ABSTRACT
The geographic and demographic patterns of minorities on the European continent replicate themselves in their economic and social status. Indeed, all aspects of the socio-economic life of peoples throughout the European continent remain closely linked. Assertions about social and economic differences may appear to apply more to capitalist societies than they do to the eastern European regimes which evolved under the Soviet model. Minorities differ in their social and economic structure from dominant groupings throughout Europe, and tend to find themselves towards the bottom. Geographical factors play a central role in the differing levels of prosperity between the regions in which majorities and minorities live. Many of the Balkan Muslims live in peripheral underdeveloped regions. Economic indicators point to the comparatively limited progress made by Ukrainians due to the level of economic exploitation practised by the Russian Soviet centre. In England, Gypsies have fairly successfully continued their traditional economic activity since the end of the Second World War.
