There are said to be in excess of 15,000 Thracian tombs in Bulgaria: many of them have yet to be excavated. A Bulgarian, John Atanasoff co-invented the first electronic computer; and Peter Petroff invented the first digital watch. The key difference between West… The people in eastern countries are more traditional than people in the West when we consider their rituals, customs, clothing, etc. the Antiquity, not antiques! Russia, poised on the edge of … The region stretches from the Arctic in the north to the Crimea in the south, and from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Ural Mountains in the east. For those who don’t know, Spartacus was an ancestor of Kirk Douglas a slave and gladiator who escaped captivity and went on to lead armies in the Third Servile War against the Roman Empire. The western territories of Europe widely accepted Latin languages and the Eastern territories were too far apart. The one correction I would make, Henri Coanda’s claim of inventing the first jet engine has been debunked many times over the years. Nup. Once part of the former Soviet Union, the countries of eastern Europe are now independent republics. Students are introduced to folk dancing and explore what it is and what it reflects in a culture. Seriously, music can be found absolutely everywhere, and every musical tradition is distinct. The castles were densely sprinkled across the territory of the Teutonic State The State of the Teutonic Order was a great military power. There is no consistent definition of the precise area it covers, partly because the term has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic connotations. Eastern Europe: Society and Culture. The name of the city is derived from the name of the river Moskva. If you can speak Croatian, the national language, in Croatia, you'll have an advantage, but in tourist areas, waiters and shopkeepers will be familiar with English. For women especially there is a lot of pressure to have kids while they are still young and fertile. The building that takes a backseat to no-one (except the Pentagon) . This particular quirk dates back to 1848 and the Austrian defeat of the Hungarian Revolution. At sea: life on the water with Intrepid skipper Mike Simon, 6 of Europe’s top ‘Not Hot’ spots for 2018, Island hopping in Hong Kong: exploring Lantau, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Coand%C4%83, From declaring a climate emergency to science-based targets: looking back at 2020 with Intrepid’s Environmental Impact Specialist, Meet Annette, the Intrepid traveller who created a body positive travel movement. Latvia is one of the Baltic nations, and its language shares some similarities with Lithuanian. Share and bring new players to the game! Eastern Europe is a region that encompasses many different cultures, ethnicities, languages, and histories. Thereafter, a landowning class developed that oversaw agricultural production by peasant-serfs. A Bulgarian even invented the car air bag. A little-known fact is that it is considered the hub of the Ukrainian community in Southwest Florida. Image Roberto Maldeno, Flickr. Today, with its capital Prague a year-round tourist hotspot, the Czech Republic becomes ever more relevant to travelers who want to become familiar with this country's medieval - and modern - … Croatia's currency is named after the animal pelts that were once used in trade, though today Croatians use coins and banknotes like everybody else! We’d give them the nod of approval, but that would probably just confuse matters. Eastern Europe does not have strict political or geographic borders; it'… After the Pentagon in Washington DC, the Romanian Palace of Parliament in Bucharest is the second largest building in the world; but don’t feel too sorry for it, as it holds the accolade of being the largest civilian building. Plenty of natural wonders, culturally robust holidays, and charming cities and towns are representative of Slovenia. The wall between East and West Germany was breached in Berlin Nov 9, 1989, and the country was reunited October 1990. Europe can be divided into East and West Europe because of their cultural influences and diversity. Fellow Romanian inventors include: Henri Coanda (the jet engine), Petrache Poenaru (the fountain pen), Nicolae Constantin Paulescu (insulin), Eugen Pavel (the CD-ROM) and Aurel Persu (the first designer to incorporate a car wheels into the aerodynamic line). The fabled streetlights of Timisoara. If you like coffee then you might not have known that Francesco Illy, founder of Illycaffè, and the inventor of the automatic steam espresso coffee machine hailed from Timisoara in Romania. Remnants of Lithuania's medieval might are evident in its sights like Trakai Castle, and pilgrimage sites like the Hill of Crosses speak about the faith of this devoutly Roman Catholic country. Fish and seafood are plentiful from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Music