The Balkans, also known as the Balkan Peninsula, represent the easternmost of Europe’s three major southern peninsulas. There is no universal consensus on the specific countries encompassed by the region. Typically, the Balkans are considered to include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia, with all or parts of these countries situated within the peninsula. Greece and Turkey, or the Aegean Sea, are often included in the Balkans based on geographic definitions. However, interpretations vary among historians and geographers, with some emphasizing cultural and historical factors.
In the early 21st century, two additional terms gained prominence in defining the region: South East (or Southeast) Europe, used broadly without universal agreement on its constituent states, and the Western Balkans, typically comprising Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
Geographically, the Balkans are bordered by Italy to the northwest, Hungary to the north, Moldova and Ukraine to the north and northeast, and Greece and Turkey or the Aegean Sea to the south. The Adriatic Sea lies to the west, the Ionian Sea to the southwest, and the Black Sea to the east. The northern boundary becomes challenging to delineate clearly due to the extension of the Pannonian Basin into parts of Croatia, Serbia, and Romania.
Moldova, located north of the Danube River, is included in some definitions of the Balkans due to historical and cultural ties with Romania. However, Moldova’s political and economic orientation aligns more with former Soviet republics than Balkan states. Slovenia is often considered part of the Balkans due to historical connections and past inclusion in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes and federal Yugoslavia.
The term “Balkan” originated from the Turkish word meaning “mountain,” reflecting the region’s predominant landform. The peninsula is characterized by mountain ranges such as the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria, the Rhodope Mountains along the Greek-Bulgarian border, and the Dinaric range along the Adriatic coast. The climate varies, with northern and central parts experiencing a central European climate with cold winters and warm summers, while southern and coastal areas have a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, relatively rainy winters.
