Balkans | Britannica.com Balkans Alternative Titles: Balkan Peninsula, Balkan States Related Topics Bosnia and Herzegovina Balkans, also called Balkan Peninsula, easternmost of Europe’s three great southern peninsulas. There is not universal agreement on the region’s components. The Balkans are usually characterized as comprising Albania , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Bulgaria , Croatia , Kosovo , Macedonia , Montenegro , Romania , Serbia , and Slovenia —with all or part of each of those countries located within the peninsula. Portions of Greece and Turkey are also located within the geographic region generally defined as the Balkan Peninsula, and many descriptions of the Balkans include those countries too. Some define the region in cultural and historical terms and others geographically, though there are even different interpretations among historians and geographers. Moreover, for some observers, the term “Balkans” is freighted with negative connotations associated with the region’s history of ethnic divisiveness and political upheaval.

Increasingly in the early 21st century, another pair of definitional terms has gained currency: South East (also styled South-East, Southeast, South-Eastern, or Southeastern) Europe, which has been employed to describe the region in broad terms (though, again, without universal agreement on its component states) and the Western Balkans, which are usually said to comprise Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Serbia. An introduction to the Balkan Peninsula. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Generally, the Balkans are bordered on the northwest by Italy , on the north by Hungary , on the north and northeast by Moldova and Ukraine , and on the south by Greece and Turkey or the Aegean Sea (depending on how the region is defined). The Balkans are washed by the Adriatic Sea in the west, the Ionian Sea in the southwest, and the Black Sea in the east. In the north, clear geographic delimitation of the Balkans becomes difficult because the Pannonian Basin of the Great Alfold (Great Hungarian Plain) extends from central Europe into parts of Croatia, Serbia, and Romania.

Similar Topics Land’s End Moldova—although located north of the Danube River , which is frequently cited as the region’s northeastern geographic dividing line—is included in the Balkans under some definitions by virtue of its long-standing historical and cultural connections with Romania. However, Moldova is politically and economically oriented more toward other onetime republics of the former Soviet Union than it is to the Balkan states. More often than not, Slovenia is included as a member of the Balkans because of its long historical ties with its neighbours to the southeast and because of its former incorporation in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes and federal Yugoslavia . Greece, because its northern regions of Epirus and Macedonia are often considered parts of the Balkans, also appears on many lists of Balkan states, but it is arguably better characterized as primarily a Mediterranean country. Turkey, too, is sometimes numbered among Balkan countries, as a result of Anatolia ’s presence on the peninsula, and the Ottoman Turks cast a long shadow of political dominance over the region for centuries (earning it the sobriquet “Turkey in Europe” or “European Turkey”).

The word Balkan is Turkish and means “mountain,” and the peninsula is certainly dominated by this type of landform, especially in the west. The Balkan Mountains lie east-west across Bulgaria, the Rhodope Mountains extend along the Greek-Bulgarian border, and the Dinaric range extends down the Adriatic coast to Albania. By some definitions the region’s northern boundary extends to the Julian Alps and the Carpathians . Among these ranges extensive areas of good arable land are relatively scarce, though the valleys of the Danube, Sava , and Vardar rivers, eastern Bulgaria, parts of the Aegean Sea coast, and especially the Danubian Plain are exceptions. The mountains have a significant impact on the climate of the peninsula. The northern and central parts of the Balkans have a central European climate, characterized by cold winters, warm summers, and well-distributed rainfall. The southern and coastal areas, however, have a Mediterranean type of climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, relatively rainy winters. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. History Randomizer Ethnic diversity is one of the region’s most characteristic social and political features.

The most numerous of the groups is the South Slavs, who form the majority of the population in Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, and Montenegro. The Bulgarians, Macedonians, and Slovenes speak their own Slavic languages , while the Slavs of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro all speak dialects of Serbo-Croatian . In Balkan Europe, living is a constant amalgam of the new world and the old, leading most … Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent The peculiar nature identified with “Balkanization”—that is, fragmentation of ethnic groups—derives in part from the compartmentalization brought about by the mountainous relief. But size is also an important determinant of the region’s character, for its area is large enough to have provided important bases of occupation for the Byzantine and Turkish civilizations. Subjection to Eastern imperial forces isolated most Balkan societies from Western developments for almost two millennia and created feudal characteristics that persisted until World War I .

After this war the viability of the relatively new Balkan states was threatened by political instability, ethnic division, worldwide economic depression, and the rise of the fascist states of Germany and Italy. After World War II , communism brought greater political stability to the Balkans—but at the cost of individual freedom, social and economic problems connected with rapid industrialization, and varying degrees of dominance by yet another outside power, the Soviet Union. At no point in history has it been easy to define the Balkans in any other than geographic terms (and, again, even that approach can be problematic). At times the peninsula has been divided along north-south lines, and at other times the divisions have been east-west; what constitutes the Balkans has varied with time as have the forces operating within the area. There are, however, some features of Balkan history that have remained consistent. These include the fluidity of ethnic groups, the inability of the peoples of the region to agree and cooperate among themselves, a tendency on the part of political authority to devolve to local levels as soon as central power is weakened, the influence of foreign powers, and the difficulty of introducing into the area concepts that have evolved in a different political and social context .

Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest This article covers the history of the region as first defined above from antiquity to the early 21st century. An overview of the region’s physical and human geography and of the history can be found in the article Europe . For discussion of physical and human geography, along with the history of individual countries in the region, see Albania , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Bulgaria , Croatia , Greece , Kosovo , Macedonia , Moldova , Montenegro , Romania , Serbia , Slovenia , and Turkey . Area 257,400 square miles (666,700 square km). Pop. (2002 est.) 59,297,000. Antiquity Illyrians and Thracians Archaeological evidence indicates that the Balkans were populated well before the Neolithic Period (New Stone Age; about 10,000 years ago). At the dawn of recorded history, two Indo-European peoples dominated the area: the Illyrians to the west and the Thracians to the east of the great historical divide defined by the Morava and Vardar river valleys. The Thracians were advanced in metalworking and in horsemanship.

