Balkans - wikipedia Balkans `` Balkan '' and `` Balkan Peninsula '' redirect here. For other uses, see Balkan ( disambiguation ). `` Balkan states '' redirects here. It is not to be confused with Baltic states. Balkans The Balkan states according to Encyclopædia Britannica The Balkan Peninsula using the Danube -- Sava -- Soča border. Political communities that are usually included in the Balkans. Political communities that are often included in the Balkans. Geography Location southeastern Europe Highest elevation 2,925 m ( 9,596 ft ) Highest point Musala ( Bulgaria ) Administration See below Demographics Demonym Balkan The Balkans, or the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographic area in southeastern Europe with various and disputed definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch from the Serbian - Bulgarian border to the Black Sea. The Balkan Peninsula is bordered by the Adriatic Sea on the northwest, the Ionian Sea on the southwest, the Aegean Sea in the south and southeast, and the Black Sea on the east and northeast. The northern border of the peninsula is variously defined. The highest point of the Balkans is Mount Musala, 2,925 metres ( 9,596 ft ), in the Rila mountain range. Contents 1 Name 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Historical names 1.2. 1 Classical antiquity and the early Middle Ages 1.2. 2 Late Middle Ages and Ottoman period 1.3 Evolution of meaning 1.4 Southeast Europe 1.5 Current 2 Definitions and boundaries 2.1 Balkan Peninsula 2.2 Balkans 2.3 Western Balkans 3 Nature and natural resources 4 History and geopolitical significance 4.1 Antiquity 4.2 Early modern period 4.3 Recent history 4.3. 1 World Wars 4.3. 2 Cold War 4.3. 3 Post -- Cold War 5 Politics and economy 5.1 Regional organizations 6 Statistics 7 Demographics 7.1 Religion 7.2 Languages 7.3 Urbanization 8 Time zones 9 Culture 10 See also 11 Notes 12 References 13 Sources 14 External links Name Etymology The word `` Balkan '' comes from Ottoman Turkish balkan ' a chain of wooded mountains `` ; related words are also found in other Turkic languages. The origin of the Turkic word is obscure ; it may be related to Persian bālk meaning `` mud '', and the Turkish suffix an, i.e., swampy forest or Persian balā - khāna ' big high house '. Historical names Classical antiquity and the early Middle Ages From classical antiquity through the Middle Ages, the Balkan Mountains were called by the local Thracian name Haemus. According to Greek mythology, the Thracian king Haemus was turned into a mountain by Zeus as a punishment and the mountain has remained with his name. A reverse name scheme has also been suggested. D. Dechev considers that Haemus ( Αἷμος ) is derived from a Thracian word * saimon, ' mountain ridge '. A third possibility is that `` Haemus '' ( Αἵμος ) derives from the Greek word `` haema '' ( αἷμα ) meaning ' blood '. The myth relates to a fight between Zeus and the monster / titan Typhon. Zeus injured Typhon with a thunder bolt and Typhon 's blood fell on the mountains, from which they got their name. Late Middle Ages and Ottoman period The earliest mention of the name appears in an early 14th - century Arab map, in which the Haemus mountains are referred to as Balkan. The first attested time the name `` Balkan '' was used in the West for the mountain range in Bulgaria was in a letter sent in 1490 to Pope Innocent VIII by Buonaccorsi Callimaco, an Italian humanist, writer and diplomat. The Ottomans first mention it in a document dated from 1565. There has been no other documented usage of the word to refer to the region before that, although other Turkic tribes had already settled in or were passing through the Peninsula. There is also a claim about an earlier Bulgar Turkic origin of the word popular in Bulgaria, however it is only an unscholarly assertion. The word was used by the Ottomans in Rumelia in its general meaning of mountain, as in Kod̲j̲a - Balkan, Čatal - Balkan, and Ungurus - Balkani̊, but especially it was applied to the Haemus mountain. The name is still preserved in Central Asia with the Balkan Daglary ( Balkan Mountains ) and the Balkan Province of Turkmenistan. English traveler John Morritt introduced this term into the English literature at the end of the 18th - century, and other authors started applying the name to the wider area between the Adriatic and the Black Sea. The concept of the `` Balkans '' was created by the German geographer August Zeune in 1808. During the 1820s, `` Balkan became the preferred although not yet exclusive term alongside Haemus among British travelers... Among Russian travelers not so burdened by classical toponymy, Balkan was the preferred term. '' Evolution of meaning As time passed, the term gradually acquired political connotations far from its initial geographic meaning, arising from political changes from the late 19th - century to the creation of post -- World War I Yugoslavia ( initially the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes ). Zeune 's goal was to have a geographical parallel term to the Italic and Iberian Peninsula, and seemingly nothing more. The gradually acquired political connotations are newer and, to a large extent, due to oscillating political circumstances. After the dissolution of Yugoslavia beginning in June 1991, the term `` Balkans '' again received a negative meaning, especially in Croatia and Slovenia, even in casual usage ( see Balkanization ). Southeast Europe Main article : Southeast Europe In part due to the historical and political connotations of the term `` Balkans '', especially since the military conflicts of the 1990s, the term `` Southeast Europe '' is becoming increasingly popular even though it literally refers to a much larger area and thus is less precise. A European Union initiative of 1999 is called the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, and the online newspaper Balkan Times renamed itself Southeast European Times in 2003. Current In the languages of the region, the peninsula is known as : Slavic languages : Bulgarian : Балкански полуостров, transliterated : Balkanski poluostrov Macedonian : Балкански Полуостров, transliterated : Balkanski Poluostrov Serbian : Балканско полуострво / Balkansko poluostrvo Croatian : Balkanski poluotok Slovene : Balkanski polotok Bosnian : Balkansko poluostrvo / Балканско полуострво Romance languages : Romanian : Peninsula Balcanică Other languages : Albanian : Gadishulli Ballkanik and Siujdhesa e Ballkanit Greek : Βαλκανική χερσόνησος, transliterated : Valkaniki chersonisos Turkish : Balkan Yarımadası ( or alternatively : Balkanlar ) Definitions and boundaries Balkan Peninsula The Balkan Peninsula, as defined by the Soča -- Vipava -- Krka -- Sava -- Danube border. The Peninsula 's most extensive definition, bordered by water on three sides and connected with a line on the fourth The Balkan Peninsula is surrounded by the Adriatic Sea to the west, the Mediterranean Sea ( including the Ionian and Aegean seas ) and the Marmara Sea to the south and the Black Sea to the east. Its northern boundary is often given as the Danube, Sava and Kupa Rivers. The Balkan Peninsula has a combined area of about 470,000 km ( 181,000 sq mi ) ( slightly smaller than Spain ). It is more or less identical to the region known as Southeastern Europe. From 1920 until World War II, Italy included Istria and some Dalmatian areas ( like Zara, today 's Zadar ) that are within the general definition of the Balkan peninsula. The current territory of Italy includes