Objectives
Upon completion of Section 2,
students should be able to:
◆discuss changes in political and
economic conditions in the
Czech Republic since the 1980s;
◆list the challenges facing the
re-gions of Bohemia and Moravia;
◆explain the economic issues
Slovakia faces;
◆
describe how privatization has
affected Hungary’s economy.
National Geography
Standards
The following National Geography
Standards are highlighted in this
section: 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14,
16, 17
Bellringer
Explain that Czechoslovakia
experi-enced a “velvet revolution” during
the 1980s and 1990s. Ask students
to explain what they think this term
means. Explain that it refers to the
occurrence of major political changes
without bloodshed.
L E S S O N P L A N
1.
Focus
Direct students to
look at the map on page 394 and
ask them to describe the physical
features of the Czech Republic,
Slovakia, and Hungary.
2.
Instruct
Point out that
many ethnic groups live in this
region, including Czechs, Croats,
and Slovaks. Although
Commu-nist governments after 1945 tried
to restrain ethnic conflicts in the
area, bitterness among these
groups remained. Discuss what
happened after the fall of
com-munism when new groups vied
for power.
3.
Close/Reteach
Draw a chart
on the board with three columns:
Czech Republic, Slovakia,
and
Hun-gary.
Ask students to find
compari-sons among the three countries
within the section.
I
I
f you asked residents of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary what region they live in, they would answer that they were part of Europe. But for more than forty years after the end of World War II, they were controlled by the former Soviet Union. As Communist control ended in the late 1980s, Czechs, Slovaks, and Hungarians reaffirmed their historical links with the West.Although they share Western outlooks and ways, the three countries have crucial differ-ences. Those differences will require them to use distinct approaches to address the problems they face as former Communist nations.
The Czech Republic
More than 10 million people live in the Czech Republic, a land about the size of South Carolina. It has few flat areas, except the plains that lie be-side the Elbe River. The landscape is dominated by plateaus and mountains, and high ridges de-fine its boundaries. Although the Czech people
in this rugged and mountainous land have been recognized as a separate ethnic group for almost a century, the nation known as the Czech Re-public did not exist as an independent nation until 1993.
Path to Nationhood The Czech kings
ruled an independent kingdom within the Holy Roman Empire into the fourteenth century. Then came nearly 400 years of rule by the Austrian Haps-burg monarchs. In 1918, during the final weeks of World War I, the victorious allies approved plans to create a new nation—Czechoslovakia. Brought together were Czech lands and Slovakia, which had been controlled by Hungary. Despite the multiethnic character of the new nation, over the next two decades it developed one of the most stable, democratic governments in the region.
Hitler used the fact that many Germans lived in northwestern Czechoslovakia as an excuse to invade the republic in the late 1930s. After Soviet forces expelled the Germans in 1945, they
Reading Focus
• How have political and economic conditions in the Czech Republic changed since the 1980s? • What challenges face the two regions of
Bohemia and Moravia?
• Why has Slovakia’s economic transition been difficult?
• What effect did privatization have on Hungary’s economy?
Key Terms
The Czech and
Slovak Republics,
and Hungary
2
2
Main
Idea
Formerly under Communist control, the Czech and Slovak Republics and Hungary face new challenges.
Cultures
Street musicians in Prague celebrate the divi-sion of Czechoslovakia into two republics.velvet revolution privatization
393
Chapter 19 ■Section 2
collective farm
S
ection
2
pp. 393–397
393
TEST PREPARATION
Have students read the subsection The
Czech Republic beginning on this page
to answer the following question.
Which of the following events took place in
Czechoslovakia in the late 1930s?
A
The Hapsburg monarchs took over.
B
The Communists took over.
C
The Germans invaded the country.
Group Work
Activity:
Holding a multiethnic fair
Purpose:
Separate the class into
thirds and assign each third one of
the following cultures: Hungarian,
Czech, or Slovak. Tell each group to
research the following three topics:
(1) language and folk tales, (2)
cus-toms and clothing, (3) arts and foods.
Each group should create a display
booth for a multiethnic fair that
in-cludes information about all three
topics for its country. Displays may
include pictures, sample items,
story-telling, demonstrations of arts and
crafts, taped folk music, and so on.
Roles:
Each group should have a
leader for each topic. All of the
group members should do research
and contribute to the booth.
Results:
When all the booths are
finished, invite other classes to the
fair.
Predicting
Have students note the subsection
head Economic Systems. Then ask
them to note the term
privatization
in this subsection. As a class, discuss
how the concept of privatization
might be linked to the Czech
Repub-lic’s economic system. Then have
students read the section to see if
their predictions were accurate.
directed a Communist takeover. From 1948 to 1989, Communists controlled the nation.
The declining influence of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s spurred a velvet revolution— a revolution without bloodshed. It resulted in the election of a democratic parliament. Under the leadership of President Vaclav Havel (VAH tsluhv HAH vuhl), Czechoslovakia began a transition to a free society and a market-based economy.
Despite the new government’s attempts at fairness and equality, Slovaks increasingly felt that the Czech-dominated government did not serve their interests adequately. As a result, Czech and Slovak leaders worked together on a velvet divorce, creating two separate countries in 1993— the Czech and Slovak republics.
Economic Systems The Czechs
pur-sued their strategies for economic reforms. Privatizationof many parts of the Czech economy began in the 1990s and continues today. Privatization is the process of selling government-owned industries and businesses to private owners
who can run them more efficiently. The Czechs have sought membership in the European Union (EU), but this path has not been smooth. Activa-tion in 2000 of the Temelin nuclear power plant near Austria and Germany led to border blockades by Austrian environmentalists. Whether or not it joins the EU, a strong industrial base and a skilled work force make continued Czech progress likely.
Two Regions
The western half of the Czech Republic is a re-gion known as Bohemia. This rere-gion contains many of the nation’s mines and industries. Coal, iron ore, copper, and lead are mined in the moun-tains of the north. Bohemia also has deposits of quartz, a substance used to make glass. The Czech capital city of Prague lies in central Bohemia. More than 100 church steeples rise above the rooftops—a visual reminder of the region’s Ro-man Catholic heritage.
The eastern region of the Czech Republic is known as Moravia. Its industry dates back to the
Chapter 19 ■Central and Eastern Europe 394
APPLYING THE GEOGRAPHIC THEMES
쎲Regions Mountains and major plains and waterways make this part of Central Europe an attractive region, filled with economic opportunity.
• How does Hungary differ from the Czech and Slovak republics?
Gerlachovka 8,711 ft. (2,655 m) C A
R PAT HIA
N
M TS.
SUD ETIC
MTS.
HUNGARIAN PLAIN
B O
H EM
IAN FO
RE ST
GREAT ALFÖLD
TRANS-DANUBIA
D anube R.
Tisza
R. Elb
e
R.
Lake Balaton
Adriatic Sea
Brno Prague
Bratislava
Budapest
G E R M A N Y
U K R A I N E
A U S T R I A
R O M A N I A P O L A N D
H U N G A R Y
S E R B I A C R O A T I A
SLOVENIA
C Z E C H R E P U B L I C
S L O V A K I A
BOHEMIA
MORAVIA
20°E
20°E
50°N
50°N
30°E
0
0 100 200 km 100 200 mi
KEY
Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area Projection 14,000
7,000
1,500
700
(sea level) 0 4,270
2,135
457
213
0 (sea level) Feet
Elevation Meters
National capital Major city
Mountain
N
S W E
Czech and Slovak Republics, and Hungar y:
PHYSICAL-POLITICAL
Answer to Map Caption
Hungary is relatively flat and at a low
elevation; the Czech Republic and
Slovakia are more mountainous.
A C T I V I T Y
R E A D I N G S T R A T E G Y
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Teaching Resources
Mental Mapping booklet
• Outline Map 19, p. 72
Social Studies Skills Handbook
• Identifying Assumptions, p. 46
Technology
World Geography Map and Photo Transparencies
• Central Europe and Northern Eurasia: Maps and
Photos
Vocabulary
Collective farm
Have students
look up the term
collective farm
in
the Glossary and paraphrase the
definition. Ask:
What might be
some of the advantages and
disadvantages of collective
farming?
(Farmers have less
eco-nomic risk but perhaps lower
moti-vation for productivity.)
Word Origin
Slovakia
In the Middle Ages, the
Slav people were enslaved by
con-querors. The word
slave
stems from
the word
slav. Slovakia
means “land
of the Slavs.”
Environmental Issues
Acid Rain
In Slovakia and the
Czech Republic, large sections of
forest have been destroyed by the
effects of acid rain and by a
contin-uous demand for timber at home
and abroad. Industrial pollution
and emissions threaten about one
third of the countries’ forests. In
Hungary, industrial regions suffer
from air and water pollution.
Industrial Revolution. Moravia’s old coal and steel industries now face an uncertain future, be-cause they are too inefficient to compete in the world market.
Among the gravest challenges facing Mora-vian industries, as well as those in Bohemia, is ending air and water pollution. Experts estimate that 56 percent of the nation’s forests had been destroyed by acid rain and industrial pollution by 1993. And trees were not the only victims. One scientist observed: “If you go to the doctor with a sore throat, cough, or a headache, the [doc-tor] . . . will tell you, ‘You must have opened a window last night.’”
Slovakia
Slovakia, also called the Slovak Republic, became an independent nation in 1993 when Czecho-slovakia was peacefully divided. More than 5 mil-lion people live cradled within the arch formed by the Carpathian Mountains. Slovakia unfolds from rugged peaks in the north to the plains of the Danube in the south. Unlike the Czech Re-public, Slovakia has a mixed economy of farm-ing and manufacturfarm-ing.
Farms Slovakia traditionally was an agricul-tural region. Fruits, vegetables, and grains are still grown near the Danube. Oats and potatoes are raised farther north in higher elevations.
The Communists ended private ownership of farms in 1948 and set up government-owned collective farms.On collective farms, workers were paid by the government and they shared the profits from their products. In Slovakia, as elsewhere in Eastern Europe, a major task of the present-day government is to find ways of re-turning land to private ownership.
Factories Manufacturing did not become important until the Communists assumed power after World War II. They built many new plants in the region. Because wages in factories were better than they were in rural areas, many Slo-vaks left the farms and migrated to cities like the capital, Bratislava.
Since independence, Slovaks have struggled to improve their economy. Some industries made successful transitions. A large arms factory that once made tanks now produces earth-moving equipment in cooperation with a German com-pany. Smaller and mid-size firms have had more
395
Chapter 19 ■Section 2
Slovakian Slopes
Physical Characteristics
The northern portion of Slovakia boasts a resort region in a part of the Carpathians known as the High Tatras. Much of the land is under the protection of national park status, but the region offers world-class skiing and other mountain recreations. It was even un-der consiun-deration as the site for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Regions How might hosting the Olympics have helped Slovakia’s economy?
B A C K G R O U N D
B A C K G R O U N D
Answer to Photo Caption
It would have generated revenue from
tourists and new businesses, and it
would have given exposure to Slovakia’s
resort areas.
A C T I V I T Y
The following article may be used to extend the
content in this section.
Abercrombie, Thomas J., and James L. Stanfield,
photographer. “Czechoslovakia: The Velvet
Divorce.”
National Geographic,
Vol. 184, No. 3
(Sept. 1993), pp. 2–37.
Czechs and Slovaks adjust to their new
indepen-dence with hope and a strong desire for economic
growth.
N A T I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C
Articles From
Enrichment
Analyzing Photographs
Have
students locate photographs from
the Hungarian uprising of 1956, the
Prague Spring of 1968, the Velvet
Revolution in Czechoslovakia in
1989, or the division of Slovakia and
the Czech Republic in 1993. Have
them display their photos and write
a brief description and analysis for
each of the images they found.
(Visual/Spatial)
Connecting With . . .
Music
Point out to students that
music is an important part of a
group’s culture. In Central and
East-ern Europe, traditional folk melodies
have been used by composers to
emphasize national or ethnic unity.
Folk themes always appeared in
“serious” music, but in the mid-1800s,
composers began to use folk tunes as
a kind of resistance against
Austro-German dominance in culture and
politics. Czech composers Bedˇrich
Smetana (1824–1884), Antonín
Dvoˇrák (1841–1904), and Leoˇs
Janáˇcek (1854–1928), and Hungarian
composers Béla Bartók (1881–1945)
and Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967)
all used folk music to reveal and
assert the unique cultures of their
homelands.
difficulty, however, especially in the poorer, east-ern part of the country. Relations between Slova-kia and Hungary have been strained because of concerns about the treatment of Hungarians liv-ing in Slovakia and Slovaks livliv-ing in Hungary.
Hungary
Like Poland, Hungary’s population is dominated by one ethnic group. About 90 percent of Hun-garians are descended from the Magyars who settled the area in the late 800s.
The Roman Catho-lic faith and fierce pa-triotism have guided Hungarians through-out their history. They date the birth of their nation from the year 1000, the year the Pope crowned King Stephen. Several times since then the Hungarians have had to throw off
foreign rulers. They even tried to oust a Soviet-backed Communist government in 1956, but their revolt was crushed. Not until 1990 were Hungarian voters able to freely elect their first non-Communist government in over forty years. But they considered this just one more step in their long history. A member of the new parlia-ment declared, “The Magyar nation has been preserved!”
Hungary’s Landscape Today, Hungary
is about the size of the state of Indiana. The Dan-ube River divides it into two parts. The eastern half consists of a broad plain known as the Great Alföld. This region’s fertile soil has given Hun-gary the nickname the “breadbasket” of Europe.
The western half of Hungary has more hills. Because this region lies west of the Danube, it is known as Transdanubia, or “land across the Danube.” The region is an area of plateaus, hills, and valleys. It contains large deposits of bauxite, coal, and iron ore that support Hungary’s alu-minum and steel industries.
Free Enterprise Like other nations in Eastern Europe, Hungary faced many difficulties
Chapter 19 ■Central and Eastern Europe
396
Budapest
Urbanization Straddling the Danube River is Hungary’s capital city, Budapest. Budapest was once three separate cities: Obuda and Buda on the west bank and Pest on the east bank. Merged in the late 19th century, Budapest is now the largest city of Hungary and its industrial and commercial center. About one fifth of Hungary’s people live there.
Place To which ethnic group do most Hungarians belong?
<
CONNECTIONS
GL BAL
Environmental ChangeHundreds of Hungarians responded when an interna-tional tree-planting organiza-tion known as Global ReLeaf called for proposals to plant trees in Hungary. Grants were awarded for trees to be planted near a contested dam on the Danube River, at an apartment complex, in a chil-dren’s park, and elsewhere.
Chapter 19
396
Answer to Photo Caption
About 90 percent are descended from
the Magyars.
A C T I V I T Y
B A C K G R O U N D
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Teaching Resources
Unit 5, Chapter 19
• Section 2 Quiz, p. 14
Spanish Resources
Global Economy
Economic Transitions
The
change to a free market economy
has not been easy for any of the
Central and Eastern European
coun-tries. When Vaclav Havel became
the first president of the Czech
Re-public, he observed, “Whole sectors
of industry are producing things in
which no one is interested. Our
out-dated economy is squandering
en-ergy, of which we are in short supply.”
Since then, changes have improved
both the focus of the economy and
its efficiency.
Answers to
Section 2 Assessment
1. (a)
velvet revolution, p. 394
(b)
privatization, p. 394
(c)
collec-tive farm, p. 395
2.
After World War I,
Czechoslova-kia developed a stable, democratic
government. In the late 1980s, it cast
off communism in a velvet
revolu-tion. In 1993, Czech and Slovak
leaders peacefully separated the area
into two countries.
3.
Many businesses and industries
have been privatized.
4.
Under Soviet rule, private farms
were replaced with collective farms.
Since the breakup of the Soviet
Union, Slovakia’s government has
been working to return farmland to
private ownership.
5.
It has begun an ambitious
pro-gram of privatization and has joined
the European Union, which opened
up new markets.
6.
The economy of the Czech
Re-public is based on industry, while
the economy of Slovakia is based on
farming and manufacturing.
Activity Rubrics
Share rubrics
with students before they begin.
Attempted
The plan is not
attempted.
Minimal
The plan addresses
some physical characteristics and
economic issues, but it includes
mechanical and factual errors.
Adequate
The plan incorporates
physical characteristics and
eco-nomic issues from each country
and is well organized.
Exemplary
The plan is well
con-ceived and shows a thorough
un-derstanding of the region.
in converting from Communist control to a free market system. Production dropped sharply in old, inefficient industries. Unemployment was high, the government was badly in debt, and most people were getting poorer, not richer. To counter these problems, the government began an ambitious privatization program. Steady growth, declining inflation, and increased for-eign investment all resulted. By 2004, the private
sector was responsible for about 80 percent of Hungary’s gross domestic product.
As the economy has grown, Hungary has strengthened its ties with Western Europe. It joined the NATO defense alliance in 1999, and it became a member of the European Union in 2004. EU membership has opened markets, but it has also brought the challenge of reducing government debt.
1. Key Terms Define (a)velvet revolution,
(b)privatization, (c)collective farm.
2. Understanding the Past How has the Czech Republic demonstrated a tradition of stability?
3. Economic Systems Give evidence that the two regions of the Czech Republic have been suc-cessful in changing to a free market economy.
4. Economic Activities How has farming in Slovakia changed since World War II?
5. Government and Citizenship What has the Hungarian government done to bring about an economic upturn?
6. Critical Thinking Making Comparisons
How do the economies of the Czech Republic and Slovakia differ?
SECTION
2 ASSESSMENT
Review the Regional Atlas for Central Europe and Northern Eurasia and this section. Plan a series of summer work projects for American teenagers visiting Central Europe. Write one project for each country in the region. Base your project on what you know about the physical characteristics and economies of these nations.
Activity
USING THE
REGIONAL ATLAS
397
Chapter 19 ISection 2
Free Enterprise
in Hungary
Economic Activities
Rather than raising his flock on a collective farm, this Hungarian goose farmer rents his barn and land and buys his geese from a coop-erative. He raises the geese at his own expense, with the help of workers he pays, and then sells the meat and feathers back to the cooperative.
Place How is this arrange-ment an example of free enterprise?
B A C K G R O U N D
