Central and Eastern Europe. General features and characteristics of the economy of the countries of Central-Eastern Europe Eastern Europe natural resources

Eastern Europe as a historical and geographical region includes: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, countries formed as a result of the collapse of the former Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia), Albania, Latvia, Lithuania , Estonia.

There is also an opinion that the countries of this region should be attributed either to Central or Central Europe, since it would be more correct to call Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and the European part of Russia Eastern Europe.

But the name "Eastern Europe" stuck with the countries of this region and is recognized throughout the world.

Geographical position. Natural resources

The countries of Eastern Europe are a single natural-territorial massif stretching from the Baltic to the Black and Adriatic seas. The region and adjacent countries are based on the ancient Precambrian platform, covered by a cover of sedimentary rocks, as well as an area of ​​Alpine folding.

An important feature of all countries in the region is their transit position between the countries of Western Europe and the CIS.

The countries of Eastern Europe differ from each other in geographic location, configuration, size of the territory, wealth of natural resources.

From the reserves of natural resources are allocated: coal (Poland, Czech Republic), oil and natural gas (Romania), iron ores (the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Slovakia), bauxite (Hungary), chromites (Albania).

In general, it must be said that the region is experiencing a shortage of resources, and in addition, it is a vivid example of the "incompleteness" of the set of minerals. So, in Poland there are large reserves of coal, copper ores, sulfur, but almost no oil, gas, iron ore. In Bulgaria, on the contrary, there is no coal, although there are significant reserves of lignite, copper ores, polymetals.

Population

The population of the region is about 130 million people, but demographic situation, difficult in all of Europe, the most alarming in Eastern Europe. Despite the active demographic policy pursued for several decades, natural population growth is very small (less than 2%) and continues to decline. In Bulgaria and Hungary, there is even a natural decline in population. The main reason for this is the violation of the sex and age structure of the population as a result of the Second World War.

In some countries, the natural increase is higher than the regional average (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia), and it is the largest in Albania at 20%.

The largest country in the region is Poland (about 40 million people), the smallest is Estonia (about 1.5 million people).

The population of Eastern Europe is distinguished by a complex ethnic composition, but the predominance of the Slavic peoples can be noted. Of the other peoples, the most numerous are Romanians, Albanians, Hungarians, Lithuanians. The most homogeneous national composition is distinguished by Poland, Hungary, Albania. Lithuania.

Eastern Europe has always been the scene of national and ethnic conflicts. After the collapse of the socialist system, the situation became more complicated, especially on the territory of the most multinational country in the region - Yugoslavia, where the conflict escalated into an interethnic war.

The most urbanized country in Europe is the Czech Republic (3/4 of the population lives in cities). There are many urban agglomerations in the region, the largest of which are Upper Silesian (in Poland) and Budapest (in Hungary). But for most countries, historically formed small towns and villages are characteristic, and for the Baltic countries - farms.

Farm

The countries of Eastern Europe today are not characterized by a pronounced socio-economic unity. But in general, we can say that _. in the 2nd half of the XX century. Great changes have taken place in the economies of the countries of Eastern Europe. Firstly, industries developed at a higher rate - by the 80s V. Europe turned into one of the most industrial regions in the world, and secondly, previously very backward regions also began to develop industrially (For example, Slovakia in the former CSFR, Moldova in Romania, northeastern Poland). Such results became possible thanks to the implementation of regional policy.

Energy

Due to the shortage of oil reserves, this region is focused on coal, most of the electricity is generated at thermal power plants (over 60%), but hydroelectric and nuclear power plants also play an important role. One of the largest nuclear power plants, Kozloduy in Bulgaria, has been built in the region.

Metallurgy

In the post-war period, the industry has been actively growing and developing in all countries of the region, and nonferrous metallurgy relies mainly on its own raw materials, while ferrous metallurgy relies on imported ones.

Mechanical engineering

The industry is also represented in all countries, but the most developed in the Czech Republic (primarily machine tools, household appliances and computers); Poland and Romania are distinguished by the production of metal-consuming machines and structures, Hungary, Bulgaria, Latvia - by the electrical industry; in addition, shipbuilding is developed in Poland and Estonia.

Chemical industry

The chemical industry of the region lags far behind the West European due to the lack of raw materials for the most advanced branches of chemistry - oil. Still, one can mention the pharmaceutical industry of Poland and Hungary, the glass industry of the Czech Republic.

Agriculture of the region

Mainly meets the needs of the population for food In the structure of the economy of the countries of Eastern Europe, under the influence of scientific and technological revolution, significant changes took place: the agro-industrial complex appeared, specialization of agricultural production took place. It manifested itself most clearly in grain farming and in the production of vegetables, fruits, and grapes.

