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==Definitions== {{Fix bunching|beg}} [[Image:Europe subregion map UN geoschme.svg|right|thumb|250px|Regions used for statistical processing purposes by the [[United Nations Statistics Division]] (Eastern Europe marked red) : {{legend|#4080FF|[[Northern Europe]]}} {{legend|#00FFFF|[[Western Europe]]}} {{legend|#FF8080|Eastern Europe}} {{legend|#00FF00|[[Southern Europe]]}}]] {{Fix bunching|mid}} [[Image:Europe (UN divisions Eastern, East Central and Southeastern Europe).PNG|right|thumb|250px|Members of specific Divisions of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names<ref name="unstats.un.org"/>: {{legend|#FF0000|Eastern Europe, Northern and Central Asia Division}} {{legend|#FF0099|East Central and South-East Europe Division}}]] {{Fix bunching|mid}} [[Image:Eastern-Europe-map2.svg|right|thumb|250px|[[CIA World Factbook]] {{legend|#FF9900|Eastern Europe}} {{legend|#FFBD59|Southeastern Europe}} {{legend|#CE7B00|Transcontinental}}]] {{Fix bunching|mid}} [[Image:Eastern-Europe-small.png|right|thumb|250px|Pre-1989 division between the "West" (grey) and "Eastern Bloc" (orange) superimposed on current borders: Russia (dark orange), other countries formerly part of the [[USSR]] (medium orange), members of the [[Warsaw pact]] (light orange), and other former Communist regimes not aligned with Moscow (lightest orange).]] {{Fix bunching|end}} Several definitions of Eastern Europe exist today, but they often lack precision or are extremely general. These definitions vary both across cultures and among experts, even [[political scientists]], recently becoming more and more imprecise.<ref>''Drake, Miriam A. (2005) Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science'', CRC Press</ref> ===UN=== * The '''[[United Nations Statistics Division]]''' developed a selection of geographical regions and groupings of countries and areas, which are or may be used in compilation of statistics. In this collection, the following ten countries were classified as Eastern Europe<ref>[http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm#europe United Nations Statistics Division- Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications (M49)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://esa.un.org/unpp/definition.html World Population Prospects Population Database<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>: [[Belarus]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Hungary]], [[Moldova]], [[Poland]], [[Romania]], [[Russia]], [[Slovakia]], [[Ukraine]]. The assignment of countries or areas to specific groupings is for statistical convenience and does not imply any assumption regarding political or other affiliation of countries or territories by the United Nations<ref>[http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49.htm United Nations Statistics Division- Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications (M49)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. Rather than being geographically correct, United Nations' definition encompasses all the states which were once under the [[Soviet Union]]'s realm of influence and were part of the [[Warsaw Pact]]. * The '''United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names''' (UNGEGN) was set up to consider the technical problems of domestic standardization of geographical names<ref>[http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/UNGEGN-Background.htm United Nations Statistics Division - Geographical Names and Information Systems<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. The Group is composed of experts from various linguistic/geographical divisions that have been established at the UN Conferences on the Standardization of Geographical Names. # Eastern Europe, Northern and Central Asia Division<ref name="unstats.un.org">[http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/ungegndivisions.htm United Nations Statistics Division - Geographical Names and Information Systems<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>: [[Armenia]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Belarus]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Russian Federation]], [[Ukraine]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Mongolia]] and [[Uzbekistan]]. # East Central and South-East Europe Division<ref name="unstats.un.org"/>:[[Albania]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Croatia]], [[Cyprus]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Greece]], [[Hungary]], [[Poland]], [[Serbia]], [[Slovakia]], [[Slovenia]], [[Republic of Macedonia]], [[Turkey]], [[Ukraine]]. # Romano-Hellenic Division<ref name="unstats.un.org"/>: Fourteen countries<ref>including Canada</ref> including [[Belgium]], [[Cyprus]], [[France]], [[Greece]], [[Holy See]], [[Italy]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Monaco]], [[Portugal]], [[Spain]], [[Switzerland]], [[Romania]], [[Moldova]] and [[Turkey]]. # Baltic Division<ref name="unstats.un.org"/>: [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]] * '''Other agencies of the United Nations''' (like [[UNAIDS]],<ref>http://www.unaids.org/en/CountryResponses/Regions/NAmerica_WCEurope.asp</ref> [[UNHCR]],<ref>http://www.unhcr.org/country/all.html</ref> [[ILO]]<ref>http://www.ilo.org/global/Regions/Europe/lang--en/index.htm</ref> or [[UNICEF]])<ref>http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ceecis.html</ref> divide Europe into different regions and variously assign various states to those regions. ===CIA=== The [[CIA World Factbook]]<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ The CIA World Factbook]</ref> describes the following countries as geographically located in: *Central Europe: [[Austria]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Germany]], [[Hungary]], [[Poland]], [[Slovakia]] and [[Slovenia]] *Eastern Europe: [[Belarus]], [[Estonia]]<ref>In the geography section Estonia is described as located in Eastern Europe, but in the economy section as Central European</ref>, [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]], [[Moldova]] and [[Ukraine]] *Southeastern Europe: [[Albania]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Croatia]], [[Kosovo]], [[Republic of Macedonia]], [[Romania]], [[Montenegro]], [[Serbia]] and [[Turkey]] *[[Russia]] is defined as a transcontinental country. ===Geographical=== The [[Ural Mountains]] are the geographical border on the eastern edge of Europe. In the west, however, the [[culture|cultural]] and [[religion|religious]] boundaries are subject to considerable overlap and, most importantly, have undergone historical fluctuations, which make a precise definition of the western boundaries of Eastern Europe somewhat difficult. ===Political and cultural=== One view of the present boundaries of Eastern Europe came into being during the final stages of [[World War II]]. The area eventually came to encompass all the European countries which were under Soviet influence. These countries had [[communism|communist]] governments, and [[Neutral country|neutral]] countries were classified by the nature of their political regimes. The [[Cold War]] increased the number of reasons for the division of Europe into two parts along the borders of [[NATO]] and [[Warsaw Pact]] states. (''See'': [[Eastern Europe#The Cold war divides Europe into the Eastern and Western bloc|The Cold War]] section) A competing view excludes from the definition of Eastern Europe states that are historically and culturally different, constituting part of the so-called [[Western world]]. This usually refers to [[Central Europe]] and the [[Baltic states]] which have significantly different political, religious, cultural, and economic histories from their eastern neighbors. (''See'': [[#Classical_antiquity_and_medieval_origins|Classical antiquity and medieval origins]] section) ===Contemporary developments=== The fall of the [[Iron Curtain]] brought the end of the East-West division in Europe.<ref>V. Martynov, The End of East-West Division But Not the End of History, UN Chronicle, 2000 ([http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1309/is_2_37/ai_66579827/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1 available online]</ref> Even if this geopolitical concept is still in use,<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6957171.stm</ref> reference to European geographic and cultural regions is becoming acknowledged.<ref>The European Travel Commission - association of National Tourism Organisations, [http://www.visiteurope.com/ccm/where_to_go/pan-european_region/?nav_cat=2414033&lang=en_US Regions of Europe]</ref> ====The Baltic states==== {{Main|Baltic states}} The [[Baltic states]] [[Occupation of the Baltic States|were occupied]] by the [[Soviet Union]] and are currently [[EU]] members. They can be included in definitions of Eastern Europe in the former political sense, due to their Soviet past and [[Northern Europe]] due to geographic, cultural, historical reasons.