Hey explorers, it's Brian here. Now you may remember that eastern Europe could also be
considered Western Asia or even central Eurasia. And you may also remember that
the Soviet Union dominated this region for a large part of the 20th century.
Now though, the resilient states which emerged are trying to block out that time in history.
Today's learning objective is to be able to analyze the people
and culture of the nations of Eastern Europe. Including population statistics,
ethnicity, religion, language, government, and economics. More and more these nations
are on the rise again and have reason to look to the future with excitement.
Their rich heritage is once again able to shine brightly and blend with the modern 21st-century
world. So let's go explorers, it's time to learn more about Eastern European people and culture.
Population. As a reminder, Eastern Europe contains Russia, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. Generally speaking, the Eastern European
region has a lower population density than the rest of Europe. Quick Russia review everyone
and here it is; Russia is big! Okay, now that we got that out of the way, let's dig in. Russia has
a higher population than the other nine countries combined at over 145 million people. However, at
just 23 people per square mile it has the second smallest population density in Europe behind
Iceland. By comparison, the world has an average population density of 129 people per square mile.
Poland is one of the larger countries in this region and it also has the second
largest population at nearly 38 million people. At 320 people per square mile, it is also rather
densely populated. Speaking of Poland, if you know someone of Polish descent living in your hometown,
you are not alone. Due to brutal Nazi and Soviet invasions, many Poles fled their homeland over
the course of the 20th century. They made homes in other places including New York and Chicago.
Today, 20 million ethnic Poles live outside of their homeland.
The life expectancy in Eastern Europe is lower compared to other parts of Europe. Half of Eastern
European countries have a life expectancy under 75 years. Interestingly enough, women in Russia
live for 78 years while men only 68, among the largest gaps in the world. Some speculate that
this is due in part to high rates of alcoholism in the area, especially among Russian males.
Most Eastern European countries are experiencing a decline in population.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, birth rates dropped dramatically and the death rate
spiked. Additionally, many people have left the former Soviet States in search of greater
economic opportunity. Latvia, for instance, has lost approximately one-quarter of its population
since 1990. One notable exception to this trend is Azerbaijan. Its population has increased
steadily since 1960 from 4 million to 10 million people. Rather than leaving, many people are
migrating to Azerbaijan. Eastern Europe is also becoming increasingly urban. Internal migration,
or movement within a country, is bringing more people away from rural areas and towards the
cities in search of better jobs. Russia, surprise, has two of the top five largest cities in Europe;
Moscow at over 10 million people and St. Petersburg at 5 million. Baku Azerbaijan,
Kyiv Ukraine, Minks Belarus, and Warsaw Poland all have more than one and a half
million people. Politics and economy. As with many other aspects of eastern european life,
Soviet rule has had a long lasting impact on politics and the economy.
Under communism, production for the country was controlled entirely by the government.
During this time, Eastern Europe became increasingly industrialized, which in some
ways advanced the region. However, communism also brought an authoritarian government,
not good for human rights. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe has struggled
to transition to a democratic form of government and move towards having more aspects of a market
economy, or an economy based on supply and demand rather than government control.
Some countries have adjusted better than others. For instance, the three Baltic states
and Poland rank highly on the world indices, which measure freedom in terms of politics
and civil liberties. On the other hand, Russia, Belarus, and Azerbaijan all have very low rankings
in terms of political freedom due to concerns over media control and election manipulation.
Russia has also drawn criticism for their desire to expand their borders beyond their cramped
quarters of 6.6 million square miles. In 2014 Russia annexed Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula
on the Black Sea with a high number of ethnic Russians. While Russia has control of Crimea,
the annexation has not been recognized as legal by the world community.
Overall, Eastern European nations have a vastly lower GDP per capita than the European Union
average of about $34,000 US dollars per year. 6 of these countries have per capita GDPs lower than
$10,000. Ukraine in particular, is experiencing challenges. The average Ukrainian yearly salary
is around $6,000 compared to about $50,000 in the US. Along with Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia
are also heavily agriculture-dependent. Nearly 17% of Armenia's economy is driven by farming,
the highest in Europe and almost 3 times the world average.
