Travel Europe (Continental) Other - Europe
Why are Czech Republic and Slovenia classified as Eastern European countries?
I've read in many encyclopedias that Europe extends from the Atlantic ocean in the west to the Ural Mountains in the east. Now, Vienna, Austria is a Central European city, according to the same sources. However, Prague (capital of the Czech Republic) and Ljubljana (capital of Slovenia) located respectively... show more I've read in many encyclopedias that Europe extends from the Atlantic ocean in the west to the Ural Mountains in the east. Now, Vienna, Austria is a Central European city, according to the same sources. However, Prague (capital of the Czech Republic) and Ljubljana (capital of Slovenia) located respectively northwest and southwest of Vienna are classified as being in Eastern Europe. Why?
Thx in advance.
Update: I mean Slovenia - the country located between Austria and Italy. Still, Bratislava (capital of Slovakia) is literally next door to Vienna and is also classified as an Eastern European city.
BTW, how does the fact that it is populated by Slavs and Gypsies have to do with its geographic classification?
Update 2: Guru Hank, that's what I thought too, that they should be called middle europeans.
Best Answer: Slovenia is a Central European country! It's only referred to as Eastern Europe by people that like to generalize and group all new EU countries under one label Or by people that don't know any better (bigots included).Also Roma population in Slovenia is less than 1%
Czech Republic & Slovakia are also considered Central Europe! While this two countries were part of the Eastern Block, the same can't be said about Yugoslavia, as it was never under the influence of Moscow. While a communist country, it modeled his economic development plan independently from Moscow. Stalin & Tito had a huge fight after the end of WW2, which led to mass executions of pro-Stalinist. IN 1961 Yugoslavia founded the "Non-Aligned Movement" of independent countries, who chose not to join any of the Cold War blocs!
Generally Eastern Europe is just a stupid label, that generalizes all post communistic countries. It has precious little to do with geography, or how would you explain why Greece is considered a West European country.
Source(s): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenia
inugami · 9 years ago
For anyone living west of Vienna or Berlin, anything east of it, is eastern Europe. First it has to do with a selective history of the West, where it only remembers that this region was once under control of the Moscow (in the case of Prague) or was entirely communist. Besides, for Germanic, Roman, Anglosaxon nations, all Slavic nationalities are Eastern European. They are taught and brainwashed that entire region has a separate history from the rest of the Europe. Geographic location of Prague, northwest of Vienna or more western than Stockholm, have nothing to do with it. Majority of the Europeans have very vague understanding of geography, and people traveling from Berlin to Vienna for the first time are often surprised to find themselves to be in Czech Republic. Germans living just across border have little knowledge of the countries east of it, and they believe that entire region from Bohemian forest to Kamchatka speaks one language. As long these stereotypes will survive, and they will for another 100 years, whatever controls Prague, Ljubjana, Bratislava or Zagreb, it will be always Eastern Europe.
MoravianEagle · 9 years ago
by way of fact it quite is. The finding out factor is that if it belonged to the jap states in the Soviet cases. And the then united states Czechoslovakia became into below the impression of the Moskow gouvernment. while Europe is devided in east and west the dividing line is the former iron curtain, this is the border between east and west Gemany, and for something, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Greece had the jap border. There was once no 'substantial' Europe. and you asserting there is would not make it one!
betton · 3 years ago
They were part of the Eastern Block of countries, associated with the Soviet Union until that broke up and those countries broke away.
Source(s): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Blo...
Aragorn · 9 years ago
Because they are full of Slavs and Gypsies.
I would call them 'mittel' Europeans though.
Guru Hank · 9 years ago
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