only the small area around Trieste inside the Balkan Peninsula. However, the regions of Trieste and Istria are not usually considered part of the Balkans by Italian geographers, due to their definition of the Balkans that limits its western border to the Kupa River. Share of land area within the Balkan Peninsula by country by the Danube - Sava definition : Entirely within the Balkans : Albania : 28,750 km ( 100 % of total land ) Bulgaria : 110,800 km ( 100 % ) Bosnia and Herzegovina : 51,180 km ( 100 % ) Kosovo : 10,908 km ( 100 % ) Macedonia : 25,710 km ( 100 % ) Montenegro : 13,810 km ( 100 % ) Mostly or partially within the Balkans : Croatia ( southern mainland ) : 30,000 km ( 54 % ) Greece ( mainland ) : 104,470 km ( 80 % ) Italy ( Trieste and Monfalcone ) : 300 km ( 0.1 % ) Romania ( mainland Dobruja ) : 12,000 km ( 5 % ) Serbia ( southern part excluding Vojvodina, northern Belgrade 54,000 km ( 65 % ) Slovenia ( southwestern part ) : 5,000 km ( 25 % ) Turkey ( European part ) : 23,764 km ( 3 % ) Balkans The abstract term `` the Balkans '', unlike the geographical borders of the Peninsula, is defined by the political borders of the states composing it. The term is used to describe areas beyond the Balkan Peninsula, or inversely in the case of the part of Italy in the Peninsula, which is always excluded from the Balkans and as a totality is generally accepted as part of Western Europe and the Apennines. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, the Balkans are usually said to comprise Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, while Greece and Turkey are often excluded ( depending on the definition ), and its total area is usually given as 666,700 square km ( 257,400 square miles ) and the population as 59,297,000 ( est. 2002 ). According to an earlier version of the Britannica, the Balkans comprise the territories of the states of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia and the European part of Turkey ; it notes Turkey as a non-Balkan state and the inclusion of Slovenia and the Transylvanian part of Romania in the region as dubious. Inclusion of Balkan states in other regions : Albania ( alternatively placed in Southeastern Europe, Southern Europe or Eastern Europe ) Bosnia and Herzegovina ( alternatively placed in Southeastern Europe, Southern Europe or Eastern Europe ) Bulgaria ( alternatively placed in Southeastern Europe or Eastern Europe ) Croatia ( alternatively placed in Central Europe, Southeastern Europe, Southern Europe or Eastern Europe ) Greece ( alternatively placed in Western Europe, Southern Europe and Southeastern Europe ) Kosovo ( alternatively placed in Southeastern Europe, Southern Europe or Eastern Europe ) Macedonia ( alternatively placed in Southeastern Europe, Southern Europe or Eastern Europe ) Montenegro ( alternatively placed in Southeastern Europe, Southern Europe or Eastern Europe ) Romania ( alternatively placed in Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe and Central Europe ) Serbia ( alternatively placed in Southeastern Europe and Southern Europe, Central Europe or Eastern Europe ) Slovenia ( alternatively placed in Central Europe Southern Europe, Southeastern Europe, or Eastern Europe ) Turkey ( European part ) ( alternatively placed in Western Asia, Southwestern Asia and Southeastern Europe ) Western Balkans Further information : 2015 Western Balkans Summit, Vienna Western Balkan countries -- Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. The partially recognized Kosovo is also demarcated. Croatia joined the EU in 2013. The institutions of the European Union have defined the `` Western Balkans '' as the Balkan area that includes countries that are not members of the European Union, while others refer to the geographical aspects. The Western Balkans is a neologism coined to describe the countries of `` ex-Yugoslavia ( minus Slovenia ) and Albania ''. Thus, the region includes : Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania. Each of these countries aims to be part of the future enlargement of the European Union and reach democracy and transmission scores but, until then, they will be strongly connected with the pre-EU waiting program CEFTA. Croatia, which was considered to be part of the Western Balkans, joined the EU in July 2013. Nature and natural resources Panorama of Stara Planina. Its highest peak is Botev at a height of 2,376 m. View toward Rila, the highest mountain in the Balkans which reaches 2925 m Golubac Fortress in Serbia, guarding the Danubian frontier of the Balkans Most of the area is covered by mountain ranges running from the northwest to southeast. The main ranges are the Balkan mountains, running from the Black Sea coast in Bulgaria to its border with Serbia, the Rhodope mountains in southern Bulgaria and northern Greece, the Dinaric Alps in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro, the Šar massif which spreads from Albania to Macedonia, and the Pindus range, spanning from southern Albania into central Greece and the Albanian Alps. The highest mountain of the region is Rila in Bulgaria, with Musala at 2925 m, Mount Olympus in Greece, the throne of Zeus, being second at 2917 m and Vihren in Bulgaria being the third at 2914 m. The karst field or polje is a common feature of the landscape. On the Adriatic and Aegean coasts the climate is Mediterranean, on the Black Sea coast the climate is humid subtropical and oceanic, and inland it is humid continental. In the northern part of the peninsula and on the mountains, winters are frosty and snowy, while summers are hot and dry. In the southern part winters are milder. The humid continental climate is predominant in Bosnia and Herzegovina, northern Croatia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, northern Montenegro, the interior of Albania and Serbia, while the other, less common climates, the humid subtropical and oceanic climates, are seen on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria and Turkey ; and the Mediterranean climate is seen on the coast of Albania, the coast of Croatia, Greece, southern Montenegro and the Aegean coast of Turkey. Over the centuries many woods have been cut down and replaced with bush. In the southern part and on the coast there is evergreen vegetation. Inland there are woods typical of Central Europe ( oak and beech, and in the mountains, spruce, fir and pine ). The tree line in the mountains lies at the height of 1800 -- 2300 m. The land provides habitats for numerous endemic species, including extraordinarily abundant insects and reptiles that serve as food for a variety of birds of prey and rare vultures. The soils are generally poor, except on the plains, where areas with natural grass, fertile soils and warm summers provide an opportunity for tillage. Elsewhere, land cultivation is mostly unsuccessful because of the mountains, hot summers and poor soils, although certain cultures such as olive and grape flourish. Resources of energy are scarce, except in the territory of Kosovo, where considerable coal, lead, zinc, chromium and silver deposits are located. Other deposits of coal, especially in Bulgaria, Serbia and Bosnia, also exist. Lignite deposits are widespread in Greece. Petroleum scarce reserves exist in Greece, Serbia and Albania. Natural gas deposits are scarce. Hydropower is in wide use, from over 1,000 dams. The often relentless bora wind is also being harnessed for power generation. Metal ores are more usual than other raw materials. Iron ore is rare, but in some countries