Transcript Chapter 6
Chapter 6 Eastern Europe Eastern Europe • Very different from Western Europe • Under control of Soviet Union for most of the 20th century • Lacks prosperity of the West • Shatter Belt ▫ A region that is under continual political pressures and is often fragmented by warring factions or heavily influenced by surrounding rival countries I. Baltic Region • States that border the Baltic Sea ▫ Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia • Northern European Plain- dominant land feature Poland • Official Name: ▫ Republic of Poland • Capital: ▫ Warsaw • Area Comparison: ▫ Slightly smaller than New Mexico • Government: ▫ Republic • Independence: ▫ 11 November 1918 (republic proclaimed) Poland • WWII- under German occupation • Soviets “liberated” – not much better • Part of the “Soviet bloc” – puppet states of the USSR • In 1989, the Poles were the first to start the movement of overthrowing the Soviets • Now, transitioning to a free-market economy • Joined NATO in 99 and EU in 04 Warsaw • Pop. of over 2 million • Many conquerors throughout history • Soviets actually restored buildings in Old Warsaw using pictures after the Nazis destroyed them • Rest of the city has a modern appearance Central Plains of Poland • Gdansk- once the most populous city, important as a port • It was in Gdansk that Solidarity was formed- first labor union in the Iron Curtain • Southern Uplands of Poland • Area produces many minerals: zinc, lead, sulfur • Krakow ▫ Used to be the Capital ▫ Only city to escape destruction during WWII • Auschwitz ▫ Largest of the Nazi death camps ▫ 3 million Jews in Poland in 1933, 45,000 in 1948 Gates at Auschwitz Krakow at Christmas Baltic States • Located on the Northern European Plain • Independent after WWI, part of Soviet Union after WWII Lithuania Capital: Vilnius Government: Parliamentary democracy Largest of the Baltic States 80% of pop. Are native Lithuanian Lithuania • Roman Catholics fought against Soviet Union with Hill of Crosses ▫ Shows religious fervor and nationalistic feeling • History: ▫ Oldest of Baltic States, record of selling amber to Roman Empire ▫ United with Poland and Russia in the past • Today ▫ Struggling to establish a free republic ▫ Joined NATO and EU in 04 ▫ Trading more with Western Europe instead of Russia now Latvia • Middle Baltic State • Over 12,000 rivers (none very long) • Capital: ▫ Riga • Government: ▫ Parliamentary democracy • Languages: Latvian and Russian Estonia Northernmost Baltic State Capital: Tallinn Government: republic •Baltic Sea moderates the climate •Islands make up 10% of the land, 2 islands have cities •Must speak Estonian to become a citizen •Joined NATO and EU in 04 Tallinn, Estonia II. The Carpathians • Carpathian mountains are the main mountains in Eastern Europe • 3 landlocked nations share the Carpathians ▫ Czech Republic ▫ Slovakia ▫ Hungary Czech Republic • Formerly part of Czechoslovakia, created after WWI, fell to Hitler during WWII and then to Soviets • Overthrew Communists swiftly in 1989- Velvet Revolution • After independence, two parties (Czechs and Slovaks) disagreed over economic reform, peacefully split up- Velvet Divorce • Mass Privatization: experiment to get property back in the hands of citizens, handed out vouchers for people to be shareholders. Now Czech Republic has a strong economy Czech Republic • Bohemia ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ Western half of CR Large basin, surrounded by highlands Independent spirit, was once its own kingdom Prague, the capital city is located here • The Sudetenland ▫ Mountainous region, many Germans live here ▫ Very fought over area during WWI and II ▫ Issue of bad blood between CR and Germany • Moravia ▫ Eastern part of CR ▫ About 4% of population is Moravian Slovakia • Capital: Bratislava • Since the split in 1993, has formed a democratic government • Mainly produces agricultural items Hungary • Descendants of the Magyar tribe • Different from their neighbors- speak a Uralic language • Capital: Budapest ▫ used to be 2 cities- Buda and Pest ▫ 2 million people – 4th largest city in Eastern Europe Budapest, Hungary III. The Western Balkans • Balkan Peninsula is a mountainous region • 9 countries lie on the peninsula, called The Balkans • Share language, but differ by religion and culture • Did have a common enemy- the Ottoman Turks to the South • During the Cold War– all belonged to the communist country of Yugoslavia Slovenia • Capital: ▫ Ljubljana • Economy: leading example of free market economy, has always produced a lot for its size ▫ Watermelon, maize, wheat Slovenia- Attractions • Karst Region ▫ Has limestone caves, largest caverns in Europe • Lipica ▫ Lipizzaner horses are named after this town Croatia • Shaped like a boomerang • Close linguistically with Serbia, but big rivalry between the two • Capital: ▫ Zagreb • Really beautiful part of the country is along the Dalmatian Coast Bosnia and Herzegovina • Bosnia- Northern and central portion • Herzegovina- Southern portion • War torn capital: Sarajevo—lies between the two • Rough past- civil war in 1991 ▫ Bosnia claimed independence, Serb minority refused to join, fighting lasted until 1995 when US stepped in to maintain peace Montenegro • Means “black mountain” • Followed Slobodan Milosevic for years- leader of Serbs ▫ He died in 2006, Montenegro voted to become independent later that year • Has opportunity to develop independently for the first time in centuries • Capital: ▫ Podgorica Albania • Major industries: forestry, mining • Strong Ottoman influence, 70% Muslim, highest in Europe • Economy struggled after communism fell • Weak infrastructure, country is underdeveloped • Most people live on small farms, agriculture makes up more that half of the money made • Tirane- Capital city Albania • Spiritual History ▫ Communist leader Enver Hoxha established what he called a truly Atheistic country ▫ Communism overthrown in 92 ▫ Door finally open to missionaries ▫ Now Muslim, Eastern orthodox, Catholicism make up the majority IV. The Eastern Balkans • Dominated by mountains • Made up of: Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, and Romania Macedonia • Used to be home to Alexander the Great • When Yugoslavia broke up, Greece would not recognize Macedonia, fearing a move to reunite Greater Macedonia from history • Greece still opposes the name of the country, so in the UN it is referred to as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia • Capital: ▫ Skopje • Official Language ▫ Macedonian Serbia • Northern plains are the agricultural center • Capital: ▫ Belgrade ▫ Centrally located, been conquered and destroyed more than 30 times ▫ Second largest city in the Balkans Kosovo* ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ Large province in the south in Serbia 90% of residents are Albanian Capital: Pristina Tried to declare independence in 1992, no one recognized them but Albania ▫ In 2010, the International Court of Justice affirmed Kosovo’s independence , 70 countries recognize as a nation on its own ▫ Serbia, backed by Russia, refuses to recognize Bulgaria • Capital: ▫ Sofia • Bulgar people arrived in 7th century, still the majority of the population=84% Romania •Means “land of the Romans”- last province captured by the Roman Empire •Only language in Eastern Europe that developed from Latin •Gained freedom from Communism in 1989, but the effects are still seen today •Economy struggles, but has joined the EU in 2007 One of the most famous Romanians is Nadia Comaneci: winner of three Olympic gold medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics, and the first gymnast ever to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event Romania • Transylvania ▫ Nearly half of Romania is a section of the Carpathian Mountains ▫ Hungary ruled the area for much of history, handed over to Romania after WWI. ▫ Forested hills and gloomy castles have intrigued people for centuries with mystery and danger • Wallachia ▫ Large plain for agriculture ▫ Bucharest located in this region • Moldavia ▫ Moldavian Plain starts here and continues into the country of Moldova ▫ Romania used to own Moldova until the Soviets took it away in WWII Gypsies Gypsies • One of the largest ethnic minorities in Europe • Called Gypsies because people mistakenly thought they came from Egypt • Call themselves Roma, language is Romany • Limited contact with outside world, preserved their language, laws, customs • Life of wanderers: seasonal jobs, odd jobs, begging, fortune telling • Bad reputation, “gyp” means “to cheat” • Hitler labeled them undesirable, about 400,000 died during the Holocaust • Governments are trying to incorporate them into society • Largest tribe: Kalderash in the Balkans V. The Eastern Plains • Huge plain extends from the Carpathian mountains to make the Great European Plain • 3 countries lie on the eastern part of the plain: Moldova, Ukraine, and Belarus • All used to be in the Soviet Union Moldova • • • • • Hilly, landlocked country 2/3 speak Moldavian Most densely populated country in Eastern Europe A small group would like to rejoin with Romania Capital: ▫ Chisinau Ukraine • Capital: ▫ Kiev • Area Comparison: ▫ Slightly smaller than Texas • Largest nation completely on the continent of Europe • After independence in 91, transition was slow • Elections of 2004 were watched worldwide ▫ One candidate was poisoned, the voting was full of fraud, and protests erupted immediately ▫ Another election had to be held, winner won fairly ▫ All of this is called the Orange Revolution Ukraine • Northern Lowlands ▫ Capital is here- Kiev—most populous city in all of eastern Europe, cultural center of the country • Southern Coasts ▫ Most valuable region: Crimean Peninsula Barely attached by 2.5 mile wide isthmus Known as the Russian Rivera Ukraine • Chernobyl ▫ The Chernobyl explosion in 1986 was the most serious nuclear accident in history ▫ Two Chernobyl plant workers died on the night of the accident, and a further 28 people died within a few weeks as a result of acute radiation poisoning. ▫ Resettlement of areas from which people were relocated is ongoing. • Still the greatest environmental issue facing the Ukraine is the lingering contamination by radiation that resulted from Chernobyl Belarus • Government: ▫ Republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship ▫ Retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. • Capital: ▫ Minsk Map of Eastern Europe