Eastern Europe

Bulgaria

superadmin — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:40:16 +0100

Bulgaria shares borders with Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Turkey and has a population of 7.7 million people.

Following a period of instability after the collapse of communism in 1990, Bulgaria has made significant economic progress in recent years and is successfully reducing the rate of unemployment.

Romania

superadmin — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:41:39 +0100

Romania is the largest of the Balkan countries. After World War II the country was a member of the Warsaw Pact until the violent overthrow of the Ceauşescu regime in1989. The Soviet legacy left Romania with an unproductive economy dominated by inefficient state-owned enterprises and collective farms.

Romania is continuing to make the challenging economic transition to a market economy. During the 1990s the country experienced two major economic recessions.

Ukraine

superadmin — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:47:58 +0100

Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe after Russia and gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The process of transition following independence has not been easy for large sectors of the population. Many Ukrainian families continue to live in poverty and the unemployment rate in the country is high.