The structure of the region's economy is heterogeneous: in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, the Baltic countries, the share of livestock production exceeds the share of crop production, in the rest the ratio is still the opposite.

Due to the variety of soil and climatic conditions, several zones of crop production can be distinguished: wheat is grown everywhere, but in the north (Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) rye and potatoes play an important role, in the central part of the subregion, vegetable growing and horticulture are cultivated, and the "southern" countries are specialized on subtropical crops.

The main crops grown in the region are wheat, corn, vegetables and fruits.

The main wheat and corn regions of Eastern Europe formed within the Middle and Lower Danube lowlands and the Danube hilly plain (Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria).

Hungary has achieved the greatest success in grain production.

Vegetables, fruits, grapes are cultivated in the sub-region almost everywhere, but there are areas where they primarily determine the specialization of agriculture. These countries and regions also have their specialization in terms of the range of products. For example, Hungary is famous for its winter varieties of apples, grapes, onions; Bulgaria - with oilseeds; Czech Republic - hops, etc.

Livestock raising. Northern and central countries regions specialize in dairy and meat-and-milk cattle breeding and pig breeding, and the southern regions specialize in mountain-pasture meat and woolen animal husbandry.

Transport

In Eastern Europe, which lies at the crossroads of routes that have long connected the eastern and western parts of Eurasia, the transport system has been developing over the centuries. Now the leader in terms of traffic volume railway transport, BUT also automobile and sea are developing intensively. The presence of the largest ports contributes to the development of foreign economic relations, shipbuilding, ship repair, and fishing.

Intra-regional differences

The countries of Eastern Europe can be conditionally subdivided into 3 groups according to the commonality of their EGP, resources, and level of development.

1. Northern group: Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia. These countries are still characterized by a low degree of integration, but there are common tasks in the development of the maritime economy.

2. Central group: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary. The economy of the first two countries has a pronounced industrial character. The Czech Republic ranks first in the region in terms of industrial production per capita.

3. Southern group: Romania, Bulgaria, countries of the former Yugoslavia, Albania. In the past, these were the most backward countries, and now, despite major changes in their economy, the countries of this group lag behind the countries of the 1st and 2nd groups in most indicators.

The region of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) covers 15 post-socialist countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic (The Czech Republic includes the territory of the historical regions of the Czech Republic, Moravia and a small part of Silesia), Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Federation Serbia and Montenegro (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania. The area of ​​the region, which is a single territorial array, is over 1.3 million square kilometers. with a population of 130 million people. (1998). Of its constituent countries, only Poland and Romania are included in the group of larger European states; the rest of the countries are relatively small in size (territory from 20 to 110 thousand square kilometers with a population of 2 to 10 million people).

This region of Europe has gone through a difficult path of political and socio-economic development in the context of the dramatic struggle for the peoples inhabiting it by the largest European powers for spheres of influence on the continent. This struggle was waged with particular force in the 19th and 20th centuries. between Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia, Turkey, as well as France and Great Britain. In the course of this struggle and the intensified national liberation movements of the local population, former states were formed and destroyed. After the First World War, the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed, Poland reappeared on the map of Europe, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia were formed, the territory of Romania more than doubled.

Subsequent changes in political map CEE was the result of the victory over Nazi Germany and Italy during the Second World War. Chief among them: the return to Poland of its western and northern lands with wide access to the Baltic Sea, Yugoslavia - the Julian region and the Istrian peninsula, inhabited mainly by Slovenes and Croats.

During the transition of the CEE countries from a centrally planned economy to a market economy (late 80s - early 90s), political, socio-economic and national-ethnic contradictions sharply intensified in them. As a result, ethnically Czechoslovakia disintegrated into two states - the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, and Yugoslavia - into five states: the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Republics of Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The CEE countries are located between the countries of Western Europe and the republics that were (until 1992) in the USSR. Associated with this are a number common features their political and socio-economic development at the stage of transition to a market economy. They are in the process of deep structural economic restructuring, radical changes in the nature and direction of foreign economic relations.

The CEE states are striving to expand their participation in the pan-European economic integration, primarily in the field of transport, energy, ecology, and the use of recreational resources. The region has access to the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas; the navigable Danube flows through it for a long distance; the territory of the region can be widely used for the transit of goods and passengers between Western Europe, the CIS countries and Asia. For example, with the completion in 1993 of the Bamberg Canal (on the Main River) - Regensburg (on the Danube River), the possibility of end-to-end trans-European water transport between the North and Black Seas opens up (from Rotterdam at the mouth of the Rhine to Sulina at the mouth of the Danube, a waterway of 3400 km.) ... This is an important link in the development of a unified European network of inland waterways. Another example of the expanding use of the geographic location of CEE countries is pipeline transit of natural gas and oil from Russia and other Caspian states to Western and Southern Europe. The CEE countries signed the European Energy Charter Treaty in 1994, which laid down economic mechanisms a global energy space for the whole of Europe.

