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| Once the most developed part of Europe, in the past 550 years it has been the least developed, reflecting the shift of Europe's commercial and political centre of gravity towards the ] and comparative Balkan isolation under the ] from the mainstream of economic advance. | Once the most developed part of Europe, in the past 550 years it has been the least developed, reflecting the shift of Europe's commercial and political centre of gravity towards the ] and comparative Balkan isolation under the ] from the mainstream of economic advance. | ||
| The region's principal nationalities include ] (11 million), ] (10.8 million), ] (9.2 million), ] (7 million), ] (6 million), ] (4.5 million), ] (2.4 million) and ] (1.9 million). | The region's principal nationalities include ] (11 million), ] (10.8 million), ] (9.2 million), ] (7 million), ] (6 million), ] (4.5 million), ] (2.4 million) and ] (1.9 million). | ||
| In recent years the region has been affected by conflict in the former Yugoslav republics, resulting in intervention by ] forces in ], ] and the ]. | In recent years the region has been affected by conflict in the former Yugoslav republics, resulting in intervention by ] forces in ], ] and the ]. | ||
Revision as of 23:07, 25 January 2003
The Balkan peninsula is a region of southeastern Europe, usually considered to comprise Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, the European part of Turkey and the former (pre-1991) republics of Yugoslavia, with a combined area of 550,000 sq. km. and population of 53 million. The northern boundary of the peninsula is frequently considered to consist of the Julian Alps and Sava and Danube rivers.
Once the most developed part of Europe, in the past 550 years it has been the least developed, reflecting the shift of Europe's commercial and political centre of gravity towards the Atlantic and comparative Balkan isolation under the Ottoman Empire from the mainstream of economic advance.
The region's principal nationalities include Serbs (11 million), Greeks (10.8 million), Turks (9.2 million), Bulgars (7 million), Albanians (6 million), Croats (4.5 million), Bosnians (2.4 million) and Macedonian Slavs (1.9 million).
In recent years the region has been affected by conflict in the former Yugoslav republics, resulting in intervention by NATO forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
As a matter of trivia, the peninsula takes its name from the Balkan mountains (Bulgarian "Stara Gora") which run down the center of Bulgaria, and the term 'Balkan' itself is derived from the Turkish word for mountain. In earlier times the mountains were known as the Haemus Mons, a name that is believed derived from the Thracian "Saimon", meaning 'chain'.
See also: