IMPACT OF GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION FACTOR ON THE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF POSTCOMMUNIST COUNTRIES IN EASTERN EUROPE

Abstract

After the fall of the Soviet system in Eastern Europe, ex-communist countries, in spite of quasiidentical initial conditions, have demonstrated extremely different results, in terms of economic growth and living standards of their populations. The identification of the causes of this divergence is a major concern to the Moldovan scholars and decision-makers, given the importance of the issue for the purposes of economic policies shaping. In this paper has been made an attempt to highlight the impact of the geographic location, as one of the most significant factors of the differentiation in the rates of economic growth. As a result of the research, based on the analysis of regional economic developments, conclusions were drawn regarding the major role of the geographic location factor in the developments of the economies of the region, which has influenced both the completeness of reforms and the configuration of the growth models adopted by individual states.

Keywords

• economic growth factors
• geographic location factor
• economic development
• Eastern Europe
• economic reforms
• economic growth models