# Europe Forum > Travelling & Living in Europe > Eastern Europe >  East Europe, what is it?

## Cinoeye

WHat is "Eastern Europe" for you?
Slovenia or Czech R. are west as Austria or Sweden are.
Finland is farther east or east as Croatia, Poland, SLovakia, Bosnia, Serbia & MN, Albania....

Greece is even more to the east, same as Lithuania, Letonia, Estonia,Romania, Belarus...... 

West Europe is splited on NOrthern Europe, Southern Europe.....but fro so many people East Europe is all that is not UK, France, Italy, Germany, SPain..... 
From Georgia to SLovenia........From Estonia to Serbia.......

Former communist countries? 
Most reasons for putting so many different countries with different history, culture, language... under the one term are complitley wrong.

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## Yetos

> WHat is "Eastern Europe" for you?
> Slovenia or Czech R. are west as Austria or Sweden are.
> Finland is farther east or east as Croatia, Poland, SLovakia, Bosnia, Serbia & MN, Albania....
> 
> Greece is even more to the east, same as Lithuania, Letonia, Estonia,Romania, Belarus...... 
> 
> West Europe is splited on NOrthern Europe, Southern Europe.....but fro so many people East Europe is all that is not UK, France, Italy, Germany, SPain..... 
> From Georgia to SLovenia........From Estonia to Serbia.......
> 
> ...


right, the terminology is not after map directions, 
but it depends on time 
in 50's could be iron curtain 
in another time like the schisma of the church could be the areas that exist Orthodox Churces, and west could be the area of the Catholic churches,
in linguistic means mainly the Slavic and Baltic languages including Albania, (greece hungary are not not)
you can also compare to karlomagnus as west Europe, 
it depends the criteria you put,
but mainly the terminology is not according map, but according the discussion, 

for example Slovenia could be East Europe to Cold war times, East Europe due to Satem language and Slavic connection, West Europe due to Catholic church etc. but it is in the middle of Europe.

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## Riccardo

I think that most of people consider it the former communist countries.

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## Cinoeye

Some people say-east Europe for Slavic Countries. However, Baltic countries, Hungary, Albania, Romania, Greece, Georgia, Moldova...are not Slavic. In the Usa too, most people consider former communist countries as East Europe.

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## Cinoeye

I think it is wrong to put so many different countries, with different culture, history, origin....under one term. Because of that, people do not know that Serbia is different than Estonia, the same way Portugal is different than Norway.

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## Cinoeye

There are several different geographical divisions. One is in the head of people that where Russia starts, East of Europe ends.

But they overlook the fact that Ural Mountains are, Caspian lake, Black sea…

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## Cimmerianbloke

I had long arguments with my ex-girlfriend, a Pole, who was against me using the adjective Eastern European to describe her native Poland. To her, she was central European. We never got over it, as me being western European, she was definitely more eastern geographically than I was. As a general thing, Eastern Europe is regarded as the former Warsaw pact countries. Vienna is considered western but is east from Prague, the Eastern capital per excellence. See the book from Slovenian diplomat Leon Marc "What's so Eastern about Eastern Europe" from an East European point of view to the problem. It is not a great book per se but has the merit to deconstruct a lot of clichés and half-truths. As a matter of fact, many people from that part of Europe see the "Eastern European" adjective as pejorative and limit insulting.

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## Cimmerianbloke

Cinoeye, I thing using a term englobing several nationalities is not "wrong" but rather unaccurate or inexact. Same thing can be said about catholics, blacks, vegetarians,... there are a lot of different specificities in every human group as those are all made of different individualities with unique traits. When people start bickering about their difference with next-door neighbours over an adjective to underline their own differences, the door opens to stupid and dangerous arguments.
Remember that, as an individual, you are unique... like everyone else...

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## LeBrok

It is time for Eastern Europeans to work hard and bring a positive meaning and a pride to "Eastern Europe". Soviets are dead, let's use the window of opportunity.

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## LeBrok

So, where is the center of Europe then?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geograp...oint_of_Europe

If we average the black dots, we can approximate west/east on German/Polish border, and north/south on top of Czech republic, Belgium and north Ukraine. Geographically speaking of course.

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## LeBrok

Or let's use nature as a guide.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fl..._(english).png

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## Yetos

> Or let's use nature as a guide.
> 
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Floristic_regions_in_Europe_(english).png



Yes so now France is an Atlantic, a Central, a South Eurpean and a mediterrenean too  :Grin:

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## LeBrok

> Yes so now France is an Atlantic, a Central, a South Eurpean and a mediterrenean too


But we don't have Eastern Europe anymore. So many people should be happy. :)

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## martinmkp

Focus on *Central Europe*

It is true, till an early 1950´s there was a widely used term of Mitteleuropa, or Central Europe, which included countries form Germany to Poland, Switzerland to Hungary. 

*The term of "Eastern Rurope"* which includes all former Soviet Bloc countries according to the Iron Curtain line, *became familiar after 50´s*. The true is, that so called "Soviet" or Russian culture was *only temporarily imposed* and met no signiuficant traces in cultures of several countries (Poland is different due to longer Russian influence in the past). But, after the fall of totalitarian rule in that region, some countries came back to the term how to describe themselves - as Central Europeans - Czechs, Poles, Slovaks, Hungarians. *Part of its citizens consider marking them as "Eastern Europeans" as negative expression.*

Nowadays, *we definitely should*, in the case of Poland, Czechs, Slovakia, Hungary or Slovenia, and I would with some objections add Croataia as well, *to came back using the term "Central Europe"* describing those mentioned countries, and Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia as Baltic countries, not Eastern European countries.

I think this will need at least two generations, because the heritage of post WWII division is still widely used even in scientific works inside, and outside of Europe.

*Another problem is*, there is still *a sound discrepancy between the level of life* (economy, GDP, etc.) *at the heart of Central Europe* - between Germany and Austria on one side, and Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland on the other side. If those differencies will be partially overcomed, I think we could see the revival of Central Europe as a strong region, also in minds of non-Europeans.

Historically, culturally, religiously and through sharing the same or similar values, *the Central Europe belongs to so called Western European civilisation*, including Bavaria, Bohemia, Moravia, modern boundaries Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, and not forgetting - Transylvania (a part of Romania). This is very important to know especially for those who would like to know the region in deep.

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## Boreas

East of Italic and Germanic Europe

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## gyms

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Europe

There are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region".

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## Garrick

> But we don't have Eastern Europe anymore. So many people should be happy. :)


Yes, Eastern Europe as political term doesn't exist more. European Union is aspiration of countries to be the part of large European family.

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## Boreas

> Yes, Eastern Europe as political term doesn't exist more. European Union is aspiration of countries to be the part of large European family.


That division won't disappear in a day

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## Garrick

> That division won't disappear in a day


Political division between Western and Eastern Europe doesn't exist more.

But you're right, there is a division in the mindset and attitudes some people, in the West, and in the East, in the South, and in the North.

I think it is naturally, European nations had very different systems and cultures and directions of development, and it is not possible to change for one night.

I am confident that Europeans will find ways to be all the closer together.

Also, the efforts of Europhiles, who are immeasurably valuable, will give the results in next period.

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## Tomenable

> There are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region".


Eastern Europe was how Communist-controlled countries were called. 

Now some people still apply this term to post-Communist Europe.

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## Ike

> Former communist countries? 
> Most reasons for putting so many different countries with different history, culture, language... under the one term are complitley wrong.


Those are territories aimed for cultural annihilation. Approximately everything East from these borders. East Germany has fell long ago. Poland, Baltic countries and Bulgaria have no strength to fight it. It goes way back before communism. Ask Vatican...

CharlemagneTsm.jpg

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## Boreas

> Eastern Europe is the eastern part of the European continent. I never have been there before, But now i want to explore it so guys, share some more detail about it and captured some photos so share with me, It will be prove helpful and useful for all like me.


