Eastern Europe
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Quick Facts
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Formerly known as “Second World”
Among the richest 2/5 of world states
Core: Moscow
Periphery: Satellites & Russian Hinterland
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Sub-Regions & States
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Balkans-Hungary, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia,
Montenegro
Baltics-Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania
Iron Curtain-Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia,
Armenia, Moldova, Russia
SW Asia-Commonwealth of Independent Nations: Azerbaijan, Kyrgystan,
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan
Created JDG 2000
Source: U-Texas Map Library (2000)
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Physical Geography: Climates
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Mid-Latitude Interior
Mid-Latitude W/E Coast
Arctic
Highland
Temperate Arid (limited to rain
shadows & Interior Russia)
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Physical Geography: Hydrography
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Black Sea
Caspian Sea
Lake Baikal
Aral Sea
Major Rivers: Ob, Volga, Lena, Danube, Daryas
Reservoirs Important
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Physical Geography: Physiography
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Mountains: Urals, Caucasus
Dissected Plateaus & Uplands: Balkans
Plains: N. European & Siberian
Think about locations of tectonic activity (CIS States)
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Physical Geography: Resources
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Oil--CIS & E. Asia
Coal--Iron Curtain
Natural Gas--Iron Curtain & CIS
Metals--Scattered
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Timber--Abundant
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Created JDG 2000
EU & Fuel Resoures
From Pulsipher (2000)
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Physical Geography: Environmental Problems
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H20: use of the Aral Sea as a Reservoir
Radioactive Waste: Chernobyl & Generally
Acid Rain: Iron Curtain’s soft ‘brown’ coal VERY High in sulfur
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Human Geography: Cultural Groups
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Mongols from East Asia
Bulgars from SW Asia
Turks from Asia Minor
Goths & Huns from SW Asia
Slavs from North Central Russia
Romans from W. Europe
Scandinavians from Sweden
Created JDG 2000
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Human Geography: Religions
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E. Orthodox
Roman Catholicism
Islam
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Protestant (few & diffuse distribution)
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St. Basils
Created JDG 2000
Source: Johannes (2000)
Eastern Europe
Human Geography: Balkanization
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Intersection of many ethnic & religious differences
Frontlines of ancient conflicts concerning the establishment of dominant religion
& culture groups--including the start of WWI
Recent Yugoslavian Experiences: Orthodox Serbs v. Roman Catholic Croats,
Serbs v. Muslim Kosovo Albanians & Serbs v. Muslim Bosnians
Ethnic Cleansing
Created JDG 2000
Kosovo
Pictures Courtesy J. Johannes (2000)
Albanian Refugee Camp
Created JDG 2000
Overlapping National/Religious Identities
From Clawson (nd) & J. Johannes (2000)
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Human Geography: Economic Development
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From Feudalism to Communism/State Capitalism
No transition through Industrial Capitalism
No classic constituency of the lumpen proletariat
Resulted in totalitarian approach throughout Eastern Europe & the former Soviet
Union
Ironically, the authoritarian approach of repressive leaders in Yugoslavia limited
ethnic conflicts
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Human Geography: Economic Development
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Today, components of the authoritarian approach guide relaxed versions of state
capitalism--However, these remnants of the former system have not been
accompanied by capital investment--the result is uneven development
Without a central authority, influx of government monies & the built-in markets
of satellite nations, former communist nations have observed dramatic losses in
productivity & GDP growth
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Human Geography: Population
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Mixed: Asian States High BR, European States Moderate/Lo BR
High Infant Mortality Rates-Throughout
High Birth Rates in SW Asia
Low/Dropping Birth Rates in Iron Curtain & Balkans
Very Irregular Population Pyramids--Wars, Disease, Health Care Crisis
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Contemporary History begins with RUSSIA
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Russia’s the Largest Physical Nation
Historically, ‘Adventurist’ nation
Feudal Society as recently as 1900
Bolshevik Revolution or October Revolution of 1918 overthrew the Russian Czar
& resulted in an authoritarian version of socialism--communism
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Contemporary History begins with RUSSIA
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Eastern Europe continues along its feudal trajectory until after WWII
Soviets (part of the Allied Command) annex, blockade, &/or set up puppet
governments throughout those territories where it defeated the Nazi’s & Fascists
Following the shortcomings of Yalta, Cold War begins when the Soviets begin the
Berlin Blockade
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Contemporary History begins with RUSSIA
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Eastern Europe is wholly integrated to the Russian system both economically,
politically, and militarily
By the 1980s, the Cold War diminishes after Gorbachev introduces Perestroika
& Glasnost
Cold War Ends in 1989 with tearing down of Berlin Wall
Eastern Bloc disintegrates after the ousting of Gorbachev in 1991
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Post-Cold War: Does Power, Politics, & Economics REALLY change?
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Nations abandon communism & embrace democracy & local variations of free
market economics
Lacking strong central governments, some states break apart peacefully & reunite-while others break out in war
Political & Economic restructuring difficult in historically authoritarian societies
Implications of skipping ‘industrial mode’
Created JDG 2000
Eastern Europe
Landscapes
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Prior to 1991, cultural landscape was dominated by Russian and Communist icons
Following the fall of the eastern bloc, many of these icons were demolished
Today, EE states are attempting to re-capture their own cultural landscapes
Unfortunately, some landscapes and their cultural significance have resulted in
ethnic conflict
Russian Summer House
Created JDG 2000
Lenin’s Out of CIS
Source: Johannes WRG Site (2000)
Eastern Europe
Future?
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Return to centralized planning--along the lines of strong state capitalism
Continued fragmentation of Balkans
West’s role remains ambiguous as longs as Russia perceives itself to be a major
power
Future in EU?
Created JDG 2000