They intermingled with the Greeks and gave them the Dionysian and Orphean cults, which later became so important in classical Greek literature. The Illyrians were more exclusive , their mountainous terrain keeping them separate from the Greeks and Thracians. Thracian society was tribal in structure, with little inclination toward political cohesion. In what was to become a persistent phenomenon in Balkan history, unity was brought about mostly by external pressure. The Persian invasions of the 6th and 5th centuries bce brought the Thracian tribes together in the Odrysian kingdom, which fell under Macedonian influence in the 4th century bce. The Illyrians, ethnically akin to the Thracians, originally inhabited a large area from the Istrian peninsula to northern Greece and as far inland as the Morava River . During the 4th century bce they were pushed southward by Celtic invasions, and thereafter their territory did not extend much farther north than the Drin River. Illyrian society, like that of the Thracians, was organized around tribal groups who often fought wars with one another and with outsiders. Under the Celtic threat they established a coherent political entity, but this too was destroyed by Macedonia.

Thereafter the Illyrians were known mainly as pirates who disturbed the trade of many Greek settlements on the Adriatic coast. The Romans were also affected and took police action, annexing much of Illyrian territory in the early 3rd century bce. An Illyrian kingdom based in modern-day Shkodër , Albania, remained an important factor until its liquidation by Roman armies in 168 bce. In the Roman Empire Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies The Romans were different from other major conquerors of the Balkans in that they first arrived in the west. Later attacks were launched from the southeast as well, so that by the 1st century ce the entire peninsula was under Roman control. At the height of Roman power, the Balkan peoples were the most united of any time in their history, with a common legal system, a single ultimate arbiter of political power, and absolute military security.

In addition, a vibrant commerce was conducted along the Via Egnatia , a great east-west land route that led from Dyrrhachium (modern Durrës , Albania) through Macedonia to Thessalonica (modern Thessaloníki , Greece) and on to Thrace. The northwestern part of the peninsula, including Dalmatia along the Adriatic coast as well as Pannonia around the Danube and Sava rivers, became the province of Illyricum . What is now eastern Serbia was incorporated into Moesia , which reached farther eastward between the Balkan Mountains and the Danube all the way to the Black Sea. The southeastern part of the peninsula was ruled as Thrace , and the southern part was brought into Macedonia. The Romans largely regarded the Danube River as their northern frontier, but in the 2nd and 3rd centuries their authority was extended northward into Dacia , in what is now western Romania. Dacia had been the home of a people closely related to the Thracians. The Dacians had suffered invasion by a number of peoples, including the Scythians , a mysterious people probably of Iranian origin who were absorbed into the resident population.

In the 3rd century bce they managed to contain Macedonian pressure from the south, but in later years they were much less able to fend off Celtic invaders from the northwest. By the 1st century ce a substantial Dacian state extended as far west as Moravia and threatened Roman command of the Danube in the Balkans. The extension of the Dacian state and Dacian raids across the river into Moesia prompted the emperor Trajan in the first decade of the 2nd century to march into Dacia, obliterate the Dacian state and Dacian society, and establish a Roman colony that lasted until barbarian incursions forced a withdrawal back across the Danube beginning in 271. Christendom Opium Wars The abandonment of Dacia in the second half of the 3rd century was a symptom of Rome’s decline, leading to major changes in the 4th century. In 330 the imperial capital was moved to Byzantium, so that any tribe intent on attacking the seat of Roman power and opulence would thenceforth move through the Balkans rather than into Italy.

In 391 Christianity became the official religion, and in 395 the empire was divided in two. The dividing line ran through the Balkans: Illyricum went to the western sector under Rome; the remainder went to the eastern half and was ruled from Byzantium (by this time named Constantinople). This deep and long-lasting division did little to alleviate the barbarian incursions of the times. The 5th century saw devastation by, among others, the Alani , the Goths , and the Huns . Most of these invaders soon left or were assimilated , but such was not to be the case with the Slavs , who first arrived in the 6th century. The Slavs were settlers and cultivators rather than plunderers and within 100 years had become a powerful factor in the region. They separated into four main groups: Slovenes, Croats, Serbs, and Bulgarians (the last being a Turkic tribe, the Bulgars , that was eventually absorbed by Slavs who had already settled in the eastern Balkans). Although in 681 the Bulgars established their own state, the Slavs acknowledged the suzerainty of the emperor in Constantinople.

In the second half of the 9th century, Christianity was adopted by the Bulgarians and the Serbs, both of whom chose the Byzantine rather than Roman variant of the new religion. To the north of the Danube, the Romanians, though not Slav, made the same choice, while the Croats, together with most of the rest of what had been Rome’s section of the divided empire, became part of the western Christian community . The Albanians, isolated behind their mountain chains, were not much affected by either branch of Christianity. The divisions and competition between Rome and Constantinople intensified, with the two communities separating irrevocably in 1054. The dividing line of 395 was thus reinforced: the Croats and Slovenes became an integral part of Roman Catholic Europe, with its Latin script and culture , and the Serbs, Bulgarians, and Romanians joined the Greeks in their allegiance to Eastern Orthodoxy . The Orthodox east Within the Orthodox world two monks, Cyril and Methodius , devised an alphabet that enabled their disciples to translate religious texts into Slavonic.

This new alphabet enabled the establishment of a liturgical and literary language of the Balkans, but it also meant that, with Greek remaining in use in commerce and in the administration of the Byzantine Empire, the Orthodox world no longer had a common language that functioned as Latin did in the Catholic world. The lack of a universal language developed in part from a political assumption established at the very beginning of the Orthodox Christian world: that the church and the state were twin pillars of legitimate authority. Therefore, whenever a state separated from the Byzantine Empire, the impulse was for an accompanying church to be established. This association of state and church was intensified by the fear of invasion by non-Christians, a fear shared by state and church and ruler and ruled. Ruler and ruled were much less united, however, when social tensions arose—especially when, as was frequently the case, these tensions found expression in support for religious heresies. Any sign of independent thinking within the church was persecuted as a danger to temporal as well as spiritual power, and this hindered the development of those forms of intellectual exchange that later proved vital to the flowering of intellectual life in the West—Catholic Croatia-Slavonia and Dalmatia included.

Take a journey to an isolated monastery on top of a remote hillside. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. The Byzantine state’s military power, like that of the Slavic kingdoms that were eventually to challenge it, rested upon landlords who held property in return for furnishing an agreed number of troops in time of war. The Byzantines developed an extensive and highly corrupt civil service, and the imperial capital’s wealth acted as a dangerous magnet, drawing ambitious Balkan leaders to it with disastrous results. There were recurrent conflicts between Constantinople and the first Bulgarian empire until the latter was crushed in the early 11th century. Although reinvigorated by its victory, the Byzantine Empire soon faced further threats. From the east came the Seljuq Turks, a Muslim people whose victory in the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 destroyed Byzantium’s security in Anatolia. Some 125 years later the threat came from Western crusaders , who in 1204 descended upon and seized the imperial capital, holding it until 1261. They also divided the empire into small fiefdoms, most of which lasted little longer than their first rulers.

The Crusades had two profound effects upon the Balkans. In the first place the experience of Norman rule greatly intensified the hatred of the Eastern Orthodox against Westerners and Catholics. Second, the weakening of the empire allowed the Venetians to assume domination of seaborne trading in the eastern Mediterranean. The loss of both Anatolia and maritime supremacy deprived the empire of essential reserves of manpower, food, and wealth—losses that it could replenish only in its Balkan possessions. In the late 12th century, attempts to levy higher taxes led the Bulgarians to revolt and establish a second empire, but this was soon enfeebled by costly wars and by the inability of the ruling Asen dynasty to control local notables. Byzantium’s life was prolonged by these inadequacies and by the inability of the Slavs to unite. In the 14th century Bulgaria was eclipsed by the rising power of Serbia, where Stefan Dušan became king in 1331. This greatest of Serbia’s medieval rulers left behind a legal code, drawn up in 1349, and a legacy of conquest that was legendary.

He is also thought to have pondered the seizure of Constantinople, though by the time of his death in 1355 he had taken no positive action toward securing that goal. The Catholic west Political stability and unity were no more apparent among the Catholic Balkan Christians than among the Orthodox. The Croats established their own kingdom in the 10th century under Tomislav but in 1102 agreed to become part of the Hungarian monarchy. In the 14th century there was a short-lived Bosnian kingdom under the Kotromanić dynasty , but it also joined Hungary—even though Bosnia was less Catholic in its composition because many Bogomil heretics had taken refuge there. Hungary had already established its authority as early as the 11th century in Transylvania , where it introduced both Szeklers , a Hungarian-speaking people, and German-speaking Saxons . To the east the kingdoms of Walachia and Moldavia did not emerge until the 14th century; their preoccupations were less with the Turks than with the Hungarians and the Mongols. The Ottomans Conquest and rule While the various Balkan states fought among themselves for domination in the area, a new danger appeared in the south.

In 1362 the Ottoman Turks took Adrianople (modern Edirne , Turkey). This was the beginning of their conquest of the Balkan Peninsula—a process that took more than a century. Serbia fell after the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, Bulgaria in 1396, Constantinople in 1453, Bosnia in 1463, Herzegovina in 1482, and Montenegro in 1499. The conquest was made easier by divisions among the Orthodox peoples and by the even deeper rift between the Western and Eastern Christians. Although the Albanians under Skanderbeg frustrated the Ottomans for a time (1443–68), the Ottomans marched ever northward. In 1526 they defeated the Hungarians in the Battle of Mohács , and three years later they sieged Vienna unsuccessfully. The Ottomans now controlled much of central as well as southeastern Europe, but in the northern and western areas their power was much diluted.

Transylvania, Moldavia , and Walachia acknowledged the suzerainty of the sultan but managed their own internal affairs—as did Montenegro, which was too mountainous to subdue—while the trading centre of Ragusa (modern Dubrovnik , Croatia) remained independent both de facto and de jure. The western periphery , including Croatia, was still open to the intellectual storms generated by the Reformation and Counter-Reformation , which did not much affect the central Orthodox areas. In these central areas the Ottoman conquest brought complete social and political revolution. The old aristocracy almost everywhere was removed from power, and it frequently was destroyed. The main exceptions were Bosnia and Albania , where many nobles converted to Islam and retained their land. In Bosnia the Bogomils , equally persecuted by Orthodoxy and Catholicism, had religious as well as material reasons for conversion. In almost all areas the Ottomans introduced the timar system, based on previous Byzantine practices. All land was owned by the sultan—God’s representative on earth—but it was leased out to spahis (calvary corps members), who in return undertook to provide troops in proportion to the amount of land held.

The peasants worked the land and thus generated income for the spahis, though in the first centuries of Ottoman rule taxation and other levies were usually lighter and more regular than they had been under Christian rule. The Ottoman authorities seldom exerted pressure on Christians to convert to Islam , though there were fiscal and legal benefits in doing so. Administratively, the empire was divided into millets , each millet consisting of a single religious denomination. The religious leaders were made responsible for the collection of state taxes and for the maintenance of order within the religious community. Most Balkan Christians, being Orthodox, were members of the millet headed by the Greek patriarch in Constantinople. The taxes that they were required to pay included the devşirme , an occasional levy on male children who were taken from Christian households to be converted to Islam and trained as members of the administrative elite of the empire, including the military Janissary corps. Despite the horrors of such separation, there is evidence that children who rose high in the imperial service favoured their native areas. Decline and retreat The devşirme was last levied in the 17th century, by which time the Ottoman Empire was in irreversible decline.

After repelling a second attempt to take Vienna in 1683, the Austrians and then the Russians began to push back the sultan’s frontiers. Following the Treaty of Carlowitz in 1699, Hungary, Croatia-Slavonia, and Transylvania reverted to the Habsburg crown, and, with the Treaty of Passarowitz in 1718, Austria regained the Banat of Temesvár . Immediately thereafter the Austrians invited the Serbs, who had been their recent allies, to settle in the border areas of the Habsburg lands as frontier guards; in return, the Serbs were allowed religious freedom. The Austrian Militärgrenze, or “Military Frontier,” thus took the momentous step of introducing Orthodox Serbs into Catholic Croatian and Hungarian territory. Meanwhile, the Ottomans suffered further defeats throughout the 18th century. Through the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (1774), Russia exacted a promise of free navigation on the Danube and insisted on the right to protect Orthodox Christians in the empire. The empire’s inflexibility accounts for much of its weakness.

As the Ottoman system was officially regarded as the implementation on Earth of God’s will, it could not be changed. This attitude was pervasive: administrative practices remained unaltered; guilds were set at prescribed numbers, and new ones were difficult to establish; most exports were technically illegal; and estate holders were not legally entitled to bequeath their estates to their heirs. Most of these regulations were evaded by corruption and bribery. At the same time, there was increasing trading in office, not least in tax farming. Under this system the right to collect taxes in a given area could be purchased from a government agency or from government officials. The government determined the amount of tax owed by each individual tax farmer directly to the government, and tax collectors were free to take as much as they could from the taxpayers and pocket the difference. Inevitably the burden of these increased costs was passed down to the peasant and to poor artisans in the towns.

In Moldavia and Walachia the local nobility had adopted Greek culture, and it was partly through them that Greek influence was extended throughout the Orthodox church in the 18th century, leading to the abolition of the separate Serbian patriarchate in 1766 and of the autocephaly of the Bulgarian church in 1767. The subsequent appointment of Greek bishops and even priests in non-Greek areas caused great resentment; this was exacerbated by the increased trafficking in church offices during the century, which once again passed the costs of purchasing favours down the system until they fell ultimately on poor villagers and townspeople. On the land the high profits to be made from the sale (usually by technically illegal export) of cash crops such as cotton brought about the rise of the çiftlik , a commercially oriented estate whose owner was frequently an absentee landlord and whose peasants were tied to the land and subjected to harsh labour dues. In the last two decades of the 18th century, these factors combined with further encroachment by Austria and Russia to produce a virtual collapse of central governmental authority in the Ottoman Balkans.

In many areas power lay not with Constantinople but with local warlords who had carved out their own fiefdoms, the most famous being the Albanian Ali Paşa Tepelenë of Janina (modern Ioánnina , Greece). In some instances these warlords provided some stability, but in most cases they exploited their subjects ruthlessly. Frustration over the weakness of central government rather than over its overbearing presence produced a Serbian uprising of 1804, the first successful Christian revolt against Ottoman rule. Page 1 of 3 Balkans - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) The Balkan Peninsula forms a large, roughly wedge-shaped area of land that extends southward from Central Europe toward the Mediterranean Sea. It is about 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) wide in the north and stretches about 650 miles (1,050 kilometers) to its southern point, Cape Tainaron, in Greece. The Balkans cover an area of about 243,000 square miles (629,000 square kilometers) that is divided into many countries.

These are generally understood to include Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey in Europe, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Romania. The terrain of the region is generally mountainous and not very fertile, and many of the people struggle for their livelihood in communities that are virtually isolated from each other. Its history has been turbulent, with many wars, invasions, and feuds. Article Contributors EUROPA - Hungary | European Union website, the official EU website European Union website, the official EU website Hungary Overview: Hungary is a landlocked country in central Europe, which borders with no fewer than seven countries: Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria. The country is mostly flat, with low mountains in the north. The most important sectors of Hungary’s economy in 2015 were industry (27.4 %), wholesale and retail trade, transport, accommodation and food services (18.3 %) and public administration, defence, education, human health and social work activities (17.6 %). Hungary’s main export partners are Germany, Romania and Slovakia, while its main import partners are Germany, China and Austria.

Capital: Population as % of total EU: 1.9 % (2015) Seats in the European Parliament: 21 Yes, Schengen Area member since 21 December 2007. Presidency of the Council: Hungary has held the revolving presidency of the Council of the EU once in 2011. Read more: Hungary in the EU European Parliament European Parliament office in Hungary Council of the EU In the Council of the EU , national ministers meet regularly to adopt EU laws and coordinate policies. Council meetings are regularly attended by representatives from the Hungarian government, depending on the policy area being addressed. Presidency of the Council of the EU The Council of the EU doesn't have a permanent, single-person president (like e.g. the Commission or Parliament). Instead, its work is led by the country holding the Council presidency, which rotates every 6 months. During these 6 months, ministers from that country's government chair and help determine the agenda of Council meetings in each policy area, and facilitate dialogue with the other EU institutions. Dates of Hungarian presidencies: More on the current presidency of the Council of the EU .

European Commission The Commissioner nominated by Hungary to the European Commission is Tibor Navracsics , who is responsible for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport. The Commission is represented in each EU country by a local office, called a "representation". Commission representation in Hungary European Economic & Social Committee Hungary has 12 representatives on the European Economic and Social Committee . This advisory body – representing employers, workers and other interest groups – is consulted on proposed laws, to get a better idea of the possible changes to work and social situations in member countries. Committee of the Regions Hungary has 12 representatives on the Committee of the Regions , the EU's assembly of regional and local representatives. This advisory body is consulted on proposed laws, to ensure these laws take account of the perspective from each region of the EU. Permanent representation to the EU Hungary also communicates with the EU institutions through its permanent representation in Brussels. As Hungary's "embassy to the EU", its main task is to ensure that the country's interests and policies are pursued as effectively as possible in the EU. Budgets and Funding How much does Hungary contribute and receive? Member countries' financial contributions to the EU budget are shared fairly, according to means.

The larger your country's economy, the more it pays – and vice versa. The EU budget doesn't aim to redistribute wealth, but rather to focus on the needs of all Europeans as a whole. Breakdown of Hungary’s finances with the EU in 2015: Total EU spending in Hungary – € 5.629 billion Total EU spending as % of Hungarian gross national income (GNI) – 5.32 % Total Hungarian contribution to the EU budget – € 0.946 billion Hungarian contribution to the EU budget as % of its GNI – 0.89 % More figures on the EU budget, revenue and spending: Find a Danube river cruise Overview From the Black Forest of Germany to the Black Sea, the Danube is a vital lifeline that pulses through the heart of Central and Eastern Europe. The Danube is not only Europe's second longest river—more than twice the length of the Rhine and nearly three and a half times the length of the Rhône—but it flows through ten different countries and more than a dozen languages are spoken on its banks. Imagine the variety in food, architecture and history that goes with each of these languages and cultures.

Enjoy an intriguing, panoramic view of two thousands years of European history as you travel along the lyrical "Blue Danube." Fast Facts Watch & Learn About the Danube River Geography The Danube River has been used as an important means of transportation for commerce and military operations for nearly 2,000 years because it is the only major European river that flows west to east. The Danube rises in Germany's Black Forest and flows through the heartland of Austria, first forming the border of Austria and Slovakia, and then Slovakia and Hungary. Leaving Hungary, it runs through Croatia and Serbia to form the boundary between Serbia and Romania and then the Romania and Bulgaria border. The mighty Danube brushes the edge of Moldova and Ukraine before finally emptying into the Black Sea. The Upper Danube is home to four capital cities—Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, and Belgrade—more than any other river in the world. Downstream from Belgrade, the Danube enters the Iron Gates, a great natural corridor through the Carpathian Mountains and Balkan Mountains. It then spills into the plains of the ancient Roman province of Wallachia. Flooding has been a problem there since Roman times and still is.

Due to the floods, no major cities have been developed on the Danube downstream of Belgrade. Bucharest, the capital of Romania, is 50 miles uphill from the Danube, well protected from rising water in the spring. History Over the centuries, the Danube has been one of the most significant cultural and historic boundaries in Europe. In the early Middle Ages (3rd Century A.D.), the full length of the river formed the northern border of the Roman Empire. It remained intact as late as 454 A.D. when the Goths, Huns, Slavs, and other groups crossed the Danube in order to invade the crumbling Empire. The Roman legacy established the importance of the river as a medieval trade route, explaining why so many crucial trade and transportation centers can still be found along its shore today. The waters of the Danube also form a critical militaristic and spiritual lifeline. It was the major connection between Europe and the East, providing a pathway for crusaders to charge into Byzantium and the Holy Land. The trade corridor along the Danube gave rise to two major empires, the Austrian and Hungarian, which merged under Austria in the early 19th century.

The Danube then served as a link between the industrial centers of Germany (Austrian Empire) and the agricultural areas of the Balkan Peninsula (Ottoman Empire). It also served as a critical cultural border. To this day, Romania (north of the river) and Bulgaria (south) reflect their respective and separate histories with Romania having a Romance language and Bulgaria demonstrating key historic affinities in architecture and religion with the Ottoman Turks. Both the commercial and military value of the Danube are still recognized today. Many treaties have been signed to try to keep one country from having too much control over the river. Today the Danube is still a major transportation route, with more than 3,500 ships passing through its delta each year. Extensive navigation is made possible by various dredging of canals and channels often constructed with inter-country cooperation for the benefit of all the nations that border this essential waterway. Highlights As the Danube leaves the cover of German''s Black Forest, it trolls through the pristinely-preserved medieval town of Regensburg. This bustling university town boasts ancient treasures like the Porta Praetoria—the north gate to the ancient Roman fortress, Castra Regina, built in 179 A.D.

During the holidays, Regensburg shines bright with its Christmas market lighting up the historic market square. Farther downstream, Passau, Germany, is a gem of a city located at the confluence of the rivers Inn, Ilz, and Danube. Cobblestone streets lead the way to St. Stephen's Cathedral, which houses the world's largest church organ with more than 17,000 pipes. Continuing along, the village of Grein offers excellent photo opportunities, with its turreted houses lining the main square in the shadow of its idyllic castle perched high on a bluff. Situated in the rolling green hills of the Wachau Valley, Melk is home to the magnificent Benedictine Abbey, one of Europe's largest and most intriguing monasteries. Step out onto the monastic terrace to look out over the Danube and take in the mesmerizing view of the sweeping countryside. Float through the Wachau wine region to Dürnstein, known for the magnificent baroque Stiftskirche with its blue façade. Above town are the ruins of the castle where England's King Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in 1192. Vienna, Austria's capital, is next.

The "City of Music" inspired the creative genius of Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss. Once the center of the mighty Habsburg Empire, the city has much to offer—the lavish Hofburg Palace, the impressive Vienna Opera House, and the majestic Ring Boulevard, to name just a few. Visitors can waltz their way down shop-lined streets, savor the sounds of an orchestral concert, or delight in a Sachertorte or Apfelstrudel in a neighborhood café. Sail on through the picturesque Austrian views before heading to the heart of Hungary. Spanning both banks of the Danube, Budapest is Eastern Europe's liveliest and most cosmopolitan metropolis. Seven bridges, including the famous Chain and Elisabeth Bridges, connect ancient Buda on the right bank with Pest on the left. The massive hilltop castle complex with Fisherman's Bastion and the Matthias Church is among the many sights of Budapest that impress and excite. South of Budapest, the quiet town of Kalocsa, Hungary, was founded by St. Stephen in 1009. The Archbishop's Palace and the Kalocsa Cathedral are must-see sights in this town that is most known for paprika and folklore art.

The Danube winds away from Hungary and through the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. Steeped in history, the hilltop Petrovaradin Fort affords dramatic views of the Danube. On to Serbia's capital, Belgrade, situated at the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers. Full of lively pedestrian areas and imposing cathedrals and fortresses, Belgrade is a riveting study in contrasts. The Danube flows away from Belgrade, through rustic hills lined with stunning Roman fortresses, and through the dramatic gorge of the Iron Gates. This narrow and formerly very dangerous passage divides Europe's Alps in the northwest from the Carpathians in the southeast and forms a natural border between Serbia and Romania. Downstream, Bulgaria's most ancient and breathtaking treasures can be found a short drive away from the Danube. Veliko Târnovo, situated on three hills surrounding the Yantra River, is a natural fortress with stone houses clinging to its steep slopes. The historic village of Arbanassi is nearby, featuring the well-known Etnographic Museum and intricately designed frescoes in its Church of the Nativity. Silestra is a key port city—essential to Bulgaria's thriving agricultural industry.

A short distance away, the resort town of Varna sits on the shores of the Black Sea. Its storied past comes to life as you walk through Roman baths and marvel at the Gold of Varna, an archaeological wonder. Bucharest, Romania's lively capital, is only a short drive from the shores of the Danube. Its wide boulevards and Arc de Triomphe have gained it the name "Paris of the East." Enjoy people-watching in the Royal Palace Square, the scene of riots in 1989 which led to the collapse of the communist dictatorship. The Royal Palace now houses the National Art Museum and is filled with priceless examples of Eastern European art. Cruiser Profile The Danube River is the epitome of "East meets West," or rather "West meets East." Travelers who want to be exposed to a wide range of new cultures and experiences will soak up the sites along this sprawling waterway. History-, art- and music-lovers will all find the objects of their desires along these waters. The Danube also boasts a unique mix of urban and rural sites.

Explorers who appreciate dramatic natural scenes and also delight in the bustle of the world's great cities will see the best of both worlds as they cruise down this mighty European river. Did You Know? The Danube Delta was first declared a nature reserve in 1938 by the Council of Ministers and recognized as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1992. The area is home to 12 habit types, 300 bird species and 45 freshwater fish species. The Danube is mentioned in the title of a famous waltz by Austrian composer Johann Strauss, "An der schönen, blauen Donau" (On the Beautiful Blue Danube), composed as Strauss was traveling down the Danube River. This piece is well known across the world and is also used widely as a lullaby. Another famous waltz about the Danube is "The Waves of the Danube" by the Romanian composer Ion Ivanovici (1845–1902), and the work took the audience by storm when performed at the 1889 Paris Exposition.

The German tradition of landscape painting, the Danube school, was developed in the Danube valley in the 16th century. The Parliament House in Bucharest is the world's largest parliament building at a whopping 3.55 million square feet. The Blue Danube was the name of the first nuclear weapon of the British army. Bulgaria | Hetalia Archives | Fandom powered by Wikia Full article: Uniform Guide: Bulgaria Bulgaria has short dark brown hair and white skin. He has bangs that are parted in the middle. His uniform is shown as gray-green in the anime. He resembles Eren Jaeger from the anime "Attack on Titan" and has been drawn in a Survey Corps jacket because of this. Personality He is a member of the Axis Powers but states that he has always had a desire to hit Italy with a stick. He's pretty quiet except when he's with people he's close to. He is also shown to be thrifty and works hard, but seems to struggle in the EU. Relationships Full Article: Romania Romania and Bulgaria are shown to be best friends who often push each other around jokingly.

The two are often grouped together (along with Hungary ) in the European Union, and together make an appearance in the Halloween 2013 Event, Christmas 2011 Event, and Halloween 2011 Event. Appearances In the Anime Bulgaria's first anime appearance Bulgaria first appears in Episode 27 of Hetalia: Axis Powers and hits Italy with a stick after Germany shoos off several nations bullying Italy. In the dub, when asked "aren't you part of the Axis?" by Germany, he replies "Yeah. But take a look at him and tell me you haven't wanted to do the same thing." In the Manga His appearance in the anime was adapted from his same appearance in Volume 1 of the manga. He also had a role in the Christmas 2011 Event where he and Romania were cleaning together, and a large part in the Halloween 2013 Event when he fought with Romania over his Survey Corps Uniform From Attack on Titan (Maybe he doesn't want to see Bulgaria die in Expedition). Quia - DG Final Exam Weeks 17-24 - (copy) Java Games: Flashcards, matching, concentration, and word search.

