Eastern Europe
Geography, History, Foods and
Culture
Map – Central and Eastern Europe
Bulgaria – capital: Sofia
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Bulgaria is located on the Balkan Peninsula in
Southeastern Europe. It is sandwiched between
Romania to the north and Greece and Turkey to the
South. To the west are Yugoslavia and Macedonia.
To the east is the Black Sea. Bulgaria has many
beautiful beaches along the coast. The Bulgar tribe
settled in this area in approximately the seventh
century. In the year 681 Bulgaria became the first
sovereign state for the Slavs.
Bulgarian Food
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Bulgaria's cuisine is influenced by neighbouring Balkan countries (Yugoslavia,
Greece and northern Turkey).
Traditional food includes bread, pickled vegetables, salads, soups, stews,
casseroles, stuffed vegetables, kebabs, spicy sausages and cheese dishes.
Yoghurt is very popular and eaten most days. In fact, Bulgaria is said to be the
home of yoghurt and Bulgarian yoghurt is thought to have curative properties.
Meat (pork, chicken, lamb and beef), fish and vegetarian dishes are served with
staple foods such as rice and bulgar wheat. Vegetables include eggplant,
beans, cabbage, carrots, corn, courgettes, cucumbers, lettuce, mushrooms,
onions, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and olives.
Favorite desserts are pancakes, baklava, baked apples and fruit: apricots,
blueberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes, melons, raspberries, strawberries,
peaches, pears, plums and quinces.
Poland – capital: Warsaw
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From 1918, when Poland regained its
independence, until World War II, Poland was a
multi-ethnic nation. While ethnic Poles were in the
majority (constituting about two thirds of the
population), Jews and Ukrainians were significant
minorities (about ten percent each), and there were
smaller minority populations of Lithuanians,
Belorusians, Germans, and others. In today's
Poland, however, as a result of the Holocaust and
post-war boundary changes, almost everyone in
Poland is at least nominally Roman Catholic.
Polish Food
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Food eaten in Poland has been influenced by the cuisine of the
neighbouring countries of Austria, Germany, Hungary and Russia.
Meat (especially pork, ham and sausages) is eaten with
vegetables, dumplings, noodles, buckwheat and rye bread.
Beetroot and cabbage are used in salads, soups and stews.
Soured cream is often used in cooking. Pickled foods such as
vegetables and fish are popular.
Hunter's stew (bigos), made with five or six types of wild game, is
a national dish.
Desserts include honey cake, strudel, pancakes and doughnuts.
Tea is consumed without milk, often with a slice of lemon and
sugar. Coffee is also a daily drink. Mineral waters are produced in
the spas and Polish fruit juices include apple and blackcurrant.
Hungary – capital: Budapest
The Republic of Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe
and is bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia and
Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia.
Hungary's capital city is Budapest. Other important cities are
Debrecen, Gyor, Miskolc, Pecs, and Szeged.
Hungary's main rivers are the Danube and Tisza. The terrain is
mostly flat with some hills and low mountains.
Hungary's climate is temperate with warm summers and cold winters.
Hungarian Food
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Traditional Hungarian cuisine includes soups (fish, bean,
sauerkraut), sausages, smoked meat and pickles. Well known
Hungarian meals are Hungarian goulash, chicken paprika and
stuffed cabbage.
Main meals consist of meat (chicken, goose, pork, beef, veal), or
fresh-water fish, with vegetables: beets, cabbage, cucumbers,
onions, potatoes, peppers and tomatoes. Hungarian dumplings
and noodles are also popular. Important ingredients in Hungarian
recipes are paprika, garlic and sour cream.
Cakes, strudels, fruit soups and pastas (with curd cheese and
sour cream) are popular desserts. Fruits and nuts grown are
apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, almonds and hazelnuts.
Map of the Balkans – present day
The Balkan Wars - Background
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May 1980 Yugoslav leader Tito dies. Without Tito's strong leadership,
Yugoslavia begins its slow collapse.
1981 Albanians demonstrate in Kosovo, demanding status of a
republic.
1986-1989 growing Serbian nationalist sentiment. Milosevic rises to
power in Serbia.
1991 Full scale war in Croatia.
1992 The siege of Sarajevo begins. Bosnian Serb forces mounted the
siege against Bosnian Government forces.
March 1993 Fighting begins between Bosnian Muslims and Croats.
March 1994 Peace treaty between Bosnian Muslims and Croats is
signed. The treaty was arbitrated by the United States.
August 1994 Serbia closes border with Bosnian Serb republic and
imposes embargo, as a measure of pressure to accept the plan of
Contact Group
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July 1995 Srebrenica massacre reported.
August 1995 Croatia launches Operation Storm and reclaims over 70%
of its pre-war territory. This results in the exodus of the entire Serbian
population in these areas, approximately 250,000 refugees.
December 1995 Dayton Agreement signed in Paris, marking end of the
war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
March 1998 Fighting breaks out between Serbian forces and ethnic
Albanians in Kosovo. Milosevic sends in troops.
March 1999 NATO starts the military campaign Operation Allied Force
in Kosovo.
