43 Comments

1. 

   @Ferenc.

   February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

   4:30 hungary is in schengen lol

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2. 

   @prazaceeeeeeek

   February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

   The fact is, when you go and say to Czech taht czechia is eastern europe, he will mostly disagree with you

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3. 

   @Wihagi_Samara

   February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

   ❤😏😊

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4. 

   @andr90340

   February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

   Just another propaganda piece.

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5. 

   @lazyowl1995

   February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

   Popular opinion….
   Turkey in NOT European, and never will be. Even the Turks are honest and say they would rather lean towards Turanism rather than Europe.

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6. 

   @thevoid5503

   February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

   Having been to Czechia, I would consider them Western European, if we go by the binary of West and East, that is. The architecture, the music, the politics, the culture, the history and even the (lack of) religion and the relative liberalism. It's a Western European country that is closely alligned to Germany and Austria that just speaks a Slavic language and was under commie occupation for 40 years and to call them "Eastern" would be taken as an insult there as it reminds them of that period. The rest of their entire 1000+ year long history is entirely Western European.

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7. 

   @costinhalaicu2746

   February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

   Well for starters Russia is missing, and it comprises 40% of the European continent. I am very against the idea of bending the map to suit some political affiliation too – as you suggested, the term "Eastern" comes to signify all sorts of negative connotations, but that's mostly because every country that is objectively (read as "geographically") Eastern gets put in the Western category as soon as it does well for itself, which means that the "Eastern" group will only be composed of countries that don't do well, so… self fulfilling prophecy at this point? I'd say yes. Even if you want to exclude Russia and judge it as its own thing, then draw the line between Eastern and Western among the rest, as you guys did, several countries will simply belong in both groups geographically. There's no reason why Czechia is "Eastern" but Austria is "Western", since the westernmost point in Czechia is more western than the westernmost point in Austria, whereas the easternmost point of Austria is more eastern than the easternmost point of Czechia – that characterization makes no sense whatsoever.

   And before you make this point, if you use the "Western" and "Eastern" characterizations to signify a political and economic divide, then it is utterly insufficient and outright false at that point. Let's take economy as an example: the economy of Portugal is more in line with that of many Eastern countries than it is to its more northern Western peers. Same goes for Spain or even Italy, only the waters are more muddled in those comparisons. Similarly, the difference in percentages between Moldova and Slovenia is actually significantly greater than that between, for example, Slovenia and the UK. But how about the good ol' Cold War political divide? Well… Turkey was one of the first few members of NATO, then why would it be Eastern? Or Greece, for that matter. And what about the non-aligned countries, such as Sweden, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Serbia, Bosnia&Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo or Slovenia, plus the microstates? Perhaps then it's supposed to be a political comparison, but not based on the Cold War divide, but on present day attitudes? Well, trying to claim the regime of Belarus is similar to that of Slovenia is a complete nonsense.

   No, the terms don't make sense in ways other than geographic now. Why is that? Because the East-West divide *WAS* based on the Cold War… at the time of the Cold War. "East" were all the countries that had communist regimes, irrespective of their level of submission to Moscow, whereas West were those that had democracies OR right-wing dictatorships (Greece, Portugal, Spain), irrespective of the actual level of democracy at the time. Basically, those that weren't nominally communist. Those differences you highlight via various maps are the ripples that still endure from that time. However, that divide no longer exists, and lines are getting blurry. It's been 34 years since communism fell in "Eastern" Europe, after all. Times change.

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8. 

   @BigPolio

   February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

   TURKEY IS EUROPEAN AND RUSSIA IS NOT? WHAT A SHIT MAP. "less progressive and less democratic" where are your progressiveness and fake democracy getting you?

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9. 

   @mikaelsand4883

   February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

   Just east and west are a bit too broad to be useful labels. I always thought of the groups as follows: southern europe(Mediterranean coastline), northern europe (north of the baltic sea), eastern europe (mainly slavic population) or western europe (the rest) 🤷🏻‍♂️

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10. 

    @engelanna

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    The West = the dominant religion is Catholicism/Protestantism + the Latin script is used for writing.
    That's all there is to it.

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11. 

    @user-ii3eu6xd8h

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    We are all Europe 🙂

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12. 

    @hory-portier

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    You should add actual geographical data to this, at least as a background, before going into the people's beliefs.

    There are a few middles of Europe depending on how the measurements were made, but I doubt't someone that cut off 20-30% of the continent that is in Russia would know much about the endpoints of the continent… Seriously, it's absurd to talk about this when showing a map with just part of Europe. You might dislike Russia, but you can't say that borders of Europe are not in it. That is a fact and not based on anyone's opinion. It is a border agreed upon many generations ago when Europe and Asia were officially defined as continents.
    You should also add Russia to the pools.

    Personally, I wouldn't even be able to fill the pools as the center of Europe I know of is in my country (Poland), so how to put it in the east or west? Part of the country is more to the east and part is more to the west. The line isn't on the border of the countries but goes through the middle without care for borders made up by people, so I can't say that Poland is either eastern or western without feeling that I'm wrong. This is why I use the term 'central'. I don't care about politics, culture and all that when talking about geographical directions. That is unless someone specified that it's talking eastern/western in the context of culture.

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13. 

    @marin_1441

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    6:52 shit

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14. 

    @vattghern257

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    Talking about east vs west wile ignoring Russia totally. This is the most dumb video I've watched in this month

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15. 

    @nikpist1030

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    Greece existed before Europe was divided (that is a joke!) and is too south to contest in the East-West placement! Now seriously you won't find a single Greek to consider itself as "eastern" European, since almost all (but two) Eastern European countries are with Slavic majority, and for at least the last 70 years Greece is part of what we call "West" (NATO, EU, Eurozone, Sengen zone, you name it…). Furthermore, your map does not contain the most significant- in terms of power and population -Eastern country of the continent, Russia.

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16. 

    @FelipeFigueira

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    East Europe = EX- Iron curtain countries. Thats it. Bye!

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17. 

    @RalfsUngurs

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    Latvia is northern europe

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18. 

    @konstantinossinogiannis-yb1vr

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    Why would you add turkey to Europe?

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19. 

    @jandoubrava3991

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    04:22 Literally no european country sees Russia as a friend

    Edit: I just realised this was made before the invasion, which changes the situation.

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20. 

    @tavraszaba3578

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    it's a shame you're not considering Russia as a European country, as it takes up almost a third of the continet

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21. 

    @GEOFERET

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    The East-West divide does not mean much today. It was formerly a clearly political one, as Eastern Europe was the part belonging in the former Soviet Block. Today, this is mostly irrelevant, as clearly demonstrated by the notable exception of Belarus. At the same time, the division of Central European Countries, which share many common cultural characteristics, makes no sense at all. Also, if the Baltic States for instance, as well as Poland and Ukraine for that matter want to belong to the West, who are we to say they don't? As for my country (Greece), which is a stable democracy, is a member of the Eurozone and NATO, and is historically a founder of the Western Civilization, the divide is purely geographical, and some people did change their minds seeing that it is not as far East as they may have thought it was. Conversley, North and South make more sense as you pointed out. I think today the East-West Europe divide is a relic, going back to Churchill's "Iron Curtain". Good work though.

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22. 

    @florinaldea7094

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    The former communist block is eastern Europe. Remember Churchill about iron courtain.

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23. 

    @pontikofarmako3634

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    Turkey is in Europe but that largest country in Europe, Russia isn't?

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24. 

    @pikijakob1

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    I was born in Slovenia and as such I see it as western country. It's clear to me that if Slovenia is eastern county, then are Austria and Italy as well. Even more due to their borders. If you ask people of specific country (in that case Slovenians) about the east and west, you have to wait one or two generations to die. At least those who lived under Tito's dictatorship or his successors. People still genuinely think that they are entitled having everything without even getting out of bed.