Here is a photo

If there is a symbolic animal of East Europe, I guess it would be European Bison

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## Tomenable

> Here is a photo
> 
> If there is a symbolic animal of East Europe, I guess it would be European Bison


Exactly. Also other great animals, such as for example _Turs_ (English: _Aurochs_) - wild ancestors of domesticated cattle - used to live here until historical times. Hitler wanted to make German _Lebensraum_ in Eastern Europe, among other reasons, due to this.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpncXjtDR3M




Average auroch model in 1:1 scale (aurochs were much bigger than domesticated cattle):

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/554646510334506982/



Today only very rare giant bulls can match aurochs in size - like this Britain's biggest bull:

http://icepice.blogspot.com/2009/12/...bulls.html?m=1



The German Nazis hated most of humans, but they loved [to hunt] wild animals! :)

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## Johannes

Eastern Europe will always be Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and Russia (Finland and Baltic states should also be counted as Eastern Europe but they were "westernized") :Thinking:

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## DuPidh

> WHat is "Eastern Europe" for you?
> Slovenia or Czech R. are west as Austria or Sweden are.
> Finland is farther east or east as Croatia, Poland, SLovakia, Bosnia, Serbia & MN, Albania....
> 
> Greece is even more to the east, same as Lithuania, Letonia, Estonia,Romania, Belarus...... 
> 
> West Europe is splited on NOrthern Europe, Southern Europe.....but fro so many people East Europe is all that is not UK, France, Italy, Germany, SPain..... 
> From Georgia to SLovenia........From Estonia to Serbia.......
> 
> ...




In America they divide Europeans in Three categories that are mostly racial divisions than geographic. Western Europeans they mean Anglo-Sacksons , Eastern europeans they call the Slavic phenotype s , and southern Europeans phenotype. Its a lot more precise division of Europeans.

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## Miss Marple's nephew

> WHat is "Eastern Europe" for you?


For me "Eastern Europe" was defined by the USSR and its satellite states with the exception of the 3 Baltic states and the DDR.

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## Zvrk9

I agree, outdated terminology form USSR, DDR, and Warsaw pact days.

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## davef

I think that if you draw a line halfway between the western edge of Europe and the eastern edge of Europe, you'll find that whatever is to the right of that line within Europe is Eastern Europe. Just a suggestion. 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Europe

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## Zvrk9

You are funny DaveF.

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## davef

^^ thanks, I do have a great sense of humor :)

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## Frosty_Chateux

Culturally, Eastern Europe refers to the Slavic Orthodox countries that use Cyrillic script (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, etc.). 

Politically it's any country east of the Iron Curtain (including Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovenia).

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## Frosty_Chateux

Depends what you mean by "Eastern":

Politically/economically: Any country formerly east of the Iron Curtain. 

Culturally/historically: Any country that is Orthodox Christian and uses a non-Latin script. In this case, I would place all Catholic Slavs plus Hungarians as Central Europeans. Exception is Romania, which is Orthodox but is Romanized due to language family. Albania and Bosnia are Muslim putting them closer to the Orient. 

Central Europe for the most part just means semi-Western countries that haven't economically caught up with their Western peers. Prague as a city for example feels very Western to me, just slightly poorer (though nothing like its neighbors to the east). They are in the transition zone. The real Eastern cities are in countries like Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Macedonia, Bulgaria, etc. who all have Oriental cultures. Greece I would also consider Oriental despite being part of the Western bloc due to culture. They also inspired the Cyrillic script after all. 

Russia is its own beast and can't be really compared to anywhere in Europe IMO. 

Central Europe as a region does exist culturally, but not politically. People are too caught up with the Iron Curtain division and fail to connect the previous hundreds of years of history that tied these regions together. Look at the Ottoman conquests. Central Europe was very Western at that time.

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## Krum

"Eastern Europe" is a term that refers to a geopolitical region covering the eastern part of the European continent.
The term was well defined during the Cold War, being used as a synonym for the Eastern Bloc or the Second World, and is still used today.
Eastern Europe is a name used after the Second World War for the communist countries in Europe that fell into the sphere of influence of the USSR. That is why Finland, Greece and Turkey have never been considered part of Eastern Europe, although they are purely geographical in the east. of Europe.

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