A recent poll by the German economic institute IW said one-fifth of easterners felt left behind economically, even though financial statistics suggest their region has been closing the gap with the richer west.

California long enjoyed abundant water after the 1849 Gold Rush sent easterners streaming into the state.

Others worry they won’t be welcome in western Ukraine — a concern based on a perception that some of their countrymen resent the predominantly Russian-speaking easterners and blame them for the war.

Because she was an easterner and a scientist, he expected her to be an ambassador for the East — and for coal.

By midnight, triumphant easterners had climbed on top of the wall in the heart of the city, popping champagne corks and setting off fireworks in celebration.