The Central-Eastern Europe (CEE) region covers 15 post-socialist countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic (the Czech Republic includes the territory of the historical regions of the Czech Republic, Moravia and a small part of Silesia), Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Federation Serbia and Montenegro (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania. The area of ​​the region, representing a single territorial massif, is over 1.3 million sq. km. with a population of 130 million people. (1998). Of its constituent countries, the group of larger European states includes only Poland and Romania; the rest of the countries are relatively small in size (territory from 20 to 110 thousand square kilometers with a population of 2 to 10 million people).

This region of Europe has gone through a difficult path of political and socio-economic development in the context of a dramatic struggle for the peoples inhabiting it by the largest European powers for spheres of influence on the continent. This struggle was waged with particular force in the 19th-20th centuries. between Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia, Turkey, as well as France and Great Britain. During this struggle and the intensified national liberation movements of the local population, former states were formed and destroyed. After the First World War, the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed, Poland reappeared on the map of Europe, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia were formed, and the territory of Romania more than doubled.

Subsequent changes in the political map of CEE were the result of the victory over fascist Germany and Italy during the Second World War. The most important of them: the return to Poland of its western and northern lands with wide access to the Baltic Sea, Yugoslavia - the Julian Region and the Istrian Peninsula, inhabited mainly by Slovenes and Croats.

During the transition of CEE countries from a centrally planned economy to a market economy (late 80s - early 90s), political, socio-economic and national-ethnic contradictions sharply worsened. As a result, Czechoslovakia split along ethnic lines into two states - the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, and Yugoslavia - into five states: the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the republics of Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The CEE countries are located between the countries of Western Europe and the republics that were (until 1992) part of the USSR. This is associated with a number of common features of their political and socio-economic development at the stage of transition to a market economy. They are in the process of deep structural economic restructuring, fundamental changes in the nature and direction of foreign economic relations.

The CEE states are striving to expand their participation in pan-European economic integration, primarily in the fields of transport, energy, ecology, and the use of recreational resources. The region has access to the Baltic, Black and Adriatic seas, and the navigable Danube flows through it for a long distance; the region's territory can be widely used for the transit of goods and passengers between Western Europe, the CIS countries and Asia. For example, with the completion in 1993 of the Bamberg (on the Main River) - Regensburg (on the Danube River) canal, the possibility of end-to-end trans-European water transport between the North and Black Seas opens up (from Rotterdam at the mouth of the Rhine to Sulina at the mouth of the Danube, a waterway of 3,400 km.) . This is an important link in the development of a unified European network of inland waterways. Another example of the expanding use of the geographical location of the CEE countries is transit shipments through pipelines of natural gas and oil from Russia and other Caspian states to the countries of Western and Southern Europe. The CEE countries signed the European Energy Charter in 1994, which laid down the economic mechanisms for the global energy space throughout Europe.

When assessing natural resources, settlement patterns and regional differences in economic activities on the modern territory of the CEE countries, one needs to imagine the most important structural and morphological features of its relief. The region covers: part of the European Plain in the north (Baltic States, Poland), Hercynian midlands and hilly uplands (Czech Republic), part of Alpine-Carpathian Europe with folded mountains up to 2.5 - 3 thousand m high and low accumulative plains - Middle and Lower -Danube (Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, northern Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria), the southern European Dinaric and Rhodope-Macedonian massifs up to 2 - 2.5 thousand meters high with intermountain basins and foothill plains (most of Croatia and Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania and southern Bulgaria).

The composition and nature of the geographical distribution of mineral resources in countries are determined by the peculiarities of geological and tectonic structures. The greatest economic importance are large (on a European scale) deposits: hard coal (Upper Silesian basin in southern Poland and the adjacent Ostrava-Karvinsky basin in the north-east of the Czech Republic), brown coal (Serbia, Poland, Czech Republic), oil and natural gas ( Romania, Albania), oil shale (Estonia), rock salt (Poland, Romania), phosphorites (Estonia), natural sulfur (Poland), lead-zinc ores (Poland, Serbia), bauxite (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary) , chromite and nickel (Albania); In a number of countries there are deposits of uranium ores of industrial importance.

