Main difference - Western vs. Eastern Europe
The European continent can be divided into several regions depending on various geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socio-economic factors. Western Europe and Eastern Europe are two such regions. As their names suggest, Western Europe refers to the western part of Europe and Eastern Europe to the eastern part of Europe. However, there is no precise boundary that separates the two regions. The main difference between Western and Eastern Europe is that the name Eastern Europe is used for all European countries that were previously ruled by communist regimes, while the name Western Europe refers to the more economically stable and developed Western countries.
Key areas covered
1. What is Western Europe - definition, countries, facts 2. What is Eastern Europe - definition, countries, facts 3. What is the difference between Western and Eastern Europe - comparison of the most important differences
What is Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. However, this term has no precise definition; The use of this term has changed over the years. During the Cold War, this term was used to describe the developed and rich countries of the western world. There was a clear difference between Western and Eastern Europe in terms of economics, politics, and religion. Some of the countries that belong to Western Europe are
- Austria
- Belgium
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Ireland
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Northern Ireland
- Norway
- Portugal
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- Vatican
Figure 01: Western Europe
Most of the countries were members of the Western European Union. Countries in Western Europe are economically more stable and developed than the countries in Eastern Europe. The term Western Europe is also more likely to be associated with liberal democracy and capitalism .
What is Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern region of the European continent. However, all countries that were behind the Iron Curtain (the border that divides Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II to the end of the Cold War) prior to its fall are broadly classified as part of Eastern Europe. These countries were previously ruled by communist regimes. The following countries belong to Eastern Europe as defined by the United Nations.
- Bulgaria
- Czech Republic
- Hungary
- Poland
- Romania
- Russian Federation
- Slovakia
- Republic of Belarus
- Moldova
- Ukraine
Figure 02: Eastern Europe
As mentioned earlier, there are different definitions for Eastern Europe. According to some sources, subregions of East Central Europe, the Baltic States and Southeast Europe / Balkans belong to Eastern Europe. The borders of Eastern Europe are the Adriatic, the Black and Caspian Seas and the Caucasus in the south; Baltic Sea and Barents Sea in the north; and the Ural Mountains in the east.
Eastern Europe is considered to be less economically developed than Western Europe. Greek, Byzantine, Russian, Eastern Orthodox, and some Ottoman influences can be seen in Eastern Europe. Compared to Western Europeans, Eastern Europeans are more conservative and orthodox.
Difference between Western and Eastern Europe
region
Western Europe: Western Europe refers to the western part of Europe.
Eastern Europe: Eastern Europe refers to Eastern Europe.
countries
Western Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom are some of the countries that make up Western Europe.
Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine are some of the countries that belong to Eastern Europe.
politics
Western Europe: Western Europe is associated with liberal democracy and capitalism.
Eastern Europe: Eastern Europe has countries that were previously ruled by communist regimes.
business
Western Europe: Countries in Western Europe are economically more stable and developed than countries in Eastern Europe.
Eastern Europe: Countries in Eastern Europe are comparatively less developed and economically less stable.
diploma
Western and Eastern Europe are two regions of the European continent. However, these two names do not have precise definitions. However, this difference between Western and Eastern Europe is based on various geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socio-economic factors. The name Eastern Europe refers to all European countries that were previously ruled by communist regimes, while the name Western Europe refers to the more economically stable and developed Western countries.
Image courtesy:
1. "Western Europe (Robinson projection)" By Serg! O - Image: BlankMap-Europe-v5.png (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia 2. "Eastern Europe-small" By user: Joy - Based on Europe-small.png after highlighting the eastern parts (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