When assessing natural resources, the characteristics of settlement and regional differences in economic activity in the modern territory of the CEE countries, one must imagine the most important structural and morphological features of its relief. The region covers: a part of the European Plain in the north (the Baltic States, Poland), the Hercynian midlands and hilly elevations (Czech Republic), a part of Alpine-Carpathian Europe with folded mountains up to 2.5-3 thousand meters high and low accumulative plains - the Middle and Lower -Danubian (Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, northern Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria), southern European Dinaric and Rhodope-Macedonian massifs up to 2 - 2.5 thousand meters high with intermontane basins and foothill plains (most of Croatia and Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania and southern Bulgaria).

The peculiarities of the geological and tectonic structures determine the composition and nature of the geographical distribution of mineral resources of the countries. The greatest economic value have large (on a European scale) deposits: coal (Upper Silesian basin in the south of Poland and adjacent Ostrava-Karvin in the north-east of the Czech Republic), brown coal (Serbia, Poland, Czech Republic), oil and natural gas (Romania, Albania ), oil shale (Estonia), rock salt (Poland, Romania), phosphorites (Estonia), natural sulfur (Poland), lead-zinc ores (Poland, Serbia), bauxite (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary), chromites and nickel (Albania); in a number of countries there are deposits of uranium ores of industrial importance.

In general, the CEE countries are insufficiently provided with primary energy resources. Up to 9/10 of the region's coal reserves (about 70 billion tons) are in Poland alone. In CEE there are more than 1/3 of the total European reserves of brown coal; they are more dispersed across the countries of the region, but still more than half lie in Serbia and Poland. No country (excluding Albania) has sufficient reserves of oil and natural gas. Even Romania, which is better off with them, is forced to partially cover its needs for them through imports. About half of the total hydro potential of CEE of 182 billion kWh falls on the republics of the former Yugoslavia (primarily Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina) and more than 20% on Romania. The region is rich in healing mineral springs, some of which are effectively used (especially in the Czech Republic).

CEE countries vary greatly in the size, composition and quality of forest resources. In the south of the region, in the mountainous regions of the Balkan Peninsula, as well as in the Carpathians, there is an increased forest cover with a predominance of conifers and beech, while in the predominantly lowland and heavily plowed Poland and Hungary, the provision of forest is much less. In Poland and the Czech Republic, a significant part of productive forests is represented by artificial plantations, primarily pines.

However, one of the main treasures of CEE is its soil and climatic resources. There are large areas of naturally fertile soils, mostly of the chernozem type. This is primarily the Lower and Middle Danube plains, as well as the Upper Thracian lowland. Due to the extensiveness of agriculture before the Second World War, about 10 - 15 centners were collected here. from ha. Cereals. IN

In the 80s, the yield has already reached 35 - 45 centners. per hectare, but was still lower than the collection in some Western European countries with less humus-rich lands.

According to soil and climatic conditions and other natural resources, the CEE countries can be conditionally divided into two groups: northern (Baltic countries, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia) and southern (other countries). These differences, consisting in higher temperatures during the growing season and more fertile soils in the southern group of countries, create an objective basis for the specialization and complementarity of both groups of countries in agricultural production. While most of the territory of the northern group of countries is located in a zone of sufficient moisture, in the southern - during the growing season, conditions of aridity often arise, causing the need for artificial irrigation (In the Lower Danube and Middle Danube lowlands in the second half of the XX century, one of the most irrigated areas in Europe emerged. agriculture). At the same time, the climatic conditions of the southern group of countries, in combination with healing mineral springs and wide outlets to warm seas, create important prerequisites for organizing recreation for residents not only of these countries, but also of the northern part of the region, as well as tourists from other, primarily European, states.