In general, CEE countries are insufficiently provided with primary energy resources. Up to 9/10 of the region's coal reserves (about 70 billion tons) are in Poland alone. CEE contains over 1/3 of the pan-European reserves of brown coal; they are more dispersed across the countries of the region, but still more than half lie in Serbia and Poland. No country (except Albania) has sufficient oil and natural gas reserves. Even Romania, which is better supplied with them, is forced to partially cover its needs for them through imports. Of the total hydro potential of CEE of 182 billion kWh, about half is in the republics of the former Yugoslavia (primarily Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina) and more than 20% in Romania. The region is rich in healing mineral springs, some of which are effectively used (especially in the Czech Republic).

CEE countries vary greatly in the size, composition and quality of forest resources. In the south of the region, the mountainous regions of the Balkan Peninsula, as well as the Carpathians, are characterized by increased forest cover with a predominance of coniferous species and beech, while in the predominantly flat and heavily cultivated Poland and Hungary, the forest supply is much less. In Poland and the Czech Republic, a significant part of productive forests is represented by artificial plantations, primarily pine trees.

However, one of the main assets of CEE is its soil and climatic resources. There are large areas of naturally fertile soils, mostly of the chernozem type. These are primarily the Lower and Middle Danube plains, as well as the Upper Thracian lowland. Due to the extensiveness of agriculture before the Second World War, about 10 - 15 quintals were collected here. with hectares Cereal crops. IN

In the 80s, the yield had already reached 35 - 45 c. per hectare, but was still lower than the yields in some Western European countries with lands less rich in humus.

Based on soil and climatic conditions and other natural resources, CEE countries can be conditionally divided into two groups: northern (Baltic countries, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia) and southern (rest of the countries). These differences, consisting of higher temperatures during the growing season and more fertile soils in the southern group of countries, create an objective basis for the specialization and complementarity of both groups of countries in agricultural production. While most of the territory of the northern group of countries is in a zone of sufficient moisture, in the southern group, arid conditions often arise during the growing season, causing the need for artificial irrigation (In the Lower Danube and Middle Danube lowlands, in the second half of the 20th century, one of the most irrigated areas in Europe arose agriculture). At the same time, the climatic conditions of the southern group of countries, combined with healing mineral springs and wide access to warm seas, create important prerequisites for organizing recreation for residents not only of these countries, but also the northern part of the region, as well as tourists from other, primarily European, countries.

It is enough to take even a cursory glance at the map of Europe to note the significant features of the natural conditions of Russia. First of all, this is a huge territory. If the total area of ​​Europe is 11.6 million square meters. km, then the area of ​​European Russia was 5.6 million square meters. km; and although Russia did not immediately occupy this entire territory, already from the end of the 15th century. it was the largest country in Europe.
For the national economy and political history of feudal countries, proximity to the sea was of great importance. Europe as a whole is distinguished by its highly dissected and rugged coastline. Islands and peninsulas account for a third (34%) of the total territory. However, the vast majority of islands and peninsulas are located in Western Europe. Continentality is the most characteristic feature of Eastern Europe, especially in sharp contrast to the rest of Europe, most of whose countries have access to the sea and a significant coastline. If more than half of the entire territory of Europe (51%) is located less than 250 km from metropolitan area 1, then for European Russia the corresponding figure is no more than 15%. In Eastern Europe there are surface points located at a distance of 1 thousand km from the sea; in Western Europe, the greatest distance to the sea coast is 600 km. The seas to which the borders of feudal Russia extended were not very convenient for connections with the main trade routes. The cold Arctic Ocean creates serious difficulties for navigation. The Black Sea is an inland sea and is far from the busiest sea routes. In addition, a reliable access to
Russia received the Baltic Sea, and even the Black Sea, only in the century.
The main part of Eastern Europe is the largest on the mainland, the East European, or Russian, Plain, which occupies almost half of the entire territory of Europe. This is a huge, slightly hilly or slightly undulating space, the main parts of which do not exceed an altitude of 200 m above sea level; the absolute height of the hills located on it (the largest of them are Central Russian, Valdai, Pri-