there is a considerable amount of copper, zinc, tin, chromite, manganese, magnesite and bauxite. Some metals are exported. History and geopolitical significance The Jireček Line Apollonia ruins near Fier, Albania. Ruins of the Roman - era palace Felix Romuliana, UNESCO, Serbia. Main article : History of the Balkans Antiquity The Balkan region was the first area in Europe to experience the arrival of farming cultures in the Neolithic era. The Balkans have been inhabited since the Paleolithic and are the route by which farming from the Middle East spread to Europe during the Neolithic ( 7th millennium BC ). The practices of growing grain and raising livestock arrived in the Balkans from the Fertile Crescent by way of Anatolia and spread west and north into Central Europe, particularly through Pannonia. Two early culture - complexes have developed in the region, Starčevo culture and Vinča culture. The Balkans are also the location of the first advanced civilizations. Vinča culture developed a form of proto - writing before the Sumerians and Minoans, known as the Old European script, while the bulk of the symbols had been created in the period between 4500 and 4000 BC, with the ones on the Tărtăria clay tablets even dating back to around 5300 BC. The identity of the Balkans is dominated by its geographical position ; historically the area was known as a crossroads of cultures. It has been a juncture between the Latin and Greek bodies of the Roman Empire, the destination of a massive influx of pagan Bulgars and Slavs, an area where Orthodox and Catholic Christianity met, as well as the meeting point between Islam and Christianity. In pre-classical and classical antiquity, this region was home to Greeks, Illyrians, Paeonians, Thracians, Dacians, and other ancient groups. The Achaemenid Persian Empire incorporated parts of the Balkans comprising Macedonia, Thrace, Bulgaria, and the Black Sea coastal region of Romania between the late 6th and the first half of the 5th - century BC into its territories. Later the Roman Empire conquered most of the region and spread Roman culture and the Latin language, but significant parts still remained under classical Greek influence. The Romans considered the Rhodope Mountains to be the northern limit of the Peninsula of Haemus and the same limit applied approximately to the border between Greek and Latin use in the region ( later called the Jireček Line ). The Bulgars and Slavs arrived in the 6th - century and began assimilating and displacing already - assimilated ( through Romanization and Hellenization ) older inhabitants of the northern and central Balkans, forming the Bulgarian Empire. During the Middle Ages, the Balkans became the stage for a series of wars between the Byzantine Roman and the Bulgarian Empires. Early modern period By the end of the 16th - century, the Ottoman Empire had become the controlling force in the region after expanding from Anatolia through Thrace to the Balkans. Many people in the Balkans place their greatest folk heroes in the era of either the onslaught or the retreat of the Ottoman Empire. As examples, for Greeks, Constantine XI Palaiologos and Kolokotronis ; and for Serbs, Miloš Obilić and Tzar Lazar ; for Montenegrins, Đurađ I Balšić and Ivan Crnojević ; for Albanians, George Kastrioti Skanderbeg ; for ethnic Macedonians, Nikola Karev and Goce Delčev ; for Bulgarians, Vasil Levski, Georgi Sava Rakovski and Hristo Botev and for Croats, Nikola Šubić Zrinjski. Modern political history of the Balkans from 1796 onwards. Hagia Sophia, an Eastern Orthodox Christian cathedral built in the 6th - century in Constantinople ( present - day Istanbul, Turkey ), later an imperial mosque, and now a museum. In the past several centuries, because of the frequent Ottoman wars in Europe fought in and around the Balkans and the comparative Ottoman isolation from the mainstream of economic advance ( reflecting the shift of Europe 's commercial and political centre of gravity towards the Atlantic ), the Balkans has been the least developed part of Europe. According to Halil İnalcık, `` The population of the Balkans, according to one estimate, fell from a high of 8 million in the late 16th - century to only 3 million by the mid-eighteenth. This estimate is in harmony with the first findings based on Ottoman documentary evidence. '' Most of the Balkan nation - states emerged during the 19th and early 20th centuries as they gained independence from the Ottoman Empire or the Austro - Hungarian empire ( Greece in 1821, Serbia, Montenegro in 1878, Bulgaria in 1908, Albania in 1912 ). Recent History Tsarevets, a medieval stronghold in the former capital of the Bulgarian Empire -- Veliko Tarnovo. The 13th - century church of St. John at Kaneo and the Ohrid Lake in Macedonia. The lake and town were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980. World wars Austro - Hungarian troops executing Serbian civilians, 1914. Serbia lost about 850,000 people during the war, a quarter of its pre-war population. In 1912 -- 1913 the First Balkan War broke out when the nation - states of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro united in an alliance against the Ottoman Empire. As a result of the war, almost all remaining European territories of the Ottoman Empire were captured and partitioned among the allies. Ensuing events also led to the creation of an independent Albanian state. Bulgaria insisted on its status quo territorial integrity, divided and shared by the Great Powers next to the Russo - Turkish War ( 1877 -- 78 ) in other boundaries and on the pre-war Bulgarian - Serbian agreement. Bulgaria was provoked by the backstage deals between its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on the allocation of the spoils at the end of the First Balkan War. At the time, Bulgaria was fighting at the main Thracian Front. Bulgaria marks the beginning of Second Balkan War when it attacked them. The Serbs and the Greeks repulsed single attacks, but when the Greek army invaded Bulgaria together with an unprovoked Romanian intervention in the back, Bulgaria collapsed. The Ottoman Empire used the opportunity to recapture Eastern Thrace, establishing its new western borders that still stand today as part of modern Turkey. The First World War was sparked in the Balkans in 1914 when members of Mlada Bosna, a revolutionary organization with predominately Serbian and pro-Yugoslav members, assassinated the Austro - Hungarian heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Bosnia and Herzegovina 's capital, Sarajevo. That caused a war between the two countries which -- through the existing chains of alliances -- led to the First World War. The Ottoman Empire soon joined the Central Powers becoming one of the three empires participating in that alliance. The next year Bulgaria joined the Central Powers attacking Serbia, which was successfully fighting Austro - Hungary to the north for a year. That led to Serbia 's defeat and the intervention of the Entente in the Balkans which sent an expeditionary force to establish a new front, the third one of that war, which soon also became static. The participation of Greece in the war three years later, in 1918, on the part of the Entente finally altered the balance between the opponents leading to the collapse of the common German - Bulgarian front there, which caused the exit of Bulgaria from the war, and in turn the collapse of the Austro - Hungarian Empire, ending the First World War. With the start of the Second World War, all Balkan