Countries in the region: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Federation of Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania. The countries of Eastern Europe are a single natural-territorial massif stretching from the Baltic to the Black and Adriatic seas. The region and adjacent countries are based on the ancient Precambrian platform, covered by a cover of sedimentary rocks, as well as an area of ​​alpine folding. An important feature of all countries in the region is their transit position between the countries of Western Europe and the CIS. Countries C.V. Europe differs from each other in geographic location, configuration, size of territory, richness of natural resources. From the reserves of natural resources are allocated: coal (Poland, Czech Republic), oil and natural gas (Romania), iron ores (the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Slovakia), bauxite (Hungary), chromites (Albania). In general, it must be said that the region is experiencing a shortage of resources, and in addition, it is a vivid example of the "incompleteness" of the set of minerals. So, in Poland there are large reserves of coal, copper ores, sulfur, but almost no oil, gas, iron ore. In Bulgaria, on the contrary, there is no coal, although there are significant reserves of lignite, copper ores, polymetals. The region is rich in healing mineral springs, some of which are effectively used (especially in the Czech Republic). CEE countries vary greatly in the size, composition and quality of forest resources. In the south of the region, in the mountainous regions of the Balkan Peninsula, as well as in the Carpathians, there is an increased forest cover with a predominance of conifers and beech, while in the predominantly lowland and heavily plowed Poland and Hungary, the provision of forest is much less. There are large areas of naturally fertile soils, mostly of the chernozem type. This is primarily the Lower and Middle Danube plains, as well as the Upper Thracian lowland. The population of the region is about 130 million people. The dynamics of the population of CEE is characterized by a number of features characteristic of the European continent as a whole: a decrease in the birth rate, an aging population and, accordingly, an increase in the death rate. Energy: due to a shortage of oil reserves, this area is focused on coal, most of the electricity is generated by thermal power plants (over 60%), but hydroelectric and nuclear power plants also play an important role. One of the largest nuclear power plants, Kozloduy in Bulgaria, has been built in the region. Metallurgy: Non-ferrous metallurgy relies mainly on its own raw materials, while ferrous metallurgy relies on imported ones. Mechanical engineering: represented in all countries, but the most developed in the Czech Republic (primarily machine tools, production of household appliances and computers); Poland and Romania are distinguished by the production of metal-consuming machines and structures, Hungary, Bulgaria, Latvia - by the electrotechnical industry; in addition, shipbuilding is developed in Poland and Estonia. The chemical industry of the region lags far behind the West European due to the lack of raw materials for the most advanced branches of chemistry - oil. Still, one can mention the pharmaceutical industry of Poland and Hungary, the glass industry of the Czech Republic. C \ X: The structure of the region's economy is heterogeneous: in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, the Baltic countries, the share of livestock production exceeds the share of crop production, in the rest the ratio is still the opposite. Due to the diversity of soil and climatic conditions, several crop production zones can be distinguished: wheat is grown everywhere, but in the north (Poland , Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) rye and potatoes play an important role, vegetable growing and horticulture are cultivated in the central part of the subregion, and the "southern" countries specialize in subtropical crops. The main crops grown in the region are wheat, corn, vegetables, fruits. wheat and corn regions of Eastern Europe formed within the Middle and Lower Danube lowlands and the Danube hilly plain (Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria). on pig breeding, and the southern ones - on mountain-pasture meat and woolen animal husbandry. Transport: now the railway transport is in the lead in terms of traffic volume, but road and sea transport are also developing intensively. The presence of the largest ports contributes to the development of foreign economic relations, shipbuilding, ship repair, and fishing. Countries C.V. Europe can be conditionally subdivided into 3 groups according to the commonality of their EGP, resources, level of development. Northern group: Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia. These countries are still characterized by a low degree of integration, but there are common tasks in the development of the maritime economy. Central group: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary. The economy of the first two countries has a pronounced industrial character. The Czech Republic ranks first in the region in terms of industrial production per capita. Southern group: Romania, Bulgaria, the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Albania. In the past, these were the most backward countries, and now, despite major changes in their economy, the countries of this group lag behind the countries of the 1st and 2nd groups in most indicators.

Question 4.Countries of Central Europe. E.-G. characteristic. Common features and regional differences.

Countries of the region: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland, Litechtenstein, Luxembourg. The EGP of the sub-region is very favorable. This is due to the fact that, firstly, the countries of the subregion either go out to the sea, or are located at a short distance from it (no further than 480 km), which contributes to the development of economic ties. Secondly, the neighboring position of these countries in relation to each other is very important. Thirdly, the natural conditions of the region as a whole are favorable for the development of both industry and agriculture. In the northern part, both ore minerals (associated with the Baltic shield and areas of the Hercynian folding) and fuel (concentrated in the foredeeps, sedimentary cover and epicontinental zones) are widespread. In the southern part, ore deposits prevail, and the reserves of fuel resources are less. Despite the fact that the mineral resources are quite diverse, the reserves of many of them are close to depletion. Thus, the coal basins of England and Germany, which served as the basis for the development of heavy industry, and the iron ore basins of France and Sweden now play a lesser role. The reserves of brown coal in the FRG, bauxite in Greece and France, zinc-lead ores in the FRG, Ireland, Italy, potassium salts in the FRG and France, uranium in France, oil and gas at the bottom of the North Sea are of great importance. Only the Netherlands has its own natural gas fields. Austria and Switzerland have significant hydropower resources. Sufficient reserves of iron ore are available only in Austria, while reserves of non-ferrous metals are insignificant in all countries and are generally absent in the Netherlands.

