Central Europe After the Fall of the Iron Curtain: Geopolitical Perspectives, Spatial Patterns and Trends

Has a new post-socialist Central Europe emerged? This question is doubly significant at the end of the 20th century when related to that combination of events which have led to the geopolitical destruction/reconstruction of the European continent. When related to the discipline of geography a further, far more delicate and complex methodological step arises with the question of how to synthetically identify a macro-region. It is important to determine whether Central Europe is more than a zone of transition, a mere stride from Europe’s current political and economic core. Moreover, it is significant to assess whether processes affecting this region are modified or transformed by regional factors; or whether one can even observe processes typical for this region which are absent from others. This book deals with Central Europe’s geopolitical position, together with the transformation and migration processes occurring there and its effect on that area.