One of the highest GDPs per capita in Eastern Europe belongs to Estonia at nearly $25,000.
One reason, Estonia is electric. You know that sounds like it could be a
great marketing campaign. By using local oil shale, or sedimentary rocks used for energy,
Estonia produces mass amounts of electricity for itself and neighboring countries. Sadly,
while electric energy is brightening Estonia, radioactive energy is bringing down Belarus.
Chernobyl was a nuclear power plant in Ukraine, close to the Belarus border. In 1986,
there was an explosion that released radioactive materials into the air leaving affected areas
completely abandoned. 70% of the fallout landed in Belarus contaminating a quarter of the country
and one-fifth of its farmland. in 2016 it was estimated that this disaster continued to cost
Belarus 20% of its annual budget. Overall, the Eastern European economy is experiencing some
major challenges but growth is projected. Cities such as Kiev, Ukraine and Yerevan, Armenia are
becoming hotbeds for technology development. Additionally, Poland has emerged from a difficult
20th century with a highly skilled workforce pointing the polls in the right direction. There
will still be some bumps in the road for Eastern Europe but there is reason for hope. Culture.
Beautiful town squares, squat dances, meat nestled in a pocket of boiled dough, 200-degree rooms;
intrigued by Eastern European culture yet? We'll get to the good stuff
soon enough but let's start with the basics.
Eastern Europe is dominated by the Slavic ethno-linguistic group. Slavs are the largest
such group in Europe and they include speakers of Russian, Ukrainian, and Polish. Russian,
the largest Slavic language, is still widely spoken in many of these countries as a result
of soviet-era influence. An exception to Slav centrism in Eastern Europe is, trans-Caucasia,
an extremely diverse region. Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan all have unique languages not related
to the Slavic language group. Christianity is the most popular religion in Eastern Europe
with Eastern Orthodox being the most popular denomination. Some countries, such as Poland,
are Catholic while Latvia is Lutheran. And then, Azerbaijan is 95 percent Muslim.
One common thread through many of these countries is a relative lack of religious engagement;
a trend that is increasing among European countries. In 7 of these 10 countries,
50% or fewer of its residents view religion as an important part of their everyday lives. At 16%,
Estonia is the lowest in the world. As mentioned before, this region had quite a bit of its history
and culture stifled due to the Communist Soviet Regime, which repressed individual expression.
However, when you visit today, you can enjoy each country's free expression of their unique
culture. In the Baltic states, the singing of folk songs is a popular tradition. Children begin to
sing and dance in cultural festivals at an early age. In Russia and Ukraine, you don't need to go
to the gym when you can just dance. Participants in squat dancing execute a series of intense
rhythmic kicks while in the squat position. That's one way to warm up in the cold weather!
Speaking of the cold, well if that's what you've got then you figure out a way to work with it.
Winter sports play a major role in some Eastern European countries. Russia is an ice hockey
hotbed with many of its players reaching the national hockey league. Due to the cold climate,
cross-country skiing is quite popular in countries such as Estonia, after which participants will
warm up in a hot sauna where temperatures reach 200 degrees. If you go to Poland be prepared to
stuff yourself with an array of delicious food; some of which you may need to be convinced to try.
The kielbasa and pierogi, the meat pockets, are easy to love but how about bigos, hunter's stew,
which is chopped meat with a hot sauerkraut and cabbage. Now, don't knock it till you've tried it.
And if you go to Ukraine and have a few weeks to spare, try to get invited to a
traditional Ukrainian wedding. Yes, weeks! A Ukrainian wedding can last for weeks at a time
and involve a series of meals and festivals to which the entire community is invited.
Speaking of meals, what countries do you think of when you see a bottle of delicious red wine being
poured with dinner? France? Italy? Nope! To visit the birthplace of this bewitching beverage you
need to go to, that's right, Transcaucasia. Yes, Armenia and Georgia are considered the cradle of
wine where their vinicultural history dates back thousands and thousands of years. Yes,
there is plenty to be excited about when you visit eastern Europe. Although this
region has had a challenging history and is experiencing some current economic struggles,
there are reasons for optimism. Until next time, dasvidaniya, and keep exploring!