According to the ethnic composition of the population, all countries, except for Belgium and Switzerland, are of the same nationality. Natural growth is very low; the countries are characterized by the import of cheap labor. The level of urbanization is very high. Officially, in Switzerland and Austria, 62% and 58% of the population live in cities, respectively, but even in countryside the urban way of life reigns.

The cities of the small countries of Central Europe are old and are historical and architectural monuments. Among European countries, the Netherlands and Belgium are populated more densely, the average density is respectively 371 people per 1 km2 and 338 people per 1 km2. All countries are highly developed, only Ireland is a medium-developed state. Successful choice of specialization, wide participation in international division labor, the accumulated experience of industrial development and its constant enrichment, as well as the advanced development of scientific, technical and technological achievements provide them with a fairly strong position in the economy of Western Europe. Only Ireland is characterized by significantly more low level economic development. The fuel and energy complex of small countries of Central Europe (with the exception of the Netherlands) is guided by imported energy resources. In Austria and Switzerland, hydropower is dominant in electricity generation. There are nuclear power plants in Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The metallurgical complex of the countries of Central Europe is in crisis due to the lack of its own raw materials and fuel. Ferrous metallurgy uses 2/3 ores from Africa, Australia and America. Belgium and Luxembourg are among the largest steel exporters in Western Europe. Highly developed ferrous metallurgy is also in the Netherlands. In non-ferrous metallurgy, the most developed aluminum industry is on imported bauxite (Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium). In addition, copper, cobalt and lead are smelted. Belgium is one of the largest exporters of non-ferrous metals in Western Europe. Machine building in Central Europe is a leading industry. Electrical engineering is a complex diversified complex engaged in the production of electronic, radio and telephone equipment, and power equipment. It received the greatest development in the Netherlands (televisions, radios, computers, electronic medical and telecommunications equipment). This industry is highly developed in other countries as well. Heavy engineering is well developed in Austria and Switzerland. Switzerland occupies one of the first places in Europe for the production of watches, 95% of which are exported. Shipbuilding is developed in the Netherlands. The petrochemical industry of the countries of Central Europe is developed in the Netherlands and Belgium. Switzerland specializes in the production of pharmaceutical products. The food industry has reached the highest development in the Netherlands (1/4 of world exports of butter, cheese, 2/3 of condensed milk) and Switzerland (cheese, chocolate, food concentrates). Agriculture in Central Europe is also a developed industry. has high performance. IN sectoral structure dairy and meat cattle breeding prevails, only in Belgium and Austria it has a dairy and meat direction. In terms of the export of livestock and meat, Ireland is one of the first in Europe and the world. The most important crops are fodder crops (wheat, oats). They occupy larger areas than food crops. Sugar beets, corn, and potatoes are also grown. In Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg they are engaged in viticulture, in the Netherlands - in floriculture. Fisheries of the Central European countries are most developed in Ireland. Transport plays an important role in the development of the economy of the small countries of Central Europe. In Belgium, the Netherlands and Ireland, the leading role in external relations is played by the sea (ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp) and aviation. River transport is used for internal and external transport of goods in Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria. The most important waterways are the Rhine and Danube. In Switzerland and Austria, road and rail transport are of the greatest importance. Automobile transport is developed in all countries. Of the export items, products of mechanical engineering, metallurgy, chemical and food industries prevail. In imports - raw materials, energy carriers and semi-finished products. Countries maintain very close economic ties among themselves, as well as with Germany and Great Britain. Switzerland and Luxembourg provide lending and financial services. Tourism is one of the leading links in the income of all countries. In Austria and Switzerland, tourism income is the highest in the world per capita. Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland are members of the EU, and the Benelux countries (the common name for Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg) are members of NATO.

Natural conditions. The length of the coastal strip (excluding Russia) is 4682 km. Belarus, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic do not have access to the World Ocean.

Lowlands, hilly plains and mountains can be traced in the relief of the region. The territory is mostly flat. Mountain ranges are mainly located on the edges of the region: the South is surrounded by the Caucasus and Crimean mountains, the north is the Khibiny, the east of the European part of Russia is one of the most ancient (Hercynian folding) mountain systems in Europe - Ural mountains, event of the region - Sudeten, Bohemian and Carpathian mountains. Vertical zonation is expressed in the mountains.

The most mountainous system in the region is the Carpathians, which form a convex arc to the northeast with a length of almost 1500 km. Average heights - 1000 m, maximum - 2655 m (Gerlakhovsky Shtit in the Tatras). The Western and Eastern Carpathians, Beskydy, Southern Carpathians, Western Romanian mountains, Transylvanian plateau belong to the Carpathian mountainous country. They are part of the Alpine geosynclinal area. The outer arc belt is composed of flysch (sandstones, conglomerates, shales), the inner belt is represented by volcanic rocks. There are many thermal springs.

