Eastern Europe
Due to the variation of opinion over where exactly the boundary between Europe and Asia is, the definition of eastern Europe is imprecise and tends to depend on whether one is talking geographically or culturally. Taking the Ural Mountains as the geographical border on the eastern edge of Europe, and heading west as far as the Czech Republic, much of Eastern Europe was, for about 40 years after World War II, behind the ‘iron curtain’ (under the direct influence of the former USSR). After the collapse of the USSR, many nations that had been part of the old Soviet Union resumed their status as independent east European countries. Eastern Europe has a cooler climate than the rest of the continent, with conditions becoming harsher as you head further north.