family. Manage Settings I've looked at changes in technology that influence agriculture, and I've studied the development of financial markets, and in between those two, I was also studying why financial crises occur. Even before the Holocaust, Jews faced terrible discrimination from the Christian-majority populations in which they lived. Dude, the question literally asks if eastern Europe was always poorer than western europe. 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. In the very successful countries, the leaders could impose very heavy taxes and spend huge sums on war. Then you have more capital to invest, which allows for growth of the countrys industry. The more they spent, the more chances they had to improve their military technology through trial and error while fighting wars. What countries make up Eastern Europe? Judaism - Eastern European Jews once numbered in the millions; however, they were nearly wiped out during the Holocaust. Hong Kong and Singapore, for instance, used to be poor jurisdictions. Communist: The eastern part of the continent has been ruled by communist governments for decades, while the West has had democratic governments for centuries. But free markets and small government have produced decades of strong growth, and now these places are among the richest places on the planet. Language spoken in most eastern European countries includes Russian and Ukrainian. In the early 2000s, the unemployment rate was about 10 percentage points higher in the former East than in the former West nearly five times the gap in 2018. Ukraine was the home and originator of "Rus" civilization pre-Mongol conquest with Kiev being a strong city when Moscow was a backwater. 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. Living Standard: Western Europe has higher standards of living than eastern European countries. idc abour other guys i have a fat cock and im not afraid to shove it down ur skinny bitch throat Long-run growth matters. Around three-quarters of people in the former East Germany (74%) and around two-thirds of those in the former West (66%) say the East still has not achieved the same living standards as the West, according to the Centers recent survey, which was conducted among representative samples of adults in both areas as part of a larger study of Europe. Has Eastern Europe always been poorer than Western Europe, and if so, why? However, if we look back at the death rates of the two regions in the graph above, its clear that eastern European countries introduced restrictions when experiencing far fewer cases and deaths. Albanian forms its own branch of the Indo-European language family. The highest mountain in eastern Europe is Mount Elbrus, which stands at 18,510 feet tall. 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. The continent of Europe can be divided into two regions as the western and eastern Europe. Why are countries in eastern Europe poorer than in western Europe? The longest river in the region is the Danube. 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. 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. Things are much better if the conflict concerns something that can be split upsuch as money or land. 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. 47 West Virginia, and not too far above No. South Asian Countries | Religion, Culture & Countries List. | Thomas Sowell. With so much diversity within this region, its easy to see why people from around the globe flock here every year. Germany has a higher percentage of its population living in urban areas than any other European Union member state. Most of the countries in Eastern Europe, including Romania, were never part of the Soviet Union. Please do not edit the piece, ensure that you attribute the author and mention that this article was originally published on FEE.org, Living Standards Are Markedly Higher in the United States, are doomed bydemographics tofiscal chaos, America should copy their expansive welfare states. The theology of the Eastern Orthodox faith is very similar to the theology of the Catholic religion. And all of this describes Europe. 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. Hungarian is a Finno-Ugric language that is distantly related to Finnish and Estonian. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. This is probably the biggest reason I prefer Eastern Europe over Western Europe. 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. Neighbouring Slovakia, on the other hand, imposed stricter measures despite having far fewer cases and deaths. They vary from culture to language, religion, and even government systems. Eastern Europe was praised for being exceptional during the first wave of the pandemic. Between these two regions, a myriad of differences can be viewed regarding the geographical location, culture, economy, etc. It can be further subdivided into four sub-regions: Northern Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Southern 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. 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. This set Russia back quite a bit in a number of ways. The impact of modernization and individualization can be clearly seen in the lifestyles of people. As its name suggests, Eastern Europe is the eastern part of the European continent. You havent even mentioned socialism and central managed economies, the truth is that a lot of these countries were pretty 'rich' before ww2. By introducing very strict prevention measures early on, countries in the region had significantly fewer COVID-related deaths than their western European counterparts.. Your email address will not be published. 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. They were part of large empires, such as the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian empires. Western Europe has the most Nobel Prize, winners. However, over the past 20 years, most of the nations of Eastern Europe have joined the . Most people in western Europe speak at least two languages, one of which will be English. It is followed by a brief description of the four major religions in the region. Almost all the Muslims who live in Eastern Europe belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. 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. 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. The majority of western Europeans live within 50 kilometers (30 miles) from their place of birth. Along with the inventions of the industrial revolution, countries have been able to gain a high economic development rate. Being dominated for centuries has led to lingering inequality and long-lasting effects in many formerly colonized countries, including poverty and slow economic growth. Eastern Europe is home to a number of mountain ranges, including the Musala, the region's tallest mountain. Therefore, do not misunderstand the information. Christianity History & Location | How Did Christianity Spread? The governments report points to several possible factors for the worse economic conditions in East Germany, including the lack of major companies headquartered there. /r/History is a place for discussions about history. It is related to Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese. 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. Great work Dr. Sowell. Europe's economic crisis has thrown into relief the economic disparity between the Continent's richer, northern half and its poorer . One final comment. Many of those that survived, emigrated to Israel or the US. 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. 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. Thanks! Luckily, this blog post will help you to understand some of the differences between these two parts of Europe. What kinds of factors are included in this model? All findings are based on data from the German governments 2019 report, as well as the Centers recent survey. 5. See less Comments Western Europe: More Catholics and Protestant Christians can be seen. I love that I get smarter everytime I listen to or read anything from Thomas Sowell. Map of the spread of Catholicism and the Eastern orthodox faith. By the way, the economy in some eastern European countries (Poland, Romania and Hungary) is relatively close to the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese or Scandinavian countries economy. Why did Eastern Europe lag behind Western Europe in terms of economic development? 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. The head of the Orthodox faith is the Patriarch of Constantinople. Look again at the second graph above. Some argued that this was because of economics: that eastern European countries locked down early because they feared their economies would not be able to handle many people getting sick. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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. Most Eastern European Jews spoke Yiddish, a language closely-related to German. Moldova is an independent nation that was once part of the Soviet Union. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main Many theories purport to explain how the West became dominant. Many East German businesses are part of western German or foreign corporations.. Which is mostly Southern Europe and Anatolia (under the Macedonian dynasty at least). 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. Summary: Despite all of the above, Eastern Europe is still not a poor region. Breathtaking nature Last, but definitely not least, nature in Eastern Europe is stunning. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. 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. All of the countries of Western and Northern Europe are very close to the ocean, and largely surrounded by it. You want areas that produce finished products that are part of external trade systems. Greece is in Eastern Europe. Daily new COVID-19 deaths per million inhabitants, second wave, eastern Europe. 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? Eastern Europe: Eastern Europe is comparatively less advanced regarding the economy. The Netherlands is the country with the most time off in the world. Example: 1.56% of Eastern Europeans are atheist. Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Roma, and Turkish are the three Eastern European languages that are not Slavic. Seldom do you hear an average American complain about Poland or Estonia for not spending enough into defending Europebecause those countries, despite being . 7. These differences between eastern and western Europe will help you understand the magnitude of these differences better than before.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'questionscity_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_5',109,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-questionscity_com-medrectangle-4-0'); Western and Eastern Europe are on opposite sides of the continent. We spoke with him recently about his research interests and what led him to study this particular topic. 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. This One Major Factor Makes Germany Richer Than Italy. In the former East, 42% of adults say the next generation will be better off, compared with 50% in the West who say this. Constantinople is now the city of Istanbul in Turkey, and the greatest church of the Eastern Orthodox faith, the Hagia Sophia, is located there. The Western Roman Empire was poorer. Oxford COVID-19 government response tracker, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee, PhD Scholarship - Uncle Isaac Brown Indigenous Scholarship. 3. 6. 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. 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. David has taught Honors Physics, AP Physics, IB Physics and general science courses. While its per-capita productivity remains lower than that of West Germany, the former East Germany has made major gains since unification. Western Europe is home to the oldest living population in the world. For Western Europe, it was the Scandinavian Vikings who preyed upon river cities and traffic. It's just fascinating. Adjusting for population size, both cases and . An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The most widely-spoken Slavic language is Russian. This is a problem in an age of common migration because the educated and talented are migrating from Eastern to Western Europe. Those improvements can help at times when wars are necessaryfor instance, when we are fighting against enemies with whom we cannot negotiate. They are languages that descend from Latin, the language of the Romans. @media (max-width: 1171px) { .sidead300 { margin-left: -20px; } }
Im simply making the modest yet important argument that Europeans would be more prosperous if the fiscal burden of government wasnt so onerous. Being dominated for centuries has led to lingering inequality and long-lasting effects in many formerly colonized . The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Great video. Here is an Eastern Europe religion map that depicts the split of Christianity after the Great Schism of 1054. Understanding why eastern European countries chose to respond differently during the second wave is complicated, though. 525 lessons. In 2018, the average unemployment rate was 6.9% in the six states of the former East Germany, compared with 4.8% in the 10 states of the former West Germany. Stringency of COVID-19 restrictions, second wave, eastern Europe. The reason . You dont become wealthy by attacking and taking over subsistence farmers. An important factor was also the raids of nomads from the steppes, ravaged Eastern Europe. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Transport, accommodation and food tend to take a smaller bite out of your wallet, without compromising on history, culture, and experience. In eastern European cultures, there is an emphasis on family and community life. There are some exceptions, however. Yes, there are lots of conventional explanationsindustrialization, for examplebut on closer inspection they all fall apart. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd. Daily new COVID-19 deaths per million inhabitants, eastern and western Europe. The Romanian language consists of 75% Latin, 20% Dacian and 5% Slavic. This shows that eastern European countries took the opportunity to act quickly. wu tang clan concert 2021; beauty and the beast symbolic interactionism We live much more better than Latin America, the Middle East, Africa or India for 2.Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Western Europe? Nationalism, therefore, was an important element in the culture of Eastern Europe for a long time, sometimes leading to major wars. There is a very important ocean . What explains this reluctance to reintroduce restrictions? Love Sowell. Authors compilation. Therefore, the simplest explanation for why eastern Europe initially fared much better is that it had a head start. Communist regimes were politically repressive, and stifled the economic development of the region. Eastern Europe: Most people follow Orthodox Christianity or Islam. Today, not a single east German company is listed on the DAX-30, the nations leading stock exchange index, the report notes. What were the politics and the political context of the economy that resulted in this ability to tax? 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. 2 2. A thousand years ago, no one would have ever expected that result, for at that point western Europe was hopelessly backward. The vast majority of people in Eastern Europe speak a Slavic language. 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. 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. 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.
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. | Thomas Sowell 6,459 views Aug 4, 2022 Thomas Sowell Explains how geographical differences between Eastern and Western Europe played a key. 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. Eastern Europe is generally poorer than Western Europe. Eastern-Europe-map2 by CrazyPhunk self-made based upon: Image:Eastern-Europe-map2.png. It also includes some of the Balkan nations. Conclusion paragraph: The differences between Eastern and Western Europe are vast, but there is one important similarity. Definitions of Western and Eastern Europe: Characteristics of Western and Eastern Europe: Difference Between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Difference Between Commonwealth and Protectorate. 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? 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! It's 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"). Heres another map, concentrating just on Northern Europe. 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? Eastern Europe: Eastern Europe refers to the eastern part of Europe. Generally speaking, Slavic languages that use the Cyrillic alphabet are found in countries that practice the Eastern Orthodox faith. By comparison, disposable income in the former West Germany was 23,283 a year, or about $26,300. Austria-Hungary is partially to blame. 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. 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. The Hagia Sophia is now a mosque. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. This is why Eastern Europe, in general, is poorer than countries in Western, Central, and Northern Europe. Today, both Judaism and the Yiddish language are scarce in this part of the world. But that does not mean the former East and West Germany are on equal economic footing today. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Despite these differences, the former East has narrowed the . succeed. Another explanation, described in Jared Diamond's famous book [Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies], is disease. This is an excerpt from 'The Thomas Sowell Reader'-----------------------------------Relevant Books-----------------------------------Wealth, Poverty and Politics: https://amzn.to/3BHrsJrMigrations and Cultures: https://amzn.to/32rBemhThe Thomas Sowell Reader: https://amzn.to/3vpTuqR-------------------------------------------Support this Channel--------------------------------------------Become a Channel Member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS67C1ChLicLkrp70mz7G7g/joinPayPal: https://paypal.me/SowellExplainsPateron: https://www.patreon.com/SowellExplainsSubscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/SowellExplains------------------------------------------Social Media------------------------------------------Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SowellExplainsTwitter: https://twitter.com/SowellExplainsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/SowellExplainsSubscribe for more Thomas Sowell videos!