Central and Eastern Europe
By: Dace Keeling
Czech Republic
Over 10 million people live in the Czech Republic. They were communist then converted to non communism. In the 1980's a velvet revolution surfaced, a revolution without blood shed. Bohemia is the western half of the country. The eastern region is Moravia. The Czech Republic is a rugged, mountainous land.
Slovakia
Slovakia became an independent nation in 1993. They have a population of over 5 million people. In 1948 the government took over all the farms which is known as collective farming.
Hungary
90% of the population is made up of Magyars that settles there in the 800's. They converted from communism to non communism. The country is about the size of the state of Indiana. They have the nickname "the Magyar Nation". They struggled converting to a free enterprise.
Romania
Romania has nearly 23 million residents. Nicolae Ceausescu, the second leader, lead the country to economic chaos. Energy was so scarce that television was only aired 2 hours a day. An american soft drink maker spent 150 million to build up operations in Romania. Romania now has to add jobs to make more plastic bottles. Romania faces low employment rate, and economic issues.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria is known as the garden of eastern Europe. Used to have strict communism. In late 1990's they had inflation problems.
Albania
Albania has 3.5 million citizens. The country is known as the hermit crap. They became very poor from isolation. The start of communism made them isolate themselves.
Yugoslavia
The name means "The land of the southern Slavs". Communism made them break apart. They broke up because all groups had tension.
Serbia/ Montenegro
They are made up of rugged peaks of Montenegro and fertile plains of the Danube valley. They have bad unemployment.
Croatia
Nearly 5 million people live here. The Croats and the Serbs have an ethnic conflict.
Slovenia
They have 2 million citizens. Industry boosted their economy greatly.