This is the 15842nd most frequent German word.
östlichen
"Eastern."
In this sentence, 'östlichen' is used as an adjective describing the geographical location of the countries, indicating their position as eastern ones.
Die östlichen Länder Europas haben eine reiche Geschichte.
The eastern countries of Europe have a rich history.
Here, 'östlichen' again functions as an adjective to describe the direction or origin of the winds, signifying they come from the east.
Die östlichen Winde bringen kaltes Wetter.
The eastern winds bring cold weather.
In this sentence, 'östlichen' is used to specify a spatial or locational aspect of the city, highlighting the area towards the east as the subject.