countries, with the exception of Greece, were allies of Nazi Germany, having bilateral military agreements or being part of the Axis Pact. Fascist Italy expanded the war in the Balkans by using its protectorate Albania to invade Greece. After repelling the attack, the Greeks counterattacked, invading Italy - held Albania and causing Nazi Germany 's intervention in the Balkans to help its ally. Days before the German invasion, a successful coup d'état in Belgrade by neutral military personnel seized power. Although the new government reaffirmed Serbia 's intentions to fulfill its obligations as member of the Axis, Germany, with Bulgaria, invaded both Greece and Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia immediately disintegrated when those loyal to the Serbian King and the Croatian units mutinied. Greece resisted, but, after two months of fighting, collapsed and was occupied. The two countries were partitioned between the three Axis allies, Bulgaria, Germany and Italy, and the Independent State of Croatia, a puppet state of Italy and Germany. During the occupation the population suffered considerable hardship due to repression and starvation, to which the population reacted by creating a mass resistance movement. Together with the early and extremely heavy winter of that year ( which caused hundreds of thousands deaths among the poorly fed population ), the German invasion had disastrous effects in the timetable of the planned invasion in Russia causing a significant delay, which had major consequences during the course of the war. Finally, at the end of 1944, the Soviets entered Romania and Bulgaria forcing the Germans out of the Balkans. They left behind a region largely ruined as a result of wartime exploitation. Cold War During the Cold War, most of the countries on the Balkans were governed by communist governments. Greece became the first battleground of the emerging Cold War. The Truman Doctrine was the US response to the civil war, which raged from 1944 to 1949. This civil war, unleashed by the Communist Party of Greece, backed by communist volunteers from neighboring countries ( Albania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia ), led to massive American assistance for the non-communist Greek government. With this backing, Greece managed to defeat the partisans and, ultimately, remained the only non-communist country in the region. However, despite being under communist governments, Yugoslavia ( 1948 ) and Albania ( 1961 ) fell out with the Soviet Union. Yugoslavia, led by Marshal Josip Broz Tito ( 1892 -- 1980 ), first propped up then rejected the idea of merging with Bulgaria and instead sought closer relations with the West, later even spearheaded, together with India and Egypt the Non-Aligned Movement. Albania on the other hand gravitated toward Communist China, later adopting an isolationist position. As the only non-communist countries, Greece and Turkey were ( and still are ) part of NATO composing the southeastern wing of the alliance. Post -- Cold War In the 1990s, the transition of the regions ' ex-Soviet bloc countries towards democratic free - market societies went peacefully with the exception of Yugoslavia. Wars between the former Yugoslav republics broke out after Slovenia and Croatia held free elections and their people voted for independence on their respective countries ' referenda. Serbia in turn declared the dissolution of the union as unconstitutional and the Yugoslavian army unsuccessfully tried to maintain status quo. Slovenia and Croatia declared independence on 25 June 1991, followed by the Ten - Day War in Slovenia. Till October 1991, the Army withdrew from Slovenia, and in Croatia, the Croatian War of Independence would continue until 1995. In the ensuing 10 years armed confrontation, gradually all the other Republics declared independence, with Bosnia being the most affected by the fighting. The long lasting wars resulted in a United Nations intervention and NATO ground and air forces took action against Serb forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. State entities on the former territory of Yugoslavia, 2008 From the dissolution of Yugoslavia six republics achieved international recognition as sovereign republics, but these are traditionally included in Balkans : Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. In 2008, while under UN administration, Kosovo declared independence ( according to the official Serbian policy, Kosovo is still an internal autonomous region ). In July 2010, the International Court of Justice, ruled that the declaration of independence was legal. Most UN member states recognise Kosovo. After the end of the wars a revolution broke in Serbia and Slobodan Milošević, the Serbian communist leader ( elected president between 1989 and 2000 ), was overthrown and handed for trial to the International Criminal Tribunal for crimes against the International Humanitarian Law during the Yugoslav wars. Milošević died of a heart attack in 2006 before a verdict could have been released. Ιn 2001 an Albanian uprising in Macedonia forced the country to give local autonomy to the ethnic Albanians in the areas where they predominate. With the dissolution of Yugoslavia an issue emerged over the name under which the former ( federated ) republic of Macedonia would internationally be recognized, between the new country and Greece. Being the Macedonian part of Yugoslavia ( see Vardar Macedonia ), the federated Republic under the Yugoslav identity had the name Republic of Macedonia on which it declared its sovereignty in 1991. Greece, having a large region ( see Macedonia ) also under the same name opposed to the usage of this name as an indication of a nationality. The issue is currently under negotiations after a UN initiation. Balkan countries control the direct land routes between Western Europe and South West Asia ( Asia Minor and the Middle East ). Since 2000, all Balkan countries are friendly towards the EU and the USA. Greece has been the member of the European Union since 1981 while Slovenia is a member since 2004, Bulgaria and Romania are members since 2007, and Croatia is a member since 2013. In 2005, the European Union decided to start accession negotiations with candidate countries ; Turkey, and Macedonia were accepted as candidates for EU membership. In 2012, Montenegro started accession negotiations with the EU. In 2014, Albania is an official candidate for accession to the EU. In 2015, Serbia is expected to start accession negotiations with the EU. Greece and Turkey have been NATO members since 1952. In March 2004, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia have become members of NATO. As of April 2009, Albania and Croatia are members of NATO. Montenegro joined in June 2017. All other countries have expressed a desire to join the EU or NATO at some point in the future. Politics and economy View from Santorini in Greece. Tourism is an important part of the Greek economy. Dubrovnik in Croatia, UNESCO 's World Heritage since 1979 Drvengrad ( also known as Mećavnik or Küstendorf ), an ethno village in Serbia and home to the annual Kusturica film festival Currently all of the states are republics, but until World War II all countries were monarchies. Most of the republics are parliamentary, excluding Romania and Bosnia which are semi-presidential. All the states have open market economies, most of which are in the upper - middle income range ( $4,000 -- $12,000 p.c. ), however, Greece and Romania have high income economies ( over $12,000 p.c. ), and is also classified with very high HDI in contrast to the remaining states which are classified with high HDI. The states from the former Eastern Bloc that formerly had planned economy system and Turkey mark gradual economic growth each year, only the economy of Greece drops for 2012 and meanwhile it was expected to grow in 2013. The Gross domestic product ( Purchasing power parity ) per capita is highest in Slovenia ( over $34,000 ) and Greece ( over $25,000 ), followed by Romania and Croatia ( $24,000 ) and then Turkey, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia ( $10,000 -- $15,000 ), Bosnia, Albania and Kosovo ( below $10,000 ). The Gini coefficient, which indicates the level of difference by monetary welfare of the layers, is on the second level at the highest monetary equality in Albania, Bulgaria and Serbia, on the third level in Greece, Montenegro and Romania, on the fourth level in Macedonia, on the fifth level in Turkey, and the most unequal by Gini coefficient is Bosnia at the eighth level which is the penultimate level and one of the highest in the world. The unemployment is lowest in Romania ( below 10 % ), followed by Bulgaria, Turkey, Albania ( 10 -- 15 % ), Greece ( 15 -- 20 % ), Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia ( 20 -- 30 % ), Macedonia ( over 30 % ) and Kosovo ( over 40 % ). On political, social and economic criteria the divisions are as follows : Territories members of the European Union : Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania and Slovenia Territories currently in negotiation process for EU membership : Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey Territories official candidates for EU membership : Albania and Macedonia Territories with `` potential candidates '' status for EU membership : Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo On border control and trade criteria the divisions are as follows : Territories in the Schengen Area : Greece and Slovenia Territories that are legally bound to join the Schengen Area : Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania Territories in a customs union with the EU : Turkey Territories members of the Central European Free Trade Agreement : Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. On currency criteria the divisions are as follows : Territories members of the Eurozone : Greece and Slovenia Territories using the Euro without authorization by the EU : Kosovo and Montenegro Territories using national currencies and are candidates for the Eurozone : Bulgaria ( lev ), Croatia ( kuna ), Romania ( leu ) Territories using national currencies : Albania ( lek ), Bosnia and Herzegovina ( convertible mark ), Macedonia ( denar ), Serbia ( dinar ) and Turkey ( lira ). On military criteria the divisions are as follows : Aerial photo of Camp Bondsteel, the main base of the United States Army under KFOR command in Kosovo Member territories of NATO : Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia and Turkey Member territories of the Partnership for Peace with Individual Partnership Action Plan and Membership Action Plan for joining NATO : Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia Member territories of the Partnership for Peace : Serbia On the recent political, social and economic criteria there are two groups of countries : Former communist territories : Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia Territories with capitalist past : Greece and Turkey During the Cold War the Balkans were disputed between the two blocks. Greece and Turkey were members of NATO, Bulgaria and Romania of the Warsaw Pact, while Yugoslavia was proponent of a third way and was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement. After the dissolution of Yugoslavia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina kept an observer status within the organisation. Regional organizations Southeast European Cooperation Process ( SEECP ) member states Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe members observers supporting partners Southeast European Cooperative Initiative ( SECI ) members observers Black Sea Economic Cooperation ( BSEC ) members observers See also the Black Sea regional organizations Statistics Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Greece Kosovo Macedonia Montenegro Romania Serbia Slovenia Turkey Flag Coat of arms Capital Tirana Sarajevo Sofia Zagreb Athens Pristina Skopje Podgorica Bucharest Belgrade Ljubljana Ankara Independence November 28, 1912 March 3, 1992 October 5, 1908 June 26, 1991 March 25, 1821 February 17, 2008 November 17, 1991 June 3, 2006 May 9, 1878 June 8, 2006 June 26, 1991 October 29, 1923 Current President Ilir Meta Bakir Izetbegović Rumen Radev Kolinda Grabar - Kitarović Prokopis Pavlopoulos Hashim Thaçi Gjorge Ivanov Filip Vujanović Klaus Iohannis Aleksandar Vučić Borut Pahor Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Current Prime Minister Edi Rama Denis Zvizdić Boyko Borisov Andrej Plenković Alexis Tsipras Ramush Haradinaj Zoran Zaev Duško Marković Viorica Dăncilă Ana Brnabić Miro Cerar Binali Yıldırım Population ( 2016 ) 2,886,026 3,515,982 7,153,784 4,190,669 10,783,748 1,771,604 2,071,278 622,218 19,760,314 7,076,372 2,064,188 78,741,053 Area 28,748 km2 51,197 km2 110,879 km2 56,594 km2 131,957 km2 10,908 km2 25,713 km2 13,812 km2 238,391 km2 77,474 km2 20,273 km2 783,562 km2 Density 100 / km2 69 / km2 65 / km2 74 / km2 82 / km2 163 / km2 81 / km2 45 / km2 83 / km2 91 / km2 102 / km2 101 / km2 Water area % 4.7 % 0.02 % 2.16 % 1.1 % 0.99 % 1.0 % 1.09 % 2.61 % 2.97 % 0.13 % 0.6 % 1.3 % GDP ( nominal ) total ( 2016 ) $12.269 billion $16.324 billion $49.364 billion $49.928 billion $194.594 billion $6.471 billion $10.424 billion $4.182 billion $181.944 billion $42.139 billion $43.791 billion $751 billion GDP ( PPP ) per capita ( 2015 ) $11,301 $10,492 $19,097 $21,581 $26,449 $9,540 $14,009 $16,123 $20,787 $13,671 $31,007 $18,035 Gini Index ( 2012 ) 29.0 33.0 36.0 32.0 36.7 N / A 43.2 33.2 27.3 29.7 25.6 40.0 HDI ( 2017 ) 0.764 ( High ) 0.750 ( High ) 0.794 ( High ) 0.827 ( Very High ) 0.866 ( Very High ) 0.786 ( High ) 0.748 ( High ) 0.807 ( Very High ) 0.802 ( Very High ) 0.776 ( High ) 0.890 ( Very High ) 0.767 ( High ) Internet TLD. al. ba. bg. hr. gr. mk. me. ro. rs. si. tr Calling code + 355 + 387 + 359 + 385 + 30 + 383 + 389 + 382 + 40 + 381 + 386 + 90 Demographics The region is inhabited by Albanians, Aromanians, Bulgarians, Bosniaks, Croats, Gorani, Greeks, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Serbs, Slovenes, Romanians, Turks, and other ethnic groups which present minorities in certain countries like the Romani and Ashkali. State Population ( 2016 ) Density / km2 ( 2013 ) Life expectancy Albania 2,886,026 100 78.3 years Bosnia and Herzegovina 3,515,982 69 76.7 years Bulgaria 7,153,784 65 74.5 years Croatia 4,190,669 74 75.9 years Greece 10,783,748 82 80.5 years Kosovo 1,771,604 163 71 years Macedonia 2,071,278 81 76.2 years Montenegro 622,218 45 76.4 years Romania 19,760,314 83 75.1 years Serbia 7,076,372 91 75.5 years Slovenia 2,064,188 102 78.2 years Turkey 10,620,739 101 74.8 years Religion Map showing religious denominations The region is a meeting point of Orthodox Christianity, Islam and Roman Catholic Christianity. Eastern Orthodoxy is the majority religion in both the Balkan peninsula and the Balkan region. A variety of different traditions of each faith are practiced, with each of the Eastern Orthodox countries having its own national church. A part