Three quarters of the region's territory is occupied by plains, and the East European (Russian) is one of the largest in the world (almost 5 million km2). In its north and in the center (with an average height of more than 170 m) there are uplands (Timan and Donetsk ridges, Central Russian, Dnieper, Volga, Podolsk uplands, etc.), in the south - a strip of coastal lowlands - Prichernomorskaya, Prikaspiyskaya. The northern territories are characterized by a moraine-hilly relief, while the central and southern ones are characterized by a ravine and ravine. Most of the low-lying areas are located in the coastal areas and floodplains of rivers: the Srednayskaya (Pannonskaya), Prichernomorskaya, Pivnichnopolska, and the Dnieper lowlands.

The climate in most of the territory is temperate continental, average January temperatures are 3 ° ..- 5 ° C, July +20 .. + 23 ° C, precipitation is up to 500-650 mm per year. In the north of the European part of Russia the climate is subarctic and arctic (average winter temperatures are -25o .. -30, summers are short and moderately warm), in the extreme south of the region - the southern coast of Crimea - is subtropical Mediterranean. Tropical air masses come mainly from the Mediterranean Sea in summer and cause cloudless and sultry weather, in winter it is warm (+2 o .. +4 oC) and humid.

The river network in the region is quite dense. Plain rivers - Danube, Vistula, Oder, Tisza, Volga, Kama, Dnieper, Dniester - and their tributaries are mostly full-flowing, have a calm flow and therefore relatively low energy.

There are also many lakes here: Karelian lake country, Ladoga, Onega, Peipsi, Balaton, Shatsk lakes and others. Only in Lithuania there are almost 4000 of them. In Belarus, in the north of Ukraine, in Poland, there are huge swampy areas, the most famous are the Pripyat bogs.

There are healing mineral springs in Hungary, Lithuania (Druskininkai), Czech Republic (Karlovy Vary), Ukraine (Mirgorod, Kuyalnik, etc.), Russia (Caucasus mineral springs).

Natural resources. The region has significant mineral resources, their wealth and diversity is one of the first in Europe. It fully satisfies its own needs in coal (Upper Silesian (Poland), Kladnensky, Ostravsko-Karvinsky (Czech Republic), Donbass, Lvov-Volynsky (Ukraine), Skhidnodonbaski, Pechora (Russia) basins), brown coal, which is mined in all countries mainly by open method (the Moscow region basin in Russia, the Dnieper basin in Ukraine, the central regions of Poland, the north of Hungary). Russia is rich in oil and gas (Volga-Ural, Timan-Pechora basins), there are insignificant reserves in Ukraine (Carpathian region, Dnieper-Donets basin) and in Hungary (Middle Danube lowland), as well as in the south of Belarus (Rechitsa). Peat is found in Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, in the north of Ukraine, the largest oil shale reserves are in Estonia (Kohtla-Järve) and Russia (Slantsy). A significant part of fuel and energy resources, especially oil and gas, countries (except for Russia) are forced to import.

Ore minerals are represented by iron ores (Krivoy Rog basin in Ukraine, Karelia, Kola Peninsula, Kursk Magnetic Anomaly (KMA) in Russia), manganese (Nikopol basin in Ukraine, the largest in Europe and the second largest in the world in reserves), copper ores ( Lower Silesian basin in Poland and the Urals in Russia), bauxite (north-west Hungary), mercury (Nikitovskoe deposit in Ukraine), nickel (Khibiny in Russia).

Among non-metallic minerals, there are significant reserves of rock salt (Donbass and Crimea in Ukraine, the lower course of the Vistula in Poland), potash salt (Carpathian region to Ukraine, Soligorsk in Belarus, Solikamsk, Bereznyaki in Russia), sulfur (southeast and Carpathian region in Poland , west and Prykarpattya - Novy Rozdol deposit - in Ukraine), amber (Latvia and Kaliningrad region of Russia), phosphorites (Leningrad region of Russia, Estonia), apatite (Khibiny in Russia).

The largest forest resources are in Russia (forest cover 50%), Estonia (49%), Belarus (47%), Slovakia (45%), Latvia (47%). The main part of the forest area is made up of plantations that protect waters, fields, the sea coast, landscape, as well as groves and parks in recreational areas. In Russia (mainly in the north) forests are of industrial importance. The average forest cover of the region is 37%.

Agro-climatic resources are favorable in the southern part of the region due to the sufficient amount of heat: Ukraine, southern Russia, Hungary.

