| Thomas Sowell 6,459 views Aug 4, 2022 Thomas Sowell Explains how geographical differences between Eastern and Western Europe played a key. Great video. The way to think of Europe is that it is a big collection of peninsulas jutting out from Asia. 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. 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. 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. It seems that at least some countries in the region have learned their lessons. Western Europe: People speak romance languages and languages with Germanic roots. Bohemia (Czech lands) was one of the biggest and most developed economic centers of the Holy Roman Empire. Eastern Europe is a term that typically refers to the countries in Eastern and Central Europe, which includes Russia. 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). As a quick caveat, its worth noting that theres not a one-to-one link between gross domestic product and actual living standards. 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! Over the years I've been interested in a number of different things, and this new work puts together a lot of bits of my research. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. What explains this reluctance to reintroduce restrictions? Moldova is an independent nation that was once part of the Soviet Union. Productivity in the East, in other words, was 75% of productivity in the West on a per-capita basis. I think the main reason is that Europe is . By comparison, disposable income in the former West Germany was 23,283 a year, or about $26,300. 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. 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. 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. Cheap travel Eastern Europe can be significantly less expensive than Western 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. This is a problem in an age of common migration because the educated and talented are migrating from Eastern to Western Europe. Many East German businesses are part of western German or foreign corporations.. what does cupid want to control; best tattoo shops in alabama; why is eastern europe poorer than western europe? | 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. Lets get back to whether people in places such as Denmark (or anywhere else in Europe) enjoy more prosperity than their American counterparts. Mr. Demian Hammock on LinkedIn: Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than Many of those that survived, emigrated to Israel or the US. In either event, the people of Romania and Moldova are closely related. 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. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax The countries in western Europe have a more individualistic culture, with people caring about their success. 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. Youll get a better idea of how different cultures influence one another and why its difficult to generalize about either region. 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. Put another way, people in the former East Germany earned 86% the after-tax income of their West German counterparts in 2017. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. I understand why it looks that way but that's because of your perspective. why is eastern europe less developed 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. 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. East-West differences in unemployment rates cut across demographic lines including age and gender. The Hagia Sophia is now a mosque. Answer (1 of 3): The main reason is the Atlantic conveyor. 8. You can refer to the lesson, but try to recall as many from memory as you can. The impact of modernization and individualization can be clearly seen in the lifestyles of people. The standard of living of the population until the mid 19th century was about the same. 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. 2. Eastern Europe: Eastern Europe refers to the eastern part of Europe. The romance languages form another large branch of the Indo-European languages family. Also the Danube is a big invasion route from the Black Sea to Germany. 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 mean, as a Brit, I can see how our island had the best of it regarding no land border and access to the sea! Albanian forms its own branch of the Indo-European language family. And if you prefer direct measures of living standards, then data on consumption from the OECD also shows that America is considerably more prosperous. But Im digressing. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright 2010-2018 Difference Between. Why are countries in eastern Europe poorer than in western Europe? Unemployment is persistently higher in the former East Germany than in the former West. They are found in their highest numbers in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Albania. Feel free to submit interesting articles, tell us about this cool book you just read, or start a discussion about who everyone's favorite figure of minor French nobility is! Then you have more capital to invest, which allows for . Of course being in the soviet bloc wouldnt help either.Ive seen pictures of Prague and warsaw before the war and they seemed pretty prosperous. 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. Muslims are a minority in most parts of Europe. 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 of the major periods in European history (Middle Ages, Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment), also affected Eastern Europe. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 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. - Definition, History & Criticism, Chaos Theory: Definition, History & Examples, What is a Pre-Existing Condition? Eastern Europe: (Still) the Most Crucial of All Challenges Facing the succeed. Russias GDP per capita (PPP) was $14,900 as of 2018. Unofficial site of Thomas Sowell, Why is Eastern Europe Poorer than 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. Additionally, the ocean coast contributed to the early development of trade, and contributed to the development of cities (you can feed a large number of non-agricultural population due to fishing). copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. The Polish Lithuanian commonwealth was extremely powerful and wealthy by controling the rivers and by extension farmland and trade between Baltic and Black Seas. Eastern Europe - Wikipedia From the Eiffel Tower in Paris to The Great Wall Of China, these landmarks are instantly recognizable and attract millions of visitors each year. When its easier to travel and grow food, its easier to sell the food at a greater. 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. why is eastern europe poorer than western europe? 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. When examining the culture and society of the countries of Eastern Europe, a clear difference can be seen in family structures. Its a sign of American prosperity that we can afford to buy more from other nations than they can afford to buy from us. This set Russia back quite a bit in a number of ways. 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. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main However, people in both areas work hard with about 40 hours per week spent working (the same amount). And all of this describes Europe. - Definition & Laws, What Is Medicare? Breathtaking nature Last, but definitely not least, nature in Eastern Europe is stunning. Neighbouring Slovakia, on the other hand, imposed stricter measures despite having far fewer cases and deaths. 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. The vast majority of people in Eastern Europe speak a Slavic language. Eat: Eastern Europeans eat a lot of meat and potatoes while western Europeans eat more fruits and vegetables. and I thought it was because they just freed themselves from communism a few decades ago. 55 chapters | 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. Eastern Europes pandemic experience has been dramatically different this autumn. Then all the wars with the Turks and having to pretty much defeat the Nazis on their own. Judaism - Eastern European Jews once numbered in the millions; however, they were nearly wiped out during the Holocaust. And I mean apocalyptic. the Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Turkey (western-most part). Countries like Italy, S. Korea, Spain, Portugal and Greece would each rank below Mississippi as the poorest states in the country. But if these factors were at play in the first wave, they havent had the same effect in the second. Both regions have a history of being ruled by powerful empires that brought change to the area. 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