By: Connor Shea

o Northern European Plain o Carpathian Mountain Range o Low mountain range o Extension of Alps o From Alps to Black Sea o Great Hungarian Plain o South and West of Carpathian Mountain Range o Mostly in Hungary o Dinaric Alps o Balkan Mountains o Balkan Peninsula o One of the biggest peninsulas in Europe o Dinaric Alps and Balkan Mountains are covering most of it

o Adriatic Sea o Black Sea o Baltic Sea o All Important routes for trade and transport o Danube River o From its source it travels through 9 countries before emptying in the Black Sea o Generates a lot of the regions power

By: Claire Thompson

 The shores on the coast are the coldest part of Eastern Europe.  The winter is very cold.  The winter is also very harsh.  The climate gets little rain, but lots of fog.  This will let there be forests.

 Climate is mild  Winters can be super cold  Summer is usually pleasant, but mild  Western side gets more rain  The climate changes cause different vegetation  The area has forests, grassy plains, and the plain will grow colorful wildflowers  Sadly in 1968 the forests were ruined by a nuclear power plant in

Andrew Shea

 Settled by ancient groups  Different cultures and languages  Divided into small, independent nations in the Middle Ages  Polish and Lithuanian nations were large and strong  Ruled most of Eastern and Northern Europe  Latvian and Estonians were not  Invaded by powerful nations  Invasions continued through the 1800s

 World War I  Most of the fighting was in Poland Thousands of the Polish died Same with the Baltic countries  World War II  Began when Germans invaded Poland’s west side  Soviet Union came from the east  Millions of people and property in Poland was destroyed Had the same effect on the Baltic countries Baltic countries were occupied by the Soviets

 Soviets controlled Baltic states  Poland was free but was forced to became a Communist Government  Opposed communist rule Poland freed from communism in 1989  Baltic States broke from Soviet Union in 1991  Became independent

By Sophia Brunko

POLANDESTONIALITHUANIALATVIA Religion:Roman CatholicLutheranismRoman CatholicChristianity and Lutheranism Language:PolishEstonianLithuanianLatvian Trade PartnersRoman Catholic Countries SwedenRoman Catholic Countries Sweden

 Popular food: Potatoes, sausages, and sea food  Crafts: Embroidery, painting, pottery  They all love music and dance They have multiple music festivals every year

Popular Polish pianist and composer 1810 – 1840 Famous compositions: Raindrop Nocturne Funeral March Fantasie Impromptu v=APQ2RKECMW8 (Start at 3:25) v=APQ2RKECMW8

Dana Heuer

 The economies of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland suffered because the Soviets didn’t build a good infrastructure.  Infrastructure- the set of resources, like roads, airports, and factories, that a country needs in order to support economic activities.  Factories built by soviets couldn’t produce as much as Western Europe

 Poland and the Baltic republics are working to strengthen their economies.  They are replacing old factories with new modern ones  Warsaw, the capital of Poland is a major industrial center

 Tourism has helped the economic growth  Warsaw and Krakow have brought in tourists for their history and many famous sites  Vilnius, Tallinn, and Riga have tourists coming for their culture, cool summer climate, and historical sites.

History and Culture Megan Pattee

 They were once home to many small kingdoms founded by the Slavs.  The Slavs were people from Asia who moved into Europe by 1000AD.  Austria eventually conquered the Slavic kingdoms.  After World War 1 the Allies took the land away from Austria and made Czechoslovakia.  In 1993, about 50 years later, it split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

 In the 900s, a group of warriors called the Magyars swept into what is now Hungary.  Although Hungary was conquered by the Austrians, the Magyars continued to shape the Hungarian culture.  The language in Hungary is based on the Magyars language and most Hungarians refer to themselves as Magyars.

 The Slavs also settled in Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova.  Later other groups, including the Vikings, invaded and conquered the Slavs.  A group called the Rus built a settlement in the 800s that is called in what is now called Kiev, Ukraine. The eventually created a huge empire.  In the late 1700s the empire became part of Russia.  When the Soviet Union formed in 1922, Ukraine and Belarus became Soviet Republics. Moldova became a republic two years later.  They did not become independent until the Soviet Union broke up in 1991.

Czech Republic and Slovakia Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova  Western influences are common in these two countries.  For example, many people, from both countries, are Roman Catholic.  The architecture of cities like Prague, the capitol of Czech Republic reflects western influences.  The long history of Russian influence in the region is reflected in the countries culture.  For example, most people are Orthodox Christians, like the people in Russia.  In addition, Ukrainian and Belarusian languages are written in the Cyrillic, or Russian, alphabet.

Emily Lloyd

Under the Soviet Union’s rule, the people of inland Eastern Europe had few freedoms. Today their governments have changed. The inland Eastern Europe countries belong to 7 international alliances. Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS): An alliance that meets to discuss issues such as trade and immigration that affect former Soviet republics. Other countries are part of the EU.

BelarusCISClaims it is Republic but is really a dictatorship UkraineCISRepublic MoldovaCISRepublic Czech RepublicEURepublic SlovakiaEURepublic HungaryEURepublic RomaniaEURepublic BulgariaEUParliamentary democracy with a president.

 Economic development has been a challenge after the Soviet Union rule.  Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Ukraine are most successful.  Ukraine has rich farmlands and grows grains, potatoes, and sugar beets.

 Most People live near cities.  Prague, Kiev, and Budapest are key cities because they are the most prosperous.  These cities are popular tourist destinations.

