Eastern Europe is, by convention, that part of World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. It is conventionally considered a continent, which, in this case, is more of a cultural distinction than a geographic one. ( National Geographic, however, officially recognises... Europe from the The Ural Mountains, (Russian: Ура́льские го́ры = Ура́л) also known simply as the Urals, are a mountain range that run roughly north and south through western Russia. The Urals extend 2500 km from the... Ural and The Caucasus is a region in West Asia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea which includes the Caucasus mountains and surrounding lowlands. The highest peak is Elbrus (5642m). Ancient countries of Caucasus: Armenia, Iberia, Colchis and Albania Modern Caucasus: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan The independent nations that comprise... Caucasus mountains in the East to an arbitrarily chosen boundary in the West. Usually some or all of the countries adjacent to Russia's western border are included. As is also true of continents, regions are only social constructs and should not be understood as physical features defined by abstract, neutral criteria.

History

As a term, the origins of "Eastern Europe" are fairly recent. For many years Europe was divided on a North-South axis, with the southern The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2.5 million km². Name The term Mediterranean derives from the Latin mediterraneus, inland (medius, middle + terra, land, earth). The Mediterranean Sea... Mediterranean states having much in common, and the northern Atlantic Ocean - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes.css; @import /skins/monobook/IE55Fixes.css; @import /skins/monobook/IE60Fixes.css; /**/ Atlantic Ocean From Wikipedia The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. The oceans name, derived from Greek mythology, means the Sea of... Atlantic Ocean and The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of east and central Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Öresund, the Great Belt and the Little Belt. Kattegat then continues in the Skagerrak into the... Baltic Sea bordering states also having much in common (see also Northern Europe is a name for the northern part of the European continent. At different times this region has been defined differently but today it is generally seen to include: the Nordic countries, i.e. Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. the Baltic States, i.e. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania the... Northern Europe, The Nordic countries (Greenland not shown) The Nordic countries is a term used collectively for five countries in Northern Europe. The Nordic countries have an aggregate population of about 24 million. The Nordic Countries are also the member countries of the Nordic Council: Denmark Finland Iceland Norway Sweden In addition... Nordic Countries). The term "Eastern Europe" first arose in the Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. In the sense of the Common Era... 19th century, and was used to describe an area that was falling behind the rest of Europe economically. It was seen as a region where Costumes of Slaves or Serfs, from the Sixth to the Twelfth Centuries, collected by H. de Vielcastel, from original Documents in the great Libraries of Europe. A serf is a laborer who is bound to the land. Serfs differ from slaves in that serfs cannot be sold apart from the... serfdom and A reactionary (sometimes: reactionist) is someone who seeks to restore conditions to those of a previous era. The political attitude of a reactionary is reaction, reactionism (sometimes: reactionaryism). Reaction is always presented against something that it opposes. Reactionary comes from the French word réactionnaire, coined in the early 19th... reactionary Autocracy is a form of government where unlimited power is held by a single individual. An emperor may rise to power due to hereditary lines, but is referred to as an autocrat rather than a monarch when his power overshadows his bloodline. It is a type of government historically found... autocratic governments persisted long after those things faded in the west. It was always a very vague notion, however, and many countries in the region did not fit the In modern usage, a stereotype is a simplified mental picture of an individual or group of people who share a certain characteristic (or stereotypical) qualities. The term is often used in a negative sense, and stereotypes are seen by many as undesirable beliefs which can be altered through education and... stereotypical view.

