IdaEuroopa

IdaEuroopa is the Estonian term for the region commonly referred to in English as Eastern Europe. It denotes a loosely defined geographic and cultural area east of Central Europe, stretching from the Baltic states to the Balkans and, in some usages, including parts of the former Soviet Union. It is not an official geopolitical entity.

Geographic scope is fluid and varies by source. Some definitions include Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, while others extend this label to Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, or parts of Russia.

Historically, the concept arose in the 20th century and has changed with geopolitics. During the Cold War, Eastern Europe referred to states outside Western Europe; after 1989, terms such as East-Central Europe and transition economies gained prominence alongside Eastern Europe.

Economically, IdaEuroopa includes EU members with converging markets as well as non-EU countries undergoing gradual reform. The region features diverse development levels, from rapidly growing economies to transitional economies facing structural challenges.

Linguistically and culturally diverse, IdaEuroopa spans languages such as Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian, among others; major religious and secular identities reflect historical influences from Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions.

In contemporary governance, IdaEuroopa is not a single political unit but a field of regional cooperation, including initiatives within the European Union, such as Eastern Partnership frameworks, and cross-border cooperation arrangements like the Visegrád Group and other security and energy initiatives.