Volga) no more than 370 m. Mountains are found here only on the outskirts (Carpathians, Caucasus, Ural). In Western Europe, the relief has a completely different character. Here, mountains, plains, flat hills, and hilly areas often alternate in a small space. In many European countries, islands and bays contribute to the creation of sharp natural contrasts in relatively small areas. This diversity of surface shapes and natural conditions is especially evident in Greece and Italy.
Almost all of Europe lies in a temperate climate zone. In summer, the main part of European Russia is dominated by positive temperatures from 15° (Arkhangelsk) to 20° (Poltava). In Western Europe, summer temperatures are close to them, although in the north (in England, Scandinavia) they are somewhat lower, and in the extreme south they are slightly higher. But winter temperatures differ quite sharply in these areas. The distance from the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf Stream currents, and the warm Mediterranean Sea cause a strong cooling of the surface and atmosphere. Therefore, in winter it is much colder here. Here are data on the average January temperatures of some Western European countries
capitals: Athens - -j-9°, Madrid 1-4°, London [-3°, Paris -
+2°, Berlin 1°, Vienna 2°. Bucharest 4°2. In Russia
there were no such temperatures (with the exception of a narrow Black Sea strip); cities such as Lvov, Kyiv, Minsk, Poc-
tov-on-Don lie in the band from -2 4 to -8°; Leningrad,
Moscow, Voronezh, Volgograd - in the range from -8° to -12°; January is even colder in Arkhangelsk, Gorky, Perm, Kuibyshev3* Thus, January in Western Europe is warmer than in Eastern Europe, by an average of 10°. The difference in winter temperatures leads to another important difference. If the coastal countries of Western Europe do not have permanent snow cover at all (it forms at a temperature no higher than -3°), then in European Russia the snow lies for a long time - from three to four (Kyiv, Volgograd) to six to seven months (Leningrad, Arkhangelsk , Sverdlovsk). Only in the eastern part of Central Europe does snow persist for one to two months. Spring and autumn in Western European countries are warm and more extended in time, which is also important for agriculture.
The bulk of precipitation in Eastern Europe falls in the summer. They are distributed fairly evenly over the surface of the Russian Plain. Most of it has 500-600 mm of precipitation per year. In the extreme south and southeast, the soil receives only 300-400 mm, and in the Caspian lowland even less than 200 mm. In Western Europe, precipitation falls significantly more - on average from 500 to 1 thousand mm per year; They are distributed throughout its territory more diversely. At a great distance from the ocean in the warm season in the south-eastern part of Eastern Europe, it is often possible to install

There are long periods of rainlessness and drought. In some cases, they also cover the middle part of Eastern Europe and, less frequently, Central Europe.
There are a lot of large rivers in Eastern Europe. Here is the greatest river in Europe, the Volga, whose length is 3,690 km, and the basin makes up 12% of the entire area of ​​the continent, and eight more large rivers, each with a length of more than 1 thousand km. There are only five such rivers in Western Europe. No other country in Europe has such powerful and extensive river systems covering vast areas. Most of the large rivers of Eastern Europe flow south - into the Black and Caspian Seas. Hydrologists characterize Eastern European rivers as rivers of the “Russian” type. They have a mixed feeding pattern (rain and snow), but with a predominance of snow. In the spring, as a result of melting snow, the water flow in them increases sharply, and floods occur. At the end of summer, the rivers become shallow (especially at the end of August - September), and this level remains the same throughout the winter. According to data from the 19th century, in the Moscow River in spring, water flow was more than 100 times higher than during low water; The flood on the Volga reached such proportions that in Astrakhan it lasted about two months4. Since most Russian rivers flow along the plain, they usually have a calm flow and a large number of meanders. The rivers of European Russia, as a rule, are covered with ice for a long time (from two to seven months a year).
The rivers of Western Europe are characterized by a significantly lower, sometimes close to zero, proportion of snow supply. Therefore, they also lack spring floods. The rivers of Western Europe (with the exception of the rivers of the Far North) do not freeze in normal years. Many rivers in Western Europe, especially those starting in the mountains, have a fairly fast flow; Some rivers are calm in nature.
In terms of soil cover, the territory of European Russia can be divided into two parts. The border between them runs approximately along the line Kazan - Gorky - Kaluga - Kyiv - Lutsk. The northern part of these parts is characterized by soils with reduced biological productivity. The northernmost regions of Eastern Europe (roughly speaking, north of the 60th parallel) have very poor soils - tundra, swamp, podzolic. To the south there are areas occupied by soddy-podzolic soils, which have more nutrient reserves. Those of them that have a clay or loamy composition can produce good yields. However, in this territory there are more sandy and sandy loam soils in mechanical composition than clayey and loamy soils. Finally, significant areas in this part are occupied by swamps.
The southern part has much more fertile soils - gray forest and chernozems of various types. This is the territory of the modern Black Earth Center* of Moldova, Ukraine, which
They serve as the breadbasket of the country. The best varieties of chernozems here are distinguished by high fertility. There is also little sand here. True, the southeast of this region (the Caspian lowland and the adjacent strip of steppes) has a lot of sandy and saline soils and often suffers from a lack of moisture.
Western Europe can also be divided into two parts, differing in the nature of their soils. Infertile soils occupy the Scandinavian Peninsula, the islands of Great Britain (with the exception of their southern parts) and Ireland; on the mainland, the border between poor and rich soils can be extended from Lutsk through Lublin, Wroclaw, Magdeburg and Rotterdam. Sometimes areas of soils more favorable for agriculture go beyond this line (in the north of Germany, the GDR and Poland, in the east of Denmark); but to the south of this border, soddy-podzolic soils lie in separate massifs in France, Germany, the German Democratic Republic, Czechoslovakia. South and west of this line, the soils are, as a rule, fertile - gray or brown forest soils, chernozems, brown soils, red soils, yellow soils, etc. (Ho in this part there are no such rich chernozems as in Eastern Europe, and a significant part of the territory is occupied by soils of mountainous regions, which have a thinner nutrient layer.) The ratio between the fertile and infertile parts in foreign Europe is exactly the opposite of the same ratio in European Russia: if in In the first case, fertile areas occupy slightly more than half of the territory; in the second case, they account for a smaller part of the area.
h Russia's mineral resources were very large. Here there was much of what was necessary for the development of industry of the feudal period. The main raw materials for primitive metallurgy were swamp, lake and turf ores. They were distributed almost throughout the entire territory of Europe, and Rus' in this regard was, therefore, in completely equal conditions. There were huge deposits of high-quality maschetite ore in the Urals; Western Europe also had rich reserves of iron ore (in England, Germany, Sweden). Russia had large deposits of non-ferrous metal ores, but they were located in the eastern regions (in the Urals, Altai, Transbaikalia). In Western European countries, copper was mined in Germany, Spain, Hungary, and Serbia; tin - in England, Saxony, Czech Republic, Serbia; lead - in Hungary. Reserves of precious metals were also developed in Western European countries: there was a lot of silver in Germany; gold and silver were mined in smaller quantities in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Serbia5. Russia was also not poor in these metals, and the reserves of gold and platinum were much richer than the ores of European countries, but they were again concentrated mainly in the Urals and Siberia. Russia had vast tracts of forest of excellent quality, and in this regard it was superior to other European countries. The country was well provided for
hydraulic energy and raw materials for the primitive chemical industry, and its natural resources here were not inferior to those of Russia's western neighbors.
These are the main features of the natural conditions of European Russia in comparison with foreign European countries.

The video lesson allows you to get interesting and detailed information about the countries of Eastern Europe. From the lesson you will learn about the composition of Eastern Europe, the characteristics of the countries of the region, their geographical location, nature, climate, place in this subregion. The teacher will tell you in detail about the main country of Eastern Europe - Poland.

Topic: Regional characteristics of the world. Foreign Europe

Lesson: Eastern Europe

Rice. 1. Map of subregions of Europe. Eastern Europe is highlighted in red. ()

East Europe- a cultural and geographical region that includes states located in eastern Europe.

Compound:

1. Belarus.

2. Ukraine.

3. Bulgaria.

4. Hungary.

5. Moldova.

6. Poland.

7. Romania.

8. Slovakia.

In the post-war period, the industry actively grew and developed in all countries of the region, with non-ferrous metallurgy relying mainly on its own raw materials, and ferrous metallurgy on imported ones.

The industry is also represented in all countries, but is most developed in the Czech Republic (primarily machine tool manufacturing, production of household appliances and computer equipment); Poland and Romania are distinguished by the production of metal-intensive machines and structures; In addition, shipbuilding is developed in Poland.

The chemical industry of the region lags far behind that of Western Europe due to the lack of raw materials for the most advanced branches of chemistry - oil. But we can still note the pharmaceuticals of Poland and Hungary, the glass industry of the Czech Republic.

Under the influence of scientific and technological revolution, significant changes occurred in the structure of the economy of the countries of Eastern Europe: the agro-industrial complex emerged, and specialization of agricultural production took place. It was most clearly manifested in grain farming and in the production of vegetables, fruits, and grapes.

The economic structure of the region is heterogeneous: in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland, the share of livestock farming exceeds the share of crop farming, while in the rest the ratio is still the opposite.

Due to the diversity of soil and climatic conditions, several zones of crop production can be distinguished: wheat is grown everywhere, but in the north (Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) rye and potatoes play an important role, in the central part of the subregion vegetable growing and horticulture are cultivated, and the “southern” countries specialize on subtropical crops.

The main crops grown in the region are wheat, corn, vegetables, and fruits.

The main wheat and corn regions of Eastern Europe were formed within the Middle and Lower Danube lowlands and the Danube hilly plain (Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria).

Hungary has achieved the greatest success in grain growing.

Vegetables, fruits, and grapes are cultivated almost everywhere in the subregion, but there are areas where they primarily determine the specialization of agriculture. These countries and regions also have their own specialization in terms of product range. For example, Hungary is famous for its winter varieties of apples, grapes, and onions; Bulgaria - oilseeds; Czech Republic - hops, etc.

Animal husbandry. The northern and central countries of the region specialize in dairy and meat and dairy cattle breeding and pig breeding, while the southern countries specialize in mountain pasture meat and wool animal husbandry.

In Eastern Europe, which lies at the crossroads of routes that have long connected the eastern and western parts of Eurasia, the transport system has been developing over many centuries. Nowadays, railway transport is the leader in terms of transportation volume, but road and sea transport are also intensively developing. The presence of major ports contributes to the development of foreign economic relations, shipbuilding, ship repair, and fishing.

Poland. The official name is the Republic of Poland. The capital is Warsaw. Population - 38.5 million people, of which more than 97% are Poles. The majority are Catholics.

Rice. 3. Historical center of Warsaw ()

Poland borders Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Russia; in addition, it borders the sea areas (zones) of Denmark and Sweden.

About 2/3 of the territory in the north and center of the country is occupied by the Polish Lowland. In the north there is the Baltic ridge, in the south and southeast - the Lesser Poland and Lublin Uplands, along the southern border - the Carpathians (highest point 2499 m, Mount Rysy in the Tatras) and the Sudetes. Large rivers - Vistula, Odra; dense river network. The lakes are mainly in the north. 28% of the territory is under forest.

Minerals of Poland: coal, sulfur, iron ore, various salts.

Upper Silesia is a region of concentration of industrial production in Poland of pan-European significance.

Poland generates almost all its electricity at thermal power plants.

Leading manufacturing industries:

1. Mining.

2. Mechanical engineering (Poland occupies one of the leading places in the world in the production of fishing vessels, freight and passenger cars, road and construction machines, machine tools, engines, electronics, industrial equipment, etc.).

3. Ferrous and non-ferrous (large-scale zinc production) metallurgy.

4. Chemical (sulfuric acid, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, perfumes and cosmetics, photographic products).

5. Textile (cotton, linen, wool).

6. Sewing.

7. Cement.

8. Production of porcelain and earthenware.

9. Production of sporting goods (kayaks, yachts, tents, etc.).

10. Furniture production.

Poland has a highly developed agriculture. Agriculture is dominated by crop production. The main grain crops are rye, wheat, barley, oats.

Poland is a large producer of sugar beets (over 14 million tons per year), potatoes, and cabbage. The export of apples, strawberries, raspberries, currants, garlic, and onions is important.

The leading branch of livestock farming is pig farming, dairy and beef cattle breeding, poultry farming (Poland is one of Europe's largest suppliers of eggs), and beekeeping.

Homework

Topic 6, P. 3

1. What are the features of the geographical location of Eastern Europe?

2. Name the main areas of specialization in Poland.

References

Main

1. Geography. Basic level. 10-11 grades: Textbook for educational institutions / A.P. Kuznetsov, E.V. Kim. - 3rd ed., stereotype. - M.: Bustard, 2012. - 367 p.

2. Economic and social geography of the world: Textbook. for 10th grade educational institutions / V.P. Maksakovsky. - 13th ed. - M.: Education, JSC "Moscow Textbooks", 2005. - 400 p.

3. Atlas with a set of outline maps for grade 10. Economic and social geography of the world. - Omsk: FSUE "Omsk Cartographic Factory", 2012. - 76 p.

Additional

1. Economic and social geography of Russia: Textbook for universities / Ed. prof. A.T. Khrushchev. - M.: Bustard, 2001. - 672 p.: ill., map.: color. on

Encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference books and statistical collections

1. Geography: a reference book for high school students and applicants to universities. - 2nd ed., rev. and revision - M.: AST-PRESS SCHOOL, 2008. - 656 p.