from this part of the world is different from, say the music of Northern Africa, Western Asia, or Western Europe, all nearby regions. Eastern Europeans invented the CD-ROM (and other things that we actually still use) The Eastern Europeans are an inventive bunch, with many familiar things being invented by those born in the region. Eastern Europe has experienced centuries of change as a result of shifting political boundaries. The Republic of Latvia is a Baltic state bordering Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus, and Russia. As their names imply, Western Europe refers to the west part of Europe and Eastern Europe refers to the East part of Europe. Want to explore Eastern Europe with Steve on a dedicated photography tour? The Austrians celebrated with much clinking of beer glasses (and probably lots of snide little remarks) and the Hungarians have been smarting ever since. For example, Indians pay respect to their elders by touching their feet; East Asians use bows as greetings, apologizing and thanking. The capital of Poland, Warsaw, is a good starting point, but travelers have been loving Krakow for years. Here are seven incredible facts about Eastern Europe’s Teutonic castles. Latvia was governed by various entities throughout the course of history and gained its independence from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Leave it to the Romanians, eh. Mixing religion and politics, for example, is completely taboo in most European countries due to the state/religion separation and while there are a few exceptions, as a general rule, European countries just don’t appear to be heavily religious. In addition, they are the kind of buffer between Russia and other CIS countries, on the one hand, and Western Europe, on the other. Hungary enjoys a unique heritage in East Central Europe. Eastern culture has a circular view of the universe that is based upon the perception of eternal recurrence whereas Western culture has a linear view of the universe that is based on the Christian philosophy that everything has a beginning and an end. It also shares a maritime border with Sweden. European accents and languages can be heard everywhere -- in restaurants, shops and markets - it’s a microcosm of Eastern Europe. If speak in the simple words, the Eastern culture means Asia and the Western culture means Europe and the USA. That's actually a difficult question. The building was conceived by the dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, who is said to have modelled it on Buckingham Palace in London. Key Difference – Western vs Eastern Europe . The world is full of music. Learn more about its major cities and its history, and enjoy its rich culture when you travel. 2. Eastern Europe is the eastern part of the European continent. Exploring Eastern European Food & Culture Encompassing diverse regions and cultures, Eastern Europe has a rich history of food and traditions. Berlin? Never underestimate's Poland's ability to show you a good time while giving you a tour through its history. European culture is largely rooted in what is often referred to as its "common cultural heritage". Retaining control over an area this vast required a strict system. The continent of Europe can be divided into two regions as the western and eastern Europe. Top 10 Eastern Europe facts. To avoid diplomatic incidents, best simply raise your glass, look your new Hungarian friend in the eye and simply declare “Egészségedre” (or as close to that as you can manage. Indeed, Turkey has sought membership in the European Union (EU), and the Republic of Cyprus joined the organization in 2004. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Coand%C4%83, great article and nice share. 5. The spoken language, Magyar, is one of the most difficult for English speakers to learn and shares similarities with Finnish and Estonian. La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. With a border on the Baltic Sea that washes up semi-precious golden nuggets of amber and plenty of castles that dot its countryside, Poland is a country full of discoveries just waiting to be made! There are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region". It’s actually a phenomenon shared by certain parts of Greece, Lebanon, Macedonia and Albania. The freeing of central and eastern European from Russian hegemony was completed when Poland, Hungary and Czech Republics joined NATO in 1999 (other East European countries also joined NATO in the following years). Modern day Bulgaria was home to the Thracian tribe, and their hero Spartacus was born there. Europe borders onto the Arctic Ocean in the North, the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the Mediterranean Sea in the South. Learn demographic facts, travel facts, and other facts about Eastern Europe, including Southeastern Europe and East Central Europe, below. Take for example, the music of