Much of Eastern Europe has ties to both the east and west. While all of the countries were heavily influenced by The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. Members generally prefer the term Catholic Church, but this term has multiple meanings (see Catholicism); the term Roman Catholic Church is used in this article to avoid... Roman Catholic or Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. It generally refers to those that separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the Reformation of the 16th century, their offshoots, and those that share similar doctrines or ideologies. It is commonly considered one of the three major branches of Christianity... Protestant For other uses of the term Christian, see Christian (disambiguation). Christianity is an Abrahamic religion based on the life, teachings, death by crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament. Although Christians are monotheistic, the one God is thought, by most Christians, to exist in... Christianity and have very close historical and cultural ties to The Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. Due to its central location, Germany has more neighbours than any other European country: these are Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the... Germany, The Italian Republic or Italy ( Italian: Repubblica Italiana or Italia) is a country in southern Europe. It comprises a boot-shaped peninsula and two large islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia, and shares its northern alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent countries of San... Italy, The French Republic or France ( French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. France is a democracy organised as a... France or Scandinavia is the cultural and historic region of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The Scandinavian countries are Norway, Sweden and Denmark, which recognize each other as parts of Scandinavia. The collective label Scandinavia reflects the cultural similarity, and the strong historical ties, between these countries despite their political independence. The terms Fennoscandia... Scandinavia (e.g. the The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, Europe and the British Isles from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. The word was... Vikings in The Russian Federation ( Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches... Russia, the The foundations of the Hanseatic League (German: Hanse), an alliance of trading cities that for a time in the later Middle Ages and the Early Modern period maintained a trade monopoly over most of Northern Europe and the Baltic, can be seen as early as the 12th century, with the... Hanseatic league in the The Baltic Sea The Baltic states, or Baltic countries, is a term which usually refers to three countries to the East of the Baltic Sea: Estonia Latvia Lithuania It ought to be noted that although the present-day Baltic countries are republics, the term Baltic Republics refers to the same... Baltics), many countries also had relations with the East. The Russian Federation ( Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches... Russia was under the control of the Honorary guard of Mongolia. The Mongols are an ethnic group that originated in what is now Mongolia, Russia, and China, particularly Inner Mongolia. They currently number about 8.5 million and speak the Mongol language. They form one of the 56 nationalities officially recognized by the Peoples Republic of... Mongols for two centuries and inherited some political and social conventions from them. Further south the The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto El Muzaffer Daima The Ever Victorious (as written in tugra) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul ( Constantinople/Asitane/Konstantiniyye ) Sovereigns Sultans of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 12+ million km² Establishment 1299 Dissolution October... Ottoman Empire and Islam ( Arabic al-islām الإسلام,  listen?) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. Etymology In Arabic, Islām means submission and is described as a Dīn, meaning way of life... Islam had a very strong influence. The nations of the The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe southeastern Europe (see the Definitions and boundaries section below). The region has a combined area of 550,000 km² and a population of around 53 million. The countries of Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, mainland Greece, the (Former Yugoslav) Republic of... Balkans as well as The Republic of Hungary (Magyar Köztársaság) or Hungary (Magyarország) is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. It is known locally as the Country of the Magyars. National motto: (none current) historical: Regnum... Hungary and Romania (formerly spelled Rumania or Roumania; Romanian: România) is a country in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Ukraine and Moldova in the northeast, Hungary in the west and Serbia and Bulgaria to the south along the Danube river. Romania has a stretch of sea coast on the... Romania were all at one time controlled by the Areas settled by Turkic peoples in the late 19th and early 20th century The Turkic people are any of various peoples whose members speak languages in the Turkic family of languages. These people, possibly numbering 150 million in population, are probably the diverse descendants of large groups of tribespeople who... Turks.

The term is recently used in the For alternative meanings for The West in the United States, see the U.S. West and American West. The term Western world can have multiple meanings depending on its context. Originally defined as Europe, most modern uses of the term refer to the societies of Europe and their genealogical, colonial... Western countries to refer to all European countries that were previously under This article is about one-party states ruled by Communist Parties. For information regarding communism as a form of society, as an ideology advocating that form of society, or as a popular movement, see the main Communism article. In common speech in the Western World, a communist state is a... communist regimes, the so-called During the Cold War, the Eastern Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) comprised the following Central and Eastern European countries: Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Poland, Albania (until the early 1960s, see below), the Soviet Union, and Czechoslovakia. The Eastern Bloc is also often equated with the Warsaw Pact. Another organization encompassing... Eastern Bloc. The concept of Eastern Europe was greatly strengthened by the domination of the region by Communism is a term that can refer to one of several things: a social and economic system, an ideology which supports that system, or a political movement that wishes to implement that system. As a theoretical social and economic system, communism would be a type of egalitarian society with no... Communism and more specifically the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) .( Russian: Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик... Soviet Union after the Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (60,000 ft) into the air. August 9, 1945 World War II was a global conflict that started in 7 July 1937 in Asia and 1 September 1939 in Europe and lasted until 1945, involving the majority of the... Second World War. The idea of an " In the summer of 1989, the foreign ministers of Austria and Hungary, Alois Mock and Gyula Horn, ceremoniously cut through the border defences separating their countries. The Iron Curtain (Железный занавес in Russian, or Zhelezniy zanaves) is... Iron Curtain" separating Eastern and Western Europe was dominant throughout the The Cold War ( 1947- 1991) was the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after World War II between groups of nations practicing different ideologies and political systems. On one side was the Soviet Union and its allies, often referred to as the Eastern bloc. On the other side were the... Cold War. This strict dualism causes problems, however, as it fails to account for complexities of the region. For instance, communist countries such as The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was a Balkan state that existed from 1945 to 1992. It was formed in 1945 from remains of the pre-war Kingdom of Yugoslavia under the name Democratic Federal Yugoslavia, in 1946 it changed its name to Federal Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia and... Yugoslavia and Albania is a Mediterranean country in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro in the north, Serbia ( Kosovo) in the north-east, the Republic of Macedonia in the east, and Greece in the south, has a coast on the Adriatic Sea in the west, and a coast on the Ionian... Albania refused to be controlled by the This article is about Russian citadels. For other meanings of the word, see Kremlin (disambiguation). Kremlin (Кремль) is the Russian word for citadel and refers to any major fortified central complex found in historical Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the... Kremlin, which however didn't make much difference to anti-Communists in the west.

