On these pages you will find more information about the Balkans.
Geography
The Balkan is situated in South-East Europe, and the following countries are considered as part of it: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Roumenia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Greece and the European part of Turkey. Of course this depends of what vision you have. The word "Balkan" comes from the Turkish language: it means mountain and has been applied to the area since the early 19th century. The chain of mountains called "Balkan"; is 350km long and is situated mostly in Bulgaria between the river Timok and the Black Sea, but the Balkans are not considered only to this part. Normally considered as naturel frontiers of the Balkans are the rivers Donau and Sava in the North, the Black Sea in the East, the Aegean Sea in the South and the Adriatic Sea in the West. It has a surface of +/- 566.567 square kilometers and +/- 50 million inhabitants. Some countries will not consider themselves as a Balkan country (like Slovenia or Croatia), but I will not discuss that here. The overview maps below shows you the areas where these pages are about. And to more precisly: most of these pages will go about former Yugoslavia.
Maps
Maps can sometimes show more then words, therefore you will find some maps of the Balkan region.
Geographical map of the Balkans
On this geographical map of the Balkans you can see the Dinaric Mountains from West to South-East: from the Alps to the Black Sea and Constantinople (Istanbul). On the North of this chain of Mountains you will find the Donau and the Sava Rivers, with flat land (the Hungarian pusta for example): this part has a "continental climate". In the south you will find the Adriatic Sea and the Aegean Sea, on the coasts there is a Mediterranean climate. On the highest mountains there is an "Alpine climate" and as you can see the Balkans are quite mountainous. The highest peak of the Balkans is the "Musala" (2925 metres a.s.l.) which belongs to the Rila mountains in Bulgaria.
Ethnical map of the Balkans
Here you find an ethnical map of the Balkan region, with the situation before 1991. Despite all the wars in former Yugoslavia during the nineties there are not a lot of changes in this situation (only in Bosnia and parts of Croatia it changed a bit).
Political map of the Balkans
This map is showing the actual political situation of former-Yugoslavia: Independent are Slovenia, Croatia (since 1991), Macedonia (1991), Serbia (1991) and since 03/06/06 Montenegro. Kosovo is since June 1999 under UN government and Bosnia-Herzegovina since 1995 (after Dayton agreement). Bosnia-Herzogovina is officially one state with two entities: the "Republika Srpska"and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Muslim-Croatian federation).
Officially Vojvodina and Kosovo are two autonomous provinces of Serbia. Kosovo declared itself independent since 17/02/2008, but for Kosovo and Bosnia there’s still no final solution as a real independent state.
Balkan region 1856-1878
The old map below shows you the Balkan region during the years 1856-1878. Two great empires ruled the Balkans in that period, but also before: the Ottoman (=Turkish) and Austrian Empire. This map gives in insight to the Ottoman losses in Europe during this time, with in 1878 independence for Serbia, Bulgaria and Roumenia.