The main recreational resources include the sea coast, mountain air, rivers, forests, mineral springs, karst caves. The most famous sea resorts are located in the region: Yalta, Alushta, Evpatoria (Ukraine), Sochi, Gelendzhik, Anapa (Russia), Jurmala (Latvia) and others. The largest lake resort is on Lake Balaton in Hungary. Ski resorts are located in the Carpathians, Caucasus, Tatras and Khibiny. Forest machines for recreational purposes are widely used in Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Poland. In the countries of Eastern Europe, many national parks have recently been created, among which the national park "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" is especially famous and popular, where bison are protected.

Largely due to the European part of Russia, the natural resource potential of the region is the largest in Europe. And given the fact that in the northern regions of Russia there are huge reserves of fuel, some metallic (non-ferrous metals) and non-metallic (first potash salts and apatites) minerals, its Natural resources are of global importance.

Detailed solution paragraph § 42 on geography for grade 10 students, authors Yu.N. Gladkiy, V.V. Nikolina 2013

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1. Find the countries of Central and Eastern Europe on the political map. Give an assessment of their political - and economic - geographical location.

The countries of this region have a lot in common in historical and socio-economic development. After World War II, they were united by their belonging to the socialist economic system, which led to stable economic ties with each other and the USSR. Most of them were members of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) and the political bloc of the Warsaw Pact. Currently, these countries are undergoing radical economic transformations, as a result of which their ties with developed countries Western Europe. Until recently, the political situation in the countries of Eastern Europe remains extremely tense. As a result of hostilities, the economy of the countries of the former republics of Yugoslavia was largely damaged. The countries of Eastern Europe are a single territorial array stretching from the Baltic to the Black and Adriatic seas. The main features of the economic and geographical position of the countries of Eastern Europe are: the coastal position of most states; the possibility of going out to sea along the Danube waterway for countries that do not have direct access to the sea (Hungary, Slovakia); the neighboring position of countries in relation to each other; transit position on the way between the countries of Western Europe and the CIS countries. All these features create good prerequisites for the development of integration processes.

2. What new states have been formed in the region since the 90s. XX century?

As a result of the collapse of the USSR, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, the region formed: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro.

3. Why, economically, the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe have never represented a monolithic unity?

Economically, the former socialist countries have never represented a monolithic unity (and Yugoslavia and Albania were not even members of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance). In terms of transport, only the coastal and inland countries were more or less closely connected, and then only "in pairs" (two Baltic, two Black Sea, two Mediterranean, as well as Hungary and Czechoslovakia). Together they (with the exception of Albania) were connected by a network of transcontinental railways. The Danube flows through the territory of only three countries of the region, for two more states it is a border river. The international road network of the corresponding class was extremely underdeveloped. Economic cooperation between individual countries Socialist Eastern Europe was also hampered by the existing territorial "omissions" (for example, in relations between Hungary and Romania, the problem of Transylvania, which was once an integral part of Austria-Hungary, and now is part of Romania).

4. What own * mineral resources and natural conditions of the region contribute to the development of the economies of its member countries?

The natural prerequisites for the development of the economy of the countries of Eastern Europe are quite favorable, although there is a certain shortage of natural resources. First of all, this applies to mineral resources. Their provision is not great. The main reserves are concentrated: coal - in Poland (Upper Silesian basin) and in the Czech Republic (Ostrava-Karvinsky basin); oil and gas - in Romania; hydropower resources - in Bulgaria, Macedonia; iron ore - in Romania, Slovakia, as well as in the countries of the former Yugoslavia; copper - in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria; bauxite - in Hungary; chromites - in Albania; oil shale - in Estonia; sulfur and potassium salts - in Poland and Romania. Fertile soils are located on the plains of the countries of Eastern Europe, primarily on the Middle Danube lowland. In combination with favorable agro-climatic resources, they are a good basis for the development of agriculture (with the exception of the Baltic States, agro-climatic resources are insufficient in Karaganda). Water resources are represented by large river systems: Danube, Vistula, Oder, etc. The provision of forest resources is generally insufficient for the development of forestry, the bulk of them falls on secondary mixed-deciduous forests. Only in the Baltic countries are coniferous forests of industrial importance. Natural and recreational resources are widely represented. These include, first of all, the coast of the Black, Adriatic and Baltic seas, Lake Balaton in Hungary, the Tatras in the Czech Republic.

6. Describe the transport network of the region.

The countries of the region (with the exception of Albania) are connected together by a network of transcontinental railways. The Danube flows through the territory of only three countries of the region, for another four states it is a border river. The international road network of the corresponding class is underdeveloped.

