The landscape, boundaries, and names of the countries of Eastern Europe have changed drastically in the past few decades. It is a unique region rich in culture and tradition. Let's take a look at some of the different regions of Eastern Europe.

A Land of Peninsulas

The easiest European peninsula to spot is shaped like a boot — Italy. However, Eastern Europe has several peninsulas that are all important to the geography of the region. The Balkan Peninsula juts out into the Mediterranean Sea. The Crimean and the Caucasus peninsulas are surrounded by the Black Sea. Shipping and trade by water has always been important to these peninsulas.

Poland

During the Ice Age, glaciers crept as far south as the Polish city of Krakow. Poland is dotted with mountains, rivers, and lakes. In fact, it is one of the countries in the world with the most lakes; it is home to more than 10,000 lakes. There are more than twenty mountains in Poland that reach higher than 6,500 feet above sea level. The highest peak in Poland is Rysys, which reaches more than 8,000 feet into the air. Compare this to Poland's lowest point, which is seven feet below sea level. Poland's land is actually mostly flat except for the mountains in the southern part of the country. The Tatras Mountains in Poland are the highest part of the Carpathian Mountain range that stretches through Eastern Europe from the Czech Republic to Serbia.

Moldova

Moldova is surrounded by the counties of Romania and Ukraine. Most of the country lies between two rivers. These are the Dniester and the Prut rivers. The rivers bring fertile soil to the area. Moldova is one of Eastern Europe's most prosperous farming countries. The people of Moldova raise and export many different fruits and vegetables. People may be most familiar with Moldova for its vineyards — the wine industry in Moldova is quite large.

BOG: A bog is an area that is not well drained. It tends to be marshy and wet and has a lot of plant material. Bogs have their own unique plant life including sedges and heaths.

Estonia

Estonia is in the northern part of Eastern Europe. It is located on the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is an inland sea in Northern Europe. Because of its high latitude, a large portion of the Baltic Sea is covered by sea ice for parts of the year. The Baltic Sea may be murky, but it is not nearly as salty as the ocean.

The land is fairly flat in Estonia. The average elevation above sea level is about 160 feet. The highest point reaches just over 1,000 feet. There are many lakes in Estonia. In fact, one count puts the number of lakes in this small country to be about 1,400. Estonia has many bogs and inlets along its shores.

Estonia is a chilly, rainy place where it can rain as many as 190 days out of the year. The average daily temperature in Estonia is a brisk 41 degrees. The coldest month, February, averages 23 degrees, and Estonia's warmest month is July. The average temperature in July is about 64 degrees. This is the sort of climate you get when you are close the Baltic Sea and influenced by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream.