Balkanlar

Balkanlar, or the Balkans, is a geographic and cultural region in Southeast Europe. The term refers to the Balkan Peninsula and surrounding areas, and its exact scope varies by context. The core area typically includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia, with Greece largely in the southern Balkans and parts of Turkey's European side sometimes included.

Geographically, the region is characterized by mountains such as the Balkan Mountains, the Dinaric Alps, and the Pindus, extensive river basins, and a coastline along the Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean, and Black Seas. The Danube and Sava basins are important for transport and settlement.

The Balkans are highly diverse in ethnicity, language, and religion. Major groups include South Slavs (Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks, Montenegrins, Macedonians, Slovenes), Albanians, Greeks, and Turks. Languages include Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovenian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Albanian, Greek, and Turkish, among others. Religious composition includes Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Roman Catholicism, and others. The region is noted for its historical interactions among Orthodox, Catholic, and Muslim communities and for a diverse culinary and musical heritage.

Historically, the area has roots in Roman and Byzantine rule, followed by centuries under the Ottoman Empire. National awakenings in the 19th century led to independence for many states. In the 20th century, it formed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and later Socialist Yugoslavia. The 1990s saw a series of conflicts as Yugoslavia dissolved. Since then, several Balkan states have pursued or achieved European Union accession and Western integration, while others remain in negotiations or with special partnerships.