7. Describe one of the countries in the region according to the outline of the "Step by Step" heading on p. 164-165.

Czech Republic is a country in the center of Europe. The country borders on Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria. The relief of the Czech Republic is quite diverse. In the north and north-west, the natural border of the Czech Republic is represented by the Ore Mountains, as well as the spurs of the Sudetenland, and from the south-west and south, the Šumava mountain range, overgrown with forest. The Czech Republic is located on the Bohemian-Moravian Upland, which is the watershed between the largest rivers - the Elbe (Labe) and the Danube. In addition to the high mountain ranges overgrown with forests, in the Czech Republic there are fertile plains and the famous Czech forests, as well as many lakes and rivers. Population -10.5 million people. Ethnic composition - 81.3% of Czechs, 13.7% of the inhabitants of Moravia and Silesia. The remaining 5% are national minorities, of which: Germans (50 thousand people), Roma (300 thousand people) and Jews (2 thousand people). Restraint towards foreigners - distinctive feature Chekhov. Population density: 130.6 people / sq. Km. Urban population: 65.3% Religious composition: atheists 39.8%, Catholics 39.2%, Protestants 4.6%, Orthodox 3%, supporters of other religions 13.4%. Employment of the population: in the industry 33.1%, the agricultural sector 6.9%, construction 9.1%, transport and communications 7.2%, services 43.7%. Area - 78864 sq. Km. The largest river in the Czech Republic is the Vltava, which is 440 km long. Largest cities Czech Republic - Brno (392 thousand), Ostrava (332 thousand), Pilsen (175 thousand), Olomouc (106 thousand), Usti nad Labem (100 thousand), Liberec (100 thousand), Hradec Kralove (98 thousand), Pardubice (94 thousand), Ceske Budejovice (93 thousand). In the Czech Republic there are 8 sites protected by UNESCO as "cultural world and natural heritage". The capital is Prague (1.3 million people).

The Czech Republic stands out for its developed mechanical engineering. This industry provides about half of all exports; a third of all industrial workers in the country are employed in mechanical engineering. One of the first places in the international trade in machinery and equipment belongs to the Czech Republic. The industrial "face" of the Czech Republic is also determined by the coal industry (especially coking coal mining). And ferrous metallurgy; in last years a significant place is occupied by the chemical industry. In the Czech Republic, it produces machine tools (including those with programmed control), machine tools, motorcycles, cars, locomotives, chemical products, fabrics, refrigerators, etc. The production and development of medical equipment (including the production of "artificial heart "used in heart surgery). The textile industry is also well developed.

Research carried out by the UN in 2001 showed that the Czech Republic has a high standard of living. The Czech Republic ranked 27th among all countries in the world. In the Czech Republic low prices on food and clothing. The rapidly developing market economy, a clear course for reforms and a strong flow of Western investments instill confidence in the future. At the same time, the Czech Republic is distinguished by the lowest unemployment in Europe, high quality of free medical care and education, stability national currency and low, in comparison with other European countries, prices for residential and commercial real estate.

8. How could you rank the countries of the region in terms of:

a) provision of natural resources;

The countries of the region are endowed with natural resources to varying degrees. The most significant primary energy resources are represented by reserves of coal (Poland, Czech Republic), oil and gas (Romania), and hydro resources (Bulgaria). The main reserves of ore resources are concentrated on the territory of the Balkan Peninsula, Romania and Slovakia (iron ores), Hungary (bauxite), Albania (chromite). The deficit of many types of mineral raw materials in a number of countries is to some extent compensated by the fertile lands of the Danube lowlands.

b) the level of socio-economic development;

Until recently, the term "countries with an economy in transition" was widely used for all countries in the region, that is, those implementing the transition to a developed market economy... While some countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary) have achieved tangible success on this path, others (Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and especially Albania) seem to "drift" towards such an economy. Process economic reforms in them it moves slowly.

c) directions of specialization of agriculture.

Many countries are distinguished by their agrarian specifics. Thus, Romania has no equal in terms of its share in the sown area of ​​maize, Poland - in crops of rye and potatoes, Bulgaria - in terms of horticulture, Estonia - pig breeding.

9. Analyze the state of Russia's foreign economic relations with the countries of the region. With which of them, in your opinion, is it especially advisable to develop economic ties for our country?

Over the past twenty years, relations between Russia and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe have passed a rather contradictory path: from minimizing these relations in the early to mid-90s of the 20th century to a significant revival that steadily emerged at the end of the last decade of the 20th century. early XXI century. The Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation states: “Russia is open for further expansion of pragmatic, mutually respectful cooperation with the states of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, taking into account the real readiness of each of them for this *”. It is most expedient to develop ties with the largest Eastern European trade and economic partners of Russia, the first of which is Poland, and the second is Hungary. However, modern relations are still largely unstable, and remain subject to many conjunctural factors. On the one hand, they are determined by internal political and economic circumstances, on the other, by the dictates of higher world politics and its main players today. Among the priorities of the foreign economic policy of the Central European countries, membership in the EU is in the first place, the development of cooperation within this group of countries comes second, and only in third place is the formation of relations with Russia and other CIS countries.