Literature for preparing for the State Exam and the Unified State Exam

1. Thematic control in geography. Economic and social geography of the world. 10th grade / E.M. Ambartsumova. - M.: Intellect-Center, 2009. - 80 p.

2. The most complete edition of standard versions of real Unified State Examination tasks: 2010. Geography / Comp. Yu.A. Solovyova. - M.: Astrel, 2010. - 221 p.

3. The optimal bank of tasks for preparing students. Unified State Exam 2012. Geography: Textbook / Comp. EM. Ambartsumova, S.E. Dyukova. - M.: Intellect-Center, 2012. - 256 p.

4. The most complete edition of standard versions of real Unified State Examination tasks: 2010. Geography / Comp. Yu.A. Solovyova. - M.: AST: Astrel, 2010. - 223 p.

5. Geography. Diagnostic work in the format of the Unified State Exam 2011. - M.: MTsNMO, 2011. - 72 p.

6. Unified State Exam 2010. Geography. Collection of tasks / Yu.A. Solovyova. - M.: Eksmo, 2009. - 272 p.

7. Geography tests: 10th grade: to the textbook by V.P. Maksakovsky “Economic and social geography of the world. 10th grade” / E.V. Baranchikov. - 2nd ed., stereotype. - M.: Publishing house "Exam", 2009. - 94 p.

8. Textbook on geography. Tests and practical assignments in geography / I.A. Rodionova. - M.: Moscow Lyceum, 1996. - 48 p.

9. The most complete edition of standard versions of real Unified State Examination tasks: 2009. Geography / Comp. Yu.A. Solovyova. - M.: AST: Astrel, 2009. - 250 p.

10. Unified State Exam 2009. Geography. Universal materials for preparing students / FIPI - M.: Intellect-Center, 2009. - 240 p.

11. Geography. Answers to questions. Oral examination, theory and practice / V.P. Bondarev. - M.: Publishing house "Exam", 2003. - 160 p.

12. Unified State Exam 2010. Geography: thematic training tasks / O.V. Chicherina, Yu.A. Solovyova. - M.: Eksmo, 2009. - 144 p.

13. Unified State Exam 2012. Geography: Model exam options: 31 options / Ed. V.V. Barabanova. - M.: National Education, 2011. - 288 p.

14. Unified State Exam 2011. Geography: Model exam options: 31 options / Ed. V.V. Barabanova. - M.: National Education, 2010. - 280 p.

Materials on the Internet

1. Federal Institute of Pedagogical Measurements ().

2. Federal portal Russian Education ().

Macedonia, Albania, as well as Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

The countries of this region have a lot in common in historical and socio-economic development. After World War II, they were united by belonging to the socialist economic system, which led to stable economic ties with each other and the USSR. Most of them were members of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) and the political bloc of the Warsaw Pact.

Currently, these countries are undergoing radical economic transformations, as a result of which their ties with Western Europe have expanded.

Until recently, the political situation in the countries of Eastern Europe remained extremely tense. As a result of hostilities, the former republics of Yugoslavia suffered greatly.

The countries of Eastern Europe are a single territorial area stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea and. The main features of the economies of Eastern Europe are:

• the coastal position of most states;
• the possibility of access to the sea along the Danube waterway for countries that do not have direct access to the sea (Hungary, Slovakia);
• neighborly position of countries in relation to each other;
• transit position on the way between Western European countries and countries.

All these features create good preconditions for the development of integration processes.
The natural prerequisites for the economic development of the countries of Eastern Europe are also quite favorable, although there is a certain shortage of natural resources.

The level is quite high and amounts to 50 - 60%.

The economy of the countries of Eastern Europe does not represent a single whole. Not only the levels of development and structure differ, but also the directions for solving economic issues and distribution across the territory.
The energy sector of the countries in this region is focused mainly on coal, which is due to the presence of large basins. The region is also characterized by the development of hydropower (the Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria and the Iron Gate hydroelectric power station on the Danube).

Focuses on its own raw materials, black - on imported ones. Therefore, enterprises are located in large transport hubs and ports.

The countries of Eastern Europe are quite diverse. - in Poland, Romania. Electrical engineering - in Hungary, Bulgaria, Latvia. The widest range of industries in the Czech Republic.

Has not received widespread development. The best known pharmaceutical

1. Find the countries of Central-Eastern Europe on the political map. Assess their political and economic-geographical position.

The countries of this region have a lot in common in historical and socio-economic development. After World War II, they were united by belonging to the socialist economic system, which led to stable economic ties with each other and the USSR. Most of them were members of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) and the political bloc of the Warsaw Pact. Currently, these countries are undergoing radical economic transformations, as a result of which their ties with the developed countries of Western Europe have expanded. Until recently, the political situation in the countries of Eastern Europe remained extremely tense. As a result of military operations, the economies of the countries - the former republics of Yugoslavia - suffered greatly. The countries of Eastern Europe are a single territorial area stretching from the Baltic to the Black and Adriatic Seas. The main features of the economic and geographical position of the countries of Eastern Europe are: the coastal position of most states; the possibility of access to the sea along the Danube waterway for countries that do not have direct access to the sea (Hungary, Slovakia); neighborly position of countries in relation to each other; transit position on the way between Western European countries and CIS countries. All these features create good preconditions for the development of integration processes.

2. What new states have formed in the region since the 90s. XX century?

As a result of the collapse of the USSR, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, the following countries were formed in the region: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro.

3. Why did the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe never form a monolithic unity economically?

Economically, the former socialist countries never represented a monolithic unity (and Yugoslavia and Albania were not even members of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance). In terms of transport, only coastal and inland countries were more or less closely connected, and then only “in pairs” (two Baltic, two Black Sea, two Mediterranean, as well as Hungary and Czechoslovakia). Together they (with the exception of Albania) were connected by a network of transcontinental railways. The Danube flows through the territory of only three countries in the region, and is a border river for two more countries. The international network of roads of the appropriate class was extremely underdeveloped. Economic cooperation between individual countries of socialist Eastern Europe was also hampered by existing territorial “inconsistencies” (for example, in relations between Hungary and Romania, the problem of Transylvania, which was once an integral part of Austria-Hungary, and is now part of Romania).

4. What own* mineral resources and natural conditions of the region contribute to the development of the economies of its member countries?

The natural prerequisites for the economic development of the countries of Eastern Europe are quite favorable, although there is a certain shortage of natural resources. First of all, this concerns mineral resources. Their supply is low. The main reserves are concentrated: hard coal - in Poland (Upper Silesian basin) and in the Czech Republic (Ostrava-Karwin basin); oil and gas - in Romania; hydropower resources - in Bulgaria, Macedonia; iron ore - in Romania, Slovakia, as well as in the countries of the former Yugoslavia; copper - in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria; bauxite - in Hungary; chromites - in Albania; oil shale - in Estonia; sulfur and potassium salts - in Poland and Romania. Fertile soils are located on the plains of Eastern Europe, primarily in the Middle Danube Lowland. In combination with favorable agroclimatic resources, they are a good basis for the development of agriculture (with the exception of the Baltic countries, in Karaganda agroclimatic resources are insufficient). Water resources are represented by large river systems: Danube, Vistula, Oder, etc. The provision of forest resources is generally insufficient for the development of forestry; the bulk of them are in secondary mixed-deciduous forests. Only in the Baltic countries are coniferous forests of industrial importance. Natural and recreational resources are widely represented. These include, first of all, the coasts of the Black, Adriatic and Baltic seas, Lake Balaton in Hungary, and the Tatra Mountains in the Czech Republic.

6. Describe the region’s transport network.

The countries of the region (with the exception of Albania) are connected together by a network of transcontinental railways. The Danube flows through the territory of only three countries in the region, and is a border river for another four countries. The international network of roads of the appropriate class is insufficiently developed.

7. Give a description of one of the countries in the region according to the plan of the “Step by Step” section on p. 164-165.

