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Eastern Bloc
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<p>The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of <a href="/facts/Communist_state/oYaCr1Av">communist states</a> of <a href="/facts/Central_and_Eastern_Europe/JcsTveqo">Central and Eastern Europe</a>, <a href="/facts/Asia/4IToYrrQ">Asia</a>, <a href="/facts/Africa/XkqQUP9s">Africa</a>, and <a href="/facts/Latin_America/Qmx9Jx2a">Latin America</a> that were aligned with the <a href="/facts/Soviet_Union/m7wWsPto">Soviet Union</a> and existed during the <a href="/facts/Cold_War/spJdJQ3q">Cold War</a> (1947–1991). These states followed the ideology of <a href="/facts/Marxism%25E2%2580%2593Leninism/bXD3yf3m">Marxism–Leninism</a>, in opposition to the <a href="/facts/Capitalism/FbPc6TTw">capitalist</a> <a href="/facts/Western_Bloc/RS9Ev5RJ">Western Bloc</a>. The Eastern Bloc was often called the "<a href="/facts/Second_World/IBIqvcSc">Second World</a>", whereas the term "<a href="/facts/First_World/k82ypgnv">First World</a>" referred to the Western Bloc and "<a href="/facts/Third_World/AcuEJmhE">Third World</a>" referred to the <a href="/facts/Non-Aligned_Movement/PIdnjRvD">non-aligned countries</a> that were mainly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America but notably also included former <a href="/facts/Tito%25E2%2580%2593Stalin_split/BoHworpK">pre-1948</a> Soviet ally <a href="/facts/Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslavia/PXRlHx9q">Yugoslavia</a>, which was located in Europe. </p><p>In <a href="/facts/Western_Europe/YmWlV59w">Western Europe</a>, the term Eastern Bloc generally referred to the USSR and <a href="/facts/Central_and_Eastern_Europe/JcsTveqo">Central and Eastern European</a> countries in the <a href="/facts/Comecon/UbuffFhf">Comecon</a> (<a href="/facts/East_Germany/PwI902Q6">East Germany</a>, <a href="/facts/Polish_People%2527s_Republic/hypM0C8R">Poland</a>, <a href="/facts/Czechoslovak_Socialist_Republic/gJIrAxHu">Czechoslovakia</a>, <a href="/facts/Hungarian_People%2527s_Republic/IbhUc1vu">Hungary</a>, <a href="/facts/Socialist_Republic_of_Romania/sIqLNfBy">Romania</a>, <a href="/facts/People%2527s_Republic_of_Bulgaria/yCW1fYUn">Bulgaria</a>, and <a href="/facts/People%2527s_Socialist_Republic_of_Albania/P0M3yl47">Albania</a>). In <a href="/facts/Asia/4IToYrrQ">Asia</a>, the Eastern Bloc comprised <a href="/facts/Mongolian_People%2527s_Republic/hMaGKtfM">Mongolia</a>, <a href="/facts/Vietnam/0ulfA8Eq">Vietnam</a>, <a href="/facts/Laos/S0afugjX">Laos</a>, <a href="/facts/People%2527s_Republic_of_Kampuchea/Yj88EYJ2">Kampuchea</a>, <a href="/facts/North_Korea/Q41laakP">North Korea</a>, <a href="/facts/South_Yemen/pm282o7k">South Yemen</a> and <a href="/facts/China/lTjIXY5p">China</a>. In the <a href="/facts/Americas/hEuUTL4K">Americas</a>, the countries aligned with the Soviet Union included <a href="/facts/Cuba/vHjTXLPW">Cuba</a> from 1961 and for limited periods <a href="/facts/Nicaraguan_Revolution/kCKl8Ubl">Nicaragua</a> and <a href="/facts/People%2527s_Revolutionary_Government_(Grenada)/RMqo95C1">Grenada</a>. </p>