Instructions1. List every country, their capital and flag description

(you may just draw a picture if you like)

2. For each country you are to write down at least three facts about that country

3. Take good notes because you may use them on your test next week.

Estonia Latvia LithuaniaThree small republics occupy the eastern

shore of the Baltic Sea. In 1940, they came under Soviet rule, but in the 1990’s with the collapse of the Soviet Union, they

became independent democracies with free enterprise economies.

Let’s take a look at them now.

EstoniaEstonia is the smallest of the three Baltic countries. Low plains, forests and swamps cover the land. Mild Baltic Sea winds keep the country from getting too hot or too cold. This country has large deposits of oil shale, a rock that contains oil. Most Estonians have close ties to the Finns. 30% of the population is Russian. Capital: Tallinn

Old farmhouse in Koguva, Estonia

City of Tallinn

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A Did you notice what the street is made out of?

Latvia

Latvia’s location on the Baltic Sea has made it a trading center. As a result, Latvia’s industrial development is better than the other Baltic Republics. Latvia has a mild climate over its landscape of coastal plains, low hills and forests. Only 53% of the population is Latvian. Under Soviet rule, many Russians settled there. They have had conflicts in the past and often clash today.

Capital: Riga

Riga Castle and CathedralLocated on the Daugava River

Beach near Cape Kolka

LATVIA

Located at the tip of land, between the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea. Can

you find it on the map?

Lithuania

Lithuania is the largest of the Baltic Republics. Although the other Baltic Republics are Protestant, Lithuania is largely Roman Catholic. Flat plains and forested hills cover most of the country. 80% of the countries people are Lithuanian and most live in cities.Capital: Vilnius

City of Vilnius

City of Kaunas

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AHow is this street different from the streets in your hometown?

Poland

Capital: Warsaw

Wieliczka is the location of the world’s oldest salt mines. The Vistula river begins in the Carpathanian mountains to the south and empties into the Baltic Sea to the north. Gdansk is a major Sea port in the north. Solidarity is the name of the Polish Labor Union, which began in the ship yards in the north. Most Poles are Slavs, which is a major ethnic group in the area. The word Slav comes from Slave because they were once made slaves by invading armies. The polish people use the Latin Alphabet. The Pope, leader of the Roman Catholic Church, is from Poland. His name is Pope John Paul II.

Krakow’s market square. Horses and buggies are

waiting for tourists

POLAND

Presidential Palace in Warsaw

Hungary

Capital: Budapest

At one time Hungary and Austria were part of a very large European Empire, after their loss in WWI the country became much smaller. Hungary is landlocked. The Carpathian mountains are to the north, but most of the country is covered by the Hungarian Plain. Lake Balaton, one of Europe’s largest lakes, is located on this plain. Many foreign business are now investing (putting money into a company in return for a share of the profits) in Hungarian Businesses. The majority of Hungarians, are Magyars, who came to eastern Europe from central Asia. Hungarians do not belong to the Slavic ethnic group. Goulash is a traditional Hungarian dish.

Marketplace in Budapest

Budapest Parliament

Chain bridge across the Danube

HUNGARY

The Czech Republic and its neighbor Slovakia once formed a larger country called

Like Poland and Hungary, they were under communist control and closely linked to

the Soviet Union. In 1989 communist rule was over, and in 1993, they peacefully

split into two separate countries.

Czech RepublicSouth of Poland and east of Germany, this country is landlocked. Czech’s enjoy one of the highest standards of living in Eastern Europe and most live in cities. The Elbe and Vitava rivers flow through this country. Many spas with hot springs are found in the mountains of the north, along with nature preserves, or lands set aside for plant and animal wildlife.

Capital: Prague

Swans in Prague

View of Prague

Church of Saint Ludmila

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Slovakia

The Slovak and Czech people share a common heritage but have different languages and cultures. The Carpathian Mountains are in the north and fertile lowlands in the south stretch to the Danube river. Most Slovak’s are Catholic and 60% live in urban areas. Slovakia had been a farming country but is now developing service industries, businesses that provide service to people rather than producing goods.

Capital: Bratislava

Cathedral of St. Elizabeth

Construction began in 1345 and ended in 1508.

Town Hall

Bardejov, Slovakia 14th century Church of St Egidius in the background

SLOVAKIA

The Balkan Peninsula lies between the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Black

Sea to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.