Furthermore, a view that Europe is divided stricly into the West and the East is considered pejorative by the population of the nominally eastern countries, especially since the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 16, 1989 The Berlin Wall ( German: Berliner Mauer) was a long barrier separating West Berlin from East Berlin and the surrounding territory of East Germany. Its intent was to restrict access between West Berlin and East Germany. It was built in 1961 and fortified over the... Berlin Wall and Communism in Europe overall. The Europeans from eastern countries do not classify themselves as "East Europeans" but prefer to include themselves in other groups, associating themselves with Historical lands and provinces in Central Europe Central Europe is the region of Europe between Eastern Europe and Western Europe. There are no physical landmarks that would commonly be seen as its borders. Rather, it is a concept of shared history, in opposition against the East represented by the Ottoman... Central Europe, with Northern Europe is a name for the northern part of the European continent. At different times this region has been defined differently but today it is generally seen to include: the Nordic countries, i.e. Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. the Baltic States, i.e. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania the... Northern Europe, or with Southern Europe is a region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, after the bordering sea, the Mediterranean Sea. It has no precise definition but is generally taken to consist of: The Iberian Peninsula (Spain, Portugal, Andorra) The Italian peninsula (Italy, Vatican City, San Marino) Malta Sometimes, Southern... Southern Europe. Peoples like Estonians are a Finnic ethnic group primarily associated with Estonia and the Estonian language. There are around 915,000 Estonians living in Estonia. Notable emigration, diaspora? To be written. History The name Eesti, or Estonia, is derived from the word Aestii, the name given by the ancient Germans to the... Estonians and You may also be looking for the plural of the word pole. The Poles are a western Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with Poland and the Polish language. There are around 38 million Poles in Poland as well as autochthonous Polish minorities in the surrounding countries such as Germany, Lithuania... Poles may feel the label In sociology, social status is the standing, the honour or prestige attaching to ones position in society. In modern societies, occupation is usually thought of as the main dimension of status, but even in modern societies other memberships or affiliations (such as ethnic group, religion, gender, voluntary associations, fandom... stigmatizing in comparison with countries that successfully have asserted their belonging to the West despite their Eastern location — and history as parts of Eastern Orthodoxy - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes.css; @import /skins/monobook/IE55Fixes.css; @import /skins/monobook/IE60Fixes.css; /**/ Eastern Orthodoxy From Wikipedia The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian body whose adherents are largely based in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, with a growing presence in the western world... Eastern Orthodoxy ( Greece, formally called the Hellenic Republic ( Greek: Ελληνική Δημοκρατία), is a country in the southeast of Europe on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula. It has land boundaries with Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav... Greece) or Imperial Russia is the term used to cover the period of Russian history from the expansion of Russia under Peter the Great, through the expansion of the Russian Empire from the Baltic to the Pacific Ocean, to the deposal of Nicholas II of Russia, the last tsar, at the start... Imperial Russia ( The Republic of Finland ( Finnish: Suomen tasavalta, Swedish: Republiken Finland) is a Nordic country in northeastern Europe, bordered by the Baltic Sea to the southwest, the Gulf of Finland to the southeast and the Gulf of Bothnia to the west. Finland has land frontiers with Sweden, Norway and Russia and... Finland).