June 1999Control of Kosovo is given to the United Nations, but still
remains a part of Serbia.
October 2000 Slobodan Milošević is voted out of office, and Vojislav
Kostunica becomes new president of Yugoslavia.
February 2002 Milošević is put on trial in The Hague on charges of war
crimes in Kosovo
Croatia – capital: Zagreb
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The Republic of Croatia is bordered by Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia and
Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its long Adriatic coastline
has over a thousand islands and islets - some of the larger islands are
Brac, Krk, Cres, Hvar, Korcula and Mljet.
Zagreb is Croatia's capital city. Its seaports are Dubrovnik, Ploce, Pula,
Rijeka, Sibenik, Split and Zadar.
Croatia's main rivers are the Sava, Drava and Danube. Other rivers are
the Mirna, the Rasa, the Zrmanja, the Krka and the Cetina.
The Croatian landscape includes mountains and highlands, areas of
karst (limestone), plains, rugged coastline and many islands.
Croatia has hot summers and cold winters. In winter it is milder along
the Adriatic coast, particularly on the island of Hvar, known for its good
weather.
Croatian Food
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Croatian cuisine includes sea foods from the coastal
waters and meat dishes such as cevapcici
(sausage-shaped minced meat), raznijici (grilled
meat on skewers), sarma (minced rice and meat
rolled in cabbage leaves) and djuvec (stew).
Bread and salad accompany most meals. Palacinke
(pancakes) are a favourite dessert.
Bosnia and Herzegovinacapital: Sarajevo
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Much of Bosnia and Herzegovina is mountainous with valleys. The
country's main rivers are the Bosnia, the Drina, the Neretva, the Sava
and the Vrbas.
Summers are hot and winters are cold; it is colder at the higher
elevations. The coastline on the Adriatic has Mediterranean weather.
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The civil war (1992-95) left many Diplaced Persons and Refugees.
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Around forty percent of the population are Muslim; just over thirty
percent belong to the Orthodox Church; around fifteen percent are
Roman Catholic with a minority of Protestants and other religions.
Bosnian Food
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The cuisine of Bosnia and Herzegovina is influenced by its
Balkan neighbours.
Traditional food includes bread, soups, stews, kebabs, cevapcici
(minced meat sausages), stuffed leaves (dolma and sarma) and
stuffed vegetables (peppers). Pie, for example, meat, cheese
and spinach is a favourite dish. Side dishes, such as sour
cabbage, tomato and onion salad as well as yoghurt are often
served.
Desserts eaten are fruit, pancakes, cakes (apple cake) and
pastries (baklava).
Coffee is preferred strong with sugar.
Serbia and Montenegro –
capital: Belgrade
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Serbia and Montenegro, the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of
Montenegro (the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), is in South
East Europe. It is bordered by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,
Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Albania and the Adriatic Sea.
Belgrade is the capital city and Podgorica is the capital of Montenegro.
Provinces in Serbia are the province of Vojvodina (with Novi Sad its
administrative centre) and the province of Kosovo and Metohia.
The country's terrain is diverse with plains, mountains, valleys and an
Adriatic coastline. Rivers include the Danube, the Morava, the Sava
and the Tisa.
Summers are hot and winters are cold. The weather along the
Montenegrin coast is Mediterranean.
Serbian Food
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Traditional food includes soups, stews, smoked meats, minced
meat (cevapcici and meatballs), stuffed vegetables (such as
peppers) and kebabs. A dish of mixed grilled meat is a speciality.
Fish is used in chowders and is grilled and fried.
Bread and side salads are eaten with starters and main courses.
Salads are made from a variety of fresh and pickled vegetables
such as beans, cucumbers, onions, peppers tomatoes and
sauerkraut.
Fruit and nuts are used in desserts, for example, strudels,
pancakes and pastries.
Romania – capital: Bucharest
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Romania is in South East Europe and is bordered by the Black
Sea, Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro and
Ukraine.
Romania has six regions: Banat, Bukovina, Dobruja, Moldavia,
Transylvania and Walachia. These are divided into forty counties
in addition to the capital city, Bucharest.
Romania's landscape consists of hills, mountains and plains. The
Danube is the longest and most important river flowing through
Romania.
The summer is hot with both showers and thunderstorms; the
winter is cold with some fog and snow. Earthquakes occur in the
southern parts of the country.
Romanian Food
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Romanian food has been influenced over the centuries by
invaders and settlers: Greeks, Hungarians, Germans and Turks.
Soups (vegetable, fish and meat) and salads (potato salad,
cabbage salad and fish roe salad) are popular along with
numerous meat and fish dishes.
"Mamaliga", made from corn, is a staple food and can be
prepared in a variety of ways. Stuffed vine leaves and grilled
minced meat, "mititei" and "patricieni", are also popular. Pork is
eaten frequently, often with potatoes and salad.
Romania has a number of recipes for layered cakes,
cheesecakes, pancakes and other desserts.
Tea is a favourite drink.
Czech Republic – capital:
Prague
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The Czech Republic is in Central Europe and consists of Bohemia,
Moravia and part of Silesia. Bordering countries are Austria, Germany,
Poland and the Slovak Republic.
Prague is the Czech Republic's capital city. Other important cities are
Brno, Olomouc, Ostrava and Plzen.
The terrain is varied consisting of plateau, highlands and lowlands. The
highest mountains are the Krkonose (Giant Mountains), followed by the
Hruby Jesenik (Ash Montains), the Sumava mountain range and the
Beskydy Mountains. Rivers include the Elbe, Morava, Oder and Vltava.
The climate of the Czech Republic is temperate with warm summers
and cold winters.
Czech Food
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Main meals in the Czech Republic usually consist of
meat (beef and pork) and sometimes fish served
with potatoes or rice or dumplings. Sauerkraut is
used in recipes including soup. Other soups are
potato soup and liver dumpling soup.
Dumplings are also served sweet. Desserts include
strudel and pancakes. Gingerbread and pastries are
popular.
Map – Commonwealth of
Independent States
What is the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS)?
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The Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS) is an alliance of 12 of the 15 former
Republics of the Soviet Union (Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Moldava, Russia, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan). The
headquarters of the organization is in Minsk,
Belarus. The three non-members are
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Russia – capital: Moscow
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The Russian Federation is the largest country on earth, spanning over
seventeen million square kilometres. It is situated in Eastern Europe and
Northern Asia. The Ural mountain range forms a natural border between Europe
and Asia. Its vast expanses stretch from the Arctic Ocean, to Eastern Europe
and to the North Pacific Ocean.
Bordering countries are Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia,
Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, North Korea, Norway, Poland and
Ukraine.
Moscow is the capital city of the Russian Federation.
Russia's huge plains are divided by the Ural mountain range. Other mountains
include those along the southern borders and some areas of high volcanic
activity. The Volga is the country's major river.
Due to its size, Russia's climate is very diverse. The summers can be warm and
humid, whilst the winters can be harsh and bitterly cold.
Russia – A brief History
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Russian Revolution - St. Petersburg – 1749-1812
Napoleon was defeated (1812)
Crimea War 1853
Tsar Nicholas was forced to abdicate (1917).
The Bolsheviks (Communists), led by Lenin, seized power and signed an armistice
with Germany.
The Civil war (1918-1920) between the Communists and anti-Communist forces cost
many lives and many more died in the 1921 famine.
At the end of December 1922 the USSR was formed following the acceptance of the
Declaration and Treaty on the Formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Lenin died in 1924 and was succeeded by Stalin. Stalin's dictatorship (1924-53) was
severe and many people who opposed his regime were executed.
The Second World War broke out in 1939 and by its end in 1945 millions of Russians
had died, totaling around a sixth of the population.
"Cuban Missile Crisis". – Nikita Khrushchev vs. Kennedy 1962 began decades of
“cold war” with U.S.
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Gorbachev came to power in 1985 introducing extensive political and economic
reforms (Perestroika) and calling for a greater openness (Glasnost) between nations.
Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.
At the end of 1991 the USSR was dissolved. Boris Yeltsin became the President of
the Russian Federation and was eventually succeeded by Vladimir Putin.
Russia - Food
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Russia is famous for caviar, roe from the sturgeon, either beluga
or sevruga. It is eaten on blinis (thin buckwheat pancakes), or on
toast, often accompanied by onion and diced boiled eggs.
Herring, with onion and potatoes, is a less expensive seafood
dish enjoyed by Russians.
Bread (wheat and rye) is important in the Russian diet. Soup and
borscht (beetroot soup) are traditional first courses that are often
followed by meat dishes, for example, meat dumplings. Russian
recipes such as stroganov, Chicken Kiev and Russian salad are
popular in many countries.
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The use of the samovar for preparing tea dates back to the
eighteenth century.
Ukraine – capital: Kiev
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Ukraine is a republic in Eastern Europe, bordered by Moldova,
Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Belarus, Russia, the Sea of Azov
and the Black Sea.
Kyiv (Kiev) is the capital city. Other major cities are Dnipropetrovsk,
Donetsk, Kharkiv, Lviv and Odessa (one of the largest ports in the Black
Sea). The Crimea is an Autonomous Republic within Ukraine.
The Ukrainian terrain consists mainly of steppes (plains) and plateaux;
the Carpathian Mountains are in the west and there are mountains in
the Crimean Peninsula. The Dnieper is the main river in Ukraine.
Summers are warm and winters can be cold. The southern Crimean
coast enjoys Mediterranean weather.
Ukrainian food
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Ukrainian cuisine includes soups, stews, sausages, smoked
meats and rye bread. Meat (beef, lamb, pork and poultry) and
fish dishes are eaten with vegetables and salads.
Borscht, a thick vegetable and meat soup, and stuffed cabbage
are favourite recipes. Salo, salted pig's fat, is a traditional food
which can be used in a variety of ways. Dumplings (varenyky)
are a Ukrainian speciality and have many fillings such as
potatoes, meat, cottage cheese and berries.
Favourite desserts are pancakes, cakes and fruit: blueberries,
cherries, plums and strawberries. Honey is used as a sweetener
and dairy products (cream, cottage cheese and eggs) are part of
the Ukrainian diet.