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25. 

    @Zarkovision

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    You forgot Russia, which is (Eastern) Europe, and you put Turkey in it, which is, except for some square-meters, geographical (and even more cultural) Asia. For the rest the former Iron Curtain is still the invisible border between Eastern and Western Europe.

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26. 

    @tedn6855

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    I believe east, west, north, south, and central are better descriptions. But if you are going to do a simple binary please do a north south split. France becomes the really interesting one in that scheme.

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27. 

    @sanchoodell6789

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    8:09 Malta is NOT even European! Its ARAB! They speak a polluted form of Arabic closest to Tunisian dialect (but with the addition of Italian pollution in it) Yes it is Christian but should be connected to Tunisia and the Arab league.

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28. 

    @frgv4060

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    For people of certain age Eastern countries means former communist countries behind the so called “iron curtain”. So Greece will be always West. Your data shows that still that has influence.
    Edit:
    As for useful, well less so or I hope it will be less so. There is obviously a legacy from those regimes in the “East” but diminishing with each generation.

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29. 

    @yegorshevtsov3148

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    It's really odd the author haven't mentioned geopolitical division (socialist block/western block) which took place recently in XX century.
    Good video though, deserves a like.

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30. 

    @brunoalbano616

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    Where Catholicism and Protestantism stayed, it is Western Europe. Regarding Greece, Greece stayed firmly in the Western side since 1820 as it always reminded the Western Europe of it’s ties with the Classical World. As for the Baltic States, the Protestant and Historical ties with Germany, Finland and Sweden aka Balticum.

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31. 

    @JuanAlvarez-km6dx

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    Iron Curtain defines West ans East perfectly. Turkey is NOT in Europe, just a tiny part of the country. It's like saying Spain is in Africa because of Canary Islands.

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32. 

    @JacquesMare

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    Yout map is wrong: Turkey is not Europe…it doesn't even speak an Indo-European language

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33. 

    @Evemeister12

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    Eastern europe is by the volga river

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34. 

    @thomashering1482

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    For me it is easy: 1989 in NATO == West

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35. 

    @d.begumbeycan2635

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    Latin and Germanic countries West Others East

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36. 

    @jennifer255

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    I think 2 things were overlooked –
    1. Cold War Geopolitics. Communist/Warsaw Pact was deemed "Eastern", and NATO/Democratic, "Western". Currently, the Warsaw Pact countries see themselves as Central Europe (distancing themselves from Russia).
    2. A political and cultural Germanic/Slavic split in influence between west and east. (Granted, this is an over-simplification as the Kievan Rus were essentially ruled by the Vikings – Rurik Dynasty. Thus Russia and Ukraine have a Viking cultural heritage), and there were Eastern Germans, as well as Genoese in Crimea.

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37. 

    @ditozarnadze5439

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    What about Caucasus countys

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38. 

    @zoyfhast

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    Portugal💀

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39. 

    @alexzlopasa

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    Over the years living in the UK I’ve come to realise that for people in the “Western” Europe, the main obsession is what defines Eastern Europe. And for this reason you are happy to bundle in Estonia and Latvia with Croatia and Montenegro, although we are miles apart but also probably culturally, in terms of mentality, customs, ie Nordic vs Mediterranean, but why bother with those “nuances” I guess.

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40. 

    @alexzlopasa

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    This is a silly divide…I am from Montenegro, I don’t really feel strongly towards the “Balkan” identity, I have always had a Mediterranean identity and for me (and a lot of us there probably), in my head the main division of Europe is South vs North.

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41. 

    @V4suki

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    Why did you include Turkey but not Russia when both countries are mostly in Asia. Like it or not Russia is biggest European country witch makes it a part of Europe.

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42. 

    @InsightsAbroad

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    The government corruption factor could draw a line very clearly

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43. 

    @InsightsAbroad

    February 15, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    most people around the world see the cultural-economic difference between Russia and the rest of Europe sufficient enough to exclude them from the European fold

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