Central Europe

Central Europe (read more on wikipedia) represents a geographical region of Europe between Eastern, Southern, Western and Northern Europe. The issue of how to name and define the Central European area is subject to debates. Very often, the definition depends on the nationality and historical perspective of its author. The concept of "Central Europe" appeared in the 19th century. It was understood as a contact zone between the Southern and Northern areas, and later the Eastern and Western areas of Europe. Thinkers portrayed "Central Europe" either as a separate region, or a buffer zone between these regions.
Following the Christianization of various Central European countries, elements of cultural unity emerged within the region, specifically Catholicism and Latin. Eastern Europe remained Eastern Orthodox, and was dominated by Byzantine cultural influence. After the East–West Schism in 1054, significant parts of Eastern Europe developed cultural unity and resistance to Catholic Western and Central Europe.
In the early Middle Ages, Central Europe had a diverse landscape, with various ethnic groups inhabiting the region. Germanic tribes, among them the Franks, Alemans and Bavarians, were predominantly situated in the west, and Slavic tribes were predominantly in the east
It comprises (though there is no universal agreement on its components) the following countries:

• Austria
• Czech Republic
• Germania
• Hungary
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Poland
• Serbia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Switzerland