The Czech Republic is a country in the center of Europe. The country borders Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria. The terrain of the Czech Republic is quite diverse. In the north and north-west, the natural border of the Czech Republic is represented by the Ore Mountains, as well as the spurs of the Sudetenland, and from the south-west and south the Šumava mountain range, covered with forest. The Czech Republic is located on the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, which is the watershed between the largest rivers - the Elbe (Laba) and the Danube. In addition to high forested mountain ranges, the Czech Republic has fertile plains and the famous Czech forests, as well as many lakes and rivers. Population -10.5 million people. The national composition is 81.3% Czechs, 13.7% residents of Moravia and Silesia. The remaining 5% are national minorities, of which: Germans (50 thousand people), Gypsies (300 thousand people) and Jews (2 thousand people). Restraint towards foreigners is a distinctive feature of the Czechs. Population density: 130.6 people/sq.km. Urban population: 65.3%. Religious composition: atheists 39.8%, Catholics 39.2%, Protestants 4.6%, Orthodox 3%, supporters of other religions 13.4%. Employment: in industry 33.1%, agricultural sector 6.9%, construction 9.1%, transport and communications 7.2%, services 43.7%. Area - 78864 sq. km. The largest river in the Czech Republic is the Vltava, which is 440 km long. The largest cities in the Czech Republic are Brno (392 thousand), Ostrava (332 thousand), Pilsen (175 thousand), Olomouc (106 thousand), Usti nad Labem (100 thousand), Liberec (100 thousand), Hradec Kralove (98 thousand), Pardubice (94 thousand), Ceske Budejovice (93 thousand). In the Czech Republic there are 8 sites protected by UNESCO as “world cultural and natural heritage”. The capital is Prague (1.3 million people).

The Czech Republic stands out for its developed mechanical engineering. This industry provides about half of all exports; mechanical engineering employs a third of all industrial workers in the country. The Czech Republic occupies one of the first places in the international trade of machinery and equipment. The industrial "face" of the Czech Republic is also determined by the coal industry (especially the mining of coking coal). And ferrous metallurgy; In recent years, the chemical industry has occupied a significant place. In the Czech Republic it produces machine tools (including those with program control), machine tools, motorcycles, cars, locomotives, chemical products, fabrics, refrigerators, etc. The production and development of medical equipment is very well developed (including the production of “artificial heart", used in heart surgery). The textile industry is also well developed.

Research conducted by the UN in 2001 showed that the Czech Republic has a high standard of living. The Czech Republic was in 27th place among all countries in the world. The Czech Republic has low prices for food and clothing. Confidence in the future is instilled by a rapidly developing market economy, a clear course for reforms and a powerful flow of Western investment. At the same time, the Czech Republic is distinguished by the lowest unemployment in Europe, the high quality of free medical care and education, the stability of the national currency and low, compared to other European countries, prices for residential and commercial real estate.

8. How would you rank the countries in the region in terms of:

a) availability of natural resources;

Countries in the region are endowed with natural resources to varying degrees. The most significant primary energy resources are represented by coal reserves (Poland, Czech Republic), oil and gas (Romania), and hydro resources (Bulgaria). The main reserves of ore minerals are concentrated in the countries of the Balkan Peninsula, Romania and Slovakia (iron ores), Hungary (bauxite), Albania (chromites). The shortage of many types of mineral raw materials in a number of countries is to some extent compensated for by the fertile lands of the Danube lowlands.

b) level of socio-economic development;

In relation to all countries of the region, the term “countries with economies in transition” was recently widely used, i.e., those implementing the transition to a developed market economy. While some countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary) have achieved tangible success along this path, others (Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and especially Albania) seem to be “drifting” towards such an economy. The process of economic reforms in them is moving slowly.

c) directions of specialization of agriculture.

Many countries have different agricultural characteristics. Thus, Romania has no equal in the share of corn sown areas, Poland - in rye and potato crops, Bulgaria - in the importance of gardening, Estonia - in pig breeding.

9. Analyze the state of Russia’s foreign economic relations with the countries of the region. With which of them, in your opinion, is it especially advisable to develop economic ties for our country?

Over the past twenty years, relations between Russia and CEE countries have gone through a rather contradictory path: from the minimization of these relations in the early-mid 90s of the 20th century to a significant revival that has steadily emerged at the end of the last decade of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. The “Concept of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation” states: “Russia is open to further expansion of pragmatic, mutually respectful cooperation with the states of Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, taking into account the real readiness of each of them for this*.” It is most advisable to develop relations with Russia’s largest Eastern European trade and economic partners, the first of which is Poland, and the second is Hungary. However, modern relations are still largely unstable and remain subject to many opportunistic factors. On the one hand, they are determined by internal political and economic circumstances, on the other hand, by the dictates of higher world politics and its main players today. Among the priorities of the foreign economic policy of the countries of Central Europe, membership in the EU comes first, the second is the development of cooperation within this group of countries, and only in third place is the formation of relations with Russia and other CIS countries.