Eastern Europe

The countries meant by the term Eastern Europe were all formerly within the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) .( Russian: Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик... Soviet Union:

• Belarus ( Belarusian: Белару́сь, Russian: Белару́сь (formerly: Белору́ссия), Polish: Białoruś) is a landlocked nation of Eastern Europe with the capital Minsk. Belarus... Belarus
• Estonia (disambiguation). The Republic of Estonia is a country in Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the north. Estonia has land borders with its fellow Baltic state, Latvia, to the south, with Russia to the east, and maritime border with Finland... Estonia
• The Republic of Latvia ( Latvian: Latvijas Republika), or Latvia ( Latvian: Latvija), is a country in Northern Europe. Latvia has land borders with its two fellow Baltic states — Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south — and Russia and Belarus to the east. In the west Latvia shares... Latvia
• The Republic of Lithuania (in Lithuanian, Lietuva) is a republic in Northeastern Europe. One of the three Baltic States along the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with fellow Baltic State Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland to the south, and the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia to the... Lithuania
• The Russian Federation ( Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches... Russia
• Ukraine (Україна, Ukrayina in Ukrainian; Украина in Russian) is a republic in eastern Europe which borders Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest and... Ukraine
• This article refers to the Republic of Moldova. For information about the adjacent Romanian region, see Moldavia; for other uses see Moldova (disambiguation) The Republic of Moldova is a landlocked country in eastern Europe, located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the east. Its border with Romania follows... Moldova

The United Nations Statistics Division (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm) defines Eastern Europe as:

• Belarus ( Belarusian: Белару́сь, Russian: Белару́сь (formerly: Белору́ссия), Polish: Białoruś) is a landlocked nation of Eastern Europe with the capital Minsk. Belarus... Belarus
• The Republic of Bulgaria is a republic in the southeast of Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the east, Greece and Turkey to the south, Serbia and Montenegro and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Romania to the north along the river Danube. National motto: Съ... Bulgaria
• National motto: Truth prevails ( Czech: Pravda vítězí) Official language Czech Capital Praha ( Prague) President Václav Klaus Prime Minister Stanislav Gross Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 114th 78,866 km² 2% Population  - Total ( 2003)  - Density Ranked 76th 10.25 million... Czech Republic
• The Republic of Hungary (Magyar Köztársaság) or Hungary (Magyarország) is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. It is known locally as the Country of the Magyars. National motto: (none current) historical: Regnum... Hungary
• The Republic of Poland, a democratic country with a population of 38,626,349 and area of 312,685 km², is located in Central Europe, between Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and the Baltic Sea, Lithuania... Poland
• Romania (formerly spelled Rumania or Roumania; Romanian: România) is a country in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Ukraine and Moldova in the northeast, Hungary in the west and Serbia and Bulgaria to the south along the Danube river. Romania has a stretch of sea coast on the... Romania
• The Russian Federation ( Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches... Russia
• National motto: None Official language Slovak Capital Bratislava President Ivan Gašparovič Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 126th 49,035 km² Negligible Population  - Total ( 2004)  - Density Ranked 103rd 5,379,455 109/km² Independence January 1, 1993... Slovakia
• Ukraine (Україна, Ukrayina in Ukrainian; Украина in Russian) is a republic in eastern Europe which borders Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest and... Ukraine
• This article refers to the Republic of Moldova. For information about the adjacent Romanian region, see Moldavia; for other uses see Moldova (disambiguation) The Republic of Moldova is a landlocked country in eastern Europe, located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the east. Its border with Romania follows... Moldova

Southeastern Europe/Balkan Peninsula

Commonly this definition is expanded to include these other previously communist countries:

• Albania is a Mediterranean country in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro in the north, Serbia ( Kosovo) in the north-east, the Republic of Macedonia in the east, and Greece in the south, has a coast on the Adriatic Sea in the west, and a coast on the Ionian... Albania
• Bosnia and Herzegovina (officially Bosna i Hercegovina, shortened to BiH, also in English variously written Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bosnia-Hercegovina) is a mountainous country in the western Balkans. Its capital is Sarajevo and it was formerly one of the six federal units constituting Yugoslavia. The republic gained its... Bosnia and Herzegovina
• The Republic of Bulgaria is a republic in the southeast of Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the east, Greece and Turkey to the south, Serbia and Montenegro and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Romania to the north along the river Danube. National motto: Съ... Bulgaria
• The Republic of Croatia is a crescent-shaped country in Europe bordering the Mediterranean, Central Europe and the Balkans. Its capital is Zagreb. In recent history, it was a republic in the SFR Yugoslavia, but it achieved independence in 1991. It is a candidate for membership of the European Union... Croatia
• National motto: None Official languages Macedonian2 Capital Skopje President Branko Crvenkovski Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 145th 25,713 km² 1.9% Population  - Total (2003 est.)  - Density Ranked 140th  2,022,547  81/km² Independence 8 September 1991... F.Y.R. Macedonia
• Romania (formerly spelled Rumania or Roumania; Romanian: România) is a country in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Ukraine and Moldova in the northeast, Hungary in the west and Serbia and Bulgaria to the south along the Danube river. Romania has a stretch of sea coast on the... Romania
• Serbia and Montenegro ( Serbian: Србија и Црна Гора, often abbreviated as SCG) is the name of the union of Serbia and Montenegro, two former Yugoslav republics united since 2003 in a loose confederation. It is located on the west... Serbia and Montenegro