of the population in the Balkans defines itself as irreligious. Approximate distribution of religions in Albania Territories in which the principal religion is Eastern Orthodoxy ( with national churches in parentheses ) Religious minorities of these territories Bulgaria : 59 % ( Bulgarian Orthodox Church ) Islam ( 7 % ) and undeclared ( 31 % ) Greece : 98 % ( Greek Orthodox Church ) Islam ( 1 % ), Catholicism, other and undeclared Macedonia : 64 % ( Macedonian Orthodox Church ) Islam ( 33 % ), Catholicism Montenegro : 72 % ( Serbian Orthodox Church, Montenegrin Orthodox Church ) Islam ( 19 % ), Catholicism ( 3 % ), other and undeclared ( 5 % ) Serbia : 84 % ( Serbian Orthodox Church ) Catholicism ( 5 % ), Islam ( 3 % ), Protestantism ( 1 % ), other and undeclared ( 6 % ) Territories in which the principal religion is Catholicism Religious minorities of these territories Croatia ( 86 % ) Eastern Orthodoxy ( 4 % ), Islam ( 1 % ), other and undeclared ( 7 % ) Slovenia ( 57 % ) Islam ( 2 % ), Orthodox ( 2 % ), other and undeclared ( 36 % ) Territories in which the principal religion is Islam Religious minorities of these territories Albania ( 58 % ) Catholicism ( 10 % ), Orthodoxy ( 7 % ), other and undeclared ( 24 % ) Bosnia and Herzegovina ( 51 % ) Orthodoxy ( 31 % ), Catholicism ( 15 % ), other and undeclared ( 4 % ) Kosovo ( 95 % ) Roman Catholicism ( 2 % ), Eastern Orthodoxy ( 1 % ) Turkey ( 99 % ) Catholicism and Orthodoxy The Jewish communities of the Balkans were some of the oldest in Europe and date back to ancient times. These communities were Sephardi Jews, except in Transylvania, Croatia and Slovenia, where the Jewish communities were Ashkenazi Jews. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the small and close - knit Jewish community is 90 % Sephardic, and Ladino is still spoken among the elderly. The Sephardi Jewish cemetery in Sarajevo has tombstones of a unique shape and inscribed in ancient Ladino. Sephardi Jews used to have a large presence in the city of Thessaloniki, and by 1900, some 80,000, or more than half of the population, were Jews. The Jewish communities in the Balkans suffered immensely during World War II, and the vast majority were killed during the Holocaust. An exception were the Bulgarian Jews, most of whom were saved by Boris III of Bulgaria, who resisted Adolf Hitler, opposing their deportation to Nazi concentration camps. Almost all of the few survivors have emigrated to the ( then ) newly founded state of Israel and elsewhere. No Balkan country today has a significant Jewish minority. Languages Ethnic composition map of the Balkans Ethnic composition map of the Balkans - by Ami Boué, 1847 Ethnic map of the Balkans Main article : Languages of the Balkans Further information : Balkan sprachbund The Balkan region today is a very diverse ethno - linguistic region, being home to multiple Slavic, and Romance languages, as well as Albanian, Greek, Turkish, and others. Romani is spoken by a large portion of the Romanis living throughout the Balkan countries. Throughout history many other ethnic groups with their own languages lived in the area, among them Thracians, Illyrians, Romans, Celts and various Germanic tribes. All of the aforementioned languages from the present and from the past belong to the wider Indo - European language family, with the exception of the Turkic languages ( e.g., Turkish and Gagauz ). State Principal language Linguistic minorities Albania 98 % Albanian 2 % other Bosnia and Herzegovina 53 % Bosnian 31 % Serbian, 15 % Croatian, 2 % other Bulgaria 88 % Bulgarian 5 % Turkish, 2 % Romani, 1 % other, 5 % unspecified Croatia 96 % Croatian 1 % Serbian, 3 % other Greece 99 % Greek 1 % other Kosovo 94 % Albanian 2 % Bosnian, 2 % Serbian, 1 % Turkish, 1 % other Macedonia 67 % Macedonian 25 % Albanian, 4 % Turkish, 2 % Romani, 1 % Serbian, 2 % other Montenegro 43 % Serbian 37 % Montenegrin ( official ), 5 % Bosnian, 5 % Albanian, 5 % other, 4 % unspecified Romania 91 % Romanian 7 % Hungarian, 1 % Romani Serbia 88 % Serbian 3 % Hungarian, 2 % Bosnian, 1 % Romani, 3 % other, 2 % unspecified Slovenia 91 % Slovene 5 % Serbo - Croatian, 4 % other Turkey 84 % Turkish 12 % Kurdish, 4 % other and unspecified Urbanization Most of the states in the Balkans are predominantly urbanized, with the lowest number of urban population as % of the total population found in Kosovo at under 40 %, Bosnia and Herzegovina at 40 % and Slovenia at 50 %. Panoramic view of Istanbul A list of largest cities : City Country Population Agglomeration Year Istanbul * Turkey 9,000,000 10,000,000 2014 Bucharest Romania 1,883,425 2,272,163 2011 Sofia Bulgaria 1,260,120 1,681,666 2014 Belgrade Serbia 1,233,796 1,659,440 2011 Zagreb Croatia 792,875 1,113,111 2011 Athens Greece 664,046 3,753,783 2011 Skopje Macedonia 444,800 506,926 2014 Tirana Albania 418,495 800,986 2011 Plovdiv Bulgaria 341,567 396,092 2014 Varna Bulgaria 335,949 383,075 2014 Thessaloniki Greece 325,182 1,012,297 2011 Cluj - Napoca Romania 324,576 411,379 2011 Timișoara Romania 319,279 356,443 2011 Iași Romania 290,422 382,484 2011 Constanța Romania 283,872 425,916 2011 Ljubljana Slovenia 279,756 279,756 2016 Novi Sad Serbia 277,522 341,625 2011 Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina 275.524 413,593 2013 Craiova Romania 269,506 420,000 2011 Çorlu Turkey 253,500 273,362 2014 Brașov Romania 253,200 369,896 2011 * Only the European part of Turkey is a part of the Balkans. It is home to two thirds of the city 's 14,025,646 inhabitants. Time zones The time zones in the Balkans are defined as the following : Territories in the time zone of UTC + 01 : 00 : Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia Territories in the time zone of UTC + 02 : 00 : Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Turkey Culture Cuisine of the Balkans Balkan music See also Balkan Insight Balkan Universities Network Balkanization History of the Balkans Balkan Wars Languages of the Balkans Balkan sprachbund List of Roman Catholic dioceses in the Balkans Music of Southeastern Europe Orient Express Notes a. ^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on 17 February 2008, but Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. The two governments began to normalise relations in 2013, as part of the Brussels Agreement. Kosovo has received formal recognition as an independent state from 113 out of 193 United Nations member states. b. ^ As The World Factbook cites, regarding Turkey and Southeastern Europe ; `` that portion of Turkey west of the Bosphorus is geographically part of Europe. '' c. ^ The population only of European Turkey, that excludes the Anatolian peninsula, which otherwise has a population of 75,627,384 and a density of 97. References Jump up ^ Colin S. Gray, Geoffrey Sloan ( 2014 - 01 - 14 ). Geopolitics, Geography and Strategy. ISBN 9781135265021. Retrieved 10 November 2014. CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ `` Balkans ''. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Balkan ''. Encarta World English Dictionary. Microsoft Corporation. Archived from the original on 31 October 2009. Retrieved 31 March 2008. Jump up ^ `` balkan ''. Büyük Türkçe Sözlük ( in Turkish ). Türk Dil Kurumu. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. 