What are known as Balkans?
The Balkans are usually characterized as comprising Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia—with all or part of each of those countries located within the peninsula.
Why are the Balkans so divided?
The onset of the Cold War dampened the most visceral conflicts in the area, and gave security relations in the Balkans a measure of stability and predictability. The Balkans were divided into blocs, with non-aligned Yugoslavia acting as a strategic buffer between East and West.
Who named the Balkans?
geographer August Zeune
The concept of the “Balkans” was created by the German geographer August Zeune in 1808, who mistakenly considered it as the dominant central mountain system of Southeast Europe spanning from the Adriatic Sea to the Black Sea.
Is Albania a Balkan country?
The name “Western Balkans” describes the countries on the western edge of the region, along the Adriatic coast. The Western Balkans include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. “The World Factbook: Albania.” Central Intelligence Agency, 3 June 2021.
Is Lithuania Balkan?
The biggest dilemma with viewing Eastern Europe as the sum of Central Europe plus the Balkans is that neither of the sub-groups includes all of the countries in the “lands between” Germany and Russia. These are the countries to the east of Poland, such as Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
What is the oldest country in the Balkans?
Bulgaria, officially Republic of Bulgaria, Bulgarian Republika Bŭlgariya, country occupying the eastern portion of the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. Founded in the 7th century, Bulgaria is one of the oldest states on the European continent.
What did the Romans call the Balkans?
“Illyria” was a designation of a roughly defined region of the western Balkans as seen from a Roman perspective, just as Magna Germania is a rough geographic term not delineated by any linguistic or ethnic unity. The later province of Illyricum was to the west of what is now Serbia.
Whats the youngest country in the world?
South Sudan (2011) Unfortunately, even after gaining independence, civil wars continued in this young country until a recent peace agreement in 2020. Currently, South Sudan is the youngest country in the world.