Greece, formally called the Hellenic Republic ( Greek: Ελληνική Δημοκρατία), is a country in the southeast of Europe on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula. It has land boundaries with Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav... Greece and the European part of The Republic of Turkey is a country located in Southwest Asia with a small part of its territory (3%) in southeastern Europe. Until 1922, the country was the center of the Ottoman Empire. The Anatolian peninsula, between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, forms the core of the country... Turkey are usually not included, as they are old For the National Association of Theatre Owners, please see National Association of Theatre Owners. The flag of NATO NATO 2002 Summit The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support... NATO members.

Central Europe

The previously communist countries of Historical lands and provinces in Central Europe Central Europe is the region of Europe between Eastern Europe and Western Europe. There are no physical landmarks that would commonly be seen as its borders. Rather, it is a concept of shared history, in opposition against the East represented by the Ottoman... Central Europe became included in the era of the The Cold War ( 1947- 1991) was the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after World War II between groups of nations practicing different ideologies and political systems. On one side was the Soviet Union and its allies, often referred to as the Eastern bloc. On the other side were the... Cold War:

• the National motto: Truth prevails ( Czech: Pravda vítězí) Official language Czech Capital Praha ( Prague) President Václav Klaus Prime Minister Stanislav Gross Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 114th 78,866 km² 2% Population  - Total ( 2003)  - Density Ranked 76th 10.25 million... Czech Republic - part of former Czechoslovakia ( Czech: Československo, Slovak: Česko-Slovensko/before 1990 Československo) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1992 (except for the World War II period). On January 1, 1993, it peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, in what was known as the... Czechoslovakia
• The Republic of Hungary (Magyar Köztársaság) or Hungary (Magyarország) is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. It is known locally as the Country of the Magyars. National motto: (none current) historical: Regnum... Hungary
• The Republic of Poland, a democratic country with a population of 38,626,349 and area of 312,685 km², is located in Central Europe, between Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and the Baltic Sea, Lithuania... Poland
• National motto: None Official language Slovak Capital Bratislava President Ivan Gašparovič Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 126th 49,035 km² Negligible Population  - Total ( 2004)  - Density Ranked 103rd 5,379,455 109/km² Independence January 1, 1993... Slovakia - part of former Czechoslovakia ( Czech: Československo, Slovak: Česko-Slovensko/before 1990 Československo) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1992 (except for the World War II period). On January 1, 1993, it peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, in what was known as the... Czechoslovakia
• The Republic of Slovenia ( Slovenian: Republika Slovenija) is a coastal sub-Alpine country in south central Europe bordering Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north. National motto: None National anthem: Zdravljica Capital... Slovenia - formerly within Yugoslavia

Prior to the German reunification (Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) refers to the reunification of Germany from its constituent parts of East Germany and West Germany under a single government on October 3, 1990. An agreement to reunite both parts of Germany was reached on February 13, 1990. This agreement was implemented through the so-called... German reunification, For the historical eastern German provinces, see Historical Eastern Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR), German Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR), was a Communist Party-led state that existed from 1949 to 1990 in the former Soviet occupation zone of Germany. The GDR was proclaimed in the Soviet... East Germany was often counted to Eastern Europe.

See also

• The Baltic Sea Northeastern Europe is a compromise terminology to refer to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Due to their recent history as former Soviet Republics they are sometimes considered to be part of former communist Eastern Europe. But there are many reasons to see them as part... Northeastern Europe
• The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe southeastern Europe (see the Definitions and boundaries section below). The region has a combined area of 550,000 km² and a population of around 53 million. The region takes its name from the Balkan mountains which run through the... Southeastern Europe
• States colour-shaded according to entry (darkest being earliest) The European Union originally consisted of six member states. It has since grown to 25 member states, and even more states plan to join: two new members in 2007 with even more after that. All in all a union of more... Enlargement of the European Union

External link

• Civic Education Trends in Post-Communist Countries of Central and Eastern Europe (http://www.ericdigests.org/2004-2/europe.html)