By: AJ Hope

 The Balkan Peninsula was constantly being fought over by many different groups.  These groups continue to shape life in the area today.  Greece  Serbia  Bulgaria  Macedonia  Bosnia

 Romans conquered most of area from the Adriatic Sea to the Danube River.  When the Roman Empire divided, Balkan Peninsula became more part of the Byzantine Empire. (Eastern)  Muslim Ottoman Turks conquered the Byzantine Empire, making lots of people become Muslims.  Ottomans were driven out by their own people in the 1800s.

 Balkan kingdoms couldn’t get along, which led to WWI.  In the late 1800s, the Austro-Hungarian Empire took over part of the peninsula.  European leaders divided into new countries after WWI.  The country that was made was Yugoslavia.  Yugoslavia lasted until the 1990s. The country broke because of the conflict between ethnic and religious groups.

By: Grace Maloney

 The Balkans are the most diverse, culturally, in the area of Europe.  This diversity is reflected in the languages spoke

 Most of the Balkans are Christian, but there are three types of Christianity practiced.  Most Balkan churches belong to the Orthodox church.  In the western part of the peninsula, there are many Roman Catholics.  There are many countries with large protestant communities.  Albania is mostly Muslim  Islam is common because of the Ottoman’s long rule

 There are many different languages in the Balkan countries.  People that live in the Balkan region speak languages from 3 major groups.  Most languages in the region belong to the Slavic family and are also related to Russian.  Romania speaks some Germanic languages as well as a language developed from Latin. It is more closely related to French, Italian, and Spanish than it is to Slavic languages.  Some languages are not related to any of those groups. For example Albanian is completely unique and unlike any other language in the world.  There is also a group called the “Roma” that have a language of their own.

By Tawny Blaylock

Albania Macedonia Slovenia  Albania: the poorest country in Europe it has struggled since the end of the Soviet period. High unemployment rates and crime have prevented the country’s economy from improving.  Macedonia: Once part of Yugoslavia it broke away in it was the first country to do so peacefully.  Slovenia: it also broke away from Yugoslavia in 1991 and in 2004 it became the first Balkan country to join the EU.

Croatia Bosnia & Herzegovina Serbia  Croatia Fighting broke out when they broke away form Yugoslavia. Ethnic Croatia and Serbs fought over land for many years. In the end many Serbs left Croatia and peace was restored.  Bosnia & Herzegovina peace was returned here after the ethnic and religious violence. The people are working hard to rebuild  Serbia: the largest nation to emerge from former Yugoslavia. Like other Balkan countries they have seen fighting among ethnic groups.

Kosovo Montenegro Romania Bulgaria  Kosovo: A former province of Serbia they declared there dependence in2008. its population is mostly Ethnic Albanian.  Montenegro: the mountainous country separated in June 2006 peacefully.  Romania: the largest state working to recover from years of bad government poor leaders left the economy in ruins.  Bulgaria: they have changed dramatically since the fall of the Soviet Union people there are working to have a capitalist economy based on industry and tourism.

By: Maddy Bares

 Pope John Paul was born as Karol Jozef Worjtyla  He was born on May, and died April,  He was born in Poland  Since he was born in Poland he was the first non- Italian Pope.  His mom died when he was nine and his brother died when he was 12.  He attended Krakow's Jagiellonian University in 1938 and had a interest in theater and poetry.  He then showed interest in being a priest and went to a secret seminary.

 Pope John Paul ll fought to end the communist rule.  He used his voice and his influence to effect political change.  He first fought to end Communist Rule in Poland, but it spread all throughout Europe.

After he was shot by attempt of assassination he went to his assassin’s jail cell and forgave him. He survived a 2 bullet shots.

 He traveled over 100 countries to spread Good News and peace.  He was the first non- Italian pope in over four hundred years.  He died April,  04lg 04lg  Pope John Paul ll video

 Chernoybl was a nuclear power plant located in Ukraine.  On April 26 th, 1986, there was an explosion that released radioactive substances into the air  To this day, this explosion is known to be the worst nuclear accident in history  Chernoybl was a nuclear power plant located in Ukraine.  On April 26 th, 1986, there was an explosion that released radioactive substances into the air  To this day, this explosion is known to be the worst nuclear accident in history

 The amount of radioactive material released from Chernoybl was four times more than the atomic bombing of Hiroshima  Around 100,000km² of land was contaminated by the explosion  All of Europe, excluding the Iberian Peninsula, was found to have some contamination, the worst being in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine  The amount of radioactive material released from Chernoybl was four times more than the atomic bombing of Hiroshima  Around 100,000km² of land was contaminated by the explosion  All of Europe, excluding the Iberian Peninsula, was found to have some contamination, the worst being in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine

By: Erik Dahl

 Yugoslavia is made up of many countries including:  Slovenia  Croatia  Bosnia and Herzegovina  Serbia and Montenegro  Macedonia

 The country of Yugoslavia was created after World War I  People from every country moved in and lived together  They worked peacefully for many decades without war or violence  They had many republics, ethnic groups, and religion

 In 1991 Croatia, Macedonia, and Slovenia declared independence  Bosnia and Herzegovina declare independence the same year later  They broke up because of conflict between ethnic and religious groups

By: Alexandra Harrison

 Medjugorje is located close to the border of Croatia. The word medjugorje translates “between mountains”.

Since 1981, 6 people have witnessed the appearance of Mary and giving messages to the world. She said "I have come to tell the world that God exists. He is the fullness of life, and to enjoy this fullness and peace, you must return to God".

In June, 1981, Two girls were returning home from a walk and saw the silhouette of Mary on a hill called the Crnica. Then on June 25, the girls and four others were being called on that same hill and were somehow transported in a mysterious way to the women who called herself Queen of Peace.

Mary’s mission is for peace. She continues to give messages to the six people. She has given over one thousand messages.