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Stoianovich, Traian ( September 1994 ). Balkan Worlds : The First and Last Europe. Sources and Studies in World History. New York : M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 978 - 1 - 56324 - 032 - 4. External links Find more aboutBalkansat Wikipedia 's sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Wikimedia Commons Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Travel guide from Wikivoyage Balkan Insight -- Analysis from Balkans Balkanalysis, in - depth research on Balkan geopolitics Western Balkans Photo impression Shared Pasts in Central and Southeast Europe, 17th -- 21st Centuries. Eds. G. Demeter, P. Peykovska. 2015 Balkan Peninsula countries Geographically fully located Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Kosovo Macedonia Montenegro Significantly located Serbia Greece Croatia Mostly outside of the peninsula Romania Slovenia Turkey See also Southeast Europe History of the Balkans Balkan languages ( Sprachbund ) Balkanization Declared independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008 and is recognised by 113 United Nations member states. 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Regions of the world Regions of Africa Central Africa Guinea region Gulf of Guinea Cape Lopez Mayombe Igboland Mbaise Maputaland Pool Malebo Congo Basin Chad Basin Congolese rainforests Ouaddaï highlands Ennedi Plateau East Africa African Great Lakes Albertine Rift East African Rift Great Rift Valley Gregory Rift Rift Valley lakes Swahili coast Virunga Mountains Zanj Horn of Africa Afar Triangle Al - Habash Barbara Danakil Alps Danakil Desert Ethiopian Highlands Gulf of Aden Gulf of Tadjoura Indian Ocean islands Comoros Islands North Africa Maghreb Barbary Coast Bashmur Ancient Libya Atlas Mountains Nile Valley Cataracts of the Nile Darfur Gulf of Aqaba Lower Egypt Lower Nubia Middle Egypt Nile Delta Nuba Mountains Nubia The Sudans Upper Egypt Western Sahara West Africa Pepper Coast Gold Coast Slave Coast Ivory Coast Cape Palmas Cape Mesurado Guinea region Gulf of Guinea Niger Basin Guinean Forests of West Africa Niger Delta Inner Niger Delta Southern Africa Madagascar Central Highlands ( Madagascar ) Northern Highlands Rhodesia North South Thembuland Succulent Karoo Nama Karoo Bushveld Highveld Fynbos Cape Floristic Region Kalahari Desert Okavango Delta False Bay Hydra Bay Macro-regions Aethiopia Arab world Commonwealth realm East African montane forests Eastern Desert Equatorial Africa Françafrique Gibraltar Arc Greater Middle East Islands of Africa List of countries where Arabic is an official language Mediterranean Basin MENA MENASA Middle East Mittelafrika Negroland Northeast Africa Portuguese - speaking African countries Sahara Sahel Sub-Saharan Africa Sudan ( region ) Sudanian Savanna Tibesti Mountains Tropical Africa Regions of Asia Central Greater Middle East Aral Sea Aralkum Desert Caspian Sea Dead Sea Sea of Galilee Transoxiana Turan Greater Khorasan Ariana Khwarezm Sistan Kazakhstania Eurasian Steppe Asian Steppe Kazakh Steppe Pontic -- Caspian steppe Mongolian - Manchurian grassland Wild Fields Yedisan Muravsky Trail Ural Ural Mountains Volga region Idel - Ural Kolyma Transbaikal Pryazovia Bjarmaland Kuban Zalesye Ingria Novorossiya Gornaya Shoriya Tulgas Iranian Plateau Altai Mountains Pamir Mountains Tian Shan Badakhshan Wakhan Corridor Wakhjir Pass Mount Imeon Mongolian Plateau Western Regions Taklamakan Desert Karakoram Trans - Karakoram Tract Siachen Glacier North Inner Asia Northeast Far East Russian Far East Okhotsk - Manchurian taiga Extreme North Siberia Baikalia ( Lake Baikal ) Transbaikal Khatanga Gulf Baraba steppe Kamchatka Peninsula Amur Basin Yenisei Gulf Yenisei Basin Beringia Sikhote - Alin East Japanese archipelago Northeastern Japan Arc Sakhalin Island Arc Korean Peninsula Gobi Desert Taklamakan Desert Greater Khingan Mongolian Plateau Inner Asia Inner Mongolia Outer Mongolia China proper Manchuria Outer Manchuria Inner Manchuria Northeast China Plain Mongolian - Manchurian grassland North China Plain Yan Mountains Kunlun Mountains Liaodong Peninsula Himalayas Tibetan Plateau Tibet Tarim Basin Northern Silk Road Hexi Corridor Nanzhong Lingnan Liangguang Jiangnan Jianghuai Guanzhong Huizhou Wu Jiaozhou Zhongyuan Shaannan Ordos Loop Loess Plateau Shaanbei Hamgyong Mountains Central Mountain Range Japanese Alps Suzuka Mountains Leizhou Peninsula Gulf of Tonkin Yangtze River Delta Pearl River Delta Yenisei Basin Altai Mountains Wakhan Corridor Wakhjir Pass West Greater Middle East MENA MENASA Middle East Red Sea Caspian Sea Mediterranean Sea Zagros Mountains Persian Gulf Pirate Coast Strait of Hormuz Greater and Lesser Tunbs Al - Faw Peninsula Gulf of Oman Gulf of Aqaba Gulf of Aden Balochistan Arabian Peninsula Najd Hejaz Tihamah Eastern Arabia South Arabia Hadhramaut Arabian Peninsula coastal fog desert Tigris -- Euphrates Mesopotamia Upper Mesopotamia Lower Mesopotamia Sawad Nineveh plains Akkad ( region ) Babylonia Canaan Aram Eber - Nari Suhum Eastern Mediterranean Mashriq Kurdistan Levant Southern Levant Transjordan Jordan Rift Valley Israel Levantine Sea Golan Heights Hula Valley Galilee Gilead Judea Samaria Arabah Anti-Lebanon Mountains Sinai Peninsula Arabian Desert Syrian Desert Fertile Crescent Azerbaijan Syria Palestine Iranian Plateau Armenian Highlands Caucasus Caucasus Mountains Greater Caucasus Lesser Caucasus North Caucasus South Caucasus Kur - Araz Lowland Lankaran Lowland Alborz Absheron Peninsula Anatolia Cilicia Cappadocia Alpide belt South Greater India Indian subcontinent Himalayas Hindu Kush Western Ghats Eastern Ghats Ganges Basin Ganges Delta Pashtunistan Punjab Balochistan Kashmir Kashmir Valley Pir Panjal Range Thar Desert Indus Valley Indus River Delta Indus Valley Desert Indo - Gangetic Plain Eastern coastal plains Western Coastal Plains Meghalaya subtropical forests MENASA Lower Gangetic plains moist deciduous forests Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows Doab Bagar tract Great Rann of Kutch Little Rann of Kutch Deccan Plateau Coromandel Coast Konkan False Divi Point Hindi Belt Ladakh Aksai Chin Gilgit - Baltistan Baltistan Shigar Valley Karakoram Saltoro Mountains Siachen Glacier Bay of Bengal Gulf of Khambhat Gulf of Kutch Gulf of Mannar Trans - Karakoram Tract Wakhan Corridor Wakhjir Pass Lakshadweep Andaman and Nicobar Islands Andaman Islands Nicobar Islands Maldive Islands Alpide belt Southeast Mainland Indochina Malay Peninsula Maritime Peninsular Malaysia Sunda Islands Greater Sunda Islands Lesser Sunda Islands Indonesian Archipelago Timor New Guinea Bonis Peninsula Papuan Peninsula Huon Peninsula Huon Gulf Bird 's Head Peninsula Gazelle Peninsula Philippine Archipelago Luzon Visayas Mindanao Leyte Gulf Gulf of Thailand East Indies Nanyang Alpide belt Asia - Pacific Tropical Asia Ring of Fire Regions of Europe North Nordic Northwestern Scandinavia Scandinavian Peninsula Fennoscandia Baltoscandia Sápmi West Nordic Baltic Baltic Sea Gulf of Bothnia Gulf of Finland Iceland Faroe Islands East Danubian countries Prussia Galicia Volhynia Donbass Sloboda Ukraine Sambia Peninsula Amber Coast Curonian Spit Izyum Trail Lithuania Minor Nemunas Delta Baltic Baltic Sea Vyborg Bay Karelia East Karelia Karelian Isthmus Lokhaniemi Southeastern Balkans Aegean Islands Gulf of Chania North Caucasus Greater Caucasus Kabardia European Russia Southern Russia Central Baltic Baltic Sea Alpine states Alpide belt Mitteleuropa Visegrád Group West Benelux Low Countries Northwest British Isles English Channel Channel Islands Cotentin Peninsula Normandy Brittany Gulf of Lion Iberia Al - Andalus Baetic System Pyrenees Alpide belt South Italian Peninsula Insular Italy Tuscan Archipelago Aegadian Islands Iberia Al - Andalus Baetic