Chapter 13: Eastern Europe

The end of communist rule in 1989 brought many changes to Eastern Europe. Poland is a large country with southern mountains and northern plains. In 1989 Poland began to move from a communist state to a free market society. Most Poles are Roman Catholic and are strongly influenced by their religion. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are small republics that border the Baltic Sea. From 1940 until 1991 they were controlled by the Soviet Union. Today these countries are working to increase manufacturing and service industries.

Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia are located in the center of Eastern Europe. The Great Hungarian Plain in eastern Hungary has excellent soil for farming and grazing animals. Most Hungarians are Magyars, descendants of nomads who came to the Danube River valley about 1,000 years ago. Compared to other countries of Eastern Europe, the people of the Czech Republic enjoy a high standard of living. Because of corruption by some government officials, Slovakia has had difficulty moving to a free market economy.

The Balkan Peninsula lies between the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea. Romania, which lies at the northeastern edge of the Balkans, faces many challenges left over from the Soviet era. Despite abundant resources, the country still struggles. Ethnic conflict has torn apart the former Yugoslav Republics.

Until 1991, Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova were part of the Soviet Union. The rich soil of Ukraine has earned it the name "breadbasket of Europe." Belarus maintains a Communist government and close ties to Russia. Moldova suffers from disagreements among different ethnic groups.