Eastern Europe. Steve Davey is a photographer and writer whose work has been published in magazines and newspapers all over the world. Image Panoramas, Flickr. Kerry Kubilius is a freelance writer who specializes in Eastern European history, culture, current events, language, and travel. East European Cultural Studies You will take 60 credits of modules in Russian and Slavonic Studies. While religion has played a huge part in the history of Europe, it’s unlikely that you’ll find any religion in any great masses in Europe today. globalquiz.org. Though the majority of the Eastern European region, countries belong to the Slavic group of languages – Czech, Slovak, Polish and Bulgarian. Selected as the most interesting among Eastern Europe related questions in Eastern Europe quiz. Travelling in Eastern Europe can be a unique experience, but it’s a surprising one too. Find out other interesting facts about Eastern Europe below: Facts about Eastern Europe 1: the land border The culture of Europe is rooted in the art, architecture, film, different types of music, economic, literature, and philosophy that originated from the continent of Europe. Eastern Europe is the eastern region of Europe.The term "Eastern Europe" still means such European countries that until the end of the Cold War were Post-Soviet states in Europe or states in Europe that once belong to the Soviet Union.Others describe Eastern Europe as a region of predominantly Slavic cultures, but other ethnic groups live there as well. Nope. One definition describes Eastern Europe as a cult… There are approximately 1,957,200 Latvians within the country’s 24,938 square miles’ territory. The Influence of Geography Eastern European cuisine has been forged by the natural resources of the region that find their way into many recipes. While many aviation enthusiasts would say the Coanda-1910 aircraft was a unique design and I would say it definitely filed some technological development prerequisites to develop a conventional jet engine (such as a multi-bladed fan intake and exhaust chamber to apply propulsion). There are also other language groups in this region – for example Latvian and Lithuanian belong to the Baltic group whilst the Romanian language has Latin origins and is very close to Italian and Spanish. The European continent is located completely in the northern hemisphere and mainly in the eastern hemisphere. It’s hard to look cool playing the bagpipes, but this guy makes it work. The definition like the Eastern culture and the Western culture seems to have the same origin. Western sensibilities start to mesh with old Eastern traditions, gothic architecture sits alongside drab Soviet concrete and delicate Michelin starred cuisines give way to hearty things that always seem to include some mix of cabbage, potato and goat, even if they’re not supposed to. Seven hundred and thirty one bulbs were put up all over the town, although back then it was called Temesvár and it was in the Kingdom of Hungary. Just in this little pocket of Eastern Europe did people evolve against the flow. Find out the details on our special 12-day Impressions of Eastern Europe tour here. Bulgaria's cultural identity is one of its biggest attractions, and its popular destinations include ancient hotspots and a Black Sea coast. 5 x Europe Facts for Kids More than 200 languages are being spoken throughout Europe It is part of the supercontinent Eurasia (Europe and Asia) Christianity is the main religion, although many consider themselves non-religious Here’s why. So, where exactly is Eastern Europe? Our perception is shaped by our environment. If you are drinking with locals in Hungary, then make sure not to clink glasses. Yep, tiny Timisoara in Romania was the first city in continental Europe to have electric street lighting in 1882. Eastern culture uses the spiritual and missionary approach of searching inside oneself for answers through meditation whereas western culture takes on a pragmatic and emotional approach in searching outside oneself through research and analysis. A Bulgarian, John Atanasoff co-invented the first electronic computer; and Peter Petroff invented the first digital watch. They research various folk dance traditions around the world, then focus specifically on Eastern Europe. History of Europe - History of Europe - European society and culture since 1914: “If it works, it’s obsolete.” First reported in or about 1950, the saying neatly expressed that period’s sense of the headlong speed at which technology was changing. Which river flows through Moscow? I hope to visit Bulgaria and Romania in 2016 and it is good to know these interesting facts. This is the reason why Russian ladies (much like Ukrainian women) are not ones for short-ter… Piotr Ostrowski/Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images, Maurice Alexandre F.P./Moment Collection/Getty Images. 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