System Gibraltar Arc Southeastern Mediterranean Crimea Alpide belt Germanic Celtic Slavic countries Uralic European Plain Eurasian Steppe Pontic -- Caspian steppe Wild Fields Pannonian Basin Great Hungarian Plain Little Hungarian Plain Eastern Slovak Lowland Regions of North America Canada Eastern Canada Western Canada Canadian Prairies Central Canada Northern Canada Atlantic Canada The Maritimes French Canada English Canada Acadia Acadian Peninsula Quebec City -- Windsor Corridor Peace River Country Cypress Hills Palliser 's Triangle Canadian Shield Interior Alaska - Yukon lowland taiga Newfoundland ( island ) Vancouver Island Gulf Islands Strait of Georgia Canadian Arctic Archipelago Labrador Peninsula Gaspé Peninsula Avalon Peninsula Bay de Verde Peninsula Brodeur Peninsula Melville Peninsula Bruce Peninsula Banks Peninsula ( Nunavut ) Cook Peninsula Gulf of Boothia Georgian Bay Hudson Bay James Bay Greenland United States Pacific Northwest Inland Northwest Northeast New England Mid-Atlantic Commonwealth West Midwest Upper Midwest Mountain States Intermountain West Basin and Range Province Oregon Trail Mormon Corridor Calumet Region Southwest Old Southwest Llano Estacado Central United States Tallgrass prairie South South Central Deep South Upland South Four Corners East Coast West Coast Gulf Coast Third Coast Coastal states Eastern United States Appalachia Trans - Mississippi Great North Woods Great Plains Interior Plains Great Lakes Great Basin Great Basin Desert Acadia Ozarks Ark - La - Tex Waxhaws Siouxland Twin Tiers Driftless Area Palouse Piedmont Atlantic coastal plain Outer Lands Black Dirt Region Blackstone Valley Piney Woods Rocky Mountains Mojave Desert The Dakotas The Carolinas Shawnee Hills San Fernando Valley Tornado Alley North Coast Lost Coast Emerald Triangle San Francisco Bay Area San Francisco Bay North Bay ( San Francisco Bay Area ) East Bay ( San Francisco Bay Area ) Silicon Valley Interior Alaska - Yukon lowland taiga Gulf of Mexico Lower Colorado River Valley Sacramento -- San Joaquin River Delta Yukon -- Kuskokwim Delta Colville Delta Arkansas Delta Mobile -- Tensaw River Delta Mississippi Delta Mississippi River Delta Columbia River Estuary Great Basin High Desert Monterey Peninsula Upper Peninsula of Michigan Lower Peninsula of Michigan Virginia Peninsula Keweenaw Peninsula Middle Peninsula Delmarva Peninsula Alaska Peninsula Kenai Peninsula Niagara Peninsula Beringia Belt regions Bible Belt Black Belt Corn Belt Cotton Belt Frost Belt Rice Belt Rust Belt Sun Belt Snow Belt Mexico Northern Mexico Baja California Peninsula Gulf of California Colorado River Delta Gulf of Mexico Soconusco Tierra Caliente La Mixteca La Huasteca Bajío Valley of Mexico Mezquital Valley Sierra Madre de Oaxaca Yucatán Peninsula Basin and Range Province Central Western Caribbean Zone Isthmus of Panama Gulf of Panama Pearl Islands Azuero Peninsula Mosquito Coast Caribbean West Indies Antilles Greater Antilles Lesser Antilles Leeward Leeward Antilles Windward Lucayan Archipelago Southern Caribbean Aridoamerica Mesoamerica Oasisamerica Northern Middle Anglo Latin French Hispanic American Cordillera Ring of Fire LAC Regions of Oceania Australasia Gulf of Carpentaria New Guinea Bonis Peninsula Papuan Peninsula Huon Peninsula Huon Gulf Bird 's Head Peninsula Gazelle Peninsula New Zealand South Island North Island Coromandel Peninsula Zealandia New Caledonia Solomon Islands ( archipelago ) Vanuatu Kula Gulf Australia Capital Country Eastern Australia Lake Eyre basin Murray -- Darling basin Northern Australia Nullarbor Plain Outback Southern Australia Maralinga Sunraysia Great Victoria Desert Gulf of Carpentaria Gulf St Vincent Lefevre Peninsula Fleurieu Peninsula Yorke Peninsula Eyre Peninsula Mornington Peninsula Bellarine Peninsula Mount Henry Peninsula Melanesia Islands Region Bismarck Archipelago Solomon Islands Archipelago Fiji New Caledonia Papua New Guinea Vanuatu Micronesia Caroline Islands Federated States of Micronesia Palau Guam Kiribati Marshall Islands Nauru Northern Mariana Islands Wake Island Polynesia Easter Island Hawaiian Islands Cook Islands French Polynesia Austral Islands Gambier Islands Marquesas Islands Society Islands Tuamotu Kermadec Islands Mangareva Islands Samoa Tokelau Tonga Tuvalu Ring of Fire Regions of South America East Amazon basin Atlantic Forest Caatinga Cerrado North Caribbean South America West Indies Los Llanos The Guianas Amazon basin Amazon rainforest Gulf of Paria Paria Peninsula Paraguaná Peninsula Orinoco Delta South Tierra del Fuego Patagonia Pampas Pantanal Gran Chaco Chiquitano dry forests Valdes Peninsula West Andes Tropical Andes Wet Andes Dry Andes Pariacaca mountain range Altiplano Atacama Desert Latin Hispanic American Cordillera Ring of Fire LAC Polar regions Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula East Antarctica West Antarctica Eklund Islands Ecozone Extreme points Islands Arctic Arctic Alaska British Arctic Territories Canadian Arctic Archipelago Finnmark Greenland Northern Canada Northwest Territories Nunavik Nunavut Russian Arctic Sakha Sápmi Yukon North American Arctic Earth 's oceans and seas Arctic Ocean Amundsen Gulf Barents Sea Beaufort Sea Chukchi Sea East Siberian Sea Greenland Sea Gulf of Boothia Kara Sea Laptev Sea Lincoln Sea Prince Gustav Adolf Sea Pechora Sea Queen Victoria Sea Wandel Sea White Sea Atlantic Ocean Adriatic Sea Aegean Sea Alboran Sea Archipelago Sea Argentine Sea Baffin Bay Balearic Sea Baltic Sea Bay of Biscay Bay of Bothnia Bay of Campeche Bay of Fundy Black Sea Bothnian Sea Caribbean Sea Celtic Sea English Channel Foxe Basin Greenland Sea Gulf of Bothnia Gulf of Finland Gulf of Lion Gulf of Guinea Gulf of Maine Gulf of Mexico Gulf of Saint Lawrence Gulf of Sidra Gulf of Venezuela Hudson Bay Ionian Sea Irish Sea Irminger Sea James Bay Labrador Sea Levantine Sea Libyan Sea Ligurian Sea Marmara Sea Mediterranean Sea Myrtoan Sea North Sea Norwegian Sea Sargasso Sea Sea of Åland Sea of Azov Sea of Crete Sea of the Hebrides Thracian Sea Tyrrhenian Sea Wadden Sea Indian Ocean Andaman Sea Arabian Sea Bali Sea Bay of Bengal Flores Sea Great Australian Bight Gulf of Aden Gulf of Aqaba Gulf of Khambhat Gulf of Kutch Gulf of Oman Gulf of Suez Java Sea Laccadive Sea Mozambique Channel Persian Gulf Red Sea Timor Sea Pacific Ocean Arafura Sea Banda Sea Bering Sea Bismarck Sea Bohai Sea Bohol Sea Camotes Sea Celebes Sea Ceram Sea Chilean Sea Coral Sea East China Sea Gulf of Alaska Gulf of Anadyr Gulf of California Gulf of Carpentaria Gulf of Fonseca Gulf of Panama Gulf of Thailand Gulf of Tonkin Halmahera Sea Koro Sea Mar de Grau Molucca Sea Moro Gulf Philippine Sea Salish Sea Savu Sea Sea of Japan Sea of Okhotsk Seto Inland Sea Shantar Sea Sibuyan Sea Solomon Sea South China Sea Sulu Sea Tasman Sea Visayan Sea Yellow Sea Southern Ocean Amundsen Sea Bellingshausen Sea Cooperation Sea Cosmonauts Sea Davis Sea D'Urville Sea King Haakon VII Sea Lazarev Sea Mawson Sea Riiser - Larsen Sea Ross Sea Scotia Sea Somov Sea Weddell Sea Landlocked seas Aral Sea Caspian Sea Dead Sea Salton Sea Book Category VIAF : 252087561 GND : 4004334 - 4 NDL : 00560534 Coordinates : 42 ° 00 ′ 00 '' N 22 ° 00 ′ 00 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 42.0000 ° N 22.0000 ° E ﻿ / 42.0000 ; 22.0000 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Balkans&oldid=832330315 '' Categories : Balkans Geography of 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Question: where is the balkan peninsula located on a world map
Answer: in southeastern Europe