Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe is a European region encompassing the Balkans, European Russia (including the Caucasus), and the Baltics. It is often used in juxtaposition to Western Europe. Sandwiched between them is Central Europe.

Definition varies depending on sources, although it represents a significant part of European culture, with its main socio-cultural characteristics consisting of Slavic and Greek traditions (including Orthodox Christianity), and to a lesser extent, Ottoman Turkish influence. Another definition was created during the Cold War with communist Soviet-aligned Eastern Bloc states comprising most of Eastern Europe.