DG Final Exam Weeks 17-24 - (copy) Tools 17.1. What isthmus connects North and South America? Panama 17.2. What are the continents of the world arranged according to land size, largest to smallest? Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Australia 17.3. What do Kingston, Jamaica, and Kinshasa, Zaire, have in common? both are national capitals 17.4. What natural boundary separates Texas from Mexico? Rio Grande River 17.5. What capital city is near 40° N latitude and 83° W longitude? Columbus, Ohio 17.6. What large desert is found in northern China and Mongolia? Gobi Desert 17.7. Which area has the higher elevation, eastern or western Brazil? eastern (Brazilian Highlands) 17.8. What is the capital of the landlocked country that borders Russia to the north and China to the south? Ulan Bator, Mongolia 18.1. What body of water connects Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean? St. Lawrence Seaway and St.

Lawrence River 18.3. What island group found northeast of Australia has a capital of Honiara? Solomon Islands 18.4. Which state is due south of Kentucky? Tennessee 18.5. A location exactly halfway between the Equator and North Pole has a latitude of how many degrees? 45 degrees 18.6. Which state capital is east of 90° W longitude: Jackson, Indianapolis, St. Paul? Indianapolis, Indiana 18.7. Describe the Pacific Ocean’s location in relation to the continents it touches. E of Asia/Australia, W of North and South America, N of Antarctica 18.8. Is most of Africa north or south of the Equator? north 19.1. If you were at 0° latitude and 0° longitude, would you be walking or swimming? swimming 19.2. Which continent has the larger land area, North or South America? North America 19.3. On which continent and in what hemispheres do you reside? North America, Northern & Western Hemispheres 19.4.

What is the capital of the country north of Spain that has coastlines on both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean? Paris, France 19.5. Does the Tagus River have its source or mouth in Spain? source 19.6. The island of Hispaniola is shared by what two countries? Haiti and Dominican Republic 19.7. What continents does the Arabian Sea border? Africa, Asia 19.8. What is the capital of the country that has Lebanon on its western border? Damascus, Syria 20.1. The mouth of the Paraná River is located in Argentina. In what country can its source be found? Brazil 20.2. In what ocean do 20° S latitude and 80° E longitude intersect? Indian Ocean 20.3. Land formed by soil deposited at the mouth of a river is called a (an) _____. delta 20.4. Name an overseas department of France that is on the South American continent. French Guiana 20.5. Is it farther to go from Venezuela to Bolivia or Venezuela to Cuba? Venezuela to Bolivia 20.6.

What is the name of the salt lake located on the border between Israel and Jordan? Dead Sea 20.7. Katmandu is the capital of which Asian nation? Nepal 20.8. What is the name of a well-known cape in the state of Massachusetts? Cape Cod 21.1. In what direction does the Nile River flow? north 21.2. Is Paris, France, southeast of the intersection of 0° longitude and 50° N latitude, or is it southwest of that intersection? southeast 21.3. Does Mexico have more coastline on the Gulf of Mexico or on the Pacific Ocean? Pacific Ocean 21.4. Is Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, north or south of the 40° S line of latitude? north 21.5. What country possesses Easter Island (Rapa Nui), which is about 2,000 miles west of South America? Chile 21.6. What is the westernmost state in the United States? Alaska 21.7. What forms the natural boundary between Argentina & Uruguay? Rio de la Plata 21.8.

What is the name of the country located in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain? Andorra 22.1. What gulf is north of Somalia and south of Yemen? Gulf of Aden 22.2. What is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago? Port-of-Spain 22.3. What large river in Eastern Europe passes through Vienna, Austria, and Budapest, Hungary? Danube 22.4. Along what line of longitude does the northeast border of California lie? 120 degrees W longitude 22.5. What large desert in Africa is almost as big as the 48 contiguous states in the United States? Sahara 22.6. The delta of what river is south of the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago? Orinoco 22.7. What is the capital of Montana, the state with the fourth largest land area in the United States? Helena 22.8. What is the natural boundary between France and Spain? Pyrenees Mountains 23.1. Sofia is the capital of what European nation? Bulgaria 23.2. Find the Nile River in Africa.

What two cities are located near its delta? Cairo, Alexandria 23.3. What large island is found off the coast of southern Labrador? Newfoundland 23.4. What is the capital of the only state through which 100° W longitude passes and that also has a coastline on the Gulf of Mexico? Austin, Texas 23.5. Which city does not lie near the Mexican border: El Paso, San Francisco, Laredo? San Francisco 23.6. What European city is near the intersection of 60° N latitude and 30° E longitude? St. Petersburg, Russia 23.7. What famous river is found in northeast India south of Nepal? Ganges 23.8. Three-fourths of an inch on a map equals 500 miles. From Chicago to Cleveland is ½ inch. How far would this be? approximately 333 miles 24.1. What country is due south of Egypt? Sudan 24.2. Is Phnom Penh or Hanoi the capital of Vietnam? Vietnam 24.3.

What country that is not a former Soviet republic borders the world’s largest lake? Iran 24.4. What river runs west to east across the northern part of Italy? Po 24.5. What is the capital of the Scandinavian nation whose eastern border is Russia? Helsinki, Finland 24.6. Which will have dawn first, eastern North America or eastern South America? eastern South America 24.7. What is the capital of Idaho? Is it east or west of 100° W longitude? Boise, west 24.8. What country has the longest border on the Arabian Sea? India Romania Map / Geography of Romania / Map of Romania - Worldatlas.com Print this map Inside the so-called "Cave of Bones" in Romania, the oldest human remains on the continent of Europe were discovered; archeologists dated the some 42,000 years old. In an attempt to expand its territory further north, the Roman Empire reached the Danube River in southeastern Europe in 100 AD, and established the new province of Roman Dacia.

As the Roman Empire began its decline in the late 2nd century, Dacia was invaded by the Goths, an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin. Over the next five centuries a wide variety of migrating people crossed through. In the 8th century, the Avars, a highly organized nomadic confederacy of mixed origins conquered the land, and ruled the remaining Slavic serfs in the Transylvania region until the 8th century. In the High to Late Middle Ages, from the Black Sea coastal areas through the mountainous central, and to the western borders of what is now modern-day Hungary and Serbia , Romania was occupied by an assortment of nomadic peoples. By the middle of the 16th century, Hungary , and most of the Balkan Peninsula including Romania's historical regions of Moldavia (northeast), Transylvania (central) and Wallachia (in the south) were under varied levels of Ottoman (Turkish) control. Near the end of the 17th century, a league of factions (including the Hapsburg) organized by Pope Innocent XI, was sent to free Hungary from Ottoman rule and reinstate the Catholic Church.

That effort stretched into Romania, and in 1699, Transylvania became a territory of the Habsburgs' Austrian empire. The Habsburgs were one of the most important aristocratic royal houses of Europe , best known for being the origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740. Within a few short years the Hapsburg's occupied other small parts of Moldavia and Wallachia. The European Revolutions of 1848 were a series of political upheavals throughout the continent. They were caused by widespread dissatisfaction with leadership; the demands of the working classes and a growing upsurge of nationalism in individual countries and regions. It was the first (and only) Europe -wide collapse of traditional authority. During the revolutions tens of thousands of people were killed and many more forced into exile, and within one year, the powerful reactionary forces (of royalty) had won out and the revolutions collapsed.

After the failed 1848 Revolution, Romanians wanted to form a single state, but that struggle was squelched by the Austria - Hungary empire, as it kept the Romanians firmly in control, even in parts of Transylvania where Romanians constituted a local majority. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 between the Ottoman Empire and the Eastern Orthodox coalition led by the Russian Empire and numerous Balkan countries, Romania fought on the Russian side, and that was a good decision. Within the 1878 Treaty of Berlin between the two warring parties, Romania was recognized as an independent state (principality) by Russia and some other European powers of the day. To make the deal Romania ceded some land along its eastern border to Russia. Prev Page 1/2 Next Page See Also EUROPA - Hungary | European Union website, the official EU website European Union website, the official EU website Hungary Overview: Hungary is a landlocked country in central Europe, which borders with no fewer than seven countries: Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria. The country is mostly flat, with low mountains in the north.

The most important sectors of Hungary’s economy in 2015 were industry (27.4 %), wholesale and retail trade, transport, accommodation and food services (18.3 %) and public administration, defence, education, human health and social work activities (17.6 %). Hungary’s main export partners are Germany, Romania and Slovakia, while its main import partners are Germany, China and Austria. Capital: Population as % of total EU: 1.9 % (2015) Seats in the European Parliament: 21 Yes, Schengen Area member since 21 December 2007. Presidency of the Council: Hungary has held the revolving presidency of the Council of the EU once in 2011. Read more: Hungary in the EU European Parliament European Parliament office in Hungary Council of the EU In the Council of the EU , national ministers meet regularly to adopt EU laws and coordinate policies. Council meetings are regularly attended by representatives from the Hungarian government, depending on the policy area being addressed. Presidency of the Council of the EU The Council of the EU doesn't have a permanent, single-person president (like e.g. the Commission or Parliament).

Instead, its work is led by the country holding the Council presidency, which rotates every 6 months. During these 6 months, ministers from that country's government chair and help determine the agenda of Council meetings in each policy area, and facilitate dialogue with the other EU institutions. Dates of Hungarian presidencies: More on the current presidency of the Council of the EU . European Commission The Commissioner nominated by Hungary to the European Commission is Tibor Navracsics , who is responsible for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport. The Commission is represented in each EU country by a local office, called a "representation". Commission representation in Hungary European Economic & Social Committee Hungary has 12 representatives on the European Economic and Social Committee . This advisory body – representing employers, workers and other interest groups – is consulted on proposed laws, to get a better idea of the possible changes to work and social situations in member countries. Committee of the Regions Hungary has 12 representatives on the Committee of the Regions , the EU's assembly of regional and local representatives. This advisory body is consulted on proposed laws, to ensure these laws take account of the perspective from each region of the EU. Permanent representation to the EU Hungary also communicates with the EU institutions through its permanent representation in Brussels.

As Hungary's "embassy to the EU", its main task is to ensure that the country's interests and policies are pursued as effectively as possible in the EU. Budgets and Funding How much does Hungary contribute and receive? Member countries' financial contributions to the EU budget are shared fairly, according to means. The larger your country's economy, the more it pays – and vice versa. The EU budget doesn't aim to redistribute wealth, but rather to focus on the needs of all Europeans as a whole. Breakdown of Hungary’s finances with the EU in 2015: Total EU spending in Hungary – € 5.629 billion Total EU spending as % of Hungarian gross national income (GNI) – 5.32 % Total Hungarian contribution to the EU budget – € 0.946 billion Hungarian contribution to the EU budget as % of its GNI – 0.89 % More figures on the EU budget, revenue and spending:

Question: What is farther north Hungary, or Bulgaria?
Answer: Hungary