I want to know more about Eastern Orthodoxy, but I can't really find my answers.?

1.In what country did the doctrine or foundations of this religion originate? Who is credited with starting the religion? (Not God of Jesus)
2.What beliefs or doctrine are fundamental and unique Eastern Orthodoxy?
3.What are the countries that have the largest number of followers?
4.What are some special holidays or observances unique to this religion. And why?
5.What is their Holy Book? Any additional major religious books that are important to this religion? (IE: Hadith for Islam, catechism for Catholics etc.)

1, In the Bizantine Empire, or what it was called, in Constantinopole, today`s Istanbul, as far as I know.
2. We don`t believe in the purgatory, we don`t believe or have a pope, we cross ourselves from the right to the left, and there was a fourth very important aspect, I am forgetting now, if I remember I`ll edit this and tell you And there are a few more, I need to think about it.
3 Russia, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and so on.
4 Well there are a lot of mythology and pagan holidays combined with religious ones, I must think more.
5 Hm.. I`m not sure.. I always hear of a book called Filocalia, in my language, I don`t know how to translate it.
I could tell you more, but it`s a little hard right now to make these differences.
I`ll get back to you.

New!!: I guess the other guy is wrong, as the orthodox were the only ones who did not change anything when the Chic split into orthodox, catholics and so on. So this is what the original church of God looked like. For example, this is why we stay and not sit in church.

The Orthodox Church emerged when the eastern and western halves of Christianity parted company in 1054. The eastern half became the Orthodox Church and the western half became the Catholic Church. The ostensible reason for the split was a dispute over the wording of the Nicene Creed, but in reality the two halves had been growing apart ever since Constantine split the Roman Empire.

In theory the RC Church still recognizes the Orthodox Church as part of the Catholic Church, but the Orthodox Church does not return the compliment.

Eastern Orthodoxy has far fewer dogmas you have to sign up to before you can be considered a Christian. Both the Catholic and Protestant halves of the western church can give the impression of being machines for turning out endless dogma (and I speak as a member of the western half of Christianity).

1. Judaea, Jerusalem. Jesus Christ and his Apostles
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_orthodox
Fundamental beliefs are expressed in The Nicene Creed ( http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/creed.htm )
3. Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Greece, Serbia, Georgia and so on
4. http://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/calendar/
5. Bible. Addition major books - Liturgical Texts: Liturgical Gospel Book, Liturgical Epistle Book, Triodia, Fasting and Flowery, Oktoechos, Menaion, Horologion, Prayerbook, Augmented Psalter, Book of Canons, Typikon, Great Book of Needs, Selected Akathists, Priest's Service Book, Lives of the Saints ( http://www.orthlib.info/ )