Eastern Europe

Geography of Eastern Europe Carpathian Mountains – In Slovakia and Northern Romania ( home of Transylvania) Rivers – Volga (#1), Danube runs through 12 countries a major international waterway (#2) Ural Mountains -a mountain range in Russia. It forms part of the conventional boundary between Europe and Asia and European Russia and Siberian Russia. Caucasus - The Caucasus Mountains[a] are a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region. Mt. Elbrus is highest peak and popular for skiers and hiking

Ural Mountains: “The Great Divide” 1500 miles Divides the European and Asian sections of Russia.

Transylvania in the Carpathian Mountains Home of Vlad Tepeš, the Drakul (“Count Dracula”)

3 Baltic Nations 3 Baltic nations- Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia Northern European Plain – fertile soil for agriculture, located in Northern Carpathians, Poland and many Baltic countries Hungarian Plains – has fertile soil used to grow grain and vegetables

Poland Warsaw is the largest city and capital of Poland. Forests cover over 30% of Poland's land area and the country is the fourth most forested in Europe. Northern European Plain covers 100% of Poland- most fertile soil

Poland Pope John Paul II was born Karol Józef Wojtyla on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland. He was made a Cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1967, and in 1978 became the first non-Italian pope in more than 400 years. He died in Italy in 2005. It was announced in July of 2013 that he would be declared a saint in April of the following year.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country situated on the Balkan peninsula of Southern Europe. Majority of the population in Bosnia and Herzegovina comprises of Muslims, followed by Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants and others. The three main ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina are Bosniak, Serb and Croat.

Bosnia and Herzegovinia Bosnia and Herzegovina gained independence from Yugoslavia in the year 1992. Sarajevo, the largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Serbia The name Yugoslavia previously designated six republics (Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia- Herzogovia, Croatia, and Slovenia), but now includes just Serbia and Montenegro. Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. Earned its independence in 2006

Serbia Starting in April 1992, Serbia set out to “ethnically cleanse” Bosnian territory by systematically removing all Bosnian Muslims, known as Bosniaks. Serbia, together with ethnic Bosnian Serbs, attacked Bosniaks with former Yugoslavian military equipment and surrounded Sarajevo, the capital city. 100,000 died in the genocide Ethnic cleansing - the mass expulsion or killing of members of an unwanted ethnic or religious group in a society.

Former Yugoslavia

Page 312-313 Answer the questions on page 313 Former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic went on trial at The Hague, Netherlands, on charges of genocide and war crimes in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo. Milosovich was charged with genocide by forces under his command against Bosnian Muslims and Croats in the 1992-95 Bosnian war.

Romania Capital: Bucharest More than half of Romania's Jewish population died in the Second World War. Though the majority of Romanians are Christians, Romania does not have any official religion.

Ukraine Location: - Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland and Russia Crimea – now belongs to Russia Cold War – Ukraine was part of the USSR until 1991 Kiev - the capital and largest city of Ukraine. 2nd largest country in Europe

Ukraine Ukraine suffered the world's worst recorded nuclear accident. On the morning of April 26, 1986, reactor No. 4 at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, 80 miles north of Kiev, exploded, sending radioactive contaminants three miles up into the atmosphere and out over parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. A political meltdown occurred in December 1991, when 90 percent of Ukrainians voted for independence, in effect dissolving the Soviet Union. Now Ukraine faces ongoing border disputes with Russia

Chernobyl

Macedonia September 9, 1991 when Macedonia came out of the clutches of Yugoslavia and attained independence. Capital: Skopje Macedonia has its own language – Macedonian Mother Teresa was born in what is now Macedonia's capital city, Skopje, on 26th August 1910.

Austria German is the official language of Austria Vienna is the capital and largest city of Austria, Austria is a mountainous country due the Alps

Kosovo Kosovo, the youngest country of the 21st century, declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008. Pristina – capital Education in Eastern Europe – since transition from communism to a democracy the education system in Eastern Europe has been slow due to lack of funding in schools. How is this different from Western Europe? .

Montenegro Used to be called Serbia-Montenegro Least populated country in Eastern Europe Capital is Podgorica In the Dinaric Alps