<ref name=wallace>Wallace, W. ''The Transformation of Western Europe'' London, Pinter, 1990</ref><ref name=huntington>Huntington, Samuel ''The Clash of Civilizations" Simon & Shuster 1996</ref> * {{flagcountry|Estonia}} * {{flagcountry|Latvia}} * {{flagcountry|Lithuania}} ====Transcaucasia==== To the degree that the countries of the Caucasus region are considered European, they would be Eastern European in the physical geographic, political and cultural sense. Regardless of religion all three Caucasian countries must be considered as Eastern European. These countries participate in European Union's Eastern Partnership Program. * {{flagcountry|Armenia}} * {{flagcountry|Azerbaijan}} * {{flagcountry|Georgia}} ====Other former Soviet states==== Four other former Soviet republics are considered to be part of Eastern Europe in both a political and a cultural sense. * {{flagcountry|Belarus}} * {{flagcountry|Moldova}} * {{flagcountry|Ukraine}} * {{flagcountry|Russia}} ====Central Europe==== {{Main|Central Europe}} Most [[Central Europe]]an states had communist governments [[Eastern_Bloc#Formation_of_Eastern_Bloc|implemented]] during the [[Cold War]] but are currently [[EU]] members. In the post-[[Iron Curtain]] era, the label ''Eastern European'' is being increasingly regarded as derogatory in a Central European context.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} "Capitalism against Communism can no longer be used to clarify difference; instead vague and imprecise definitions exist. These too, are slowly being eroded as Eastern and Western Europe merge into a single 'Europe'".<ref name="ce-review.org">http://www.ce-review.org/99/23/lovatt23.html</ref> The following countries are still being labeled Eastern European by some commentators (in the former political sense, due to their communist past) and as Central European by others (in the sense of occupying a niche between Western and Eastern Europe in terms of economy, history, religion, and culture).<ref name=wallace /><ref name=huntington /><ref>Johnson, Lonnie ''Central Europe: Enemies, Neighbours, Friends'' Oxford University Press, USA, 2001</ref> * {{flagcountry|Czech Republic}} * {{flagcountry|Hungary}} * {{flagcountry|Poland}} * {{flagcountry|Slovakia}} * {{flagcountry|East Germany}} ([[German reunification|reunified]], now [[Germany]]) ====South-eastern Europe==== {{Main|Southeast Europe|Balkans|Southern Europe}} Most South-eastern European states did not belong to the [[Eastern Bloc]] (save Bulgaria, Romania, and for a short time, Albania) although some of them were represented in the [[Cominform]]. Only some of them can be included in the classical former political definition of Eastern Europe. Due to cultural diversity of the region, affiliation of individual countries may be difficult. All of these states except Bulgaria, Romania and usually Slovenia can be considered as being in [[Southern Europe]].<ref>http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm#europe</ref> However, most can be characterized as belonging to [[South-eastern Europe]], but some of them may also be included in [[Central Europe]] or Eastern Europe<ref>Bideleux and Jeffries (1998) ''A History of Eastern Europe: Crisis and Change''</ref>. * {{flagcountry|Albania}} belongs to South-eastern Europe. * {{flagcountry|Bosnia and Herzegovina}} may be included in South-eastern Europe and Southern Europe * {{flagcountry|Bulgaria}} can be included in Eastern Europe in the Cold War context, but is commonly known to belong to South-eastern Europe. * {{flagcountry|Croatia}} may be included in South-eastern Europe and Central Europe. * {{flagcountry|Cyprus}} belongs to South-western Asia (Middle East), but because of its historical Hellenic ties with Europe, it may be included into South-eastern Europe or Southern Europe. * {{flagcountry|Greece}} may be included in South-eastern<ref>Greek Ministry of Tourism Travel Guide, [http://www.gnto.gr/pages.php?pageID=14&langID=2 General Information]</ref> and Southern Europe, but the country does not form part of Eastern Europe in the geopolitical sense nor in the colloquial sense. * {{flagcountry|Macedonia}} belongs to South-eastern Europe. * {{flagcountry|Montenegro}} belongs to South-eastern Europe. * {{flagcountry|Romania}} can be included in Eastern Europe in the Cold War context, but is commonly referred to as belonging to South-eastern Europe<ref name="eia.doe.gov">[http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/SE_Europe/Background.html Energy Statistics for the U.S. Government]</ref> or Central Europe<ref>[http://www.nato.int/invitees2004/romania/glance.htm NATO 2004 information on the invited countries]</ref>. * {{flagcountry|Serbia}} may be included in South-eastern Europe and Central Europe. * {{flagcountry|Slovenia}} is commonly referred to as Central European<ref>The European Travel Commission, association of National Tourism Organisations, [http://www.visiteurope.com/ccm/where_to_go/region/detail/?nav_cat=2414033&lang=en_US&item_url=/ETC/pan-european/central-europe.pt Central Europe]</ref>, but may less commonly be referred to as South-eastern European because of its status within the [[former Yugoslavia]]. * {{flagcountry|Turkey}} may be included in South-eastern Europe, as a very small part, namely East Thrace lies geographically in Europe, but the rest of the country belongs to South-western Asia ([[Anatolia]]).

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