The former Yugoslav republics, plus Romania, Bulgaria and Albania make

up this region.

Let’s take a look at them now

RomaniaThe Carpathian Mountains run through northern and central Romania. Transylvania, the setting for many horror novels, lies in this country. The oil industry is important in the southeast corner of the country. Most Romanians are descendants of the Romans, but like their Slavic neighbors, practice Eastern Orthodox religion. Under communist rule, Romanian factories produced machinery and few consumer goods-clothing, shoes and other products made for people.

Capital: Bucharest

Mamaia BeachOn the Black Sea

Mountains of Romania

Transylvanian Village

ROMANIA

AlbaniaMountains cover most of Albania, which contributes to the countries isolation from neighboring countries. Albania has one of Europe’s least developed economies. The country is rich in mineral resources but they lack the technology to develop them. Most Albanian’s are Muslim and live in the countryside. Since the fall of communism, many mosques, or Muslim houses of worship, have opened in Albania. Capital: Tirane

View of Gjirokastër

Berat, AlbaniaNational Folk Festival

Mosque of Ethem Bey

ALBANIA

Photos by Jim Rees

Bulgaria

Capital: Sofia

Located South of Romania, Bulgaria has a coast line on the Black Sea. Most Bulgarians trace their ancestry to the Slavs. They use the Cyrillic alphabet and most live in cities and towns. Bulgarian farmers grow many things including roses, which are used in making perfume.

St. George Rotundabuilt in the 3rd or 4th centurySurrounded by a Sheraton

Hotel, in Sofia, Bulgaria

Bulgarian farmers dressed in traditional costumes

Bulgarian village in the western Rodope Mountains

BULGARIA

Slovenia

Croatia

Serbia and Montenegro (Yugoslavia)

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Slovenia Located in the mountainous northwest corner of the Balkan Peninsula, Slovenia has the regions highest standard of living with more factories and service industries than the other republics. Most Slovenians are Slavs who practice the Roman Catholic religion and use the Latin alphabet.

Capital: Ljubljana

Piran at the Slovenia coast

View of the Slovenian Capital, Ljubljana

Relaxing in a street cafe in Ljubljana

Three Bridges a famous landmark

In the Slovenian capital.

SLOVENIA

Croatia

Croatia borders the Adriatic Sea to the east and has many islands. Further inland, mountains rise to a fertile plain. Croatia is an industrialized republic, but they also rely on agriculture. Most Croats are Slavs and Roman Catholic. They use the Latin alphabet.Capital: Zagreb

Fast Facts

Zagreb, the capital city

Telaščica National Park

Amphitheater in Pula (Istria)

Built by the Ancient Romans

CROATIA

Bosnia-HerzegovinaLocated west of Serbia, this country’s landscape consists of mountains, thick forests and fertile river valleys. Many of the Bosnian people are Muslims. Others are Eastern Orthodox Serbs, or Roman Catholic Croats. Civil War in the 1990’s between Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims resulted in a division of Bosnia into two separate regions under one government.

Capital: Sarajevo

The exclamation point means that you shouldn't go any further, because the area could be mined .

Years of fighting have left it’s mark on the countryside.

Site of the 1984 Winter Olympic Games.

B O S NIA

H E R Z E G O V I N A

&

Serbia and MontenegroSerbia and Montenegro united as Yugoslavia. Inland plains and mountains cover most of this country. Most people belong to two Slavic groups the Serbs and Montenegrins. Eastern Orthodox is the religion and they write in the Cyrillic alphabet. Muslim Albanians are the largest group in the province of Kosovo. In 1998 a conflict erupted over the Albanian’s desire for Kosovo’s independence from Yugoslavia.

Capital: Belgrade

St. Ivan’s Fortress and the Bay of Kotor

Even the goats love to look at the beautiful view.

Serbia is home to many ancient monasteries.

MONTENEGRO

S E R B I A &

FYR Macedonia

The most southern of the republics, Macedonians are a mixture of many different Balkan peoples. Macedonia has a developing economy largely based on agriculture.Capital: Skopje

Tobacco drying in the sun.

Children helping soak plants in the river (used for making flax)

Monastery on a lake.

Workers soak plants in the river

MACEDONIA

Our tour of Eastern Europe has come to an end. What interesting facts have you learned?

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